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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1996)
Opinion Thursday, March 14,1996 Page 4 Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln J. Christopher Hain.Editor, 472-1766 Doug Kouma.Managing Editor Doug Peters.Opinion Page Editor Sarah Scalet.Associate News Editor Matt Waite. Associate News Editor Michelle Garner..Wire Editor Jennifer Mapes.Columnist Bret Gottschall/DN Unjust reward Sperm shouldn ’tgain survivor’s benefits The Social Security Administration is now recognizing vials of sperm as legitimate heirs. Judith Hart, who is now 4 1/2 years old, was bom almost a year after her father died, but Monday she was awarded Social Security survivor benefits. The problem is she’s no survivor. Judith’s mother, Nancy Hart of Slidell, La., was artificially inseminated using sperm left behind when her husband, Edward Hart died. Before conceiving Judith, Mrs. Hart was already widowed. She knew the financial situation she was in without her husband and made aconscious decision to have a child. That’s a fine decision ifyou have the means to support a child. Mrs. Hart either did not have the means or is trying to get extra money from the government. The young girl who is the result of this scientific conception will receive $700 a month from Social Security. With our country facing historic cutbacks in entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and welfare, it is hard to believe that an unworthy recipient has been added. The Social Security administration had fought Mrs. Hart’s claim, but this week it reversed its course to avoid a court battle. Mrs. Hart’s lawyers argued that Judith was denied benefits solely because of the circumstances of her birth, and they noted that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled such benefits could not be denied to illegitimate children. But the circumstances of Judith’s birth are important in determin ing her status as a survivor. CanMrs. Hart have anotherchild lOycars from now using more of Mr. Hart’s sperm and still claim survivor benefits for that child? She shouldn’t. Awarding benefits to this girl completely disregards the intent of survivor benefits. Survivor benefits should be for families where one of the wage earners dies, leaving the rest of the family unable to support themselves. Squiggly little sperm, even with the potential for life, should not be considered a family. Editorial policy Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 19% Daily Ne braskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the stu dents or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent the opin ion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL Publications Board to super vise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its students. Letter policy The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity, originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit mate rial as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be re turned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub lished. Letters should include the author’s name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Re quests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. VLONEY CMT EUY You LOME (\joters>. I -1_J Bad faith I applaud Sen. Chambers’ efforts to pass a same-sex marriage bill. Apparently I am of the small minority who favor human dignity for subsets of our culture who happen to commit sin in the eyes of the church. Being that our govern ment is essentially a secular one by charter I fail to see the bearing of religious argument on this matter. The Nebraska Christian Coalition and the Nebraska Family Council have faith to act as their conscience. Bertrand Russell had this to say about faith: “It is believed virtuous to have Faith — that is to say, to have a conviction which cannot be shaken by contrary evidence. Or, if contrary ■ evidence might induce doubt, it is held that contrary evidence must be suppressed.” Within this quote the obscurantism, suppression of scientific knowledge and tacit contribution to human suffering of the church is evident. The faithful would have us believe that only through subservience to God can we truly be happy. Maybe that is the case. By accepting Christian dogma we could escape persecution of their ilk and be free to practice our cruelty on sinners with the impunity that goes with faith. Anthony Wells senior computer engineering Lessons not learned Did anyone else find it ironic that the front page of the March 13 Daily Nebraskan showed an interracial couple protesting same-gender marriage? Has this couple forgotten that all the same arguments trotted out this year against gay marriage were used in the 1950s and ’60s against interracial marriage? Back then, as now, the religious extremists I Bret Gottschall/DN swore the Bible backed them up. Don’t we ever learn from history? Then again, the Bible has been used to defend slavery, deny women basic civil rights, and prove that the sun goes around the earth. I wonder who the next targets will be ... Scott Miller St. Louis, Mo. Suicide I have never had a desire to write to the DN until I read Steve Willey’s column on March 13. Very few things affect me the way that article did, and 1 just had to write. I applaud Mr. Willey for speaking so frankly about something so personal. I, too, had a family member commit suicide, when I was 18 years old. It was the hardest time of my life, and my feelings were much the same as those Mr. Willey talked about. Yet, all too often, friends and family are discouraged to talk about their anger and hurt towards the suicide. Thank you, Mr. Willey, for putting on paper what so many of us are/were feeling. Natalie Wilson freshman environmental chemistry Lies Nebraska must be careful in the current movement to ban same-sex marriage. Yes. South Dakota degraded non traditional families by passing a bill, HB 1143, which states marriage is for a man and a woman. To pass HB 1143 in South Dakota, supporters had to lie to citizens of the state by telling wild stories of HIV infection rates and incidence of syphilis in South Dakota with “fact” sheets distributed by pro-family groups, anti-abortion forces and other religious political extremists. Their “facts” were not supported by the state’s health department, which tells a quite different story of lower numbers in sexually transmitted disease and the nation’s second lowest rate of HIV infection. To pass HB 1143 in South Dakota, supporters demonized gay and lesbian persons based upon stereotypes using video of small portions of New York and San Francisco gay parades to show what life would be like in South Dakota if there were “gay marriages.” False witness anyone? To keep the traditional family alive they had to lie. Ask yourself: Is your family so weak that you are willing to break a commandment to keep your special, civil contract privileges from people who tell the truth about themselves? What lies have been told in Nebraska in the name of God’s Truth? Barry Wick executive director, Free Americans Creating Equal Status of South Dakota, Inc. (FACES of South Dakota) --, Send your brief letters to: -) Daily Nebraskan, 34 y 11 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., - Lincoln, Neb. 68588, or Fax to (402) 472-1761, or email cletters @ unlinfo.unl.edu.> —1-^- Letters must be signed and r\C Ira include a phone number for L UI iXOJvdJLl verification.