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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1996)
EDITOR Doug Kouma OPINION EDITOR Anne Hjersman EDITORIAL BOARD Doug Peters Matt Waite Paula Lavigne Mitch Sherman Anthony Nguyen I 11 “To be honest with you, I never wanted to play football. I wanted to be a trash man.” — Former NU running back Mike Rozier, after a street shooting almost killed him in his hometown of Camden, N.J. “If I had known that my four offspring would be spit on, their belongings de stroyed. That they would be physically and verbally abused because they had a ‘nigger-lover’ for a mother, I wouldn’t have done the exercise.” — Former Iowa elementary school teacher Jane Elliot, on her decision to teach her students a lesson in racism with her now famous “blue eyes/brown eyes” experiment “It always feels good to get back to Indian Country. There’s just a different vibration in the air.” — UNL law professor John Snowden, on his practice of taking his Native Ameri can Law students to visit some of Nebraska’s reservations “We can look at death in two ways: as an enemy or as a friend. As a person of faith, I see death as a friend.” — Cardinal Joseph Bemardin, on his faith prior to his death “The Giants are getting a steal.” — NU defensive tackle Jason Peter, on the New York team’s decision to draft his brother Christian “Our offense has carried us for 20 or 30 years. So 1 guess it’s time for us to start paying them back.” — Peter, on the No. 1 Husker defensive team “He gets involved so much that every time he gets the ball, you hold your breath.” — Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Charlie McBride, on playing against Iowa State tailback Troy Davis “We’re killing the fly with a sledgeham mer.” — Lt. Gov. Kim Robak, on the federal welfare reform bill passed by President Clinton in August “We want to detoxify corporate America, extend the roof and be fair.” — The Rev. Jesse Jackson, on racism, sexism and hostility in the Texaco coipora tion and throughout corporate America “It sucks to lose.” — Kansas State Volleyball Coach Jim Moore, after Nebraska beat KSU for die 54th straight time “We don’t have much of a bench, but what we have, we can work with.” — True freshman Cookie Belcher, NU guard, on die depth of the Nebraska basket ball team “Please respect our privacy and let us en joy this wonderful and exciting time.” — Michael Jackson, in a statement fol lowing his marriage to Debbie Rowe, who is carrying his baby Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials are die opinions of the Fall 1996Doily Ndxaskan. They do not nec essarily reflect die views of die University of Nebraaka-Iincoln, its employees, its stu dent body or die University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is soiey die opinion of its author. The Board of Regents serves as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Edito rial Board. The UNL Publications Board, es tablished by the regents, supervises die pro duction of the newspaper. According to policy aet by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in die bands of its student employees. Letter Policy The Daily NebralumwdcomM brief let ters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee their publication. Tbe £>aily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or iqect any material submitted. Submit ted material becomes die property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those trim submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, mqjor and/or group affilia tion, if any. Submit material to: Daily Ne braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. E-mail: letters@unlinfonnl.edu. --- f—— -—-1 Unfair INCRIMINATION When I think about the Daily Nebraskan, I think about a bunch of aspiring young people hoping that one day they will write for big-time newspapers. I think about individuals with a heart for news and a desire to get it right. I think about learning, making mistakes and writing some great pieces from time to time. I must say that I was extremely disappointed that the DN’s reporter mentioned three former Husker players in connection with Tyrone Williams’ case. Shame, shame, shame on you! These three men were not on trial. Mr. Williams was. You had no right—journalistic or otherwise—to mention their names. Mr. Brennan lost the case for Mr. Williams and wanted to throw the blame on others. Now these men will have to face the scrutiny of an allegation which is totally unfounded without substantial facts. Now, if the DN has facts, write a story. If not, don’t implicate individu als who are not on trial in a criminal proceeding. They may have had bad judgment if they were with him. However, as far as we, (the public) know, they did not do anything. Tyrone Williams did. To mention Mr. Brennan’s quote that they “influ enced Williams’’ without more information is wrong—not good journalism. I would expect respect able people to admit the mistake and apologize immediately. Learn now before all of the writers reach the big time. It’s like my mother used to say: “Something you can do, isn’t necessarily some thing that you should do.” John L. Harris special assistant Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Natalie Linstrom/DN Gats in schools A Wisconsin school district is paying almost a million dollars to a former gay student for not protecting him from being repeatedly harassed by fellow students. I hope this sends a very strong message to school officials all across the nation that this serious problem must be addressed. School is a terrifying and trauma tizing experience for kids who are gay or merely suspected of being gay. I know, because I lived it. I am a 43-year-old man who has never forgotten being a little boy of 9 who discovered his”difference” and felt so aldhe, and received verbal and physical assaults during school. One way we can make our schools safer is to discuss gay issues in the classroom. Otherwise we send the wrong message to youngsters, gay and straight: that gay life is not worthy of discussion, that it is permissible to make jokes and taunt classmates, that gay people are not real human beings. Should such issues be discussed in school? You bet That’s the function of education: to open students’ eyes, minds, hearts and souls to the world around them. They don’t necessarily have to agree with everything they read or hear, but they do have to try to understand it. Straight students need to talk about gay issues, just as whites must learn about the civil rights struggle, non-athletes must take physical education and youngsters preparing to live in the 21 st century must know the history of ancient Greece and Rome. Like it or not, homosexuality exists. It surrounds us every day. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s j world citizens. They will have gay and lesbian co-workers, bosses, neighbors. Perhaps they’ll even have a gay or lesbian child. What better place to begin hearing, discussing and thinking about gay issues than in school? We need to clear up the STAG GERING amount of myths, misinfor mation and just plain propaganda about homosexuality. We need to substitute actual facts and informa tion. Some people will listen to the question, “Should the schools teach about homosexuality?” and their ears will register only two words: “teach” and “sex.” We do not want to teach your kids to have gay sex. That is absurd, and that is propaganda. What we gay people are asking is that schools teach the following: 1. That we exist—an undeniable fact. 2. That we have made many contributions to society: Walt Whitman’s poems, WiUa Cather’s novels, Alan Turing’s invention of the computer—again an undeniable fact. 3. That families come in more than one form and that some students have gay parents—again a fact. 4. And finally, that anti-gay activity hurts everyone, gay and straight, as well as being detrimental to education and to business. What’s the worst that could happen if truth, understanding and tolerance are taught? That more kids would be gay? Nobody believes that. But maybe a little hate will be lifted. William C. Stosine Iowa City, Iowa jPg-T J • 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 *R" St, Lincoli to (402) 472-1761,pre-maiI<letter8@unlHifo:unLedu. rigned and include a phone number for verificationj
