EDITOR Paula Lavigne OPINION EDITOR Matthew Waite EDITORIAL BOARD Erin Gibson Joshua Gillin Jeff Randall Julie Sobczyk Ryan Soderlin I Our VIEW From the execution of Robert Williams: “Whatcan be said.I appreciate-I just appreciate living long enough to be blessed by so many people that God has led into my life, and my last statement would be that I hope that this incident will inspire other people to find another way and I thank you all, especially Mr. Stenberg, J. Kirk Brown, Brother Nelson and Brother Moore. I appreciate them. I have no ani mosity toward them. I love them and I’m on my way home. Thank you.” the last words of Robert Williams, who was put to death Tuesday for murdering two women in 1977 “It just didn’t take long. I had to wait 20 years for this.” Wayne Earl Rowe, who found his wife murdered at the hands of Williams in 1977, on the execution “I am sorry, Mr. Rowe. I love you, brother.” Williams, to Rowe, while strapped to the electric chair “We have forgiven Mr. Williams, but will never forgive, nor forget what he did 20 years ago.” Tom Rowe, Rowe’s son “When the curtains opened, he was grinning, he was smiling, and he looked like he was happy. It was incredible how calm he was, how at ease he was... he was ready to go.” Brad Stephens, an anchorman for KETV Channel 7 in Omaha, on what he saw prior to the execution was with him; God truly gives peace that defies understanding.” Joy Stevens, whom Williams requested as one of his witnesses “I just witnessed a birth into heaven of the most good and beautiful man I’ve ever known. This is an act of violence and despi cability by the state of Nebraska -1 am ashamed to be in the state of Nebraska.” Marylyn Feilon, Williams ’spiritual advis er *. . • “It was a somber experience. It doesn’t get easier with time. In a sense, it’s cumu lative and becomes more difficult” Gov. Ben Nelson, who has been governor for all three executions this decade “People are fascinated by power, and taking someone’s life is about the most powerful thing you can do.” Richard Dienstbier, a UNL psychology professor, on the level of public interest in executions “It’s a lose, lose, lose situation today. Mr. Williams lost, his family lost, his friends lost, the victims lost... Nobody won today.” Robynn Tysver, an Associated Press reporter 9 Haney’s VIEW DN LETTERS Why should they care? This is in regard to the article about decreased buyback prices for students because of faculty irresponsibility. Why should the faculty members care that they are causing the students to lose more money than they already do r on -textbooks? They do not have to pur chase the books. The faculty members are not affected in any way by this. They can turn the lists in as late as they want and no one is going to dock their pay or fine them for not meeting a deadline, so why should they care at all? It is not enough that we pay their salaries? I am sure that if there was some way to “punish” them for missing the deadline for the textbook list, like ur\imicb” 11c miccinn norvar -j i---~-o deadlines, they would be able to get them in on time with no problems. It really disgusts me that the faculty has such little regard for the financial stress that is places on college students. If they had any regard for our situa tion at all, they would not be acting in this manner. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able, as students, to hold our professors to the same deadlines as they hold us to? Dawnel Morrissey junior biological science Scientifically illiterate In his recent book, “The Demon Haunted World. Science as a Candle in the Dark,” the late Carl Sagan made the point that perhaps 95 percent of Americans are “scientifically illiterate” He goes on to describe the dire con sequences of this majority achieving positions in life where they might be responsible for making public policy or even writing newspaper editorials. I was particularly dismayed at the lack of understanding of quantitation and logic in the Thursday editorial which chastised faculty for not return ing their book orders in a timely fashion. The related story on Page 1 reported that the bookstore has yet to receive 25 percent of the spring ’98 book orders from faculty. The editorial manages to translate this into “Only one quarter of our faculty cares enough to...” The editorial writer is farther indig nant that “As of today, only two depart ments in the entire university met the book list deadline of Oct. 24.” Indeed, that statement is true, but it will be as true next year as it was on Oct. 25. _r*___• i x viuu^o 11 o 11111 v iv/i an vuiiuiiai questioning whether our hundreds of integrative studies courses actually expose students to such topics as critical thinking, creative thinking, analysis of controversies, exploration of assump tions and consequences of intellectual bias. Let me propose that my department supply your editors with biochemistry majors to proof your editorials. We have 170 of the highest ability students attending UNL. In addition to being adept at critical thinking, each and every one can write poetry in the form ofXY plots and filet a catfish with a graphing calculator. Think about it John Markwell professor of biochemistry Historical repetitions In his Thursday column, Mr. Hickenbottom writes that basically the United States is not using diplomacy. If we would have treated Germany after WWII as we are now treating Iraq, it is very easy to conceive that Germany would have again repeated history a third time. Having served six months during Desert Shield and Desert Storm and having lost friends to the Iraqi Republican Guard, we should have taken the steps we did with Germany with Iraq. Germany is still an occupied coun try. The Canadians, Americans and British still have troops stationed there. Their constitution does not allow them to deploy their army into an offensive campaign, which is why Germany could not supply troops to Desert Storm. The German government after the war was completely and totally built anew. If we would have done these things to Iraq after their defeat, we wouldn’t need to have the buildup we have there today. Also foreign policy and domestic policy are inseparable. With us having applied the measures used after Germany’s defeat, the Ufciffed States i would have a stronghold in'die Persian Gulf area and would have secured an oil source for the future. ; 5 Mr. Hickenbottom is young and has j not done any military service, I assume, j and is lucky to live in a country were he only has to register and is no longer required to serve, as many countries of the world require of their young men. So no, Iraq has not suffered enough. Thomas Seberger senior computer science Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Fall 1997 Daily Nebraskan. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its employees, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author. The Board of Regents serves as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. 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