The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 13, 1998, Page 4, Image 4

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    EDITOR
Paula Lavigne
OPINION
EDITOR
Joshua Gillin
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Brad Davis
Erin Gibson
Shannon Heffelfinger
Chad Lorenz
Jeff Randall
WEEK
“This is insane! ... Yon are
humiliating people of color!”
Lynda Todd, assistant director of
the UNL Educational Talent Search,
to English Professor David Hibler
“We are prisoners in our own
land. And we are fighting back.”
Linda Anfuso, American Indian
Movement member, speaking on
behalf of Leonard Peltier during a
protest for Peltier’s release from
prison in Leavenworth, Kan.
“No other (gubernatorial) candi
date has the experience I do as a
leader, mayor and chief executive
officer.”
Lincoln Mayor Mike Johanns, on
his candidacy for governor of
Nebraska
“It is affirming diversity. It is
not ethnic cheerleading.”
Cornel Pewewardy, University of
Kansas assistant professor, on stress
ing cultural awareness
“This university is establishing a
pattern in saying, ‘We don’t care
about the feelings of the minority
groups.’”
Eric Crump, sophomore sociology
and political science major, at the
A SUN student opinion forum Monday
“I really wanted to go to UCLA,
but my mom told me that there
were too many earthquakes out
there.”
NJU long jumper Chris Wright, on
1 ‘why WNebraska
“VISION wants UNL to be a stu
dent campus, a community - a
place where every student feels wel
come.”
Jill Maaske, first vice-presidential
candidate, announcing VISION’s can
didacy for ASUN student government
“No matter what your interest or
background, someone from COM
MIT can welcome you.”
Chris Linder, second vice-presi
dential candidate, announcing
COMMIT’s candidacy for ASUN stu
dent government
“I don’t agree with it. It’s like
putting springs on the shoes of bas
ketball players who can’t jump as
high.”
NU Men’s Golf Coach Larry
Romjue, on a possible rule change
that would allow some players to ride
in carts during tournaments
“And as we are finding, at times
we pay a painful price for freedom.
Those costs have been high this past
week.”
Chancellor James Moeser, at a
university press conference Tuesday
UHMalPalcy
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of
the Spring 1998 Daily Nebraskan. They
do not necessariy reflect the views of the
University of Nebraska-Uncoln, its
employees, its student body or the
Unweraity of Nebraska Board of Regents.
Aoolumn is solely the opinion of its author.
The Board of Regents serves as pubfisher
the DsivNebrasican Editorial Board The
UNLPublications Board, estettished by
the regents, supervises the production
of the paper. Accordinato policy set by
the regents, responsibility for the editorial
content of the newspaper lies solely in
the hands of its student employees.
Lettar Policy
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief
letters to the edttor and guest columns,
but does not guarantee tneir pubfication.
The Daily Nebraska retains the right to
edit or reject any material submitted.
Submitted material becomes property of
the Da8y Nebraskan and cannot be
returned. Anonymous submissions will
not be published. Those who submit
letters must identify themselves by name,
year in school, major and/or group
affiliation, if any.
Submit material to: Daly Nebraskan, 34
Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln,
NE 68588-0448. E-mail:
letters@unrmlb.unl.edu.
Haney’s
VDEW
DN
LETTERS
You wouldn’t know
a controversy •••
Enough already! The uproar over
David Hibler’s e-mail messages has
proven that this community is not
only incapable of dealing with issues
of race, but that it doesn’t know
which ones are important
In the five years I have been in
Lincoln,! have seen African
Americans detained and hassled by
police for no reason other than their
skin color. I have seen women and
minorities harangued with racial
slurs by white males (from their
vehicles, of course). I have read in
the newspaper of numerous male
African-Americans who, unprotect
ed by “student-athlete” status, are
arrested, tried, convicted and sen
tenced to long prison terms for
crimes which we of the Caucasian
majority are usually put on probation
for.
I have watched the community
divide over the case in which a
Mexican national was identified, fol
lowed, apprehended and overpow
ered by numerous police officers.
Despite its resulting in his “acciden
tal” death, such force was later
deemed somehow to be within the
bounds of normal law enforcement
procedure.
Now the community is divided
again, but this time over a Caucasian
university professor who, as a liter
ary or cultural exercise, seems to
have assumed die voice of an
oppressed minority group in order to
call attention to the plight of all
minority groups. Shouldn’t we be
focusing our efforts elsewhere in
order to make this a better communi
ty for all disadvantaged groups?
In reading Dr. Hibler’s text, it
seems clear that the narrative voice
using the term “nigga” is not doing
so in a slanderous way. Putting die
narrative into electronic format and
sending it out was really dumb, and
Dr. Hibler is paying the price. Let’s
put it into perspective, and turn our
attention to where our problems of
-■
| |
race really lie — in the community
itself.
Pull your pants up, Lincoln, your
underwear is showing.
D. Brian Mann
graduate student,
modern languages
... if it came up and bit you
It’s time to wake up people. The
smokers on this campus are not
going to stop smoking on campus
just because cigarettes are not sold
here anymore. So, why should Kwik
Shop and 7-11 get that money? I
don’t think I know anyone who
would like to pay extra fees that the
sales of cigarettes previously took
care of. I am not a smoker, and I am
aware of the damage cigarettes
cause, but it is not anyone’s place to
tell the students on campus that they
can’t smoke. The smoking will con
tinue.
Should all of the students have to
pay extra fees because a few non
smokers are too worried about the
smokers? Maybe those overly con
cerned non-smokers should pay the
extra money themselves.
And to Curtis Bright — yes, the
university is supposed to prepare you
for a long, healthy life, but what
about stress? Universities are the
breeding ground for extremely
stressful lives, and guess what—
stress is NOT healthy. It’s time to
stop worrying about trivial things
such as cigarette sales and worry
about more important things, such as
the actual EDUCATION we are
receiving at this university.
Andria Skaff
junior
geology
The liberals strike back
In responseto his editorial in the
DN Feb. 11 (“More than Martin”),
I'd like to point out to Josh
Moenning that had it not been for
liberals, Mr. Meredith never would
have been allowed to enroll at the
University of Mississippi and segre
gation would, in all likelihood, still
exist in this country.
Regarding the issue of economic
independence, I’d argue that true lib
eralism includes profound respect
for hunian rights, It saysno human3 r 1 n
being should be sacrificed for the
greater good of capitalism, and
regards the idea of men, women and
children living in abject poverty as
anathema. On the other hand, the
message of many conservatives is
“sink or swim, your misery is not my
problem,” or worse, the moralizing
“sink, and let that teach your family
a lesson.”
I find especially cynical those
conservatives like James Meredith
and Clarence Thomas, who, after
benefiting greatly from liberal poli
cies, wish to deny those benefits to
others.
Andrea Shahan
University of Nebraska Press
l I; . '
Paying respects
In response to your editorial con
cerning “The name game” (DN
Online, Feb. 5), as an active duty
member of the U.S. armed forces,
ex-varsity letter winner (swimming)
and 1978 graduate of the University
of Nebraska, I agree with your
assessment that naming the playing
field portion of Memorial Stadium
“Tom Osborne Field” does not in
any way lessen or detract from the
honor of our nation’s fallen veterans.
Thanks for taking such a stand.
Tom Osborne has been a heroic
example for die entire state of
Nebraska and is extremely deserving
of die honor.
Lt Cmdr. Patrick Murphy
U.S. Coast Guard officer
and UNL alumnus
class of 1978
i '
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