By Michelle Starr
Staff writer
Though actively involved in
>olicing human rights worldwide,
he United States does not “walk the
valk of human rights” in its own
>ack yard, a former Amnesty
nternational chairman said
rhursday.
More than 70 students and
.incoln residents found any seat
ivailable, including the floor, in the
Nebraska Union’s Heritage Room for
‘U.S. Violations of Human Rights:
Vmnesty Accuses,” presented by
Norton Winston, former chairman of
he U.S. board of directors of
Amnesty International.
“Human rights are not protected
jqually or adequately in the U.S. in
nany areas,” Winston said.
He explained how the United
States has had a mixed record of
human rights observance.
Winston led the audience through
Amnesty International’s six main
violations committed by the United
States.
Internationally, the United States
has refused to sign human rights acts
including the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights; the Covenant on Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women and the Covenant on
the Rights of the Child.
Somalia, absent of a government,
was the only other country not to sign
the Covenant on the Rights of the
Child, he said.
Another violation occurs when
the United States exports arms,
Winston said. He said some of the 75
percent of arms exported, including
chemical weapons, firearms and stun
guns, will be used against the pur
chasing country’s own people.
The United States has also had an
increasing problem with police bru
tality and prison violence, two other
human rights violations, according to
Winston.
Us^ng tear gas and excessive
force on peaceful protesters, as well
as shooting unarmed suspects, has
been reported, Winston said.
Winston’s video presentation
gave examples of sexual assault by
inmates and guards, and guards pro
voking fights between inmates.
A fifth violation is when those
seeking political asylum in the
United States have a hard time find
ing the American dream because they
are stuck in a holding cell, the video
said. Some refugees have been left
for years in limbo, while others have
experienced verbal abuse from
guards.
A sixth concern pointed out by
the video showed racial discrimina
tion during sentencing and the possi
bility of the suspect’s innocence as
reasons against the use of the death
penalty in the United States.
In a discussion following
Winston’s speech, Miguel Carranza,
associate professor of sociology and
ethnic studies, pointed out the treat
ment of immigrant workers within
the United States.
“It’s almost like once (workers)
cross our borders, they lose their
rights, their humanness,” Carranza
said.
Audience members asked
Winston why Amnesty International
hadn’t helped with some specific
cases.
“We do what we can. We have a
limited number of resources and have
to prioritize,” Winston said.
Amnesty International’s work has
had an impact, Winston said.
Virginia passed a bill making it a
crime for male guards to have sexual
relations with female prisoners.
In New York the use of stun belts
to control prisoners has been out
lawed.
But Susan Miller, assistant pro
fessor of history and ethnic studies,
said she disagreed with how
Amnesty International addressed
problems.
“I have a problem with the way
Amnesty International deals with
problems from the point of view of
indigenous people,” Miller said.
“From the point of view of
indigenous people, the environment
has rights, the community has
rights.”
Beer-based benefit gives
Lincolnites real variety
■ 11 i % / /
■ Aies, lagers ana siouis
from around the world are
found at the Annual
International Beer Festival.
By Kelli Lacey
Staff writer
Dressed in a green plaid kilt, white
knee-high socks and a green shirt, and
speaking in a British accent, Gordon
Briggs offered a taste of his home
country to dozens of beer-tasters
Thursday night
Briggs represented Scottish and
Newcastle Brewers, which began in
Edinburgh, Scotland, 250 years ago,
and was in Lincoln, along with 31 dif
ferent brewery representatives at the
Fifth Annual International Beer
Festival.
The festival allowed customers to
sample more than 50 types of interna
tional and local beer at the Blue Heron
Wine Bar and Bistro, at 48th Street and
Highway 2 to benefit the Capital
Humane Society.
Briggs left Scotland about five
years ago to come to the United States
to sell beer for his company, which, he
said, is the largest brewer of ale in the
world.
“Normally, Americans will say that
they don’t like that beer,” he said. “This
kind of thing gives me an opportunity
to put that kind of beer in their hands,
4-U _i.L *_!_1 »
We re very lucky that we get a lot of people
in for this event. We re so grateful to the
people who do that for us year after year.
They really make the event fun for us”
Chris Piper
Blue Heron co-owner
town of400 people.
After graduating from Colorado
State University in Fort Collins with a
biochemistry degree, Spilker decided
to start his brewing industry, Spilker
Ales.
“He could be making big, big
bucks, but instead he’s doing what he
loves at a microbrewery,” said a friend
of Spilker’s, Roger Olson, who came to
support him. “He could have done this
anywhere, but he came back to small
town Cortland.”
Located in a building on Main
Street in Cortland, Spilker’s beer is sold
on tap at many Lincoln bars, including
Duffy’s, Buster’s BBQ and Bleacher’s.
“He does a lot for the community,”
Olson said. “I admire him. He stuck his
neck out.”
Bob Downey, president of the
Capital Humane Society, attended the
event and said he received a call a cou
ple of months ago from Piper, who
offered the Humane Society as the
beneficiary
“Being a nonprofit organization,
the funds are always something we’re
looking for,” Downey said. “But, to
have events fall out of the sky like this,
it’s a little treat. It’s a breather.”
The bar wanted the beer festival to
benefit the Capital Humane Society
because it is an important service in the
community, Piper said.
“They are a dynamic organization
in that they are constantly trying to bet
ter their services,” he said.
The beer festival had attracted
about 80 people halfway through it,
and about 150 were expected before
the evening was over.
“We do the beer festival to spot
light the different good beers we have
in this area and throughout the world,”
Piper said. “But, the most important
thing we do tonight is to benefit the
Capital Humane Society.”
Pat Hazell
The Wonder Bread Years
Omaha native Pat Hazell brings his
uniquely funny look at childhood to the
stage in this one-man show (and tell).
Nebraska winner: Funniest
Person in America.
Wed., Sept. 8, 8pm
Thurs., Sept. 9, 8pm
Fri., Sept. 10, 7 & 9pm
Sun., Sept. 12,2 & 6pm
Johnny Carson Theater
Generous support provided by
Baker’s Supermarkets and
Inacom Corp.
■ ' ;jrt V
Lied Center for Performing Arts
Tickets: 472-4747 or
1-800-432-3231
BoxOflkt:ll:00AM-5:30PM M-F
Lincoln, NE
TEN TEARS Website: www.unl.edu/lied/
I
XT 1 I Li«d Carter programming is supported by the FrierifcofUed and grants from the National Endowment for he Arts, Mb
1 lCUlflSKu. America Arts ASanco and »re Nebraska Arts Coundl Alt events are made possible by the Lied Performance Fund which
BMMliMi has boon established b msmory of Ernst F. Lied and his parents, Ernst M. and Walt Lied.
U1V1I uivjr ClUUlgV UI^U llilliu.
Chad Pinger-Easton of Lincoln
said he has attended the event for three
years and enjoys the variety of beer
offered.
“Instead of drinking Budweiser all
night long, we can drink the heavy
beers,” he said. “You come here and get
more of a quality.”
Roger Obbink of Lincoln agreed.
“This is not like your O Street bar.
It’s a little more upscale, which is one
of the reasons why I came,” he said.
Obbink came to eat dinner and
sample beer. He said he didn’t mind the
$21.30 fee.
Relaxing music set the mood for
the mostly older crowd to walk around
to the different tables and sample each
type of beer while also learning about
the beer from the many representatives
at the festival.
Chris Piper, who co-owns the Blue
Heron with Ken Meier, said a lot of the
representatives had to fly into Lincoln
for the event.
“We’re very lucky that we get a lot
of people in for this event. We’re so
gratefiil to the people who do that for
us year after year,” Piper said. “They
really make the event fim for us.”
One local brewer, Sam Spilker of
Cortland, has been brewing his own
beer for about three years in his home