Anti-416 TV ad
pulled by stations
BYJILLZEMAN
An advertisement against a
proposed gay-marriage ban that
displayed the image of a swastika
will not see air time, as three
Nebraska television stations have
decided to pull it
The ad was originally slated to
run on Omaha’s Channel 7-KETV
on Saturday during the Nebraska
Oklahoma football game.
But the station, its parent
company, Hearst-Argyle
Television and legal counsel made
the decision not to air the adver
tisement
The ad begins with Nebraska’s
state motto, “Equality Before the
Law.”
Then, a blurred image of a
swastika comes into focus and a
speaker says: “Things like 416
have happened before. Let’s make
sure they don’t happen in
Nebraska."
unannei /-main in uncoin
and Channel 13-KHGI in Kearney
also pulled the ad
“The manner in which this
image was used may be perceived
as offensive by some viewers or
personally defame proponents of
Initiative 416,” according to a
press release from KETV
M J. McBride, campaign coor
dinator against Initiative 416, said
campaign workers were disap
pointed the ad was pulled.
McBride said she knew the ad
was controversial, but campaign
ers worked with a council of
Jewish leaders to help determine
its content
“We believe it's our responsi
bility to tell Nebraskans the truth
behind 416,” she said.
The group spent about
$25,000 on the ad, she said.
Members are working to get the
money back from the station.
They hope to get it back before the
election. But some good has come
out of the ad that was never seen,
she said
Several Nebraskans have
approached the group and said
the news of the ad made them
realize the initiative is a civil issue,
she said.
The advertisement is posted
on the group’s Web site,
www.voteagainstdoma.com.
“We all agree the swastika is
the most horrific symbol of dis
crimination,’’ McBride said. "416
is taking people down the same
path.”
Guyla Mills, chairwoman of
the Defense of Marriage - Yes to
416 committee, said she was “very
thankful” the station managers
pulled the ad.
Mills also said she thought the
opponents used the swastika as
an effort to “inflame the audi
ence.”
us lullaxr iu peupie 01 jewisu
lineage,” she said.
Mills stressed her group was
not trying to take away anyone’s
existing rights.
“We’re just making sure
activist courts don’t redefine mar
riage or call it by a different name,”
she said.
Jean Cahan, director of the
Harris Center for Judaic Studies at
the University of Nebraska
Lincoln, said it was a good deci
sion for the stations not to run the
ad.
"I would have been offended,"
she said. “It’s an inappropriate use
of the swastika regardless of what
position you take on Initiative
416.”
Cahan said she thought the
use of the swastika should be
reserved only for discussions
about the Nazi Party.
While Cahan acknowledged
gays were targeted and suffered
during the Holocaust, she still
thought the comparison was
invalid.
“Throwing around accusa
tions of (proponents of die initia
tive) being Nazis doesn’t help the
situation at all,” she said.
Brian Carlson contributed to
this report
Pro-416 force holds
onto lead in survey
416 from page 1
But Guyla Mills, chairwoman
of Defense of Marriage-Yes to 416
Committee, said her committee
refused all out-of-state contribu
tions. The polls’ consistency
showed the outside advertising
campaign had no effect, she said.
“It throws a wet blanket on our
opponents’ argument that out
side forces are buying this elec
tion," he said. “It shows the people
of the state of Nebraska had made
up their minds by the time of the
petition.”
Initiative 416 reads: “Only
marriage between a man and
woman shall be valid or recog
nized in Nebraska. The uniting of
two persons of the same sex in a
civil union, domestic partnership
or other similar same-sex rela
tionship shall not be valid or rec
ognized in Nebraska.”
Mills said the poll results
showed five years of campaigning
to ban same-sex marriages have
paid off. Beginning in 1996, simi
lar legislation stalled in the
Legislature because of threatened
filibusters by Sen. Ernie
Chambers of Omaha.
Unable to push the measure
through the Legislature, Mills
launched a petition drive this year.
More than 160,000 Nebraskans
signed the petition, placing the
measure on the Nov. 7 ballot
“We’re like the proverbial
widow before the unjust king,”
Mills said, referring to a biblical
story. “I think our persistence paid
off.”
Mills said the petition was not
motivated by bigotry or discrimi
nation. She said the amendment
would not remove anyone’s exist
ing rights, but would merely pre
serve marriage in its present form.
It also would forestall efforts to
"redefine marriage or call it by a
different name,” Mills said.
Vermont legalized same-sex civil
unions earlier this year.
Attacks on the institution of
marriage during the past 30 years
“It throws a wet
blanket on our
opponents’ argument
that outside forces are
buying this election. It
shows the people of
the state of Nebraska
had made up their
minds by the time of
the petition."
Guyla Mills
Defense of Marriage-Yes to 416
Committee chairwoman
.
have “wreaked havoc on our soci
ety,” she said, “and we have to say
enough is enough.”
“It’s a Nebraska issue, and the
ad campaign hasn’t had a bit of an
impact,” she said. “We have the
civic responsibility and certainly
the right, to take a stand.”
McBride said the World
Herald poll did not accurately
reflect Nebraskans’ attitudes
about the amendment
“We believe it’s much closer
than the polls indicate because of
all the support we’re getting from
places we normally don’t get it
from,” she said. "We are not a gay
effort We are a civil-rights effort
“We believe we are a stand for
justice, equality, freedom and civil
rights.”
In order for a voter-approved
constitutional amendment to
take effect, 35 percent of those
who cast ballots must vote on the
amendment McBride said oppo
nents are hoping the amendment
will fall short of that
“Supporters are doing a good
job of disguising this as the
defense of marriage,” she said.
“But in the last week, we have
done an even better job of unveil
ing the bigotry and discrimination
behind 416.
"The momentum against 416
is growing every day.”
A TOWN HALL MEETING
Overcoming Problems of Race:
Are Law, Politics and Protests Enough?
Join an interactive discussion with a nationwide panel
of scholars and researchers
Thursday, November 2,2000
8:00 p.m. • Nebraska Union (i4th&R streets)
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Skfl For more information caH:
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For information and applications call:
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Arts dean candidate: Link
faculty members, students
DEAN from page 1
“Leaders are being forced
every day to strike a balance
between conservation and
expansion," he said.
Oliva also said if he were cho
sen as dean, he would try to
develop a better understanding
of how others view the college.
Sometimes, a fine and per
forming arts college could be
seen as isolated from the rest of
campus, and Oliva said he didn’t
want to see that happen.
Oliva also stressed strong
cooperation between adminis
trators and faculty.
“I will not dictate to you,”
Oliva said to a group of faculty
members.
Although the report primarily
focuses on scientific research,
Oliva commended the university
for preparing the 20/20 vision
statement, a report that projects
the goals for the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln in the next 20
years.
“You have to realize how for
tunate you are to have such a
document,” he said.
The University of Florida, for
example, doesn’t have a docu
ment like the vision statement,
he said.
Corey McCallan, junior music
education major and member of
the Fine and Performing Arts
Student Advisory Board, said he
thought Oliva had strong creden
tials.
McCallan said he liked how
Oliva addressed the importance
of strong relationships between
faculty and students.
But McCallan said he wasn’t
sure if Oliva, who has never
served as dean of a college of arts
before, would be ready to be in
charge of all the departments in
the college.
Although McCallan agreed
with much of what Oliva spoke
about, he said he thought Oliva
could have developed more of his
ideas.
“I’m not knocking him,"
McCallan said. “If he got in, I'm
sure he’d do a good job, but I
think there could be better (can
didates) out there.”
Hewit Place is home for centers
HEWITfrom pagel__
The official grand opening of
the Great Plains Art Collection
and the Lentz Center will be
Nov. 12 from 1:30 to 5 p.m.
The opening will include a
reception with live music and is
free.
But the public doesn't have
to wait for the grand opening to
experience what the centers
offer.
The Great Plains Art
Collection will hold an exhibi
tion beginning this Thursday
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., running
through Jan. 5.
Titled “Art of the American
West,” this exhibit will be the
first to open in the new building.
Although the Lentz Center
will not be open to the general
public until Nov. 12, the first
musical program in the new
building will be Friday at 7 p.m.
The performance will fea
ture the Chinese musical group
“The Spirit of Nature.”
Bush joins in Jay Leno's mocking
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BURBANK, Calif.—George W. Bush and comedi
an Jay Leno both poked fun Monday at the Texas gov
ernor’s tendency to fracture syntax and mispro
nounce words. And the Republican presidential can
didate even donned an A1 Gore Halloween mask for
added laughs.
NBC’s "The Tonight Show” opened with a
sequence in which the show’s host was about to light
a candle in a big Halloween jack-o-lantem.
“You can't do that” Bush said, saying the material
was highly “flammabbabble.”
“I think the word you want, governor, is flamma
ble,” Leno corrected.
Bush stubbornly stuck with his mispronunciation
and pointed to a mock sign on the studio wall that
read: “Warning: Highly Flammabbabble.”
“You know, sometimes my mind gets ahead of my
words, if you know what I mean,” Bush told Leno later.
Bush also bought along a prop in the tradition of
Leno’s feature in which he reads funny newspaper
headlines and wedding announcements.
“I got a little headline of my own here,” Bush said,
displaying a pretend copy of next week’s Nov. 8 edition
of the Los Angeles Times. The banner headline read:
“BUSHWINS.”
At one point, Leno, noting that Halloween is
Tuesday, reached beneath his desk and put on a Bush
mask.
“That’s scary, but this is more scary,” Bush said,
donning a Gore mask.
Asked about an Esquire magazine article in which
President Clinton says Republicans should apologize
for the impeachment trial, Bush said, “I think we
ought to just move on,” suggesting people were get
ting tired of hearing about it
He said he didn’t think Clinton would necessary
help Gore by campaigning because he said people
will make up their own minds.
On charges by Democrats that he isn’t ready to be
president, Bush said, "the more time you spend in
Washington, the less qualified you are."
He said such criticism also was leveled at former
California governor and two-term president Ronald
Reagan.
He also conceded the race was tight in Florida,
even though his brother Jeb is governor.
“He recognizes that Thanksgiving might be a little
chilly if things don’t go well,” Bush cracked.
A
HALLOWEEN NIGHT!
Tuesday* October 31st* 2000 - 9:00 PM
Nebraska Union Auditorium
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November 1, 2000
7:00 p.m.
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Nebraska Union Auditorium
Free Admission
For information call The Women’s Center 472-2597
Sponsored By:
• The Women’s Center • University Program Council • Student Involvement
• African Student Association • Pepsi Endowment Fund • Department of Psychology
• Department of Sociology • Human Rights / Human Diversity Initiative
• African American / African Studies Department • Institute for Ethnic Studies
• Department of Communications Studies • Department of Political Science
• Student Alumni Association • UNL Division of Student Affairs
• Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women • Student Foundations
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