Opinion
Page 4 Daily Nebraskan Tuesday, November 7,2000
ZM/vNebraskan
Since 1901
Editor Sarah Baker
Opinion Page Editor Samuel McKewon
Managing Editor Bradley Davis
Four for Gore
Vice president is lesser of
two evils - with experience
Despite pundits that charge this year's presiden
tial candidates really aren't all that different - two cen
trist products of the American elite - voters today
have two distinct choices: Keep the good times rolling
by electing a well-schooled, if not a bit annoying
know-it-all, or take a risk on an inexperienced baf
foon.
Certainly, this choice might be made by selecting
the lesser of two evils.
That’s fine by us.
Because although A1 Gore, the Democratic presi
dential candidate, can come across as smug, stoic
and arrogant, his two decades of public service and
expert grasp of public policy make him the best man
-lesser of two evils, or not-for the job.
Republican George W. Bush, this perennial frater
nity boy, has parlayed one of the great family names
in U.S. politics into a pseudo-serious presidential bid.
Never mind Bush's lack of experience - he's held
the Texas governorship for six years, which has been
described by experts as a constitutionally weak office
whose primary role is serving as
state cheerleader.
Never mind Bushs lack of intel
lectual curiosity- a seemingly free
wheeler most of his life; and never
mind his recent and politically con
venient transition to the quiet,
Christian family life.
It's hogwash, and Americans will
see through that today.
They will see through Bushs
promises of "compassionate conser
vatism/' and realize his policies are
throwbacks to his father’s days of
trickle-down economics, rigidly
conservative social policies and
pandering to big-business and the
religious right
They will see through his canned
speeches, his refusal to answer spe
cific questions on many of his pro
posals and his reportedly seedy past
And they will realize that a vote
vnmpthirtn f°r Bush is a vote for a Supreme
1 ht 9 Court stacked wfdi Clarence
right. Thomas-like legal lightweights
- whose main qualifications hinge on
ultra-conservative positions.
A vote for Gore, while he is not perfect, will be a
vote to maintain America’s prosperity. After all, eight
years of unprecedented economic growth under
Clinton-Gore must mean the executive branch has
done something right
A vote for Gore will mean a vote for middle-class
and working-class populations. While Gore is far
from a bleeding-heart liberal, he realizes more acute
ly than his opponent the need to include everyone in
economic prosperity.
A vote for Gore will choose experience - a storied
and respected career coupled with real-world experi
ence in the workforce and true academic exploration
of society and greater humanity.
A vote for Gore will ensure the Supreme Court
A vote for
Gore, while
he is not
perfect,
will be a
vote to
maintain
America's
prosperity.
After all,
eight years
of unprece
dented
growth ...
must mean
the execu
tive branch
has done
mutates not mto an activist court, as Bush has
charged, but one that realizes the Constitution is a liv
ing document that must adapt to the times.
While some of Gore’s positions are not as liberal as
we might prefer - his support of the death penalty
and links with some big businesses are examples-he
is certainly, as some have suggested of the choice
between this year’s candidates, the lesser of two evils.
And don’t be fooled by Ralph Nader-supporting
Green Party followers.
While Nader has raised significant issues in the
campaign - mainly decrying big-business influence -
he won’t attract enough votes to do anything besides
detract from Gore’s base of liberal followers.
While his stoic campaigning style and stance on
the issues may not be enough to warm your heart
when you tick the box in the election booth, don’t take
a risk on anything “more evil.” Mark the box today for
AlGore.
Editorial Board
Sarah Baker, Bradley Davis, Josh Funk, Matthew Hansen,
Samuel McKewon, Dane Stickney, Kimberly Sweet
Letters Policy
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Editorial Poicy
Unsigned editoriais are the opinions of the Fall 2000 Daily Nebraskan. They do not necessarily
reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Uncoln, its employees, its student body or the
University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion ofits author; a cartoon is
solely the opinion of its artist The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; pot
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NealObomeyer/DN
Feeding the apathy
The implications of Neal Obermeyer’s cartoon
on Monday truly mocks the honor and prestige
that was bestowed upon Jason Mashek and Tracy
Prater. Why poke fun at the people who, while at
this university, decided to help and make it a better
place for you and I?
Personally, I am disappointed that the DN
would publish something like that. You are just
feeding the fire that already burns with a lack of
respect for this university by the student body.
1 do realize that it is the opinion page, and I also
realize that the cartoon is only the opinion of Mr.
Obermeyer, but the DN could have and should
have enough respect to not publish something
that takes away from this university, and takes
prestige away from winning such a sought-after
award by outstanding students at this university.
Everyone knows that voter turnout is low for
Homecoming royalty. The DN has passed up yet
another chance to inspire and instill some spirit in
this university by giving little or no media coverage
and then continues to mock it?
The apathy that must exist here should and
could be taken care of if you, the DN (the paper
that is printed so many times that I can’t help but
pick up a copy because I feel the need to help recy
cle; and other times I run a little low on toilet
paper) would take a little pride in the university.
To Jason Mashek and Tracy Prater... congratu
lations and thank you. There are students out there
Letters to the editor
who do appreciate what you do and what you have
done.
James Meuret
political science
freshman
Voting the onsdcnc*
Election Day has arrived. Much discussion has
taken place about Initiative 416 and, if nothing
else, the debate is helpful.
When in the voting booth today, I hope that the
debate surrounding 416 has made it so you can no
longer vote blindly on this initiative. I hope that
you can now picture someone against whom you
would be voting by voting for 416. A vote against
416 is a vote for people. A vote for it is constitution
alizing discrimination and prejudice and hurting
people - real people.
When voting today, be sure you have in mind
someone whose life the passage of 416 would hurt.
Ask yourself what you have to lose by voting
against it.
Ask yourself if you can look in the eyes of some
one whose life this affects, and tell them you voted
for this hateful initiative. Ask yourself, and vote
your conscience.
Andy Schuerman
marketing education
senior
Is it worth it for Christians?
7 could work to legislate
morality. I could dream and
deny reality. I could fight to
defend neutrality. But would
that safeguard anybody
elser
—Echo of the TVuth
Red Letter Edition
Tonight, if all goes
according to poll, only mar
Betsy
Severn
nage between a man and a
woman will be legally recognized in the state of
Nebraska. Just like before.
The passage of Initiative 416 will be partially in
thanks to a group of family-values diehards, homo
phobics, Christians, and homophobic Christians
who worked to pass the amendment.
As a Christian, I question whether the non
homophobic Christians in the group have fully
thought this amendment through. If top priority is
to help all people come into a personal relation
ship with Jesus Christ, do we really think that pass
ing a law prohibiting gay marriage will facilitate
that?
Perhaps. Perhaps if homosexuality continues
to be seen as socially abnormal, people question
ing their sexuality will seek God to find out what He
thinks about the issue.
But we also could argue that by allowing gay
marriage we free homosexuals to discover what
heterosexuals are discovering to the tune of a 50
percent divorce rate: Your spouse can not fulfill
your deepest desires. We are created for something
more than companionship, success, sex, populari
ty and stability. Maybe this realization will push
people to seek God.
Many Christians, myself included, believe Paul
when he says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB) that
“neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor
the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And
such were some of you; but you were washed, but
you were sanctified, but you were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of
our God.”
But for some reason when he says in Romans
13:1-2 that “there is no authority except from God,
and those which exist are established by God.
Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the
ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will
receive condemnation upon themselves,” we tend
to gloss over it.
The Constitution is an authority in America.
Therefore, God has established it. Including the
part about separation of church and state.
But then there is Acts 5, where the high priest
commands Peter and the apostles to stop teaching
about Jesus, and they respond that they must obey
God rather than man.
So the question becomes: Is this a situation
where we must submit to the authority of our
Constitution? Or is this a situation where God
wants us to uphold His decrees?
Frankly folks, I’ve been thinking about this for
about a month, reading scripture, praying, twisting
it around in my mind and talking to anyone who
will listen. I still don't know how to vote.
This world and everything in it is passing away.
Do we want to spend our time trying to make
everyone act morally? Even if we could, what good
would it do us?
God isn’t interested in a change in our behavior
so much as He is interested in a change in our
hearts.
And yet something in the back of my brain
keeps pricking at me like a needle, asking: “If I vote
against 416, am I saying that homosexuality is
okay? Couldn't I use the same reasoning to justify
legalizing rape, drug use or theft?
Am I being swayed by the fact that while I can
see why rape, drug use and theft are wrong, I don’t
understand why homosexuality is wrong apart
from “God says so”?
Fortunately, one thing is certain: Whether this
amendment passes or not, God will still work in
people's lives, drawing individuals to Himself. God
is not bound by the laws of man. But consider this:
A boat was sinking at sea. Water was pouring in
through a hole, and the crew was panicking. As
three men looked out into the distant sunset, an old
man in a canoe suddenly appeared. “Take these life
jackets," he said. “Convince the crew to put them on.
Ill be back around midnight with help.” Then he
was gone.
The three started handing out lifejackets but
soon noticed that some of the crew had taken to
looting. “IfI survive this, I’ll be a rich man!” one said.
The three took time to set up a court system, try the
offenders and make a citizens’arrest. They also drew
up a series of laws to govern themselves during their
time on the sinking ship. By the time they were
through, many had already drowned, it was almost
midnight, and the lifejackets lay in a pile, undis
turbed.
What do you suppose the old man will think
when he comes back?
Tell us what you think. %
Online or talk to a person. *
dailyneb.com
472-2588
No more
Nader signs,
416 debates
As many of
you know, the
elections are
next week.
That's joke
No. 1.
They were
actually last <
week, so I hope
you voted!
Karen
Brown
Cricket. Anti
funny.
Anywho, I have free time on my
hands now that the elections will be
over tonight, and let me tell you, my
hands are large. That may not make
much sense, but it simply means that
my four months of Nader campaigning
and anti-416 debating has come to an
end, and now I have to find new and
exciting ways to fill 14 hours a day.
School? Nah. Let’s try some fun
ways.
I will start by calling my parents. I
will call them "Steve” and “Carolyn”
because those are their names. Then, I
will call them on the telephone. I would
like to tell them that since we last spoke
I have passed kindergarten, I made it
through rehab (as one of the most pro
ductive alcoholics on staff), and I went
to Israel and Pakistan to say “Hi” to the
troops and bring them Nike sweatshirts
and Pepsi to show American support
The second thing I've done was to
go fishing with my grandfather and
also to fish for compliments at the
same time. I don't really count “You
look stupid with green hair” as a com
pliment, per se, but he hugged me
afterward. Later I found out the "hug”
was because he wanted to see if I had
been eating something besides candy
com and watermelon.
Nope.
I also will have time to raise test
tube frogs so I can eat them for dinner.
I have a pet test-tube frog aptly named
Supper who is getting just about plump
enough after five years of me wining
and dining him. I wouldn’t eat the
whole frog, sillies, just their legs.
I’m also going to raise kids for the
same reason. They're good on crackers.
I’d also like to start a revolution.
Now, I'll need a few things: masking
tape, rubber gloves, 14 cans of Silly
String, laughing gas (the real way to win
a revolution) and a catapult just for
kicks.
My revolution would fall along the
lines of, say, much what Ralph Nader
stands for except I would add that we
need to kill anyone who disagrees with
our viewpoint and also kill anyone who
sneezes in public. Fair 'nuff.
Going along the lines of a "revolu
tion’’ I’d like to wipe out any parking
ticket personnel in this world. Let me
just say you can’t tow Jill Zeman's car
and ticket mine in one day and not feel
the wrath of "Los Angry Estudiantes.”
The other thing I think I’ll tackle, lit
erally, is cleaning my stinky, nasty room
and apartment. I think I have driven
my roommate, Robin Kramer, seriously
insane. She hates me and my poop on
the floor. "It smells, and the toilet’s only
23 steps away!” she says. I just grin
sheepishly and toss my fried chicken
bones at her head.
"Shut up! I'm doing important
Nader stuff."
“Like what?” she slyly retorts.
"Like, making a sign, OK?” I snort
“Well, what does it say? Who’s going
to read it?”
“It says, ‘Nader - Not For Sale,’ and
everyone is going to see it”
“Well, you spelled Nader and sale
wrong, and not everyone lives in
Lincoln. Now do the dishes.”
“OK, after I go canvass for anti-416.”
She groans and slams the door, and
I think about how I have to buy her a
new dress just to make up for my
slovenly ways, but I still won t do the
dishes.
Perhaps one of the most important
things that I will now have time for is
watching the or boob tube.
I haven't really watched it at all for
six months, but I really feel, after not
seeing commercials that cater to the
quick-paced, electronically-compact,
huge-beverage toting Americans, that I
have been thinking too much on my
own.
I mean, I want commercials to tell
me what smells good, what looks good
and what chicks dig (when it comes to
sexy soft drinks).
Enough with my own ideas and the
ories (usually involving plans to decon
struct university toilets and water
fountains), I want to be mindlessly
driven to laugh at things that aren’t
really funny, i.e. any sitcom in this
world.
I also want to go to the mall 24-7.1
really love to window-shop, and I
haven’t had time. Can you buy guns in
the mall?
Basically, I’ll be back to my same
boring self - unless you call scaling the
Andes with basketball great Michael
Jordan boring. I just call it a day in the
life of someone who will have a few
more hours of time on their hands.