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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2000)
/M/)Nebraskan Since 1901 Editor Sarah Baker Opinion Page Editor Samuel McKewon Managing Editor Bradley Davis Bush League Dubya's tenure will see quick voter backlash George W. Bush is pretty close to becom ing President. There are a few more hand counts that will probably take place. And the absentee ballots still have to be counted. Sorry, A1 Gore, but we don’t think your chances of becoming President look too good, no matter how far you decide to chal lenge the count. The fact remains that Bush has maintained his thin lead since early Election night when the networks mistak enly declared him the winner of Florida and then reneged. But take heart, liberals. Four years of Bush could be just what you need to shift the electoral winds, if you will. Bush supporters and detractors have both said he is running in part to avenge his father’s fall to Clinton in 1992. Many have said the younger Bush will surround himself with some of the same men that filled out his father's administration from 1988 to 1992. It seems like we’re in store for another four years of Bush. Whether it’s George W. or George H.W., it doesn’t seem to matter. Like he has most of his life, George W. will probably try to ride on the coattails of his father, pressing him - or his colleagues - for as much advice and direction on how to run the presidency as pos sible. Once George W. gets into the White House, he will prob ably sell out quickly to one sector of the electorate that helped him get elected - the Unless George W. outperform s the expectation s that 49 percent of the country has for him, the ingredients add up to a recipe of disaster for Republicans by the time the election rolls around in 2004. moral majority. He knows how to speak nicely, but once he gets into the White House, George W. will probably cave in to the sound of money rather than that of the moral majority. Couple that with frustration over grid lock that will exist in the Senate and the House because the Republicans don’t have enough of a majority to get anything done. Unless George W. outperforms the expec tations that 49 percent of the country has for him, the ingredients add up to a recipe of disaster for Republicans by the time the election rolls around in 2004. Enter a Democrat who can use this frus tration to rally against the administration and Republicans to secure the Presidency in 2004. The real question is what kind of Democrat will rise to the occasion? Will it be another moderate, New Democrat who stays just to the left of the center when advocating policies and speaking out on issues? Or will it be a true liberal, who can har ness the country’s frustration and win the election by a large margin? Bush will determine that, beginning the moment he can celebrate being named President. If he fails at his task, it seems the latter will be a real possibility. Maybe to the relief - or chagrin - of A1 Gore. Editorial Board Sarah Baker, Bradley Davis, Josh Funk, Matthew Hansen, Samuel McKewon, Dane Stickney, Kimberly Sweet Letters Policy The Daly Nebraskan welcomes briefs, letters to the editor and guest columns, but does net guar antee their publication. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes property of the Daly Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions wl not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major anchor group affiliation, if any. Submit material to: Daly Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. E Edttorial Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the FaH 2000 Daily Nebraskan. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoin, its employees, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author a cartoon is solely the opinion of its artist The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; poli cy Is set by the Daly Nebraskan Edttorial Board. The UNLPuMcations Board, established by the regents, supervises the production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, response bflty lor theadtofM content of the newspaper ies solely in the hands of its employees. FWM4C 50UCH f^ACfS -To LoSthCr S) ONI) ONE faNT 8UT 1 mjT£0To6£ fjftTioWAL CH/yfyW/ X V£Mt\W « f&COUNT! piM&e 1m SHontj) W U[V'CA<r!l>AI6^f,J(? MAR> Alt FOUR Quarts <• 11 m NealObermeyer/DN Letters to the editor Wah,Wah,Wah Simon Ringsmuth, if you were able to get over your self-pity then maybe you would experience more success. Sometimes, when people blame their Mures and misfortunes on everyone else, they are just hiding from the reality that maybe their efforts aren't enough. In life, few people give a rip about die amount of effort we put into something. They only care about the results. And the results better be quality. For instance, if your employer asked you to do a project, they would expect quality and nothing less. Your employer would not care if you said, “Oh, but I put so much effort into it!” Most likely, if the results were not satisfactory, you would even lose your job. Also, don’t downplay the difference between Honors Students and die rest of us. These students are not like the rest of us, as you assert. They are in the Honors Program for distinct reasons. They have proven their intelligence, and they have put in the quality work required. Even if all Honors Students took the ACT five times as you suggest (which is high ly unlikely), this just shows their strong ambition to succeed. If you are so convinced that they are just like the rest of us, then why don't you fill out an application? (Or maybe you’re too good for that) It appears you are very resentful toward a lot of people who seem to be out to get you. Maybe a new attitude and new perception is what is really needed here. Work on that shoulder a little because it appears to have a real big chip on it right now. Drew Sauer sophomore pre-med/ comm, studies The real third world? As an international student, I regret the day I decided to come to Nebraska to study. I have never in my life before seen a community of people so igno rant, careless and afraid of democracy and human rights. Initiative 416 was approved overwhelmingly last Tuesday. I want to ask the people who created this ini tiative and those who voted for it, what are you going to say to your grandchildren in 20 years from now when they ask you why this state is so behind in man ners, democracy, equality and human rights? Will you feel ashamed? God created us equal; who are we to decide who to include and who to exclude from our society? What makes us so powerful to dis criminate against people because of their color, back ground, sexual orientation, nationality and so on? What makes us so insecure to think that giving people what they deserve for being a human will dete riorate our family values? Come on people, what will it take to realize that life is not only about cornfields? There is a whole world out there. Be loving, be accepting, be a real human being. God will not reward youforpassing416, he will ask you why you excluded people because of who they are and not what you want them to be. Only God is to judge, he is just, not us. We are all the same. As Americans, you claim to be the best democracy in the whole world. Well, let me tell you proudly that where I come from, we have a whole lot more democracy than you do here. And you call us a third-world country. I am happi er to be in the third-world than in Nebraska. Shame on Nebraska. AliSezer graduate student Drug reforms significant The whole aim of practi cal politics is to keep the pop ulace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hob goblins, most of them imagi nary. -H.L Mencken America has a long tradi tion of periodic mass hyster ics that are forgotten or even mocked by later generations. In the 1920s, religious leaders preached earnestly about the demon-liquor. In the 1950s, every non-conformist was an instant commie and, therefore, an unparalleled threat to democracy. In 1999, thousands of Americans spent millions to prepare for the Y2K apocalypse. And hysteria can go on for decades. An exam ple: The War on Drugs. Fortunately, the end (while not near) can be glimpsed in recent ballot initia tives. ■ California voters passed, by a 2 to 1 margin, a constitutional amendment requiring treatment instead of incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders. The law is expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise go to oper ate and construct prisons. ■ In Massachusetts, voters narrowly defeated a similar measure 53 to 47 percent. ■ Colorado voters gave the nod to medical marijuana. Patients with debilitating conditions will now be issued identification cards enabling them to use the law as an affirmative defense should a prosecutor bring charges. ■ Nevada voters also passed a medical mari juana law in a 65 to 35 percent decision. This makes 10 states that have voted to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. ■ Itoo states, Oregon and Utah, acted to limit police in the War on Drugs by requiring that pro ceeds from seized property must be used for drug treatment or public education instead of being added to law enforcement budgets. ■ In Alaska, the broadest of all drug-related ballot initiatives failed 61 to 39 percent. The pro posed law would have completely legalized mari juana (subject to regulation like alcohol), granted amnesty for all persons convicted of marijuana offenses and created an advisory group to study restitution for those convicted of marijuana offenses. Although the measure failed, its proponents are surely encouraged by the result and will likely return with a less sweeping measure. America is finally beginning to understand there are always costs to legislating morality, in me War on Drugs, the cost is exorbitant In April, we reached a record 1.86 million imprisoned adults. The Omaha World-Herald reported in April the U.S. now has the dubious distinction of being first worldwide for highest rate of incarceration. And, according to the Aug. 31,2000, World-Herald, there are 1.5 million children with a parent in prison, a 60 percent increase since 1991. The War on Drugs costs us in other ways too. We now know the White House drug policy office offered financial incentives to magazines and tele vision networks that ran stories discouraging drug use. Public service announcements are one thing. But offering financial incentives to change a show’s content comes dangerously close to censorship. In Los Angeles, in the largest corruption trial in the city’s history, many of the charges are related to manipulation of drug charges: The money is big, and the evidence easily manipulated. Even proponents of the War on Drugs admit they are losing. In March, Barry McCaffrey (the government’s so-called Drug Czar) appeared before a House Appropriations subcommittee and testified that the prices of cocaine and heroin have fallen to record lows and remain widely available. His report also stated that 4.7 million people have tried methamphetamine and that its use is spread ing. (World-Herald, March 23,2000) As Mark TWain said about alcohol, “Prohibition only drives drunkenness behind doors and into UCLLK pidLCd CU1U UUC& 11UI tUlC U1 CVCI1 UU1U1UM1 It. The importance of even one state, such as California or Alaska, reforming its drug laws should not be underestimated. These states provide a comparison and under mine the often-hysterical claims of law enforce ment groups about what will happen if some drug use is legalized. Just like Vermont undermined conservative claims about how the institution of marriage would be destroyed if GLBT people gained equali ty, so will conservative claims about mass violence and anarchy be undermined after reasonable drug law reforms are put into effect. The issue is not simple, and there are legitimate grounds for debate. Drug abuse is a real problem. It ruins lives and can even kill. The fundamental question, however, is how we should solve the problem. Shall we continue lock ing nonviolent drug offenders in cages? Or should we provide treatment and education but allow individuals to live their lives in the way they choose so long as they do not harm others? After Nov. 7, the correct choice is becoming increasingly clear. Scenes from a University life cycle I slow to pass the red truck with the Husker plates. I look towards the sky searching for the sunsci, uui uie red billboard blocks my view. Then I hear the tunnel music from someone’s car and on my radio someone says they are having a Husker Days sale. This is all on a Thursday in July. Yasmin McEwen The little girl, only 8 years old, comes out of the dressing room; she does a twirl in the three way. "I sawyou jiggle.” “Did not.” “Did too.” “Where?” “Your butt.” “These pants made it look fat.” “Let's go running tonight after “'Friends.'” “Deal.” They line the steps of the Capitol shouting for justice. The public official says he doesn’t like it either, but it’s the law. Someone shouts to him, “Yeah, but can’t you change the law?” Public official says, “It’s time to wrap things up, I thank you for coming here today,” and makes his exit. Jacob doesn’t like to play soccer but his dad will buy him a Playstation if he finishes the season. His mother sends him postcards from New York and tells him she will be home soon. His father has his girlfriend over fpr dinner later and tells Jacob, “This is our little secret” Then upstairs, Jacob gave his sister lisa a black eye. He didn’t mean to but he was just so mad at her for not letting him get on the Internet. **• When Amy decided to make a dif ference working in the inner-city school, she didn’t know the kids would tell her they don’t believe in the American dream. What has America ever done for them? As far as they are concerned, they are just prisoners waiting to be locked up. She didn't know they would curse her pale skin and whisper behind her back what they would do to her if they could get her behind her car in the parking lot. She didn’t know when she produced tears in the principal’s office, he would look at her and say, “Deal with it.” ■ V Tim wants to be a computer engi neer, and he takes notes during chem istry to help out his roommate. He knows he is the cream of the crop, has been told that during Convocation three times, although he only needed to hear it once for it to sink in. When he walks past the other stu dents, he carries a funny smirk on his face. “Idiots, you are all idiots; I am the cream of the crop. Where the fuck do you think you are going with your expensive car? I’m going to the top, and nothing's gonna hold me back. I’m the cream,” he says, to himself. “I'm the cream,” Tim repeats as ne climbs to the top of the building with his final grade in Speech 101, he meas ures the distance and counts the num ber of ways his spine will break when he falls. Lyssa wakes up in Tommy's bed and looks around in the predawn. She has got class in two hours. She is so hung over that she can’t remember if they had sex. Doesn’t matter, she is on the pill. Tommy doesn’t wake up as she moves his arm to climb out of die bed. She looks at him and wonders what he likes to eat for breakfast. *** Last night, Eric had a dream. He dreamt the university had become the Institute of Research and Football. All classes had been re-routed, and there were no more instructors - just researchers, athletes and overpaid VIPs. The next day, Eric waits two hours to see the TA for Economics 211, who never does show for the appointment. He wants to get some help with his lec ture notes. Things just don't seem to make sense lately, and he needs some help. Then he walks the deserted cam pus and listens to the roar of the fake noise drone on from the stadium. He wonders if he is dreaming. Does it really matter who you voted for? Does it matter if you voted? Maybe whafmatters more is that you take a look around you and decide for your self if you like what you are looking at.