Oregon daily emerald., January 18, 1973, Image 1

Legislators hold
first hearing
of new session
By NAN HENDERSON
Of the Emerald
SALEM (Special) — Proponents and
opponents of the Equal Rights Amendment
to the UJS. Constitution dashed in verbal
testimony before the House State and
Federal Affairs Committee Wednesday
during the first public hearing of the 1973
legislative session.
A majority of the approximately 200
persons crammed into the hearing room
favored the amendment, but an equal
number of persons testified for and
against. All but one of the 15 persons that
testified were women.
The proponents, representing several
statewide organizations, stated a Con
stitutional amendment is the best way to
deal with current legal discrimination on
the basis of sex.
The opponents, primarily from a
newly formed organization called “The
Committee for the Preservation of Woman
hood,” were concerned about the am
biguities of what would happen if the
amendment was ratified.
Those in opposition to the amendment,
which states ‘Equality of rights under the
law shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state an account of
sex,” raised many legal questions in
cluding how current rights of privacy,
requirements for military service, legal
obligations of husbands and separate but
equal instruction would be affected by the
amendment.
State Sen. Betty Roberts (D
Portland), a lawyer, told the committee
that ratification of the amencfanent would
not mean public restrooms would be in
tegrated, a main argument of the op
ponents.
“The ninth amendment includes the
right to privacy,” Robots said. “In our
society we believe that caring for one’s
necessary body functions is a private
matter and as long as we still believe this it
will be included under the ninth amend
ment.”
Rep. Roger Martin (R-Portland),
chief sponsor of the ratification bill, said
that under the amendment women could
possibly be drafted, “but the draft is en
ding June 1.” Martin added that even if
women were required to serve in the
military he thought the experience proved
beneficial for many parsons.
Carol Hewitt, representing the Equal
Rights Alliance and the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU), added in her
testimony “women would be subject to the
draft but it could be beneficial since the
military has been one of the most blatant
discriminators.”
Hewitt, a lawyer, also explained that
under the amendment the legal obligations
of a husband would not differ from those of
a wife.
“Under the ERA the husband and wife
would have to support each other,” Hewitt
said. She said that if neither husband or
wife could decide who was going to support
the familv. a court would nrobablv force
the person with the greatest earning
(Continued on Page 2)
Protesters plan Friday rally,
Saturday ‘march against death *
By KENNETH MAYS
TOM SWEENEY
Of the Emerald
Saturday may be your last chance.
If you’ve considered marching in a peace
demonstration before, but never quite got around it
it, if you’ve became a dove since the last march or if
you’re still disgusted with the war, then this
Saturday will have a lot more to offer than watching
President Nixon’s second Inauguration .on
television. There will be a 10 a.m. rally cm campus,
followed by a march to the Mall to join a community
demonstration.
“We’re hoping to make it possible fra people
that haven’t crane out against the war before to
participate,” said Alan Stephenson, representing
Clergy and Laymen Concerned at a Eugene press
conference Wednesday. He was joined by Marian
Barnes of the Women’s International League fra
Peace and Freedom, and Rick Fitch of the Eugene
Peace Center. They spoke on the demonstration
planned fra Eugene Saturday.
An anti-inauguration rally will be held at 12:15
p.m. Friday on the EMU Free Speech Platform as
a prelude to Saturday’s “March Against Death.”
The Student Mobilization Committee (SMC)
which met Wednesday night to finalize plans, is
sponsoring the rally on Friday. A representative of
SMC, Dave Schoenfeld, will be one of the speakers.
The Guerilla Theatre will also appear.
Saturday’s march will meet at 10 a.m. at the
EMU fra a rally. At 10:30 a.m. the march will
proceed Jo the drams to solicit more marchers. It
will then wind its way up 11th Ave. to the Eugene
Mall. At the mall marchers will join with a com
munity sponsored march and at 11:30 a.m. both
groups will continue on across the Ferry St. Bridge
to Alton Baker Park where a memorial service will
be held.
“Hus will be a solemn march with caskets and
signs bearing the names of war casualties,” a
release handed out at the press conference said.
“People are urged to wear dark clothing or black
arm bands.”
Eugene Attorney Charles Porter will sponsor a
sound effects program at the mall when the mar
chers arrive. A SMC member said, “the program
sounds as if you’re in the middle of a war.” Hie tape
is complete with air raid sirens, screaming, the
whistling noise of bombs as they are dropped, and
the rumble of low flying helicopters.
A mass reading of excerpts from the book,
“Voices of The Plain of Jars” will take place at
Alton Baker Park. The voices are of Vietnamese
people killed in the war.
Barnes will speak on behalf of Medical Aid for
Indochina (MAI), a group founded by former At
torney General Ramsey Clark, which is trying to
raise three million dollars to rebuild the Bac Ninh
Hospital in Hanoi, which was destroyed by U.S.
bombing raids.
Also planned are short speeches by Rev.
Norman Pott of the Central Presbyterian Church
and Father Frank Wilke of the Neuman Center.
Saturday’s “March Against Dead)” has been
endorsed by ASUO President Bill Wyatt. The march
will commemorate all the people and things
destroyed by the Vietnam war. Other anti-war
activities have been planned around the nation to
coincide with President Nixon’s inauguration on
Saturday.
The release handed out at the press conference
stated “The March Against Death on January 20th
in Washington, D.C., and our march in Eugene,
supported by all local peace organizations, will be a
demonstration for peace, but not ‘just another
peace demonstration.’ ” The release contained a
call for an end to UJ5. presence in Southeast Asia,
for Congress to cut off funds and for Nixon to im
mediately sign the October Peace agreement.
Barnes said that there was more likelihood than
before of getting Congress to cut off funding of the
war. Stephenson stressed that the vote in the House
of Representatives was crucial. “Our own
congressman Mr. Dellenback is a very key vote,"
he added. Referring to the House vote, be admitted
“I’m not so optimistic there. I’d like to be.”
The conference began with reporters ariring
cynical questions and Barnes and Stephenson
replying with optimistic answers. “Just because
something hasn’t worked in the past doesn’t mean it
won’t work in the future,” commented Stephan^
in response to a question regardii^ the value of
peace demonstrations.
Then it was Stephenson’s turn to be cynical. He
expressed pessimism concerning any upcoming
peace agreements. Barnes said she had heard that
military men in Vietnam were being replaced with
American civilian advisors. She added “We are
responsible to help get political prisoners out of
jail” in the event of a ceasefire.
Ethnic studies head
to be chosen soon
A director for the new Ethnic Studies program will probably
be selected by the end of the month, according to Academic
Provost Marshall Wattles.
The position calls for teaching and directorship of the
recently approved program of ethnic studies which would be j
i drawn from interdepartmental courses in minority culture.
“We’ve tentatively reduced the list of candidates at this
time to five,” Wattles said Wednesday. “We’re pledged to give I
I preference to minority candidates, and most of those we’ve I
interviewed have been.”
The interviews are being conducted by a search committee. \
The Ethnic Studies Committee, which is making policy !
II recommendations for the program, met Tuesday to outline new
f proposals in the English department.
Chairer Paul Simonds said there is strong support for the 1
j new director. “Initially, we need somebody whc can pull the
program together and made it work,” he said.
Currently there are only three terms of Black literature I
being offered for minority studies. Assistant Professor of I
English Edwin Coleman, who teaches them, said that these I
I courses should be expanded into year sequences so that |
literature, poetry, and drama could be covered separately. This |
would also allow for students to be exposed to African and West I
Indian writing.
Coleman said there is also a “real need and desire” in the I
department for Chicano and Asian-American literature, but that
1 funds would probably go towards hiring a folklore instructor,
I preferable a minority female, next year.
Ode:
inside today
pages 5-12