Oregon daily emerald., April 20, 1973, Page 5, Image 5

--Commentary-—
Maybe they pass . . . and maybe
By NAN HENDERSON
Of the Emerald
This is reality:
— All student rights legislation such as
bills placing students on the State Board of
Higher Education, calling for more
student input into all levels of higher
education decision-making and directing
the State Board to establish affirmative
action guidelines for admission and hiring
policies are currently in a state of limbo in
the Legislature — somewhere between
introduction and passage.
— All youth rights legislation such as
lowering the age of majority to 18 and
lowering the age requirement for
legislators from 21 to 18 are currently in
limbo also — caught somewhere in the
complexities of the legislative machine.
— More equitable tenant-landlord
legislation, womens’ rights bills, a
measure decriminalizing marijuana,
numerous environmental bills are all
somewhere in the legislative maze of a
committee or a consideration calendar or
between houses...
Representative Stephan Kafbury (D
Portland) last week said that legislators
are receiving a steady flow of letters
urging defeat of bills to lower the age of
majority. He had not received any in favor
of the bills.
Representative Earl Blumenauer (D
Portland) last week attributed the tabling
of a bill requiring all tax exempt (religious
affiliated) hospitals to perform abortions
and sterilizations largely to the avalanche
of mail legislators received urging defeat
of the bill. Few letters appeared in favor of
it.
Representative Mary Burrows (R
Eugene) said last Saturday on the House
floor that a major reason she voted in
favor of the bill prohibiting Oregon ser
vicemen from serving in undeclared wars
was that she knows her constituency
(largely the University area) strongly
favored the bill — they had told her so.
The reality of the legislative system is
that constituency contact can and does
make a difference in the way legislators
vote — and special interests or fanatical
organizations produce that contact.
Unions, corporations, and big businesses
organize and pressure through every
available channel including the U.S. mail.
So do religious organizations and the John
Birth Society.
But who speaks for the People...if they
won’t speak fra* themselves? No one.
And so People legislation like the student
and youth rights bills may pass or may
fail.
But picture:
— a 50-year old legislator, long removed
from college and chronological youth,
caught up in the political system, sheltered
from the extremes of society, walks into
the brightly painted, softly carpeted,
fluorescently lighted legislative office one
day and a hundred letters sit on his desk
urging that the landlord-tenant bill be
passed.
And those letters are from students
. . . students who now vote . . .
students who often vote (in his mind) in a
block ... He was going to vote no on the bill
but A HUNDRED LETTERS.
The legislator will at least think twice
about that vote.
Obviously correspondence can’t com
pletely pass or doom a bill. But it is one
channel of persuasion...a channel not too
many people use...a channel most
legislators watch closely.
Writing letters sure isn’t as much fun as
a sit-in on the Capitol steps would be. And
it is not nearly as easy as screaming about
the bastards in Salem who are screwing
students over.
But in reality it is a potentially effective
method of applying a little more pressure
for People’s rights. And without the money
or time or knowledge of special interest
lobbyists and long-time organized
religious and political groups the people
need to utilize all of the methods the
current system provides.
Students are very understandably
disillusioned with the current system. So
most of them — that vast majority — won’t
write any letters. And maybe student
rights or youth rights or tenants rights or
womens’ rights or dope smokers’ rights
bills will pass. But maybe they won’t.
Trying to talk anyone into writing letters
to legislators is like trying to wring a
gallon of water out of a dry washcloth.
But a few drops sure would help
lubricate the legislative machine for all of
those bills to pass through.
Names of legislators and copies of all
bills introduced in the session are
available in the ASUO legislative coor
dinator’s office in room 309 EMU.
Letters
There will be no limit on the
number of letters accepted by the
Emerald during the upcoming
general election.
Letters intended for publication
must be typed, triple spaced, and
no more than 250 words in length.
All letters must be signed in ink
with accompanying address and
class status at the University.
No more than one letter from
any one person will be accepted.
All letters must be submitted to
the Emerald office, 301 Allen Hall,
no later than 5 p.m. Friday, April
20.
The early deadline is necessary
so that all letters may be
published before the election.
Clarifications
With regard to the story in the April 10
Emerald concerning OSEA and collective
bargaining, I would like to clarify several
points.
The Medical and Dental Schools are
unlikely to be included in the proposed
OSEA contract ; it is logical to assume that
the OSEA “state-wide” contract would
permit state level issues to be dealt with at
that level, i.e. with the State Board of
Higher Education or its representatives,
and would provide for local level issues to
be negotiated separately at the in
stitutional level.
There are 1400 faculty who are currently
dues-paying members of OSEA. Although
the story quotes me as speaking for the
state, I have no authority to speak for the
State of Oregon; my opinion was that it
seemed unlikely that the State Board of
Higher Education would desire to deal
with seven or more separate bargaining
units, each representing a different in
stitution and possibly representing several
different organizations.
It is significant that the histiry-making
collective bargaining agreement made
this year between OSEA and the Gover
nor’s Office for classified state employees
appears to be regarded by legislators as a
relatively firm commitment. There are
reasons to believe that what was suc
cessfully negotiated with the Governor will
be fully funded.
With a similar plan of bargaining for
academic employees at the state level, it is
conceivable that the result would be a
united effort for better funding, with
faculty, administrators, the State Board,
and OSEA standing together in unanimity
before the legislature.
Robert Nye
Music
A shame
Once upon a time, in a lovely villa near
Rome, a group of 12 people decided that
they wanted some power. They realized
that the best way to get the people’s
support was to prey on their superstitions,
so they started a religion. First they hired
a quite talented actor-magician and sent
him around the countryside talking to
people about the word of “god” (he had a
real impressive voice) and performing
“miracles/’
Soon everybody who was anybody was
convinced that this man was really
something holy. Then the 12 power
mongm*s, to make sure everything went
well, arranged for the actor to be crucified
(after all, nothing gets as much support as
a martyr), then wrote a book for all the
people to believe in.
This book ensured that the 12 and their
fellow conspirators would be the un
disputed rulers of this religion.
But something went wrong — the
common people took over. The
“religion” spread like a hideous, un
controllable plague. Now no one
remembers the roots of this disease, and
the people’s minds are being destroyed by
this terrible blight. It’s all such a shame!
Mark Faber
Member- Heathens for the
Eradication of Stupidity
ISIS Hilyard Apt. 31
Against Bonner
Tom Bonner is running for IUS delegate.
This seems very strange when I recall
Tom’s voters’ guide statement from Fall
Term when he was running for ASUO
senate. That statement said he favored no
incidental fee support for IUS. I think Tom
must explain bow IUS can operate with no
funds.
Don Brookhyser
senior, journalism
For Ludwig
In the three years I have known him,
David Ludwig has proven to me time and
again that he is an unquestionably mature
and capable individual. He is able, beyond
a doubt, to bear down and really give
everything to a cause he believes in. This
year he has decided to run for IUS
Delegate. Think about it.
Douglas Pollock
Junior, Economics.
Too much control
There is no more conflict of interest in
Randy Shilts and Gloria Gonzalez serving
on the fee committee and running for the
ASUO Executive than a U.S. Senator
running for U.S. President.
Except, of course, Bill Wyatt doesn’t like
it. He would love to be able to pack the
committee with his political yes-men (or
yes-women) and screw the students over
for one final time before he is out of office.
If Wyatt gets his way and he forces Shilts
and Gonzalez to resign and his hand
picked bureaucrat candidates get elected
he will have 7-9ths of the say over next
year’s budget (he would have 100 percent
say if you consider the fact that his
political puppets would have total control
of the fee committee). I say this is too
much control for any one person to have!
Franz J. Berg
653 E. 13th
French Major
For Ludwig
If you’ve ever seen Dave Ludwig smile,
you know why I am endorsing him for the
IUS Board. What legislator could possibly
resist his great set of teeth?
Dave’s great teeth and his complete
detachment from the petty politics of the
ASUO make him a natural for success.
Vote Ludwig for IUS, vote Ludwig for IUS,
vote Ludwig for IUS,...
Phil Nyegaard
Economics
Cancel
On the basis of having asked us one (1)
qFjestioc (which had nothing to do with
student government) as a so-called en
dorsement interview, this kiss-ass
newspaper decided that we knew nothing
about student government. This is just
another example of the inept and
irresponsible journalism that has
characterized the Emerald this year.
As for the candidates (and we use the
term loosely) the Emerald endorsed.
Travis is bullshit, and Jackson wouldn’t
say bullshit if she stepped in it. Mediocrity
is alive and well on the U. of O. campus.
Robert Scholl
David Scholl
P.S. Please cancel our subscription.
Experiencing Christ
I have been following the recent series of
editorials and rebuttals on the subject of
Christianity with extreme interest. Each
has saddened me in its own way.
It seems that the real point of the matter
has been completely missed. As usual, in
the midst of wordy battle, Christ, what He
stands for, what He has said and most
importantly how He lives in those who
have chosen to trust Him, has gotten lost.
Many editorials have ended up a blind
and bitter attack against those who wit
ness without love, seem to cheapen Christ
by selling Him, or dwell on the awful en
ding of those who don’t believe. A
discussion of Christ cannot simply be an
analysis of His people, we are just that;
people, subject to all of the mistakes
people commonly make.
If only Christians are dwelled upon, and
Christ is ignored, there is no substance to
Christianity and the whole thing will end
up a confusing and depressing mess, just
as it has in these articles.
Many of us have succeeded in making
Christ a dreary, hang-dog figure, but
Christ died for us to give us LIFE, and this
life more abundantly. This is definitely a
positive approach as opposed to the
negative, “you are going to hell.”
So the emphasis need not be on the
terrors of a heathen after life as much as
on the question of whether the life you are
living right now if; as great as it could be,
whether your happiness is as complete,
your love as rich and selfless. When united
with Christ you have at your disposal
perfect love, perfect joy. He offers
wholeness.
There is no room in the discussion of
Christ for arguments and dissension. He
holds no an imosity toward anyone, why
should we fling so much back at Him? We
all owe it to ourselves to get rid of this
bickering, and get to the real crux of the
matter, Christ Himself. Make a decision
based on more than just thrown taunts. It
is your choice to either accept or reject, go
directly to Christ for your answer.
I personally hope that everyone will find,
through their individual search, the
fullness of life that I am now experiencing
through Jesus Christ, my Lord and friend.
Susie Luckey