Oregon daily emerald., October 11, 1978, Section A, Page 4, Image 4

opinion
yours
Flag flown wrongly
The flag of Taiwan flew over the University Tuesday in
celebration of the establishment of the Republic of China in
1911. Intended to recognize the “National Day” holiday of
Republic of China students attending the University, the
flag also brings to mind the continuing struggle of the
Chinese people.
As students involved in the study of the Chinese re
volution of the 20th century, we hope the appearance of this
flag on campus reminded those who saw it of something
else. We hope it reminded them of the long and cruel
exploitation suffered by the Chinese people. We hope it
reminded them of the bitter struggle waged by the Chinese
people to rid their country of both imperialist and internal
oppressors.
And further, that the victory of this struggle came on
Oct. 1, 1949 when the people, led by Mao Tsetung, liber
ated their homeland with the proclamation, “The Chinese
people have stood up." This victory over the KMT and
Chiang Kai-shek allowed a flowering of the Chinese spirit
and National pride in the establishment of the Peoples'
Republic of China.
The remnants of those who opposed the revolution of
the majority in China fled to the island of Taiwan. There the
Chiang Kai-shek regime re-established the Republic of
China under the flag displayed Tuesday by the University.
The decision to fly the flag of the Republic of China
shows recognition, by the Administration, of the Taiwan
government. This recognition seems to become support in
light of the absence of the flag of the Peoples’ Republic on
Oct. 1.
In the face of demonstrations last year by Arab stu
dents and others protesting the appearance of the Israeli
flag on campus, and considering now the University’s deci
sion to display the flag of Taiwan, we feel questions are
raised about the University's real motivation in flying only
these select flags, questions whose answers reflect the
University's role in relation to the forces that formerly op
pressed China and continue to exploit third world countries.
But while the flag of Taiwan and those who aspire to
once again oppress the Chinese people flew over the cam
pus, we hope some were reminded of the revolutionary
spirit of the Peoples' Republic of China.
John Kaiser,
senior, sociology
Renee Romanoff,
junior, history
Bill McClenaghan,
sophomore, undeclared
Vickie Yee,
senior, history
Support GTFs, labor
Last Friday it was reported in the Emerald that or
ganized labor has thrown its full support to the GTF union in
its continuing struggle for a just first contract. All members
of the university community should appreciate this gesture
of solidarity from the working people of this state.
Perhaps once again the viewpoint of labor can be
brought into the college classroom. How little is the ap
preciation given by most students to the carpenters, pain
ters, electricians, delivery, garbage pick-up, maintenance
workers, etc. who keep their university running smoothly.
What better way to repay our debt to labor than by support
ing a strike or other actions by the GTF union in the weeks
ahead, should the union members so vote?
A successful strike will bring home to the students of
Oregon the importance and necessity of labor unions in a
way no college lecture ever could. Even an unsuccessfi'1
I
theirs
Two U.S. officials flub gas deal
Mexican-American diplomatic rela
tions took a downturn recently when
a combination of Sen. Frank Church
and Energy Secretary James
Schlesinger killed a deal to sell Mexi
can natural gas to American gas dis
tributors.
At issue was the price. The Mexi
can government wanted to sell the
gas at $2.60 per thousand cubic feet.
Page 4 Section A
From ttM Band BuMatin
That’s higher than current U S.
prices, but below the $3 per thousand
Church and Schlesinger favor paying
for Libyan gas.
The Mexicans had negotiated in
good faith with two major U.S. dis
tributors. The distributors had in good
faith agreed to pay the price. Mixed in
with their domestic supplies the new
source would have required a mod
est rate increase.
So, instead, the Mexicans will use
the gas themselves. This country will
continue to give all kinds of tax ben
efits to those who will find and pro
duce gas at the domestic price.
And all told, price and tax benefits
probably add up to close to the $2.60
the Mexicans and their potential cus
tomers had accepted.
strike will surely expose the contradiction of those in high
administrative offices who cry poor to those with money to
give to them (the legislature), but who then turn a cold
shoulder to those poorer than they (the graduate students).
The administrative office even uses the same excuse
to graduate students that the legislature uses on them —
low priority. Perhaps if the administration reversed its
priorities towards the poor, the legislature would do
likewise.
Can a hungry GTF or one without proper medical care
teach an interesting class or discussion section? Can an
average salary of less than $3500 per year attract high
quality graduate students when almost all other universities
offer more? Can there still be those who buy the scam of
saying the GTF rates are high, even though total wages are
low? Who can eat a rate?
Non-GTF graduate students, generally worse off even
than GTFers, should realize that a successful strike and/or
first contract will eventually lead to an upgrading of the level
of support for all graduate students.
The president's office talks eloquently compared to
those at other universities, but what does the record show
about its fund-raising abilities? Likewise, if the office of the
Dean of Liberal Arts spent half the effort it does squeezing
dimes from the departments and programs on positive
efforts for intellectually stimulating the university commun
ity, the university could recover that creative spark and
in-touch-with-the-world non-provincial quality that attracts
students, and causes us to be a great university. A small
increase in enrollment would easily offset all of the modest
financial demands made by the GTFs.
Richard A. Young,
Research Associate,
psychology
Stock policy offensive
In the front-page article of the ODE on Friday, Sept. 29,
former ASUO President Gary Feldman was portrayed as
having made a switch in positions regarding South Africa
now that he is working for a local investment firm.
If the article is at all accurate, he has made a drastic
switch indeed. Most telling perhaps is his quoted comment
that his job now is to ‘‘make the maximum profit for my
clients.”
As Mr. Feldman must know all too well, the precise
critique leveled against the Western capitalist economic
system by those searching for a more just and humane
alternative is that its whole philosophy puts maximization of
profits over human concerns.
Whereas Mr. Feldman last year was able to push for
human rights and needs in South Africa, even at the risk of
minimizing some corporate profits, he has now apparently
turned around and will put maximum profits, his own and
others, both individually and corporately, before people.
Such a shift, which he is even willing to try and justify
now, evidences how deeply we Americans are immersed in
our system.
I regret Mr. Feldman’s backing away from a more
human vision for the sake of profits ... but I understand all
too well how it can happen.
Norman Metzler,
Campus Ministry
Vote misconstrued
At Wednesday’s general faculty meeting an an
nouncement was made by Gary McMahon, chairperson of
the Student University Affairs Board (SUAB), stating that
the SUAB unanimously supports the fact-finder's report
and the GTFF’s position in regards to current contract
negotiations with the university.
Unfortunately, this statement does not represent the
unanimous opinion of the SUAB, as I do not support the
GTFF’s position.
This misrepresentation was due to the fact that I was
unable to attend a SUAB meeting held the previous Mon
day. During this meeting the position was endorsed unani
mously by those members present, and later the statement
was drafted.
I believe the problem was largely my own fault as I did
not inquire on the events of the meeting until it was too late,
and also the fault of those responsible for the statement as I
was never asked an opinion on it, and knew nothing of it
until minutes before the faculty meeting.
I realize that the position I am taking is not the most
popular one, but considering the university’s current finan
cial situation, I believe it is the most logical one.
Jess Barton,
CSPA, junior
Wednesday, October 11, 1978