opinion_
I ken sands
even editors get the blues
Springfield people are tired of being called
stupid.
“We’re not just a bunch of half-witted, low-ly
ing drones, but we have a tendency to be treated
as such,’’ says one Springfield woman. “And
we re turned off by the way we are treated.”
Eugeneans think Springfielders are just a
pack of red-neck, low-class mill workers. Actually,
Springfielders simply prefer a less hectic small
town life than Eugene provides.
“The minute you cross the bridge you can feel
the quiet, comfortable pace. The people in
Eugene move faster and are more erratic,” says
the Springfield native. “The ‘cultured’ people of
Eugene just think they are more sophisticated."
Springfielders have different priorities.
“Generally we’re clean-cut American people
who don’t put up with a bunch of bullshit,” she
says.
Lawyers and doctors live in harmony with mill
workers because “we value people for people, not
what they do for a living.”
And that’s another big difference between
Eugene and Springfield. Eugeneans are cultural
and intellectual elitists.
“Springfield people are considered uncul
tured and unintellectual. People think that
Springfield is just a bastard child of Eugene.”
But Springfield has its own merits.
Ethereal Eugeneans may gloat over their
performing arts center, but Springfielders point to
their parks program that has won national awards.
Rent is cheaper in Springfield. There is less
traffic on the broad, tree-lined avenues, and there
is easy access to goods and services.
University students think Springfield is a red
neck town where they will be accosted for being
students. But Springfield residents don’t have
much to say about students one way or another.
Actually, Joe Blow Eugene may have more
misconceptions about college students. Eugene
citizens sometimes blame the University and the
students for the city’s problems.
Still, students are reluctant to live in Spring
field. “I never thought I’d live in Springfield.” says
one University student. “To me, Springfield was a
place where you could see a double feature for 99
cents, not a place to live if you were enlightened in
any way.”
But after living in Springfield for a year, she
saw the light, Springfield style.
“I think Springfield residents see through
Eugeneans’ quest for sophistication through
granola and unsweetened fruit juice and settle for
meat and potatoes,” she says.
The man who answers the phones at the
Chamber of Commerce would rather live in
Springfield than Eugene any day.
“People in Eugene may look down on us, but
that’s their problem, not mine.”
And what’s the man’s name?
“Bob Smith, common as dirt.
“Adios.”
va rs
More on abortion
We would like to point out what we and
others consider to be some errors in R.G.
Bowman’s letter (Oct. 28) concerning
abortion.
The human embryo, up to or shortly
before birth, is completely dependent on
the mother for its physiological function
ing - life, if you will The fetus would
quickly die outside of its mother (unless
hooked up to some elaborate machin
ery). Bowman points out that at three
months, all of the fetus’ organ systems
are functioning, but does not mention
that the systems cannot function on their
own. With regard to fetal breathing,
Dowman is wrong The fetus gets all of its
oxygen from the mother’s blood (via the
placenta - fetal urea is also carried away
by maternal blood). The lungs do not
function until birth. The fetus cannot
exist as an "individual", or as a “live
human being”. The definition of an "in
dividual’’ is a "single person, considered
separately". It is impossible to consider
an embryo separate from its mother.
Now we get to some more subtle state
ments which we believe reflect Bow
man’s desire to consider the fetus a
normal human being. Bowman states
that the fetus "adjusts position to get
comfortable”. Might the fetus be moving
as the result of developmental steps
resulting in (or requiring) certain
motions? What is "comfortable" to a
fetus? Bowman referred to the fetus as
an "individual” and as an "unborn
child”. We have seen that the use of
“individual" is not correct. Furthermore,
"unborn child" is a contradiction -
similar to “born fetus" or the "fetus was
delivered”. Why not just "fetus” or
“embryo"?
We believe that the fetus is not a
human being Abortion is at most
“murder” of a potential human being,
but then, what is the significance of this
“potential"? Every egg in the human
female has this potential - especially
considering recent technological
developments (not all good). Perhaps
someday some will consider “waste" of a
letters policy
The Emerald will accept and try to print all letters
containing fair comment on ideas and topics or
interest to the University community. Letters must be
typewritten, using 65-character margins and should be
triple spaced
Letters must be signed, the Suthor's field of study (or
faculty status) noted and should include address and
phone number where possible
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'THE COW&tf IS (DMING! THE GMOi IS (OWING!'
single human egg (even during the nor
mal menstrual cycle) to be "murder"!
We do not at all favor the use of abor
tion as a primary method of birth control.
However, abortion is sometimes the best
or only alternative. We are not pro-abor
tion; we are pro-choice (and by our
beliefs and definitions, the fetus cannot
have a choice in the matter). Moreover,
we strongly believe that answers to
questions such as "when does individual
human life begin?” (and other subjective
spiritual matters) rest with the individual
We do not tell you what to believe in, or
how you must think. Those are your
choices - choices not to be taken lightly,
and certainly not to be legislated.
Jeff and Kim Goddard
Graduate Students in Biology
and Historic Preservation
Fiszman replies
Gabriel Boehmer reports me as "re
sponding" to Professor Ivan Svitak's
remark about his life in Czechoslovakia
("I always thought I lived in the worst
country in the world") by saying "Wait
'till Reagan comes.” Having lived in
Czechoslovakia myself for over a year, as
well as in Poland and the USSR, in addi
tion to living under three different oc
cupations, this off-the-cuff quip of mine
was simply an attempt to be “funny” or
“cute" and it — very obviously — mis
fired
Although I do not particularly look
forward to four years with Reagan I hard
ly think, even if he does his ‘'utmost,” as
promised, that this would replicate the
misery of life under Novotny in Czecho
slovakia or Stalin in the Soviet Union. It
takes a special kind of genius to do that
and Reagan is simply not quite up to it.
Joseph Fiszman
Professor, Political Science
Bike advice
As a bicyclist, I wish to address Leon
Nawrocki’s letter concerning his right
eous interpretations of “Bike Rights"
(Nov. 3).
Contrary to Mr. Nawrocki’s reasoning
(or lack thereof) a bicycle is not hard to
see because it is environmentally pure,
producing neither heat nor pollution; a
bicycle is hard to see because it is small,
skinny object on the side of the road that
doesn’t lend itself to visibility
Furthermore, Mr. Nawrocki vows to
keep his "ineffective strap-on light” in an
effort to put bike lanes on "every street in
Eugene.” How ludicrous. The cheap,
strap-on lights just keep the rider
nominally inside the law and offer the
rider very little visibility, which is what he
is complaining about. If anything, the law
should be strengthened and require
bicyclist to use better lighting. And in no
wav will the widespread use of these
cheap lights lead to more and wide
spread bike paths. Come on, Mr. Naw
rocki, let’s at least think.
Mr. Nawrocki also claims that if he and
Ms. Lambert (“Use Bike Lanes" Oct. 21)
ever crash fenders on a night when he is
without a light, he will sue her for every
dime she has. That, Mr. Nawrocki, as
sumes you are alive to collect the money,
and if so, you are not paralyzed so that
you could enjoy it.
With reasoning like Mr. Nawrocki’s, I
would like to close by giving him one
piece of advice: Buy a bicycle helmet, I
don't think your thick head is enough
protection.
Peter Cooper
Senior, History
Peanuts’ petition
We urge the editors of the Emerald to
reintroduce the comic strip “Peanuts” in
place of “Sparrow.”
In two days, this letter was signed by
more than 1,000 members of the Univer
sity of Oregon community — a clear
indication of the support "Peanuts” has
on campus.
The organizers and supporters of this
letter hope the Emerald recognizes its
readers' sentiments and acts accord
ingly.
David Newell
Sophomore, French
and 1.084 co-sianers