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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1981)
opinion vars Time to protest It’s time to protest. Things have finally gotten out of hand in the moral majority. They used to keep to themselves - prayer meetings, Bible studies, retreats. Now they're on T V. all Sunday morning It’s horrible, it’s got to stop. I am offended as a woman. Men who preach the beauty of God, family and home do more to promote male chauvanism than any number of porno flicks. They tell us to find our personal fulfillment out of serving husband, children, and God. THAT’S oppressive. Again man tries to step on woman. It won’t work. Evangelists, I fart in your general direction. Ever since they’ve come out of the closet, violence has been on the rise. This ‘Moral Majority (?)” somehow feels justified in breaking up NOW chapter meetings, beating up those attending, breaking into clinics and ruining expen sive medical apparatus, not to mention risking the lives of the women using the facility. Their street fights with people protesting against the moral majority view have caused excessive amounts of injuries. Seems a bit more radical than a porno flick that causes someone to go home and (do I dare to use the word?) masturbate Let’s talk about the general degenerative affect this group has on society. Although they are a minority, they are attempting to impose their mor ality on all of us via political "reform.’’ I didn’t ask them to go see “O" with me, or “Deep Throat" for that matter. Let’s put God back in the gutter where he belongs. No, wait, that’s cruel. But let’s keep God where he belongs, in the heart of the individual. If God is your crutch, fine, I prefer drugs. What I’m really asking is that these moralists go home. You attend your prayer meetings, and I’ll work in my go-go bar. I have fun doing it. Don’t deny me that. Scorn me and my “type" but as you close your eyes and go back to sleep remember — you’re losing big. Rosemary Daszklewlcs Junior, political science Towing service Oh thank heaven? This letter is written in hopes of keep ing others from falling victim to what appears to be another form of legalized crime t i f l ttiKilUtf A friend of mine went into the 7-11 store on 13th and Alder and bought a candy bar. He then walked approximate ly 15 yards to Kinko’s, bought a cup of coffee, returned to 7-11 and made a phone call from the booth on the side of the store. When he found the number was busy, he hung up, went into the 7-11 parking lot just in time to see his car being hooked up to be towed away by Al’s Towing (ironically) Service ” The tower made my friend a generous offer: he would take his car off the hook if he would give him $25 then and there, rather than having to pay the $40 it costs to get the car from the towing yard. My friend, being a foreigner, never imagined that laws were so crooked that he couldn't get his car back free if he went down and gave his very reasonable ex planation. He had been off the property of 7-11 for approximately 3-4 minutes Appar ently this towing “service” has trucks waiting near the store which either watch for, or are called about cars whose owners leave the 7-11 premises even for a few minutes. It doesn’t matter that the person has been a customer even a minute before; once you step off the property, you car is fair game. This is not by the way, an isolated incident. I know of several others this has happened to. I and a few others are boycotting this store and encouraging others to do so (and letting the 7-11 store know this) until this ridiculous parking policy is changed. Robert Belvin Senior, Linguistics Ma and pa stores In response to the article in the Dec. 3 Emerald regarding problems of "ma and pa grocery stores,” I am writing to advise your readers that the Eugene City Coun cil has begun to respond to this problem. As you may be aware, the city’s pre sent zoning code was last comprehen sively revised in 1968. A thorough rewrite of that ordinance is long overdue, but the city has had difficulty in securing budget funds for that project. Finally, this year, the tax levy approved by voters included sufficient funds to do the first half of the code-revision effort, with the second half to be funded in next year’s budget if voters approve. The city council has had some spirited discussion of priorities in that code-revi sion effort, since the whole process will If f/L be so extended due to the awkward funding situation. The result of those discussions was the decision to begin with an analysis of commercial and “mixed use" areas with specific atten tion focused on certain “hot spots" — energy conservation concerns, mom and pop grocery stores, R-3 and R-4 zoning, special light industrial sites, and protec tion of housing opportunities in C-2 and C-3 zones. In response to some of the problems encountered by mom and pop grocery stores under the current zoning code, our attitudes as a community have changed about neighborhood commer cial uses, while the zoning code has not kept pace with those changes in com munity attitudes Specifically, the city council’s decision to identify mom and pop grocery stores as a priority area in the revision of the zoning ordinance came just after the problems exper ienced by the Willamette People’s Co-op came to our attention. The planning department is currently working on code revisions so that mom and pop grocery stores can continue to operate, expand in appropriate loca tions, and provide the friendly, drop-in, within-walking-or-biking distance ser vice that we appreciate from them. The Eugene Planning Commission and the Eugene Citizen Involvement Committee have already taken up the issue. Special citizen participation procedures have been adopted, and the planning com mission has scheduled a work session on the matter for Dec. 15. At the com mission's direction, the city staff will draft suggested code amendments; and the planning commission and city council will then conduct public hearings on an appropriate ordinance. Full public par ticipation is encouraged throughout this process. Gretchen Miller Eugene City Councilor Porn fan responds I agree with Marcia Kraus. If she thinks “The Story of O” is objectionable mater ial to her, then she should not have to attend the film. She should protest the film by not attending, staying at home, watching TV - Walt Disney, or doing other such entertainment to her taste. And let me be the judge as to what is objectionable material to me. Being a porn fan, I thought I had been ripped off I I fl ~ '9* SO A. 1 by the film since it was such a soft-core film, but I would not advocate burning the film, or bombing the Nickelodeon. Other people did like it. She could not have seen the film, for if she had, her views would have been pushed to a more moderate stand. In the future Marcia Kraus, when an X-rated film is shown on campus, protest it by staying at home and watching TV For I can judge for myself thank you, what is and what is not objectionable material. Bruce A. Roby 1559 Garfield Place Eugene First amdndment “The Story of O" was recently shown on campus. The Friends of the Future justified the showing of the film by using the first amendment, and I agree with them. They have the right to show any film they choose. But isn’t it ironic that communist groups in America can also use the first amendment in order to try to take freedom away from us? Isn’t it ironic that certain right-winged groups use the first amendment to burn books such as The Catcher in the Rye because it con tains obscene words. Does the freedom of expression necessarily mean that views expressed are right for every single person in our democracy? I believe that people have the right to express their views, but when their action infringes on the rights of others I begin to question that action. The Friends of the Future have the right to show “The Story of O” but what about the fact that this destroys women’s rights at the same time? How can they claim to support women’s rights when they are clearly disregarding them? Is it just to portray women as objects rather than human beings? Is it just to show sadistic crimes being commited against women? If so, then I would like to thank the Friends of the Future for sup porting women’s rights. Bill Forrest Journalism Good articles I take this opportunity to tell you that I appreciate the two very fine articles in the Emerald: "Exile Says Strikes Will Weaken El Salvador” "South Africa Apartheid Belies World Freedom, Speaker Says” Mr. Boehmer and Ms. Portal have called attention to some very real and serious concerns, and they have suc ceeded in arousing interest and a desire for constructive work where justice is concerned. Students and faculty wel come such scholarly work, I believe. As one working with students, I am encour aged to see such beautiful work. You will also be pleased to know that my high school age daughter requests that I bring home the Emerald each day for her to read. Good work! Congratulations! Loie Mead Eugene r letters policy The Emerald will accept and try to print all letters containing fair comment on ideas and topics of interest to the University commun ity. Letters must be typewritten, and should be no longer than 250 words. Letters must be signed, with the author s field of study or faculty status noted, and should include address and phone number when possible.
