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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1981)
opinion yours Misunderstanding On Dec. 5, an editorial appeared in the Oregonian entitled, "U S. Must Back Ei Salvador Reform." We are writing this letter to protest what is apparently a widespread misunderstanding of the struggle taking place in El Salvador today According to this editorial, "the extreme leftists in El Salvador are called 'Pot Pols’ by responsible U S. officials because their tactics of senseless slaughter resemble those of the bloody ruler of Cambodia who killed nearly 5 million of his countrymen in order to 'cleanse' them of ideological sins." In fact, the so-called "extreme leftists” are the El Salvadorean people themselves. They are asking for the basic human rights to food, shelter, healthcare, education, etc., and they are being ans wered with brutal tortures and arbitrary assassinations by security forces whose training is financed, in part, with U S. military aid. The editorial's reference to the "humanitarian tactics" of these security forces is irresponsible. Witness the case of a young woman walking in a marketplace in El Salvador last August where she was stripped and repeatedly raped in front of onlookers by a group of soldiers. Her "crime": She was wearing jeans and tennis shoes — the uniform of the El Salvadorean "leftists.” This is one case in thousands of similar terrorist acts carried out with the tacit approval of the ruling junta. How many more such acts will it take to make people understand? Daniel Alvorodo Co-director, MEChA Disturbing article Re Kirshner’s "Folksy Garage Doesn't Make It” in the Nov. 25 ODE: I found this light-hearted article dis turbing in the lack of regard Mr. Kirshner showed for the reputation of the garage which he so unmistakably described Although he does not slander the “folksy" shop in any specific way, the overall impact of the article certainly leads to the conclusion that the service he received there was inept and costly beyond what what was fair. If the writer wants to say that riding a bicycle is less expensive and more de sirable than driving and maintaining a car, fine But he shouldn't take cheap shots at a business that does a good job I at providing car service at the lowest available cost to its customers. The Emerald is a vehicle for fledgling students of journalism to try their hand at their desired career. The shop portrayed in this “humorous” article employs professional mechanics who fix cars for their living. The reputation of the garage suffers unfairly at the hands of an ama teur reporter who, it would seem, takes his own words too lightly. Cecil Strange 335 N. Grand Eugene Check facts Paul Telles’s Dec. 15 Emerald piece on Muhammed Mehdi’s talk is a good ex ample of why reporters should check the facts before printing their stories. Mehdi claims to have been a University of California, Berkley Professor of Poli tical Science and the author of several books on American constitutional law. Having known Mehdi many years ago when we were students (in fact, one summer I was his roommate), and know ing his tendency to exaggerate, I was a little suspicious. So I did a little research. It turns out that his credentials are not as solid as he says. First, the Berkeley political science department doesn't recall having him on the faculty. Since Mehdi received his Political Science Ph.d. from that department, he may have at one time been a graduate teaching fellow or a part time instructor; but that hardly qualifies him to pass himself off as a professor at the University of California at Berkeley. Second, there is no record of “several books on American constitutional law'' by Medi; the Library of Congress lists only his doctoral dissertation on consti tutionalism in the West and Middle East, a few books on middle eastern politics, and a book on Sirhan Sirhan and Robert Kennedy Although that does not rule out publication in some obscure place, it certainly does not qualify him as an expert on the American constitution. Perhaps that is why no one has ever taken seriously Mehdi’s claim (first ad vanced many years ago as a student, and quoted by Telles) that “United States' support of the Jewish State of Israel is a contradiction of the American prohibi tion against established religion.” The argument is ridiculous on its face; if it were accepted, the United States would have to withdraw support from any country not adhering to U S. constitu tional rules, even when the support is in the U S. interest. That would not include support for Moslem states such as Jor dan and Egypt as well as support for Israel. Barry N. Siegel Professor, economics ‘For the Bible...’ Martin Heiser's letter (Moral Majority, Dec. 10) to the Emerald is written on the brink of craftsmanship, and cleverly am biguous, in a vaguely familiar satirical style. It is a double-edged sword of wit and witticism Unfortunately, Mr. Heiser holds the sword by the edge instead of the hilt: in using it to cut, he cuts himself. He is most cunning in his attempt to lure all us fellow students into the ob vious trap of trying to prove something obviously sublime and esoteric with ob viously obvious “empirical and historical evidence.” Woe betide the person who engages in such folly! Who seeks to find true religion by any institution of proser pine education (look it up)! I admire his openness in allowing that “if Jesus didn't rise, then all these Christains are out to lunch." If we cannot prove that there was no resurrection, then of course we have recourse but to believe that “these Christians" are not out to lunch, but right here at lunch with the rest of us. For the best proof is no proof. Certainly the Bible is the best source for moral laws around. But, of course, it was written in a different time, for a different people, and a different moral mindset applied to Them than does to Us But, nobody can be that real author ity but Christ. I mean, Jesus himself said that. Well, the Bible said it, but Jesus said it to somebody, and someone remem bered it, and put it in the Bible...so it must be true For it is said “Jesus loves me, yes I know; For the Bible tells me so." And the scriptures also cite: "And on the seventh day they rested And they blessed the seventh day, in sick hope: And forgot their eternal life." (Epistle to Willy, Chpt. IX, v.3) So until Paul McCartney sings, "Open the door, let Him in," let Jerry Falwell wait for the reckoning' of this one-hell-of-a lunch-party. Till then, Lennon bless us. David Ruekberg Junior, English Foreign policy I recently ran across a document which serves as yet another indication of U S. foreign policy as America marches down repression row. In a letter dated Oct. 14 the Hudson Institute, a notoriously conservative think tank, suggested that the U.S. government mount an effort to convince socialists around the world that they should not support the Salvadorean “left" and should support the so-called reforms of the ruling junta. A group of self-styled “experts" are being assembled to target the social democrat parties in Germany, Spain, Britain, France and Portugal. These ex perts include people with ties to AIFLD — the American Institute of Free Labor Development, a subsidiary of the AFL CIO with long-documented ties to the CIA. Even more ominously, one of the “ex perts” listed in the memo is Roy Proster man who had responsibility for the Civil Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS) program in Vietnam which was the cover for the CIA Opera tion Phoenix whose primary purpose was the elimination of political opposition, usually by assasination. Now, let’s try tying everything together. The letter from the Hudson Institute was written by a lady named Constantine Menges. In a N Y. Times article on Nov. 29 Pres.-elect Reagan’s advisers on Latin America assured visi tors from El Salvador that the new ad ministration will increase military aid, including combat equipment, to security forces fighting leftists geurillas. Who do you think was a consultant to those advisers? None other than Constantine Menges of the Hudson Institute. John Stewart 528 E. 12th Ave. Eugene Supports garage We are writing in response to Erich Kirshner’s "notebook" article in the Nov. 25 Emerald. He maintians that the "folksy garage” to which he brought his car is, after all, no different than most (or all?) other repair shops, i.e. incompetent, untrustworthy, and greedy. Of course it is unpleasant to have your car break, and even more unpleasant to have to pay the bill for fixing it. To per petrate the prejudice that all mechanics are out to fleece their customers, how ever, is carrying the unpleasantness too far. The shop with the “hand-drawn ad in the Yellow Pages" is a competent and trustworthy place, and we will continue to bring our VW to them for repairs. Louise Klaiia 2304 Patterson St. Eugene letters pdicy The Emerald will accept and try to print all letters containing fair comment on ideas and topics or interest to the University commun ity. Letters must be typewritten, using 65-character margins and should be triple spaced. Letters must be signed, the author's field of study (or faculty status) noted and should include address and phone number where possible.
