opinion
Applaud demise
of death penalty
The Oregon Supreme Court should be ap
plauded for striking down the state’s death penalty
law.
With groups such as the Moral Majority
calling for repressive ultra-conservative laws in
the name of God and the Founding Fathers, it is
refreshing to see the constitution being interpret
ed in a humanitarian way.
Written by Justice Jacob Tanzer, the court’s
6-0 opinion said Oregon’s 1978 voter-approved
death penalty law is unconstitutional. The law
violates the Oregon constitution by allowing
judges rather than juries to decide whether a
death penalty will be imposed.
With the court’s ruling, due process and trial
by jury return to Oregon.
Unfortunately, the decision does not rule out
the death penalty altogether, but may only stall its
implementation. Right-wing legislators no doubt
ours
will draft another version of the same law, simply
giving the responsibility for ‘‘finding the fact of the
greater mental state” (determining whether or not
the crime was deliberate) to juries instead of
judges.
If voters approve that version of the law, the
death penalty will be back in place and killing by
the state will again be constitutional.
Changes in the law don’t take place over
night, however. Those of us concerned about the
rights of accused criminals should use this interim
period to lobby against the death penalty on
humanitarian grounds.
The finality of the death penalty makes it
unjustifiable, no matter how heinous the crime.
Oregon can not be in the business of killing its
citizens, even if they are murderers.
Correction
Editor's note: The Emerald inadvertently
printed a letter Tuesday that belittled the plight of
handicapped students on campus and referred to
those students in demeaning terms. The letter
was signed “Daniel Paul Moore," but the real
Moore had nothing to do with the piece. We
apologize to Moore and Chester Falter, director of
the handicapped student union, for allowing the
bogus letter to run.
Beginning today, all letters must include a
phone number so the author can be verified by
the Emerald.
The following is Moore's reply.
So, Mr. Moore, author of Tuesday's letter
"What’s the beef?" thinks the University shouldn't
waste his money making access available to the
handicapped. He proposes that they swallow their
pride as his mother has. Well, Mr. Moore, just who
are you?
Perhaps you did have a point to air and
looked to the Emerald's letter section as an
opportunity to do so. Perhaps you merely wanted
to stir up some controversy and saw the Opinion
section as the place for entertainment. You cer
tainly achieved that much Daniel Moore was the
subject of such labels as "asshole of the
Universe” and sarcastic notes from friends. In
your own words, however, I ask: "Please don't
make your problems my problem. I have enough
to worry about." If you must voice an opinion, for
God’s sake back it up with your own name and not
mine or anyone else’s.
Personally, I disagree with the prejudiced
attitude of your letter and the narrow mind behind
it. I certainly find your libelous use of my name and
address on the level of third grade humor. But
since you have used it, I must apologize to Mr.
Faller for your selfish statements.
I can only hope that the Emerald will now take
some step toward the professionalism it clearly
lacks, at least by screening letters more carefully
before printing them.
Daniel Paul Moore
Sophomore, General Science
.yours
Two of three
Peanuts is back in the Emerald,
the hostages are out of Iran and
Ronald Reagan is in the White
House. Two out of three isn’t bad.
Pete Kent
Community education, journalism
Sanders class
I took a class from Prof. Sanders.
It taught me one thing — no matter
what their credentials, professors
have their prejudices too. Check out
the facts for yourself, be skeptical,
search for the truth, and don’t
believe everything you hear.
Of course Sanders doesn’t come
right out and say he doesn’t believe
the scriptures are the inspired word
of God. He implies it plainly enough
via his teachings. (That the pro
phecies were written after-the-fact is
the most common excuse used to
avoid the truth. Prove it.)
Daniel characterizes the world
empires of history. If he wrote as late
as 167 B.C as Sanders teaches (he
didn’t — he wrote circa 500 B.C.), he
did an uncanny job of prophesying
the ancient Roman Empire. ‘‘The
fourth beast shall be the fourth
kingdom upon earth (the first three
being Babylon, Medo-Persia, and
Greece) which shall tread it down,
and break it in pieces (Daniel 7:23).”
The Roman Empire was unlike any
power before it or since.
But what happened to Rome? It
was invaded and broken up by ten
barbarian tribes. “And the ten horns
out of this kingdom are ten kings that
shall arise: and another shall arise
after them; and he shall be diverse
from the former ones, and he shall
subdue three kings (Daniel 7:24).”
What power followed the barbar
ian tribes? The Bible gives more
clues. “And he shall speak great
words against the most High, and
shall wear out the saints of the most
High, and think to change times and
laws.”
It’s obviously the Roman Catholic
Church that is "diverse from" the
other kingdoms, a different kind of
power. It subdued three barbarian
tribes, or kings, the Heruli (AD 493),
the Vandals (AD 534), and the
Ostrogoths (AD 552), crushing the
last opposition to the Holy Roman
Empire. The Pope is called “the
bridge between heaven and earth’’
with power even over the angels,
and with the title “Lord God the
Pope.” The Papacy tortured and
killed 68 million Christians (called,
heretics) who dared to read the Bible
(then outlawed) among other things
during the Inquisition — 68 million
people compared to the 6 million
Jews who died in the Holocaust.
The Church changed both God’s
times and His laws (or tried to). It
threw out the Second Command
ment (against idol worship) and cut
the tenth in half to preserve the
number. It changed the Fourth
Commandment — sabbath day ob
servance (the seventh day,
Saturday, which the Jews today will
attest to) — into Sunday, the pagan
day of the sun.
Now how is it this prophecy in
Daniel 7:11 (told four times in in
creasing detail) was written after the
fact?
Incidentally, the Pope’s other title,
which he wears on his miter (crown)
reads "Vicarius Filii Dei,” Vicar of
the Son of God. With Roman number
values assigned to the letters this
name adds up to 666. "Here is wis
dom. Let him that hath understand
ing count the number of the beast;
for it is the number of a man; and his
number is 666 (Rev. 13:18).” The
Greek word “Lateinos" (Latin man
or church) and the Hebrew word
“Romiith” (Roman kingdom) also
add up to 666
But that prophecy is in Revelation,
written AD 95, before the leader of
the church in Rome was even called
the Pope. I wonder what "interpre
tation” Sanders assigns to this.
Lemme guess — John just had a bad
dream after eating a Track Town
pepperoni pizza, right?
Tracy Duncan
Senior, journalism
On abortion
Let's put this whole issue into
perspective:
"What would you decide? The
father has syphillis and the mother
has tuberculosis. They have had
four children, the first one was blind,
the second one died, the third one
was deaf and dumb and the fourth
had tuberculosis.
"The mother is now pregnant with
her fifth child but is willing to have an
abortion if you determine that she
should. What would you decide for
her?
“If you chose abortion congra
tulations. . you've just murdered
Beethoven!”
How many Beethovens have we
killed? Yearly 1.2 million abortions
are performed. It is the second most
common surgical procedure after
circumcision.
I am not unaware of most people’s
views of the Bible nor their view of
those who both “thump” and con
tinually quote it. But listen to what
God says in His word: “Shall I give
my first-born for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my
soul (Michah 6:7)."
Sin, whether it is abortion or just
selfishness, is the real issue.
“There is a kind who is pure in his
own eyes, yet is not washed from his
filthiness (Proverbs 30:12)."
In God's eyes we are all very
significant beings and yet truly sin
ners who are in need of a savior. But
God loves us so much he sent His
Son to sweat blood and die for us.
Abortion is sin, but we have forgive
ness in Christ. Jesus dies for the sins
of (fill in your name).
(If you have any questions or
comments, do not hesitate to call
me, Marty 686-6591. I hold a Biblical
view of life and believe that Jesus
Christ is the way to God, who creat
ed us.)
Martin Heiser
Sophomore, undeclared
Kelly Hogan
Freshman, Computer Science
tetters policy
The Emerald will accept and try
to print all letter containing fair
comment on ideas and topics of
interest to the University com
munity. Letters must be typewrit
ten and no longer than 250
words.
Letters must be signed, the
author’s field of study or faculty
status noted and must include
address and phone number for
verification.