opinion
greg wesson
a quorum of one
The obvious competition between humans and
wildlife is for living space. The thickets that provide
optimum homes for quail and pheasants are cleared
out when housing developments go in. The presence of
two-legged residents usually causes bounding qua
drapeds to beat feet out
Those who pay the rent by raising livestock view
themselves in a more indirect, but no less important,
conflict with animals — especially deer and elk. To hear
them tell it, grazing wildlife are eating them into poverty.
And, they’ve got an ally in most every representative
from east of the Cascades
In fact, there’s a strong, reoccuring move to
change the membership of the Fish and Wildlife Com
mission so that the body will OK decimation of Oregon’s
deer and elk
See, these wild animals like to eat the same things
as sheep and cows, and few have learned to respect
private property, habitually jumping fences and ignor
ing “no trespassing” signs in their quest for dinner
The simple solution? Issue more doe and cow
permits, effectively closing down the factories that
provide more animals. Economic interests are saying
the current commission is dominated by urban liberals
so concerned with the animals that they can't hear what
the people are saying
More accurately, the body’s detractors are con
vinced the commission isn’t paying enough attention to
them. As is common with those complaining about
government action, they have defined “the people”
only as those who share their concerns. But to their
chagrin, not everyone feels Oregon has too many elk
and deer.
This year’s legislative effort to rid the state of the
pesky creatures will likely center on a bill introduced by
Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Medford. The legislation would
change the geographic make-up of the commission in
an effort, Hannon says, to make it more responsive to
what “the people” want.
Luckily, this session's efforts will probably prove as
successful as last and die an agonizing death. Han
non's claims that he’s interested in increasing the
democratic representation of the board will fool nobody
and there seems to be little sympathy for attempts to
allow a few, narrow economic interests to profit at the
wildlife’s expense.
Coincidence?
Coincidence, or is it irony? Neither
gets the recognition it deserves. One day
department heads are told that to meet
the governor’s proposed budget the
College of Arts and Sciences must
prepare to cut $500,000 each year of the
next biennium, and a day later the pend
ing vote on faculty unionization is post
poned, basically for lack of interest. This
brings to mind the Chinese tale of a
farmer who is working in his field when
he sees a rabbit run into a tree stump
killing itself. The farmer then sits down by
the stump to wait for other rabbits. It is
reinforcing to find literature relived: only
now faculty sit in their fields waiting for
adequate state support to happen again.
Funding levels the University has
known in the past will not soon return;
disastrous cuts and tuition hikes mean a
long period of diminished support. The
state board and the chancellor seem shy
when it comes to opposing the
governor's budget, and they nearly
monopolize the representation of higher
education in the state. Still, our adminis
trators, a few faculty and friends are all
working hard for higher education But if
anyone draws comfort from this, if any
one seriously believes the economy will
"turn around" before the closing of this
or the next legislative session, they
should be approached about investing in
ocean-front lots in eastern Oregon.
It is evident the faculty must speak
clearly for themselves. This must be the
time, if there still is time, for all of us to
look seriously at collective bargaining.
Unions may be no more than a mixed
blessing, but the issue should be studied,
debated and brought to a vote. The last
thing we can afford to do is be passive
and hope that our grave demeanor will
earn us some crumbs. We should convey
the message (and prove it no illusion)
that this faculty is a force, not a vacuum.
As for the Chinese farmer waiting by
the tree stump, he has been there about
2,400 years.
Mike Fish
Associate professor,
East Asian languages
Unrealistic
Nick Wilson's letter, dated Feb 3,
which stated that women who have
abortions are “selfish’’ shows a letter full
of biased and unrealistic opinion.
Nick Wilson has never been a woman
and never will be. Therefore, for him to
understand the many reasons why
women have abortions, he would have
to be open to the other side. This is
something he obviously is not. Everyone
is entitled to choosing the way they
sacrifice. Choosing not to have a child is
a very big sacrifice for many women.
Abortion is not a symptom of anything
but a society ridden with many illnesses.
We are definitely an overpopulated
country, despite the results of the
Census Bureau. In order to see this, one
simply needs to look at the lack of re
sources, unemployment and New York
City. Most children are an art that two
people create of love, but this is not
always the case Many people have chil
dren out of selfish reasons as well. And
many children live in a world of anguish
and fears, perpetuated by their parents
and society.
America is not a separate entity from
the rest of the world, and what affects
India, or any other distant foreign land
hopefully affects most of us, or should.
Perhaps Nick Wilson should take time
to understand his own selfishness first.
Eliza A. Harper
Freshman, humanities
Heroes(?) welcome
Now we know where our tax dollars go.
The 52 American ex-hostages have
received a costly “heroes” welcome,
courtesy of the United States govern
ment. It is unfortuante our tax dollars are
being spent on such an unjustifable
cause.
Tickertape parades in Washington,
D C. and New York, dinners, theater
visits, and free transportation are just a
few of the many activities being support
ed by the federal government. All of this
is certainly costing a bundle of money,
and in a time of high inflation, mandatory
tax cuts and promised budget cutbacks,
this seems to be an unrestrained and
lavish performance on the part of the
feds.
Granted the hostages' lives have been
"shattered" by the experience in Iran.
Being held captive for 444 days is a
traumatic experience, I don't doubt that.
However, what have the hostages done
to be heroes? Survived? Compare all of
this to the return of the Vietnam veterans.
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They suffered just as much or more than
the hostages, but when the vets came
back, heroes they weren’t. Analyzing this
information, one can’t help but notice a
giant inbalance on “our scales of impor
tance".
Don't get me wrong. . I’m glad my
fellow Americans are back on U S. soil.
What I do think though, it that the ex
hostages have received a profuse wel
come for doing nothing. It makes me
sick.
Dave Lund
Freshman, computer science
What trickle?
Dear Mr. Reagan:
During the campaign last year, I
remember that you promised an income
tax cut. For those of us that don’t make
enough to pay income taxes, the "trick
le-down” theory is supposed to operate.
I won’t be receiving the first paycheck
from my new job for over a month, my
rent is due, and my bank account is
empty. Would you please ask the
Postmaster-General whether he’s put my
trickle in the mail yet? Thank you.
P S. In case it will take longer than a
month to arrive, is a trickle interest
assignable? Please ask the Attorney
General at your very earliest conven
ience. Thank you again.
Dale Bricker
Law student, second year
Lousy floors
Along with the coming of the inevitable
winter colds and flu bugs on campus is
yet another rather harsh outbreak — that
of the countless twisted, turned, torn,
and fractured ankles that are caused by
the mismanagment of the so-called bas
ketball courts in Esslinger (the Dustbowl)
and Gerlinger (the ice rink) gyms. The
condition of these floors has been un
fortunately predictably lousy throughout
the school year.
With the wide diversity of classes, it’s
no small wonder that the floors are
rapidly becoming shadows of their
original selves. Now I’m not saying to
limit any type of class that engages in the
usage of the facilities, but surely some
logical form of maintenance can be put
into play. Let's face it, leaky roofing,
faded lines, dead spots, warped areas
and the accumulation of dust, soot and
dirt caused by countless feet have turned
the courts into simply bothersome hin
drances to a person involved in any
sporting event.
With all the multiple injuries occurring,
it’ll be a matter of time (unless of course
somthing positive is done) before
someone truly pissed off will slap a law
suit on the University. And that sort of
action, sports fans, should never take
place.
Doug Stutz
Sophomore