opinion
ken sands
even editors get the blues
Hey gang, it’s time to find a job!
Scary, isn’t it?
It’s not like any of us seniors want to stay in
school any longer. In fact, we're tired of being
overworked, oppressed and impoverished.
Nonetheless, for many of us leaving school
represents the final step into the “real world,’’ a
place from which there is no return.
We’re leaving behind the security of a place to
go, and a group of friends to count on. Now we
have to make a place for ourselves, sometimes
without the friends who all tend to go different
directions.
It’s a frightening prospect.
You are lucky if you have a job, family and
friends all lined up for support once you leave
school.
The rest of us will be struggling through job
interviews and the difficulties of planning a life
with other people.
Unfortunately, some of us will defer any deci
sions and hope something comes our way. It’s a
safer bet to investigate all of your options now — at
least so you have a better idea of what you want to
do.
The worst scenario involves a college
graduate who is stuck with a job that isn’t fulfilling,
and who doesn’t know what to do about it.
It isn’t that painful to send out resumes, have
job interviews and hunt for jobs. If nothing else,
you get an idea of how other people view your
skills, and you get practice ‘‘selling” yourself to
others. Now is a good time to start.
What’s really hard is taking inventory of your
personal life. You have to decide how much of
your life depends on the people around you, and
whether you would sacrifice a job or a relation
ship.
There are no answers, of course. And though
the easy way out isn’t always the best, it’s nice to
know you’re not alone.
yours
Left in form only
Regardless of their political intent,
those who lit a fire in a crowded auditor
ium showed that they have nothing but
contempt for the safety and well-being of
the people, and they deserve nothing but
contempt in return. This adventurist and
individualistic act deserves the condem
nation of all, regardless of political per
suasion. Also none of the evasions of
Victor Tomseth (for example his denial of
CIA involvement in the 1953 coup that
brought the shah to power) were able to
be brought out to the community at large
because of the large press coverage
given by media (other than the Emerald)
to the contemptuous acts of the RCYB,
rather than the serious questions and
points of the audience The RCYB could
not have better played into the hands of
the advertising-controlled media and
"bourgeoise” they claim to despise than
if they themselves had intended to act in
its interests, which may be the case The
RCYB is a classic example of a group
that is "left in form, but right in essence.”
Richard Young
Research associate, psychology
Won’t miss him
Upon reading a letter written by Darrel
Plant, "Concert Flack," I thought to
myself, "Is this guy serious or just trying
to get his name in print?”
Mr Plant seems to have some problem
understanding why a large portion of
students are excited aboout the arrival of
Jackson Browne to Mac Court. Darrel
expressed distress over the fact that
Browne’s publicity is more in the form of
news. Well, Darrel, it is news. How often
do students spend the night outside the
EMU to get tickets to a Eugene based
event? And how often does a well-known
performer, who incidentally makes no
claim to be in the same category as Bob
Dylan, appear on the U of O campus?
And Darrel dear, I doubt that many
folks look to Jackson Browne as "an
expert and worldly authority on nuclear
power plants." Rather, the man is trying
to raise money and open people’s eyes
to a worthy cause, stopping unsafe nu
clear power. I can’t think of any per
formers outside of the MUSE organiza
tion that are willing to give much time and
energy to a worthy cause I haven’t no
ticed Frank Zappa giving any concerts
for a purpose.
And if you think that Browne's song
“Cocaine" is his anthem for No-Nukes,
perhaps you should look beyond your
limited knowledge of his work and listen
to "Before the Deluge."
If Darrel has no intention of going to
Jackson Browne and would rather read
a book, then I ask who cares? I certainly
won’t miss seeing him on the 23rd.
Suzanne Lehman
Sophomore, undeclared
Appendixes?
Re. Ms. Skinner’s defense of abortion.
The failures of her reasoning (I use the
term loosely) are evident. First, there are
some similarities between appendixes
and unborn children (fetuses); there is,
however, at least one important
difference: all of us were fetuses; none
of us were appendixes. Second, if she
will use the unborn's dependence as a
rationale for the right to extinguish its
life, will she not be willing to use the same
reason to justify infanticide and
euthanasia? (Those who consider this a
facetious question should consider that
the incidence of both has increased
sharply in the last few years.)
Finally, although she doesn't make
herself completely clear, she appears to
believe that abortion is a religious issue.
She is correct if she means that most of
those who consider themselves religious
are opposed to abortion. In another
sense, however, abortion is no more a
religious issue than income tax, fraud or
rape If any of these were just religious
issues, only those strongly religious
would oppose them. That is obviously
not the case.
Mark Albrecht
School of Law
Don’t rap U.S.
I hear a lot of students downrapping
the United States these days, not only
foreign students but American students
too. These students who no doubt have
nothing better to do with their pessimistic
lives than complain and ramble on about
how oppressive our society is, seem to
overlook the fact that their actions
would, in many of the countries they
support, result in imprisonment. I can't
help but ask why, if they hate America so
much, are they living and studying here?
I suppose some of the reasons are
because in America, unlike the countries
which they praise, they eat well, drive
nice cars, get a good education and are
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Page 4
allowed to act as obnoxious as they
please. I wonder how they would view the
United States if they lived in the those
countries which they have such a phon
ey affection for. I’m sure a lot of them
protest because they like attention. They
should all get together and open a zoo.
Then they could charge admission and
entertain us with their monkey-like
behavior. (Not to take anything away
from the monkeys.)
I guess what I’m trying to say is if you
don’t like this country, then get the hell
out of here!
America has it’s problems but we don’t
need a herd of wild animals stampeding
through our lives to remind us. It seems
our civilization has produced a new
species of man that can do nothing but
grunt and groan at the rest of us because
of their own shortcomings.
I don’t dislike anyone, but I do hate
hearing people bitch about things they
know so little about. Now, if you go spend
444 days illegially detained in some un
stable country maybe, when you get
back, if you still want to bitch - I’ll listen.
Scott Morison
Sophomore, pre-Business
Military aid
When I learned that Pres. Reagan was
considering the possibility of providing
military aid to the South African backed
Unita guerilla forces in Angola, I was
prompted to share some of my own ob
servations concerning the situation
there.
For several years now, Unita guerillas
have been engaged in a brutal campaign
against the citizens of the country’s
southern regions. South African armed
and trained, they have, in the last 12
months, completely smashed the econ
omies of the Huambo and Bire provinces.
According to International Red Cross
reports, nearly half a million people,
mostly women and children, risk starva
tion.
If supporting such a cause is Mr.
Reagan s idea of upholding American
support for "freedom and democracy,’’ I
believe something is fatally wrong.
Above all else, I fear that such con
siderations are not only beginning signs
of Pres. Reagan's long-standing policy
of crushing national liberation
movements that threatan American
profits and economic interests. I hope
that in the coming four years the Amer
ican people will show some sympathy
and understanding for those people in
the world who are struggling against
terrorist governments and reactionary
regimes that remain in power only with
the help of American weapons and Wes
tern financial aid.
Christian Gunther
Eugene