Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1981)
opinion yours Free press?. While reading the Emerald insert March 12, I came across an article which included the following comment, “Costa Rica is a good place to go: friendly and democratic, unlike its neighbors El Salvador and Nicaragua." Upon reading this, that which has been building up inside of me over the past year erupted and compelled me to write this letter to the editor. The feeling I'm refering to is a build ing outrage against the U S. press for their extremely slanted views of world events. This rage began when the Iranians took hostages in November of 1979.1 expected a balanced, informa tive reporting on so important an event. But, what did I get? I got bombarded by ABC, CBS, NBC, (as well as the Eugene Register-Guard) with some of the most outrageous reporting imaginable. Instead of discuss ing why the Iranians took hos tages, or why the Shah was ad mitted into the U.S., the press attempted to enrage the Amer ican people. Instead of discuss ing why the people rose up against the government, we were bombarded nightly with inflammatory reporting which attempted to portray those who ousted the Shah as a bunch of fanatical, hell-raisin’, dem ocracy-hatin' rebels. I am sad to report that these reports were successful And now they want to do the same thing with El Salvador. Instead of reporting the incredi ble injustices this government has laid upon its people, our "free" press is focusing on the “guerillas” and the mass terror they are supposedly causing. While I was in the library yes terday, my eyes caught the beloved Declaration of In dependence; particularly the r line which states "We all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and when these rights are destroyed over long periods of time, it is your duty to destroy or abolish that government.” And if my history is correct, that is exactly what our founding fathers did. Any American will agree that it was the honorable thing to do in light of the British poor treatment of the colonies. Too bad there wasn’t an El Salvadorean or Iranian media around to portray the Boston Massacre, the Bos ton Tea Party, or the tarring of the British tax collectors as acts of a bunch of crazy, fanatical, hell-raisin' students. Wake up America! I ask you to question and not accept as un conditional truth whatever your biased press tries to pass on to you. Pull out an American history book and you will find that one day, less than 300 years ago, the USA led a revolt very similar to the one now in progress in El Salvador and Iran. What makes it so sinful for them to fight to acquire the same rights we fought to ac quire! Life, Liberty, and the Pur suit of Happiness. Ask your selves who owns the press in this country? Not peace-loving individuals like you and I, but those who profit by keeping the repressive government of these countries in power. Don Anderson Junior, marketing Quite upset I'm not against cutting back on government expenditures at all. But when Americans are asked to sacrifice while aid to repressive foreign regimes in creases I become quite upset! No, I'm not going to elaborate on El Salvador — we hear plenty about that situation — but many are unaware of the huge amount of tax money diverted from domestic needs and sent to Israel in the form of military hardware. The media seems uncon cerned about the situation (at least they're not reporting much about it). While the government is proposing slashing foreign aid by 26 assistance to Israel will actually increase. Military aid to Israel is set at 1.4 billion dollars, economic aid will amount to 785 million dollars. That's a bit much when we consider that our schools will be getting less money, way too much when there are Americans receiving inadequate amounts of food in many parts of our country, and not only too much but actualy immoral when it's known that Israel uses this equipment to blast away scores of innocent civilians in Southern Lebanon in bombing raids each year. Interestingly enough, many democrats claiming military arms to El Salvador will en danger non-military solutions to international problems are turn ing around and giving Israel all the military toys it wants — no questions asked! But alas, their priorities are set, and they don’t seem to include the needy in America. Michael Cross 1125 North 58th Ave. Springfield Draft laws On December 3, 1980, the Selective Service System pub lished 25 pages of proposed regulations in the Federal Register. The regulations cover the entire operating procedure of SSS in the event of a draft. While it’s evident the govern merit is slowly trying to ease draft machinery back into place so as to create a surplus of bodies for future ‘‘noble causes” it's gratifying to note that the SSS is as inept as ever and still leaves loopholes to take advantage of. Take section 1624.4 of the proposed regs, which discusses the selection and/or re scheduling of registrants for in duction, as an example. Under this section any person who manages to keep any deferment or exemption until the end of the year automatically drops into a lower priority selection group on January 1. Think of the possibilities! When one learns that induction calls are being resumed, she quickly enrolls in Jerry Falwell’s Liberty Baptist College in Lynchburg, Virginia, making one eligible for a 2-D deferment as a matter of right. Since Fal well’s school is subsidized by the reactionary right, one need noTbe too concerned about the tuition. Mere pre-enrollment is sufficient — classes need not have commenced. Keep the deferment until December 31 and drop out of school with an appropriate sneer. Unless draft calls are so high that more than one full age or priority selection group is being taken, you have bought yourself a permanent deferment. Junior, international studies In regard to LCDC and the legislation creating and im plementing it! This legislation is corrupt, il legal and subversive. The local comprehensive plans created under it (county and city) are unworkable, con David Isenberg LCDC tradictory, confusing and un warranted and create an un necessary expense. They lay an unequal burden on owners of agricultural property: • Senate Bill 100 and 101. • Corrupt - It is weighted in favor of Multnomah County. • Illegal-Violates constitutional law - see right to contract, com pensation and pursuit of happi ness. • Subversive - Compels, suborns and by demanding county officials (judge, com missioners) etc. to uphold un constitutional law. (Senate Bill 100). • Unworkable, contradictory - Claims to conserve and main tain agricultural land while per mitting and encouraging cities to expand upon agricultural land. • Unwarranted - There has not been a decrease in irrigated agricultural land in Malheur County. • Expense - Cost of attempt to implement and comply, wages etc. Cost of delay, fees and in terference with agriculture and business. One final thing - Does not have the consent of the governed in Malheur County. Since I wrote the foregoing I have read and studied the paper put out by the planning depart ment of the county entitled, Malheur County Planning Goals and Policies, January 1,1981. This is the most audacious attempt to completely regiment and control the people of Mal heur County one can imagine. Under this scheme every phase of your activity is subject to ap proval of some committee, board or office. About the only thing it would not regulate is the time and place of your death. C.H. Toedter 4230 River Road Ontario, Oregon
