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