Oregon daily emerald., May 18, 1981, Page 4, Image 4

opinion
greg wasson
a quorum of one
Ben,
Hope things are fitting together better on the
East Coast and that your return to New York City is
proving rewarding. During your stay as a room
mate, I sensed that you felt like you were in a
backwater, that Oregon is too far from where
“it’s” happening.
The accuracy of that analysis depends on
your definition of “it.” With your concern for
international politics, you can place that
assessment in a damning context.
However, the parochial in me forces an
attempt to shift the focus. Like Paris, New York
and Boulder, Oregon has hosted many scholars of
the spirit. Granted, many of those have moved on,
leaving a reputation that attracts those who are
students of nothing save a hedonistic search for
gratification.
Still, the political and social fabric has been
disturbed, exposing opportunities for change and
growth.
Unfortunately, not everyone had taken ad
vantage of the chance for knowledge. Consider
Rep. Fred Parkinson, R-Silverton. Thursday, he
stood on the floor of the House and condemned
the University community for advocating
socialism, erecting barricades to efficient opera
tion of the free-enterprise system and just being
an all-around drag.
Essentially, what the esteemed representative
said was that anyone with different politics than
his shouldn’t expect their counsel to be con
sidered. As much as I hate to do it, Ben, I have to
call it bullshit.
Parkinson may have been here a long time
and sent three boys through OSU, but I’ve been
here awhile, too. After a childhood in rural Ore
gon, I farmed, logged and went to school. For
Parkinson to argue that I am an abhorrent
accident that should be dismissed is an arro
gance no one I’ve met has the right to display.
But, enough of that.
Last week also produced an interesting con
trast between faculty and students as each group
addressed the legislative sub-committee in
charge of the higher ed budget.
The panel is attempting to cut an additional
$30.6 million and has asked for help. What it got
from the faculty was three hours of whining about
the devastation further cuts would have. The
response was irritation. The lawmakers are busy
and didn’t enjoy wasting their time listening to
facts they understand all too well.
If the faculty doesn't wise up, the Legislature
is going to be forced to start shaving the budget
with no direction from a segment of the population
that will be directly affected. Then, of course, the
professors will sit and complain that the cuts were
misdirected.
Students, on the other hand, told the legisla
tors that they opposed further reductions, but if
the knife had to fall, here’s some places to direct it.
Their suggestions were obviously self-motivated,
but they presented a well-balanced, reasoned list
of alternatives.
With that, I’ve got to run. See you later,
Greg
_yQy[£_
Marxist twaddle
Most of the time the addled rantings of
RCYB members serve only to make me
smile, but there is a limit to the bounds of
humor. In his letter of May 14 eulogizing
Bobby Sands, John Kaiser has succeed
ed in provoking my temper
It’s not that Kaiser follows standard
RCYB practice in using distortions and
convoluted logic to “prove" all Ulster
troubles are linked to the “great class
struggle." It's not that he falsely asserts
that the English are staying in Northern
Ireland solely to cling to a bit of the
Empire (This is true in part, but many
Britons would love to see the army out of
Ulster, were it not for the near certainty of
even worse civil strife following a British
exit.)
It’s not that Kaiser reduces a com
plicated problem to dogmatic, simplistic,
Marxist twaddle, emphasizing violence
and hate rather than peaceful measures.
(Kaiser has that much in common with
the IRA provos, anyway.) It’s not even
that Kaiser attempts to make a saintly
hero out of a terrorist who took his own
life (a choice not given to the killed
children and other victims of IRA terror
ism).
I'm used to these distortions. But Mr.
Kaiser, please, if you’re going to insist
upon spouting such tripe, learn to spell
those critical cliches. I don’t think
“prolitarian internationalism" (perhaps a
positive non-national reading
movement) is what you meant, but rather
"proletarian internationalism.’’ Am I
write?
Kevin Swan
Senior, international business, German
Editor's Note: The misspelling of "prole
tarian" was an Emerald typographical
error.
Sliphsod salaries
In response to Richard Wilen’s letter
concerning the "slipshod work" of
clerks in the registrar's office (May 14), I
would like to present some pertinent
issues concerning clerical work.
These clerks, who have the immense
responsibility of handling and process
ing student records, are paid very close
to minimum wage. If they are clerical
assistants, they are paid $669 per month
to start; if they are clerical specialists,
they begin at $785. These salaries are
from $100 to $250 less than those of
University groundskeepers.
How can anyone — students or the
employer — expect people who are paid
so little to perform in a professional
manner?
—~li v aW\W ^— .
Aft
Salaries are a reflection of worth to the
employer They are also a major part of a
worker's self-image and dedication to his
or her job performance. Clerical workers
are shown every month that they are
worth very little to the state of Oregon;
hence, they value their responsibilities
accordingly — very little.
It is also a well documented fact that
clerical work is one of the most stressful
lines of work in the country. Clerks in the
registrar s office are no exception, as
Richard Wilen pointed out by saying he
realizes their work is “boring” and
“tremendous'’ in volume I’ll add to these
observations that it is also confining, low
in status, and unflexible — all powerful
stress factors for working people. The
tediousness of their jobs, combined with
stressful working conditions, produces
an atmosphere that will actually hinder
these clerks in working at top perfor
mance levels.
People should be aware of these con
ditions so they can better understand the
reasons behind clerical error at the
University. It is more than just some
dumb, lazy clerk behind these problems
— it is a system that perpetuates low
quality through low wages and counter
productive working conditions.
Julie Lindstrom
Clerk, University publications
' JUST RIP EM ON'THEIR BACKS, AlEX —'Wi CANTS ANY TOUGHKTHAN ©NSKESSMEN.'
Pan« d
Bayard’s busy
(Re Ken Sands’ Even editors get the
blues May 15:)
Bayard McConnaughey is in Charle
ston, Ore., at the Oregon Institute of
Marine Biology.
Wade Freitag
O.I.M.B. student
Why not both?
As an American Jew, I am commited to
the survival of the state of Israel but not
to the establishment of Jewish
settlements in the occupied territories.
The religious fanatics who live in these
settlements are as dangerous to the
Israeli nation as the Moral Majority is to
ours.
On the other hand, I believe strongly in
the legitimate rights of the Palestinian
people to establish an independent na
tion of their own. In such a country,
Palestinians could live along side the
Israeli. They could elect a course of
mutual cooperation or choose to return
to the war of attrition. It is unacceptable
that the nation of Palestine would
replace the current state of Israel; for
Israel exists like Texas, California and
Alaska — there is nobody to return it to!
In my opinion, “historical roots" are
not sufficient reason for establishing
ownership of the “promised land.” Both
sides can make justified claims to the
Land of Israel
In order to create a Palestinian nation,
there is only one consideration: How two
peoples who have learned to mistrust
one another over centuries can seek a
dialogue and establish mutual trust.
When people can believe one another,
they have a basis for cooperation.
Last Wednesday, I put the question to
an Arab moderator during “Jews against
Zionism” lecture. He said that the “PLO
was committed to the destruction of the
state of Israel by military means."
For a minute there, I felt that some
Arabs were sincerely interested in peace
and in developing a country within which
they could live in pride. It seems that
"Zionist propaganda" and “Palestinian
propoganda” are not such distant cou
sins.
I would help you build a Palestine, but
not on the graves of my family and my
people!
Gary F. Gordon
Graduate, health education