Oregon daily emerald., May 22, 1981, Page 5, Image 5

opinion
yours
Stops further cuts
As this school draws to a close, it is
time to look toward next year Next year
the University, along with all of the other
schools in the state system, will have its
budget cut at least 10 percent. At the
University, there will be fewer professors,
fewer classes offered, fewer student
services and the odds are there well be
fewer departments as well.
Higher education in the state of Ore
gon will suffer dramatically in the next
few years. The University is definitely in
financial trouble, and we, the students,
are going to suffer the most. We not only
will receive a lower quality education, but
we will pay more for it. There is no doubt
we will pay at least $400 and probably
closer to $500 per term for in-state tui
tion.
On Thursday May 28 all of the schools
in the state system are sending students
to the capitol to lobby for higher educa
tion. I would like to urge every student
who possibly can to attend. We cannot
stop cuts from being made, but we can
show the legislators how important it is
for these cuts not to go beyond 10
percent. The only way to convince the
legislators that students really do care is
to attend this rally or at least write to your
legislator. The people in Salem need to
hear our input.
Chuck Pfliiger
ASUO legislative resource coordinator
MXing it up
I read a letter the other day that was
discussing the MX missle. The writer
claimed that the United States already
had the capability to intercept incoming
Soviet missies. This is a dangerous mis
conception many people may have.
In the event of a Soviet ICBM strike
against the United States we have no
capability whatsoever to intercept in
coming missies. The only system that
could accomplish this (theoretically) is
the ABM (anti-ballistic missle) which was
banned by the SALT I treaty. It was
scrapped because of its impracticality
and the destabilizing effect it would have
on U.S.-USSR mutual deterrence. So we
have nothing which can physically
defend us from nuclear attack.
Therefore, the present strategic policy of
the US is based on "deterrence,” not
"defense” (although the defense myth is
still perpetuated).
The proposed MX system is another
destabilizing influence on the deadly
nuclear balance. The MX missle is a
weapon designed to have first strike
capabilities against "hard” targets (con
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the p&ge aNPiPAiE
Crete missle silos). The Soviets knowing
this will be forced to consider a couple
opti
s. One is a pre-emptive massive first
strike before the MX system is in place.
Another is to adopt a launch-on-warning
posture. This means that if they detect
any incdming missies (or their in
struments malfunction and indicate an
attack) then they will launch everything
they’ve got so they can clear their silos
before our warheads hit. It seems the net
effect of the MX system will be only to
increase cold war tensions and make
Soviet reactions increasingly less
predictable.
One further development to watch for
will be the possibility of a change in the
proposed basing mode of the MX. The
people in Nevada and Utah are not
exactly welcoming the MX with open
arms and in fact the Mormon church just
recently spoke out against it. Enter SUM
(small-sub undersea missle) which is a
plan to deploy the MX in diesel-electric
submarines off the U S. continental
shelf. This will certainly take the heat off
of the military from the people concerned
with the impact of a land based system,
yet the aforementioned destabilization
will still occur. ‘‘In the sea, out of mind''
may be the military’s next tactic.
Anyone interested in the surviveability
of humans rather than the surviveability
of weapons systems should be wary of
subjective interpretations of the arms
race by government and military sour
ces. Some rather disconcerting facts are
tucked away in government documents,
military journals, and scientific papers.
John Rygh
Senior, geology
I prefer not to associate myself with
any large group. To express a point of
view on any issue of relative importance
in a letter to the editor, then, would be
hypocritical
Mark Nitzberg
Junior, undeclared
Not culture
The South Korean version of the
American rock band, East Asians danc
ing to Western music and Americans
doing the belly dance, left one
bewildered as to whether the May 10
event was an international cultural night
or a miscellaneous entertainment night.
Although there was some authenticity to
some presentations, the program as a
whole was undoubtedly permeated by a
confused and erroneous understanding
of culture.
Culture, as we have come to under
stand it, is a manifestation of the social,
political and economical relatonships of
the majority of the people in a country.
Naturally, the social conditions of a na
tion are reflected in its culture in the form
of folk tales, songs and dances as well as
in its plays, poetry, arts, etc., provided
that-they are genuinely authentic.
Bearing this definition of culture in
mind, it could be concluded that the
international night failed in its attempt of
being a cultural evening.
Although we acknowledge the efforts
of those who worked hard to put this
program together, especially the FSO
director, Julie Mungai, we feel that there
was a definite lack of direction and
hardly any clear-cut guidelines which led
to a Westernized and stereotypical
presentation of various cultures and
limited these presentations to singing
and dancing.
We hope that in the coming years the
student organizations and other par
ticipants will keep these points in mind
and be true representatives of the cul
tures, so that the audience can leave with
a little more than a mind well-entertained
and a belly full of "mesmerizing interna
tional cuisine"!
B. Zandi
Iranian Students Association
Guest editorial
‘Safety net’ will trap disadvantaged
By Chester Faller II
Director, Physically Limited
Union of Students
Political analysts agree, the social pendulum is
swinging to the right and liberals are scattering to get
out of the way. The disabled, being the last to gain their
civil rights, are now strapped to the leading edge of that
pendulum. I could spend the rest of this editorial
describing, specifically, the erosion of civil rights for the
disabled, except civil rights for everyone are eroding
Pres. Reagan is not heartless to those who are
disadvantaged "through no fault of their own" and
offers these people a "safety net " But to me nets are
made to catch and hold things down. As far as I know
that will be the effect of this "safety net.”
The logic behind this administration’s attitude is
based on three assumptions. The first is the belief that
affirmative action discriminates against non-minorities
— for example, able-bodied white males (ABWM) — and
that race, sex, creed, or disability should not be a factor.
This assumption fails to take into account that discr
imination in the past has retarded the development of
minorities so that we are unable to compete equally with
the ABWM.
It’s like allowing us to race in a 100 meter dash nine
seconds after the starter’s pistol is shot. Without
affirmative action you allow the effect of past
discrimination to continue.
The second assumption is that in the United States
social mobility is unrestricted — the Sen Jesse Helm’s
(R-N.C.) "bootstraps" theory. But some of us cannot
reach our feet, and others cannot afford boots And to
advance or survive in this society you need an educa
tion Supposedly, segregation in public schools ended
in 1954, but the Chicago school system is still
segregated and the Los Angeles system just threw out
their desegregation program!
In 1977, Section 504 allowed the disabled to par
ticipate in any public university degree program, but I
still cannot major in journalism or join the Emerald staff.
If you cannot get a job because of your education, how
can you earn the money to pay for an education in
order to get a job? It makes as much sense as the term
"military intelligence." Cutting financial aid is counter
productive.
The final assumption is that state and local
governments can effectively enforce the civil rights
statutes and fairly allocate the funds for equal oppor
tunity programs. Bullshit! (There goes my academic
analysis.) The problem in the first place was the racist,
sexist and handicappist attitudes of local officials
Federal troops were needed in Little Rock, Ark.; Jack
son, Miss.; and Montgomery, Ala. The so-called
progressive state of California as well as most others
kept segregated school systems for the disabled well
into the mid 70s. Why do you think the Easter Seal
schools were started? The foot dragging of local
agencies in complying with Brown vs Topeka Board of
Education (1954), Section 504 of the Vocational
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Public Law 94-142 is
evidence enough that rights of minorities are rarely
served at home
The “safety net” is being dropped on all minorities
and the only one safe is the ABWM. When we separate
ourselves as black, Chicanos, women and disabled, we
become "interest groups ." Combined, we become the
oppressed masses. Individually, we cannot claw our
way out, but together we can fight our way up
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