opinion
m
greg wasson
tabled indefinitely
Nobody loves me but my mother. . and she
might be jiving too.
B.B. King
When Hunter S. Thompson visited campus he
called me a pig. In February, a half-dozen
representatives condemned me on the House
floor. And two weeks ago, the Rev. Jerry Falwell
labled me “misdirected.”
Actually, the good reverend’s visit offered the
kind of encounter that keeps one interested in
reporting despite the dirt-bag wages. Before the “I
Love America” rally, Falwell held a press confer
ence to explain why banning prayer in grade
school led to higher gas prices.
This country’s problem, explained Falwell, is
that we’ve strayed from the path prescribed in the
Bible. Even if that’s true, I challenge Falwell’s
competency to redirect us.
As a young Methodist, I studied tolerance,
forgiveness and humility. Falwell preaches
arrogance, condemnation and repression.
His total disregard for other people is
demonstrated best by his plan for a voucher
approach to education. Under the proposal,
parents could choose to send their children to
private schools and recieve a rebate on taxes they
paid to support public education.
Maybe it’s unfair to paint Falwell as inten
tionally evil. Perhaps the classism and racism he
advocates are unintended spin-offs of an ill-con
ceived plan.
But I doubt it.
Falwell is all too aware of the problems with
his plan and, when forced to defend it, resorts to
personal attacks to divert the focus. Admirably,
though, few in the press corps were buying it.
Consider this exchange between Falwell, myself
and KLCC reporter Gerry Mackie:
Falwell: . . and then there’s the shooting of
Pres. Reagan and the Pope. Our side never killed
anyone.
Wasson: How can you say that? What about
Viet Nam? What about Chile? What about Kent
State?
Falwell: I’ll match America’s record on human
rights against the Soviet Union’s any day. What
paper do you work for, anyway?
Wasson: The Oregon Daily Emerald at the
University.
falwell: I thought so.
Mackie: Is there something significant about
the University, sir? Or are you simply implying that
educated people generally oppose your plan?
Score one for our team. And, that feeling is
reinforced at the rally.
Surrounded by a sound system that would
make the Grateful Dead envious, Falwell used
blaring marches, American flags and supple,
young Christians as a backdrop for his warnings.
But the crowd didn’t look vital and strong. A
large portion of the audience brought aluminum
folding chairs so they could listen in comfort and
about half gathered to protest and gawk. Only one
of 90 legislators, Rep. Drew Davis, D-Portland,
joined Falwell on stage.
Might as well face it, Jerry, most Oregonians
don’t relish the role of moral arbitrator. The
separatism you preach has no place in a unified
world. We can do quite well without it.
yours
What about. . .?
I don’t understand what you're doing.
On May 26, Gabriel Boehhmer in a front
page article entitled, “University
students blamed for bad grades,” has
ample opportunity to expose the Univer
sity big green machine. Instead, he
chose to waste the space telling us why
we re getting bad grades according to
University administrators. Gabe fails to
mention or even ask anyone about the
gross inadequacy of the library, and what
effect that might have on our education.
And what about old lab equipment, and a
lack of engaging prominent speakers,
and maybe even sacrificing a few bucks
for smaller classroom sizes. Wouldn't
investment in this area improve educa
tion, or is it that so much University
money is in slush funds, dozens of full
athletic scholarships, and meter maids,
that the University can't afford to offer a
decent education? But hey, they sure
manage to put on one hell of a show on
Saturday afternoons, don't they?
Perhaps it’s time students took
precedence over the NCAA and are of
fered an education comparable to the
outrageous tuition cost at this state
University.
But then, on the other hand, maybe the
administration is right, maybe we
students aren't as smart as we should be.
After all, who’s paying thousands of
dollars to get reamed?
Michael Gressett
1555 W. 18th
All for the best
I am very glad the organizers of the
Women Symposium saw the point of
view, shared by hundreds of people on
campus, that I expressed in my letter to
the Emerald May 19. The fact of the
matter is that the organizers changed
their intention after people of all kinds,
from different levels of the University
community, expressed their concern
about the segregationist way the work
shops of the Women Symposium were
originally announced The workshops
were then open to everyone. Unfortuna
tely, the racist-sexist flyer was already
around campus, so not many people
attended them. Trudy Cooper, from the
YWCA (which put out the flyer), said in
the Emerald May 21, “The stipulation ‘for
white women only’ should never have
appeared on a symposuim flyer.” I agree.
Now, I would like to clarify some in
exact expressions published in the same
article. I had spoken to someone in
charge of the workshops before I wrote
my letter to the Emerald May 19. The
truth is that I did talk with Rosario Valdez
— anounced in the flyer as one of the
“facilitors” of the workshop tabled "FOR
WOMEN OF COLOR ONLY.” So, after
seeing the flyer and speaking to
someone from the Symposium, I did
understand their intention of using a
segregationist way for the workshops,
and I decided to express my disa
greement. Then I wrote a letter to the
Emerald, and the community expressed
their concern in many ways. Then the
organizers saw our view and opened the
workshops to everyone. Chronological
order seems to be important to clarify
this matter.
Finally, I don't see how I could have
been “hiding behind the guise of a letter
in a newspaper" as JoAnn Een accused
me of May 21, since I signed my letter
with my full name. I believe that letters to
the editor promote democratic
participation in the media while it is a
valid way to publicly express opinion on
public issues.
As I said before, I’m pleased every
thing worked out the way it should have.
Now, I'm looking forward to learning
more and participating in the next
Women Symposium.
Sergio Antillano
Graduate, interdisciplinary studies
Petty parochialism
While the U S. Congress is passing
legislation to eliminate abortion funding
for poor women who are victims of rape
or incest, Reagan is attacking nearly
every social program possible, and the
1
Senior Citizens'
VftllOP-THE - PRESiPEKT
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BRinG Your owm stick
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state Legislature is threatening massive
cuts in higher education budgets, it
seems no more trivial subject could be
found than petty attacks on OSU and the
Barometer (May 22). The parochialism
sustained at both universities and by
their student newspapers can only
damage us all. I am occasionally sur
prised by the Emerald, however, so I
await your next issue prepared for worse.
My mom always told me to say
something nice, if I could, so not to be
too hard on you Mr. Manny, it only seems
appropriate to congratulate you on
making such a nice fool of yourself.
Greg Remington
Institute of Molecular Biology
Open your eyes!
I’m writing this letter in response to
Susan Anthony and all the other feminist
separatists mentioned in Katherine Mer
rill’s article in the May 21 issue of the
Emerald.
It is unfortunate that these women hate
men. They are prejudiced against men to
the point of segregating men and women
with male children from their society.
This is the type of thinking that is hurting
any effort to create a better society and
world, where everyone is useful and we
can be friendly and loving to others and
tolerant of those different than us.
The attitude of these separatists about
men is like the cliche jokes of bigots: “I
wouldn't want to live next to one” or “I
wouldn’t want my daughter to marry
one.”
Please women, open your eyes! Not all
men want to fuck and dominate every
woman they meet. Some of us want to
talk with you, listen to your ideas and
help work toward that idealistic society
where everyone is equal and free.
It shouldn’t be difficult for you to dis
tinguish who the real enemies are in this
society: they aren’t the men who are
protesting the draft and war and nuclear
arms and powerplants and world hunger.
They’re the ones who propose the draft
and start wars and build the arms and
plants and starve the world’s people for a
profit. There are important things to be
done at this time. All people, all races, all
women and men, should work to correct
the ills of this world.
I respect your search for freedom and
equality but I apall your withdrawal from
reality. It’s time for all aware people to
work together.
David Friedman
1670 Alder
Monday, June 1,1981