Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1981)
RCYB Judge hands down sentence to members Kaiser, Whitley John Kaiser props a red flag against a pole in the main lobby of the Erb Memorial Union He slings a handful of copies of the Revolutionary Worker" over his arm and picks up a sign that reads. "Cele brate the second anniversary of U S embassy seizure: Down with U S. imperialism Then he shuffles around the lobby. Many University students who pass the 24-year-old recent University graduate on their way in or out of the EMU recognize the seif-proclaimed revolutionary Some because they ve passed this way before. Some because they’ve seen Kaiser's once bearded, now moustached, face — through his dirty-blonde bangs, which hang over his wire-rim glasses — in local newspaper photographs "He’s the guy who burned the yellow ribbon," one student says in passing indeed. Kaiser set a yellow ribbon afiame last February when former Iranian hostage Victor Tom seth stepped up to the EMU Ballroom podium to speak to a crowded audience In fact, a Lane County jury convicted Kaiser, and his comrade Nancy Whit ley. of arson for burning the piece of cloth The two **************************** ****************************** Racing through the streets for those last-minute Christinas Gifts? Come to k^Eth EUGENE Gift Certificates Available 10th & Olive In The Atrium • 342 5155 Holiday Hours Open Til 7 Mon.-Sat. • Noon-5 On Sunday A, ^ -|,— ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^P ^P ^P ^P ^P ^p ^P ^P ^P ^P ^P ^p ^p ^p $**************************** Not 10 minutes after a Lane County Circuit Court judge had sentenced two Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade members Friday in the now-dubbed "Yellow Ribbon Burning Trial, they were back out in front of the courthouse, exercising their right of free speech and passing out copies of the Revolutionary Communist Worker newspaper Presiding judge George Woodrich gave defendants John Kaiser. 25, and Nancy Whitley, 30, both of Eugene, a suspended sentence of two years unsupervised probation, 10 days in jai! and 80 hours of community service, and he ordered them to pay their court costs and 835 restitution each ft the defense attorneys file retrial motions within two weeks, as they announced plans to do, the defendants won't be required to serve the 10-day jail sentence. The two RCYB members were convicted Oct 16 of first degree arson - a Class A felony punishable by a maximum 20-year jail sentence and a 82,500 fine The conviction stems from a Feb 8 incident in the EMU Ballroom when Kaiser and Whitley burned a piece of yellow cloth at a speech by former Iranian hostage Victor Tomseth Deputy District Attorney Frank Papagni had recommended three years probation. 30 days in jail and payment of court costs and restitution Papagm said his recommendation was ap propriate to show the defendants that "with the right of freedom of expression, there comes a responsibility to consider the full consequences of your actions ' But Kaiser's attorney Ralph Bradley said Papagni's reasoning fails to take in the Consti tution and the SHI of Rights "When you have a right, you have a respon sibility to express a. That's what this trial is aft about," he said. These are two people who wanted to maka a political statement who assessed the situation Maybe they assessed it wrong but they intended nothing more than to make a political SiAHrfTtOni, Cir®OfOy SM9. oom Dfiowy «no rnittips qumtionoa iffmr Kaiser and Whitley should have to pay their court costs of <5,325 and <2.900, respectively PhHMps said the arson conviction is s fairly serious punishment ki and of itself ** "There simply aren't jobs available tor ever yone who wants them," Bradley said Woodrich. however, said the defendants were bound only to make a good faith" effort to pay these costs hiUgenean struggles to spark revolution Revolutionary'Communist Vouth Brigade member faced a possible 20 years in prison plus a $2,500 fine in connection with the charge Friday. Lane County Circuit Court Judge George Woodrich gave them a suspended sentence of two years unsupervised probation, 10 days in jail and 80 hours of community service. Kaiser says he believes the arson charge was more a statement about his politics than the ribbon's flames And that the incident harmed no person or buiiding proves the political nature of the charge, he ,says However, the prosecuting attorney in the case successfully argued that the potential danger to the audience justified the charge in any event, no one argues that the same political beliefs Kaiser claims inspired the arson conviction didn't inspire Kaiser to burn the ribbon "We spit on you. your red, white and blue, your whole stinking system,” Kaiser chanted as he lit the yellow ribbon "We stand with the Iranian people.” Moreover, it's difficult to find Kaiser responding to anything other than his political beliefs. "What I'm doing is working tor revolution,*' ; •Kaiser says as he folds his hands and rests them firmly on top of the 'Revolutionary Worker " Kaiser’s been working for revolution since he joined fhe RCYB in 1975. less than a year after he came to the University He knew then that he didn't want to support ‘the system " Not because he felt a victim of it "I defi nitely wasn’t coming from the more oppressed sectors of people,” says the revolutionary, who claims he graduated in the top — 10 percent of his Reno, Nev. high-school class Rather, he says, his beginnings were middle class *' But he grew up when a lot of people, including his '‘liberal'' parents, were against United States involvement in Vietnam Kaiser's mother worked with the American Friends Service Committee to hasten American withdrawl from Vietnam his father was too busy working as a doctor in a Veteran s Administra tion hospital to be active "It's not enough to be morally against some _ Continued on Rage 10 CO-ED COOPERATIVE HOUSING Students Cooperative Association has rooms available in both Campbell Club and JanetSmith Co-op We are a Non-discriminatory, member-owned and managed organization with 70 members Our houses are next to campus, have fireplaces, laundry facilities and study areas Vegetarian and traditional tastes satisfied A homey alternative to Dorms, Quads and Greeks Just $500 for Winter term, $450 for Spring Includes all room and board & utilities CALL 686-5190 ask for Al or John. Or Margret at 686-4261. We are a member of Nasco SPIRITED JAZZ! featuring Emmett William* * Dick Blake Lounge open Christmas Eve & Christmas Night 2 for 1 HAPPY HOUR 11:110-6:30 259 EAST FIFTH AVENUE • 343-8406 ' Across from 5th Street Public Market
