emerald
platform
Reagan's policies favor discrimination
Is the Reagan administration trying to erase
years of progress in eliminating discrimination in
education and employment? The US
Commission on Civil Rights and the Leadership
Conference on Civil Rights have accused the
Reagan administration of just that
What has lead this civil rights commission to
such a conclusion? In a 17-page letter sent to
Pres Ronald Reagan the civil rights commission
points to a number of specifics that support their
contention
• They cite the waiving of "established
guidelines that have the force of law" in settling a
dispute with North Carolina over desegregating its
public colleges and universities
• They point to the announcement that the
Department of Education is considering dropping
a requirement that colleges that receive federal
funds must file a form assuring the government
that they will comply with civil-rights law
• They note the failure to insure in its propo
sals to change the Department of Education to a
foundation, that adequate authority to enforce
civil-rights laws would remain in the new agency
• They see the administration s attempts to
narrow the coverage of Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972, which bars sex bias in
federally assisted education programs
The civil rights commission, in its letter to
Reagan, wrote that despite a measure of progress,
“some school systems still are illegally segregat
ed Other policies and practices rooted in past and
still persisting prejudices continue to deny minor
ities. women, and other victims of discrimination
the equal education they need to compete for their
fair share of employment opportunities.”
The civil rights commission accused the Jus
tice Department of abdicating its responsibility to
enforce the laws enacted by Congress
They charged that political pressures by con
servative Congressmen had caused the Justice
Department to change its legal interpretations of a
number of policies, which included abandoning
the 11-year-old policy of barring tax exemptions
for racially discriminatory schools and colleges
The Reagan administration had to hastily retract
that policy change after a public outcry.
And despite a recent Supreme Court case
which approved the use of voluntary affirmative
action plans, including hiring goals and timetables
— the civil-rights commission said Assistant At
torney General William B Reynolds had 'an
nounced unambiguously the department's inten
tion to abandon goals and timetables as a
remedy to correct systemic discrimination in em
ployment discrimination suits.”
There are other instances of the Reagan
administration s de-empnasis ot existing civil
rights laws and a marked lack of proposals for
future civil rights legislation The Voting Rights
Act of 1965 is still wallowing in Congress in need
of reenactment and the attention of a concerned
president The civil-rights commission is correct in
their view the Reagan administration is intent on
breaking the back of civil-rights laws.
Without a strong federal commitment to en
force the current laws and enact future laws
civil-rights and its promise of equal educational
and employment opportunities for all will be
ground under the dirty boot of discrimination
i swf
iuTO MR
/
l '* «**T' - *». ^ ■'•■+>:•+
letters
Bigotry
I was truly heartened to read
Michael Patrick Lysne s letter of
Feb 26 It is rare to see such
hardcore bigotry anymore,
these days Extremists of both
the right and left have proven
unfortunately loath in recent
times to make statements
strongly in favor of fervent
prejudice I am, therefore,
happy to see that there are still
persons who harbor deep-seat
ed, heartfelt prejudices and are
not afraid to express their
feelings openly
I was perplexed by the failure
of Lysne to attack the Jewish
Student Union, however Surely
anti-semitism deserves to be
ranked alongside racism, sex
ism, and bias based on sexual
preference I can only assume
that this omission was due to a
lack of thoroughness on
Lysne's part
There is one criticism I have
for Lysne’s letter, though While
prejudice deserves to be eluded
wherever and whenever found
there is still no excuse for a poor
vocabulary So Michael, not that
I am suggesting you resort to
niceties, but next time you call a
fag a fag why don’t you consider
perhaps instead calling him a
fruit, homo, queer, uranist. fairy,
nance, pansy, poove or a
queen
David Dodds
Sophomore, history
Waterheads
I felt in the letter-writing mood
today, so here’s my contribu
tion Waterheads one and all
should send at least one letter of
incredulous disbelief to an
elected official They are dis
mantling our system of educa
tion Squeal and whine or we
shall all be forced to pump gas
or some equally blue-collar
drudgery. Also, why is the
Reagan administration pump
ing $33 billion into the military to
protect our Middle East oil
funding for energy R & D,
namely shade oil refineries
which even Exxon claims could
produce $35 a barrel oil Oh,
excuse me All energy research
is being cut except nuclear
development Reagan's a fun
guy
David Triebwasser
Neanderthal
Dave Gutierrez, who advised
women to accept remarks about
their bodies as flattery in his
letter Feb 23, may have a heart
of gold, but his neanderthal
logic needs to be responded to
The reversed situation that he
used to make his point would
only be appropriate in an egali
tarian society Unfortunately,
we do not live in such a society
In a society where a woman
earns $.59 for every dollar that a
man earns, where the fear of
rape is a constant threat, and
where women have no power
unsolicited remarks about our
appearances do not suggest an
interest in our minds, they are a
form of psychological rape
Sure, I need reassurance, I
like to feel good about myself
too But remarks about my body
do not celebrate my strength
and intelligence, they remind
me of my weakness in this male
society
I do not hate men But any
man that I am involved with must
be willing to work to erase these
injustices He must see that
these inequalities are not only
detrimental to women, but to
society as a whole
So if you want to be my friend,
not my oppressor, work to
change society Do not em
brace the status quo Fight for
women, not against us
Until we live in an egalitarian
world, your "flattery" will be
interpreted as mental rape It
will be seen as a threat to our
survival It will fill me with dis
gust, and anger, and fear
Stacey Neble
Senior, english
letters policy
The Emerald will accept
and attempt to print all letters
containing fair comment on
issues, ideas and topics of
interest to the University
community
The letters must be limited
to 250 words, signed and the
identification of the writer
must be verified when the
letter is turned in to The
Emerald offices, EMU 300
The Emerald reserves the
right to edit any letter for
length, style, or content
Publication is dependent
upon space available
staff
The Oregon Dally Emerald la published
Monday through Friday except during
tinetx week and vacations by the Oregon
Dally Emerald Publishing Co.
News 886-5511
Advertising/Business 686-3712
Classifieds 666-4343
Production 686-4361
Editor
Sally Hodghmson
Managing Editor
Gabriel Boehmer
Nanm Editor
Harry Esteve
Aaaiatant Newt Editor
John Healy
Photo Editor
Bob Baker
Graphics Editor
Max DeRungs
Editorial Page Editor
Corl Female)
Sports Editor
Steve Spatz
Associate Sports Editor
Jett Dickerson
Entertainment Editor
Matt Meyer
Night Editor
Harry Esteve
A t toe itit EdHorn:
ASUO
Dane Claussen
Community
Marian Green
Department« ant) School•
Debbie Howletl
Faaturaa
Carolina Petnch
Higher Education
Ann Portal
PoMUct / Environment
Hon Hunt
G»n»rml Staff:
Ad redlalrtg Director
Darlene Gore
C la aattled AdrerValng
Sally CH/ar
Production Manager
Ann Peterson
Controller
Jean Ownbey