emerald
platform
Racism and anti-semitism on the increase
It was a questionable statement
when University Pres. Paul Olum, in
the formation of the task force on
racial harassment, asserted that
racist attitudes were on the upswing
across this country. At the time there
was only Oium’s perception and not
a large body of evidence to support
his contention. The Emerald, while
wholeheartedly endorsing the for
mation and motives of the racial har
assment task force, was somewhat
skeptical of a national resurgence of
racism.
That was before an Associated
Press article with the dateline Man
chester.Mass. appeared in the news
papers. It more than confirmed
Oium’s statement that racist atti
tudes and hate groups were indeed
on the rise in this country.
The article noted that the affluent
Massachusetts community had set
up a committee to study the prob
lems of racism at a Junior-Senior
High. The committee s study is in
response to the discovery of an
11-member club of eighth graders
who practised racism and anti-sem
titism.
The club’s name, the “Nigger and
Jew Haters of America,” belies its
inclinations. The club, according to
school officials, has been effectively
disbanded. That’s disbanded until
the next eruption of hatred occurs,
perhaps not in that community in
Massachusetts, but definitely some
where in this country.
Schools officials have promised to
investigate the origins of the club,
not ruling out the possibility adults
may have had a hand in its forming.
That’s not unlikely, ignorance and
letters
Olum on task force
suttk Wved reports of intimidation
land harassment of members of minority
groups on this campus have come to the
attention of the University administra
tion. I view this matter with serious con
cern, as you will. This is not to suggest
that the problem is worse here than in
other places. The media inform us that
racial harassment is on the rise through
out the country and in Oregon. The face
that this unacceptable behavior is on the
increase puts a greater responsibility on
us as a community to be even more
sensitive and alert to its existence on the
campus and to do everything we can to
put a stop to such activity
Intimidation ahd harassment of
minorities are not limited solely to threats
of potential harm but occur in more
subtle ways as well. Racial jokes and
graffiti, although perceived by some as
innocuous and trivial, often cause con
siderable pain to those minorities who
are the object of sick "humor " The
intimidation and harassment of minori
ties, whether expressed in the form of
jokes or threats, are neither trivial, nor
casual, nor funny Such actions are ab
solutely contrary to University policy;
furthermore, by an act of the 1981
Legislature, intimidation of another in
dividual by reason of race, color,
religion, or national origin is a punisha
ble crime and also can be redressed by
civil action, including punitive damage
I urge all of you in the University com
munity to do whatever you can to actively
discourage mistreatment of minorities
Surely one important activity is educat
ing people to understand the hurt and
pain that can be inflicted by such har
assment. There is another important
action you can take. If you know of an
incident of this kind which you feel needs
to be reported, please call our Office of
Affirmative Action, 686-3123 All such
calls will be treated as confidential If the
problem does not fall within the domain
of the Affirmative Action Officer, she will
see to it that the incident is referred to the
proper authority.
We all should be committed to the
understanding and elimination of ex
pression and actions that form the basis
of harassment. To deal with this issue
and to advise on appropriate actions to
be taken, I have appointed a task force
chaired by William Randolph and in
cluding Ed Coleman, Alan Contreras,
Susanne Endow, Barbara Nicholls, My
ron Rothbart, and George Streisinger.
Please feel free to call any task force
member to obtain further information or
to offer suggestions or counsel.
Paul Olum
University president
intolerance know no age barrier.
The racist and anti-semitic temper
of this club of 11 eighth-graders
brings home the prevalence of anti
social attitudes. Olum, in a letter to
the Emerald, comments on the
frequency of jokes and threats,
which are considered trivial to those
not in the minority. In a previous
editorial the Emerald mentioned that
race-slurring graffiti was increasing.
Something of a cursory survey
revealed that more than “harmless"
slurs, the lavatory stall graffiti, are
becoming prone to more and more
violent statements. It appears some
can only deal with the racial and
ethnic texture of American society by
vowing to kill those who are different
It bears reminding that an act by
the 1981 Legislature made intimida
tion of another by reason of race,
color, religion, or national origin a
crime. Here at this University the
means to redress harassment is to
notify the Office of Affirmative Ac
tion. But to deal with the under
standing and elimination of minority
harassment Olum has set-up the task
force. It is hoped that through
education and understanding a
group such as the ‘‘Nigger and Jew
Haters of America’’ will never come
together on this campus
JEEZ/ THE NEWS THESE DAYS »
REAU-Y DEPRESSING. WAR IN EL
SALVADOR, W«R IN THE PALKLANDS,
IVAR IN THE MIDEAST, RACE HATRED
AT HOME .. . I
I PEEL LIME WC SHOULD AT LEAST
l*yiO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT/
iwiraiow
NAM* LETS CO
JOGGING INSTEAP.
YEAH' GREAT
iDCfi! let's ao.
harry esteve
editor’s note
The Friday morning calculus class
began with the professor ridiculing the
Emerald for “not checking its facts-' on a
story we had printed about an emotional
affirmative action discussion
It was a smart way to begin a lecture —
it woke the students up and got some of
them laughing
The professor must have figured he
was in good form that morning because
the jokes kept coming
The class was studying problems of
maximizing profits and minimizing
losses, a humorless subject that math
professors try to spice up with colorful
"story problems"
This professor s story went like this:
Your aunt owns 40 acres of land and
needs to decide whether to plant Christ
mas trees or a certain kind of weed
Trees take 40 hours work per week,
weeds take 80 hours work per week
Your aunt has cheap labor, the
professor said. He paused "That’s
because your aunt owns a couple of
Mexicans,” he said He turned to face the
class, grinning, waiting for laughter
There was none There was some
noise, however — students shifting un
easily in their chairs as they looked
around the class to see whom he had
insulted The class consisted mostly of
whites, some Orientals, a Malaysian
You have 100 hours a week of labor
available, the professor continued, and
you want to make the best use of it
Otherwise, “you just have those Mex
icans sidin' around picking their teeth,''
he said He turned away from the black
board, smiling again, only to face a silent
classroom
The professor's jokes weren't funny,
but they were timely They came exactly
one day after Pres Paul Olum sent a
memo (printed on this page) to all
members of the University community on
the subject of minority harassment
“Racial jokes ., although perceived
by some as innocuous and trivial, often
cause considerable pain to those minor
ities who are the object of sick humor,
reads one part of the memo
The professor s math problem sup
ports Olum's concern that racism is a
problem at the University To those
whose first reaction was, like mine,
What? Here?” the calculus professor
has provided us the answer
Halfway through Friday's class the
professor mumbled something about
jokes, Mexicans and Californians that
was supposed to act as some sort of
disclaimer Nearly unitelligible from the
fifth row of a large lecture room, it
seemed to amount to: These jokes about
Mexicans, they're just jokes
Perhaps he had read his mail the day
before and realized he was treading
dangerous ground Maybe he remem
bered racial harassment recently was
declared illegal in Oregon
Maybe he realized he simply wasn't
being funny, because he finally stopped
After class, the Malaysian student said
the jokes had angered him
Other students, like myself, already
had registered their disgust, with silence
and embarassment
staff
Tha Oregon Dally EmarakJ to publishad
Monday through Friday ancapt during
final* moak and vacation* by tha Dragon
Dally Emarald Publishing Co.
Now* 686-5511
Advartlslng/ Butinas* 666-3712
Clasaltiad* 666-4343
Production 666-4361
Editor
Sally Hodgklnson
managing Editor
Gabriel Boehmer
Naan Editor
Harry Esteve
Atslatanl Naan Editor
John Healy
Photo Editor
Bob Baker
' Graphic$ Editor
Michael Schaibuch
Editorial Page Editor
Cort Fernald
Sports Editor
Steve SpaU
Associe te Sport* Editor
Jett Dickerson
Entertainment Editor
Matt Meyer
Might Editor
John Heely
Assoc/* I* Editor*
ASUO
Dane Claussen
Community
Marian Green
Department* end School*
Debbie Howlett
Feature t
Sandy Johnstone
Higher Education
Ann Portal
Politics / Environment
Hon Hunt
G•natal Stall:
Adreriltlng Director
Darlene Gore
detained Advertlaiog
Sally Ol/ar
Production Hunger
Ann Peterson
Controller
Jean Ownbey