lette rs
Counterparts
I am distressed at seeing
homosexuality espoused as
a civil rights cause in the
ROTC debate. Blacks have
been accepted as officers by
white enlisted men since
black officials can set
desired standards of skill
and respectable behavior as
well as their white counter
parts. This is not the same
thing as accepting overtly
homosexual officers.
Recently, I visited
Portland, and on arrival of
the bus saw a black officer in
front of a newly erected
metal gate at the entrance of
the bus terminal bathroom. I
asked him why all the securi
ty. He told me that homosex
ual harassment of bus
customers in the lavatories
had resulted in a barrage of
complaints which led to the
new security measures.
Homosexuals don’t have
to proudly state, “Oh, I go to
gay bars every night.” I am
certain that ROTC doesn't
send snoopers after cadets
in their off hours. What Is
missing in all the recent fuss
is a discussion of how a gay
lifestyle affects people living
in a combat situation. I can
state from personal ex
perience that non-gays like
myself consider it a violation
of our civil rights to have the
potential hazard of sexual
harassment — like the shock
of such a case as the
Portland Bus Terminal
situation.
r
I suggest that civil liber
tarians reconsider whose
civil rights are being violated.
Also, the analogy made be
tween homosexuality and
men and women of color is a
gross insult to the morals of
millions of non-whites in this
country who have risked
their lives for a better chance
in education and career
advancement.
Andrew Beckwith
graduate, physics
Contradiction
On Wednesday, May 11, a
group of supposedly
freedom-loving individuals
held a noon vigil outside
Johnson Hall to protest what
they claim to be discrimina
tion against homosexuals
with regard to the practices
of the military science
department on campus.
Ironically, their entire protest
was nothing but a big
contradiction.
On the one hand they
chanted slogans calling for
“affirmative action," while
simultaneously calling for
“ROTC off campus.” So
which is it?
Do they want “affirmative
action” in the military
science department, or do
they want “ROTC off cam
pus”? I’m afraid they can’t
have both.
If I’m correct, wnlch
seems likely, the outcry of
discrimination against
homosexuals is Just a conve
nient excuse to promote a
long-standing effort to kick
“ROTC off campus." The real
issue doesn’t concern
homosexuals at all.
In fact, the real issue
should concern a group of
supposedly "open-minded”
individuals who want
nothing more than “ROTC
off campus,” and who will
stop at no excuse to deny
not only homosexuals, but
blacks, whites, women, men,
Jews, Christians, and
students of every persuasion
the right to enroll and par
ticipate in, by choice, the
classes offered by the
miltary science department.
If that doesn't advocate the
most overt opression of in
dividual liberties, I don’t
know what does.
Eric Stillwell
political science
joan nyland
suitable for comment
Thirty sixth graders sit in a
circle around a ’50s vintage
two-slice toaster — all morn
ing. They analyze the toaster
material. They project what it
would feel like to “toast” and
they consider the value of
burning bread. The math
texts are put away — all year.
The social studies unit skip
ped for the morning. The
students are unbelieveably
bored after two hours of
toast talk.
I have waited 11 years to
tell my sixth grade class’
toaster story. Eleven years
for some National Commis
sion on Excellence in Educa
tion to mention to the
American public that
students spend less time on
homework and less effective
time in the classroom.
The commission’s report
does not mention why we are
in such a state of educa
tional siege. It only points to
the proof, test scores and
surveys, and points a few
fingers, poor teachers, poor
teacher salaries and poor
training.
Perhaps the appropriate
response to the commis
sion’s report on American
education would be “the hor
ror, the horror." But I’ve
become jaded in my 11 years
of easing through schools
that have never stressed
excellence.
I am a high school
graduate who passed my
state competencies with
straight A’s. I could work
such math teasers as, do you
know how much change you
get from a dollar if you pur
chase two cans of beans for
79 cents?
I was a breathing Orego
nian with better than a 2.0 in
1978, so the University ac
cepted me. I was still
breathing with 186 hours and
better than a 2.0 in 1982, so I
graduated.
And excellence had
nothing whatever to do with
it.
My pedagogical career, if
you can call it that, had to do
with the experimental
classroom and the easing of
standards. The desks were
moved around, the textbooks
junked and we studied per
sonal finance, career educa
tion, health, driver’s educa
tion and in my case
“personhood.”
My years in grade and high
school were also the years of
Head Start and English as a
Second Language, question
ing authority and discussion
of high school journalists
rights. We learned some
thing — it just wasn’t Ivy
League material.
The overriding impression
of the Committee on Ex
cellence's report is failure —
failure of the opened-up,
turned-on, hip classroom.
The educational theme was
freedom, survival skills and
individual needs.
It had something to do
with riots on campus and
sending cousins off to Viet
nam and disliking institu
tions. My perspective was a
bit skewed at 4-foot 7-inches.
Maybe after the school
districts put the desks back
in rows, reissue a few classic
texts and make everyone
take composition and
geometry we will have ex
cellence in education; we
will be able to enter "high
technology.”
I have a feeling we will just
be responding to the mood
of the era.
letters
Poppin ’ pills
Poppin' the pills,
Poppin' the pills.
Gotta stay awake,
Even if it kills —
me.
I'm a die-hard pre-med,
Just a die-hard pre-med.
I may be a pre-med but
dead
If I don't get to bed —
But I keep poppin' those
pills.
I gotta study all day,
Gotta study all day.
My buddies go out to play,
But I also play —
The game of pre-med.
Some day it'll be me,
Yes, some day I will be,
Dispensing legally,
For a nice little fee,
Lotsa little pills!
Ain’t life strange?
Arnold Jeffries
Bricklayers
The May 4 Emerald includ
ed a tetter to the editor about
a physical plant bricklaying
job. The letter stated
"...one of our conscien
tious physical plant
employees has laid about
160 bricks in four full days of
work..."
Actually there are 600
bricks in the job instead of
160 as stated. Accepted in
dustry standards indicate
this job would have at least
$840 through an outside con
tract. The actual cost was
$812.
Harold Babcock
director, physical plant
Oregon doily
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