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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 3, 1983)
|[ opinion Active opposition needed right now There’s no doubt the Reagan administration is preparing for continued and increased participation in El Salvador. Recenty the State Department released a white paper showing Cuban training of leftist El Salvadoran guerrillas. The document, “Background paper: Central America,” says Nicaraguan Sandinistas (Cuban aided and therefore Russian-backed in the State Department’s view) have been training handfuls of guerrillas and sending them back over the border. While not particularly noteworthy, the paper is part of the administration’s attempt to make the civil war into an East-West conflict and justify escalation. The president refuses to negotiate on even terms with the leftists. The white paper was released the same day Pres. Reagan replaced Thomas Enders, assistant secretary of state for Inter-American Affairs, with Langhorne Motley, the ambassador to Brazil. Motley came to the position vowing to raise more money and support in Congress. Enders, who supports Reagan’s policy in El Salvador, apparently disagreed with the need to issue the white paper. Senior White House officials criticize Enders as "conciliatory.” The current ambassador to El Salvador, Deane Hinton, also will be removed. Neither is sympathetic toward the lefist cause in El Salvador. In fact, Hinton was a Reagan appointee. However, both men after experiencing Salvadoran politics, say the regime impedes possible negotiations with the rebels. Gen. Alvaro Managa’s regime is the result of a U.S.-forced election last year. The Senate already ap propriated half of Reagan’s $60 million emergency war pav/r\ayc. Yesterday Reagan announced his plan to send 20-25 medical advisers. Reagan has placed 55 military advisers in El Salvador. This year 2,400 El Salvadoran soldiers will be trained in Honduras by the U.S. military, and this sum mer 525 Salvadoran officers are training in Fort Ben nington, GA. Last week the first American soldier. Lt. Cmdr. Albert Schaufelberger III, died in El Salvador. The guerrillas warn of more deaths. For some reason the guerrillas view the U.S. military advisers in the same light as the government they are fighting to overthrow. It could be that Motley and the new ambassador to El Salvador, will, like Enders and Hinton, start questioning the president’s position. After investigating both sides of the conflict, they may suggest negotiations. However, they were chosen for a specific reason: un questioning obedience to the president. It could also be that special envoy Richard Stone will succeed with his Central American peace mission. However, his chances are extremely limited with a send off by the secretary of state asking him to "put forward a strong shield” against the Soviet, Cuban, Nicaraguan axis” in order to “move toward” negotiations. With diplomats believing this war is an East-West conflict, military advisers training larger forces, and possibly a medical team leaving for El Salvador, the presi dent is reducing chances for negotiations and leading us towards a war. Congress is not likely to stop the president. It already has appropriated $30 million for El Salvador. If the opposi tion is only as strong as the University audiences who show up at Salvadoran campus films and speeches, the president knows he can hold on to the same course In El Salvador. And he will continue his course, until the American people and press raise some active opposition. L Commencement As a member of the graduating class of 1983,1 feel the quality of our commence ment could be greatly improv ed. For many of us, graduating from college is a memorable occasion which I feel the graduation ceremony should represent. I think the simplici ty and informality of the an nouncements is really an em barrassment to an institution of higher education. My high school announcements had more class and honor than these. The ceremony also lacks the honor bachelor degree can didates deserve. We will all sit for two or more hours only to stand up anonymously and receive an empty diploma holder. I understand the time involved to recite each in dividual by name, but somehow I feel after dedicating four or more years here at the University, we all deserve recognition for our accomplishments. I would also like to know why a U.S. representative from Illinois is our speaker? So what if he went to the Unlversl ty years ago, someone reputable from Oregon would have been an improvement. I think the University is lacking in Its responsibility in honor ing graduates with bachelor degrees. I would like to see graduating classes having the option of choosng the type of announcement they prefer for their class and a chance for students to request a speaker to honor their class. Some Universities hold their ceremonies for two days to honor all graduates individual ly, this is another way the com mencement could be improved. If the University would like to have more faithful alumni, they should concentrate on honoring us while we are still a part of the University. They ex pect graduating students to contribute $15 to the “Library Project ’83” over the next three years and I ask myself "Why should I?” Karan Beaman senior, psychology One-sided Enough is enough. Leslie Scales' May 31 letter on American involvement in El Salvador is a perfect example of one-sided, extremist views all too often expressed by the University community. It is for exactly these reasons that our government as well as the general population disregard these opinions. Take for instance Scales' assertion that "The ‘com munist guerrilla' who killed the U S. adviser is crying out for human rights in the only way he can.” Crying out? Be serious Leslie! Could it be said that the bombing of the U S. Em bassy in Beruit was also a cry for help? Can any form of ter rorism be acceptable? Scales also mentions atrocities on the part of the Salvadoran government. These are well documented and cannot be condoned. But what of those of the guer rillas? Though less well known, they have happened. Are these any less important than those committed by the government? Then Scales makes the claim that being a University community, we should be more thoughtful than most, and correctly so. But being thoughtful means examining both sides of an issue, and not just regurgitating tired popular slogans. Protest if you wish Scales, but realize that no situation such as this is easily describ ed in black or white. Scott Haynes political science Microbes The results of the sexual revolution are in folks. AIDS disease is doing in homosex uals faster than Fidel Castro, herpes is taking its toll on white upper-middle class, college-educated types, and gonorrhea and syphilis are still with us and going strong. I’m not surprised that those, and other neat little diseases, are at epidemic levels. What else can you expect when so many people have fewer sex ual morals than the canine species? Darn it. Biology always seems to spoil a good thing, doesn’t it? Just when your sex-ed instructor informed you of how to avoid pregnancy and your sociology professor told you how oppressive the old morality and family system was (Engles said so, you know) here comes a whole bunch of nasty microbes ready to stay with you for life, regardless of whether their original host is willing to make any commitments or not. All things considered, I guess there’s something to be said of old-fashioned morality after all. Sorry to spoil your fun, folks. Michael Cross senior, political science Oregon doily emerald Tha Oragon Dally Emerald !• published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacalion* by lha Oragon Dally emerald Publishing Co. a* lha University ol Oragon Eugana. 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