Nicaraguan trip:
what affect did it
have on the women?
Story on back page 24
Oregon daily
em era Id
Tuesday, September 27, 1983
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 85, Number 17
ASUO declares war
on draft amendment
By Doug Nash
Of the Emerald
The ASUO is currently waging battle
against the Solomon Amendment, a battle
few students reliant on financial aid are will
ing to fight individually.
The amendment requires all males born
after 1959 to provide written proof of draft
registration before they may receive federal
financial aid. Financial aid offices around
the country were forced to implement the
policy before the aid requests were
processed.
Of the 6,017 letters that were sent to
University federal financial aid applicants
this summer, about 40 to 60 refused to com
ply, says Ed Vignoul, director of University
Student Financial Aid.
"Basically, what it comes down to is the
University does not have a choice," Vignoul
says. "We cannot put 7,500 students' oppor
tunity to attend this University in jeopardy.
We're not saying we agree or disagree with
the law. We'll just comply."
Enter the ASUO.
"We’re straight up about opposing
Solomon," says Vice Pres. Kevin Kouns.
"Even if you don't oppose draft registration,
there are still problems (with the amend
ment) completely unrelated to the military
issue."
One of those problems, according to the
ASUO, is the extra burden the rule has plac
ed on financial aid offices, a burden Kouns
says "forces those offices into the position
of being a political force."
"It's just one more thing to do for finan
cial aid offices on limited funds," notes
Susan Sowards, professional ASUO staff
person. "They don't get extra funds to do
this."
Vignoul admits that the additional
workload was not easy to accomplish. "It
has cost us anxiety if nothing else," he says.
The ASUO charges the amendment also
violates a plethora of constitutional protec
tions, including the privacy act and the Fifth
Amendment right against self
incrimination.
"A person is asked to incriminate
themselves, essentially," says Student Ad
vocate Bill Kittredge. Furthermore, Kit
tredge says the rule discriminates on the
grounds of sex, age, and socio-economic
standing, as it only targets young, low
income males.
"It's a desparate attempt to take a tough
line to enforce a regulation that is enor
mously unpopular," he says.
The ASUO has articulated these objec
tions in a friend-of-the-court brief for a
decisive test case pending before the U.S.
Supreme Court. The case originated in Min
nesota, where the American Civil Liberties
Union and a public interest group are suing
Kevin Kouns
the selective service system and the Depart
ment of Education. Kittredge says he ex
pects a decision before the first of the year.
If the Court finds the amendment con
stitutional, Kouns warns that it could mean
the Solomon approach would be used in
other federally-funded programs, such as
food stamps and unemployment benefits.
Indeed, the government has already re
quired prodf of registration in a federal jobs
training program.
The ASUO hopes to leave campus opposi
tion efforts up to Students Opposing
Registration and the Draft, or SORD, which
has an organizational meeting Monday.
Otherwise, an open mike and brown bag
forum on the issue is set for next Wednes
day in the EMU Forum Room. The ASUO
will have an anti-Solomon rally on Oct. 15 in
conjunction with Lane Community Col
lege's student government.
Until the Supreme Court reaches its ver
dict, Kittredge says there is relatively little
his office can do for those who lose their
aid by refusing to sign the registration
forms.
"From a legal standpoint, the issue is
open and shut,” he says. "We are prepared
to offer advice and assistance to members
of the student body."
Those opposed to the amendment
believe the ultimate solution to the pro
blem is at the voting booth. Indeed, the
ASUO is currently embarking on a huge
voter registration drive "as a means to in
crease student power,"according to Kouns.
"The only way to turn it (the Solomon
Amendment) around is to elect people who
will repeal these kind of ridiculous provi
sions," Kittredge adds.
Why doesn't he move?
These two young children react with what seems awe at the sight of the
pioneer statue. These children were caught by the Emerald photographer as
they strayed from the Street Faire last week. But not to worry, their mother soon
noticed them gone and quickly spotted them staring with fascination at the
"big iron man.”
Photo by Mark Pynes
Charges dropped against 8 Eugene activists
By loan Herman
Of the Emerald
Trespassing charges were dropped against eight peace
activists who were arrested Sept. 13 when they obstructed
business at a U.S. Army Recruiting Center in downtown
Eugene by blocking doorways and holding a sit-in.
Sgt. Calvin Peterson originally placed the activists,
members of Action To Stop Cruise and Pershing II Missiles,
under citizen's arrest when they refused to leave the
recruiting office at 1111 Willamette St.
The group's disruptive yet peaceful actions were done
in support of the anti-nuclear “Fast For Life" movement, in
which nine people worldwide fasted for 40 days. The fast
ended one day after the recruiting office sit-in.
During their arraignment in Eugene Municipal Court
Monday, the activists learned that Sgt.Peterson had never
formally filed trespassing charges, said activist Kenneth
"Skeeter" Duke, possibly because the group had maintain
ed good interactions between police and army recruiters,
he said.
Activist Olive Bowers said there were no harsh words
exchanged during the incident. In fact, "There was a lot of
humor and it was a high-spirited action," she said.
Another reason for not filing charges, Duke said, may
have been the army's reluctance to bring a potentially con
troversial issue to trial, thereby drawing publicity to the inci
dent and making people aware of the group's concerns.
"There was a lot of humor and it was a
high-spirited action."
— Olive Bowers
Peterson was unavailable for comment Monday
afternoon.
If convicted, the activists could have been handed a
maximum penalty of 100 days in jail and fined $500.
During the demonstration, activists sat in front of the ar
my recruiting office door, attempting to block entrance of
potential recruits, Bowers said. When people began climb
ing over them, the activists entered the office about 10:30
a.m. and began talking to recruiters and potential recruits,
she said.
About 30 minutes later, the group attempted to place
Sgt. Peterson under international citizen's arrest for
violating the Nuremburg Principles instigated in 1946. The
principles, drawn up in reponse to Hitler's crimes against
humanity, essentially state that when nations prepare for
war, they are breaking international law.
The government's action against the anti-nuclear group
is ironic, Duke said, because the United States was a princi
ple instigator of the Nuremburg Principles. Yet its current
plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Europe is evidence it is
preparing for war, thereby breaking the peaceful principles
it helped write. "Yet we were the ones arrested," Duke said.
Police handcuffed each member and led them into a
police van while about 100 passersby looked on. The ac
tivists were released from police custody later that day.
The group will hold their next meeting Wednesday at 7
p.m. in the Wesley Center at 1236 Kincaid St. The meeting is
open to the public.