opinion
Olurn's lack of action
keeps issue on hold
Why hasn't Pres. Paul Olum made his appointments to the
fact-finding committee looking into the ROTC/sexual orientation
issue yet? Why hasn't Olum given the go-ahead for the commit
tee — a committee he called for — to meet?
Olum's seeming lack of swift and decisive action has
become the largest obstacle in the formation of the tri-partisan
student-faculty-admistration committee. There are many in
terested people growing more and more impatient with Olum's
inaction.
Sherri Schultz, ASUO executive assistant, in drafting a letter
of "reminder” on behalf of the ASUO, is the latest to urge Olum
to get the committee together.
In the letter, delivered to Olum's office, Schultz expresses
the ASUO's "disappointment that the ROTC committee has not
yet met; indeed, that apparently the administration appoint
ments have not even been chosen."
The ASUO is not alone in its disappointment. The Emerald
would like to have the ROTC/sexual orientation issue heard and
resolved at the University. The issue is one we have covered ex
tensively in articles and opinion pieces. Our editorial position
regarding affirmative action guidelines and the Military Science
Department is clear; we do not, in any manner, agree with
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Along with the ASUO and members of the University facul
ty, we urge Olum to fulfill the promise and make appointments
to the committee.
At the height of a five month controversy last spring, Olum
agreed to establish the fact-finding committee. At the time, a let
ter from faculty members demonstrated their concern and
sounded the alarm that "the atmosphere is such that prejudice
and discrimination against gays and lesbians may be even more
likely within the University community."
But Olum has done nothing. Schultz says she doesn't think
Olum is absent-minded. Judging by Olum's lack of action, we're
beginning to wonder.
Olum's inaction in the ROTC/sexual orientation issue
reminds us of the Environmental Law Clinic controversy from
two years ago. Opponents of the law clinic said the clinic was
politically partisan and therefore should not be on the Universi
ty campus. Olum half-agreed with opponents and implied he
would phase out the program within a year.
Then the heated controversy cooled — the environmental
law clinic is still on campus. We hope Olum will not let the
ROTC/sexual orientation issue grow cold and forgotten.
Olum should answer the ASUO's letter with administration
appointments and establish the fact-finding committee as soon
as possible.
King national holiday
does little for blacks
Sign it, Ronnie. And send us one of the pens.
The Senate chamber is resounding with the slap of hands on
backs as the senators congratulate each other for establishing a
national holiday honoring Martin Luther King. Clad white hands
shake glad white hands for a thing well-done.
But what do the black faces in the gallery far above the
Senate floor think? Does setting aside every third Monday in
January, beginning in 1986, change their lives in the black ghet
tos across the country?
Certainly the former pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist
Church in Atlanta is deserving of a national holiday. Didn't he
organize the 382-day boycott of the city's buses in the 1950s
when a black seamstress named Rosa Parks was too tired to walk
to the back of the bus?
It's characteristic of King that he was leading a demonstra
tion by striking Memphis,Tenn., garbage men on April 4, 1968
when a white man assassinated him. He never lived to see his
dream become reality.
Pres. Ronald Reagan, probably with an eye on the black vote,
mouthed the usual platitudes about the "symbolism" of honor
ing King. He didn't favor the national holiday but said he would
sign it into law "since they (the House and Senate) seem bent on
making it a national holiday."
So joyous holiday bells will soon be ringing over the desola
tion of urban America. Some Americans still must dream.
letters policy
The Emerald will attempt to print ail letters containing fair
comment on topics of interest to the University community.
Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed, sign
ed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the
letter is turned in. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter
for length, style or content.
"Comment" is an Emerald opinion feature submitted by
members of the University community. "Comment" columns
must be limited to 500 words and typed.
Letters to the editor and "Comment" columns should be
turned into the Emerald office, Suite 100, EMU.
Page 2, Section A
TW iWAfcSIUPf
THE WR0N6STUFF
letters
Tempts
I'm glad to see that someone
cares about the difference bet
ween good and poor music. Cort
Fernald's review of the Moody
Blues' new album in the Oct. 14
Emerald has some comments that
show he knows what makes good
music and what Fernald felt the
album lacked. Why, then, the
slurs and insults about the ages of
the band and its members?
Disparaging comments about
anybody's age gives support to
the lie that there is a right and a
wrong age to be. We all know
what it's like to be told we are the
"wrong" age ("too young," for ex
ample) and how important it is for
that to stop getting passed
around. Give us more of the
musical criticism we are tempted
with in this piece. The insults are
filler that just isn't needed.
I'm looking forward to more of
Fernald's reviews.
Tihm Mixon
False image
Before leaving Eugene I would
like to know exactly why the arti
cle in Monday's Emerald creates a
false impression of what I actually
said in the interview I gave on a
trust basis.
Maybe it's just jealousy that
makes some reporters take things
out of context, a jealousy prob
ably stemming from their own
lack of coherence. Whatever the
case, there* is no doubt that I never
claimed there was definitely going
to be a war in the next 10 years;
what I said was that Pres. Ronald
Reagan's new concept of a limited
nuclear war in Europe is, within
the context of American
worldwide deployment of and
threat with nuclear missiles, is go
ing to put NATO in a position to
start a war and "win" it in 10 years'
time. Certainly one can argue
about the American administra
tion's political intentions
as to starting or preventing war.
However, the quantative (number
of warheads) and qualitative
superiority already established by
the U.S. and NATO over the Soviet
Union — American computer
technology being 10 years ahead
of Russian guidance systems —
has led us to assume that, logically
enough, the spiral logic of mutual
deterrency will never lead to
politically productive and con
structive relations between na
tions, let alone to domestic peace.
The peacetime war on the
Soviets and the Third World coun
tries is clearly reflected in
domestic politics, where the war
on minorities and political
undesirables keeps the spirit of
aggression alive that so many are
trying both here and in Germany
to counteract in non-violent civil
disobedience and direct action.
The tendency in the article to
emphasize some alleged
apocalyptic vision or other of the
world (last paragraph) is typical of
the discriminatory thinking
behind undifferentiated anti
communism, which cynically
labels honest and idealistic people
struggling to creat a society in
which one can live and work
together and not against each
other, as downright criminals and
public enemies. Everyone who is
fighting against social and
political wrongs represents the
real hope of a human future. In
this sense, the Greens with all the
active people here unite in know
ing they are indivisible and deter
mined not to let go of the hope of
getting Reagan and his administra
tion out of power.
Turn Todd
green parly, Hamburg
Big 'werds'
News editor Frank Shaw, do you
have trouble with big words' We
know your writing style is design
ed for an eighth grader's com
prehension, but that's okay, so are
your textbooks. The point is some
of us like to probe a little deeper,
so we ask questions.
Questioning is basic to the the
purpose of a university. Doctrines
that restrict questioning, such as
you preach, i.e., "peer pressure”
or "a quick stab with a pencil"
have no place in the University
classroom. We are not all elo
quent speakers and not every
question is a philosophic gem, but
occasionally some of us need to
have a point clarified. I'm sorry
that questions in your classes
don't entertain you, but that is not
the primary purpose of education.
I question the merits of your col
umn, Editor's Note. You seem in
trigued with petty topics. Your
writing is neither responsible nor
mature journalism. Just what was
the point of your article "Just
when you thought it was safe to
sleep?” Were you playing devil's
advocate? Do you enjoy receiving
negative letters? Or perhaps you
want to silence those who disturb
your sleep by interrupting the
monotonous lecture of a pro
fessor equally bored with an
unresponsive class.
Doug Emmerich
senior, LSS
Read it
Although we do not necessarily
support the use of U.S. troops in
foreign land, we must never
theless protest the statement of
Ron Phillips, coordinator of the
Coalition Opposed the Registra
tion and the Draft. He said, "The
government has no right to say
that against your will you must put
on a uniform and die for us."
If Phillips were to read a handy
copy of the U.S. Constitution, he
would find that Article 1, Section 8
empowers Congress with the
right to raise an army. The govern
ment has a "right" to perform this
occasionally distasteful deed, just
as it can force us to pay income
taxes and do other unpleasant
tasks. Let's not forget, Phillips,
that this is the same Constitution
that you manage to use to defend
yourself when any form of govern
ment violates your rights, such as
freedom of expression.
As stated, we do not cherish
war. Yet we resent the double
standard Phillips imposes. Let's
face it, Ron, you cannot ignore
parts of the Constitution which
you dislike. The same document
allowing you to criticize registra
tion and the draft also allows Con
gress to raise armies.
Greg VanDyke
sophomore, business
Michael Wilson
sophomore, history
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