opinion
Senate should keep
town meeting format
The governance proposal before the University Senate is a
case of trying to fix something that isn't broken.
The proposal gives the Senate, to be composed of 32 faculty
and eight students, the right to make decisions which are now
made by the University Assembly.
The proposed shift would change the town meeting format
— which the University has had since its inception — to a
representative form of government.
What this does is place the power to run this University in
the hands of an elite few who are well enough known
throughout the University to be elected to the Senate. It cuts out
opportunities for faculty members to cet involved in the system
as much (or as little) as they want.
We have nothing against representative government. But
why use it if it is not necessary?
In a nation of 226 million, it would be unfeasible for
everyone to be directly involved. But in a University with only
about 900 voting faculty members, it is desirable to let everyone
who wishes be involved.
Granted, it may be a little cumbersome and take longer to
make decisions, but no one has ever claimed democracy is the
most efficient form of government. Involving people in the pro
cess — hearing diverse views — takes time. But the end result is
worth it.
But wait. Proponents of the proposal will point to the tact
that anything that a significant number of faculty care about will
go to the full assembly. Any motion that does not get a two
thirds majority in the. Senate will automatically go before the
assembly. Also, the University president or a petition signed by
10 percent of the faculty can force the motion to the floor of the
assembly.
But would that ever happen?
According to James Lemert, the chair of the task force that
developed the proposal, at universities that have adopted
similar proposals no motions have ever been appealed to the
whole assembly. Senate members compromise to get a two
thirds agreement.
The new system would streamline the process, cutting out the
voices of the new faculty and those who are not in the
mainstream of thought. But there is no guarantee it would make
it more efficient.
The proposal also cuts the number of students involved in
the Senate from 18 to eight. We view this as unacceptable.
Students are the main reason why this University exists and
therefore students deserve a strong voice in the government of
the University.
Students are admittedly a transitive group — they come and
they go. But as elected representatives, Student University Af
fairs Board members can speak for the students here now and
those to come.
The University is still one of the few places left where true
democracy — a town meeting government — is practiced.
Don't jeopardize involvement for what may prove to be a
nebulous increase in efficiency.
Reagan's diplomacy:
send in the Marines
The United States, for all intents, is presently fighting wars in
three countries. But no war has been declared.
The latest instance occurred when 1,500 U.S. Army Rangers
and Marines "invaded" the island of Grenada. The wire services
were the first to use the term "invaded" referring to the in
tervention of U.S. military forces. It's an apt term.
Grenada has been particularly unstable this last week with
the assassination of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop by the
military. Bishop's government was Marxist and backed by the
Cuban government.
The 1,500 U.S. troops were dispatched to the waters off
Grenada to ensure the safety of Americans on the island. There
were no initial plans — at least reported — for them to invade
Grenada. Yet, they invaded Tuesday.
The situation in Grenada must be placed alongside the situa
tion in Central America. There are U.S. military personnel in
Honduras and El Salvador. They are supposed to be advisers but
their role has become increasingly more aggressive.
Following the tragic situation over the weekend in Lebanon,
U.S. Marines have been ordered behind sand-bagged bunkers
and given the go-ahead to "shoot-tokill." In the wake of the
deaths of the more than 200 Marines by the suicide-bombing
there is little to indicate the U.S. military presence won't be
escalated.
All this sounds like dispatches from the War Office — and it
may well be. Anyone who doubts the Reagan administration
uses the military as its first tool of diplomacy has only to note the
increased presence of the U.S. military across the world.
Pres. Ronald Reagan has put this country on a definite war
footing. What will Ns legacy bef
Town hall meetings,
general representation
General rep, town hall
Such a dilemma!
What's wrong with
Martial Law?!
letters
Rather upset
I am rather upset as to the
subversive attitudes of many peo
ple on campus in regard to the
United States' involvement in
Lebanon.
They fail to realize why we are in
Lebanon. The reason for our
presence in Lebanon is a very sim
ple one: to maintain peace in the
war ravaged land. Lebanon is a
festering sore for communist ter
rorists and our sole reason for
ever getting involved is for protec
tion of the people. It is ridiculous
to even think in our wildest
dreams that our purposes in the
Middle East could be for any other
reason. Our brave young men are
there because they are willing,
and have chosen, to fight for the
freedom of the people. They are
the heavenly ray of hope that
shines through the impending ter
ror and despair in Lebanon.
Our police action is all that
stands between life and death for
the people of Lebanon. Soon it
will be over and our brave young
soldiers will be coming home.
After all, what could possibly go
wrong in Lebanon?
Kirk Carter
junior, telecommunications
Feel the need
We feel the need to express our
position on issues raised in recent
letters from Thomas Karter and
Paul Parks. In the matter of the
graphics on the poster used to
publicize the Solomon Amend
ment rally, we must admit that the
final form of the poster disap
pointed us in several particulars.
The graphics used were offensive
to many of the ASUO staff and the
failure of the poster to clearly
state the purpose of the gathering
was a disappointment. In our at
tempt to organize the rally in
coalition with other groups, we
failed to proof the final copy of
the poster before it was produced.
We regret the tasteless graphics
and our failure to more closely
coordinate this cooperative effort.
The repugnance of war does not
excuse this excess. We were of
fended and apologize to others
who were offended. No ASUO
funds were used in the produc
tion of the poster.
The Solomon Amendment, in
both its form I and II, is, in our
opinion, an unnecessary and un
constitutional abridgement of the
Fifth Amendment and other basic
principles upon which our
government was founded. Requir
ing a person to certify that they
have not committed a crime in
order to get the financial aid to
which the law entitles them is the
desperate act of a government
that has lost the consent of the
governed and must resort to op
pressive measures to enforce its
decrees. If a national consensus
on the need for Selective Service
registration existed, Selective Ser
vice would not have to go through
the machinations it has over the
last few years. In a free society,
there can be no excuse for such
massive coercion and blatant
violation of rights.
The purpose of the ASUO Stu
dent Lobby Network is to make
students aware of potential
government actions on issues of
concern to them. We do not in
tend to tell anyone which position
to take, but to educate them on
the issues and how to make their
voices heard when student action
is needed.
Mary Hotchkiss
ASUO executive
All checked-out
The University library recently
enacted a policy change enabling
graduate students to check out
books for up to six months. While
the idea is commendable, in prac
tice it compounds rather than
resolves the problem of securing
information for extended periods
of time.
Graduate students often dash to
the library in search of books, ar
ticles, and other information, hop
ing to wrap up a thesis or other
important paper, only to find that
the information has already been
checked out. Competition can be
fierce. Whyf Because graduate
studies are narrow and more
defined. Books and articles on the
appropriate subject are limited
(and the library usually has only
one copy). As a result, graduates
parallel, cross and re-cross each
other's research "trails" several
times during the course of their
studies.
Something, obviously, must be
done to ensure easy access to in
formation in the library. But to
keep a book from other hard
working, fee paying graduates is
as good as stealing it.
Daniel Holden
graduate, journalism
Look it up
In reply to Greg Van Dyke's and
Michael Wilson's letter of Oct. 21
disagreeing with my position that
the government does not have the
right to involuntarily induct young
men into the military, I would sug
gest they pick up a Webster's dic
tionary and make use of it. If they
look up the word "raise," they will
find the following definition: 1)
awaken, arouse 2) to stir up, incite
3) to bring up for consideration or
debate. However, the word
"conscript" is defined as "to
enroll into the service by
compulsion."
I would contend that the men
who authored the Constitution
were well aware of the meanings
of both words, perhaps having at
tained a higher level of education
than our sophomoric ("conceited
and overconfident of knowledge
but poorly informed and im
mature" — Webster's) friends,
and consciously chose the word
"raise" over "conscript." This
position is supported historically
in that during the first attempts to
bring the draft into existence, dur
ing the War of 1812, a number of
states threatened to secede.
During those debates Daniel
Webster argued from the floor of
Congress that the draft was un
constitutional and by accepting in
voluntary conscription into the
military, "the most essential rights
of personal liberty shall be sur
rendered and despotism embrac
ed in its worst form."
While I do agree that the Con
stitution does give the Congress
the right to "raise" an army, it
does not give Congress the right
to "enslave" an army.
Ron Phillips
CORD
Oregon daily m m
emerald
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