opinion_ Clear away clutter, get to ROTC issue It's time to clear the air regarding the ROTC/sexual orienta tion issue. A lot of charges and counter-charges have been hurl ed back and forth between the Emerald, the ASUO and Pres. Paul Olum. All that has been achieved is a cluttering up of the situation with a lot of debris. Let s sweep away an tnai nas occurreu — ui m own deci sion” regarding the formation of a fact-finding committee seems like more clutter getting in the way. For the record, the Emerald objectively reported the facts in the issue and never made such a decision. Olum denies having agreed to the fact-finding committee even though Mary Hotchkiss, ASUO president and Doug Marker, director of the campus ACLU last year, were under the impression he had agreed if not through statement, than by implication. Thursday Olum said there would be a committee — but not the faculty-student-administration committee originally agreed upon. Olum objects to the committee partly because it would be selected by Ryan, Hotchkiss and himself. His objection no doubt stems from the possibility a selected committee could become highly political. If that is Olum's objection, we agree. A highly political com mittee would only mire the findings of such a committee in the muck of political pronouncements. However, while Olum raises legitimate objections, he also seems to be objecting too much and raising issues that do more to obscure than clarify the ROTC/sexual orientation situation. After he said he never agreed to a committee, but said a non political committee is necessary, Olum said, "I think a small committee is all we need to collect some facts.” Is the original six-person committee all that large? With all due respect to Olum, he seems to be cluttering the basic ROTC/sexual orientation issue with denials, objections and demands for changes in the fact-finding committee. This is no way to resolve the issue of whether the ROTC violates the University's affirmative action guidelines. Olum has repeatedly stated his support of affirmative action at the University. This is good opportunity for Olum to show his support of the affirmative action guidelines. But if the clutter keeps heaping and the ROTC/sexual orien tation never comes under the scrutiny of a committee what are we to infer? There have been enough delays, enough denials, it's time to empower a committee to find the facts and ascertain if the military science department violates affirmative action. Oregon daily m m emerald (he Oregon Daily fmerald is published Monday through fit day ru ept during rum wrrli and »« anon*, by I hr Oregon Daily f met aid Publishing Co . al I hr University ai Orngon. tugrne. ()*, •>7401 I hr fmerald operates independently nt (hr University with ollifn on the third floor o< the fib Memorial Union and it a member of the Associated Press htews and Iddonal Mallll Duplay Advertise** and Busmen Uh-)7I2 flassulied Adsenism* Iblltl Produrlmn MA-4MII (rrrOatmn fcWrfSM fdiiw Managing Fdtlor tdllM AtutUnl News tditw Editorial Page tdHor Photo fdttor Sports tdilor 'iidrltnrs I ditor t nlertatnmeni idtlor Awvunl tnirrtammrni tdilor Night Editor Anonrtr tdrton Higher t due at ion Departments arsd School* student Government features Pi Mums I ■ immunity General Stall Advertising Manager Classified Advertising Production Manager Controller ■% i rri "-11 l Debbie Howlet! Sandy lohnstone Frank Shaw Brenda Thornton Cort Fernald Dave Kao Doug Levy John Healy Angela Allen Morgan Kim Carlson I rank Shaw Doug Nash Melissa Martin |im Moore loan Herman Brooks Darett Mk hele Matassa Darlene Gore Sally CM tar Victoria Koch lean Ownbey ***** ■>*****. «*S2, $ 2K ‘WSHfcARYOUKSDNWtfBB A OSUWJY IN M6BRUT BOMBING. &v£ US SOME OXOR OM1HAT UK£ ANGUISH, GRIEF, HOW YOU R2l ABOUT IT..,' letters A question I have just one little question about the value system of our library. Why does our tax supported library subscribe to Fag Rag, a magazine featuring bon dage, sodomy and child prostitu tion, but not to Madison Avenue, a legitimate trade publication for advertising? Sue Utile senior, advertising 'Semper fi, Mac' Some thoughts and questions on recent manifestations of American diplomacy and on America's number one diplomatic instrument, the United States Marine Corps. Why have American reporters not been allowed on Grenada to make firsthand reports of U.S. military activity there? The Pentagon has not released figures of the number of planes of the Grenadian air force shot down or of the number of ships of that country's navy that have been sunk. Why? A Marine, unable to speak because of wounds received in Beirut, handed the general visiting his bedside the terse, handwritten note "Semper fi." During World War II, this rejoinder, a shortened form of the Marine Corps slogan, was usually expressed as "Semper fi, Mac," and meant "up yours." (I doubt that the language of the Corps has been cleaned up since then). Did that interpretation oc cur to the tearful general? On the bright side, in Grenada the Corps has finally found an enemy it can beat. Except for the Dominican Republic in 1965, the Corps hasn't had one of those since World War II. You have plowed iniquity, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your chariots and in tne multitude of your warriors. Therefore, the tumult of war shall arise among your people and all your fortresses shall be destroyed. Thus it shall be done to you ...because of your great wickedness. Guido Palandri library Ignorance In John Healy's article "Autzen Observations" he did a fine job expressing the problems with the football crowd. His so-called em barrassment with the rally squad was ignorance. He implies the ral ly isn't leading cheers. Perhaps Healy needs to open his eyes to the fact that the cheerleaders are attempting to lead a cheer every three minutes of the game. Ironically enough, the reason he and many others may be blind to this is the dead crowd fails to chant along. As for the band being "awed" over Washington's band is also ig norance. Again, Healy and other observers tend to tune out the band's attempt to play constantly throughout the entire game. Not to mention a great halftime show. Yes, Healy, the band and the ral ly put in a great amount of hours for someone like yourself to fail to see how hard these teams work to please the crowd. Sometime, why don't you try to motivate the crowd to yell "Let’s go ducks" en thusiastically? Better yet, at the next game motivate your section to cheer along with the rally and the band. You might be surprised. That is, if you're paying attention. Heidi Hedberg Morons march Right here in the Emerald, I saw an article on Oct. 27 entitled "Eugeneans Protest U.S. Military Involvements." I read a short story once entitled "The Marching Morons." Never mind the story, the title fits these protestors to a Why? Protest marches don't ac letters policy The Emerald will attempt to print all 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 dor 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 300, EMU. complish very much. Sure, you get headlines. Sure, you get notic ed — but those who notice your marching don't think much of it, and sometimes they are the police who have been sent in to break it up So you want people to hear yofl$ opinion, you don't like this, etc.^i protest rally just makes you a big, fat nuisance. And few take you seriously. Instead, write letters to the people you're protesting to, to your Senator and Congressman, to the editor of a newspaper, and anyone else you can think of. It's been said that