opinion
ROTC controversy
spreads to PSU
The controversy over whether or not ROTC programs violate
affirmative action guidelines has spread from the University to
Portland State University. This might clue in some people that
the inquiry is not simply indigenous to this campus.
Douglas Pyle, a former University student, now the coor
dinator of PSU's Students for Lesbian and Gay Rights, is intent
on getting PSU's ROTC program either in compilance with affir
mative action guidelines, or terminated as a PSU program.
Pyle says ROTC conflicts with PSU's affirmative action policy
by prohibiting homosexuals from participating in the program.
Prohibiting anyone participation in the program on the basis of
sexual orientation is in violation of PSU guidelines.
Pyle readily admits that he pursued the complaint against
PSU's ROTC as a result of the controversy generated last year
over the University's ROTC program and charges it violated
University affirmative action guidelines.
It should be clear to college and university administrators in
the state's system of higher education that the ROTC/sexual
orientation issue will not simply disappear — go back into the
closet, as it were. The controversy will surely spread to cam
puses with ROTC programs. Even those colleges and universities
contemplating instituting ROTC should pay heed.
The good thing about the University and PSU's ROTC com
plaints is that it may take the burden off university and college
administrators (who may be reluctant to terminate a lucrative
program) and put it squarely into the hands of the State Board of
Higher Education. Ultimately, the State Board will have to ad
dress the issue of affirmative action, sexual orientation and
ROTC programs.
One, two, three, four
what's that again?
Novelist, host of PBS' "Firing Line" and icon of conser
vativism William F. Buckley would have been rather piqued at
our College Republicans last week during their counter-protests
of the peace parade and the Die-In Friday.
Buckley, widely respected for the exactitude of his language,
wouldn't have been piqued by the College Republicans'
counter-protests, nor by their dedication to the conservative
ideology. But he certainly would have taken the pencil out of his
mouth and asked them to "hold-hold-hold on a bit" when they
started their chant: "Freeze today, fry tomorrow."
"Freeze today, fry tomorrow" is an ambiguous chant, not
the sort in which the chanter's political stand is simultaneously
loud and obvious.
Why ambiguous? An advocate of the nuclear freeze might
have unwittingly chanted along thinking:
"Yes, it's true, if we don't enact the nuclear freeze today,
we'll all fry tomorrow." Nuclear freeze adovcates don't think
about missiles incoming or outgoing, West to East or East to
West. Instead, they look at the totality of nuclear arms and see
the threat as more global than chauvinistic.
The College Republicans were actually professing their
belief that if the U.S. enacts a nuclear "freeze" today the Soviets
would "fry" the U.S. tomorrow.
Who's to say this isn't true? No one has a crystal ball to
decipher the future and see that if the U.S. took the first step to
freezing nuclear weapons then the Soviets wouldn't take
advantage.
However, by the same token, if we're crystal ball gazing, it's
possible that if the U.S. had the courage to take the step to a
nuclear freeze the Soviets might perceive less of a threat and
also embark on a nuclear freeze.
Unfortunately, crystal balls aren't to be trusted, nor even
consulted for a glimpse of the future, especially on the issue of
the nuclear freeze.
In the meantime, it would certainly be a great service to
University students if the various chanting groups on this cam
pus, like the College Republicans, make damn sure their noisy
politics are readily understood. If not, how can students knee
jerk to the left, knee-jerk to the right or knee-jerk — if at all?
Oregon daily m _
emerald
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I
LEBANON
letters
Stairway to...
On Monday, Oct. 24, I ate my
lunch sitting in my favorite place
in the EMU — the main staircase
overlooking the foyer beside the
Fishbowl. While I ate my sand
wich, many people passed me on
their way up or down the wide
staircase with no problem, until a
particularly rude office employee
deliberately bumped into me and
asked me not to sit on the stairs.
She went on to say how there are
many other places to sit in the
EMU (which there aren't at noon)
and that it's dangerous to sit on
the stairs. Well, my wife and I
were taking jup perhaps three feet
of a twelve foot wide staircase off
to one side.
My point is, there are too many
places which do not provide for
variety in use opportunities. Even
if there were many places to sit in
the EMU, this person does not
realize the opportunities a stair
case offers. Stairs are not just a
means to get from one floor to
another, but can also act as a
balcony, since they are excellent
places for sitting with an overlook
of public areas. The main stair in
the EMU provides such an oppor
tunity. People-watching is by far
one of the most frequently carried
out activities in nearly any public
building, particularly during the
lunch hour.
The kinds of opportunities
which a set of stairs embody is
best described by William Klein
sasser, University professor of ar
chitecture, as a "precisely
general" place, that is, "...(a)
structure that (is) accommodating
and evocative without being one
sided or limiting — open-ended in
its possibilities without being
underdeveloped..."
The architects, Lawrence,
Tucker and Wellmann, who
designed the old portion of the
EMU, use this concept when they
provided a grand staircase open
ing on to a grand foyer. They were
designing a place for people to
see others, and to be seen by
others.
There are perhaps some oppor
tunities that the architects missed,
but as the situation exists, there is
now no way one could declare
that stairs exist only for vertical
circulation. Ronald Lee, University
architecture graduate and
Portland architect has said, "There
has to be a sort of mystery and a
sense that there is still something
to be found out. If all the answers
are immediate, there's no seeking.
Let the user search and discover
his own answers and meanings,
his own uses, his own patterns."
After all, isn't that what learning
is all about?
David Clarke
architecture
Demeaning
The Oliphant cartoon in the
Nov. 7 Emerald presented a de
meaning racist view of Jesse
Jackson's entrance into the
Democratic presidential race. By
picturing a black entertainer run
ning onto a stage covered with
military hardware, Oliphant im
plied that Jackson's emphasis on
the rights of the poor, interna
tional peace, and an end to the
nuclear arms race is nothing but
comic relief in the serious drama
of war and destruction.
What kind of vision regards war
as serious, while seeing the strug
gles of humanity for peace and
dignity as comic? Some of us
remember the fun Oliphant had
with the ERA struggle, and we can
only wonder what jokes he will
think to make about the new na
tional holiday honoring Dr. Martin
Luther King.
Louise Weslling
English
Observations
This is in regards to the libera
tion of Grenada from a bloodthirs
ty Marxist regime by U.S. forces
and the subsequent reaction of
various groups.
A few observations:
The people of Grenada welcom
ed the U.S. Marines and are glad
the Cubans are being sent home.
Democracy would never have
been possible under the well
armed, Soviet sponsored regime
of Bernard Coard that had taken
power.
Democracy now has a chance to
develop without threat of violent
reprisals from Marxist extremists.
Had we sat back and done
nothing Grenada would have
become an authoritarian base,
located at a strategic location, and
used to funnel arms to Marxist ter
rorists throughout Central and
South America.
Now for a couple of questions:
Why are groups calling
themselves “peace organizations"
vehemently protesting Pres.
Ronald Reagan's policies even
though the poeple of Grenada
and the vast majority of Americans
support the liberation?
Why don't we ever see these
protestors coming out to con
demn Soviet actions or actions
from their authoritarian allies?
Ron Munion
Eugene
Doesn't wash
The Emerald's Nov. 2 editorial
("Hatfield Doesn't Wash, as a
Republican) was disappointingly
shallow and replete with
inconsistencies.
You correctly state that Hatfield
doesn't "wash" as either a
Republican ideologue or as a "ran
ting and raving Democratbut
then you incorrectly conclude that
the only appropriate adjectives
left to describe his posture are
“quirky. . .strange. . .knee
jerk. . etc." Another quite plausi
ble interpretation of Hatfield's
style is that it exudes creativity, in
dependence from special in
terests, and deep conviction.
Would the Emerald prefer that
Hatfield become a predictable
mindless ideologue of the right or
the left?
Also, it is implied that it is gross
ly inconsistent for Hatfield to be
both for nuclear arms reduction
and against abortion-on-request.
Is it not the case that Hatfield
regards all human life to be
precious, whether that life is
threatened by a nuclear blast or
by an abortionist? Thus, it follows
that Hatfield's life-affirming
stance on these two issues is a
rare example of lonely integrity
and logical consistency in the face
of virulent and hostile lobbies on
both the right and left.
Finally, the editorial closes with
coyly veiled references to Margie
Hendrickson as "a politician
looming on the horizon who has
made quite a name for herself and
just might win Hatfield's Senate
seat." One gets the distinct im
pression that the Emerald would
actually prefer a "ranting and rav
ing Democrat."
John Hubbird
junior, political science