opinion
House debates aid
with a few conditions
This week the House of Representatives will debate
legislation authorizing conditional military aid to El Salvador.
By all accounts the floor debate will be one of the hottest of
the session.
Pres. Ronald Reagan has requested $132.5 million in
spending authority for military aid to the Salvadoran govern
ment next year. The sad fact is the House debate will not
center so much on the military aid itself, but on the number
of installments and the conditions for payment.
So far this year Congress has appropriated $64.8 million
in military aid to the Salvadoran government. The Senate has
passed a supplemental fund of $61.7 million, which is
awaiting House approval.
House Republicans have complained that Reagan has not
generated enough public support for his military aid request.
Robert Michel, R-lll., said there is a "gross misunderstan
ding" among Americans over what the spending authoriza
tion for military aid to El Salvador is all about. In the hope of
ending the "gross misunderstanding," Reagan is planning a
televised speech this week on military aid to El Salvador.
There are three alternatives to the proposed military aid
package. For the most part the alternatives demand the
Salvadoran government cease human rights violations and
end military involvement with the notorious death squads.
The first alternative, proposed by Dante Fascell, D-Fla.,
chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, would authorize
$64.8 million if the Reagan administration ensures the
Salvadoran government has "demonstrated progress" in
human rights and other areas. Fascell's alternative offers
another $124.5 million if Reagan certifies the Salvadorans
have begun negotiations with the left-wing guerrillas and
disbanded the death squads.
Gerry Studds, D-Mass, has proposed a more stringent
alternative. Studds wants to block any aid until Reagan and
the Congress ascertain the Salvadorans have improved their
court system, initiated land reforms, started negotiations
with the guerrillas and ended death squad activity.
The third alternative, advanced by William Broomfield, R
Mich., authorizes $128 million in military aid on the condi
tion that Reagan can demonstrate progress on human rights,
curbs on death squad activity and steps toward negotiations.
Apparently it is a foregone conclusion that the Reagan
administration will continue to send military aid to the
Salvadoran government. The only argument resides in the
type of aid, presidential authority to dole it out and whether
or not the Reagan administration can ensure the Salvadoran
government will cease death squad activity and seek a
negotiated settlement with the guerrillas.
Memorial is good,
but safety is better
We applaud the Lane County Commissioners decision to
construct a sighting pedestal atop Mt. Pisgah in memory of
)ed Kesey and Lorenzo West.
Kesey and West died of injuries following an accident in
which the University wrestling team's van sljd off an icy
highway in Southeastern Washington.
The sighting pedestal will be financed from contribu
tions collected in memorial of Kesey and West.
While we applaud the placing of the pedestal, we would
prefer that strict safety regulations be enacted to prevent a
repeat of the horrible accident that took the lives of Kesey
and West.
letters
No response
Your May 1 article on a lawsuit
initiated by Rep. Grattan Kerans
and State Sen. L.B. Day against
the State of Oregon was an ex
ceptionally biased and one
sided piece of reporting. I was
astonished that after several
highly critical references to Atty.
Gen. David Frohnmayer, there
was apparently no attempt to
elicit a response from his office.
The article also did not men
tion that Kerans is himself runn
ing for statewide office. I
suspect that this lawsuit may be
faintly related to the political
needs of the moment.
Oregon is fortunate in having
an attorney general who
vigorously defends the state,
regardless of the ^political
fallout. That is one reason
Frohnmayer is so widely
respected throughout the
nation.
Kevin Cape
Message
America's need for racial uni
ty. United we stand. Divided we
just might fall.
We, too long have been
fighting the civil war. We need a
strong America showing the
world how all these many na
tionalities can live side by side
together in strength and dignity.
It seems that the most strife
still exists between blacks and
whites. Russia is testing us on all
fronts. The latest is Chad. We
need to support our black
brothers there.
''Message to black
Americans.”
We should let bygones be
bygones and forgive so that we
can heal these racial wounds
and learn ways to do that in
Oregon doily
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald la published Monday through Frl
day except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily
Emerald Publishing Co at the University ol Oregon Eugene OR
97403
The Emerald operates independently ol the University with
offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a
member of fhe Associated Press
Oeneral Staff
Advertising Manager Susan Thesen
Classified Advertising Larry Swanson
Production Manager victoria Koch
Controller Jean Ownbey
Ad Safes: Rachel Bellamy Cmdi Blagg Laura Buckley Julie
Bufrice, David Kosse Jo Meeks Roberta Oliver Richard Skeen
Production Laurie Becharas Sharia Cassidy Michele Chris
tianson Michael Clapp Kelly Cornyn Kathy Gallagher Came
Or eaves C Hanson Christy Horning LeeAnn Lovegien Lauri
Neely Kelly Neff Mark Pynet Margaret Sotonika Debbie Sion
Tim Swdfinger Colleen Tremaine Hank Trotter Kathy Vork
Editor
Managing Editor
News Editor
Assistant News Editor
Editorial Page Editor
Sports Editor
Sidelines Editor
Entertainment Editor
Assitanl Entertainment Editor
Night Editor
Associate Editors
Higher Education
Departments and Schools
Student Government
Features
Politics
Community
Reporters: Mike Doke ’odd Fletcher Brent Paz Steve
Turcotte
Debbie Howled
Sandy Johnstone
Frank Shaw
Brenda Thornton
Cod Fernatd
Doug Levy
John Heaty
Angela Allen Morgan
Kim Carslon
Cort Fernatd
Doug Nash
Melissa Martin
Jim Moore
Julie Shippen
Brooks Dared
Michele Matassa
News and Editorial
Display Advertising and Business
Classified Advertising
Production
Circulation
6*6 5511
686 3712
686 4343
666 4381
686 5511
dividually as well as in groups.
I hope that God will forgive
me, in the name of Jesus, for go
ing against the country during
the '60s.
God says, and our constitu
tion says: "All men are created
equal." Whites and blacks
should be practicing brotherly
love. Anyone who reads this can
pursue this dream, and I hope
you do.
We need all the forces of
power to go forward to a power
ful nation and let nothing get in
our way towards unity.
All the ignorance and stupidi
ty should be eliminated for the
welfare of*this nation and its
future.
Stanford Brown
Eugene
Took a cab
Disappointed. That's how I
felt as I boarded the plane in
Eugene that would take me
home to upstate New York.
I had fulfilled a long-time
dream in January when I arrived
in Oregon. I felt doubly lucky
that I would be able to attend
the University to study public
relations at the School of
Journalism.
Despite my unfamiliarity with
the horrendous registration pro
cedures, I was able to register
for all the journalism courses I
wanted for the winter term.
However, I was not so lucky
during spring registration. I was
able to get only one out of the
four courses I wanted to take for
my last term at the University.
Discouraged yet determined
to get into all four classes, I
went to see Dean Everette Den
nis for assistance.
There I met another disap
pointment, as Dennis did not of
fer much help. He did say he'd
plead my case for me but con
fessed not having much control
over the journalism professors.
He was right.
I understand the workload of
the professors and how it is dif
ficult to have too many students
in the class especially if there
are papers to read.
But what are the professors
being paid to do?
I thought the University was
contending with money pro
blems. So mistakenly I figured
the University would be willing
to help me get my classes
because I was paying graduate,
non-resident and housing fees.
But that was not the case. And
I was not going to take any alter
native courses. Returning to col
lege as a full-time student since
1975, I was much more aware of
what my money was buying.
And I was determined to only
pay for those courses I assumed
would be available to me.
But I didn't get into all the
classes, so I decided to go
home . . . f r u st rated and
disappointed.
And I left wondering why
minority students can have their
registration packets pulled so
they can register at 8 a.m.
And why there aren't more
sections offered in the jour
nalism department because
there seems to be a large
number of journalism majors
who have a very difficult time
getting into any journalism
courses.
And why aren't registration
procedures all computerized?
Beth Wright
Blew it
We appreciate your coverage
of Black Flag and other "alter
native" bands. It's nice to see ar
ticles on groups that are not ex
actly mainstream. However to
write an accurate article you
must first do your homework,
and several parts of this story on
Black Flag were far from
accurate.
You wrote about Black Flag's
legal problems but didn't
manage to get the facts very
straight. Black Flag's last release
was not "Damaged" as you
stated but "Everything Went
Black,", a compilation of many
of their previously unreleased
songs with some of their old
singers including Keith Morris
(now with the Circle Jerks), Ron
Reyes (also known as Chavo
Pederast) and Dez Cadena. It
was this album, not "My War"
that brought their legal pro
blems. It was released despite a
court injunction but neither the
band's name or its symbol ap
peared anywhere on the album.
In spite of this, two of the band
members had to spend time in
jail. These two were Greg Ginn
and Chuck Dukowski. Henry
Rollins did not go to jail. They
were in jail in late 1983, "My
War" was not released until
March 1, 1984 so they obviously
did not go to jail as a result of
releasing "My War."
Also Dukowski left to play
bass for a band called Wurm —
it is not spelled Worm.
Keep printing articles about
alternative music, but next time
please get the facts straight.
Robin "Spike" Franklin
Monday, May 7, 1984