opinion_
Politicos downgrade
Jackson’s successes
The Rev. Jesse Jackson must feel like a child who does
what all the adults say is the right thing to do, then discovers
that no other children will play with him. Instead, they re
sent the child’s pats on the back and find some way to show
their displeasure, usually by shunning him or belittling his
actions.
Jackson, who surely holds no illusions regarding the
presidency, continues to do some of the things an ideal
president should do. Jackson does not steadfastly proclaim
the U.S. is right and the world is wrong; he criticizes when
he sees injustice. Jackson does not rely on intelligence
reports and convoluted press releases to determine what
world leaders believe; he talks to them face-to-face, person
to-person. Jackson does not talk about action; he acts.
All Jackson has done is orchestrate the return of an
American pilot, the release of 22 American prisoners, the
release of 26 Cuban political prisoners, play a part in Cuban
Pres. Fidel Castro’s public discussion of normalizing rela
tions with the United States and visit Central American
leaders.
Naughty, naughty Jesse. Those pats on the back he’s
been collecting have managed to put his political pals’ noses
out of joint. Like a collection of 3-year-olds, our nation’s
political elites have shown uncommon commonness in
showing Jackson their displeasure.
Walter Mondale and the Democrats have shown the
most tolerance of Jackson’s un-childlike behavior. After all
he is one of them. So far they have not chastised him or
refused to talk to him. Of course, they haven’t led any
cheers; nor has Jackson asked to meet with them or asked
them their opinion.
Meanwhile, the Reagan administration has decided to
both belittle and shun the reverend. Secretary of State
George Schultz blasted Jackson for blasting the United States
from the soil of a foreign country. Apparently George and
chums haven’t been listening. Jackson’s criticism is hardly
new. Then Schultz and Reagan, the pair Jackson requested
to meet regarding normalization with Castro, refused to talk
to Jackson and sent an underling.
Sadly, these political tactics have detracted from the
reverend’s accomplishments. Only Jackson knows if there
are any reasons for his actions other than what he tells the
world in public statements. While we would be among the
last to advise accepting a politician’s reasons without ques
tions, we also believe results should be acknowledged. In
stead of second-guessing and blowing more hot air, the ad
ministration should step out of character and take some ac
tion.
It should join in patting Jackson on the back. We do.
Red tape seeps into
summer p.e. classes
Sometimes a simple chore such as registering for a p.e.
class can make a person see red — red tape, that is.
Because of red tape and crossed lines of communication
in the college of human development and performance this
term, students registering for physical education classes
were not told to pay their fees before trying to enter gyms
and locker rooms.
True, stamped fee cards are required for admission to
the gyms even during the school year, but students usually
have a 4- or 5-day grace period to pay their fees before being
turned away at the door, says Mike Ellis, head of the
physical education department.
This term, however, someone — no one seems to know
who — arbitrarily eliminated that grace period without tell
ing anyone. Not even the instructors or tne people manning
registration tables knew about the new policy.
Instead of admitting their lack of organization and giv
ing unprepared students the benefit of the doubt on the first
day of classes, the people in charge of admission at Esslinger
Hall charged students one dollarfor entry if they didn’t have
stamped fee cards.
This is ridiculous. Students should not have to pay for
the department's mistake or for the University’s chronic case
of red tape. We pay enough already.
Most likely, those students who payed a dollar to avoid
an absence on the first day of classes are out a buck. Even
one woman who requested a receipt probably will never
retrieve her dollar from Oregon Half.
It’s not the money that’s so important, though; it’s the
firinciple. This university needs to stop making others pay
or its problems.
Leaders of the human development college should right
their wrong in this case by refunding students and discoun
ting first*day absences and should improve their organiza
tion — or at least admit when they're wrong — in the future.
Page 2
letters
Inexcusable
Oregon’s policy of excluding
women for consideration in
managing Oregon’s Far East
Trade Office in Tokyo is an in
excusable breach of confidence
with the people of this state,
particularly females who aspire
to a profession in far eastern af
fairs. We cannot compromise
the basic principle that the most
qualified applicant should be
hired for the job regardless of
sex.
Oregon’s trade office in Japan
is meant to serve a larger area
than simply Japan. China,
Korea, Indonesia, Tawain and
the Philippines are among other
nations of the Pacific Rim that
would be making frequent con
tact with the Tokyo office.
To suggest that only a male
could be hired for this job
because “that’s the way they do
it in Japan” is analagous to sen
ding a team of business people
to South Africa and insisting
that they be all white because of
the policy of apartheid in that
country.
I would submit that an
enlightened position regarding
this matter may in fact have a
beneficial impact — that of
hastening the equality of sexes,
even in Japan.
Jerry Rust
Lane County Board
of Commissioners
Eulogizing?
My wife and I just attended
the evening of choral music
held at Beall Hall this past
Wednesday (May 23) and were
so impressed with the perfor
mance of the Vocal laxz Ensem
ble that we felt moved to com
mend someone for having the
wisdom for bringing a program
of such quality to the University
f
of Oregon. Imagine our surprise
when we found that Jim
DeBusman, the director, was
not going to be rehired and that
the program was to be discon
tinued. So instead of a letter of
commendation, I find myself in
the position of questioning
what could possibly have
motivated someone to terminate
a program with so many
talented young people. What is
even harder to understand is
how anyone who had seen this
group perform (which I must
assume that those responsible
for making the decision to ter
minate the director’s contract
had done) could be other than
impressed by Jim DeBusman’s
abliity to inspire his students.
It makes me sad to think that
another program of low cost but
high quality is going to be ter
minated at the U of O. As a
member of the general com
munity observing this process,
it almost seems that the Univer
sity has an unconcious desire
for mediocrity as it selectively
eliminates programs of
excellence.
I must admit that I don't have
much faith that a letter of this
kind will be taken seriously. I
am well aware that once a deci
sion to cut a program has been
made that it is very unlikely that
it will be reversed. I guess a
small part of me wants to
believe that there are exceptions
to the rule; otherwise, what I
liave just written is nothing
more than a eulogy.
Bill Freeman
Whining ...
At first the headline calling
the “courtyard” (on 13th St.
where the hospital plans a park
ing lot) a “garden of
businesses” made me snicker. I
recalled the winos and tran
sients I see there often. As I read
further I found it hard to believe
Paul Ertelt’s article was as bi
ased as it appeared.
Jim Hanks, the city traffic
engineer, says the hospital has
failed to provide adequate bicy
cle spaces, but what about the
covered spaces on the Alder
Street side of the hospital? Rare
ly are they filled. Poor Mr. Nosh
bar invested $60,000 in his
business and after five years is
just now beginning to see a
return. How much has Lenny
earned? How could he stay in
business five years without
making $, or isn’t that what he’s
in business for ?
There is a key question that
Ertelt failed to include. What
was the position of the court
yard businesses when the city
parking program was being
planned? As I remember, it was
the merchants, businessmen,
and residents in the area who
complained most of too little
parking space available. After
the city parking program was
initiated where did they
realistically expect the
employees and patients to go?
Between the merchants and
the city, the hospital employees
and patients who require park
ing spaces seemed to have got
ten little concern in Ertelt’s
overly emotional sympathetic
appeal or by the sniveling, in
considerate merchants. The
merchants’ consideration for no
one but themselves is
disgustingly greedy. Ertelt’s ar
ticle about whining merchants
failed to raise the pertinent
question of their stand on the
parking issue. The sniveling,
whining merchants don’t
deserve to be on the front page
even though they frequently
purchase advertising in the
Emerald.
Paul Bell
Leisure Studies
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