opinion
Finding right ticket
is Democrats' chore
As the multitude of Democratic party delegates prepan
to blow into the City by the Bay to officially nominate Waite;
Mondale for the presidency, it appears that the multi-facetec
and multi-factioned party may be like an heir who inherited
then gave away, the family fortune; it can’t stand prosperity
A short while ago the Democrats appeared to be a shred
ded party, too split and unorganized to challenge the in
cumbency of Pres. Ronald Reagan. Then, it took much
needed action to paste itself back together.
After months of alternating between resembling either s
name-calling contest or a three-ring circus, the bickering trie
of Mondale, Sen. Gary Hart and the Rev. Jesse Jackson
publicly made amends. At least enough to tie together sorpe
loose ends and present a united front before the November
election.
For the sake of everyone who would enjoy seeing
Reagan ousted from the White House, such pulling together
couldn’t have come at a better time. No Democratic can
didate approaches Reagan in the latest polls and it’s evident
that the aforementioned trio’s fight for the nomination has
benefited Reagan more than any of them.
But it seems the Democrats have more loose ends than
they know how to handle. Just before Mondale and Jackson
met and reached some accord,-the National Organization for
Women announced it might turn the Democratic National
Convention into a “floor fight’’ if Mondale did not choose a
woman running mate.
Such a threat should not be taken lightly. Whether or
not, as NOW Pres. Judy Goldsmith says, the organization
has enough delegate support to force Mondale’s hand,
another fight within the Democratic party will surely force
up Reagan’s standing in the polls.
There is no doubt that women have too long been ex
cluded from'most high positions in government, not just the
vice-presidency or presidency. But to force a fight for the
sake of a nomination is a poor approach. It could hurt NOW
in the public’s eyes and it could hurt the Democrats in
November.
Mondale says he will choose the running mate who will
best help him defeat Reagan. There are strong indications
that that might be Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York who
carries with her not only the obvious support of NOW but
also that of House Speaker Tip O’Neill.
Ferraro, a 48-year-old, three-term representative from
Queens, N.Y., holds more than a passing interest in becom
ing the first woman vice president, or the first woman to
have a legitimate shot at the job.
Fortunately, for the Democrats, Ferraro emerged from a
meeting with Mondale and stated she would not accept a
draft if feminists do challenge Mondale’s choice. That clos
ed a door she had earlier left open when she said she might
participate in just such a move. At the same time, she also
said her greatest concern was seeing that the Democrats won
in November, regardless of the ticket. Perhaps that will
temper NOW’s eagerness to put a woman on the ticket, a
move that might resemble the classic effort of cutting off
one’s nose to spite the face.
Mondale has been busy interviewing possible ticket
sharers all around the country, no doubt to tie up more loose
ends, and Ferraro apparently heads the list. But Hart’s
popularity is hard to overlook and Jackson says he would ac
cept the vice presidency.
If surveys and the pendulum of support point to anyone
other than a woman as being the best bet on the ticket to
unseat Reagan, then O’Neill, NOW and any other factions of
the Democratic party would best serve their cause, and the
cause of most Americans, by uniting and supporting that
ticket.
Whatever combination it takes for the Democrats to win
in November is the right ticket.
I-----—
' G8cm, i nw have to s^d you am a sw- omge cmxm.'
letters
No parking lot
Dear Mr. Bell, in your July 2
tirade against the “sniveling,”
‘‘disgustingly greedy”
businesses of the Courtyard (in
favor of the poor, helpless
hospital) you snicker about the
“whinos and transients (you)
see there often.” Mr. Bell, why
do you go there often? Could it
be that, like me, you go to
Lenny’s for a cold beer, to sit
under the trees, to listen to birds
and soft guitar music and talk to
your friends? If you worry about
the transient problem in the
Courtyard, much less Eugene,
then you know little about the
makeup of cities and have a
distorted view of this one.
Or perhaps, Mr. Bell, you are
referring to the artists, musi
cians, writers and other creative
people, as well as hospital
employees, who seem to relish
the ambience of the Courtyard
and especially Lenny's Nosh
Bar. (Oh yes, Mr. Bell, Lenny is
obviously rolling in dough;
that’s why he works 16 hours a
day when he should be relaxing
in the sun somewhere enjoying
his riches in retirement.)
My own enjoyment of the
Courtyard aside, Mr. Bell (since
I must therefore be a sniveling
whiner, if not wino, who is as
disgustingly greedy as the rest
of them), the prospect of
another parking lot — and
perhaps later, another ugly
parking structure — is not
pleasing, probably not even to
you. The use of such a prime
location in this way distresses
me. especially considering that
the poor hospital already has
two huge parking structures
within two blocks of the Cour
tyard. I feel chagrined when I
consider the vast empty spaces
at Autzen Stadium just across
the river. The hospital’s deci
sion, Mr. Bell, is based on con
venience. Why can’t they use a
shuttle system (most likely
cheaper than a new parking
structure but not as convenient)
to bring in their employees, and
turn over part of their existing
structures to patients if they
care so much about their park
ing problems? Convenience is
obviously more important than
atmosphere or the standard of
living in this neighborhood.
Oh well. None of this matters.
Next year the Courtyard garden
will be gone and we can enjoy
the asphalt and exhaust fumes
of another square block of
wasteland in our paradise city.
Then you can stand where the
trees used to be and snicker
about winos, Mr. Bell. It will be
such an improvement.
Molly Moore
Graduate, English
Orwellian logic
Thursday, with typical
Orwellian logic, the Supreme
Court ruled that only the most
disadvantaged of the society,
those who need federal
assistance in order to get an
education or job training, are re
quired to show proof of registra
tion for the draft. Throughout
the nation, newspapers will
write editorials supporting the
ruling, with the argument that
that those wishing to accept the
benefits of a society should be
willing to defend that society.
On the surface, it appears to
be a sound argument. And what
perfect timing for releasing the
decision; the pompous patriotic
speeches about freedom and
democracy still ringing in our
ears; our nation’s flag and color
ful parades gracing the front
pages of our newspapers; the
rockets red glare and fireworks.
Some (fireworks) popping like
an M-16, others cracking like an
AK-47 on automatic.
But forgive me, I forgot, Viet
nam is over. But it’s just that,
there too, we forced our youth,
minorities and the disadvantag
ed to carry the heaviest burden.
And then, unable to admit we
had sent them to spill blood in
an undeclared, immoral and il
legal war, we shunned them
when they returned.
The Veteran’s Administration
refused to even acknowledge
post-Vietnam stress until 1980,
and even now rejects a large ma
jority of the claims. The govern
ment and the chemical com
panies attempt to deny respon
sibility for the cancer and defor
mities caused by the poison
dioxin, so as not to cut into their
profit margin.
But we do have homecoming
parades in hopes that the
veterans will encourage another
generation of youth to go to
slaughter. Just because they are
too young to drink a beer does
not mean they are too young to
have an M-16 put into their
hands and be given life and
death decisions in a bloodbath.
James R. Phillips
Coordinator
Alliance to Counter Militarism
Oregon aoiiy
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