Objectivity, war don’t mix
At 3:30 a.m. my alarm clocks
buzzes and I shift around in my
warm sleeping bag. “What’s go
ing on,” I wonder. “Oh, yeah
we are going to go stop the
white train again.”
It’s cold outside. It’s warm in
here. I ponder the struggle go
ing on in my mind. Why should
I go out and face the cold and
the unknown when I’m so safe
and comfortable here? I can
understand more clearly now
tha inner conflict people have
about getting involved.
Especially in an issue as
frightening as this one.
Some 150 people helped stop
the white train last February in
Portland. The action raised a lot
the train coining toward us, I
was filled with such horror and
terror that I felt compelled to sit
on the tracks in solidarity with
others.
I wasn’t arrested. I had told
myself that next time I would
get arrested. But next time I had
to be objective.
Objectivity. What a concept.
Commentary
On Friday, 200 protesters had
a spiritual gathering to confront
one of the most destructive
powers on earth. It was
estimated that this white train
contained 144 hydrogen
Photo by Shannon Kelley
Although many protesters were arrested, the conflict was more
spiritual than physical at the organized blocking of the White
Train last month in Vancouver, Wash.
of consciousness in people —
people who never knew that
this train existed, much less
that it traveled through their
backyards. It has been running
from the Pantex plant in
Amarillo, Texas to the Trident
Submarine base in Bangor,
Wash.
I hadn't planned on commit
ting civil disobedience. I didn't
have non-violence training to
prepare myself. But when I saw
warheads, with each warhead
equaling the destructive force of
five times the atom bomb drop
ped on Hiroshima. The Trident
Submarine contains 408
warheads. That’s 2,040
Hiroshimas, and the plans are to
build 15 submarines.
The protesters were not just a
group of radical hippies. The
ages ranged from 2 months to 70
years. Among them were full
time activists, students of all
grades, scientists, and an ex
policeman.
The large group broke into af
finity groups, including people
who would commit civil
disobedience, support people
and peacekeepers. Their ap
proach was of total non
violence according to the
philosophies of Gandhi.
“Satyagraha” is the type of
non-violence emphasized. The
term means “truth-force,” to
find the commonality and love
in everyone — even those who
you believe are your opposition.
They were seeking to change
people’s hearts about the
nuclear issue.
For many, the police are
believed to be the opposition.
But many protesters said the
police agreed with what the
protesters were doing, but they
had to do their job. I believe the
police respected the protesters.
Even the train employees
responded positively to the pro
testers as they waved and flash
ed peace signs.
A spiritual bonding took
place. It wasn’t us against them,
them against us or anyone
against anyone. It was everyone
for everyone and all for all.
Though our actions were dif
ferent and opposed, in heart we
were all as one.
So, I’m supposed to be objec
tive. I cried when I saw the
train. A lot of people were cry
ing. I hugged a male friend who
was crying. A woman I didn’t
know hugged me when she saw
me crying. I sat on the tracks
and took pictures. But I was
really protesting. I was pro
testing the madness of the arms
race — the threat of the extinc
tion of life.
Objectivity. There is no such
thing as objectivity when con
fronting the threat of total
destruction of earth. Nobody
wants to see that. There isn’t
another side.
By Shannon Kelley
Experts diagnose Legislature
By Paul Ertelt
Of the Emerald
Oregon’s “citizen’s legislature’’ may soon be
replaced by a full-time professional law-making
body, former legislator Stafford Hansell said at a
conference at the University this weekend.
“In another 10 to 15 years we’re going to
have a full-time Legislature whether we want one
or not,” said Hansell, who is currently a member
of the Land Conservation and Development Com
mission. Despite Oregonians’ skepticism about
professional politicians, the increased workload
of the Legislature means fewer people will have
the time to leave their other jobs to come to
Salem, he said.
Hansell was one of 20 participants at the
“Conference to Improve the Oregon Legislature”
held in Johnson Hall on Saturday afternoon.
The round-table discussion brought together
Oregon legislators, journalists, University faculty
and other observers of the Legislature to consider
ways of improving that body. Most participants
agreed that the public’s perception of the
Legislature and its effectiveness is much worse
than reality.
“Criticizing the Legislature has become a
popular public recreation,” said Associate Prof.
Edward Weeks. Weeks and Associate Prof. Carl
Hosticka, who is also a Democratic state represen
tative, opened the conference with a summary on
the performance of the Legislature, its structure
and organization, the effects of lobbying, and
other topics.
Media coverage is partly responsible for the
public’s distorted perception of the Legislature,
said Paul Hansen of KGW-TV in Portland. The
media often focus on controversies in the
Legislature while ignoring much of the important
Continued on Page 6
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