opinion
Rajneeshees have
a PR problem
Ever since the Rajneeshees put down roots in the Cen
tral Oregon town of Antelope in 1982, controversy has reign
ed. Antelope residents have accused the disciples of Indian
guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneeh of taking over their town and
local government. The Rajneeshees have done just that.
By 1983 the Rajneeshees voted themselves into nine of
10 elected positions in the town. They split the school
district, changed the names of streets, and established new
laws, such as the one permitting nudity in the city park. For
a short time they even changed the name of the city dump to
the Adolf Hitler Landfill and Recycling Center to honor what
they perceived as Hitler’s leadership qualities despite his
poor politics. The city dump is no longer named after Hitler
because too many people found it in bad taste.
Despite this concession, the Rajneeshees carried their
dreams one step further last week by changing the name of
Antelope to Rajneesh. Are they suffering from an identity
crisis? Apparently it isn’t enough for them to always dress in
red, to wear the guru’s picture around their necks as they all
do and to live in the city of Rajneeshpuram, now just down
the road from the new town of Rajneesh.
It would be unfair, however, to hold the Rajneeshees to
a different religious yardstick. Afterall, the Catholics did a
similar thing in naming the towns and cities of California
after their favorite saints.
While the Rajneeshees may get carried away with
changing names, such behavior is relatively harmless. The
real issue concerning the Rajneeshees — whether or not they
should be pressured into leaving Oregon as some residents
of this state would like — is what they have done here.
It’s obvious that the Rajneeshees suffer from incredibly
poor public relations. The guru’s personal secretary, Ma
Anand Sheela, said state Rep. Wayne Fawbush “is full of
shit,” on ABC’s Nightline, and she has referred to Antelope
residents as “stupid” and “bigoted.”
Despite this, the Rajneeshees have done good. They
turned an old sheep ranch, now their commune, into a thriv
ing center for alternative energy production. They have been
experimenting with low-cost appropriate technology pro
jects, alternative housing designs and small-scale
agricultural development. The Rajneesh commune could
become a successful new-age headquarters for advances in
community living based upon developing alternative
technologies on a small scale. These are and can continue to
be very positive contributions to people in Oregon and
throughout the country who seek an alternative lifestyle in
community living.
The Rajneeshees can offer a lot that is positive to society
if they get their social act together and learn how to get along
with people instead of insulting them. By having a “holier
than thou” attitude and by bringing in outsiders to vote for
their causes as they have been accused of, the Rajneeshees
are defeating their own goal: to better society by being a
positive and creative group of people.
For Reagan campaign
debates are an obstacle
In less than two weeks the American public will have a
chance to see Pres. Ronald Reagan and Democratic presiden
tial candidate Walter Mondale confront each other on the
debate platform. Or will they?
The key word is “confront.” Although Mondale re
quested six debates to thoroughly cover the issues, Reagan
would only agree to two. Furthermore, when Mondale asked
that he and Reagan be allowed to question each other direct
ly with only a moderator present, the Reagan camp refused.
Instead, they insisted that four journalists question the can
didates separately while allowing Reagan and Mondale to
make opening and closing statements.
Why all the conditions and why not six debates instead
of two? It appears once again that the Reagan camp wants to
protect their leader as much as possible from any open
challenges to his understanding of foreign and domestic
issues. Six debates would increase the likelihood of Reagan
making more of the outrageous claims and misstatements he
already is famous for.
The public could learn a lot about the candidates by
hearing them ask questions as well as answer them. It would
be nice to see Reagan without a script in his hands.
Still, two debates are better than none. Reagan has
shown about as much enthusiasm for debates as he does for
news conferences. Since he has only given five full-scale,
half-hour news conferences so far this year, Americans
should consider themselves lucky to have Reagan agree to
two debates. Like most actors, he doesn’t like to go on stage
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letters
Distortions
Periodically the local reac
tionaries indulge themselves in
a frenzied condemnation of
“misinformation’* on national
defense issues, which is usually
attributed to machinations of
the KGB. However Eugene has
its own masters of misinforma
tion. They're called the Defense
Education Committee.
At a meeting of the Rubicon
Society on Aug. 16 the guest
speaker was one Bob Bennent, a
member of this committe whose
avowed aim is to educate the
public on the need for a strong
defense. Having some interest
in these issues I went to the
presentation in hope of learning
something new.
However, I was disappointed.
Instead of being given an un
biased appraisal of the balance
of forces I was subjected to one
of the dreariest collection of
half-truths, falsehoods, and
distortions it’s been my misfor
tune to listen to in years. The
construction of military
facilities in Nicaragua was dealt
on at excuciating length while
no mention was made of U.S.
construction efforts in places
such as Puerto Lempira, San
Lorenzo, Trujillo, or Aguacate
in Honduras. The Soviet
r
numerical lead in submarines
was noted but the superior U.S.
anti-submarine warfare
capabilities were ignored. So on
and so forth. When I pointed
out the errors in his analysis
Bennet’s only response was the
hoary excuse that he couldn’t
talk about it because it was
classified.
I don’t mind another shrill
group of recalcitrant right
wingers banding together to
bamboozle the public. It’s their
constitutional right, which I
served four years active duty in
the U.S. Navy to defend. But 1
do wish they were honest
enough to label it for what it is,
single issue advocacy, rather
than hide behind the false label
of “education.” It’s already
been abused enough.
David Isenberg
Graduate,
International Studies
A dying breed
“Campuses Launch Anti
Reagan Campaign,” was the ti
tle of an article published by the
Regi star-Guard 9/18/84. This
NGO group called “Change in
84,” started by Professor
Goldrich, doesn’t represent a
majority of the students on the
campuses throughout the state
of Oregon. The problem with
the professor is that he is still
living in the radical 60‘s.
When Professor Goldrich
states, "there is enourmous
awareness on campuses of the
unjustified nature of (Reagan),’’
he seems to be void of the
political realities of the 80‘s.
This is shocking given the fact
that he is a professor of political
science.
The climate on the U of O
campus has changed in the last
few years. The students here are
more conservative. There is a
new alternative student paper
with a conservative point of
view. The Oregon Commen
tator. Plus, many pro-Reagan
clubs have emerged on campus.
The U of O is not representative
of most college campuses,
however, it is more liberal.
President Reagan’s strongest
base of support is in the col
leges. ages 18 to 24. These
students no longer accept the
tried and failed policies of the
radical 60’s, which professor
Goldrich represents. 1 suggest
that when classes start, the pro
fessor look at his students. He
may realize that he is part of a
dying breed, the liberal radicals
of the 60’s.
Ron E. Munion
Political Science
Oregon daily
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