opinion
Organize now —
prevent rape
With summer gone, the University is once again bustl
ing with students. The dorms are packed and classes are
full. Many of the new students who come to Eugene find
themselves impressed with the senic beauty of the Universi
ty. It is a nice place to walk, to ride a bike or to sit down for
an outdoor picnic between classes.
Along with the beauty of the University and the mellow
atmosphere that permeates Eugene lies a hidden danger:
rape. Few of the students who were here last year will forget
the repeated sexual assaults and attempted rapes that occur
red on campus during fall, winter and spring terms.
These violent attacks on women didn’t all happen in the
far-off comers of campus as might be expected. Many vic
tims were women walking home at nighb Some were simply
on their way back from class or studying at the library;
others were returning from social events. Women have even
been attacked close to the dorms and some within the dorms
themselves.
New students need to be aware of this problem. In the
past it has only been after a series of sexual assaults that peo
ple got stirred up enough to start doing something to prevent
it. This year it is time to take action before a rape occurs.
The Women’s Referral and Resource Service (WRRS),
located upstairs in the EMU, is currently in the process of
creating an extensive on-campus rape prevention project. By
educating women about rape and by trying to establish a
more secure environment for women on campus, this group
of people aims to cut down the number of sexual assaults
that have occured in the past.
The WRRS plans to take the idea for the project before
University Pres. Qlum in October. With Olorn’s cooperation
and the support of students, the problem of rape on campus
will get the important attention it deserves.
It is clear that the campus security service alone cannot
deal effectively with creating a more secure environment for
women at the University. According to a survey conducted
by the WRRS, the student escort service organized through
campus security last year after several attempted rapes prov
ed to be ineffective.
Most of the women questioned for the survey said that
they didn’t like the idea of being escorted by men they did’t
know. Also, the escort service was restricted to the im
mediate area around the University. Women who had to
walk several blocks away from campus to get home were on
their own.
The WRRS hopes to create an alternative, women-based
escort service that will serve a wider community area. This
is a welcome idea. In fact, it could be a life-saving one.
Especially since the vast majority of students enrolled at the
University live off-campus.
Other actions can be taken to bring down the number of
sexual assaults and rapes on campus. Better lighting around
the library and Deady, Villard, Lawrence and Gerlinger halls
is imperative. Also, moving night classes to more central
locations, such as Condon and Chapman halls, would make
it safer for students to get around on campus. It would make
a huge difference for women who now avoid enrolling in
night classes.
It is time for students and the University administration
to band together and decrease the advantage that rapists now
have. Last spring, a member of the Eugene police force
stated that potential rapists view the University as a kind of
“candyland” where young women make easy prey. It’s time
to put an end to that. Women are nobody’s “candy.”
r
'SCRAP IT W&OWm NtWCNE-PC ASflWWS ARE RJU..'
letters
For Reagan
Criminal Justice is the
number one women’s issue in
the upcoming election and
President Reagan’s record and
views leave the women of
America only one logical
choice: re-election.
Criminal justice is definitely
the most important women’s
issue today. Women are
generally the victims of violent
crimes, especially rape and
murder. Women constantly
have to worry about their safety,
not only on public streets but at
home also, because criminals
will prey upon their victims
anywhere.
We need a President who will
place judges on the courts who
will treat the victims of crime
with more compassion than the
criminal. President Reagan will
do this — just look at the record
of Sandra Day O’Connor. A
Reagan re-election will insure
more appointments of judges
who care about upholding the
origional intent of the Constitu
tion and who care about law en
forcement and victim’s rights.
On a recent episode of
20QR20 a man was interviewed
who claims to have killed 360
people (almost half the victims
have been verified) and most
were young, attractive women.
He started this rampage the day
he was parolled for the murder
of his mother. How many more
women must be killed or raped
by "rehabilitated” convicts?
Not as many, if Reagan wins re
election.
Karey Tan ton
Eugene
Oregon doily
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Seriously?
Walter Mondale must be kid
ding when he claims he
possesses as much leadership
ability as the President. After
all, it’s Mondale who has to go
running to Reagan with pleas
that Reagan encourage students
to stop picking on Mondale and
Ferraro everywhere ihey go.
If Mondale can’t handle col
lege students getting on his case
at various campuses, then how
does he expect to lead America
or be taken seriously by other
nations?
President Reagan has stood
up to opposition for years but
now that youth are coming
down on Mondale the "Great
Fritz” can’t take the heat. Well,
if that’s the case, then he should
get out of the kitchen! Mondale
should realize the First Amend
ment protects young people’s
right to protest as much as it
protects the right of left-wing
groups to protest at Reagan •
rallies — as they do quite
frequently.
Edward White
Springfield
Watch the law
The Self-Help law movement
has grown in size and popular
support like Jack’s magic
beanstalk.
The shadow it now casts
across the traditional legal
establishment is apparently
large enough to engender real
alarm on the part of the Oregon
State Bar.
People doing their own thing
obviously threaten some of the
Bar’s favorite golden eggs —
such as uncontested divorces,
simple banruptcies, and other
“fill in the blanks” type legal
services.
Ordinary citizens are turned
off by the legal system, which is
time-consuming and expensive,
thereby turning to Self-Help
agencies. The Bar’s motive to
r
wipe out Self-Help agencies is
explained as concern for the
public’s welfare.
Greed and anti-trust, of
course, never enter the picture.
Citizen’s Legal Watch is collec
ting letters from Oregonians
with personal stories concern
ing their attorneys and support
of Self-Help law. manuals,
clinics, etc.
Citizen's Legai Watch was
formed to respond to and reform
an ineffective, intimidating,
and expensive legal system. If
you are interested in fighting
back call Citizen's Legal Watch
at 239-9490.
Please help. The erosion of
your rights is denying you ac
cess to the courts.
Robin Smith
Portland
A bit confused
I know only too well that it is
sacrilegious of me to mention it,
but why do none of our news
people ever discuss the conse
quences of Presient Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s performance in
office?
He joined up with England
and Russia to defeat Germany.
Russia was our declared enemy
then, just as it is today, and Ger
many was not. Russia had four
times the people and more than
sixty times the land of
Germany.
At the war’s end. F.D.R. gave
the victory and a big slice of
Europe to the Soviets, thus lay
ing the groundwork for the
Giant Russian Empire of today,
now our opponent.
For years we have been spen
ding over a hundred billion a
year to protect Europe from the
enemy we created. And Presi
dent Reagan is driving hun
dreds of millions of Moslems in
to Russia’s arms with his Mid
East policy.
Just try getting these facts in a
daily paper.
O. Brannerman
Sacramento, Ca.
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