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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 1984)
editorial Arms control failure The recent Reagan-Gromyko meeting in the White House served its purpose well: campaign publicity for Reagan. There was just one problem. Reagan hoped to go in to the meeting and come out of it showing that his “get tough” policy with the Soviets has worked. It hasn’t. The only thing Reagan’s “get tough” policy has proven so far is how “tough” it is for Reagan to reach any kind of arms control agreement with the Kremlin. During his presidency, he has made repeated nasty verbal attacks against the Russians. He has called them “evil,” “godless,” and even gone so far as to joke about bombing Russia off the face of the earth. While such name-calling may be fun among children it is hardly the way for a head of state to act. Name-calling does not achieve arms control. Reagan has had four years to prove his intent to bring nuclear peace between the United States and the Soviet Union. Instead of serious negotiations toward peace, he has spent his time fighting for increases in nuclear weapons and defense systems such as his now famous “Star Wars ” idea. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Reagan’s meeting with Gromyko on Friday produced nothing solid toward arms control. Gromyko’s request that there be a freeze on the development of space weapons systems was met with a firm “get tough” response: First there must be full-scale negotiations and then maybe the United States will consider the freeze idea. Reagan says that his new space defense system will enable America to out-distance the Russians in military technology and to close the “window of vulnerability.” The Russians, however, disagree. They have stated repeatedly that the Soviet Union will never permit the United States to dominate them with nuclear weapons. They have history to prove this. Those who voted for Reagan in 1980 because they wanted a president who would get tough with the Soviet Union should be happy. Those who voted for Reagan because they thought he would promote nuclear peace bet ween the two superpowers have a lot to be upset about. The world is not a safer place today than it was four years ago. Hunting is a dangerous sport for the careless Once again it has happened. On opening day of deer hunting season in Oregon a hunter was shot and killed. Tom Hogg, a graduate of the University and assistant dean of research at Oregon State University apparently was mistaken for a deer when he was shot Saturday. The three men hunting with Hogg at the time all said they shot in his direction while chasing a deer. Considering that thousands of hunters take to the woods on opening day of hunting season, the apparent accidental killing of one hunter should not come as a surprise. But it is still a terrible tragedy. Hunting season is not only a time of fear for the animals that roam Oregon’s wilderness areas, it also is a time of fear for those individuals who love the wilds but don’t hunt. All week long before opening day, radio and television are filled with warnings: Don’t go out into the woods. Almost everywhere there is the sound of gunfire, and everything that moves becomes a potential target of careless hunters’ guns. Perhaps it is the excitement of killing that makes some hunters careless. But if hunters want the respect that they claim their sport deserves then they must earn it. The three men who thought Tom Hogg was a deer and shot in his direction Saturday should have known never to pull the trig ger without being sure of the target. It is a tragic lesson to learn. r letters Council jive In reference to the Register Guard article “City votes to op pose ballot measures” (Sept. 27), I have a few questions for our elected City Council people. Whom do you represent? Don’t you think that the people of this city have a responsibility to ourselves, to our children, to our grandchildren, to provide a safe, healthy, environmentally aesthetic community? Mr. Bail, you say that the public should be actively in volved throughout the planning process, but we shouldn’t have a veto opportunity at the last in stant. Do you mean being in volved as in the red ink amoun ting to $150,000 more than tax payers originally agreed to pay in a 1978 election for the con struction of the Hult Center and parking garage? (see Register Guard, 1/15/84). Is that what you mean? Or do you mean all the people like myself who attended the public hearing concerning the street widening? We the people who created our government are ultimately responsible, like a parent is for its child. On Mon day Jan. 23, 1984, we parents came forward to speak with our child, the City Council. We tried reason, anger, and even begging, but like spoiled children you wouldn’t listen. You fidgeted in your chairs, playing with your pencils and stared off into oblivion as if we weren’t even there. As a parent, Mr. Ball, should we have a veto over a non-obedient child? And you, Mr. Obie, exactly how difficult is it to build in Eugene? It doesn’t take a wizard Oregon doily emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co , at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403. The Emerald operates independently of the Universi ty with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press. General Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Russell Steele Classified Advertising Rose Anne Raymond Controller Jean Ownbey Ad Saies: David Wood, Marcia Leonard, Tim Clevenger, Laura Buckley, Roberta Oliver, Laurie Noble, Jennifer FOX. Production: Sharia Cassidy, Kelly Comyn, John Dorsey, Stormi Dykes, Julie Freeman, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Kirk Hirota, Karin McKercher, Uurl Neely, Kelly Neff, Curt Penrod, Tamye Riggs, Michele Ross, Peg Solonika, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tre maine, Eileen Tremaine, Hank Trotter Page 2 Editor Editorial Page Editor News Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Sidelines Editor Entertainment Editor Assistant Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Higher Education Administration Politics ASUO Student Activities Features Editor Michele Costas Christ Michael Kulags Michael Clapp Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Cartson Mike Duncan Michele Matassa Mike Sims Michael Doke Paul Ertelt Julie Shippen Jolayne Houtz Lori Steinhauer Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Shannon Kelly, Allan Lazo, Lori Stephens. News and Editorial Display Advertising and Business Classified Advertising Production Circulation 686-5511 686-3712 666-4343 686-4381 686-5511 to follow whose emerald city is being built at the end of the yellow brick road. Richard Gold Eugene Realpolitik It would appear that endless opinion polls, a general Na tional Enquirer mentality, and a candidate's ability to use the greatest number of “All American’* platitudes per speech will determine the win ner of the upcoming election. We, the comatose, media enthralled public, eat it right up. When is this country going to look beneath the surface of token phrases and rhetorical im agery? Let’s take a look at the excessively used buzzword “patriotism.” Does patriotism mean waving a flag, frothing at the mouth, screaming U.S.A.? What needs to be realized is that patriotism, if not rooted in some of the higher ethics of humanity is meaningless or dangerous. Hitler instilled fierce patriotism in the German people. Now that our "pride” and “Christian morality” are stronger under this administra tion, let’s look at the actions that are behind these refreshing compliments to ourselves. We are now proudly trying to destroy the government of the Nicaraguan people. The last U.S.-installed puppet of that country murdered 50,000 of his own people. Other countries benefitting from our “crusades for democracy” are El Salvador (45,000 civilians murdered) and Guatemala (same fate). Continu ing on the lines of “Christian" leadership (“Assistant secretary of. ..has pledged continued support of the Ugandan presi dent despite allegations of mass murder and torture.. ,200,000 civilians massacred”), is this the standing-tall spirit everyone’s been cheering about? As your children sit in their schoolrooms will you be voting for a man who makes one-liners r—-— about bombing the Soviet Union? As a Christian. I won’t be jumping on any Moral Ma jority bandwagon. Beneath the image I see actions that are ludicrous and insane. Surely the city of Eugene and its merchants earned enough loot from the Eugene Celebra tion to fund taxi service for the many bus riders, including students, who became stranded for hours between buses as a result of the disrupted transpor tation system. Cynthia Wooten and other organizers responsible for set ting up the 2nd Annual Eugene Celebration are particularly in sensitive. The events of the Celebration made hash out of the bus service scheduling — an unhappy and uncalled for repeat of the 1st Eugene Celebration. It may come as a surprise to these planners that there are people in Eugene that are totally dependent on the LTD bus ser vice to meet critical and impor tant appointments even on weekends. Not everyone is able to drop whatever they are doing just to celebrate your promo tional events. Comments by angry bus riders and upset, off-schedule bus drivers indicate that these kinds of disruptions and resul tant strandings do nothing toward promoting the stable im age of Eugene you wish to pro ject. In many cases, instead of scoring with the public, these events prove to be infuriating. The least that could be done during the Eugene Celebration is to provide transportation alternatives to the LTD bus ser vice for people dependent upon public transportation. I speak for many Eugeneans and visitors in saying thanks for a ruined weekend. Gerry Rem pel Eugene Bad service Kay Wells Eugene letters policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing fair com ment on topics of interest to the University community. Utters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed and signed, and the identification of the writer must be verified when the tetter is turned in. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style or content. c 1.L®^era,i°,the ®di,or 8hould ,urn«d Into the Emerald office, Suite 300, EMU, •w a _