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editorial Anti-abortionists give conflicting messages Since 1982, according to Newsweek magazine, 30 abor tion clinics have been blown to pieces by anti-abortion ter rorists. At the same time, anti-abortion demonstrations have become more aggressive, with protesters brandishing bloody dolls, playing recordings of fetal heartbeats, poun ding on the windows of abortion clinics, and even following women home who have had abortions and staging demonstrations in front of their houses. As in the past, the Emerald continues in its stance that abortion is a personal choice, a decision which must be made by those directly involved. But we abhor this escala tion of violence and harassment in recent months that is be ing made in the name of the anti-abortion crusade. What is even more disquieting is the separation many anti-abortionists make over what they consider to be “murder.” For example, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a leading anti-abortionist, feels that abortion is murder, yet he actively supports the continued development of nuclear weapons. In Hiroshima, Japan, babies are still being born with physical defects as a result of the radiation fallout caused by the U.S. atomic bomb dropped on that city in 1945. President Ronald Reagan, another outspoken anti-abortionist who has equated abortion with legalized murder, continued to supply the Israeli army with weapons during their occupation of West Beirut in 1982, even after the International Red Cross con firmed that the Israeli army had dropped U.S.-made cluster bombs on civilian targets, resulting in the deaths of hun dreds of women and children. It is ironic that many anti-abortion groups, when asked, claim that nuclear weapons are justifiable in certain situa tions. Yet these same groups find that abortion is almost never justifiable under any situation. Those anti-abortion groups (and there are many) which have spoken out against the bombings of abortion clinics must continue to do so, before the violence escalates and begins to claim human lives in the name of righteousness. As the debate on abortion continues to heat up, we hope that those involved will see abortion for what it is: a com plex issue directly related to the social and economic condi tions in this country. As such, any discussion of abortion must consider the broader implications involved. State board should never have taken student money While most University students were busy enjoying Christmas vacation, the State Board of Higher Education was busy making arrangements to use $900,000 of student tui tion fees to pay for legal costs the board incurred defending recent lawsuits. The $900,000 was part of a total of $1.6 million generated by higher-than-expected enrollment at four of Oregon’s instututions of higher education. When then-Rep. Grattan Kerans, D-Eugene, and State Sen. Edward Fadeley, D-Eugene, caught wind of the board’s action, they decided to do something about it. They put a motion before the Legislative Emergency Board for $900,000 to be distributed among the schools that have experienced the higher enrollment. On Friday, the emergency board ap proved the motion. Any money raised by higher-than-expected enrollment at Oregon’s institutions of higher education is rightfully supposed to go back into these institutions in order to better serve the students. Our thanks go out to both Kerans and Fadeley for standing up on an issue that directly benefits students. r letters Tell it! As one of the protesters at the Marine Corps presentation last fall, and as an ex-Marine who served with a combat unit in Vietnam, I would like to res pond to the criticisms of our ac tions by the Eugene Register Guard, Paul Olum, and ACLU president Barry Siegel. The rumor is being spread that somehow a bunch of stu dent pacifists denied a bunch of Marines their freedom of speech, when in reality what happened was an act of non violent civil disobedience. There was no threat of violence against the Marines. We were all willing to be arrested and hauled away for our actions, and at that point the presenta tion could have continued. As for the great white liberals who choose to defend the Marines, why is it you only pull out your platitudes when it suits your purpose? Tell it to the young Marines who are beaten in boot camp, denied all rights of citizenship. Tell it to the old Vietnamese man I watched the young Marines beat, hitting him again and again, burning off his beard with their cigarette lighters. Tell it to Corporal Alfred Griffin, a black man who sits in a Marine Corps brig for refusing to take part in the inva sion of Grenada. 1 would en courage one of you to do a presentation on the United States Marine Corps and Freedom of Speech. I’d love to hear it. Tell it to an ex-Marine. James Phillips Alliance to Counter Militarism 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 Production Manager Russell Steele Advertising Sales: Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen nifer Fox, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen, Laurie Nobel, Roberta Oliver, Brett Pickman - Intern, David Wood. Production: David Bryant, Kelly Comyn, Stormi Dykes, Julie Freeman, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Ross Martin, Karin McKercher, Lauri Neely, Kel ly Neff, Curt Penrod, Tamye Riggs, Michele Ross, Alyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tre maine, Hank Trotter. Classified Advertising Controller Vince Adams Jean Ownbey Pa on 9 A Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Sidelines Editor Entertainment Editor Assistant Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Administration Higher Education Politics ASUO Student Activities Community Features Michele Matassa Mike Sims Michael Kulaga Costas Christ Michael Clapp Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Carlson Mike Duncan Michael Kulaga Jolayne Houtz Michael Hosmar Paul Ertelt Julie Shippen Stasia Scarborough Cynthia Whitfield Lori Steinhauer Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Dave Berns, Robert Collias Diana Elliott, Thomas Henderson, Allan Lazo, Capi Lvnn Scott McFetridge. News and Editorial 686-5511 Display Advertising and Business 686-3712 Classified Advertising 686-4343 Production 686-4361 Circulation 666-5511 Facing facts Mr. Munion's letter (ODE, Jan. 11) calls for a rebuttal. Let's take his points as he makes them: 1. America the Beautiful. Yes, but did humans, white or red, have any part in the creation of this natural beauty? If white Americans are indeed responsi ble for this beauty, then they are culpable of desecrating natural beauties in other lands for the sake of profit. 2. Our system of law is not universally admired, indeed, many look on ours as a corrupt and discriminatory set of prac tices. Ask any minority here. 3. Food in plenty, except that we still have boxes in stores ask ing for donations of food for our hungry. 4. A free press. . .Has Mr. Mu nion ever tried to get a truly in formative article published on the dangers of continued power of GM, GE, and Dupont, or a balanced presentation of the truth about the situation in Palestine? c c « « : « l c_ • * _ _ __ i « • W V # M » Cf V u u i i I y □ II U Medicare. Has he really studied or, better still, lived in other in dustrialized countries of Europe or Canada to compare their pro visions with ours? British Col umbia is less than a day’s drive north, Mr. Munion. Check on their health service costs to the individual. No, we do not want to sell America short, but we do want to face the facts. Finally, before establishing an erroneous basis for self-satisfaction, Mr. Mu nion should do some more in tensive reading of economic and political commentaries by experienced and successful Americans such as Theodore K. Quinn, a vice-president of GE (“Unconscious Public Enemies”), or the proceedings of Congress. R.H. Harvard Retired professor Eugene Much worse Michael Cross (ODE, Jan. 14) contends. ",. .the founders of this nation did not believe everything meant to com municate was to be protected by the first amendment." —au contraire! Protection of all forms of ex pression was precisely what the framers of the Constitution had in mind. The purpose of the first amendment is to protect minority or unpopular opinion from suppression by the majori ty. It says. "Congress shall pass no law respecting an establish ment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Here, the key phrase is, "Congress shall pass no law. . While I loathe violence to women and children, and con sider the sexual exploitation of any person to be the lowest form of human endeavor, I prefer to see pornographic trash on the newsstands rather than allow j any person or persons to control what I may read and write. Laws against the exploitation of children are quite explicit and the resulting pornography is unlawful because of these statutes. Definitions of pornography are elusive and largely subjec tive. To grant any group the power to decide what is por nographic and what is covered by the first amendment is precisely what the framers of the Constitution sought to preclude in the ail inclusive syntax of the amendment. Por nography may be dangerous and oppressive, but censorship is much worse. George Bergeron Graduate letters policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing fair com ment on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed and signed, and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned in. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style or content. Letters to the editor should be turned into the Emerald office, Suite 300, EMU.
