editorial
Castro’s idea could
save 1988 Olympics
When the International Olympic Committee announced
that the 1988 Olympic Games would be held in South Korea,
many Olympic atheletes and international sports fans feared
that the stage had been set for another Olympic boycott.
Why the International Olympic Committee chose a
divided country as the site for die 1988 games is not clear,
but by putting them in South Korea, the chances are that
North Korea will call upon Communist-bloc nations to
boycott. If this happens, especially in light of the recent
boycotts led by the United States and the Soviet Union, then
the spirit of international cooperation at the games could be
seriously damaged.
To prevent another major boycott, Cuban President
Fidel Castro has come up with an idea that deserves impor
tant consideration. Castro’s suggestion to Juan Samaranch,
president of the International Olympic Committee, is to
share the 1988 games equally between North and South
Korea. Considering the ongoing tensions between the two
countries and the likelihood of a North Korean-led boycott of
the games, Castro’s suggestion should be given careful con
sideration. It might prove to be the only way to prevent a ma
jor boycott.
During the last two decades the Olympic Games have
been increasingly turned into a battle ground for political
ideologies. This must stop if the spirit of the games is going
to survive. What is that spirit? It is the ability of all countries
to momentarily rise above their political differences, to join
together in pursuit of athletic excellence and in the process
to share experiences across cultural bounderies.
Perhaps the best example of this can be found in the
history of Greece, where the games started over 2000 years
ago. During the bloody 25 year war between Athens and
Sparta, a war based upon strong ideological differences,
both nations managed to put those differences aside when it
came to the Olympic Games. It was one of the only times
Athenians and Spartans met and shared common ex
periences outside of the battlefield. Although the games
didn’t stop the Greeks from fighting one another, given the
nuclear realities of today, we have to make every effort to put
battlefields behind us and international cooperation ahead.
The answer to abortion
lies between the extremes
In many ways it is a battle of extremists. On the one side
are those who call the pro-choice people “murderers.” On
the other side are those who argue that abortion is justified
under any conditions.
In the middle of the debate on abortion are people who see
the issue as a multi-faceted problem with a multi-faceted
answer. These are people who realize that abortion is killing
but also realize that back-alley abortions, as was the case
prior to 1973, mean death too — the death of women.
Abortion occurs because of unwanted pregnancies.
Therefore, to decrease the number of abortions in society we
must try to decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies.
This is common ground upon which both pro-choice groups
and anti-abortionists can and should stand together. Educa
tion about sexual reproduction, wider availability of con
traceptives for both sexes, better care for unwanted children,
financial assistance for low-income families and more adop
tion programs are among the different ways to help lower
the abortion rate. No doubt people will still continue to
shout slogans of “murder” or claim that abortion is always
justified. But if the problem of unwanted pregnancies is to
be lessened, then people must identify its causes. A legal
abortion law is not the cause of unwanted pregnancies.
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letters
Not threatened
To whom it may concern:
We at the Women’s Referral
and Resource Service have a
few words for those self
righteous people who subsist on
pouring out hatred and violence
against women and other
women’s groups.
These people know who they
are: they are the ones who
believe women should be
barefoot, pregnant, and in the
kitchen; they practice hatred
towards lesbians — do we feel a
bit threatened? And they actual
ly believe in the Freudian con
cept of penis envy. Please don’t
make us laugh!
The Women’s Referral And
Resource Service has been the
brunt of many malicious acts
recently. Our purpose is to offer
a place for women to get
together and share ideas. The
referrals and resources we offer
are for women wanting informa
tion pertaining to jobs, social
welfare, legal services,
academia, and other areas perti
nent to women’s lives. Is it so
harmful for women to want ac
cess to those institutions geared
to help them specifically? No,
we don’t practice female
superiority — we practice and
work for women’s equality in
our oppressive society. How
can you feel threatened by
equality?
Contrary to the belief that we
are a band of renegade, bra
burning, castrating bitches, our
purpose has been clarified for
those who fail to understand the
term “Referral and Resource.’’
So, think about your actions.
You have failed (again) to
silence us. However, your at
tacks have augmennted our pur
pose to further educate neander
thal types like yourselves.
Laura Romano
Leah Juniper
Chris Gonzales
and others at WRRS
God and gays
I am responding to Douglas
Pyle’s letter (ODE, Jan. 15) in
which he denounces the use of
violence against homosexuals
in the name of Christianity. I
share that view with Mr. Pyle to
a degree, only because violence
toward homosexuals is not an
accurate reflection of the Chris
tian theology. However, I
disagree that homosexual prac
tices are an element of “the
nicely diverse body of humani
ty” that he talks about.
The Bible tells us that
homosexuality is a sin, but it
never advocates hatred toward a
homosexual any more than it
does toward violators of God’s
other commandments.
Regardless of what our human
views on the subject may be, the
Bible’s message is clear: hate
the sin, not the “sinner.”
Rather, compassion and
understanding are the watch
words of any true follower of
Christ, based on a thorough
study and conviction of what
God says about this and other
subjects.
It might do both Doug Pyle
and Brad Hall well to read 1 Cor
inthians 6:1-11 in the Bible in
order to better understand
God’s position on homosexuali
ty, before either one of them at
tributes this violent action to
the Christian viewpoint.
Lyn Gaston
Eugene
Nothing to lose
Mr. Brian Moore’s letter
(ODE, Jan. 21) is a shining ex
ample of ambivalent liberal
thought. The parallel you drew,
Mr. Moore, between the
blockade of the Marine Officer
Recruitment Presentation and
the crimes committed by the
Marines is infinitely more
ludicrous than James Phillips’
assertion that this demonstra
tion was an act of non-violent
civil disobedience, which you
condemn as fallacious. Yes, the
Marines’ right to abuse free
speech was denied; but
equating the standing in front of
a movie screen with genocidal
rampages in Southeast Asia is
an idiotic exaggeration.
Your point is that a violation
of free speech is wrong no mat
ter whose rights are being tran
sgressed. This point is, to be
sure, valid and truthful, but it is
also irrelevant to and and a
diversion from the real issues.
The blockade was, moreover, a
condemnation of the Military
Machine, whose existence is ut
terly contrary to basic human
needs and morality. In a world
of violence and flux, there is no
room for two-faced liberal
politics. Come now, Mr. Moore,
as middle-class students of
English we can afford to be
radical. Other than our middle
class socialization, we’ve got
nothing to lose,
Brian Maffly
English
Moth issue
Readers: As the Gypsy Moth
spray controversy builds into
yet another ‘‘battle of the opi
nions,” let me relay my own en
counter with the subject.
Problem: A growing Gypsy
Moth infestation threatening to
destroy plant life in my home
town. The local paper was
abundant with articles slashing
at the proposed Gypsy Moth
spraying, predicting unforseen
horrors if this “appalling” ac
tion should take place. And in
deed the spraying did take
place. For a few days in the ear
ly morning hours before dawn,
helicopters flew over the entire
community, careful not to miss
any potential Gypsy Moth “hot
spots.” Yeah, those helicopters
did wake me up when they flew
by my home; maybe I should
have grabbed the phone and
given them a piece of my mind.
Naw. Anyway, our menace is
gone; not one Gypsy Moth has
been found in years — our
plants saved, our community
happy. As for the predictions:
no dead birds and fish, no
aborted offspring, no caffeine.
It’s your turn for rebuttle now —
get your pencil and paper. I’m
ready.
John Dickson
General Science