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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1985)
editorial Questions remain concerning contras In an attempt to rid Nicaragua of the Sandinistas. the ad ministration of President Ronald Reagan has laid the ground work for increased political instability in Central America. In its rush to stop the spread of "communist aggression" in “America’s backyard,” the U.S. government nursed the development of a new army along the Nicaraguan-Honduran border. It is an army without a country, made up of approx imately 8,000 to 15,000 men and known as the contras. Created with U.S. government funding, trained by the CIA in counter-revolutionary warfare, and let lose along the border of two ideologically opposed countries, the contras are a force determined to survive. Yet questions remain. How have the contras been funded since Congress put a halt to offical U.S. financial support last year? Are the contras there to intercept weapons en route to El Salvador? Are they carrying out a military campaign based on terrorist tactics? In a few months, Congress will vote on whether to restore financial support to the contras. In light of this, U.S. citizens deserve to know much more about the contras than is publicly acknowledged by our government. Reagan insists that the mission of the contras is to stop weapons from being smuggled to Salvadoran rebels and to put “pressure” on the Sandinistas for democratic reform. But Amnesty International, Americas Watch, and Catholic Relief Services, among others, claim that over 800 civilians, mostly women and children, have been murdered by contra forces' during raids into Nicaragua. Also, according to Edgar Chamorro, a former official spokesman for the contras, “The Americans have promised on many different occasions that they were helping us to overthrow the Nicaraguan government.” Congressional analysts have made it known during the last six months that at least two nations which receive large amounts of U.S. aid, El Salvador and Honduras, are sending funds to the contras. Recent reports also indicate that a third U.S. aid recipient, Israel, is also financing the contras. Other reports state that Soviet arms found on Grenada after the U.S. invasion are now being sent to the contras. Americans have been left largely in the dark by the Reagan administration on the continued funding and military operations of the contras. Perhaps it’s because the government knows that many U.S. citizens would be disturbed to learn that this U.S.-backed military organiza tion practices terrorism to achieve its objectives. Students must continue struggle for safer campus In recent weeks, Laura Romano, co-director of the Women’s Resource and Referral Service, has become the target of repeated threats of violence by anonymous men who appear to be threatened by her outspoken views on les bianism and women’s rights. It started with obscene notes on the office door of WRRS and has now escalated into threats of rape over her home phone. Whether people agree with Romano’s controversial opinions is not the issue. Romano has simply become the focal point of the kind of ter rorism women still face on this campus. Although the police are investigating the threats, it is important for the Universi ty community to realize that the struggle against rape and violence towards women on this campus is far from over. Unless students stand together and support one another (regardless of our differing backgrounds and sexual beliefs), then rape on this campus will continue to find a place to prosper. Oregon daily 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, S7403 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 tani Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Russell Steele Classified Advertising Vince Adams Controller Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen nifer Fox, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen, Laurie Nobel, Roberta Oliver, Brett Pickman - Intern, David Wood Kelly Comyn, Storm! Dykes, Julie Freeman, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Rob Kraft, Ross Martin, Karin McKercher, Laurf Neely, Kelly Neff, Kara Oberst, Curt Penrod, Michele Ross, AJyson Simmons, Peg Soionika, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tre maine, Hank Trotter. Page ZA Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Sidelines Editor Friday Edition Editor Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Administration Higher Education Politics ASUO Student Activities Community Features Michele Matassa Mike Sims Michael Kuiaga Costas Christ Michael Clapp Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Carlson Mike Duncan Sheila Landry Jolayne Houtz Michael Hosmar Paul Ertelt Julie Shippen Diana Elliott Cynthia Whitfield Lori Steinhauer Reporters: Sean Ax maker, Dave Bems, Robert Coilias, Thomas Henderson, Allan Lazo. Capi Lynn, Scott McFetridge, Stasia Scarborough News and Editorial M6-5511 _ ms?® ON,H£NRr. IDO HOPE “fl€ T*U,TUiN #uN6 MAN IS OUR MUGGER — HE$ JUSTUS O^RlSMAflC,'' letters Linguistics I do not wish to comment on the contents of Earl Gosnell's letter (ODE. Jan. 21) as I did not read die letter to which he is replying. I would like to com ment, however, on his misuse of the English language and his misunderstanding of Latin and Greek. “Homo Sapiens” is a word derived from the Latin roots "Homo.” which means ‘a man’ and “Sapiens.” which means ‘wisdom.’ Homosexual, however, comes from the Greek root, “Homo,” which means ’the same’ and the Latin root, “sex” which means ‘sex.’ Homosexual has the same Greek root as homogeneous, homogenous, and other words like homagamy that have nothing to do with the Latin root “Homo,” which means ‘a man.’ Alexander Pope, I think, talk ing kbout Homo Sapiens once said, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Sheila Juba Eugene Irrelevant? As 1 read Dean Berdahl’s pro mise and/or appeal that the study of humanities and Western Civilization be placed "at the heart of the college cur riculum,” I cannot help but remember that about a year ago a fellow historian was sug gesting on the pages of the Emerald that the courses called “Western Civilization” be abolished. 1 believe that since the 1960's, too many academics have too often declared as "irrelevant” for modem Americans too many humanistic disciplines that had originated and developed in old Europe for them to be taken seriously by the students of the 1980's. Jakov Basic Adjunct Assistant Professor Russian High risk Recently, a letter in defense of abortion appeared containing the claim that more women die as a result of childbirth than die horn abortion. Actually, this isn’t necessarily the case. First of all, only one out of every ten thousand women die in the process of giving birth (1980 statistics). True, only a couple of dozen women died from abortion complications, but thousands suffered hemor rhages, infections and subse quent sterility. By the way, childbirth actual ly has more blessings to the mother’s health than dangers. Research shows that one of the biggest killers of women (breast cancer) is least likely (note: least likely) to strike women who have had children and breastfed them. Women who are at the highest risk to contract and die from this cancer are women who have never given birth. Michael Cross History/Political Science Endangered I read the article “Survival Center Makes Waves" (ODE, Jan, 29) with interest; however, the position of one of the “two Eugene-based groups" needs to be clarified. The Survival Center's peti tion concerns the protection of rare, threatened and en dangered wildlife species and their habitat on the Oregon Letters Policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing fair comment on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must be limited to 2S0 words, typed, 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. coast. The biological data un questionably points to the fact that off-road vehicles severely impair wildlife survivability and should not be allowed on sensitive beaches, i.e., 55 miles proposed by the Survival Center, 34 (not 40) by Oregon National Resources Council. The snowy plover (not falcon) which lives and nests on the beach has been extirpated from 9 of its 21 historical locations and faces a tough struggle for existence against ORV’s. Some wildlife biologists estimate that only 100 of these birds remain in Oregon. In addition, the en dangered bald eagle, peregrine falcon. Aleutian Canada goose, and California brown pelican are threatened. The silvery phacelia also faces extirpation from Oregon. Only two plant communities of this species remain on the coast and would be protected by the petitions. Other rare beach plants include the pink sand verbena. Green’s reign orchid, and Wolf’s evening primrose. In response to local criticism, Oregon’s public beaches are for everyone, not just territorial, local governments or those who wish to drive on them. Oregon’s land-use laws and even Curry County's Land-Use Plan sup port protection of the sensitive beaches. Also, the Transporta tion Commission has jurisdic tion over the beaches, not local land-use planning. Brett Fisher Survival Center Takes two Cheri Snell knows that it takes a man and a woman to create a fetus (" Letters to the editor,” ODE, Jan. 28); she sug gests that anti-abortionists give the man partial blame for “ripp ing the fetus" from the womb. Why does she not also suggest that pro-choicers give the man partial choice in deciding the fate of the fetus? Should the man face his responsibility by feeling guilty for the "ripping" and quietly let it continue? Or will Snell allow the man to face his responsibility by sharing the decision whether to “rip...” or to allow the man and woman's creation to live? Maybe Snell should instead paraphrase the speaker she never once heard; "I want my fetus and to abort it too." Randall McGehee Eugene
