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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1985)
editorial Decision marks a victory for whales Despite a U.S.-signed international agreement that sup ports a ban on all whale hunting, the administration of Presi dent Ronald Reagan agreed in November to let Japan con tinue hunting sperm whales for three more years. It was a decision that angered environmentalists and members of Congress. In 1979, Congress enacted laws that required the United States to cut in half the quota of fish caught in U.S. waters by any nation that defied the whaling ban. The Reagan administration made an exception for Japan. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Richey has now changed that. On Tuesday, Richey ordered the Reagan ad ministration to enforce the laws enacted by Congress. Unless Japan ends its hunting of sperm whales, the Reagan ad ministration must cut in half the amount of fish Japan is cur rently allowed to take from U.S. waters. This will be a serious blow to the Japanese fishing industry, one that is likely to make Japan reconsider its policy of hunting sperm whales in contravention of the international whaling ban. Richey’s decision represents a landmark case for en vironmentalists and a victory for whales. But the struggle is not over yet. The Reagan administration responded im mediately by announcing that it will appeal the ruling and ask for a stay of the judge’s order. Richey, however, remind ed the Reagan administration in his 28-page decision that it had ‘‘a clear and non-discretionary duty” to uphold the law as enacted by Congress. He went on to state that Congress passed the 1979 laws on whaling because it “wanted to send a clear message to the world that the United States was com mitted to being in the vanguard of the fight to preserve the whale.” Richey is 100 percent right in his ruling. It’s time the Reagan administration learned to respect congressional law and stopped trying to go around it to achieve it’s goals. Since 1972, the United States has been one of the strongest supporters of the movement to save the whales. The Reagan administration must not be allowed to change that. News, - poori aper ad reflects ' on city council Opponents of the project to widen Sixth and Seventh Avenue have some valid complaints concerning the city sponsored ads in the Register Guard that are supposed to ex plain the street-widening project to the public. Make no mistake, the ads do explain the project in very clear terms, but some of those terms violate the spirit of neutrality that the ads should represent. For example, referring to the pro posal as an “improvement project” can hardly be called neutral. Futhermore, explaining the project in the future tense, such as, “A fourth lane will be added...” insinuates that it will happen regardless of public opinion. These are subtle ways of trying to influence people and it reflects poor ly on the Eugene City Council. Where we do not agree with the street-widening op ponents, however, is in their demand that a retraction be printed in the Register Guard, saying among other things that the City of Eugene does not support the proposed street widening project and the removal of historic trees. This is going too far. But we do believe that the ad should be re worded and the above-mentioned phrases corrected to reflect a more neutral position. Finally, we feel that the en tire idea of running the ad four times (one a week for four weeks) is a waste of taxpayers’ money. One or two times would have been enough. Besides, with all the media coverage and public meetings, local residents have had am ple opportunity to learn about the details of the project. Oregon daily emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is pu hed Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations Si the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co., at the niversity 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 Production Manager Classified Advertising Controller Susan Theien Russell Steele Vince Adams 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. Production: Kelly Comyn, Stormi Dykes, Julie Freeman, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Rob Kraft, Ross Martin, Karin McKercher, Lauri Neely, Kelly Neff, Kara Oberst, Curt Penrod, Michele Ross, Alyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tre maine, Hank Trotter. Page 2 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 Kulaga Costas Christ Michael Clapp Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Carlson Michael Duncan Julie Shippen Jolayne Houtz Michael Hosmar Paul Ertelt Julie Shippen Diana Elliott Cynthia Whitfield Lori Steinhauer Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Dave Berns, Kirsten Bolin, Michelle Brence, Dave Carlson, Robert Collias, Thomas Henderson, Robin Joannides, Allan Lazo, Capi Lynn, Scott McFetridge, Stasia Scarborough. News and Editorial 686-5511 Display Advertising and Business 686-3712 Classified Advertising 686-4343 Production 686-4381 Circulation 686-5511 letters Issue of bias I was greatly bemused and outraged by the letter written by Lisa Siegle (ODE, Feb. 21). My reaction stems from the fact that Ms. Siegle seems to be deman ding that the Emerald become a mouthpiece for propagating on ly pro-Zionist views, and that if this newspaper decides to cover a lecture co-sponsored by an ethnic student organization (Arab Student Club), and in troducing an eminent theologian like Prof. John Trever (Director of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls Project) to speak about a very pertinent issue like the world-threatening conflict in the Middle East, and doing so from what I consider to be a refreshingly objective point of view, then this coverage, ac cording to Ms. Siegle, should not have “‘above the fold front page placement.” May I remind Ms. Siegle that the Emerald is a newspaper of the students, by the students, and for all of the students and their legal organizations. This paper is not, should not. and must never be a mouthpiece of one student organization against another. It would be in teresting to find out Ms. Siegle’s reaction if we turn the table on her and ask what would she think if an anti-Zionist per son wrote a letter to the editor complaining about the the Emerald’s (Feb. 7) front page coverage of a thoroughly biased anti-Arab lecture presented by Mr. Lotterman, a thoroughly biased Zionist, and sponsored by a thoroughly biased pro Israeli Jewish Student Union? Most likely that person would be immediately tabled anti Semitic and totally biased. But this would be a hypocritical position to hold, reflecting mainly a self-righteous stand. Finally. 1 support the Emerald’s responsible and even-handed approach in cover ing local activities concerning the Middle East conflict. The main beneficiary in this case is the general public, which will have access to various points of views and can make its own judgment. Hassan Al-Khatib Arab Student Club Director Anti-apartheid I am anti-apartheid. But the way to fight apartheid is not to cut off investments in South Africa, or to boycott South African goods. When that is done, the people who suffer are the blacks. Divestment is a sop to the liberal psyche. Since nothing can be done to affect the truly horrible events in totalitarian countries like Afghanistan, Cambodia, Viet nam, and the Soviet Union, liberals choose to focus on forc ing American corporations to stop investing in South Africa. But as the hereditary chief of 6 million Zulus, Chief Buthelezei, has stated, such a focus by Americans is arrogant poppycock. American corpora tions in South Africa have been prime movers in battering chinks in the wall of apartheid. If they are removed, then the Afrikaaner extremists will be able to rebuild and strengthen the wall. Instead of divesting, the U.S. should invest even more in South Africa, but with provisos that weaken and dissolve the chains of apar theid. By divesting, the U.S. would be promoting race hatred, class warfare, and the locking in of blacks to a life of economic squalor. As for boycotting the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy," playing at the Bijou theater, it's ridiculous. The majority of the movie was shot in Botswana, which, for those liberals who have a hazy sense of geography, is an independent nation. The movie focuses on the meeting of cultures and leaves one with the feeling that in many ways the culture of the Khalahari bushmen is vastly superior to our own. But see it for yourself. Kim Mackey Secondary Ed. Satisfy desires From a sign on the Women’s Resource and Referral porno display that appeared in the EMU: “If you find this exciting, seek help, for you are a victim.. So I find men dominating naked women exciting. I also find naked women dominatng men exciting. I resent the implication that I’m a shameful “victim” of society. I abhor rape. I also en joy my desire for sexual ac tivities. I view happiness as a primary goal of society. I think sexual desire and frequency should be increased. I feel the sponsers of the display have misinterpreted the increased rape rate due to por nography. “Dirty” pictures don’t cause rape. It's mostly society’s attitude toward por nography which is a problem. Clothes hide people’s bodies. Because, on a bksic level, we desire what is under the clothes but are not allowed to even ... look, our desire is increased. Society tries to keep young peo ple from seeing "that dirty trash” (pornography) and thus ■ when kids get it, it's especially exciting because they are doing something “wrong.” The fact that society hides naked bodies and tells children they can’t • look at "dirty” magazines in creases people's hangups and inabilities to function in society. I would guess the sponsors of the display wish to have por nography banned and children educated against viewing it. 1 see this approach as worsening the rape problem. There is a bright side. Suppressing sex and nudity will make both more exciting. I may be sick, but I’ll “seek help” satisfying my desires rather than changing them. R.K. O’Neill Law Nice display 1 just want to say that the photography in those por nographic pictures that ap peared in the EMU display was quite excellent and the models were asthetically pleasing. If anyone feels the same way, maybe we should get together and form a pornography club. fay Dinneen Psychology Thursday, March 7, 1985
