editorial
ASUO court should
rule against measure
The ASUO Constitotikm Court will determine Thursday
whether University students hove the authority to override
Incidental Fee Comnite budget decisions- The court * rul
ing will be m response to a petition, recently filed with the
ASUO elections board, calling for the revocation of the
Oregon Commentator's $6,800 budget allocation for
IMS 00. The petition received 1.588 signatures, or more
than twice the amount needed to place the measure on the
ASUO's April 24-25 ballot.
Proponents of the measure say the initiative process
they are using is simply an extension of Oregon's initiative
and referendum system. That process allows for the resolu
tion of state legislative issues by a vote of the Oregon elec
torate. But while the system used to place the anti
fCommentator measure on the April ballot may in theory
adhere to the state’s Constitution, the proposed ballot
measure apparently violates the ASUO constitution, by giv
ing students authority that they do not possess
The incidental fee process Lasts for six months. It com
mences in November with program goal hearings, continues
through the budget allocation hearings of December,
January, February and March, and culminates with appeals
hearings in April. Throughout the process, students have
the opportunity to provide fee committee members with in
put on funding decisions. Students who wish to oppose the
allocation of fends to any organization should make their
opposition known during the hearings procere.
An effective budget process requires predictability and
stability. Groups need to know, in advance, who is responsi
ble for allocating fends. Presently, the ASUO constitution
delegates this responsibility to IFG members. But supporters
of the initiative want to usurp this authority. If students are
dissatisfied with any IFG decision, they should work
through the ASUO electoral process to elect committee
members who will reverse the objectionable decision. But
supportera of the Commentator initiative are not working
within the process.
The constitution provides the ASUO president with the
authority to veto any 1FC budget decision. But once the
ASUO's chief executive has decided to support a program’s
budget, no other student entity has the authority to in
tervene in the process. Section 6.7 of the ASUO constitution
states, "Once (fees are) allocated, there shall be no attempt
to attach any further conditions or policies concerning the
use of such accounts." The Commentator ballot measure is
an attempt to attach "further conditions" on the process.
Through the anti-Commentator ballot measure, the in
itiative’s backers are forcing the Commentator's staff to jump
through an additional hoop before they will be eligible tor
funds. Unfortunately for the Commentator’s opponents,
they are organizing for an assault that may have come too
late in the process.
If students are dissatisfied with the IFC’s decision to
fund the Commentator, they should vote on April 17 and 18,
and elect an IFC that will deny the Commentator funding for
1986-87. But, to reverse the IFC’s decision to fund the Com
mentator for the 1985-86 academic year is apparently
unconstitutional.
And measure’s proponents
should reconsider its effect
If the ASUO Constitution Court decides that the anti
Commentator ballot measure is constitutional, students
should work to defeat the measure.
The Oregon Commentator speaks for a large portion of
the campus population. Although its conservative, right
wing outlook may dismay many University students, it adds
a healthy and needed voice to campus debates. The Com
mentator plays a campus role that is analogous to that of the
Gay and Lesbian Alliance, the Muslim Students Associa
tion. the Black Student Association and the Jewish Student
Union. To deny funding to any or all of these groups would
deny University students exposure to a wide range of ideas
and philosophies.
If the University is to truly be a “marketplace of ideas’’,
University students should defeat any proposal that will sti
fle campus debate. The anti-Commentator measure is both
shortsighted and unhealthy.
Pane 2A
letters
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Irresponsible
Recently an ad appeared in
the Mid-Valley Link urging
homosexuals to consider not
taking a new test to determine if
they have been exposed to
AIDS titled. The Test Can Be
Almost as Devastating as the
Disease", and sponsored by the
GMHC, it goes on to state:
"Imagine, if your health in
surance company found out that
your test came back positive,
they might cancel your policy.
Even your job and home might
be at risk."
Oh my gosh, that could really
be devastating. So what if
somebody infected with the
HTLV-3 retrovirus might be
spreading AIDS to every Tom,
Dick, and Harry on the block.
Getting one’s insurance policy
cancelled justifies not being
tested, doesn’t it?
Wait, before you answer that
consider what might happen if a
homosexual with AIDS infected
a bi sexual male partner who
then carried the virus to the
heterosexual community. A
woman could get the virus from
him and then carry it to one or
more men in the future —
depending on her sexual
(im)morality. Unless you don’t
engage in premarital sex, and
then only marry someone who
won’t commit adultery, then
you risk catching AIDS too.
It’s a fact that AIDS (formerly
known as Gay Related immune
Deficiency) is spreading beyond
its former host population
through prostitutes, bi-sexuals,
and blood transfusions. If even
a small percentage of homosex
uals refuse to get this blood test
then expect AIDS cases to con
tinue growing at astronomical
rates.
Bob Wagner
Eugene
The Dark Ages
As we near the end of the 20th
century the Dark Ages still per
sist. Curses have their place in
the minds of many. AIDS we are
told, is a curse of God. This lov
ing God kills with in
discriminate agony, his curse
knows no bounds.
But. AIDS is not a curse. It is a
mutated virus. This virus
destroys the immune system of
its victims. These victims need
our help not medieval voodoo.
Lori Parkman has implied
that kinky sex causes AIDS.
Kinky sex is not limited to
homosexuals nor does it cause
AIDS. AIDS is usually transmit
ted by sexual intercourse with a
male carrier.
AIDS may be transmitted in
other ways. A few cases of AIDS
have been transmitted by blood
transfusion.
Agencies that collect blood,
and the. gay community have,
done everything possible to pre
vent this type of transmission.
Ms. Parkman and other
homophobics may refuse
transfusion or take other
precautions. However, we can
not legislate discrimination
based on sexual preference any
longer.
Beydnd the issue of AIDS:
Homosexuality is natural and
occurs in a great many species
besides our own. It is here to
stay. The only detriment it
presents to society is the inane
fear it produces in
heterosexuals.
Homosexuals are just people
and as such cannot harm
heterosexuals anymore than
they can harm themselves.
Jesus, the source of the ig
norant's curse never spoke a
word against homosexuality.
He did say, “Love they
neighbor...” Homophobics,
members of the Middle Ages,
heed Jesus's advice, " it will
make your life so much easier.
Scott Elliott
Law
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