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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1985)
editorial Reagan — seeking a war in Nicaragua Trying to understand official U.S. foreign policy towards Nicaragua is like trying to figure out a jigsaw puz zle. In the process, the American public is left wondering just what our government is talking about when it comes to understanding events in Central America. In 1980, Reagan gave the go-ahead to the CIA to organize and train a counter-revolutionary army to wage a guerrilla war against the Nicaraguan government. When Newsweek magazine published reports about Reagan’s secret war against Nicaragua, the president responded by saying that the Sandinistas were exporting weapons to revolutionaries in El Salvador. Reagan was unable to prove this charge and two years later he dropped it. In 1983, the CIA was caught mining Nicaraguan ter ritorial waters, an act of war in violation of international law as set down by the United Nations. When Nicaragua took the case to the World Court with the support of some of America’s closest European allies, Reagan said that the United States would not abide by any World Court rulings regarding Central America. The CIA mining of Nicaragua’s waters was followed by a Congressional vote to cut U.S. military funding to the con tras, whose stated aim was to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. Since then, Reagan has consistently maintain ed that Cuba and the Soviet Union are using Nicaragua as a base for destabilizing other Central American countries. This ignores the fact that Nicaragua sent 100 Cuban military advisors back to Havana last week. It also ignores the fact that there are no Soviet troops in Nicaragua, as compared with more than 2,000 U.S. troops in Honduras. What it boils down to is that Reagan wants the Nicaraguan government overthrown by any means possible, including U.S. military force. This became evident in January when Reagan declared that he would only be satisfied when the Sandinistas cry “uncle.” It also became evident on Friday, when the United States vetoed a portion of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on all foreign states to “refrain from any actions or intentions to destabilize or undermine other states and their institutions” in Central America. Why would the United States veto a Security Council statement calling on outside nations to stop activity designed to destabilize Central American coun tries? The answer lies in Reagan’s own military ambitions in the region. Solidarity leads struggle for justice inside Poland All the ingredients were there for a festive occasion in the name of workers’ unity. It was international workers’ day, in a workers’ state, during a workers’ celebration parade. There was just one problem: the place was Poland and the workers were members of the outlawed Solidarity labor union. The result was that when Polish citizens unfurl ed a banner reading “Long live Solidarity” during a May Day parade, the police responded with clubs and tear gas. The Polish government, like most military dictator ships, has had only one response to Solidarity’s calls for political and economic reform: increased repression. Polish leaders, like their Soviet counterparts, must realize that Solidarity members are not the “declared enemies of socialism.” Rather, as Lech Walesa has said in the past, Solidarity is in a struggle for justice in Poland, not in a strug gle to restore western capitalism. But Polish leaders, fearing challenges to their authority, have lost sight of what justice means. As a result, the Polish people continue to suffer. letters Well worth it If you’re like most of us, you’re concerned about South Africa, but you’re not ready to go out and get yourself arrested. You’ve got responsibilities. Besides, the thought of going to jail is a bit scary, even just for one night. Okay - Here’s something you can do. It takes about 15 minutes and it’s well worth it. This week, the State House of Representatives is considering a bill, HB 2001, that would re quire Oregon to divest its holdings in financial institu tions and corporations doing business in or with South Africa. Such investments sup port, economically and morally, a system of brutal exploitation based on skin color. By divesting, Oregon will join dozens of states, cities, and public institutions in a nation wide effort to unbind the closest link in this chain of injustice. Unfortunately, HB 2001 has been amended to exempt cor porations following the Sullivan Principles, a voluntary code of “enlightened” business practices whose application, claim their proponents, will" nudge South Africa toward equality. Yet, American businesses employ under one percent of all South African workers - hardly a substantial base for reform. Repeatedly, South Africa’s white regime has responded to subtle pressure with superficial change. For the black majority, bitter realities persist. No vote. 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, 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 Classified Advertising Vince Adams Controller Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen nifer Fox, Michael Gray - Intern, Robin Joannides - Intern, Carlos Lamadrid - Intern, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen, Brett Pickman, Tim Swillinger, Laura Willoughby - Intern, David Wood. Production: Kelly Cornyn, Stormi Dykes, Manuel Flores, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Jackson Haring, Susan Hawkins, Kirk Hirota, Grant Keltner, Rob Kraft, Ross Mar tin, Karin McKercher, Lauri Neely, Kelly Neff, KaraOberst, Curt Penrod, Michele Ross, Alyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Karen Stallwood, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tre maine, Hank Trotter, Mary VanCura. 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, Dave Berns Brian Erb, Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Carlson Michael Duncan Julie Shippen Jolayne Houtz Scott McFetridge Paul Ertelt Mary Lichtenwalner Diana Elliott Cynthia Whitfield Lori Steinhauer Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Kirsten Bolin, Michelle Brence, Robert Collias, Julie Freeman, Thomas Henderson, Robin Joannides, Allan Lazo, Adam Worcester, Photographers: Dean Guernsey, Kirk Hirota, Jim Marks, Ross Martin, Karen Stallwood, Hank Trotter. News and Editorial 686-5511 Display Advertising and Business 686-3712 Classified Advertising 686-4343 Production 686-4381 Circulation 686-5511 No permanent legal residence outside tiny, barren “homelands! ” No travel without a government pass. Im prisonment without trial or a bullet in the head for those who protest. Don’t let the Sullivan Prin ciples cripple divestment. Sup port HB 2001 - unamended. Contact your representative to day: State Capitol Building, Salem, Oregon 97310; 1-800-982-1211. Matt Gushee History Vital facts As a veteran of the anti-war movement, 1 read with interest Mike Sims’ article on the evolu tion of protest since the Sixties. While I agree with Mike’s main theme that today’s protests are less violent than some in the past, I am concerned by a cou ple of significant historical in accuracies in the piece. First, Mike states that ‘‘a lack of organization among the ac tivists and police” led to violent demonstrations. Quite the op posite was the case. To start with, I never attended a march during the Sixties which was less organized than the May 1 march to the Federal Building (march leaders didn’t even know where the Federal Building was). Moreover, it was not disorganization which led to police riots such as those in Chicago ’68 or at Kent State. This violence was a deliberate part of government policy, fuel ed by “agents provocateurs” who infiltrated the Movement in conjunction with the FBI’s Counterintelligence Project (COINTELPRO). Second, the idea that the anti war movement “helped prolong the war...by hardening the resolve of policymakers” flies in the face of the facts. American involvement in Viet nam increased steadily from 1957 to 1968, when massive op position forced a reversal of U.S. policy. Whitewashing of these vital facts shows a dangerous tenden cy toward historical revisionism which denies the lessons of Vietnam and invites repetition of its tragedies. Larry Taylor Linguistics They would Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. would doubtless welcome into their company Costas Christ and the other courageous protestors of apar theid who sacrificed so much in their recent demonstration and the resulting arrest. Indeed, they like those great leaders have selflessly thrust their noble but fragile lives into the perilous pit of passive resistance. Here in Eugene. Hal Zweben English Quiet no more On May 1, 90 people were ar rested while peacefully occupy ing the Eugene Federal Building in opposition to South Africa’s apartheid government. Some people are raising ques tions about why we chose to be arrested. I would like to answer the questions by posing some other questions. Have the inert structures of capitalism; the glass window, the marble wall, the desk, the elevator, become more sanc tified to us than the flesh and blood of human beings? Is it not incomprehensible that the same country whose very beliefs are that of freedom and the pursuit of happiness can stand by idly and even comply with a govern ment’s brutal oppression of its own people? How many ears must we have to hear the cries for justice? How can we veil our eyes and turn our heads from the spillage of innocent blood, the shackling of a people because of the color of their skin? Right now in South Africa, a black man is being beaten! Right now in South Africa, a black woman is being raped! Right now in South Africa, a black child is crying of hunger! The fortunate virtue that we ourselves are not directly ex periencing this does not exempt us from action. By trespassing and choosing non-violence, we are saying that the white power structure will not hear one gun; it will not feel one tremor, and the only voice it will hear is the voice of an outraged world demanding freedom and justice for the people of South Africa. 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