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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1985)
editorial The stun gun might violate civil rights The Marion County sheriff’s office recently purchased some “high-tech” weaponry. The weapons, known as stun guns or zap guns, are a new addition to many police arsenals nationwide. But their use raises many concerns. There are essentially two types of guns. The first is the Taser. which fires two wire trailing, electrode-bearing darts that contain 50.000 volts. And the other is the Nova, which shoots a 45.000-volt charge when pressed against a human body. Both temporarily cause the victim to lose control of all muscles, drop to the ground and remain stunned for several minutes. The guns’ manufacturers claim they do not cause pain, tissue injury or nerve damage. But there is evidence that incomplete contact with the skin surface can cause tissue burns. Proponents of the guns, which resemble “Star Trek” phasers, argue they will allow police to avoid serious injury while apprehending criminals with the use of a temporarily paralyzing weapon. But opponents fear that it will be easy for police departments to abuse criminals, in light of the weapon’s nature. Recent events support the fears of many stun-gun opponents. Last week in New York, five police officers were charg ed with using the guns to torture four men arrested on nar cotics charges. A San Antonio sheriff’s lieutenant was recently given probation for repeatedly using a zap gun on a hand-cuffed suspect. And Los Angeles police recently ex perienced their second stun-gun related fatality. The Marion County sheriff s office says it will only allow officers to use the gun in self defense and as a replacement for the controversial sleeper hold. But what constitutes self defense.? New York plice were not acting in self defense when they tortured the four suspects for a confession. Likewise, the sentenced San Antonio officer had little need for the guns’use on a handcuffed suspect. In the above in stances police may have been more inclined to use the weapons because the weapons in most cases do not per manently injure its victim. Any police force that uses the guns must implement a review policy for every instance when a stun gun is used. Similarly, all police forces must develop a protocol by which officers must act before they can use the guns. The stun gun may be an advance in law enforcement. If used pro perly the guns will undoubtedly decrease the number of in juries suffered by both police and criminals. But citizens, elected officials and police departments must examine many questions before the stun gun is fully implemented. Welcome back Mr. Reagan, you really showed them Well, President Ronald Reagan's back from Europe! And what did he accomplish? He certainly annoyed America’s Jewish community. He was the target of a massive protest in Spain. He did stay at the residence of Adolf Hitler's nephew. And how can we forget that splendid day he spent at former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco’s vaca tion home. The beautiful memories of his visit to a Nazi wrar cemetery will linger forever, but at least he finally establish ed a firm reconciliation between West Germany and the United States. (Things were getting pretty hot in the area of West German-American relations, weren’t they?) He did go to Europe for and economic summit, and its par ticipants did agree to meet next year. But. we know what he realy accomplished: Regan at 74 proved he can still travel with the best of ’em. Welcome home. letters Wow Oh come on Mr. Powell. Maybe the homosexuals you know don’t admit to engaging in certain disease spreading ac tivities but the weight of medical and sexual behavior research confirms Mr. Goulet’s points. Point A) Most homsexuals have dozens of partners. In Ken neth Plummer's book,"The Making of the Modern Homosexual,” we find with reference, "the average, white male homosexual. . .en counters 1.000 partners over his life, most of them strangers (Bell and Weinburg. 1978. p.12).” Even Kinsey found longterm male homosexual relationships rare. Point B) Homosexual sexual practices are unsanitary and because most homosexuals engage in them then this en courages epidemics. Most homosexuals practice sodomy and oral to anal contact according to the 1983 ISIS study. Many medical studies con clude that such behavior is responsible for certain epidemics occuring in homosexual populations. Some groups are even encouraging homosexuals not to perform "fisting” and other activities. If few homosexuals performed the behaviors Mr. Goulet listed then why all the attention from the "safe sex” movement? Maybe Mr. Goulet has made a few homosexuals mad but the truth has a habit of stirring peo ple up. What I don't understand is Oregon doily 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 Own bey Advertising Sales Laura Buckley. Tim Clevenger. Jen nifer Fox, Michael Gray - Intern, Robin Joannides - Intern. Carlos Lamadrid - Intern. Marcia Leonard. Rick Mart;. Nancy Nielsen. Brett Pickman, Tim Swillinger. Laura Willoughby - Intern, David Wood Production: Kelly Comyn, 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 Editonai Page Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Sidelines Editor Friday Edition Editor Entertainment Editor Night Editoi 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 Par 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 Display Advertising and Business Classified Advertising Production Circulation 686-5511 686-3712 6864343 6864381 6865511 T*ims ymkhnwh* peour.w \ Mm, SON. I Thought GtfQm VfcSON OUKSH* z 'NWtOUf KU-flcS? NNI GBGWNY 'T06CTHER, 'UW)WH intm, DM>? IHEnWHO v^mt MU& w>p OW, US,TRf BRITISH (prAW0MW6M.-m, 1WE RUSSIANS Gwmni, ^>ON ..AND «JAPW why Mr. Goulet's critics resort to attacking him instead of listing authorities to prove anything he states is wrong. Mr. Goulet shares his sources after all. Do you suppose his critics don't have anything to back up their side? Bob Wagner Economics An apology I am writing in regard to last week's visit to the University campus by Professor Jerome Frank from Johns Hopkins University. Professor Frank is a very distinguished psychiatrist and author of the book “Sanity and Survival in the Nuclear Age.” He was invited by our group, the University Arms Control Forum, to talk about the psychological aspects of the nuclear age to the University community and various groups in the area. His presentations were very stimulating and enlightening, and they were very' well received. I want to apologize to the University community, and par ticularly the students, for our failure to advertise this event properly. There was a remarkable series of missed communications and errors in judgment made by our group that led to the situation that Pro fessor Frank was not available to much of the University com munity. This was not our inten tion for Professor Frank’s visit. The University Arms Control Forum is committed to presen ting a variety of views on the issues surrounding nuclear arms control to the whole University and community. I deeply regret our mistake, and 1 hope the students and other community members accept my apology. Dr. Peter O'Day Chair. University Arms Control Forum You nerds To Dan Martin, Dan Goulet and the other "Holier than Christ Himself” types who have nothing better to do than be obsessed with what other peo ple do in their private lives: "Me thinks thou protest too much." But aside from that, don’t you think it’s a bit conceited for you mere mortals to tell us what God thinks and wants. And to support your ‘‘hell fire and brimstone" name calling, you quote from the greatest "Book of Contradictions" the world has ever seen, the Bible. But because it is your reference of choice, 1 will quote from it too. "Let ye who are without sin cast the first stone,” and by the Bible’s definition, ail mortals. Christian or not, are sinners (this means you, too, Dan. Dan. et al.). One more thing. If heaven is what you say it is, besides being the most boring place ever con ceived, it sounds like it's full of hypocrites and closed-minded nerds I’d like a one-way ticket to hell, please. A. K. Stanton Perchild A disgrace The Emerald is to be con gratulated for once more prov ing that it is the same small time, provincial publication we have all come to know so well. You continue to grant space to bigoted know-nothings who are vociferously, if seldom coherently, opposed to just about everything, and in the (ODE. May 9) issue you have a thoroughly redundant pair of articles about something as ephemeral as a stupid home movie contest. Yet, at no time in the past week have you printed one word, as far as we can tell, about the presence of interna tionally acclaimed poet and speaker, Andrew Sal key. who was on our campus. Professor Salkey was here from Monday through Wednes day: there was no notice an nouncing his Wednesday night reading, no interview, and nothing on the reading itself. Your ignorant and incon siderate treatment — or lack or treatment — of this matter demonstrates yet again why many of us do not think that the Emerald and the concept of journalism have anything in common Your lack of awareness brings no credit to the University. Edwin Coleman 11 Dept, of English