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