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editorial U.S. doesn't help apartheid victims The state of emergency imposed in South Africa is an ef fort to stop the bloodshed of the nation’s people, most of whom are black. Or so Pieter Botha. South Africa’s presi dent. and others of the white minority government, would have you believe. In reality, the tyranny is a desperate at tempt to dismantle the opposition to the government, and its system of apartheid, before the opposition destroys the government. What better way to destroy the movement that was beginning to threaten the government's stability, than to remove ail rights from those who support it; to break up families, arrest opposition leaders and threaten public demonstrators with disappearance and death. The state of emergency gives the government and its security forces almost unlimited power over its people. Under its provisions, authorities can detain and arrest citizens without charges or access to a lawyer, seal off entire townships, and even shoot blacks without fear of reprisal. More than 1.000 have been arrested since the emergency was declared July 20. and because the government doesn’t feel the need to disclose where many of the arrested are be ing held, many have virtually disappeared. Those that had few rights before, now have none. In the face of this blatant violation of human rights, the Reagan administration continues to stand by its policy of “constructive engagement," which stresses maintaining diplomatic relations with South Africa in order to somehow persuade the government there to change apartheid policies. But it is difficult to accept that the Reagan administra tion genuinely believes that this policy of gentle nudging is going to convince the South African government to relen quish its reign of power over the nation, particularly when it took massive demonstrations and protests to give blacks equal legal status in this country. Rarely is power relen quished graciously. The administration refuses to support the imposition of economic sanctions on the nation, clashing with both houses of Congress, France and the United Nations Security Council. The House and Senate approved similiar sanctions against South Africa even before the state of emergency was imposed. France recalled its ambassador last week and ban ned any new investments in the country, and led the U.N. Security Council in voting to encourage nations to ban new investments and impose economic sanctions on the country. The administration claims that economic sanctions will hurt black South Africaas, citing the jobs and money provid ed for blacks by U.S. firms. But what black South Africans need is an end to apartheid, and the bottom line remains that “constructive engagement” has done nothing to achieve this aim. If the South African government were faced with sanctions from all of its major trading partners, it would be more receptive to change. But the only thing the Reagan administration has done, is to repeat a familiar performance witnessed when interna tional crises crop up: sharpened its rhetoric. After verbally condemning the action, the administration asked the South African government to lift the state of emergency. Of course, when the layers of rhetoric are peeled away, the real reason the United States continues to support the government of South Africa is not because it is felt that blacks will benefit from the actions of the United States, but because the government is interested in protecting about $5 billion worth of investments in the country. But in the long run, the blacks of South Africa will suc ceed in seizing power. And if they remember the United States’ policy of “constructive engagement” with the government that oppressed them, our investments will cer tainly be in peril. emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald Is published on Tuesdays and Thursday during the summer session 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 The Emerald is private properly The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law General Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Advertising Safes Tim Clevenger, Michael Gray, Nancy Nielsen, David Wood. Production: Vince Adams, Kelly Cornyn, Stormi Dykes, Kathy Gallagher, Kelly Neff, Michele Ross, Peg Solonika, Karen Stall wood, Colleen Tremaine, Hank Trotter Production Manager Classified Advertising Assistant to the Publi: fisher Russell Steele Vince Adams Jean Ownbey Editor Managing Editor, News Editor Editorial Page Editor Entertainment Editor Photo Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Administration Higher Education, Community Student Activities Features Reporters Sean Axmaker, Robert Coilias, Allan Lazo, Linda Hahn, Chris Hazen Photographers: Steven Gibbons, Jim Marks, Ross Martin, Hank Trotter. News and Editorial 686-5611 Display Advertising and Business 666-3712 Classified Advertising 666-4343 Production 686-4381 Circulation 666-5511 Julie Shippen Diana Elliott Michelle Brence Sheila Landry Karen Stailwood Diana Elliott Kirsten Bolin Scott McFetridge Julie Freeman Marty Schwarzbauer I Z I K STAtt OF EMgfiSgHCY letters Religion Tom Visoky (ODE. July 18) argued for prayer in public schools by quoting George Will’s “22-page" analysis of Justice Rehnquist’s dissent from the recent Alabama Case "prov ing that the authors of the Establishment Clause intended to.prevent partiality toward any particular sect, not to require neutrality between religion and irreligion.” He also paraphrases' a “212-page" essay by john Whitehead by substituting “Christian sect" for "sect” and “Christianity and secularism" for "religion and irreligion" in the above quote. Visoky’s presuppositions that longer essays Contain deeper truth, and that one person can "prove" what another intended or thought, are absurd. A first hand estimate is only approx imate without feedback. A 200 year separation and indirect sources degrade this further. In his choice of paraphrase. Visoky attempts to establish a third presupposition, that the concept of "religion” is to be equated with "Christianity." Such sectarianism may have been an element in the authors' minds. But the horrendous tor ture and murder of 9 million persons, mostly women, accus ed of believing in the Goddess Religion of Europe (witchcraft), by many Christian sects, con tinued in English speaking countries until 1730. I would like to see a convincing "proof" that the Constitutional authors were not mindful of this 80 years later, when “The Inquisi tion’’, is a household word 200 years later. Finally, suppose the authors did not conceive of the need to protect the non-religious from Christian bigots. • Wisdom re mains such only if it is con tinually extended to. the. previously unconceived. .... Jack Straton Graduate student Physics Abortion The editorial printed in the July 18 ODE strikes me as fail ing to provide an- adequate apswnr to the problem it ad dresses. Abortion is indeed a symptom, not merely of poor sex education or of unwanted, pregnancies, but of the moral vacuum that has engulfed pur culture. Child abuse is also a symptom. Both must be fought, however, , because of the grievous wrong that they inflict on the helpless. Having discarded the framework of biblical, guidelines given to us for our benefit and protection by the One who designed us and created us to share His ex istence, we are left without a foundation for moral distinc tions; whatever “seems O.K." is ail the morality that we have left. Since individuals disagree about what is right, whoever is strongest or most adept at manipulating others is the “rightest.” Unwanted pregnancy and the refusal to recognize the right of the unborn to exist, are themselves symptomatic of an attitude that says, “I will do as I please, regardless of any conse quences." followed by, "lt.'s » not my fault.’.’ Our generation . ha# said to its children. *'go out. and make up ydur own rules' about right and wrong, ’’• We are now experiencing some of the results ,of-such “freedom”-.' the statistics on teen-age emotional problems, drug and .alcohol abuse, suicides and crimes of Violence against others suggest that perhaps these young peo ple need the moral training that we are denying them. .Wisdom ;. tells us to treat the disease, not just the symptoms! •• . • . ’ «r . * / ' William Moore. . ^ ■ . Music ... Classified . You said you vyere too young to understand, Mr. Olum. Not responsible for the death .. . and destruction of the bomb Taken from college to work on a top secrnt/classified project During the Second World • War, Or so you tell the world . How sorry you are for all those who died, But.you couldn't tell a soul U n t i If M a nha11 a n war unclassified. Would things have been dif- . ferent somehow If you took responsibility and said, "I will not allow secrecy. .1 will not allow another person, animal or plant To face the cruelty, violence, death or destruction Ever again." Besides ... what have you to hide? The free exchange of information Is UNCLASSIFIED. Richard Cold Eugene Letters Policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters con taining fair comment on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned in. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style. Letters to the editor should be turned into the Emerald office, Suite 300, EMU.
