Letters
Praise ABC
An editorial in the Emerald
)an. 15 states that the ABC net
work, in heeding Moscow's
warning to either stop produc*
tion of the miniseries
"Amerika” or lie forced to stop
their news operations in
Moscow, “undermines a har.ic
foundation of democracy" and
“betrayed the United States'
firm belief in freedom of expres
sion." The repeated misuse of
these terms helps to cloud the
issue considerably, ■
’. As the editorial duly notes,
"Amerika" depicts American
life after a Soviet takeover of the
United States. Given the current
world situation, this seems like
the most ideologically
... dangerous scenario imaginable.
Chief among the Emerald’s
o: assertions are these three:
1. That "the Kremlin is being
permitted ip restrict the flow of
information\ to the United
States. “ There was no restric
tion x>f information; the other
networks received no threats. '
The true flow of information in .
. . Amerika.''': i-s from the
. American state to the American
people.- • =. •, .
.. ' . • i. That "the charge (against)
'Amerika'. is 'part: of a larger
: Soviet , campaign aimed at
similarly perceived American,
films"’. One wonders which
"similarly.perceived films" are.
meant here‘.■‘Perhaps the ones*
which are tintir.Soviet fantasies.
"Red Dawn," "Invasion U$A."
and "Rocky IV" tp name a few
. 3'. That the Soviets' refusal to
allow the network that pro
pagandizes against them to
operate in their capital under
mines democracy. "Amerika's"
paranoid fantasy was not
tbought up by the American
l>eople. but designed to be fed
to them.
ABC should be praised for
furthering American-Soviet
relations by stopping a
miniseries that should never
have been thought up in the
first place.
Michael lames
° •' ■ ■!,-French
Don’t be misled
I must say .Glenn Sack*' com
mi litary (OI)K. QK. 4J was
quite a mouthful indeed. I
would now like to see our dear
Mr. Sacks take a crack at defen
ding Nazi Germany's systematic
extermination of 4 to 6 million
persons of Jewish descent as a
liberation movement to free
them of their religious bonds
Mr. Sacks somehow seems to
believe that the Soviet invasion
of Afghanistan is going to
liberato the country's women,
educate the people and
democratize the populous. I
don't see how Mr. Sacks’ Soviet
associates can achieve these
goals while at the same time
they are carpet bombing Afghan
villages and systematically kill
ing thousands of people
throughout the country.
The Oregon Commentator
was on target with Afghan
figures of lives lost and displac
ed. Even such liberal
periodicals as Mother Jones
have written that combined Mu
Jahideen/civilian death totals
are between 500,000 and 1
million dead. Refugee estimates
are 1.5 million in Iran. 3 million
in Pakistan and 1 million inter
nal refugees living in the slums
of Kabul. Other. laspected and
non-rightist magazines such us
The Atlantic Monthly. The New
York Times Magazine,
Macleans and Time have
similar reports.
A suggestion to the reader:
Don't be mindlessly lod about
by such heartless and cynical
people as Glenn Sacks. There is
credible data on the situation in
Afghanistan written by both left
and right persuasions. If you
really want to know what is
happening in the world, then
find out. But always keep your,
hearts open and minds awake.
Patrick Glenn
Computer and
Information Science
Distorted facts
Mr Glenn Sacks, yoo'ard a
political pygmy. • • ' • . ••
J am greatly, distressed* by -
your letter to the editor (ODE;
Jan. 15), Your gross -'misjnter- •"
protati.on and/or misrepresenta
tion of facts is appalling. You
seem to deny that 6 substantial
.Soviet military presence exist*
in Afghanistan.-..and y'ou'
evidently condone the Soviet *
actions because you feel they/
are providing stability to the
country "/ '■
First. Mr Sacks-, . even . live
(’BS Evening News (that fascist
forum) has acknowledged the
existence bf- a .'massive Soviet
military, presence - 'more than
double the‘size* of 1 he invading
force! "• '•
Consequently., the Soyirsts
and their puppet- Afghan.'
government Have forced- an ex
odus so sweeping, that 'it is the
world's, largest refugee: popular
I ion. Perhaps this is the kind of
stability' Mr. Sacks advocates.
Clod willing, Mr. Sacks, neither
El Salvador nor Nicaragua will
ever become so "stable."
Duane Dungannon
Assistant Editor
Oregon Commentator
Boycott plan
Congratulations. ASUO. Your
unilateral decision to reduce the
mental-health provision of the
University Student Health In
surance Plan from $500 to $250
per year, while at the same time
limiting service to Phd.
therapists, has virtually
eliminated the option of off
campus counseling for the
average student.
In an article last fall (OI)K,
Nov. 18). Milt Kittredge of the
ASUO Office of Student Ad
vocacy said that the under
writers of the four insurance
companies which negotiated for
the l) of O contract suggested a
cap on psychological funding at
$250 in order to keep the
premiums low. Why then, did
the premiums actually increase
nearly $40 per year?
Another rationale for the
decision was that the Student
Counseling Center could ade
quately serve the needs of the
students. To describe the basics
of mental health treatment and
delivery to the ASUO might
force upon them a confusing
foreign language. Instead, l‘ll
say it very slowly: While it goes
without question our Counsel
ing Center provides superior
services, obtaining those ser
vices is often hampered by a
long waiting list.
The change in mental health
reimbursement is a misinform
ed decision at best und a blatant
display of callous disregard for
student welfare at the worst.
The students now pay a higher
insurance premium. They also
get less for their money. Now
really, who is serving whom
here? '
I suggest all University
students impacted financially j
and emotionally by this inr' -j
tolerable change boycoft the in
surance plan untu adequate and
fairly priced premiums offer a.
more realistic mental-health
provision. ' •.
(lari F; Schlossman .
Psychology
Fair weather
We-would jike to talk about a
vejry.0 serious: problem in- the
country today.. ' no', not the .
deficit;0 ho. not: the abortion
issue;:, .arid not even*the OBD
epidemic.% \ -V-. .• . •
Thls is mpph more important
the return of the fair weather
footbal).fan:." .; ... • •
What ever-happened to stick
ing' with your teanj through
' thick and 'thin?' Remember",
when a team loss sent, you into
. cardiac, arrest-; and victory
brought. Orgasm? That trendy
football- fan 4-hyoulve seen 'em.
They 'rir the- ones wearing the
Bear T-shirts.- who;.last year fell
i nlovewith ' "Barry •' Monta na lo' •
and his Niiiefs. • .
book for these •‘‘fans.'.’, this
Suhday.-They,'lhbe-waving their
Chicago banners.whiie sporting
a Patriot*. undershirt — just in
case. -Ikint got us Wrong. We re
riot knocking football or even
Chicago. We'd, just like to see
sorne of.the garbage sifted out of
the ranks of the followers. I
|ohn Dickson
Dave Albelo
Students
Great honor
It is a great honor to have
received the legislative Faculty
Excellence Award; the
mathematics department has
done very well in this respect.
Dick Koch got an award for ex
cellence in teaching this year,
and two years ago Bill Kantor
got the same award I received.
The University of Oregon has
a distinguished faculty with
many excellent departments;
mathematics is one of these.
There are several world-class
mathematicians in our depart
ment equally deserving of this
award. The same could be said
of many other scholars in other
departments here.
Unfortunately, the present
system is not the optimal way to
distribute such honors. It is too
political, and there are negative
side effects which need to be
considered. I wish the
humanities were better
represented among the
recipients.
Salaries are low at the Univer
sity of Oregon and this award
will be very helpful. I have had
offers elsewhere at substantially
greater salaries and a major con
sideration in turning them
down was the possibility of this
award. I am grateful and ap
preciative. I reiterate my com
mitment to the University of
Oregon and to its continuing
tradition of excellence in
teaching and scholarship.
Peter B. Gilkey
Professor of Mathematics
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