Editorial
Contra aid supports
war and bloodshed
The Reagan administration is resorting to half-truths
and distortions in its latest campaign to provide military
assistance to rebels seeking to overthrow the Nicaraguan
government. Unless Congress rejects the request, the United
States will come closer to direct military involvement in the
conflict.
The president is expected to send Congress within two
weeks a proposal for $100 million in assistance to the
rebels—$70 million in military aid and $30 million in non
lethal aid. such as uniforms, medicine and food. Congress
presently bars the administration from providing lethal
assistance to the guerrillas, commonly known as Contras.
But supporters of the rebels, including the president,
prefer to call them "freedom fighters." They also label the
Managua government "Marxist,” and stress the "massive
influx" of Soviet and Cuban weapons said to be shipped to
Nicaragua. These factors, and the supposed undemocratic
nature of the Sandinistas. make up the administration's case
for supporting the Contras. -
Whatever kernel of truth may lie in these latest accusa
tions. it cannot justify IJ.S. support for the forcible over
throw of an elected government. The portrayal of the Con
tras in glowing terms — Reagan once called them the moral
equivalent of our founding fathers — also serves to mask
their true nature. In fact, the rebels’ conduct has been mark
ed by increasing human rights abuses and a noticeable lack
of political initiative.
Wednesday, the Washington Office on I.atin America
released a study detailing the "systematic" abuse of
civilians by the Contras over the past year. Two other
respected, private human rights organizations. Amnesty In
ternational and Americas Watch, have previously charged
the rebels With such violations. Amnesty last week reported
that the Contras commit torture and murder.
Significantly, all three groups have noted that the
Nicaraguan government has also violated the rules of war.
For instance, of the 139 cases of human rights abuses cited
in the new report. 21 were attributed to the Sandinista army.
While not as common as Contra atrocities, these acts repre
sent the growing polarization and militarization of
Nicaraguan society.
More than one-half of Nicaragua’s gross national pro
duct is now spent for military use. The national economy is
in a shambles, with many basic consumer goods rationed or
in short supply. Responsibility for this phenomenon must
lie with the Reagan administration and supporters of the
overthrow of Nicaragua.
The United States is financing a division among
Nicaraguans. In addition to aiding the Contras, the ad
ministration has blocked loans from international lending
agencies to Nicaragua and has effectively ended trade
through an embargo.
For Nicaraguans, the only tangible result of U.S. policy
has been bloodshed, and economic and social disruption.
And until the United States recognizes the legitimacy of the
Nicaraguan government and stops funding the Contras.
Nicaragua will become further impoverished and torn by
war. And in the likely event the Sandinista’s prevail, they
will be forced to further restrict press and political freedoms,
while spending more to defend their country.
U.S. concerns have been addressed by Nicaragua in the
past. The Nicaraguan government has repeatedly pledged to
prohibit any foreign military bases, reduce the size of the
armed forces and remove all Cuban and Soviet military ad
visers. Hut these desirable goals cannot occur without the
good faith of the United States. An end to support of the
Contras would be an admirable first step.
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PlM 7A
Sexist opinion
This is in response to
Michelle law's letter attacking
our collective "stupidity"
regarding the motive behind
Sports lllustrated's "Bathing
Suit Issue." I hope that many
women, as well as men. see the
essentially sexist opinion on her
part that all (particularly men)
who read Sports Illustrated are
I can take or leave the
"men's" magazines she ad
dresses. However. Playgirl sells
its share of beefcake. Also, the
U of O bookstore is currently
advertising (under “SEX") a
Man-of-t he-Month poster
calender. I wonder which
gender this will appeal to? Note
a bit of hypocrisy?
No one forces anyone to pose
for or purchase any
magazine. . .such is free will.
Nor are the models —•' either sex
— “exploited." They are payed
for their "services." and I doubt
that much guilt accompanies
the check to the bank.
I will be glad when people of
both sexes get off their
moralistic soap boxes and ad
dress those issues which truly
concern equality, survival of the
human race and the like. Better
still, it would be a refreshing
start to eradicate anti-male or
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Letters
female attitudes.
Sexism, as Ms I-ohw clearly
exposes, is. unfortunately, a
. two-way street
|ohn Workman
Senior
Editor’s note:?'hr Mnn-of-thv
Month fHistnr-culimtirr is lx*ing
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Ihnl hits no i on ids ! ion to thr
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No sympathy
Rob Young. I find your reply
(ODE. Feb. 13) to Audrey Weiss
on women's choice fascinating.
Do you really believe that
women deviously claim to be
using contraception, when in
fact they hope to become preg
nant and strike it rich with a
paternity suit? You can free
yourself of this paranoia in a
very simple way — take respon
sibility for contraception
yourself.
I agree that men sometimes
got cheated in paternity and
custody cases, but this has
nothing to do with women's
right to abortion, which is what
Ms. Weiss was writing about.
When children are concerned,
society's attitude is that men
should boar exclusive financial
responsibility. You ought to ad
dress this attitude, which op
presses both men and women
(though not equally).
Mr. Young, you and ! car.
never fully appreciate how it
feels to be pregnant with a child
one cannot afford to bear, or
how it feels to be a single
mother caught between caring
for her child or working to sup
port it. I have no pity for you
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and other men who believe that
women’ll ‘ efforts'-to overcome
mule domination am causing all
men to become gay ' or
misogvhislic.
Mark Derby
Sophomore
Weak excuse
Of course the CIA will mc.ru il
students even if the CIA can't
use (jiriNir Planning and Place
ment. Of course college
students can make decisions for
themselves. Those are not the
issues.
The issues raised are: Should
an agency that admits to
numerous violations of national
and international law be allow
ed to use University facilities?
Should an agency that has
violated, and some say con
tinues to violate. Its own charter
be regarded as legitimate?
Universities are some of the
institutions that define what we
as a people will accept. By
treating the CIA as if it were just
another government agency, the
University is defining the CIA
as legitimate.
The CIA did nut come to cam
pus to express its opinions, pre
sent the facts as it sees them or
to win support for its cause. The
CIA came here to buy labor. It's
doubtful they cared about much
more than the personal
qualifications of the applicants
They did their business at an
undisclosed location to avoid
confrontation. How is that
engaging in the "free exchange
of ideas"?
It is not a violation of free
speech to ask the University to
decide if the illegal activities of
an agency disqualify that agen
cy from University facilities
The CIA has admitted to these
crimes Actually disqualifying
an agency known to have
repeatedly violated laws is not a
violation of free speech.
Universities need to decide
what they will and won’t en
dorse. Free speech should not
be an excuse for refusing to
decide right from wrong.
Shasta Hatter
War Resistance and
Draft Information Center