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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1986)
Editorial Eliminate paranoia surrounding AIDS Ignorance and confusion about how AIDS (Aquired Im mune Deficiency Syndrome) is contracted ha* resulted in mass paranoia directed at a few public victims of the illness. The need for increased AIDS research is directly tied to the need to eliminate the paranoia surrounding the disease. Reducing paranoia would help change the tendency toward ostracizing victims by creating a climate conducive to public support for AIDS sufferers. Ryan White, a 14-year-old Indiana boy. serves as one ex ample of the need to combat AIDS hysteria. A victim of hemophilia, a hereditary condition that impairs the blood's ability to clot. White contracted AIDS 15 months ago. Fami ly members trace contraction of the disease to the use of a powdered blood derivative hemophiliacs use to help their blood clot. Hundreds of parents and students from his junior high school pooled money and resources to wage a legal battle that prevented White from attending hispublic school. After pushing their own case through the courts. White and'his parents finally secured an injunction.allowing him to attend classes last week after a 15.-month absence. But his stay was brief — on the very day he returned to school, a county cir cuit judge ruled that White’s presence violated a 1949 state law regarding communicable diseases. Community members are again collecting money and holding meetings to coordinate a legal fight to ban Ryan from the school. But even if.he is excluded, the threat of AIDS remains. Ryan, and every other victim and potential victim of AIDS is still without a medical solution. The potential for political and social persecution of AIDS-associated groups and individuals is staggering. And it contributes to a’climate of fear and ignorance about the disease. And recent opinion polls indicate public attitudes toward homosexuals have hardened due to AIDS. Of the 17,000 diagnosed AIDS cases in the United States, more than 70 percent have involved homosexual or bisexual men. A December Los Angeles Times poll found 77 percent favored banning homosexuals from donating blood, 51 per cent favored banning people with AIDS from having sex. 51 percent favored quarantining AIDS victims, 48 percent believed people with AIDS antibodies should carry special identification, and 45 percent supported testing job ap plicants for the virus. • , Civil rights activists and public officials have reported an increase in .official complaints of discrimination against homosexuals and AIDS victims. Many have lost jobs and friends, and have been evicted and refused medical care after word of their illness spread. Yet the most striking aspect of AIDS is the lack of evidence that it is contagious through casual contact. Transmission requires intimate contact, most likely through the blood stream. To date, there have been no known cases in which'the AIDS virus was transmitted except through sexual.intercourse or direct exchange of blood. Discrimination against AIDS victims has produced a mind-set that.associates extreme degradation with victims of the disease, as if they were modern-day lepers. Further, there is a growing feeling that AIDS victitns deserve to be punished and legally, discriminated against. This attitude justifies the persecution of gay and non-gay victims — peo ple like Ryan White., ; ' ' But if all the citizens favoring the exclusion of AIDS vic tims from their workplace or community instead supported the victims and their families, a significantly healthier en vironment would be created for the discovery of an AIDS cure. And that is the only sure solution to the problem. Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald 15 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 ol the University with offices on the third floor ol the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press The Emerald is private property The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law General Staff ,%*, . Advertising Director Susan Thelen * • * Production Manager Russell Steele ,V Classified Advertising Vince Adams Assistant to fhe Publisher JeanOwnbey Advertising Sales David Wood Sales Manager John Boiler. Michael Gray. Robin Joannides Carlos Lamadnd. Marcia Leonard. Shawn Leuthold, Julie Lewis. Catherine Lilja, Anne-Marie Vranizan. Laura Willoughby Production Vince Adams. Kelly Alexandre. Lynne Casey. Shu-Shing Chen Ellen Cross, Monica Dwyer, Stormi Dykes Manuel Flores. Steve Gibbons Rob Hare Mary Lewis. Jim Marks Ross Martin. Mary May Mary McGoniga! Rob Miles. Angie Muniz. Kara Oberst. Charla Parker Ken Parrott Jennifer Peterson. Jim Pfalf, Geoff Rainville, Michele Ross. Alyson Simmons. Peg Solomka Gregory Tipps Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editor Assistant Editorial Page Editor Spoils Editor Photo Editor Friday Edition Editor Sidelines Editor Night Editor Julie Shippen Michelle Brence Jolayne Hout/ Michelle Brence Scott Harding Robert Collias Karen Stallwood Sheila Landry Allan La/o Julie Shippen Associate Editors Community Scott McFelrldge Higher Education Andrew LaMar Student Activities Mary Lichtenwalner Student Government Linda Hahn University Atfalrs Kirsten Bolin Reporters Tony Ahern, Sean Axmaker. Dan Coran. Kim Kaady, Capi Lynn. Chris Norred. Chuck Thompson. B J Thomsen Photographers Shu-Shing Chen. Marla Corvallis. Steve Gibbons. Rob Hare, Derrel Hewitt. Jim Marks. Ross Martin News and Editorial 686 5511 Display Advertising and Business 686 3712 Classified Advertising 686-4343 Production 686 4381 Circulation 686-5511 HEY, A SCHEDULE 15 A SCHEDULE! DONT BE COMING TO ME NOW WITH TECHNICAL PROBLEMS Letters Dig deeper So, the Emerald editors are going to defend the militariza tion of campus by the CIA and ROTC on the grounds of protec ting their right of free speech Oh. When in the last .10 years has the CIA or the U.S. Armed Forces stood for freedom of speech? In Vietnam? In Chile’ You're going to have to dig deeper than that to discover what motivates our military masters. Emerald editors Try the corporate "bottom line" here and overseas for starters l)o you really think the Army or the CIA tolerate freedom of expression within their own ranks? Ceesh. Roscoe Caron Education Another breach Since the Afghan debate is growing old. let's look at another case of the violation of "national self-determination" by a communist country — the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia. In 1975. the Maoist. Khmer Kouge took. over.Cambodia and quickly proceeded to turn it into a slaughterhouse. Remember "The Killing Field#"? Well. that was the Khmer Rouge In four years, the Communist madman Pol Hot was responsi ble for the deaths of 2 million people Me also launched fierce border raids against Vietnam Vietnam struck back with full force, invading Cambodia and knocking out the Khmer Rouge They then invited In Interna tional famine and medical relief team#. The Vietnamese inva sion and the subsequent inter national relief aid literally sav ed the Cambodian fwople from extinction! The Khmer Rouge, with Asian Hitler Hoi Pot still in com mand, now fight the Viet namese fiercely from border camps hear Thailand, and they do it with U.S. aid! The Khmer Rouge are one of three factions fighting Heng Samrin's Viet namese puppet government. The other factions (Son Sann and Prince Sihanouk) are politically more desirable, but militarily helpless. * •Vietnam has repeatedly of fered peace talks with Sann and Sihanouk, but quite rightly they refuse to negotiate with Pol Pot. Sann and Sihanouk refuse to negotiate with Vietnam and this year the Vietnamese pounder! their border camps to give them some incentive. The Khmer Rouge are making military gains, and if the Vietnamese don't hold (or if they withdraw, as Reagan demands), the genocidai Khmer Rouge will be hack in /lower! “Seif-determ ina t ion," anyone? r (Jlenn Sacks English Letters Policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing fair comment on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must bo limited to 250 words, typed, signed and the identification of the writer must bo verified when the letter is turned in. The Kmorald reserves the right to edil any letter for length or style. Letters to the editor should be turned into the Emerald office. Suite 300, EMU. Irrational view Michelle K Loew.in your let-, ter “For men only” (ODE. Feb 13). you condemned Sports II* lustrated’s “Swim Suit"'issue us being on a per with pornography. The issue is not intended to be a “guide" to the latest bathing suit fashions', for I doubt that many men am truly interested in the upcoming fashions or prices of women's liathing suits. However, most men are interested in seeing how women loitk in the bathing suits, which is exactly what the issue shows Is that so .bad.? I suppose women never admire good looking men in bathing suits. And how did you conclude that because Sports Illustrated prints pictures of women in bathing suits, that men only like women's sports to give them a "break from 'real' sports"? Sports illustrated does not “exploit women’s bodies in order to make money" any more than Cosmopolitan or Vogue does, and they’re women’s magazines. Sports Illustrated does not exploit any more than Playgirl and (IQ exploit men's bodies for money. But I suppose you've never looked through i'laygirl before, or have ever even heard of it. being as self righteous as you are. So don't blame Sports Il lustrated for your obvious irra tioual attitude toward men. Why don’t you direct your vengeance toward real issues of discrimination, like women not having to register for the draft Michael Kramer junior. Business