Editorial
Verdict won’t deter
sanctuary efforts
Despite last week's guilty verdict against eight church
workers charged with conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens
into the United States, the sanctuary movement will not be
broken. While the government claimed victory, the case on
ly proved the inherent injustice of current U.S. refugee
policy.
Sanctuary began in 1980-81 as the rising tide of Central
American aliens found themselves unable to meet U.S. re
quirements for alien status. Religious workers began aiding
refugees in open defiance of immigration laws. Since then
the movement has been endorsed by more than 300 local
churches. 11 universities, 19 cities, the state of New Mexico
and several major religious denominations.
At issue is the distinction between economic and
political refugees. In the Cold War mentality of the Reagan
administration, ail refugees are not alike. Those fleeing
“communist” nations are classified as “political” refugees
and given preferential treatment.
Guatemalan and Salvadoran citizens, however, are labl
ed “economic” refugees and denied asylum with few excep
tions. Less than 3 percent of Guatemalans and Salvadorans
applying are granted political asylum in the United States.
This distinction belies evidence the Central American
refugees face persecution, often death, from their govern
ment. In 1984, Amnesty International found 30 percent of all
refugees deported to El Salvador were murdered.
From the outset, the government limited the scope of
the trial to proving if the defendants had violated U.S. im
migration laws by smuggling and harboring illegal aliens.
Thus numerous issues relevant to the defendant’s motiva
tion were barred from the courtroom.
These included evidence or testimony concerning the
defendants’ religious beliefs, the Refugee Act of 1980,
human rights and refugee statues signed by the United
States, and political conditions in Guatemala and El
Salvador.
The number of political murders and disappearances in
El Salvador has averaged 30 a month since January 1985, ac
cording to Americas Watch. The majority of the killings and
disappearances of students, peasants and opposition labor
and political leaders are attributed to the armed forces. But
the government has not been immune to the threat of
violence either.
Last October, members of Salvadoran president Jose
Napoleon Duarte’s family flew to this country in a U.S.
military plane. Ten members of his family who have fled El
Salvador now legally reside in the United States. Their
reason? They fear for their personal safety, the same argu
ment unsuccesfully used by most Salvadorans.
Such ^elective application of asylum regulations makes
a mockery of the law, and can only invite further violations
of immigration statutes. Repression is repression, no matter
the political persuasion of a particular nation, a point lost on
the administration.
If the government wishes to stem the flow of aliens, it
should end its support of repressive forces in the region. As
long as death squads roam the countryside, Central
American citizens will seek refuge in the United States. And
they will continue to receive the aid of the sanctuary
movement.
The sanctuary workers admit their actions are illegal,
but they are challenging the morality of immigration laws.
Their actions also serve to challenge the basis of the in
herently violent U.S. involvement in Central America.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald la 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 University
with offices on the third floor of 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
Production Manager
Classified Advertising
Assistant to the Publisher
Susan Theien
Russell H. Steele
Vince Adams
Jean Ownbey
Advertising Sales David Wood - Sales Manager. John
Boiler, Jessica Cederberg, Michael Gray, Laura Goldstein,
Robin Joannides, Carlos Lam ad rid, Marcia Leonard,
Shawn Leuthold, Catherine Lilja, Shawna Reed, Kathy
Stein, Joan Wildermuth, Laura Willoughby.
Production: Vince Adams, Kelly Alexandre, Lynne Casey,
Shu-Shing Chen, Ellen Cross, Stormi Dykes, Manuel
Flores, Shannon Gaither, Ross Martin, Mary May, Rob
Miles, Angie Muniz, Charts Parker, Ken Parrott, Jennifer
Peterson, Geoff Rainvilte, Michele Ross, Alyson Sim
mons. Gregory Tipps.
Page 2A
Editor
Managing Editor
Nows Editor
Editorial Pago Editor
Assistant Editorial Pago Editor
Sports Editor
Photo Editor
Friday Edition Editor
Sidoiinos Editor
Night Editor
Associate Editors
Community/Politics
Student Government
University Affairs
General Assignment
Julie Shippen
Michelle Brence
Jotayne Houtz
Alan Contreras
Scott Harding
Robert Collies
James Marks
Sheila Landry
Allan Lazo
Julie Shippen
Lisa Loving
Stan Nelson
Chris Norred
Mike Rivers
Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Tonnie Dakin, Deborah
DeYoung, Craig Harris, Tom Hill, Kim Kaady, Jeff Lutzky,
BJ. Thomsen
Photographers Lynne Casey. Shu-Shing Chen, Maria Cor
vallis, Steve Gibbons, Derrei Hewitt, Ross Martin, Karen
Staltwood, Mike Wilhelm
News and Editorial MS-5511
Display Advertising and Business 686-3712
Classified Advertising 666-4343
Production 666-4361
Circulation 666-5611
Letters
Real heros
While agreeing in the main
with your editorial on the
American bombing of Libya. I
disagree with your blanket con
demnation of Israel and linkage
with South African policies and
“Latin American death
squads."
The term. "Israeli intran
sigence." is cliche, inaccurate
and incomplete, and works
against the policy you would
favor, namely flexibility and
reconciliation.
There are four major positions
held within Israel: messianic;
nationalistic (both of these
might appear somewhat inflexi
ble); pragmatic, the most domi
nant view which sees occupa
tion as the worst of possible
choices; and spiritual, in which
the moral and spiritual
character of Israeli society is
given precedence over borders
and land.
Since all of our major media
is preoccupied with the
violence and sensationalism of
the Middle East, it is difficult to
know about the numerous and
significant acts of peace and
cooperation currently taking
place in Israel between
Muslims, Christians and jews.
The real heros are those coming
together from the respective
camps to moot and talk, dospito
their criticism of the oppouing
system and loyalty to their own.
This is the only approach
which can create options for
peace. Let's hear more about
Neve Shalom where young
Muslims, lews and Christians
live and study together; Interns
for Peace, a peace program br
inging American college youth
to work and live in Arab and
Jewish villages; or the dialogue
going on. in and out of Israel
between PLC) supporters and
members of Israel's Knesset
Rabbi Hanan Sill*
Eugene
How extreme?
Society ha* always had its
favorite group to hate. In the
South it used to l>o the Negro. In
Nazi (Germany it was the Jew.
Now the favorite group in
America to hate is the "born
again" Christian.
Graffiti on the walls (rears
evidence: "Death to the Chris
tians." "Christ-busters." and
"Christians to the lions." They
are dubbed as stupid, narrow
minded and subversive by pro
fessors and students alike. They
are forbidden from having "too
many meetings" in the dorms,
are dubbed "money-hungry"
when they ask for donations.
Yet no one complains when
PBS solicits for funds or when
OSPIRG asks for and gets
$45,000 a year from student
pockets. If Negroes or Jews were
victimized in graffiti or through
discrimination, they would
have recourse.
But the "born-again" Chris
tian. a minority in America, has
nowhere to go. Why do people
"hate" Jerry Falwall and pelt
Brother Jed? Do they hate the
man or Christ in the man?
Christ said, "Come to me, all
you who are weary and burden
ed. and I will give you rest. ,. ”
He was killed for preaching a
message of God's love toward
man. He also said, however,
"All men will hate you because
of mo...” Will this country
become so extreme that they
will start killing a group, this
time Christians, for the amuse
ment of the masses?
I don't understand - it looks
like it may happen Yet why
dues a message of love receive
hatred, blood and doath in
return? Does anyone know?
Brandon Shepard
(Graduate
Editor’s note
A letter in Thursday'* "l*et
ttsrs" column entitled "Social
deviants" was not written by
Jon Niedermeyer. of the Beta
Theta Pi fraturnity.
Niedermeyer brought iden
tification to the Emerald Thurs
day, which was different than
that shown Monday, the day the
letter was delivered to the
Kmerald.
The original identification
shown belonged to Eric
Niedermeyer, Jon's brother who
attended the University but no
longer lives in Oregon. The per
son who delivered the letter us
ed that Identification, saying
"Jon” was his nickname, accor
ding to our receptionist. In ad
dition. the signature on the let
ter and Jon's signature on all of
his identification were marked
ly different.
The Emerald reaffirms its
policy of requiring current iden
tification for all letters. Unfor
tunately, the identity of the
author of the letter is unknown.
We encourage the writer to
assume responsibility for his or
her letter.
We have already received a
significant response to the let
ter, and anticipate further com
ment. The Emerald will attempt
to print all of these remarks.
However, in- fairness to
Niedermeyer all reference to his
name will be removed in any
response.
Friday, May 9. 1986