Editorial
Legalize marijuana
safely, responsibly
We support the intent of the Oregon Marijuana in
itiative. Ballot Measure 5. but we cannot support this
measure.
The measure would not legalize selling marijuana or
driving under its influence. It would legalize what hundreds
of thousands of Oregonians practice, harmlessly, today.
However, we do have concerns with this measure.
Marijuana was legalized under Alaskan state law when
the Alaskan Supreme Court ruled that an individual’s right
to privacy outweighs the state’s interest in prosecution. We
agree.
However, the Alaska Legislature followed up by defin
ing personal possesion and use very specifically. Any
measure or bill that would legalize this drug in Oregon must
define legal ambiguities such as "personal use" and "intent
to sell.”
Oregon, with a climate that supports marijuana plants
and an already large marijuna trade, must be particularly
cautious of potential for abuse of this law.
We are also concerned that legalization might lead to in
creased use among IB- to 20-year-olds, who would be able to
smoke marijuana, but not drink.
Oregon must be careful about what drugs minors have
access to. If the measure would lead to a drop in marijuana
prices, as many supporters feel it would, the increase in use
among minors could be doubly bad.
Oregonians can make responsible, adult decisions about
marijuana use, just as they make this decision about
alchohol. Most marijuana users do make responsible, recrea
tional use of marijuana.
Measure 5 makes an important statement, but it should
resolve any legal problems before they arise and maintain
consistency in what drugs minors have access to.
Oregon has a unique climate in which good, innovative
ideas abound about how to govern the state. Measure 5 is
one such idea, but Oregon must legalize marijuana safely
and responsibly.
Lab break-in, destruction
only discredits intention
If the people responsible for the break-in and destruc
tion of animal research laboratories on campus are afraid the
intent of their action has been lost in media reports, they are
wrong.
The intent of the action was lost in the action itself. It
was a mindless, irrational effort to make a point that had
already been made in the community.
The University implemented an extensive policy last
fall that demands that the animals be treated humanely; the
policy covers the treatment of animals in research, stressing
the health and comfort of the animals and that research only
use animals where necessary.
Thus the University had committed itself formally to the
"humane and ethical care and use of laboratory animals." as
University President Paul Olum put it.
Animal rights advocates were pleased with the new
rules, but as time wore on it became clear they wanted
nothing less than an absolute moratorium on animal
research.
Such a stand ignores how essential animal research is to
medical and biological understanding. Animal research
was. and is. used in the fights against polio, bubonic plague,
diabetes and cancer. Sometimes the point of research is not
clear to laymen, but the research is critical. There is no un
necessary animal research going on at the University.
The animal lab raid was perhaps intended as a blow
against all animal research, but with damages estimated at
$50,000. the University and its researchers will pay the
price.
The University has better things to spend $50,000 on
than mopping up after a small, irrational group of people.
We also wonder how those who broke in will be able to
care for so many animals, most of whom had been raised in a
laboratory environment. People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals was very concerned about the animals' well-being
in the labs; we hope the members of PKTA who endorsed the
action will now try to ensure that the animals are safe.
The researchers, who cared for the animals, are certain
that many of the animals are already dead.
The research community has rallied around the resear
chers. and the response to animal rights activists has not
been favorable, as they would have liked. Thus the result
was exactly what the result of any destruction should be —
the victims have been strengthened and the perpetrators
discredited.
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Letters
Real abusers
If the anti-vivisectionists have
a problem with animal research,
why don't they go after the real
abusers: the third-rate scien
tists running product-testing
labs where sanitation is non
existent. animals die from ex
posure, hunger, dehydration,
aijd self-mutilation; where
animats disappear during ex
periments. and data is falsified.
invented or suppressed accor
ding to the requirements of the
contracting company that wants
to prove its product is ‘'safe.’'
Huge numbers of animals are
abused and destroyed in
product-testing labs. Most of
what goes on there has no
legitimate scientific value, only
commercial value. The
"results" of product-testing on
animals, doctored or manufac
tured according to need, are us
ed to justify registration with
federal agencies of all manner of
dangerous and often worthless
products.
The usual practice is to
register anything on which cer
tain animal tests are reported to
have been done. The regulators
rarely read the reports. If they
look at them at all, they only
read the conclusions, which of
course claim the product is
"safe." Never mind the data —
if there is any.
Do the antl-vivisectionists
care? I don’t think so. Like the
clinic bombers, they are mainly
concerned with suppressing
thought — not with saving
lives.
Ann Tattersall
Post-Bac, geology
Constitution
What's next — lie detector
tests to verify athletes' class at
tendence? You say that would
constitute a clear violation of
4th Amendment rights? We
want to point out that the
athletic department's drug
testing policy represents a
similar violation.
Athletic department:
"Athletes sign contracts, and
thus consent to testing."
Fact: If the student body were
subject to this loss of rights we
know what would happen. No
one would enroll at Oregon and
there would be no University.
Relocation by an athlete is dif
frcult and costly (NCAA
policy). Thus the athletes have
much less power over their
situation. It is our opinion that
the athlete’s high visibility and
vulnerability are being ex
ploited by the athletic depart
ment in an effort to clean up the
image of college athletics.
Athletic department: "Not
only was the fact that we tested
for drugs well-received by
student-athletes. . .we received
full support,” Bill Byrne.
Fact: Picture this; you are
stripped to the knees, shirt
above your chest — you are
closely observed by athletic
department staff while you
urinate into a cup. This test was
a surprise (athleteshave 12 hours
notice). According to every
athlete we spoke to. the process
is “humiliating," and
"degrading.” These are hardly
words of complete support.
Finally, we want to note that
no U.S. citizen can "sign
away” his/her constitutional
rights. Hence, Mr. Byrne and
Ms. Voelz. a signature on a
release form implies neither
consent nor support. )ust ask.
Bryon Robertson
Eugene
A solution
For a solution to the current
campus parking crisis I suggest
the University hire Sacred Heart
Hospital as they seem quite
adept at creating parking lots in
the campus area.
Steve Orosz
History
Oregon Daily
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