Editorial
Condom commercials
deserve TV air time
The AIDS disease has developed a new controversy in
the question of condom advertising — should it be allowed
on television?
Nearly everyone agrees that condoms are an increasing
ly popular and effective form of preventing the spread of
sexually transmitted diseases, most importantly the spread
of the AIDS virus. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop has said
that using condoms is “the best protection against (AIDS)
infection right now. barring abstinence.”
However, many squeamish television executives and
hypersensitive religious groups nonetheless oppose condom
advertising, preferring to stress abstinence or even avoiding
the issue altogether.
Really, there are two different issues at stake. One is the
disease control and the potentially life-saving service con
doms provide. The other is the activity for which condoms
are intended.
Opponents of condom advertising feel that the public
service and information aspects of condom advertisement is
minor compared to the danger posed by exposing virginal
American audiences to the fact that sexual activity really
does occur outside of prime-time television.
What’s worse, some executives argue that audience
reaction to such commercials may prove to be negative. In
this argument, viewer reaction drowns out the cry for using
any means possible to curtail the spread of AIDS.
Eugene station KMTR, the NBC affiliate, has adopted a
condom advertising policy, and station KEZI, the ABC af
filiate. has said it would strongly consider airing such
commercials.
KMTR’s stance is strongly public-minded and stems
from a conviction that the commercials will make a dif
ference and leave the public better equipped to control sex
ually transmitted diseases.
On the other hand, executives of KVAL, the CBS af
filiate, currently are not willing to accept condom commer
cials, asking where one should draw the line between infor
ming and promoting.
The networks easily drew the line between entertaining
and promoting sex in shows like “Dallas” or “Dynasty” in
favor of airing the shows. Such shows not only display sex
as an important and frequent part of people’s lives, but
demonstrate methods of courtship or seduction that lead to
sex.
At the same time, stations have no trouble airing sexual
ly provocative commercials promoting almost every product
made, with scenes ranging from seductive women draped
across hoods of cars to the affection lavished on “Spuds
McKenzie,” the Budweiser mascot.
Beer and cars, apparently, are sufficiently indirect in in
volving sex.
Cigarette advertisements were finally banned from
television after mounting medical evidence of the hazards of
cigarette use. However, condom advertisments are struggl
ing to make it onto television, despite the mounting medical
evidence of condoms importance both in disease control and
birth control.
Perhaps a free-market approach would be best: let
television stations air both condom commercials and com
mercials promoting abstinence, and we’ll see which saves
more lives.
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Letters
Proselytize
The juxtaposition of Mon
day’s (Jan. 26) letters submis
sions with that of Michael
Cross’ Statistics, and that of
Matt Burlingame's Comfort,
flanking the fantastic contribu
tion of Wayne Johnson's 10
Heads merits careful
consideration.
They illustrate the murky
paths of religion gone awry. Not
without cause did Sigmund
Freud suggest that religious
r.ealots tread a fine line between
neuroses and psychoses.
They sound not unlike the
taped apocalyptic and pro
phetic discourses made into a
program by PBS of Rev. Jim
Jones of the People’s Temple.
“In My Father's House: The
Story of the I.ayton Family and
the Rev. Jim Jones’’ by Min S.
Yet? and Thomas N. Liyton.
with Deborah Layton, 1-a u re nee
L. Layton and Annalisa l*ayton
Valentine, describes the tragedy
of a well-educated family led
astray by faith, l^aurence L.
l-ayton murdered Congressman
l*eo J. Ryan at Jonestown.
The story about former Mor
mon missionary, Mark W. Hof
mann. guilty of murdering
several people in a scheme to
bilk the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints of large
sums for claimed historical
documents that could be embar
rassing to that church.
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It is difficult to find a religion
whose history is not filled with
torture, murder, sexual ex
ploitation by religious leaders,
political, social and financial
crimes. All theist religions,
even the most benign, bear the
burden of intellectual crime in
proselytizing concepts that are
confuted by reason.
Bert P. Tryba
Eugene
Flesh n' blood
How many are there? On
every corner of suburban
America, you'll find some kind
of church. However, where do
you go for an atheist support
group? Yes, I said the forbidden
word: atheist.
Despite religious teachings,
all atheists aren't Satanic wor
shippers or violently opposed to
religion. On the contrary, this
atheist feels very happy to enjoy
each day without the threat of
eternal damnation.
All I want to know is where
do I fit in? Each church insists
on placing my soul within their
domain, but according to my
beliefs, I have no soul. Does that
make me evil? I sure don’t feel
evil, or am I just misdirected
without religious guidance?
I’m tired of being considered
as untouchable. I’m flesh and
blood just like a Christian, Bud
dhist, Taoist, Mormon, etc. 1
have a purpose in life and I
don’t need a higher order to
give me personal strength. So
who else here is an atheist? Step
up and be applauded if not by a
Christian, then at least by so
meone who understands.
Joel A. Beath
Political science
Discretion
Though 1 am not a member of
lambda Chi Alpha or any other
fraternity. I wish to make a
statement in regard to Mr.
Sliter's letter (ODE. Jan. 28).
One year and several months
ago I was an associate member
of lambda Chi Alpha. During
this time I gained a strong ad
miration for the members’ use
of discretion of social activities.
In the great many public
lambda Chi meetings and func
tions that I attended. I found the
majority of the members to be
interested in long-term friend
ships with women and very op
posed to the slanderous type of
behavior Sliter suggests.
If these women have such lit
tle respect for themselves that
they wish to protitute
themselves for a dip in a pool,
and if these are the types of girls
you enjoy, which apparently is
the case since you put so much
emphasis on the SWIMMING
POOL, then I suggest that you
purchase a 1*001, and offer free
beer to any girls that wish to lay
out in their tiny bathing suits.
The Greek system offers many
young men and women the op
portunity to get involved in
group activities. These ac
tivities are no different than the
activities that take place in the
dorms, yet because these are
Greek activities, people like
yourself take every chance to
down-grade them.
Eric Scott Tibbetts
Political science, pyschology
Take a swim
Mr. Sliter, a Ralph Nader
you’re not (ODE, Jan. 28).
Lambda Chi is fortunate that it
is not filled with members who
think as you do. At Lambda Chi,
there is no written contract that
states that “beer sluts” are any
more welcome than any other
women.
And as for the swimming
pool — during spring term,
there are just as many men with
’’few clothes” on as women.
There is one reason for this: it is
warm out; one of those
phenomenal changes that
Oregon undergoes once a year.
If the idea of summer attire
and swimming pools bothers
you, why not pick on the YMCA
or the Elks Lodge? Better yet,
avoid summer altogether, pick
up your perversions and move
to Siberia.
Petunia Weed
Lambda Chi Court member