Editorial
Book banning limits
freedom of thought
Hand’s ruling for the removal of the textbooks was
predictable. It was more or less a culmination of a conser
vative Christian crusade to ban the textbooks, which were in
his words “promoting a different kind of religion."
The judge’s motives for banning the books must be
questioned. In 1983, Judge Brevard Hand upheld a law per
mitting silent prayer in public schools.
The Supreme Court reversed his school-prayer decision.
Hand then took issue with secular humanism in public
schools, and many of the defendants for school prayer then
were turned plaintiffs for banning certain textbooks.
Hand’s ruling for the removal of the textbooks was
predictable. It decision was more or less a culmination of a
conservative Christian crusade to ban the textbooks, which
were in his words “promoting a different kind of religion."
His decision also calls into question the definition of
secular humanism as a religion.
Though the textbooks may be imperfect in this respect,
defining secular humanism as a religion is going to ex
tremes. The absence of a theist religious perspective does
not make secular humanism a “religion.” If this were the
case, existential philosophy and atheism could be deemed
religions.
Defendants undoubtedly will challenge Hand’s deci
sion, as they should. It is our hope the ruling will be revers
ed. and the banning of textbooks does not become a national
phenomenon.
There's a disturbing trend
in Supreme Court rulings
The Supreme Court’s recent tendency to narrowly
define search and seizure laws has become a disturbing
trend. On Monday it ruled police could use evidence in
court that they seize while “acting in objectively reasonable
reliance" on a law, even if the law later is declared
unconstitutional.
Similarly, the court in February reversed a Maryland
court’s decision that ruled police evidence was inadmissible
in court after authorities there had seized contraband from
an apartment without a warrant.
The police had entered the wrong apartment, thinking
the floor had only one dwelling. The Supreme Court ruled
the police had made a legitimate mistake in entering and
seizing the contraband, and the evidence was deemed
admissible.
Both these rulings illustrate the Supreme Court’s in
creasing practice of limiting the scope of the exclusionary
rule — a rule protecting the rights of individuals against in
admissible evidence.
The Supreme Court currently views the exclusionary
rule as a means to protect an individual from the improper
conduct of police officers. But the original intent of the rule
was to protect individuals from the improper actions of the
government — a big difference.
The Fourth Amendment requires that search and
seizure warrants particularly describe “the place to be sear
ched, and the person or things to be seized." But the court,
with these two recent rulings, has come closer to the justice
department’s interpretation of the law, and has given
authorities freer reign in obtaining evidence, unfortunately
at the expense of individual rights.
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Letters
Square one
A different thing has happen
ed in this last generation begin
ning in 1953, which the King
lames Bible refers to as the latter
days —■ TV evangelism! Never
before has preaching reached so
many people, yet we’re seeing
the terrible results: lying and
stealing.
Children drop out of school
and run away from home and
many of their lifeless bodies are
kept in morgues awaiting
identification.
The state, churches and the
media have zeroed in on equali
ty as the solution but, in fact, it
“is” equality which has ruined
life for all.
And with world terrorism,
it’s perceived inequality that
causes it. The best way to end
the terrorism — especially in
tellectual — along with the
bloodsucking business
monopolies and moronic
brotherhoods, is to go back to
square one and start over. But
the government isn’t about to
just let slavery end.
Even though the IRS will hate
it, a person can park their car
and use a bicycle exclusively.
It’s the second step in being
born again, for motor vehicle
emissions are deadly: “For we
die from their toxic fumes in a
great number of ways, from new
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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life in women’s wombs to a
violent shortening of days.”
The first and most urgent
change needed is in attitude. It
goes back to Genesis 1:27, “So
God created man in his own im
age...” But man turned it
around and created God in his
own image, putting long hair
and a gown on Jesus. Then he
created the Prince of this world
by putting pants on women.
Wayne L. Johnson
San Diego, CA
Teaching
After reading “Good lesson”
in the Emerald March 6, by
Michael Cross. 1 have come to
the conclusion that the ODE
should have a yearly award for
the most illogically written let
ter (or letters, as in Mike’s case).
“Good lesson” is the latest of
Mr. Cross’ attempts to defend
an old anti-choice argument
that abortion is wrong because
our economy is dependent on a
population that must grow at
exponential rates, otherwise we
will be destined to suffer
extinction.
It appears that Mr. Cross, like
most religious extremists,
believes if one presents an argu
ment by quoting people with
exotic names or fancy titles,
then the argument is valid.
In “Good lesson” he uses
terms like “negative population
coefficient.” Fancy stuff, but it
just isn’t happening enough on
this planet.
If the argument that he
presented by quoting Victar
Perevedentsev, (and impressing
us by giving significance to Mr.
Perevedentsev’ Russian
heritage) was anything more
than extreme idealism, then
,
China, India and other highly
populated countries would be
tremendous economic powers.
On a final note of
significance, Mr. Cross forgot to
inform us in his last letter, that
Victar Perevedentsev has two
patents for perpetual motion
machines and that he plans on
entering the America’s Cup
yacht race with a sail boat
powered by an on-board electric
fan.
Patrick Clancy
Eugene
Sleazy tactics
I hope that those who faithful
ly read the Emerald will readily
recognize Ron Munion’s attack
on Bob Baldwin and the SPA for
what it is — character
assassination.
Isn’t it fascinating that Ron
Munion would accuse the SPA
and Bob Baldwin of the sleazy
political tactics characteristic of
Munion and his SER cohorts?
I don’t have time right now to
give a statement here backed by
substantiating evidence, but
one is impending. However, I
must affirm my support for the
Steve Nelson administration
and SPA. We all owe them deep
appreciation for their commen
dable efforts to serve the myriad
interests that make up the
whole of this campus
community.
I hope you’ll take the time to
discover what the SPA, Steve
Nelson, and Bob Baldwin are
really about. By the way I am
not an SPA member, yet.
James Munyer
Magazine Journalism
i
Emerald owes apology
V\ ednesday s editorial cartoon depicting Universi
ty President Paul Olum holding a handful of cash and
gratuitously patting a tenured professor on the back
was in poor taste and was an unfair attack.
Olum was not the only administrator to receive a
pay raise. Moreover, he has worked hard on behalf of
the University s faculty in an effort to secure salary in
creases for them as well.
We apologize for the content of the cartoon.