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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1987)
Editorial Election campaigns need more time Once again it is time for the ASUO elections. And once again the election process is plagued with a number of distinct and troubling problems. However, this year the somewhat understandable organizational delays found in previous elections have been aggravated by a time crunch. Fortunately we have an answer. With the primary elections on April 15 and 16 — only three weeks after spring break — there simply is not enough time for candidates to prepare an effective campaign. This hurts all those involved, especially the student body. A delay in the production of the elections packet has slowed the actual filing and campaigning process. Because the Constitution Court had to reapportion the Student Senate and the Election Board had to change and reword several of the rules, the packet was not issued until March 4. It is usually out by mid-February. The deadline for filing was on Friday. Trying to organize and evaluate the campaigning until the deadline is impossible because most candidates file at the last minute. Typically, candidates also do not file for a position until the election packet is available because it contains the guidelines for the entire election process. It would be more reasonable to move the deadline up and therefore create more time for campaigning. Currently there is only two or three weeks of heavy cam paigning. According to the packet there is an informational meeting for all candidates this afternoon. This is only two weeks before the election and does not leave enough time for candidates, especially last-minute candidates, to organize and run their campaigns effectively. These time constraints also stop students from effective ly reviewing the candidates. The average student must put in extra effort to keep abreast of each candidate’s platform. Reviewing each candidate takes time, time that is not available in two short weeks. Problems also have arisen from the confirmation pro cess for ballot measure wording. All measures must he turn fid in and confirmed by the Constitution Court by this even ing; no petitioning or campaigning can begin until the wor ding is approved. But not all groups know this. Recently a group on cam pus began to gather petitions for their measure before the Constitution Court reviewed the wording. The measure now could be declared invalid, but because they did not know the measure had to be confirmed, it will go through. Obviously, a clearer, more organized system needs to be developed. Mistakes like this will only happen again if the guidelines are not clarified. These organizational problems occur every year. Unless something is done they will continue to happen — at everyone ’s expense. The Election Board needs to plan ahead and allow more time to campaign. It can either move the filing deadline back or move the elections up. Granted, it is difficult to find dates everyone can agree on, but more time must be allotted for the candidates to get campaign information and to prepare their campaigns. If this is done, the student body will benefit from a clearer and stronger election. KTOACV TttM* ‘ vtfC1WNWT L - ’COUSCTSDK. vJJLLE* SNQ.E %ViL. N TV &JMJGELIST IN HELL Fool for you I have never been one of those people to make a fool of myself writing letters to the newspaper, hut the disrespect you show the president is ab solutely outrageous. He was elected two times by overwhelming majorities, and right or wrong we should stand by him. What kind of person, or newspaper, would lash out at him in his hour of need? Any fool can see he is not senile. We elected him as an ac tor. and should never for an ins tant let down our guard. He knows what he is doing, which is more than I can say for you? I. for one. do not want to know the despair of armies, space beams and shifting economic forces beyond con trol. so please, do decent people a favor, and stop blowing up the Iranian Contras in our faces. 1 say. and I speak for many, who cares? Anyone can sincerely forget. Thelma Crimp Eugene Knee jerks Brandon Shepard’s rebuttal to my recent letter on bibles displays the typical fundamen talist knee-jerk admonishment “take the Bible on faith” while ignoring nearly every specific: point I raised. He assigns to my remarks Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is 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 Susan Thelen Production Manager Wayne Michael Lottinville Classified Advertising Alyson Simmons Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Peter LaFleur / Sales Manager Teresa Acosta, Beryl Israel, Janelle Heltmann, Laura Goldstein. Catherine Lilja, Rick Martz. Joseph Menzel, Peter Miller, Joan Wildermuth News and Editorial 686 5511 Display Advertising and Business 686-3712 Classified Advertising 686 4343 Letter Perfect Graphics 686 5511 Production 686 4381 Circulation 686 5511 Paee 2 Editor Managing Editor News Editor Spectrum Editor Spectrum Assistant Editor Editorial Page Editors Sports Editor Photo Editor Spectrum Photo Editor Graphics Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Community Politics Higher Education / Administration University Affairs Student Government Student Activities General Assignment General Assignment Michelle Brence Lucinda Dillon Michael Rivers Stephen Maher Stanley Nelson Michael Drummond Angie Muniz Dennis Fernandes Maria Corvallis John Giustina Lorraine Rath Stanley Nelson Janet Paulson B J Thomsen Chris Norred Jackie Berry Carolyn Lamberson Sarah Kitchen Alicia Gano Scott Maben Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Mary Courtis, Gary Henley Photographers: Sherlyn Biorkgren, Shu Shing Chen, Der rel Hewitt, Bobbie Lo, Dan Wheeler Production: Michele Ross / Ad Coordinator Kelly Alexandre, Ronwm Nicole Ashton, Virginia Baniaga Samantha Barbitta, Sandra Bevans, Sara Briscoe, Shu shing Chen, Janet Emery, Judith Gatz, Lisa Haggerty Donna Leslie, Curtis Lott, Steve Lundgren, Kelli Mason] Mike McGraw, Rob Miles, Angelina Muniz, Julie Paul, In grid White, Michael Wilhelm, Serena Williams, X Kang conclusions that I never reached and never addresses the main issue: Which version of the Bi ble is he defending? Only when this is clear can the question of reliability be discussed. I never said the church created Scripture but that it selected it from a large body of equally valid writings available at the time. The apocrypha (literally “hidden” books) were “hid den” precisely because they were excluded from “official” scripture by the religious/political establish ment and suppressed. (And in cidentally, official Scripture also abounds in “historical and geographical inaccuracies,” if taken literally.) The principle “when in doubt, throw the book out” stinks. Why should anyone have the right to decide what another is allowed to read? As to the Nag Hammadi tests being a hoax, numerous Chris tian scholars, citing extensive historical evidence, seem to feel otherwise. These texts are among the earliest dealing with Christ's teachings. No. Mr. Shepard, accepting the fact that many different books are called “the Bible” by many different people doesn't make me a cynic. That I find biblical writings to combine history and myth, fact and allegory, in no way implies that I find them valueless. The per son who has no doubts is either a fool, or morally corrupt: He thinks he is privy to God’s thoughts. Hiawatha Music graduate We can repent I he Bible states, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God. and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the tem ple of God is holy, which tem ple ye are,” (1 Cor. 3:16 — 17). The Bible also tells us we were created in the image of God. We are definitely of great value, every one of us. Shouldn't we treat ourselves in the same way? People can choose to live in consistent with God's ways. However, in doing so, we sentence ourselves to misery by ignoring God’s plan. There is. fortunately, hope for those trap ped in various vices. One can repent, give up the sin and call on God for strength and guidance to overcome. With God, nothing is impossible. God’s commandments were not given to limit us. On the contrary, through living accor ding to God’s will we can enjoy happiness and our horizons will be limitless. God’s path is the way to true freedom. Elaine Beam Springfield Once a human... Recently, a baby was taken from its mother’s womb, had surgery performed on it to cor rect an ailment, and then placed back in the womb until it was delivered full term. This must really create a serious moral problem for the pro-abortion activists claiming human status and protection shouldn’t be granted a baby un til birth. By every definition this baby was born during surgery. So shouldn’t this baby have been protected by law? Of course. But then this baby was put back in the womb. By pro-abortion logic that made it non-human again — having no rights. This baby only changed geographical location, yet its entire legal status was altered. Was this baby non-human, then human, then non-human again, then human again at birth? No! It was human, just like the millions of babies aborted since Roe vs. Wade, long before the birth process. Biology tells us this, our legal system used to tell us this, and common sense dictates that abortion is much more than removing a “lump of tissue.” If life began at birth, then would a saline abortion be wrong if done when labor con tractions first begin? What about the day before that, and so on.... When is the baby deser ving of protection? What day should the abortionist’s hunting license be null and void? Gayle Atteberry Eugene
