Editorial
Decision to divest
should be approved
The State Hoard of Higher Education deserves a pat on
the hack for its decision to re-affirm its ten-year old policy to
divest funds from companies in South Africa.
The decision shows the divestment issue is not dead
despite the lengthy law suit brought on ten years ago when
the Attorney General declared the Hoard did not have the
authority to order divestiture. The Attorney General said the
decision violated tin* state's "prudent investor rule."
The ASUO and Portland State University filed a suit
against this decision. A lower court ruled tin? hoard did have
the authority to instruct divestiture but. because of the pru
dent investor rule, it would he unlawful if it was carried out.
This decision was overruled in the Oregon Court of Appeals
and recently the Oregon Supreme Court refused to hear the
case.
Hill Lemman, the Executive Vice Chancellor, said it
puts the Hoard back at square one. With the Oregon Supreme
Court’s decision it is as if tin* court suits had never been fil
ed, he said.
The Hoard’s new affirmation against South African in
vestments must now get the Attorney General’s approval. It
he agrees, tin? Hoard can begin to divest.
We encourage tin* Attorney General to approve the
Hoards decision. (Jbviously it is a worthwhile cause that the
Hoard and students throughout the state are dedicated to.
But another solution lies in a legislative hill aimed at
divestment from South African companies. If tin* legislature
passed such a bill, the Attorney (ieneral’s opinion would not
he necessary.
Civil rights supported
in seat belt bill defeat
The Oregon I louse took a stand in favor of civil liberties
when it defeated the manditory seat belt bill last Thursday.
This is the second time in two years that tin; House has
defeated a seat belt bill after it passed in the Senate with
wide support.
Supporters of the hill now hope to send tin* idea to the
voters. This would be a waste of time and money. Orego
nians have expressed their opposition to tin? measure in the
past.
Kep. Hob Brogoitti said. "Our correspondence has been
overwhelmingly, ‘Let us have our freedom.’ ’’ To put it on
the ballot after this strong opposition would be like beating a
dead horse. One of the main appeals of the bill was that it
would save money in insurance rates. Trying to put the bill
on the ballot theoretically would defeat this purpose.
Currently 2f> states have seat belt laws. Oregon has a law
requiring everyone under l(i to wear a seat belt. Hut these
laws violate our freedom of choice and are an infringement
on our civil liberties.
Studies have shown that wearing seat belts saves lives.
Hut it should be up to the individual to decide whether or
not to wear one. No one but the individual would be hurt if a
belt was not worn in an accident.
It is not the role of government to save us from our own
stupidity. Seat belts are designed to "protect us from
ourselves,” said Rep. Hernie Agrons.
/ MEM, DAO,
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I AN ELEPHANT AND
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Letters
Lethal traits
Often we’re concerned bv
cultural challenges within our
society. We claim concession of
races, religions, and sexes. Why
not homosexuality?
These are grievous cultural
issues, yet how are we to choose
without being prejudiced or
ethnocentric?
Anthropologist John W. Hen
nett and sociologist Melvin M.
Turain have outlined six func
tional prerequisites of a society:
1. Maintain the biological
function of tbe group members.
2. Reproduce new members
for the group
3. Socialize new members in
to functioning adults.
4 Produce goods and services
necessary to life.
5. Maintain order within the
group, and between itself and
outsiders.
6. Define the “meaning of
life.” and maintain the motiva
tion to survive and engage in
the activities necessary to
survival.
K. Adamson Hoebel stated
"Societies that invent and do
not control lethal customs are
doomed.” Distinguishing
socially lethal customs as such
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without bias is critical.
To tolerate a given trait, like
homosexuality, we must first
ask ourselves; is this culture
healthy, does it reproduce
itself, do its members function
well as adults, are they a pro
ductive people, does this group
act and react well with itself
and others, and does it foster
survival and the activities that
assure reproduction.
If a group is destructive to any
of the basic functions of a socie
ty. it can be lethal.
Looking at cultures equally is
important. Prejudice is an in
tolerable part of society. Speak
ing out against lethal traits is
not prejudice, not ethnocentric,
it's survival.
Larry Farris
Business major
Deadly grapes
To the Carson dining hall
purchasers: We asked before in
a “suggestion” if you would
boycott grapes.
You replied. “No. but you
may.” Well, we do, but the only
thing that does is leave extra
grapes at the end of a meal. The
only people who hear our
message are those who work in
Carson and they have little or no
impact on the grape industry.
Crapes are not the only issue
here. The question is; are we go
ing to support an industry that
allows its workers to die of
cancer? Are we going to give
our money to “big business”
that puts capital gain before the
rights of humans?
We are screaming “No!” and
all you're doing is saying, "It’s
()k to say no. in fact, do it, hut
we won't join you."
You need to pass our message
on to tin? grape growers by talk
ing in the only language they
understand — money. And it is
"our" money — those of us
who pay to eat in Carson are
paying for the grapes we do not
want to eat, and thus involun
tarily supporting the deaths of
people.
Please take our suggestion
more seriously than, "Why do
you salt your eggs?" We do not
want left-over grapes in Carson
we want left-over grapes in
California so that the growers
get the message that we will not
support virtual murder in the
name of fresh fruit.
By the way, some grape
growers do not use deadly
pesticides. Why don’t you find
out who they are and buy grapes
from them?
I.ynn Kilpatrick
Mari Shirazi
Look, a unicorn
Concerning "Good faith," the
letter written by Brandon
Shepard and printed in the ODE
Thursday, April 9.
You have convinced me! One
does not need proof in order to
believe something! Since
reading your argument and be
ing astounded hv its penetrating
and utterly irrefutable logic, 1.
like you, now believe in
unicorns.
Fred Koellig
Freshman
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