Editorial
Policy's faults shown
in Contra killing
In an ironic, but hardly funny twist of fate, Benjamin
Linder was killed in Nicaragua by a group of rebels that
America refers to as “freedom fighters." This may seem like
another insignificant death in a country riddled with tur
moil. But Under was not only the first American reported
killed by the Contras. Ik; was also an Oregonian.
All of a sudden the events taking place in that tiny
South American country are brought into our backyard.
Similar to rapes or robberies, we put up a protective blind,
“It will never happen to me.” This has been torn down by
one bullet.
But what makes the entire situation so ironic is that our
government supplied that bullet to the Contras. “I feel part
of it." said Howard Clazer, a friend of Linder. “We as a
country killed that boy; it was our bullet.”
Clazer’s point is valid. We are all responsible for
Linder's death. President Reagan and other national
representatives have encouraged and approved funding for
the Contras in Nicaragua.
Reagan calls them “freedom fighters” trying to
establish a democracy. And despite the Iran-Contra affair he
continues to lobby lor support. It is our responsibility to
voice opposition to this injustice and to stop funding these
rebels.
But if we take Reagan’s democratic analogy further, we
could say tin; real freedom fighter in Nicaragua was Linder.
Linder was doing volunteer work as an engineer. He
developed geothermal and hydroelectric projects in small
villages. According to friends, his motivations were not
political. He only wanted to help.
The Contras, on the other hand, destroyed the
hydroelectric project Linder was working on. And on Tues
day evening, they singled out Linder and killed him
execution-style.
Before his death, Linder spoke with friends about the
threat of a Contra attack. They hoped Contras wouldn’t kill
Americans.
But the attack shows the rebels have bitten the hand that
feeds them. It was somewhat naive to think they would
distinguish nationality before shooting someone. They
chose Linder because he worked for tin? Sandinistas. not
because he had acted violently or spoken out against them.
Reagan’s policy toward Nicaragua is called into ques
tion after this shooting. He claims not to support terrorists,
but the Iran scandal and this shooting prove him wrong. The
Contras’ actions were acts of terrorism. And they will not
change their ways with or without our support.
Reagan can no longer assert these rebels are “freedom
fighters. I hey have no relation whatsoever to our founding
fathers.
Linder’s death is tragic, and it is unfortunate that it
takes such a violent action to open our eyes. But on the
positive side, the murder has brought about different feel
ings about the Contras to tin; Northwest and America.
Hopefully, Linder will have not died in vain, if
Americans realize the f utility of funding the Contras and de
mand a change in our policies, then some good can come
from this tragedy.
rrs me.
A CENTRAL
AMERICAN REBEL,
TRYING TO OVER
THROW MY COUNTRY !51
GOVERNMENT
THR0U6H MURDER,,
MAYHEM AND
TERRORISM.
Letters
Making babies
A program called “The Baby
Business” recently aired on
NBC. Disturbing facts were
presented on infertility, adop
tion and the psychological
d e v a s t a t ion c a u sed by
childlessness. Such a program
will probably bring into ques
tion many widely held attitudes
in contemporary society.
In the past few years, many
women have chosen to wait un
til past 30 to start having
children. Many who wait will
never have any babies. A condi
tion called "Delayed Birth Syn
drome” is becoming increasing
ly common especially among
“career women."
Perhaps a good message to
young women 1H-30 should be
“If you wait, you’re taking a big
risk." Postponing starting a
family until lf> or 20 years after
puberty increases that chance
that barrenness will develop.
One in five couples have dif
ficulty getting pregnant. Many
people who use no birth control
at all can be married for 20 years
and only conceive one or two
children.
Imagine the problems en
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countered by couples who use
birth control until their mid-30s
and then decide they want
children. Often nature doesn’t
cooperate with individual
timetables or goals, and fre
quently advanced medical
technology can’t help.
And with over 100 waiting
couples for every one available
white infant put up for adop
tion. it’s not easy or cheap to
adopt.
Most people want a family.
Hut thanks to many factors in to
day’s society there’s going to he
a lot of disappointed people —
and a lot more lonely older peo
ple a few years from now.
lulius G. I)e Paepe
Alvadore, Oregon
Pack of lies
hies. lies, lies! 1 can’t believe
how many lies Rob Young was
able to squeeze into one letter
(C)1)K, April 4).
His deliberate attempt to
mislead students is pathetic.
Young points out that the fun
ding of OSPIRG is mandatory
for University students. True
enough, but so is the funding
for athletics, minority student
unions, student government,
the Oregon Student hobby, the
Interfraternity Council and
every group receiving 1FC
funds, whether or not every
single student agrees with their
goals or methods.
A wide range of student pro
grams receive incidental fees.
Young’s major lie is that
OSPIRG “is not at all affiliated
with the University... it is an
entirely independent activist
organization." 1 suppose it
means nothing to Young that
OSPIRG was organized by
students here in 1971. and that
before that it did not exist.
The fact it is controlled en
tirely by students must also be
meaningless, as is tin; support it
receives in ASIJO elections
every other year.
Young also finds it quite easy
to ignore the section in the
ASUO Constitution devoted en
tirely to the funding of OSPIRG
(6.11).
He goes on to allege some evil
doings in OSPIRG’s manage
ment of its money. He would
like to see a break-down of how
fees are spent. He’s more than
welcome to do that at any time
and put his fears to rest. Before
alleging something as serious as
misspending of student fees, he
should get his facts straight.
I urge students to think hard
about the credibility of these in
dividuals who are threatening
to destroy the political culture
of this campus.
Maureen Kirk
Chairwoman, OSPIRG
Act of war
A war has been declared — a
wrar against our future, a war
against. . .our children. In this
war there is no winner, only
losers.
The weapon in this ultimate
form of fratricide is abortion.
And the enemy is the most in
nocent member of society — the
b a b i e s o f A m erica. O u r
Supreme Court has allowed an
intense battle to be waged with
needles, suction instruments,
forceps and poison. And the
baby doesn’t stand a chance.
There’s no place to run and
hide in the womb.
How long will America allow
this war to go on? Do we really
hate ourselves so much that we
want to sanction our own
genocide? It certainly won’t be
easy to expect world peace if we
can’t even declare an end to this
most inexcusable act of war and
brutality against our young.
Irene De Paepe
Alvadore, On;.
Lost his head
Dan Goulet certainly seems to
worry a lot about what other
people stick up their asses.
Makes one wonder where his
head is at... .
Hiawatha
Graduate, Music