Editorial
Closing drug center
a community loss
On Juno 30 the Drug Information Center will dost! due
to lack of funding. But its closure represents the sorry, one
dimensional view society takes toward drug education.
Since it opened in 1972. it has been the goal of the DIC
to provide accurate information on legal and illegal drugs,
responsible decision-making and an alternative to drugs.
Due to the “Just say no" mentality toward drug abuse,
however, its goals have been misinterpreted as pro-drug
The DIC provided a truthful education about the effects
of drugs. They did not try to pass moral judgments on the
people asking questions, but instead left the decision to use
the drug up to the individual.
Some viewed this as taking away the fear of the
unknown and encouraging people to use drugs. Hut the DIC
actually provided a realistic blend of education and
dissuasion.
This type of approach has not been tried by current anti
drug programs and is desperately needed if a solution to the
problem is to be found. Some people will inevitably take
drugs. But education and options for them must bo left open
With the closure of the DIC. Eugene is losing a vital
educational tool. Society claims to care about the drug abuse
problems but refuses to support programs that can offer
improvements.
Clearing the air
on not-so-smoky issue
After a biK response to Tuesday's Oregon Daily Emerald
editorial regarding a petition calling for an independent
commission to review the University’s sexual harassment
policies, some clarifications should be made.
The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation is only sup
porting the petition, not sponsoring it, and stresses the sen
sitivity of the issues brought up in the Status of Women
Committee's open forum May 21. A cover letter accompany
ing the petition states the GTFF's agreement with the possi
ble solutions proposed at the forum, but states the belief,
however, that an independent committee is the best way to
achieve these goals with the greatest amount of credibility.
An independent committee would provide a more relax
ed atmosphere and allow people to express complaints
about the current system without fear of retaliation. The
presence of University Provost Richard Hill and affirmative
action Director Bean Comrada at the forum put a chill on this
openness, according to many people who contacted the
Emerald.
The taping and possible transcription of names of peo
ple who spoke at the forum caused reluctance among some
about attending the forum, some of whom expressed fears of
losing their jobs if they were too outspoken.
The GTFF-supported petition requests a review of all
the policies of the Office of Affirmative Action, not just
those dealing with sexual harassment. Only an independent
committee could do this without bias and with credibility.
These are pertinent issues that we overlooked Tuesday.
Nonetheless, we still believe the GTFF and other concerned
members of the University community shuuld have acted
sooner. They have pinpointed several problems with the
current process, but if they had reacted sooner we currently
might be closer to a final solution.
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A PISCE OF CAKE
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Letters
AIDS testing
Thu Middle Ages had the
black plague; modern America
has HLTV 3.
This is a serious issue. This
disease needs a cure or we will
confront the possible total
destruction of all civilization as
we know it.
Much research is required
before we discover a cure. Un
fortunately. medical research of
this nature assumes the use of
laboratory test animals.
I do not enjoy the thought of
jabbing steel needles into
shrieking laboratory animals
There exists, however, a class of
individuals who ant worthy of
this honor even more than a
scraggly rodent.
Those wonderful Greeks are
constantly performing fund
raising and charity events to
benefit those less fortunate than
themselves.
Events such as trashing each
others’ faces into bloody pulps
(the annual smoker) and big
splashes and wet T-shirt con
tests. as well as the charming
Miss Geek contest are all
wonderful additions to Univer
sity life.
Why not extend AIDS testing
Oregon Daily
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as a wonderful activity?
There is an overpopulation of
Greek*, and exactly what pur
pose do they serve? l)o they ex
ist to donate daddy's fortune to
the local destitute pubs? Do
they exist to furnish the scooter
industry with more capital? Or
do they exist only to show that
you must be loaded to the limit
with pop’s money to be truly
obnoxious?
Why not permit the Greeks to
do something useful with their
lives? Why not use them for
AIDS testing?
We could hide in the shrubs
(like Marlin Perkins with tran
quilizer guns) and have a field
day blasting away at Greeks.
This would be done at the tradi
tional mating (social) functions
that occur at certain run-down
rat-holes around campus.
There is, however, one flaw
in THE P1.AN. What if the tests
require a minimum intelligence
level? If this proves the case,
then we would have to return to
doing research on hamsters. Zut
alors.
John Sheley
Senior
Natural force
me see if I understand the
argument: Promiscuous
heterosexuals feel threatened by
exposure to AIDS through the
medium of bisexuals transferr
ing it to them from homosexual
carriers.
Homosexuals are then faulted
for this new risk to the general
population.
AIDS lowers the body's
defenses so that a person with it
is likely to die of some obscure
though deadly disease that is
hardly heard of otherwise. And
the homosexuals consider this a
positive contribution to society
in that it increases diversity in
ways to die.
It is obviously not their fault
since they were born gay.
T he Christians, however, say
that we all have inherited a sin
ful nature as fallen creatures.
Some have more of a disposi
tion to one sin than another.
and those disposed to homosex
uality. who were born gay. are
again just demonstrating a
variety in ways to sin.
So what is the big deal? If as
the Christians say. "The wages
of sin is death.” then homosex
uals are only relieving the
monotony in giving us another
way to go.
Furthermore, if as homosex
uals say. their natural condition
in their body (homosexuality)
should be both tolerated and
celebrated, then why make a
fuss over AIDS?
After all. it merely allows
other natural conditions in the
body (any disease) to go
unchecked.
So why seek a cure for AIDS?
This condition shows how one
can accept any natural force in
the body without resisting it.
and it helps us to celebrate
diversity in the end.
Karl (iosnell
Eugene
Dispelled myth
It is time to dispel the myth
that conservatives are boring.
Conservatives are not boring
— their recreation is simply
misunderstood by leftish types,
since a conservative's idea of a
good time usually involves
heavy artillery and chemical
defoliates.
In comparison, drugs and free
sex seem like small potatoes.
It may be that most liberals
simply stop themselves short of
having the sort of real fun that
conservatives have. For exam
ple. why change society for the
better when you can just buy
and own it?
Conservatives also are
misperceived as being compla
cent and docile. The counter
proof is obvious: I came to this
school and survived for three
and-a-half years.
What else do you want from
us conservatives, aerial
acrobatics?
Rob Young
Senior editor
Commentator