Editorial
Action on cruising
could be harmful
The City Council will examine a proposed anti-cruising
ordinance Oct. 21 that is intended to stop people from cruis
ing in Eugene. But the council must consider the social and
economical aspects of this ordinance before approving it.
The cruisers in Eugene have demonstrated considerable
organizational power. If the "Gut" is outlawed on West 11th
Avenue, where it has moved after decades on Willamette
Street, thoy will either move to another street or possibly
move to more deviant forms of entertainment.
Recently, cruiser Donnie Hedlind organized the par
ticipants of weekend cruising on Willamette Street and mov
ed the "Gut” to West 11th. The move was prompted by
alleged police harassment and demonstrates the determina
tion and initiative of the cruisers to maintain a gut
somewhere in Eugene.
Unfortunately, Hedlind has not been able to keep others
from littering and creating excessive noise. Businesses on
West 11th havo started to complain that the traffic and noise
is scaring away customers.
This has forced some store owners to enforce a no
trespassing ordinance for their property. The ordinance
allows police to arrest people found in the owner’s parking
lot if they fail to disperse.
The anti-cruising ordinance before the City Council is
another effort to prevent cruising, but it can only limit driv
ing on designated streets. The proposal would "prohibit
repeated driving of a motor vehicle along and across one
portion of congested public thoroughfare" between 9 p.m.
and 5 a.m. Violation of the ordinance carries a maximum
$150 fine.
The Eugene proposal is similar to ordinances in other
cities, including Portland. But after the City of Portland
spent $500 to post signs on Southeast 82nd Avenue inform
ing drivers of the ordinance, the cruisers moved the gut to
102nd Avenue. However, there were not as many cruisers at
the new location.
This is an important factor to consider with Eugene
cruising. The cruisers already have demonstrated their
organizational abilities.
Enforcement of the oridinance also should be studied.
In Newark. Del., for example, Sgt. Thomas Penoza com
plained the cruising ordinance "needlessly tied up police
who are needed to handle more serious problems."
Ann Sopko. the mother of a boy cited for cruising, said
the law was "idiotic and it's discriminatory. We pay
policemen to sit three hours on a corner and look for young
people driving old cars.”
The monitoring of cars should not take precedence over
more important matters. But to effectively enforce the law.
police will have to watch the cars and keep track of who's
traveling on the street. The council should develop a more
reasonable form of monitoring cruisers.
The "Gut" obviously is a vital institution to the cruisers
in Eugene. While they should be commended for their effi
cient move to West 11th. they also should be reprimanded
for their behavior on the new "Gut." The move would have
had more impact if they had respected the rights of the store
owners.
The proposed anti-cruising ordinance is a natural reac
tion to the problems on West 11th. But it should not be
enacted hastily and without thought. The cruisers deserve
some credit and. at least, another form of recreation if their
"Gut" is taken away.
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Letters
Last resort
Well now. where * the Greek
system going with its latest in
justice. It's the Phi l)elts that
have crossed the infamous
bridge of social inhumanity,
suppression, graft, sexism,
racism, elitism and violence.
They didn't have the decency
to help an injured person. Does
this amaze anyone No Bar
barians you've crossed the most
filthy and disgusting barriers.
Nevertheless. I don't ad
vocate having the Greek system
abolished. I do have a few sug
gestions or methods for people
for dealing with these or any
other transgression of human
decency
It’s probably possible to ac
quire by some means a list of all
members of the Greek system.
This way you only punish the
people that have caused this
problem.
Place the animals in a cage
after having them covered in
hot oil and feathers Then
parade them around campus,
throwing things at them of
various shapes, sizes and jagged
edges.
Have them all joined at the
hip so that they have to live
with each other for their entire
lives.
Round up all the members
and tear their limbs from their
bodies and while they writhe in
agony eat some of their flesh
and spit it back out at them.
Make them grow all the ingre
dients for all forms of alcohol
forever
Employ them as only sanita
tion workers so that they will
have to deal with others' gar
bage like we must deal with
theirs.
For the most part. I'm against
violence, but this was appall
ing. and I’m just venting some
anger in writing. Only as a last
resort, however.
Blake Louis Sliter
Political science/English
Unclear sign
While walking through the
basement of the EMU, a sign on
the College Republican’s office
door caught my eye.
The message was not a pro
duct of vandalism, nor did it ac
cuse the organization of racism
or fascism. (Unfortunately, such
accustions sometimes appear on
the CR door.) The sign I saw
was posted by the organization
It was taped to the inside of the
door's window, making it clear
ly visible to passers-by.
It was very simple, direct and
to the point. The sign was a
large circle with a slash through
it Inside the circle-slash there
was a red star. Under this, in
bold print, appeared the
message "SOVIET FREE
ZONE ."
It scares me that the person(s)
who holds such intolerant
views may possibly take part in
foreign policy formation in the
future It scares the hell out of
me.
I urge all students and faculty
members who share my concern
to visit Room 164 in the EMU
basement and ask CR personnel
to explain the meaning of their
"SOVIET FREE ZONE" sign.
Scott Lewis
Psychology
The true story
This is in response to the
three letters written (to the
Oregon Daily Emerald) about
the bicycle accident in front of
the Phi Delta Theta fraternity
Oct. 3.
I am the girl this whole inci
dent is about, and I want to set
the record straight. I am not
writing to degrade the Greek
system or to take sides on this
senseless Greek/non-Greek
rivalry. My only concern is to
clarify events of that afternoon
first hand — unlike Mr. San
dor’s version (ODE, Oct. 12, "
Not Guilty”).
I think it was unfair and
tactless for Mr. Sandor to say.
“They both started laughing
hysterically as if intoxicated
and walked away.” Perhaps I
laughed sightly to try to make
light of the situation, but Mr
Sandor, how could you be so in
sensitive to say I was ' laughing
hysterically” after I fell off iny
bike and landed headfirst on the
pavement? My head was indeed
bleeding and required five stit
ches to close.
In my opinion, Mr. Sandor's
statement implies that we
wrecked because we were intox
icated. Not true; we were not in
toxicated. We wrecked because
my friend, riding on my left,
turned right at the comer and I
didn't.
I would have hoped in any
case that someone would have
done something to help
Granted, it was a minor acci
dent, but it would have been all
right for someone to at least ask
if we were OK. Not a single per
son expressed any concern
whatsoever.
It's a shame this turned into a
Greek/non-Greek conflict, but
lets consider the situation
clarified and case CLOSED.
Margaret Thompson
Sophomore
Veracity
Hey Sandor; Oh right! We
finished our drinks, joked and
fooled around on the sidewalk,
then put five stitches in her
head while smoking our
cigarettes.
Oh, and nobody said a word
Yep. that's just what happened!
Tim Chauran
Journalism