_Editorial_
Measure 8 promotes
discrimination on job
It's not fair. It’s not right. It’s a witch hunt.
Thus, the pamphlet being circulated concerning a “no”
vote on state Ballot Measure 8 begins.
We concur — we urge you to vote no on 8.
Ballot Measure 8 is a far-reaching initiative that, if
passed, would revoke Gov. Neil Goldschmidt’s 1987 execu
tive order harming discrimination in state government on
the basis of sexual orientation.
Moreover, with the overturning of Goldschmidt’s execu
tive order, Measure 8 would enact a new state law permit
ting discrimination in the workplace on that basis.
Finally, Measure 8 would make Oregon the first state in
the country where discrimination against gay men and les
bians in the workplace is written into law.
All people, and in this case, all Oregonians, deserve fair
treatment in the workplace. Workers should be judged by
their performance and the job they do — not by their sexual
orientation.
Measure 8 would protect everyone from discrimination
except those identified as having a “deviant” sexual orien
tation.
This is completely unfair. To protect everyone but a par
ticular group from discrimination is still discrimination,
which, in other words, encourages discrimination.
Not surprisingly, Goldschmidt has joined the bandwag
on against Measure 8 and against revoking his executive or
der: “Just as the state advocates no religion over another,
this executive order does not advocate or endorse any par
ticular sexual orientation.”
He makes a very good point. No particular sexual orien
tation is endorsed by his order, so how can proponents of
the measure claim (as they so loudly have) that gay men and
lesbians will become a “protected minority.”
Clearly, their logic seems twisted.
When Nov. 8 rolls around, take to the polls and cast a
vote in favor of job performance — and a vote against dis
crimination — and vote no on state Ballot Measure 8.
Rivers initiative adds miles
to Oregon's scenic beauty
Oregon, a state blessed with a diversity of river sys
tems, now has the opportunity to add 497 miles of these riv
ers to the Oregon Scenic Waterways System.
With a “yes” vote on state Ballot Measure 7, the Oregon
Rivers Initiative, portions of the Clackamas, Deschutes, Elk,
John Day, Klamath, McKenzie, Metolius, Nestucca, Rogue,
Umpqua and Wallowa-Grande Ronde would be protected
from most dams and other developments.
Voting “yes” will help curb the varied threats to Ore
gon’s rivers and streams: logging, grazing, dredging and
filling, mining, water withdrawals and diversions and resi
dential and road developments.
A “yes” vote also would preserve the scenery, recrea
tion, fish and wildlife habitat and scientific values of the
rivers.
Oregon law states that the highest and best uses of water
within scenic waterways is for recreation, fish and wildlife.
The law flatly prohibits any “dam, or reservoir, or other wa
ter impoundment facility ... or placer mining” on waters
within the scenic waterways.
The law also protects private property rights by discour
aging such unsightly structures and inappropriate develop
ment that not only threatens the rivers’ resource values, but
which could be considered a nuisance to neighboring land
owners.
The law does not:
•restrict the use of existing water rights along scenic water
ways.
•allow public use of private property without consent of
the landowner.
•require the removal of existing development or private
property use.
Following state law, it only makes sense to pass Meas
ure 7.
While opponents of the issue may believe the pending
federal Wild and Scenic Rivers bill will take care of river
protection to the point that a state law isn’t necessary, this
is not true. Federal legislation includes some, not all, of the
streams proposed by the Oregon Rivers Initiative for inclu
sion in the state Scenic Waterways System.
The state and federal legislation is complementary —
with the state system better regulating private land use and
prohibiting placer mining and the federal system giving bet
ter protection from dams.
Vote yes on state Ballot Measure 7, and add 497 miles to
those bodies of water already designated as scenic water
ways for their outstanding natural and scenic beauty and re
creational opportunities.
Q, WHICH LITTLE BLOND KID DO'TOD FEEL IS MOST
; QUALIFIED IF SOMETHING HAPPENS ID PRESIDENT BUSH ?
iie(cew«»wtn0»c»*
-Letters
No-win situation
This is in response to Robert
Kenneth and Laura Dutton's in
sightful remarks (ODE, Oct.
18).
First of all, the political poll
statement was incorrect. Know
ing that physical appearance is
of little importance in selecting
the leader of our country, I spe
cifically instructed the inter
viewer not to include my com
ment on Dukakis being a wimp.
It was completely out of con
text and should never have
been printed.
1 appreciate Mr. Kenneth and
Ms. Dutton for pointing out
how important it is not to judge
someone by their appearance.
However, I was astonished to
see them judge my intellectual
abilities by a "spur of the mo
ment” paraphrase.
How can they rationalize this
when they have just demon
strated they know as well as I
do that “you can’t judge a book
by its cover.”
Furthermore, I strongly op
pose the use of political slan
der. During the '80s we have
been confronted with enormous
amounts of slander. Bush, Du
kakis, Meese, North, Reagan
and many others have filled our
media with slanderous re
marks.
The '80s have been overrun
with immoral and unethical
judgments. Neither Bush nor
Dukakis have impressed me
with their political wisdom. It’s
unfortunate we’ve been left
with these guys to choose from,
but with all the back stabbing
that’s happened this past dec
ade, I'm not surprised. After
all, who in their right mind
wants to get involved in a no
win situation?
Mike Lee
Business
Outrageous leap
In Thomas Allard’s Forum
article on the ACLU last week,
he raised some disturbing is
sues and made some very broad
generalizations out of specific
questions.
Reasonable people can dis
agree about whether prayer
ought to be allowed in public
schools, for example, but it is
an outrageous leap from asking
that question to asserting that
the ACLU wants a society
where "religion is outlawed,”
as he suggests.
It is an equally outrageous
leap to move from asking if it’s
really wise to disallow road
blocks to catch drunk drivers as
a way of dealing with what is
admittedly a very serious social
problem, to asserting that the
ACLU wants "drunk drivers set
free."
If the ACLU is really pursu
ing a liberal political agenda,
as its critics charge, why did it
defend the Nazis’ right to
march in Skokie, III.? Why did
it file friend of the court briefs
on behalf of Oliver North and
Lyn Nofziger, whose cases are
anathema to liberals?
Those on the right and left
are equally guilty sometimes in
that they would allow free
speech for those ideas with
which they agree and deny it
for those ideas with which they
disagree. But the ACLU be
lieves that our Constitutional
rights, especially the right to
free speech, exist for every
body.
Everybody,
Think about it.
John Muir
Law
Sick attitudes
Risa Haberman (ODE, Oct.
10) is only one of millions of
spiritually minded persons on
this planet who are sick and
tired of “Christian Fascists
with their “holier than thou'
sick attitudes.
Do you think Christians have
some monopoly on the reli
gious experience? Christianity
is one of the newest religions
on this planet — a mere baby
among religions. Christ’s mes
sage has been so perverted,
twisted and distorted by the
vast number of his so-called
followers that it is easier to
conceive of their picture of Je
sus as Hitler rather than as of
Christ. Christ preached love
and acceptance, not bigotry,
racism, prejudice, hate and
fear.
What is it with you, Greg
(ODE, Oct, 17)? You're the
psych major! Get out of your
subconscious and become con
scious.
Harvey P. Warren
Alumnus, Philosophy
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