Editorial
Legislation just might
help overzealous fans
Tho inquiry to follow Great Britain's worst sports
disaster is likely to bring legislation that could drasti
cally alter the face of tho nation's most popular sport.
Last Saturday evening, 94 people died and 200
were injured when thousands of fans were crushed
against a steel safety fence in an overpacked soccer sta
dium in Sheffield, England Poor crowd control by po
lice. the design of the stadium and inadequate emer
gency medical facilities are being blamed for the disas
ter.
Perhaps the stadium’s design and the medical fa
cilities played a part in the calamity, but it was the po
lice. the soccer officials and the over excited fans who
played the maior roles. Unaware of the consequences
of letting more people into the already full 54.000-seat
stadium, police and soccer officials opened the gates to
late arrivals who fanatically rushed into the standing
room-only area.
That these officials could be unaware of tho conse
quences rings all too loudly of irony, and conceivably,
stupidity.
Just last week, the Union of European Football As
sociations — the ruling body of European soccer —
agreed to lift a ban that prevented British clubs from
participating in European competition. The sanction
was imposed after British fans attacked their Italian ri
vals during a 1985 match at Heysel Stadium in Brus
sels. Belgium, which caused the deaths of 39 people.
The lifted ban was conditional on the continued good
conduct of British fans.
It seems likely now tnai me oan win ue nnpuscu
again, but that would not strike at the source of the di
saster. Blaming the unruly fans at the soccer game does
not remove the mark of culpability that the police must
assume because of their poor crowd control efforts.
True, it s important for American fans — who at
least remain in their seats for most events — to under
stand the passions that soccer arouses in its European
and Latin American followers.
For one. teams such as Liverpool (involved in last
week's and 1985's tragedies! date their existence back
mote than a century. They have played in the same
city, and most often on the same field for that long.
' Another reason tor such fanatical behavior is an
economic one. Liverpool, specifically, is a depressed,
blue-collar port city, with its inhabitants having little
else to be excited about than the 90 minutes of raucous
fun on the soccer field on Saturday afternoons.
Hut while these reasons may help us bettor under
stand the behavior behind such mindless tragedies, it
doesn't excuse the crowd's behavior, or the ineptitude
of the police and soccer officials.
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Namibia's independence still uncertain
The; United Nations-sponsored plan for
an independent Namibia has stalled again,
as U.N. peacekeeping forces. South African
security troops, and armed insurgents of the
South-West Africa People's Organization are
locked in a standoff.
The trouble began April 1. when the
U.N.-supervised plan went into effect. For
the next seven months. Namibia will be in
transition until free elections are held in No
vember. Shortly after the beginning of the
month, the leftist SWAPO guerrillas crossed
the northern border of the country, from
their bases in Angola.
The ill-timed incursion was in violation
of tin; U.N. agreement, and has caused a
backlash in the South African government.
The SWAPO forces apparently entered the
country not to fight, but to set up bases in
advance of the election.
Regardless of the insurgents’ intentions,
fighting did break out between SWAPO and
South African forces. A ceasefire was called
to allow the SWAPO forces to withdraw
back to Angola, but their departure has been
slow, and it is estimated that !)()() guerrillas
remain in the country. In response. South
Africa has announced that it will leave some
security forces in the country.
The South African government is ex
tremely sensitive about the possibility of Na
mibia becoming a Marxist nation. Namibia
is an economically well-off trading partner
of South Africa, with a small, educated pop
ulation. If Namibia swings to the far left,
then South Africa loses a precious market.
The SVVAPO incursion also fueled
doubts about whether Namibia will be able
to survive as an independent nation. Most
observers already expect SWAPO-backed
candidates to win the major November elec
tions. The foolish invasion and immediate
subsequent withdrawal demonstrates that
the SVVAPO leadership is not yet coherent or
mature enough to lead the country through a
difficult birth.
While SWAPO stumbles and South Afri
ca hems and haws, most regional leaders
still hope that the U.N. and outside nations
such as the United States and Cuba will stay
out of the conflict. Even with the best of in
tentions, these outsiders have a sorry history
of fouling up countries in the area. An infa
mous example: Zimbabwe’s first $1 million
of foreign debt was incurred in hosting a
U.N. development conference, where harbor
experts were invited to discuss the country 's
maritime future. They found that the future
was pretty dim, as Zimbabwe is a land
locked nation.
Letters
Sarcastic
I.ast Saturday night at a fra
ternity/sorority function. Tim
Hughes and Maureen Kirk were
inside making slanderous, sar
castic comments about the par
ty and the Greek system. I.
along with several other people
at the function, heard this and
feel it is our duty, as part of the
Greek system which Hughes
and Kirk allegedly support, to
bring this out in the open.
Seeking our support, they
spent hours with the Greek En
dorsement Committee. Thank
goodness they didn't receive
the endorsement. If they are al
ready slandering what they al
legedly support, what else are
they going to back out of? Can
anyone really trust their politi
cal words?
As people directly affected
by these elections, we need to
open our eyes beyond our per
ceptions and look at the actions
of the candidates running.
Stacy Kitch
Journalism
Expansion
I urge everyone to vote in fa
vor of the Westmoreland Child
Care expansion on the upcom
ing ballot. The need for the ex
pansion is great, and the bene
fits are everyone's.
As a parent, quality and af
fordable child care is of major
concern to me. There are mart!
and more students with chil
dren, and many on waiting lists
for the existing programs. To
be effective at work or school,
parents need to know their
children are well cared for. The
child care on this campus is of
the highest quality; the kids are
challenged and encouraged to
be creative by staff that are well
educated, patient and compas
sionate.
These programs also enrich
the lives of the many student
employees who help staff them,
and both students and kids
have an opportunity to learn.
Parents art! thankful for the
great programs, kids are well
cared for and happy, and the
student body as a whole is
proud to know that they help
make it possible for many peo
pie to be in school. There’s
something for everybody! loot's
continue to send the message to
government and community
that first rate child care is im
portant to us all. important for
our future, and vote yes for the
Westmoreland expansion.
Kristen Brandt
Eugene
For Haven
I would like to express my
support for Kathy Haven, run
ning for SPA Student Senate
seat no. 17 As an experienced
and highly motivated candi
date. she will accomplish many
much needed tasks and ser
vices in office. Active partici
pation in NAKA1. and OSPIRG
are some of her experiences,
and she intends to emphasize
and initiate programs such as
computerized registration, for
eign student representation,
women's issues, rape security
workshops for campus security,
and securing ample professors
for mandatory, overcrowded
classes I am excited to see a
dedicated candidate like Kathy
Haven. She would be a positive
and influential member of the
SPA platform.
Nancy Kelley
Senior, international studies
Cherished right
He: Michael Cross's letter
(ODE, April 14):
The issue is the right of every
woman to have a choice. 1 do
not have a right to impose my
values on others, nor do others
have that right. Each woman
should have the right to choose
according to her own values
and beliefs.
Therefore, the decisions that
Michael asks readers to make
regarding four scenarios would
have us. as readers, adopt his
position, that is, usurping the
right of choice of the women
involved.
Pro-choice upholds women's
decisions to choose to not have
an abortion as well as to have
an abortion. For mo, this right
to choose is analogous to the
right of free speech protected
by the First Amendment: 1 do
not like or agree with every
thing that is said but I uphold
the principle that underlies that
right. Thus, regardless of my
personal views on abortion, I
cherish the right of each wom
an to choose.
Connie Burns
Counseling psychology
Update
The Emerald’s “Educa
tion" editorial (ODE.
April lfl) included enroll
ment figures released be
fore the chancellor's
press conference Wednes
day.
The editorial stated cut
backs in state enrollment
would reach 5,000 annu
ally over the next two
years, but new figures
show the actual enroll
ment cuts are projected at
2.000 to 4.000 over the
biennium. depending
upon funding from the
Legislature.