.Editorial—
D.C. could benefit
from Jackson's lead
Just a year ago. Jesse Jackson packet! 'em into Mac
Court while running the political gamut in his cam
paign for President of the United Stales. One year later
finds him tossing his hat into the ring for mayor of
Washington. D.C.
But is Jackson doing this for the good of D.C.. or is
he doing this to secure a future bid for the presidency?
If he is doing this for the presidency, we can only hope
D.C. can be changed for the better in the process.
True, the two biggest qualms about Jackson when
he ran for President were that he had never been elect
ed to a public office, and he had never run a major or
ganization. If ho wore elected mayor of Washington.
D.C., he could kill two birds with one stone.
Jackson isn’t stupid; he’s well-aware of the fact
that leading D C. could easily blossom into leading the
nation. Because, as mayor. Jackson would be forced to
get along with members of the White House and Con
gress — and in doing so could rub political elbows and
scratch political backs in his hopes for the future.
As mayor, Jackson would also have to raise rev
enue, balance budgets, conquer the crack quandary,
steady competing demands, find a reasonable solution
to the nation's worst homeless situation, and answer
the charge that D C. is the nation's murder capital
He'd also he in charge of selecting a competent
staff and then delegating responsibility to them a
task that would serve him well in further politicking.
All of these mayoral tasks would benefit Washing
ton. D C. Perhaps it would take a man like Jackson to
t lean up the city and return its respect. And it's not as
though current Mayor Marion Barry would he a hard
act to follow — just a messy act
This all seems to bo a rather Herculean task for the
reverend, but in the past, he has proven his commit
ment to social issues and social justice. And luckily,
he wouldn't be able to prove his administrative abili
ties without doing some good for the city.
If elected, we hope he can turn the city around in
Iris quest for turning the nation around. There is one
thing left to worry about, though: What happens if he
becomes mayor and then loses a future bid for the
presidency?
Well, if he's doing a good job. maybe he should
think about staying there. Permanently. If they'll have
him. The goal now is to force Barry from his lifetime
commitment to the office.
/ SCANDAL-QtDOEN
/ TOP AIDE 6 LEAVING.
YOU CAN CLOSE THAT
DOOR NOW-1 SAID,
A YOU CAN CLOSE THAT
\ DOOR NOW
Moral consciousness calls for grape ban
It probably wouldn't bring an end to
grape jelly, but it would have a far-reai hing
impact.
For the* past five* years, the* United 1’arm
Workers union and other organizations and
concerned citizens have boycotted table?
grapes. UFW President Cesar Chavez fasted
lor :)(> days last summer to push his moral
message: Knd the use of pesticides on table
grapes.
To some, this may serein an insignificant
subject but it isn't — as demonstrated by
the long-term commitment of those who
want to bring an end to the user of cancer
causing agents in the nation's agricultural
fields.
Heck. Jesse Jackson even lent his sup
port to thir cause by joining Chavez in last
summer’s fast. Of course. Jackson lasted
about 15 minutes, but his morals were in the
right place.
And our morals should be in the right
place too. High rates of cancer and birth de
fects among farm worker families have been
traced to the high use of pesticides in tfit;
fields and it didn't take a genius to figure
this out.
Moreover, the farm workers who tend
to he immigrants, minorities and poor peo
ple have little influence with the growers
because they are oppressed by their employ
ers. And in many states, agribusiness carries
a lot of political influence, so the workers
.ire squelched in the political process.
The workers have no voice. We have to
be their voice.
It will take the consumer voice at the
market, in the form of a boycott, to end the
use of these cancer-causing agents.
The Eugene City Council has voiced its
support for the grape boycott — taking pains
to not have grapes included on occasions
when meals are served at city meetings.
It only makes sense to follow the raised
consciousness of the city council and boy
cott table-top grapes. And if it brings the de
mise of grape jelly, would it really matter
anyway?
.Letters
Greekbashers
Spring term birds sing,
flowers bloom, love is in the air
and anti-Greeks strive to de
fame the system A hit of a
paradox, isn't it?
The purpose of this letter is
not an "evasive attempt" to
shrug off acknowledgement of
the actions of some members of
the Greek system, as Andrew
Shreve (ODK. May H) would
like to believe. I agree that
there are things that individual
Greeks have done that are rep
rehensible However, when the
only action that antagonists of
the system take is to write an
gry letters to the newspapers,
their complaints have only one
purpose to defame the Greek
system.
This doesn't mean I think
these complaints aren't valid.
Ibit to automatically blame the
entire system is a cop-out. Isn't
it possible, just by the smallest
bit. that these are individual
cases, and not something con
doned or promoted by each
house or the entire system?
What I'm getting at is this:
The attitude ol those who write
against the Greek system is
simply antagonistic and non
constructive It may be said
that (lit! Creeks have brought
this upon ourselves, but this
doesn't make it right
To all the Creekbashers wait
ing to respond angrily to this
letter, think first He prepared
to offer more than defamatory
statements Stirring up bad
feelings doesn't accomplish
anything If you want some
thing done, think of something
If however, you continue to
describe Greeks as "rai ist. sex
ist. homophobic, alcoholic
snobs" (OI)K, April 27). then
you are no better than those
who you accuse.
Craig Namba
Vice president
Sigma Phi Kpsilon
History lesson
How ironic that commemo
rating the end of Holocaust Me
morial Week, Ollie North is
found "not guilty" of nine out
of 12 charges against him for
his involvement in the Iran
Contra affair, based on his de
fense that he was only follow
inn the orders of his superiors.
It's too bad the jury in the
case was sequestered during
this week of remembrance.
They might have recalled trials
of Nazi death camp guards who
claimed they should not be
punished for executing thou
sands of |ews because they
were only following orders.
This defense did not work for
the Nazis, but apparently Col.
North is a "patriot" (unlike the
Nazis) and therefore is not re
sponsible for his actions.
lias history taught us noth
ing?
Stephanie Mencimer
lournalism
Not solidarity
We are concerned! We are
concerned about the future of
this University under the lead
ership of ASUO President-elect
Andy (dark.
Prior to elections, in a debate
at the EMU, Clark responded to
a question on divestment by
stating that he is “one with his
African brothers." (What about
his sisters?)
While this is a valid state
ment, Clark contradicted him
self recently by drawing the
scholarship winners for Gener
al Motors. General Motors has
direct investments in South Af
rica. where a white minority
government rules over and op
presses the black majority pop
ulation.
Clark, by his action, has not
demonstrated his solidarity
with the blacks in South Africa
and this ethical contradiction
between words and actions
must not go unnoticed.
Clark has not shown a great
deal of political awareness thus
far. and in the future we hope
he will have the personal integ
rity to have educated himself
on all the issues involved.
Jennifer Schneider
Michelle Homer
Students
Good spelling
The person or persons re
sponsible for the defacing of
the concrete barrier at the south
end of Allen Hall should be
proud. It is surprising that the
kind of people who would par
ticipate in such vandalism
would be able to spell both
"capitalism" and " exploita
tion" correctly.
Tracy Sumner
Journalism
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