_Editorial_
Bush hardly bullish
in this China shop
After a very quiet first 100 days in office, the op
portunity finally came for the Bush administration to
do something. And it blew it.
The developments and repercussions after China's
imposition of martial law in Beijing are still exploding
most everywhere around the globe — with the excep
tion of Kennebunkport, Maine, where President Bush
is vacationing and apparently does not want to Ire dis
turbed
Viewers in the United Stall’s witnessed the army
crackdown in Beijing, until the Chinese government
ordered CNN. ABC and CBS to stop broadcasting. In
the Soviet Union, the turmoil and chaos is getting air
time. Kven here at the University. HO visiting Chinese
students marched in Salem on Saturday, in support of
their fellow demonstrators.
But so far. the official U S. response has been one
of all-too-mild concern. The releases announced by
While House spokesman Marlin Fitzwaler are ex
pressed in such flimsy terms: The Bush administration
i finds the events "very disturbing '* The administration
urges "restraint" on both sides The administration
wants to be "prudent enough" not to incite the stu
dents to rioting.
Couching responses in such terms hardly captures
the indignation the administration should feel about
the use of martial law on earnest, peaceful demonstra
tors. as the hunger-striking Chinese students have
been. Such a response hardly demonstrates U.S. re
solve toward human rights.
This should have been an easy call for the Bush
Administration to make. After empty saber-rattling and
cries for human rights in tiny Panama, it would have
seemed natural for the administration to be more than
just a little miffed over the Chinese government’s over
reaction.
Of course, China is a much bigger trading partner
than Panama. There are lucrative trade markets over
here, and after a decade of inching China westward in
diplomatic circles, the White Mouse is afraid to do any
thing to reverse that.
The Bush administration's caution is simply un
necessary. The demands the students are calling for do
not mean the toppling of the communist government,
but they are the kind of democratic reforms the United
States should always support. Remember also. China
needs the United States as a trading partner as much as
this country needs the Chinese: harsh but constructive
criticism from a friendly country such as the United
States might have made the Chinese leadership act
more responsibly.
THE GREAT WALL.
SrUDiHTS
/. '
'<p Vf*
KWWWPtfmHMT
BN*
Palestinians, Israelis on collision course
As I h«? Palestinian uprising, i>r
intefadeh. in the occupied territories of the
West Hank and Gaza Strip nears the end of
its 17th month, (.alls for escalation on both
sides bode poorly for those seeking a Pales
tinian homeland.
We hope cooler beads prevail. The latest
salvoes fired from extreme elements of the
Israeli and Palestine leadership virtually
guarantee inc reased bloodshed:
• A leaflet distributed by the Unified Nation
al Leadership of the Uprising on Saturday
"calls on the strike force to kill a settler or a
soldier for every martyr of our sons." and
Mohammed Abbas, described as a leading
Palestine Liberation Organization guerrilla
chief. Sunday called for Arabs to take up
arms against Israeli forces.
• The first gun battle actually took place Fri
day. when three Arabs and one Israeli sol
dier reportedly were killed
• Right-wing elements of the Israeli govern
ment. led bv Prime Minister Yitzhak Sha
mir, have promised to ‘‘meet violence with
force.”
The Palestinians' lack of patience with
the "stones only” strategy is understandable
in view of the body count; since the uprising
began. 4‘>4 Arabs have been killed, com
pared with 22 Israelis.
But the sympathy those kind of numbers
generate internationally — with the notable
exception the United States — will rapidly
deteriorate if the Palestinians begin respond
ing in kind.
Further, experts on the region, including
former West Bank military governor Ariel)
Shaley (l‘l74-7f>) note the lack of firepower
and warn the Arabs risk “harsh Israeli repri
sals."
We don't claim to have the answer to
this divisive and bitter conflict, but we
know escalation of violence, force and in
flammatory rhetoric on both sides isn’t it.
Clearly, both sides will have to soften the
impact by turning away from extremism
hack toward the middle of the road.
.Letters—
Silence
An open letter to President
Olum
We are angry about the re
cent incidents of gay-hashing
on campus, particularly in the
A SI JO presidential campaign,
and we are dismayed at the si
lence of the University admin
istration in the wake of these
incidents.
While we apprer iate the im
portance of free speech, we
think the administration should
discourage the exercise of intol
erance and hatred on campus
and speak out against the higot
r\ published in the University
related news and commentary
publications We have read
anti-gay letters in the Kmerald
and an anti-gay editorial in the
Commentator that were infuri
ating in their comments on
USUO presidential candidate
11in I lughes's sexuality.
\11 appalling poster was dis
trihuted attacking Hughes and
demeaning Ins sexuality This
attai k and the threats against
Ins life should stir up outrage
in the administration Yet we
have heard nothing
We feel that volt have a re
sponsibility to the students.
Si.iff .nut faculty to provide
leadership against hatred and
intolerance and to make this
campus a safe place to work
and live We are painfully
aware of the flagrant disparity
between the University goals of
fairness and safety and the ac
tuality of the hatred and dixie
spei t we exponent e
We know you are committed
to fairness and tolerance, and
we admire and appreciate im
mensely your activities in the
past in support of lesbian and
gay issues. We hope you agree
that these recent episodes de
mand a restatement and reaf
firmation of this commitment
on behalf ol the University.
Peter M. O’Day
l.ucy A. Bernard
Institute of Neuroscience
and 70 co-signers
Patriotism
It is e\ ident from May M's ed
itorial that the Kmerald knows
nothing of American patriotism
or pride in serving one's COUn
t r\ l.t (ol Oliver North
served his country well; he
server! his president well,
whit h is more than am liberal
student i>n campus will ever !>«■
able to sa\
To s.iv lli.it North should no
to jail for doing his duty serv
ion and protecting the United
States of America is blasphe
mous at best!
In effect, the Emerald sends
the lessage that to serve one's
country is a punishable offense,
in which case we must punish
our Founding Fathers posthu
mously. as well as all surviving
war heroes Excuse me. but this
is insipid! Woe be to the day
the Democrats ever regain the
White House!
Aten Men/.ies
Political science
Exploitation
Every so often an act of im
measurable folly occurs Every
so often we must shake our
heads with embarrassment and
shame. Sue h a time is now
Ma\ t. brothers of Sigma Al
pha Epsilon performed a rite of
passage with the intent of
showing affet lion to a brother
about to pin his girlfriend. The
event was an anomah. an ex
periment done for the first time
I hat evening. Though not as
graphic as recent letter to line
Kmerald indicated, the- scene
did turn ugly. The brother was
publicly humiliated and embar
rassed. and subsequently, the
SAK's and the entire (jreek sys
tem should hang their heads in
shame.
Although apologies have al
ready been made privately, we
feel it imperative to publicly
express our sincere regrets con
cerning this happening. Wit ex
tend our apology to Delta Cam
ma. SAK alumni and friends,
the- brother in question, the
(Ireek system and to the I’m
versity at large who must be
lieve this will never happen
again SAK has stricken this
from its chapter.
It is sad lessons must some
limes be learned in such man
ners Dignity and reputation
ride on many of tin; decisions
we choose daily. In light of
some of the irresponsible be
havior seen at the University
this term, we implore that care
ful and thoughtful foresight be
instituted whenever planning
an event on any nature.
SAK is a fine fraternity. We
lament that such a traditionally
powerful display of fraternal
life and affection such as a pin
ning was exploited at the (ex
pense of so much humiliation
|ohn Stircklin
SAK President
Carson I). Bowler
Interfraternity Council
President
—--Letters Policy_
The Emerald will attempt to print all letters con
taining comments on topics of interest to the Univer
sity community. Comments must be factually accu
rate and refrain from personal attacks on the character
of others.
The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter
for length or style.