_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 /. ' '

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.