Editorial
Rise in hate crimes
paints bleak picture
After tin* recent dot-lion of .1 black mayor in Seal
tli!. ,1 1 it\ with a mostly white population, it would
seem tlm future looks promising for eradication of rue
ism and violent c- against minority groups in the North
west However, don't throw a party celebrating the end
of ignorance just yet
Hate crimes in the Northwest are increasing rapid
|y, according to a report by the Northwest ( oalition
Against Malicious Harassment
(hit ol five states examined in the study. .Met hate
1 rimes were committed in l'.IHtt up to Sept to Orogo
nians may he shocked to (list over that out ol the 2t> t
crimes. IT) of them more than half were commit
ted in our state
The hate crimes reported ranged from assaults,
cross burnings, threats, defacement of property and
one that resulted in murder. The second annual report
by the (oalition shows a ,'Kltt percent increase in
1 rimes motivated by prejudice from 1‘iHH to 1‘iH't
While the (oalition takes into consideration that
new. improved methods of tracking such crimes could
contribute to the drastic increase, that doesn't com
pletely account for the rise A TiH percent increase is
more than substantial cause to worry aland the rac ial
health of our region Moreover, it is an undeniable fact
that many hate crimes .ire never reported or publi
cized.
Such depressing news about continuing rampant
prejudice shows that simply because a state or region
is thought to he largely open-minded, this perception
could lie proven wrong in the harsh light of reality.
Just sitting hack and hoping that perpetrators of hate
crimes will eventually be eaten away by their own
senseless ignorance is unrealistic
Only two hate crimes were reported to have oc
curred in Idaho, one of the five states examined in the
survey- The low number of incidents is attributed to
stiff anti-harassment laws and the presence of state task
forces on human relations The Coalition's president,
Tony Stewart, also feels that education from an early
age will alleviate in< idenls of hate crimes.
Most people wouldn't think that Idaho, a state of
ten associated unfortunately, with the Aryan Nations
white supremacist group, would show drastu ally few
er incidents of raciallv or religiously motivated crimes
than ()regon.
This report is far from being a definitive barometer
of piejudii e levels in e.u h state, but it does show that
Idaho is doing something right and we are not f or a
state such as Oregon, normally known for its progres
sive attitudes and opinions, this report can la* taken as
a sharp slap in the face.
YOU MEAN
OUR FRAUDULENT
BID NAS UNDERCUT
FRAUDULENT
BID?!
VES.SIR.
rr seems
WE WERE OUT
MISREPRESENTED
■n
Don't cut student financial aid package
Take .1 look .it tlir world around vein It's
inori' complex and < (implicated then evei
l o sin i rrd film ation is a m*i essitv
I’olitii ians repeat that statement over
and o\ ei i'.duc at inn. especi.illv one gained
in college. is the ke\ to everything
II so whv does (iongress keep making it
harder for underprivileged students to get to
i ol lege
kills vear. Congress rut more than $1
billion from the I'ell (Irani budget This fed
eral student aid program is extremelv impor
tant lot students as it helps them go to col
lege when the\ otherw ise might not be able
to go
Analvsts are predit ting 2 17.000 students
nationwide will lose then I’ell (aunt bind
ing next veai ( )| those 1!17,()()() students, a
substantial portion ol those will not lie able
to alford tuition
Last week the ASl'O and I oiled States
Student \ssoi lation partii ipated in a nation
wide phone in campaign, designed to in
hum Congressional delegations about the
budget i uts and student's plights
I niversiU students pelted Sen Mark
Hatfield with phone calls, demanding he
help support in(.rousing lederal student fl
it. iih i.il uid
Poll Grant allotments tall under the l.a
hoi. Health and Human Services, and Kdu
cation Appropriation hill Because of the
Gramm-Kudman Act (the federal deficit re
dm (ion hill). Gongress i ill Slti billion trom
the appropriation hill. St billion from edu
i ational programs
Once the countiA could pride ilsell on
Inn mg an edm ational s\ stem in vvhii h am
hodv who wanted to attend college, could
Grant'- and financial aid were available, and
no longer was a i ollege degree a sole posses
sion ol the wealthy
Uhat we re seeing loda\ is the death ot
that system
I nless there is a major overhaul ol high
er education, we risk a return to the svstom
ot our grandparents, w here only the rit h
i ould atlord college This elitist attitude to
ward higher education was evenlualh
changed, by making available federal dol
lars But if we continue to gut Bell Grant ap
propriation. federal financial aid will cease
to exist
I ,pftpr«
Do nothing
Spike i i'i' su\s l)o the Right
Ihing " The Kmcrultl s,i\s Do
Nothing
Isn't sometliing wrong when
1.100 students thirsting lor in
fomi'ttion or rm ism show up
tin .1 tilm .md disi ussion spoil
sored h\ tlie A SI l) .md the
program doesn't even nuke the
student new sp.ipei ■'
(!ongrcituhit ions on .mother
.li t ll le th.it got .iu .i\
I .mi l hr n .1
Student
We can't forget
In u.is dismaved at the lark
ol i oinp.ission depil ted ill hel
l\ lohnson s " Take a Stand’’ (
(fill Nov 7)
I'he homeless present a real
problem not onls in the Kugene
area hut in the lountrv itself
Hv shutting these people out ol
our rommunitv. aren’t we also
shutting them out ol our
minds'
I )ur ( ollege uurlil is she!
tered enough I doubt lli.it
mui h i i ime on i anipus is
caused l>\ transients ('.ranted
mam aren't |ir«*lt\ to look .it
illlt they Mill' llo I fill ■ 111 I IIS lll.lt
thr world isn't made of i .lasses
party ini; .mil w eekends
U i-1 .ni t lorget tin' homeless
U s tmu' wo st.nil'll thinking
,ill.ml reality nnd w li.it w >' i mi
do to ii 1.1 ki- tilings lii'lti'i
I i nn (iilison
Studrnt
Tired of it
In ri'sponsi' to t ;.n\ Darby s
letter |< )l>1 \oi ti| women
art- lin'd of ln'iafraid in llnnr
hollies and on tin* street Worn
rn art' lin'd ot earning less in
the workplai i' l'hey are tired
ot sexual harassment
They are tired ot being de
picted in the media as submis
sive sex symbols Tin’s are
lireil ol not always having a
choice as to what they do with
their bodies (i e liirth control,
sterilization, abortion)
They are tired of language
that places them second m so
( iety lit' history of man
kind" | bhey an' Ini'd uf I'dni a
tors teaching about great men
in history. si it*m e. religion,
eli but not great women; anil
women are tired ol being made
to teel guilts lor Speaking out
against ibis oppression.
It is oppression, even it not
every single man is guilty of it
Slavery ssas (is) a similar type
ol oppiession. and I II bet slave
owners got pretty tired ol being
"brim beaten si apegoats” loo'
\o one likes having their
plat e at tile top i lulllenged li
nalls I don't think asking loi
an end to these injustii es is
"ey ervtiling under the sun
|ill Ire id berg
Anth Topology
Worth covering
()n Monday Nov u the
I All' held a showing ol Spike
bee's iontroversi.il tilm Do the
High! Thing, and a dismission
on racism
l lie film tori es people to re
evaluate their ideas and beliefs
on this serious issue So many
people took on this challenge
tli.il .i second showing of the
film had to he set up.
To me. tins turnout demon
slrated a concern and a desire
to learn more about the prob
lem of rac ism Kven Myles
Itrand saw lit to put aside Ills
Monda\ night plans to attend
both the film and discussion
lie ielt what people had to sa\
was important and he staved to
listen
It ania/os me the Hnwr.ild
gave tins event ubsoluteh no
i overage in the Nov 7 issue
Wasn't this event newswortln '
Isn't rac ism an issue that tie
serves coverage? Isn't it a prol)
lem that is important to the
t Iniversitv c ommunitv ‘
lirand. I < ommend and thank
you tor attending this event It
isn't oft ni we .ire presented
w ith ,i | olitii i.in who supple
ments his tier words w ith ac
lions As for the Emerald. I am
appalled at vour lack of ( over
age I can't believe you could
ignore something as important
as rai ism
Hec ause of the volatile nature
ol the issue, negative |>ress
seems to he the norm when dis
< ussing ra< ism It's too had an
event that generate peai eftll
discussion and even some hope
lor i hange wasn't given am at
tention .it all.
I am at a loss lor a single rea
son win there was no story
Jennifer Cohen
I’re-lournalisni
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