EDITORIAL
SETA raised many
pertinent questions
Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
demonstrated In front of President Brand's office Mon
day to protest the experimentation of monkeys at the
The demonstrators staged a mock funeral proces
sion for two rhesus monkeys who will be killed after
undergoing experiments in order to study changes in
their tissue. SETA hoped to raise awareness of the
plight of all animal experimentation on the campus.
The use of animals for experimentation is a contro
versial subject. Some research has been very valuable.
There is no denying that past years of research have
amounted to tremendous breakthroughs in the cure
and prevention of certain illnesses and diseases.
But SETA's cause invokes important points:
• Replicating past experiments is a waste of time and
money, not to mention the animals.
• Testing and killing of animals for such mundane
purposes as producing cosmetics is absurd.
• All living creatureshave a right to share the planet.
SETA says much of the tests being performed at
the University nowadays are duplications of past ex
periments through the use of computerization tech
niuues.
They are concerned with the experiments of at
least three professors on campus, whose grants total al
most $1.3 million. Who should be the final iudge on
which experiments are worthy and which are not? And
what federal bureaucracy is in charge of regulating and
distributing research money? And fust what is the
money used for?
Jumping around like monkeys in Johnson Hall, as
demonstrators did Monday, did not free any animals,
but it may have proved some points to onlookers.
Civil disobedience is an important right in this
country, but sometimes symbolic demonstrations can
seem ridiculous and turn people off. Perhaps SETA
can convince the animal-research professors to partici
pate In a no-holds barred discussion about testing on
SETA members may have acted on feelings and
emotions at Monday's demonstration, but thw also
raised a lot of pertinent questions about the way living,
non-humans are treated on this campus. But to per
suade other to believe in their cause. SETA needs to
continue expressing its feelings of contempt to die
University.
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Government-run brothel interesting idea
Because of the bankruptcy of the Mus
tang Ranch brothel in Nevada after the own
er failed to pay taxes, the Internal Revenue
Service has decided to step in and run the
business until it can be sold.
Let's take a look at some of the possible
— but unlikely — developments of a state
run brothel.
First of all. in the wake of the latest
trend toward summits and treaty negoti
ations the Mustang Ranch could be the per
fect place for a much needed western branch
of Camp David. It might be just the place to
open up the dialogue and avert the tensions
between the United States and Iraq.
Invite Saddam Hussein to Nevada. The
desert climate may help him to feel at home.
And if the U.S. military carries out its
reported plans to bomb targets such as Hus
sein's mistress' home, he might be in need
of the brothel's service, the world’s oldest
way to relieve tension.
If the government can manage to turn a
profit with the brothel it might consider
opening up more of them. It would be a
great way to raise some extra money to help
pay for the Desert Shield operation in the
Persian Gulf. A chain of government-owned
brothels could be called “George’s Thou
sand Points of Red Lights.”
Of course, it could backfire. With the
government running the business it might
quickly be operating on a deficit and need to
be publicly subsidized.
The idea of government-owned brothels
does present some problems. For instance, if
they are government owned operations they
would need to abide by affirmative action
policies. As an equal opportunity employer
there could be no discrimination based on
age, gender or race.
Government employees are also notori
ous for simply going through the motions
and not being completely devoted to their
jobs. This would be a job that required a cer
tain enthusiasm for the work (or at least the
strong ability to fake it).
Perhaps the biggest problem caused by a
government-run brothel would be that with
all the political junkets to Nevada there
would be no one in Washington D.C. to pass
any legislation.
LETTERS
Reject Souter
The United Slates Senate will
Ih1 making a monumental deci
sion this week when they vote
on the Supreme Court confir
mation for David Souter.
Throughout the confirmation
process the issue of abortion
has taken center stage Yet,
through superb stealth. Souter
has managed to keep his views
regarding Roe vs. Wade secret
to the Senate and the American
people.
Howevor. during his seven
years on the New Hampshire
Supreme Court. Souter wrote
many opinions unfavorable to
the mainstream views of socie
ty. A prime example of his in
sensitivity, especially to wom
en. resides in a recent 1988
opinion. State vs. Colbath. in
which he reversed a rape con
viction on the ground that the
jury should have been allowed
to consider the rape victim's
“sexually provocative" behav
ior.
Further. Souter showed a cal
lous disregard for the fifth
amendment protection against
self-incrimination in a 1987 de
cision. State vs. Coppola, when
he found a defendant's state
ment to police that he would
not confess admissible as evi
dence of the defendant's guilt.
Souter reasoned, "by describ
ing his choice as a refusal to
confess, he implied he had
done something to confess
about."
Surely these two uses do not
tell the full array of Souter’s
views. But what they do tell us
is disturbing, judge Souter is
no moderate as he has been la
beled in Washington At best,
he holds eccentric and insensi
tive views toward women and
criminal defendants.
The question becomes; What
does he have in store for "oth
er" Americans? It's too impor
tant to guess It's time to reject
David Souter.
Michael Colaon
Political Science
Insured
I'm an average grad student.
For the second year in a row I
find myself writing a letter
about the cost of health insur
ance. And for the second year
my wife and I are doing with
out any insurance at all because
of the cost. The cost is now
$525 for one student and
$1,629 (!!) for a student and a
dependent.
These figures surely would
be lower if everyone were en
rolled. The Student Health In
surance Committee supported
mandatory health insurance for
all students In the April ASIJQ
elections the student body re
jected mandatory health insur
ance. favoring individual
choice. Maybe the notion of
"freedom" appeals to kids who
were in high school a year or
two ago. Maybe they are still
covered by mommy or daddy.
Since mandatory health insur
ance is blocked by the tyranny
of the majority. I suggest de
coupling undergrads and grads
on the issue. Graduate stu
dents. especially ones with
families, have very different
needs from undergrads. Health
insurance should not be an is
sue at all for graduate students
— it should be a right, provid
ed automatically to all of us.
David Fashena
Graduate student
Postcards
If students at your school are
willing to take one minute in a
good cause, they can make the
world a safer place. Will you
ask them to help?
The farts are simple. Almost
a million United States chil
dren ingest a toxic substance
every year. Tens of thousands
end up in the hospital, dozens
die.
Many household, garden and
auto products are toxic, in
1987, 3.104 kids drank toxic
household cleaners; 173 cases
were life threatening; 14 kids
died.
Current protective measures
aren't enough. Mr. Yuk stickers
don't frighten kids raised on
ghostbusting ninja turtles,
f -hild resistant caps are only re
quired to keep 80 percent of the
test age children out of a con
tainer for two minutes. Give a
child enough time and they of
fer only minimal protection.
The Poison Proof Project sup
ports these preventative meas
ures. But we acknowledge that
they can't do the job alone. We
need to child proof the poisons
as well as the containers.
Safe bittering agents (such as
denatonium benzoate) can
make toxic products taste too
bitter to swallow. For one-half
a cent per quart, our children
can get the same protection giv
en kids in Britain, Germany"
japan. Australia, etc.
The PPP’s "bitter fight" has
been endorsed by the American
Medical Association. National
Safety Council. American Asso
ciation of Poison Control Cen
ters. Consumer’s Union (pub
lishers of Consumer Reports).
etc. We have appeared in the
the New York Times. Parents
Magazine, ladies Home Journal
, Woman's day. Today Show.
the Home Show, CNN, FNN.
etc.
But we need to show support
for bittering agents in Oregon if
our fight is to continue. We
aren't asking for money. What
we want is for students to send
us postcards that state. "I en
dorse the use of bittering agents
in toxic household, garden and
automotive products." Include
your name and address. If you
wish to help us collect signa
ture. we will send you addi
tional postcards and a facts
sheet.
We need student help. Your
written support will go along
way in the fight to make the
world a safer place. Please feel
free to call me at home
(928-2193) if you would like
additional information. Thank
you.
Lynn Tylczak
Director PPP