EDITORIAL
l
Advertising to kids
should be watched
President Bush, that well-known champion of the
freedom of expression, has struck another blow for the
diversity of ideas.
Bush has opposed pending legislation by Congress
that would limit the amount of commercial advertising
time in children’s programs. The current rate for the
advertising ranges from 13 to 17 minutes per hour.
Congress wants to limit that amount to no more than
10 Vi minutes per hour.
Hie Bush administration said the legislation would
"create new and extremely serious First Amendment
problems" that involve freedom of expression and
speech.
This is a far cry from stances he has taken in the
past concerning the First Amendment. He has favored
passing a constitutional amendment to forbid flag des
ecration. a legitimate form erf protest that was used
many times in the Eastern Bloc countries, because the
flag is a "unique and special symbol."
The President’s party has led the way in restricting
National Endowment for the Aits funding to artists that
certain groups find obscene.
Why isn't Bush concerned about creating new First
Amendment problems with his stance on these issues?
It appears that he thinks the only forms of expres
sion that deserve First Amendment protection are
those that make money.
it is scary that the president has no problem re
stricting a dramatic way of criticising the country —
flag burning — or an effective method of expanding
people’s view of their world — art. But he does have a
problem with limiting ways to sell breakfast cereal or
teen-age mutant nin}a turtles to preschoolers.
Censoring music groups like 2 Live Crew, who
sing about real-life cultural attitudes, does not bother
Bush. Libraries that ban or restrict books do not bother
him just don’t take away someone’s right to hard
sell five-year-olds.
Many children cannot tell the difference between
ads and programs until they reach the age of four or
five, and they do not recognize that someone is trying
to sell them something until they are seven or eight.
In Bush's mind a flag made of material deserves
more protection than children who do not have the
ability to defend themselves against high-powered ad
agencies. It is an obvious means of pandering to his fa
vorite constituency, big business.
Apparently when Bush talked about a program of
kinder and gentler policies toward family concerns, he
was talking about the corporate family.
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Public must decide Willamette fate
The Eugene City Council wants the pub
lic to vote on a new downtown mall design
that includes the reopening of Willamette
Street.
First planned to go on the March 26 bal
lot. the city council pushed it back to May.
Even though they can’t make up their
mind, the least they can do is let the public
make up theirs.
Downtown is dying and something
needs to 1h- done. The opening of Willamette
is not the answer
The downtown mall is a welcome relief
to the staid, sterile environments of enclosed
malls. A new variety of coffee shops and eat
eries would enhance an already relaxed at
mosphere.
The city library should relocate in the
old Sears building. Thirsty readers would
patronize the downtown area.
The city could build a skateboard rink,
giving skateboarders a place of their own
while increasing the safety of afternoon
strollers.
Ed Aster, owner of Aster Publishing
Corp. on Willamette, is vehement in his op
position to opening the closed section. Oth
er businesses on that segment of Willamette
display “Keep Willamette Closed” signs.
Submitting a new downtown mall de
sign to the voters with Willamette opened
up is the latest affront to the citizens of Eu
gene.
A Save the Mall committee is gathering
signatures to place an initiative on the ballot
that would amend the city charter so the
people can vote on the reopening of Willam
ette Street by itself.
So far it is only a handful of vocal busi
ness leaders and developers who will profit
from a reopening of Willamette.
The city has allocated $66,000 so far for
its redesign plan with the opening of Wil
lamette Street included. Let the people de
cide if they want the street opened first.
LETTERS
Cooperative
Many students may not be
aware that the current director
of the University Office of Pub
lic Safety is retiring. There is a
committee interviewing several
potential nominees as a re
placement.
After spending several years
on this campus and having
confronted our campus police
on numerous occasions. I be
lieve Officer Su/.ie Hunter
would best serve our campus
community as the new director.
Suzie has made a consider
able effort to work in a coopera
tive spirit and mutually respec
tive way with students. As a
crime prevention specialist she
has come to understand how
this campus works inside and
out.
By endlessly working
through committee structures,
she has on several occasions
found creative solutions to the
needs and concerns of students
with the rules and regulations
of the administration She
speaks the students' language
Her work is of an educational
nature and promotes positive
and empowering methods to
prevent crime before it hap
pens.
She has created videos on
bike and dorm safety as well as
help create new student con
duct code language on sexual
harassment.
This campus will be a better
place if we can empower stu
dents to protect themselves in
stead of depending on the mer
cy of the police
Suzie has the potential to
place the diversified needs of
the student body over the au
thoritarian nature of a tradition
al police department.
Brian Hoop
Architecture
Duck respect
Yes. the Oregon football team
does not get the national atten
tion it deserves.
The team truly has big talent,
collective und individual, and
impressive command over
skills that an? necessary to win
football games
1, as do many adoring fans,
applaud the team and thank
them for such a beautiful per
formance on Saturday against
BYU.
Talent, skill and the com
mand over individual excel
lence cannot substitute what is
needed in the do-or-die situa
tions.
The command over imposing
human will in a situation is
how do-or-die situations end
up done.
The Ducks (coaches, players,
fans) need to hone abilities to
dig much deeper than talent,
skill and personal excellence
(elements nut easily attained),
and find out how the imposi
tion of human will can turn
crucial moments into winning
moments.
The Duck team could be des
tined for very big moments.
Catherine Arnold
Eugene
Lost tuition
In the article. “Crowding no
worse than fall." (ODE, Sept
28) it is reported that the en
rollment ceiling for this fall
was originally set at 17.600 but
was upped to 17,8fM) to “re
coup lost tuition revenue" due
to low enrollment last fall.
The article then goes on to
slate that the ceiling was again
raised to “assist an already fi
nancially strapped athletic de
partment.”
However, it has been report
ed twice before in the Emerald.
once in the summer and in the
large l>ack-to-the-books issue,
that the enrollment ceiling was
raised from 17.500 to 17,800.
In both uf these articles, the
only reason cited was the debt
of the athletic department. It
was also reported that the tui
tion of student athletes, usually
paid by the athletic depart
ment, would not be paid at all.
If tuition revenue was "lost"
last year, why is tuition for stu
dent athletes being erased?
Since the student body is al
ways told that the athletic de
partment pays its own way as
well as generating revenue for
the University, why are they in
debt?
If the athletic department is
so strapped, why were the new
press box and sports complex
built?
Where did the athletic de
partment get the power to alter
the enrollment ceiling?
Maybe if somebody was pay
ing the athletes’ tuition we'd
have enough money to bring
back the American Studies De
partment or one of the other
programs that was run over
while the athletes got much
more than they needed.
Jonathan Schildbach
English
LETTERS POLICY
The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all
letters containing comments on topics of interest to the
University community. Comments must be factually
accurate and refrain from personal attacks on the char
acter of others.