EDITORIAL
Absence by Denny
proves self-interest
Republican Congressman Denny Smith has shown
his priorities this week. His number one priority, as a
representative of Oregon citizens, is to make sure he
gets re-elected.
White the rest of Congress urns in Washington.
D.C., bottling for a budget compromise. Smith was
here in Oregon campaigning for re-election. He claims
that as one of the state's representatives, he gets to de
cide which tasks are most important. Smith decided
that making sum he has a Job next year was more im
portant than making sure the government has money to
operate this week.
In his campaign ads. Smith has assailed his chal
lenger. Mike Kopetski, for being out of touch with Ore
gonians and for playing to special interest groups such
as environmentalists.
But throughout his tenure in Cougrass, Smith has
made a habit of pandering to the special interests that
elected him. Most notably, he is being investigated for
his involvement with one of the nation's many failed
savings and loans.
Smith allegedly tried to use his position as a repre
sentative to protect his partners and himself from any
civil lawsuits stemming from their SbL involvement.
He also tried to use his influence to get the government
official who would not agree to this protection fired.
After this week's behavior it is easy to see what
Smith's favorite special interest is: the re-elect Denny
Smith group.
Representatives are elected with the understanding
that they will go to Washington to represent Oregon
citizens. A re-election campaign does not constitute
representation — voters, not politicians, have the re
sponsibility for choosing the best person for an office.
Smith should realize that if his campaign is failing, it
might be because he is not the person Oregonians want
in office. The best way to win re-election votes is to
stay in Washington when important decisions are be
ing made, not by kissing babies 3.000 mites away.
Smith's decision says a few things about bow im
portant he is to the Oregon public. If he feels that his
presence in Washington is not important to the inter
ests of Oregonians, maybe this November voters will
agree with him.
fctOSED~DME TO*
BUDGET
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Locker mom policy should be consistent
Uxrker rooms used to be for taking
showers plain and simple.
Nowadays, however, they are arenas for
the battle of the sexes.
Women reporters have been harassed the
past few weeks in locker rooms from Arizo
na to New Lngland. Some male athletes
don't want women reporters in locker
rooms. Some athletes don't want any report
ers in the locker room
Reporters like to talk to athletes right af
ter a game while the memory and feeling of
winning or losing a game is at its peak. That
is understandable.
However, athletes should be able to
weep or wail in private if they want to. They
don’t owe reporters or fans anything except
for their performances on the field.
Luckily for sports reporters, most ath
letes believe talking to the press after the
game is part of their job, and good press re
lations is important to teams.
Right now. female reporters are most af
fected by locker room policies, but someday
a malt; reporter may want to enter the wom
en’s locker room, perhaps after a women's
NCAA basketball final. If female reporters
are allowed in men's locker rooms, then
male reporters should be let into women's '
locker rooms.
A universal decision must be made on
the issue that applies to all. Hither let all re
porters into all locker rooms, or let none in
at all.
Athletic facilities should designate a
separate room for post-game interviews. If
an athlete wants to be interviewed in the
nude there, so be it.
Sexual harassment charges are not to be
taken lightly. There will always be a few
“little boys" in the locker room who haven't
grown up yet.
While there is no excuse for harassment,
a whole organization should not be penal
ized for the idiocy of a few.
Until all athletes understand about sexu
al harassment, there should be separate
rooms for interviews.
LETTERS
No power
In an Emerald article (ODE,
Sept. 2ti) it is reported that
"students and administrators
have reacted most favorably to
a decision to run the ASUO ex
ecutive office as a co-presiden
cy."
An ODE editorial later en
dorsed this move.
Is everyone serious when
they say it is fine for the execu
tive office to make this decision
on its own?
I certainly would refuse to
accept Sheila Shekel's signa
ture on a document that re
quired the signature of the
president
There is no constitutional
power behind her signature
No matter what she says, she
is still vice president
How would everyone feel if
Hush and (Juayle suddenly de
cided that they were going to
run a co-president v because
they thought it was a "neat"
idea?
lust imagine it. lake a mo
ment. sit back, and hear the
screams
Matthew W. Derby
Accounting
Bad enough
I am writing to you concern
ing the article on Derek Morton
[OIW.. Oct :t).
Did it ever occur to you that
Mr Morton is not guilty until
proven so?
After your article, it does not
matter if he is innocent or
guilty. Because of your article.
Mr Morton will lx* branded a
"sex offender."
If Morton is proven guilty,
then print an article telling the
public. If Morton is innocent,
did it ever occur to you that he
could never have a normal life
in Eugene?
It is !>ad enough that you
printed his name, but you had
to print his picture, also
I have never met Derek Mor
ton. and this is the first I have
heard of this incident, but if I
did meet him. I would be
frightened That is wrong.
I am all for freedom of the
press, but before you print an
article, think about who you
i ould be hurting
kelly Mattem
Eugene
Deserve-nots
Unfortunately, as a senior cit
izen roping with the steadily
increasing cost of living not
the least ol which is health care
I could not afford a ticket to
Johnny Ulegg and Savuka, al
though I was anxious to hear
them
At the same time l wondered
how many students could af
ford them at $14 a tic ket
When I was a student at the
University of Vienna, the state
owned theaters which were
the most prestigious, had a
policy of selling unsold tic kets
at a huge discount shortly be
fore curtain time to people who
had waited patiently in line,
sometimes for hours
It seems to me this would be
a gooci example for a University
affiliated organization to fol
low .
Hut then. I am probably an
aged simpleton for expending a
modic um of social responsibili
ty from sellers of shoes or cul
ture in the United States, in
stead of the pure capitalistic:
thought: have-nots arc- deserve
nots.
A.K, Brettauer
Eugene
Sony
1 would like to apologize to
Junior for not acknowledging
"Air Jamaica" in my statement
about the lack of reggae in this
town (ODE. Sept 17)
Junior is the host of "Air Ja
maica." a reggae show on
MIX.' Fridays from 11 p.m. to 2
am
I accept Junior's offer of help
and shared knowledge concern
ing the music and traditions of
the island and hope that reggae
may assume a more dominant
role in local programming in
the near future
James January
KRMA
Sizing it up
It was reported in the Emer
ald.(ODE. Oct. 4) that in Presi
dent Brand's state of the Uni
versity address he said. “The
University's size will prove to
t>e an advantage in the future."
1 agree with this hut think an
important point is left out
If the University is going to
maintain its current size, it can
not Ire done at the expense of
the students. We should not
have to bear the cost in the
form of an archaic registration
process, overcrowded classes,
signing up for classes we don't
want just to get credit and ever
increasing student fees.
I realize that these problems
exist all over the country and
that there are no easy answers.
However, just acknowledg
ing these problems exist is too
little, too late.
As a student I want to know
what is going to be done about
these problems and when
something is going to be done.
Mark S. Richards
Economics
LETTERS POLICY
The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all
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accurate and refrain from personal attacks on the char
acter of others.