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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 1990)
EDITORIAL Legalize peyote use of Native Americans Native Americans have used peyote in religious rit uals for centuries. There are no valid reasons why it should be Illegal for them to continue to do so. . The main problem, as it has been in this country since the white man conquered it, is the law. Riding a bastion of righteousness, a country was bom that included in its basic creed the freedom of re ligion. Hut freedom of religion apparently applies only to those who make the taws. A-couple of years ago two Native American men were employed in a government-sponsored counseling program. After admitting to using peyote in religious ceremonies, the men were fired. The Oregon case went to the Supreme Court. The high court said it was up to individual states to decide the issue for themselves. The use of peyote is currently illegal in Oregon un der any circumstances, Bui 24 states allow the use of peyote by Native Americans under exemptions in state law Oregon should follow suit. The United States’ two main legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, kill more people combined each year than all illegal drugs combined. Although 25,000 people die from drinking alcohol and driving each year, and another 200.000 die alco hol-related deaths from cirrhosis and other ailments, millions are careful about alcohol use. Drugs can be used responsibly. Native Americans used peyote long before white people even knew what it was. They use it safely. The newspapers aren’t full of headlines of people dying from peyote overdoses. The issue comes with ramifications. Other reli gious groups want to use drugs in ceremonies. Let cor porate America jump on the bandwagon and we will hear slogans like “Peyote tastes good like a cactus-bud should.” The only solution is to exempt Native Americans from the current peyote laws. The government certain ly has better things to do than harass Native Americans and their use of peyote. Realistically, in a state that can't finance its own school system adequately, is Oregon ready to put law enforcement money into busting religious rituals? Not much is sacred in the United States these days. Oregon should keep ancient Native American customs out of the rule books. Oregon DAILY EMERALD M) Hot «|<*. Incrrn. OrtgMH'Tttl The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday eicept during e*am week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co at the University of Oregon. Eugene. Oregon The Emerald is operated independently of the University with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press The Emerald is private property The unlawful removal or use of papers is pros ecu table by law Editor Alice Wheeler Managing Editor Christopher BUir Editorial Editor Hob Ward Pointer Editor Joa Kidd Graphics Editor Sean Poston N#w» Editor Chris Bouneff Editorial Editor Pat Maiach Sport* Editor Ashtey Conklin Entartainmant Editor Layna lafcefish nigni toivor uon rciers Aiiocialt Editors Community Don Paters Studont Government/Activitiet Cat haring Hawley Higher Edocation/Admmistratlon Peter Cogswell Faaluras Stacy tvia Reporters Tammy Batey Brian Bloch. Rene De Cair Carrte Dennett Paul Mor gan. Cathy Peterson Ming Rodriques June Russell Daralyn Trappe. Robert We bar Photographer Vinca Ram»ere<r Advertising: Mark Brundage Elam© Dexter Kathy Endicott Michael Gray Becky Mom. Michelle Knapp Jennifer Koala Nicole Leahy. Kirsten Lucas Ken McBride Stephan Mosley Marta Newman Lisa Richman Mary Sanderson, Kathy Smith Kristi Strother Classified Janet 5c ho bar Production Jennifer Archer. Kathryn Barton Mia Berteisen Tom Bosworlh Alice Cannon Lotus Child, Carol Oopp Jim Finch, Cor me Frier. Yvette Gill. Susan Head Jennifer Huey Linda Klaastad. Sheila Lorenzo Jim Mason Anna Rembecki Jean Senechal. Jennifer Smith Anne Stephenson Jennifer Thomas Hon Walker Ingrid White Todd Williams Mars Ylen General Staff General Manager Judy Riedi Advertising Director Susan Thelen Classified Manager Peggy McGinn Production Manager Michel© Ross Advertising Coordinator Sandra Daiier Accounts Receivable Circulation. Newsroom 346 SS11 Classified Advertising 346 4343 Display Advertising 346 3712 Production. Graphic Services 346 4361 Cjr cooraoufti '* 7 Frohnmayer should admit responsibility The race for Oregon's governor has tak en another turn toward ugly this week. Republican Dave Frohnmayer fired his California based advertising agency and hired the Eugene firm of Cappelli, Miles, Wilt/ and Kelly Frohnmayer justified the switch by saying his television ads had been too negative. He said he wanted to turn the direction of tin* campaign toward a more positive tone. This latest move by Frohnmayer to dis tance himself from the responsibility of the negative ads is inconsistent with positions he and his staff took earlier in the campaign. When Frohnmayer's political opponent, Barbara Roberts was taking heat for the mis takes her office had made leading to the re moval of ballot measures from the November ballot. Frohnmayer's camp claimed it was her responsibility because she was the per son at the top. Since the person at the top of any cam paign should be the candidate, the responsi bility for the negative tone of the ads should fall squarely on Frohnmayer's shoulders. Now. he apparently is changing the rules and it is all right to blame your subordi nates. Even when candidates claim to be doing something in order to position themselves on “higher ground” rather than slinging mud, they still cannot be trusted at face val ue. Roberts has been closing the gap that Frohnmayer opened early in the campaign. In a poll released Oct. 4 by The Oregonian Roberts had pulled dead even with Frohn mayer. The most likely reason that the Re publican candidate fired his ad agency is that he needed some new ideas and a new strategy. Frohnmayer’s claim that he fired the agency in order to add the missing element of integrity to his campaign is a political ploy playing on a public that has grown tired of mud-slinging politicians. With this move, campaigning has reached a new all-time low. Now. rather than simply using selective editing of debate footage to smear the competition, Frohn mayer has resorted to hiding behind the mask of integrity to deceive Oregonians. These latest moves by Frohnmayer work to show that Roberts has got him worried. LETTERS Who decides I would like to thunk tin* three women who wrote the let ter entitled "Autonomy."! ODH Oct 8) for reminding me that US citizens are not innocent until proven guilty. A jury was not able to find Derek Horton guilty of sexual abuse Who are you to decide the outcome of his case? I thought those who am ac cused of committing a crime are given the right to a fair trial and that no one but the jury is allowed to proclaim their inno cence or guilt. However, after reading your letter I see just how ignorant I've been. Being accused of a crime automatically means you are guilty. In reference to your party, I suppose women will bo able to attend, drink and sleep with whomever they wish. When they become sober, and if they regret their deci sion. they can say. "Well, 1 was drunk He made me.” Men, on the other hand, have to worry because it is assumed men always lake advantage of women and it could never pos sibly Ik? the other way around. Innocent until proven guilty? What does that mean, anyway? KoseMarie Beatty loumalism Psychology 1 am responding to a quote made by Kristi Patterson in the( ODE, Sept. 27) article "Classes more crowded this year." She stated all 4l)0-level psy chology classes were closed be forv registration. This is not true. In pre-registration, each psy chology class is allowed to fill up by 50 percent. Therefore, during registra tion at least 50 percent of each psychology class is offered to students. If students have questions, we psychology peer advisers encourage them to come to the psychology peer advising office at 141 Straub rather than mak ing assumptions that could harm both students and the psychology department. Kimie Dallas Psychology Letters Policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters contain ing comments on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must be limited to no more than 250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is submit ted.