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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1990)
EDITORIAL Two parties do not satisfy constituents The Oregon Student Lobby made an error by omit ting independent and Libertarian candidates from its voter guide this year. Libertarians and independents art* usually not giv en much of a chance to win elections in the United States. We pride ourselves on having a two-party sys tem. The United States is hung up on the number “two"’ when it comes to parties. This perpetuates the fallacy that there are only two worthy candidates in any race. Candidates that are not Democrats or Republicans are generally regarded as out of the mainstream and. therefore, not legitimate alternatives as legislators. Democrats end Republicans control our country's Con gress. Given our country’s problems — and the lack of solutions for them — other parties deserve to Ire recog nized as alternatives. These days most Democrats and Republicans in creasingly rely on political action committee money to survive. Third-party candidates do not receive these donations because studies show that PAC groups tend to support sure winners so they can receive political considerations after the elections. Twice in the past 22 years, independent candidates have played influential roles in presidential elections. In 19GB George Wallace ran as an independent can didate and received about 20 percent of the popular vote. Some analysts believe this enabled Republican Richard Nixon to defeat the official Democratic candi date. Hubert Humphrey, because Wallace was a Demo crat. in 1980 John Anderson ran as an independent and received ti percent of the vote. Ronald Reagan still won the presidency, but Anderson’s tally was a significant number of votes for an independent. Western European countries have as many as 20 parties participating in their governments. In the Unit ed States, third parties must work extra hard to receive the same coverage as the "Big Two.” Millions of Americans don’t vote in elections be cause two candidates do not satisfy everyone's views. It’s time to give equal voice to lesser-known parties so that all people can feel comfortable casting a vote. It's up to the media, citizen groups and students to listen and actively involve other parties in the political debate. STICKS MID STONES MM BREAK MY BONES Birr THEN A^WN TO CMT BE HKD KT THIRTY ROUNDS FEB. MINUTE. Nobel Peace Prize finds real winner Thu Nobel Peac u Prize was awarded to a truly deserving recipient this year. Mikhail Gorbachev’s efforts have boosted the poten tial for peace on a global scale. lit* has changed the character of East West relations, allowed revolutions to take place in Eastern Bloc countries, ended a war in Afghanistan and has begun to free the So viet people from their chains of repression. Despite the dramatic changes in which he has played important roles, there are still those who feel he does not deserve tin; award, citing problems remaining in the So viet Union. Ethnic feuding and struggles for inde pendence are troubling issues in the Soviet Union But it is important to remember that without Gorbachev's reforms, these conflicts might not have been permitted to occur. Soviet citizens who are critical of Gorba chev should keep in mind that with change and reform comes a certain amount of hard ship It is also interesting to see how quickly people forget Critics should remember that if it were not for reforms instituted by Gorba chev, they could be hauled off to the gulag for criticisms they now make freely. In fact, citizens who still refuse to give their last names to reporters exemplify the lingering effects of previous restraints. Although the economy is still suffering, the Soviet Union is a much freer society. Some experts claim Gorbachev is not re sponsible for reforms that have taken place in his country. These critics say he only re acted to pressures from the masses. Hut there are two roads the Soviet leader could have taken. Rather than allowing gradual change, he could have taken the hard line and tried to stifle the urge for free dom. This could have resulted in a bloody civil war. Even discounting his overtures for peace toward the West, his handling of the poten tially violent situation in his own country is enough to earn him the peace prize. LETTERS Coke is it Coca-Cola is onu of several United States companies that have ostensibly solil their inter ests in Smith Africa It contin ues to do business, however, in the land of apartheid Dili the dec ision makers who awarded the University's soft drinks contrai t to this company consider this fact? 11 lli 11 A Haded a journalism Not eiite In one swell foop last Satur dav. the University was brought to its knees and, 1 am hopeful, to its senses The Uni versity of Washington, which has long been able to afford bet ter players, has pul us in our place Even worse, the lowly Heavers are now ahead of us in Par-10 standings as a result of their one win this season (I don't need to add comment to the fai t they tore down the goal post after the game) bis ause their win counted. Perhaps now we, as a mover sity. i an get past this ludicrous annual exeri ise in Hose How l fantasy and player idolization (enough of the "air Hill" chants; he's just .in average (|uartorl>ai k. not the messiah) and get a handle on <>ur true place in sports As a mem tier of the l‘a< 10. the University is merely fodder, along with Ual. Stanford. ASU and WSU (the Heavers don't even count as that respei table) during foolhall season Wake up and smell the hed sheets we re not that good Heating San Diego State. Idaho and Utah State doesn't count for squat So the "lighting Dinks" are a lousv Oh-and two1 team HYU was fun. but they aren't in the league I will root like hell at Autzen come Saturday, hut I will not lie deceived The Dm ks are inv favorites, we're not among the elite |. Taylor History (iraduale Student Only guarantee kelly Slattern wrote (f)l)h' (Vt 10) it won’t matter uheth er Derek Horton is innoient be cause after the Emerald's arti de. he will lie "branded .1 sex offender." which she believes w ill hurl him Hurl vvh.it7 His reputation? I think it's unlikely Horton will suffer emotionally from the public its And socially? Will Ins friends think less of him? No! Perhaps some women would recognize him and l>e afraid. You c laimed you’d lie one ol them I sav Horton would suffer no more than other men from a general awareness among wom en that "some men can't fie trusted." You said it's wrong that you would fit" frightened if you were to meet Horton I think it's wrong that you shuuld he frightened The difference is. when you know a man is capable of rape, you are afraid But when you I relieve a man is not capable of rape, you can relax, right' Wrong! The only guarantee (d one e\ists| that vou will not he raped is In la- afraid of all men That is wrong Most of us take our c hanc.es. ot c ourse Many women, in < hiding myself, don't want to be separate from men; we don't want to appear to he against men. But the fac t is. men are fon mg women to douht and fear Morton won’t be any worst* off. But what about the many women on campus who are raped by men whose names and photos we'll never see? Consider who the Fnwrald might Im* helping. lennifer Kothstein (ournalism/Psychology Ad scams Is anyone else out there dis gusted by Mark Hatfield's new slant e as an environmentalist? While his recent television ad boasts that he is tough on toxic waste, in 1980 Hatfield voted for an amendment to slash the Superfund from $4.1 billion to $1 t> billion. In 1982 lie voted against m i reused funding for the admin istration and enforcement of toxic dump cleanup. And in l‘(8l> Hatfield voted to table an amendment to in c rease outlays for the Super fund cleanup program. Furthermore, he has received substantial contributions from Martin Marietta Aluminum and Could Inc . both c reators of Su perfund sites in Oregon. Don't fall for this ad scam Year after year Senator Hatfield has worked to gut pro-environ ment legislation. The League ot Conservation Voters rales Hat field's environmental voting re cord at 4ti percent nothing to lx; proud of Vote for Harry Lonsdale if you care about the health and natural beauty ot Oregon. Harry truly is an environmentalist and he's in touc h with Orego nians. Nena l-ovinger Eugene 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.
