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
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