EDITORIAL
US must identify
Middle East goals
President Bush has really stepped In it now. And
rather than take the next step to pull himself out, he
seems content to wallow around in the mess for a
while.
Alter three months of Iraqi occupation in Kuwait,
Bush has begun to step up bis ambiguous war of words
with Saddam Hussein. Bush’s statements that Hussein
must get out of Kuwait or fear the wrath of the United
States have been backed up by a policy with seemingly
little direction.
There are 250,000 American soldiers in the Middle
East at the moment, and there are reportedly another
100,000 on the way. That nearly matches the largest
amount of Americans that were ever in Vietnam at any
time. It is time for Bush to let those Americans and cit
izens here at home know what his policy over there is
— if he does know what it is.
The unclear strategy in the Gulf has been built on
one premise — Hussein must leave Kuwait. However,
Hussein has shown little interest in giving up his new
ly acquired prize.
It is beginning to look as though Bush’s plan was
to scare Hussein into a retreat, and when that didn’t
work, he had no back-up plan.
Does fulfillment of Bush’s policy mean the U.S. is
prepared to take the offensive in a war to remove Hus
sein from Kuwait? Or. does it mean, as some have sug
gested. that Bush wants to not only liberate Kuwait,
but dismantle the Iraqi war machine as well?
These questions should already be answered when
there are so many American soldiers waiting in fox
holes halfway across the world.
The President’s latest barrage of threats to Hussein
could be an attempt to ready Americans for the eventu
ality of an offensive war. However. Bush should not
only be worried about public sentiment. If Bush uses
U.S. troops in an act of aggression rather than as a de
fense without the approval of Congress, he will lose
the support of many Americans.
With American liras potentially on the line, some
clear-cut policy should be in effect. If Bush plans to
take the offensive in the crisis he should get the ap
proval of Congress first.
Americans apparently backed up the President
when he was defending the Saudi's from further Iraqi
aggression. But the attitude of compliance, and the
feeling that the U.S. is taking part in a necessary evil,
may disappear when as many as 20,000 U.S. soldiers
are killed driving Hussein back into Iraq.
Before Bush makes any further threats toward Hus
sein. he better make sure that he has the public’s sup
port to back them up.
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OSU forced to confront discrimination
Racism is the main topic on the Oregon
State University campus this year.
The coordinator of the OSIJ Black Cul
tural Forum has filed racial harassment
charges against a group of men who yelled
racist remarks at him from a van. And he
closed the forum down until steps are taken
to negate racist attitudes.
The director of Ethnic Minority and Dis
abled Student Affairs has called for the res
ignation of most of the OSIJ student govern
ment because of a skit performed at a sum
mer retreat in which foreign teachers and
students were ridiculed.
What should now be done?
Some suggestions include having all
OSU student government members partici
pate in a minority awareness workshop to
deal with racial, sexual, homophobic and
general discrimination issues.
A better idea is to make such workshops
mandatory for all entering students —
whether freshmen or transfer. Students need
to look at themselves — in a mirror, not
through rose-colored glasses.
But the biggest problem is getting
friends to listen to friends. It’s easy to over
look racist, sexist or anti-gay remarks by
people you know because “they don't really
feel that way ” Battle lines are being drawn,
however, and people can oidy be on one
side or the other. Discrimination has to be
addressed by the people who are on the re
ceiving end of it. and the rest better listen
and pay attention.
In the 1960s, race riots sprung up across
the country because the lip service given to
anti-discrimination wasn't followed by ac
tion. It's one thing to pass legislation ban
ning discrimination, it's another thing to
have discrimination not exist in society.
Token measures don't work. What's the
use of declaring Martin Luther King Jr.’s
birthday a holiday if we only look at it as a
day off?
Discrimination 101 should be the first
class everyone takes in college. Until then,
frustrations will mount and anger will grow.
Remember Watts. Detroit and Newark in the
1960s?
LETTERS
Guilty
Mow could why would a
loving, intelligent, wise human
being, who freely chooses to
have sex with her hus
band/boyfriend etc. — and in
doing st) conceived another hu
man being — choose It) kill
(abort) that same, although
small, growing human being
inside of her body — but defi
nitely distinct and separate
from her own body?
This legal genocide must
stop. Since legalization of alx>r
tion on demand, 25 million ba
bies have died unnecessarily.
That means alxiut -1.000 a day
in the U S or 1.500,000 per
year. Before the ruling, average
abortions when* 100.000 a year
Is it enough?
In a Women Exploited by
Abortion study done with 252
women in 42 states, who had
had abortions. 72 percent said
they would not have had an
abortion or a self induced abor
tion if it had not been “legal.”
Why is it legal to kill your own
child, baby (not fetus)?
If we stain! by and do noth
ing we am as guilty as the par
ents. boyfriends, husbands,
and women girls who kill their
own children for whatever rea
son; selfishness; greed; eco
nomics; etc.
Also guilty are the doctors,
clinics, nurses and planners
who persuade the women to
abort the child
Please help stop the mass
slaughter of an entire genera
tion of Americans.
Vote yes on Measures tt and
10.
Rebecca L. Wolf
Springfield
Not disgusting
I could not believe the recent
letters written by Ron Williams
and Brendan Briggs, {OlJE Oct.
23 and 24). and their
homophobic content.
Briggs states that our rally for
National Coming Out Day was
purely to make straights “feel
sorry for these poor, oppressed
folk " Would he have said this
.11><mt a black pride rally? I
think not.
Briggs also states that we felt
that we needed to "force” our
"collective" experiences on all
straights Wrong.
Briggs, as a history major,
should know that throughout
history straights have flaunted
their sexuality much more than
gays (ads. public affection),
('•ays cannot hold hands with
out being jeered at or physical
ly abused (let alone kiss in pub
lic)
We cannot be “out" to our
families w ithout the risk of be
ing financially or emotionally
cut off. We, as gays, cannot
show up with our partner for
Sunday dinner without asking
our parents or inviting some
one as a "friend"
Williams said that we are not
within "the accepted norm."
We gathered in that courtyard
to "come out” to our campus
because we want to be accept
ed.
We don’t flaunt our sexuality
nearly as much as heterosexu
als because we are in danger if
we do. We want to l*> able to
walk along our campus and
hold hands without feeling
afraid for our welfare
We want you to see our love
as affectionate, not disgusting
Until we are seen in this man
ner. we will continue gather
ing. “coming out" and having
pride.
Kristen Inmann-Wilson
Student
Paying twice
Of every $10 consumers
spend on food, nearly $1 goes
for food packaging Product
packaging is a big business for
corporate giants like Exxon.
Dow Chemical and Union Car
bide, which realize huge profits
by pushing throwaway plastics
on our supermarket shelves In
creasing amounts of plastic
packaging means profit inar
gins
But, consumers get hit twice.
We pay for it on the shelves
when we an; forced to buy
products in excess packaging.
and we pay for il when we take
the trash out.
Measure 6, the Oregon Re
cycling Act, will result in sim
pler packaging by requiring it
to be reusable, recyclable or
made from recycled materials
Consumers and retailers will
pay for less packaging, save
money and conserve natural re
sources.
The Oregon Recycling Act is
good for consumers. Vote yes
on ti.
Tom Novick
Oregon Consumer League
Voice
Somebody needs to speak up
for the unborn babies because
they are not given the chance to
speak for themselves.
I would like to know what
their choice is in the matter of
abortion? It seems to me they
don't have one. The choice is
made for them like it or not
Vote yes on 8 and 10.
Brian E. Johnson
Sociology