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. $ Ik U.M. ifTf ctutfcn. ^/6ecs Mip-ewvr Vioue^cc 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> 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