EDITORIAL
Long war will not be
tolerated by citizens
By now II is old news. The United States has start
ed the "liberation of Kuwait.”
While most of us watch TV' or attend classes here
in serene Eugene. U.S. war planes are bombing Iraqi
strongholds in both Kuwait and Iraq. There are more
than 1 million men and women facing off in the desert,
waiting for the dust to settle before ground forces are
engaged.
As ground troops enter the fighting, the tally of
dead and wounded is expected to rise significantly.
Bush has promised that a military victory by U.N.
forces will not take long. He said the powers-that-be
who send young Americans to war have learned their
lessons from Vietnam. Soldiers will not be asked to
figjit this war "with one hand tied behind their
backs." he said.
Every American should be hoping Bush is right.
The horrors of the battlefield and the senselessness
of death in combat should make war abhorrent to us
all. The nature of war is repulsive. But now that men
and women from this country are engaged in a battle
that could cost them their lives, the military should be
doing everything in its power to crush Hussein and his
forces as quickly as possible. Now that the fighting is
under way. a quick victory is the best hope for pe.ace.
The men and women in the Persian Gulf had no
part in the decision that sent them there. Many of them
do not want to be there. They deserve nothing less
than the support of everyone who is safe at home in the
United States.
However, supporting the troops and hoping the
fighting ends quickly with many lives spared does not
mean people should stop protesting.
Bush knows he now has no choice but to win this
war as fast as possible. Protesting the war in the gulf
will remind Bush that as ’human remains pouches”
begin to come back filled, support for this war will
evaporate.
Bush should be shown that citizens of this country
do not agree with what he is doing. He has not clearly
justified this action. Americans are not convinced that
the driving force of this war is anything more than the
liberation of cheap and accessible oil. lotting the presi
dent know that as the war goes on. anti-war sentiment
will only grow stronger, should strengthen his resolve
to end this terrible mistake.
Boycott Coke, not the EMU Food Services
Some student groups have decided to
boycott all EMU Food Services because they
sell Coca-Cola, a product sold on campus
through a state contract.
While we support the boycott of Coca
Cola to protest the company's involvement
in South Africa, we do not support boycott
ing the EMU Food Services.
The ASUO Executive, the Black Student
Union and Students Against Apartheid have
called for a boycott of EMU Food Servic es
every Wednesday until Coca-Cola is re
moved from the campus. EMU Food Servers
include the EMU Main Desk. Fountain Court
Cafe. EMU Food Vans. EMU Fishbowl. Sky
light ('.ate and EMI ’ ( altering.
It is the state's responsibility to contract
soft drink companies for public colleges and
universities, so the selling of Coke on cam
pus is not the EMU's business.
Concerned students should protest to
state procurement decision-makers and in
sist that students be ini bided in del isions
that affect them
It boycotters are serious about ridding
the EMI' Food Services of Coke, they should
stilt ion a protester in front of all Coke foun
tains with information about the Coca-Cola
company and its association with apartheid.
A letter-writing campaign to the Oregon
State Board of Higher Education would not
only make administrators at the state level
aware of the problem, it would educate them
as well.
Perhaps the student groups spearhead
ing the boycott could provide postcards or
letter forms for students to voice their con
cerns to state officials.
The groups could even take responsibili
ty for collecting these letters and sending
them to the state. This would make it easy
and convenient for many students to voice
their opinions.
Overall, a letter-writing campaign would
be a more positive and direct effort than boy
cotting the EMU f ood Services.
We would like to see Coca-Cola off the
campus, but not .it the expense ol the EMI
Students should keep eating at the EMI
Food Services, but we suggest they try a
drink other than Coca-Cola.
LETTERS
Bad show
I would like to thank thr art
ists responsible for tlteir most
attractive contribution to the
University's campus by way of
extensive yellow ribl>on bear
ing the message "Celebrate Di
versity."
I must say that it certainly
compliments the natural beauty
of the campus I'm also glad
that we are all open-minded
enough to see that celebrating
diversity includes vandalism
and littering as commendable
actions.
It is good to sec that people
can show their diversity in
such an outspoken way. espe
cially in a community that is so
environmentally conscious.
Though I'm sure that they
used recyclable plastic ribbon
that is biodegradable
Allen |ames
Student
Ashamed
Today I am ashamed to have
the amount of opportunity and
freedom that 1 do under the
name of the U S government.
George Hush and the con
gressman who gave him the
power to initiate war.
Page 2
Why do w«■ resort to such an
an hail ami painfully destruc
livi* means of solving a problem
in the midst ol our search for
the so-called "Global Village"
a place of peace and har
mony?
If the countries of the world
only put as mui h strength and
energy into looking lor peace as
they put into fighting each oth
er. where would that put us?
l)o I and my friends and their
families have to shed blood and
tears just to save some politi
cian's face and a barrel of oil?
Someday will I tell my children
about Kuwait the way my par
ents tell me aliout Vietnam
or will it lie like Korea that we
don't hear about ?
Must I simply accept these
things as part of what falls un
der the hat (helmet) of being an
American?
Knna Dole
Student
Condemnation
I const ientiously ob|tn:t to
this and all forms of war The
use of violence, bloodshed and
murder is not an appropriate
form ol human interaction, and
will never solve conflict.
I condemn the United States
ft ir its involvement with the
Kuwaiti invasion
I condemn Saddam Hussein
ior Ins invasion of Kuwait
I condemn the state of Israel
for their use of violence to deal
with Palestinians
I condemn the Palestinians
for their use of force to attempt
to gain the independent Pales
tine.
I object to all forms of war.
violence, or hostility used to
solve human conflict where
peaceful resolution should be
implemented 1 will not now or
ever will kill another for my
country or any other.
Phillip Andrew Simon
Business
Paradox
It's quite a paradox. I see
peace marches and protests
concerning our troops in Saudi
Arabia "No blood for oil!" No
one wants to see our sons ami
daughters killed on foreign
soil Hut isn't it amazing that
mam of the people rallying for
peat e voted no on Measures H
and 10 in other words, it's
alright to kill them while
they're in the womb! How
about this no blood tor tile life
you conceived during your few
moments of pleasure, just be
( a use you want an easy way
out!
l.ot's at least l>e consistent in
what we believe
Kon Williams
Km ployed on campus
Where will it go?
Diversity is a great thing. To
expound that we should cele
brate diversity is a great thing
and. of course, appropriate this
week while we mark the life of
l)r Martin Luther king )r. Hut 1
must question the wisdom of
presenting the message of "cel
ebrate diversity" by wrapping
our campus in yellow plastic
tape.
When the week has ended
what will become of all this
plastic tape? It will Ik* taken
down and disposed of —
thrown away. Off it will go to
some kind of landfill where it
will remain forever.
I simply find it unfortunate
that someone on this campus
found it appropriate to urge us
to celebrate one sort of diversi
ty cultural, ethnic while
threatening another sort bio
logical.
We should celebrate and re
spect both these forms of diver
sity. And they are far from l>e
ing mutually exclusive.
Clearly there is much the
dominant European culture in
this country (and others) could
learn from other cultures re
garding the treatment of our
mutual home and how best to
respect and celebrate cultural
diversity.
We should celebrate the di
versity of peoples while re
specting the diversity of the
Earth
Elizabeth Cage
Political Science/
Anthropology
LETTERS POLICY
The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print ail
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.
Thursday, ianuary 17. 1991