EDITORIAL
Let’s make a deal
Where's Monty Hall when you really need him?
In the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin has demanded
the resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev. The timing is
right to offer the Soviets a trade: Bush for Gorbachev,
straight across. In fact we'll throw Quayle in as an add
ed incentive: after all. it worked for Bush in '88.
Gorbachev is a natural for the job of president of
the United States. He
looks good in Western
suits, and the people in
this country love him.
Gorbachev is secure
about his role in life
and wouldn't let accu
sations of being a wimp
affect his foreign poli
cy. It would be hard to
make that same case for
Bush.
The fact that Gorby
does not speak English
may actually work in
Americans' favor. He
wouldn't be able to lie
The fact that
Gorby does not
speak English may
actually work in
this country's fa
vor. He wouldn 7
be able to lie to the
voters as effectively
as our current pres
ident.
to voters as effectively as our current president does If
Gorbachev said, "Read my lips," most people
wouldn't be able to understand a word he was saying
anyway.
Also. Gorbachev understands the principles of free
speech better than Bush. Before the Soviet military
started putting Gorbachev under its thumb, his glas
nost policies were bringing the Soviets closer to a free
press and free expression. Bush, meanwhile, is taking
this country backward. Bush has already messed up
this half of the Free World, so let's turn him loose on
the emerging half and see how far back in time he can
toss them.
The Soviets would have to go for this deal if they
want to get rid of Gorbachev. Who else are they going
to trade with? What’s Al Haig doing? He’s always
wanted to lead a country.
If the Soviets don't want to trade — and who
could blame them? — we can sweeten the deal by
throwing in |esse Helms. They would never run out of
North Carolina-produced cigarettes, and after Stalin.
Helms would seem liberal.
They still won't go for the deal? OK. this is our fi
nal offer: Bush, Quayle. Helms. Dick Cheney. USA To
day, New Kids on the Block and North Dakota. Hell,
we'll give them both Dakotas.
With Georgia Buschki as the red menace, and
Mike Gordon (Americanized version of Gorbachev) as
the savior of democracy, the Kusskies wouldn't stand a
chance.
Education president:
His plan gets an ‘F
President Bush wants to deny federal grants and
loans to those whose academic rank falls in the bottom
10 percent of college classes and give an extra $500 in
Pell Grant money to those in the top 10 percent.
This plan is absurd. Some students, especially
from poorer high school districts, may need a semester
or two to become acclimated to college life.
Some students in the bottom 10 at one school
(such as MIT) would be in the top 10 if enrolled in an
other school.
Students enrolled in vigorous programs may be
penalized compared to students enrolled in easier pro
grams. Students worried about financial aid eligibility
may switch to easier majors so they can afford to stay
in school.
All in all. it is another biased and discriminatory
education proposal from Bush. If his plan was applied
to presidents, he would be looking for another country
to apply to.
AS A GUARDSMAN,
DO '(OU REALIZE
WHAT SHIRKING HAZARDOUS DUTf
COULD LEAD
r*r
TO?
A VICE PRESIDENTIAL
N0MINAT10N?
LETTERS
Be aware
Not withstanding your obvi
ous lac k of awareness concern
ing the- re spec lability of the law
si bool. 1 found your editorial
on the ABA situation appall
ing [DDE. I eh 1 :t|
(•ranted, the law sc bool cur
renlK has financ ial iliffic ullies,
as do now all the departments
at the University, yet your dis
regard for the high quality legal
education still lieiug receiver!
by many at the sc hoot shows an
editorial board with horse
blinders on. as well as display
ing a complete lac k of sensitivi
ty to the dilemma the entire
t Jniversity faces
I find it horrifying that a stu
dent organization such as the
Emerald dares to make value
judgments on the viability of
any one program over another.
|ohn MacDonald
l.aw Student
Teed off
I write this letter in response
to your castigatory editorial re
garding the Eugene Country
Club (Ol)E. |an 31)
I have been a member of that
organization for -44 years and
have served as its president
The vote to admit females is
one of natural evolution, and it
was decided at our last election
that females may become gen
eral members
I am pleased that another golf
course (public ) has been men
tioned Some 20 years ago I
was designated president of
"Creenway Coif Inc." (non
profit) to establish a golf course
at Alton Baker Bark I am still
the president of that corpora
tion if. in fact, it has not been
revoked by the State Corpora
tion Commissioner. Four of the
primary members and the late
Maurie Jacobs have jumped
through the political hoops for
all these years to the point
where the accomplishment of a
golf course in Alton Baker Bark
now seems possible. The pri
mary members are all members
of the Eugene Country Club
and have not only financed but
advexated a golf course in Al
ton Baker Bark Your help
would la* appreciated
I might add that the Eugene
Country Club roster includes
such prestigious names as Bill
Byrne. Rich Brooks. Don Mon
son. Herb Yamanaka. Leonard
| I'asanova as well as an open
invitation to the president of
the University of Oregon. It
should also he noted that hu
gene Country Uluh allows not
only high schools hot the Uni
versity of Oregon golf (men’s
and women's) teams to practice
and use the course for their
tournament
Are the names above, some
of those "wealthy white
males’’ which belong to the
"goodol -boys” network?
Hale G. Thompson
Eugene
Long enough
Your editorial {ODE. Feb. 11)
states that ’’the University
didn’t have enough time to
stop and consider the women
to-men ratios when it decided
on budget cuts. ”
I agree that the University
should have had more than a
month to make these difficult
decisions. I do not agree that
we should therefore excuse the
administration's sexism.
A month is long enough to
consider a great many issues.
Mow many months, years or
decades does the administra
tion need to realize that gender
is an issue worthy of their con
sideration?
David Peterson
GTF, History
Contradictory
Because of the self-contradic
tory non-argument presented in
the editorial "Sexism charge
not fair to University."(ODE,
Feb. 11) a direct response is
difficult. The issue, however,
begs clarification.
The editor states that the
■‘woman-to-man ratio matter is
a legitimate concern." (which,
by the way, conflicts with the
title). Although I agree, I find
the lack of importance placed
on it a dangerous simplification
and a short sight.
The distinction between
"overt" or "vicious” discrimi
nation and "the rushing to
meet deadlines" is especially
dangerous. Though you say the
University is "discrimination
conscious," the most deeply
rooted and conventionalized
sexism is unconscious, l-'air
ness to the University is beside
the point Oversight is sexism
The fact that the first pro
grams to he cut in budget-tight
ening situations art! women
dominated indicates that they
are commonly viewed as unim
portant or non-essential When
an occupation becomes wom
en-dominated, wages tend to
drop with the esteem of the job.
The University's priorities
am yet another example of the
devaluation of women and
what they do.
Kim Norlen
Student
Happy trails
Considering the intemperate
and racist remarks of |im
Bridge, a primary education
student, (ODE. i-'eb. 14), ad
monishing us to "Nuke the
Arab Nations." we see some
perverse logic in Myles Brand's
decision to close the education
department We believe that
the state of Oregon cannot af
ford to expose its grade school
children to the vituperative Mr.
Bridge. His intellectual pres
ence will certainly not be
missed on this campus.
Carolyn Denko
English
Scott Denko
Law
Stripped down
Personally. I don’t find Hud
son Van Curen very amusing
and wouldn't mind if it were
replaced by another comic
strip. Anyone else?
Pete Sellin
Physics
LETTERS POLICY
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