EDITORIAL
Marketeers should
cork toy gun debate
While the nation struggles with the prospect of in
tensified gun-control laws, Eugene is dealing with a
gun-control argument of significantly less importance.
The controversy in Eugene doesn't involve assault
weapons, handguns or even H I), guns. No, Eugene
residents are up in arms over a Saturday Market ven
dor's right to sell his homemade cork guns
It seems some Saturday Market shoppers and ven
dors have taken exception to Norman Wright's IB-inch
toy guns. A poll of vendors and shoppers taken last
week showed that while f>0 percent of the vendors
questioned supported Wright's right to sell the toys,
the same percentage of shoppers wants the cork gun*,
harmed
The Saturday Market Board of Directors and Offi
cers has not yet voted on the issue The vole is .sched
uled for April 2 t
Saturday Market has the reputation of
being an open environment where folks
from all walks of life can come together
and appreciate their differences. Ban
ning Wright's toys would be a first step
in taking away that cultural freedom.
So far, the reasoning for (he toy gun ban was
summed up best by Saturday Market Board Vice Chair
woman Carol Berg Berg told Ihv Rc-tfister-Guard that
she found the toys offensive, and that "I want to live in
a world without violence, a world where children
aren't shooting each other "
Maybe she should take up permanent residence in
Disneyland
Contrary to what Berg and other cork gun control
advocates say, playing with toy guns as a child does
not lead to a life as a criminal or serial killer Many
children who play with guns go on to lead prodiu live
lives without evei killing anyone
In fact, like any kind of censorship, a ban only m
creases the curiosity about the prohibited item. 2 lave
Crew and Thr l^ist Temptation of Christ are ns ent e\
ampins Children who aren't allowed to play with guns
become fascinated with them Children who are ev
posed to guns in a responsible manner become educat
ed about the danger and potential for destruction (lies
represent.
The larger issue involved with the toy gun control
debate is whether the Saturday Marketeers want to
plav the role of community censor, liv banning the
toys, they can line themselves up with the likes of jerry
I'alwell. Pat Robertson, Ed Meuse, Adult Hitler and
other heroes of the 20th centurv
if the trend of banning violent e-related items is to
h»- consistent, no one should he allowed to sell the
works of Shakespeare (people are getting killed all the
time in those darn plays). Some of Ken kesey s hooks
contain acts of violence, so naturally their sale would
he prohibited. Records, tapes and CDs niton contain
depictions of violence, so the hoard would have to pro
hibit the sale of all items related to them, sueh as tape
and CD racks.
After a point, censorship gets pretts ridiculous.
That is why it's better not to start down the gray road
of judging what is good for other people.
The Saturday Market has the reputation of being an
open environment where folks from all walks of life
can come together and appreciate their differences
Banning Wright's toys would he a first step in taking
away that cultural freedom
Unless someone wants to sell something that is pa
tently offensive bv community standards, or poses a
real threat to shoppers, the market's board should
avoid making other people s decisions tor them. If peo
ple don’t like the guns, they don't have to buy them
But others who want to let their children play with a
toy that has been around since humans invented the
wheel should have the right. And if Norman Wright
wants to make and sell a handcrafted product that
could never harm anyone, he should have that right.
r I , < vM j v «.*v - *«»*'•
S/Arcuoun
FOR THAT /
MOUSE/ J=
LETTERS
Unfair idea
Mike Colson's argument lli.it
students should vote on whelh
er to tund groups sue h .is the
lilac k Student Cnton. MH'hA
and the ASl'() Women's t enter
seems .1 hit frightening given
that a very small pen village of
the 1H.11(H) students on this
i ampus vote at all
Ikies that mean that we
should leave the fate of certain
student groups m the hands of
a "vocal minority7 A popular
vote on whether these groups
should he funded or not would
fail to address the value and
servic e’ these- groups provide to
diverse populations within our
student tiociv none of which
make up a "majority of stu
dents
I he point is ear h group has
the right to ev 1st and provide
unique support services and
enrichment to its members
What we do \ ote foi Impel nil v
are honest, responsible lit
members dedicated to itllelli
gent impartial and thorough
examination and evaluation of
sue h groups seeking student
funds In good faith, we vote
tm lit members who should
bear the responsibility <>i dis
tnhuting $4 i million with ut
most seriousness and inlegritv
I he students of the Cniversitv
have a right to trust these vul
ties will be upheld, and when
we vote we hope this is what
we are getting
If not. then ( olson's idea of
students voting to tund groups
individually would be an alter
native \nd we must ask our
selves In this scenario which
groups w ill w in and vv Inc h w ill
lose
Prise ilia \\ arren
Sen iologv
Muddy ad
It is a shame that Cniversitv
politics lias sunk to a level of
imidslinging
I am referring to an ad (Ol)f'..
April 11) plated hv Col
son Cruvson This ad was defi
nitelv made in ignorant e on
their part
l or one. I was a participant
in the trip to Washington, D C
for tlie CSSA conference dur
mg spring break Second. I did
not know either kirk Hailey or
Jennifer Hills before this trip
No it wasn't "friends" of theirs
i hosen lor this trip
Students were selected from
applii atiuns submitted Col
son Crin soil should have
( hei ked then fai Is lielore m.ik
mu ,ii i us.ilions
I he purpose ol this trip was
to learn about the Higher Kdu
cation Ait being reauthorized
by Congress this year In addi
tion. we learned about lobbying
our elected members of Con
gress
And our last day in I) ( was
spent lobbying them I eucour
age Colson Crayson to inquire
more about this trip before
making anymore assumptions
( ind> Dutlield
Student
Due process
I w ish to raise ms sou e in
protest to the proi edure used in
the investigation ol alleged re
i ord tampering at the li t
I his is America The most
horrible mass murderer and the
most gruesome rapist have the
right to something t ailed due
process l his requirement sets
us as a people apart from tin
law ot the itingle It means that
lair impartial procedures
ought to be used ill the invest!
gallon and adjudication ol
i rimiltill or ethics violations
f rom the ai i mini in tile l-'m
crald, it appears to me that
Mike ( idson was denied this
basil right One would think
the accused would he allowed
to hue Ins accusers know the
evidence against him and have
an impartial body make the ft
rial dcterminal ion of fact
None ol these constitutional
rights was remotely tendered
Kather the Kxecutive i undue ted
a set.ret. unaccountable quasi
inquisition
That concerns me While de
nouni mg blind allegiance to
President Hush Kirk Hailey
asked the II C to give such to
him in this matter It appears to
me a dangerous thing to let the
ASl'O Kxecutive have the ptm
er to conduct inquiries that
deny basic human rights and
demand action without anyone
serving to check and balance
them
1 or all who decry oppression
and abuse of power, 1 invite
sou to join me in (intending the
pret ions duo process rights our
forelathers bought with their
Mood William (iaskill
I’olilu .(I S< iem e
Not the one
()ne ot the in.on (unctions ot
the ASl’t) president is to lie
able to form cohesive allium es
between student groups This
is an important consideration
in ( boosing the next \St '()
president.
Mike Colson has recently
( tanned that bee a use lie is "ex
perienced, dedicated, accessi
tilt* and professional" lie
should be president
• I xperieiu ed 1 While ho has
been involved with various slu
dent groups, he has managed to
alienate many members ot
these groups Ills perpetuation
ot disharmony between groups
has only < rented barriers in stu
dent activism
• Dedicated? It appears that
his "dedication is only to
hrmselt Hv tailing to resign .is
lit! chairman, Colson has
stopped ttie funding ot mam
student groups I his reflet ts
his dedications to his own aspi
rations
• A( I e-. able When ( o! soli
was i hairman ot the t hiiversitv
Democrats several students
found that the group had tie
c curie elite and ineffective tin
dec his leadership As a result
these students voted him out ol
office
Also in a recent press con
ference concerning the lit in
vestigetion Colson refused to
answer questions posed by stu
dents
• Professional? In a > lassified
ad he and Barclay (Irayson
plat eci in the lun-ruld on April
It. he presents students with
misleading information while
attacking one ot Ins opponents
in the c urrent AMO election
This violates an informal agree
ment made hv the c acidulates to
run clean campaigns Also, it
contradicts Colson's own ad
vice to students to "stay eciti
cal. hut stay positive
It is obvious that Colson can
not Iii 11111 the campaign prom
ises listed above and that lie is
not dedic ated to the students
Theresa DuHrav ac
I.ynn I ui as
Eugene