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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1991)
EDITORIAL God Squad’ seeks to circumvent law The original was the "Mod Squad." Then came "Police Squad." a hilarious parody spoof. Now we have the "Cod Squad," except this time, things aren't so funny. Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan |r. has the power to convene a seven-member committee that can over ride the Endangered Species Act. For only the third time in history, the so-called God Squad will come to life — and because of it, the northern spotted owl is facing extinction once again. At the request of the Bureau of Land Management. Lujan called the committee to judge whether BLM can resume logging on 4,570 acres. BLM officials claim that if they are not allowed to log the tracts, timber harvests on Oregon's BLM land could fall by as much as 75 per cent. costing tens of thousands of jobs in the Pacific Northwest. The official powers that be just don't quit. When the Fish and Wildlife Service set aside millions of acres of the Northwest's old growth for the spotted owl. environmentalists cheered and loggers fumed. And now the Bush ("Call me the environmental president") administration is showing its selective green thumb once again. Environmental issues are good until they get in the way of that steamroller called "progress" — which is often. Then watch how green the udministra nun is. Proponents of the God Squad say the size of the af fected land is such a small percentage of the protected old growth, that a yes decision to log the tracts wouldn't make What is at stake is much more than Just 4,570 acres. The possible extinction of the spotted owl pales when matched against the real Issue — the survival of our old growth forests. Him mui.u un fcrcnco to the survival of the spotted owl. Perhaps, but what is at stake is much more than just 4,570 acres. The possible extinction of the spotted owl pales when matched against the real issue — the survival of our old growth forests. Environmentalists must take a stand, and this is the place and issue to do it. A message must be sent that Oregonians want to protect their forests. Yes, it is only 4.570 acres, but the largest journeys start with one step. If Bush and Co. are allowed to make even a slight inroad into the old growth protection, it will be nigh impossible to stop them the next time. People in the timber industry have a right to be up set. Their livelihoods could very well hinge on the God Squad's decision. But Oregon can no longer rely on timber products to cornerstone the state's economy. By downscaling the industry, eventually a happy medium between environmentalists and loggers will be reached — a stable place where our old growth forests won't disappear. The move from a timber-based t;conomy to one of light-industry and technology is a necessary and pain ful one. The displaced timber workers must be re trained for other jobs. That will take money and effort, and right now, Oregon politicians don't seem to be supplying either. It's not just 4,570 acres of old growth at stake; it's the future economic viability of the state. Either Orego nians will face reality and change the base of the econ omy or they will ignore the flashing warning signs and watch the old growth and timber jobs dwindle away. • . . SUPPOSE TULRti amv IVAV TO GOtfVWC£ GtofeGc St/iH 7W SADDAM HUSSE-'N /5 S£PB/AN ? an £rtift. M4Vfi£ Ui£ N(ec TO UT QH?S£tV£S AN [*>*_ LETTERS T.V. guide l! w.i.s |)iiinfully easy fur mu lo mm! through Jenxl Hume's pitiful attempt to promote Our Version of Hell through huso trickery (O/Jf. Oct 2) liven if 1 wus not ono of Hume's fellow cust mombers on thu show. 1 would have soon through his wit ki‘<i game Hume — do you not realize just how intelligent the average University student is? 1 doubt a single student fell for your "an gry liberal" facade? Isn't it tar better to be straightforward and respectful by just telling the student hotly that Our Version of Ill'll is a swank comedy show on every Thursday .it 111 20 on Cable it? Shame Shame Shame on Hume. Bryt r logman Student Don’t swallow 1 have a bone to pick with the way this administration treats its students When Duck Call allowed roughly half of the stu dent body to register early, re sulting in u horrid Mac Court registration experience, 1 sighed and swallowed my frustration. When they i barged me $BG6 for a term of higher education, 1 sighed and swallowed my frus tration. But while in my 9:110 a nt. class in 150 Columbia, 1 couldn't find thu space in my throat to swallow. The adminis tration conveniently decided to allow construction on the rcxif of 150 Columbia during my class, resulting in constant hammering and drilling. My professor had to dismiss class because many students couldn't hear his lectures. 1 pay the second-highest tui tion of any public school in the western United States With SHOO per term and five classes in my schedule, that’s S173.30 per class When i miss 20 min utes of class due to someone’s miscalculation. I fool cheated and rip pod off! 1 should not have to deal with the B.S. th.it this administration shells out to me and every other student at this University. It clearly showed, through the Mac Court experience, that the administration had some severe organizational problems. If they can’t coordinate loud construction around one class, I don’t feel very confident in giv ing them close to $900 a term for their underdeveloped ad ministrative skills' Dirk Barnett Pre-Journalism Duped This letter is in response to the one written by Jerod Hume (OBI':, Oct. 2). I can’t say 1 agree or disagree with Hume on the soi ial worth of Our Version of Hull her auso 1 have never watched it But even if it is wretched (which it probably is), why is it always the "joyous, rainbow, brother ly-loving liberals” that want to “unite" and "disband" things? I consider (or considered) mvself a liberal, but I have no interest in uniting with people who are exactly like me in dross and belief, and proceed to "disband” that which is dilfer ont. What about diversity' What about the evils of censor ship? Is not television that art of the masses? Other wretched television serves a useful artis tic purpose ... like Afarr/ed, with Chihimn, sexist and exaggeratingly shallow; anyone who takes this parody serious enough to want to censor it is clearly missing the point. I heard a man say the other morning, "Tunnel vision is ev erywhere." It has taken me those four years in Eugene to realize the enormous hypocrisy of the liberalism in tiiis city Eugene liberalism is really only alternative conservatism. Con servative in the sense of same ness, uniform, shop at the same stores, only see certain films or read certain material, those that are different an; feared, not trusted or targeted for censor ship. Also there is the tendency to want safety in numbers (unite). The word “unite" indicates ex clusion by its meaning, not di versity. 1 don't know; maybe all ol this simply takes about four years to realize ... but in the meantime 1 think everybody should relax and accept the di versity that tries to exist in this cramped environment. Russelle Eyre Student iT 5 PK. WL START Lb XAmnjC» TwL L^L1-’ SLft'OVS^ Ul'vt SiKPL* e,or to PftOCOONCi SO WCH CWi-yOM !>'CVM» IT COMtS fPO^ PiS^'t^uiOty f.'SSiU fvUS SOMtrtOW, Twl tuSOAVOS ALWAYS STOA} AT rwi POIH1.