EDITORIAL
Rise in hate crimes
everyone’s concern
The rise of Eugene hate crimes isn't just a concern
of targeted groups — it’s something that affects every
one. either directly or indirectly
Oregon saw a 46 percent inc rease in hate crimes
during the first six months of this year, with assault
and vandalism making up the majority of the crimes.
Lane County ranked second after Multnomah in
percentile increases, going from seven reported of
fenses last year to 32; Eugene claimed 30 of that num
ber.
Considering that more than half the state's crimes
involved racial prejudice, it's obvious one of this coun
try's oldest and ugliest problems continues to haunt us.
The question of prejudice isn't an easy one to an
swer. It stems from the unfathomable human condi
tion. of which fear, ignorance and intolerance are a
part, each feeding off the other.
Fear is a natural species response, keeping that
which is unknown and potentially harmful at a safe
distance. It's when this instinct is warped by ignorance
that we become afraid of things undeserving of our
fear.
We learn early
from our parents, peers
and immediate culture
which things to label
"frightening" or "bad,"
which walls to put up
and where. In this way.
we often inherit the ig
norance of those
around and preceding
us, making it our own.
Few people dare to
challenge these familiar
boundaries, never
learning what lies be
yond them. Here, igno
rance breeds fear,
which often leads to
prejudice. The smaller
the knowledge of the
Something is very
wrong with this
picture. The fact
that America’s
racial groups are
siding up against
each other is
something every
single person
should be
concerned about;
guaranteed, the
effects won’t stay
inside the lines.
unknown, the more im
pending its doom; the
scarier it becomes, the greater the fear; the larger the
fear, the bigger the distance between the victim and
that which is feared.
And so the racial walls that continue to separate
the people of this country are built.
But the dividing forces didn’t appear out of no
where.
They come from early wrongs such as the Europe
an infiltration of a land that wasn't, contrary to popular
belief, free for the taking, and from the same group's
subjection of fellow human beings, based on color, to
years of slavery.
They come from elitist laws forbidding the collabo
ration and mixing of colonial-era white indentured and
black slaves to dilute the possibility of rebellion.
They come from increased territorial competition
due to a growing number of people vying for a shrink
ing amount of land.
And they come from the continued oppression of
America’s "minority" groups by the "dominant" race.
White American history reeks of supremacy. Those
buying into its twisted views justify their actions by
keeping the white race "pure" via “inferior" race sup
pression.
What emotions, other than outright fear and inse
curity, could motivate such thinking? It's only when
one feels afraid that threatening forces must be held at
bay.
There must be lots of scared people out there. Ore
gon now contains the highest number of white suprem
acists per capita outside the South, according to a
three-year study by the Coalition for Human Dignity.
Program coordinator Scot Nakagawa said his group
found about 50 active supremacist groups in the state.
Something is very wrong with this picture. The fact
that America's racial groups are siding up against each
other is something every single person should be con
cerned about; guaranteed, the effects won't stay inside
the lines.
It's time to step across the chasm of fear and igno
rance to bridge this enlarging gap. Our hate must be
unarmed; perceiving each other as the enemy will only
work for as long as it takes to kill each other off.
We learned our fear, ignorance and intolerance; we
can unlearn it as well. The time has come to begin.
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LETTERS
Decriminalize it
Yes, ihons are mom impor
tant issues to address.
Yes, smoking is an uncool, ir
rational, self-destructive, and
just plain stupid behavior.
Yes, non-smokers am fully
entitled to their right to live
and work and play in a smoke
free place
No, 1 do not want an amend
ment to the Constitution grant
ing, establishing, clarifying, or
even hinting at u "right" to
smoke
But, as a tobacco addict who
is focusing on recovery issues
of greater importance than
those of my current tobacco
use, 1 would like (and 1 do not
demand, but rather request) just
a little slack
Is there no indoor spot on the
entire University campus
where smokers can study and
smoke in quiet without infring
ing on the rights of non-smok
ers?
1-ive small tables at tho uni
versity recreation center —
with music: blaring, TV going,
and folks playing pool and
ping-pong — is better than
nothing (And I do not suggest
that wo rob the recreation cen
ter of its recreation or its ac
companying noise — these
folks need their spuce, too.)
However, 1 would like a quiet
place, out of the rain, on-cam
pus, where other smokers und 1
can study and smoko without
infringing upon the valid rights
of non-smokers.
1 respect the people who do
not smoke and 1 respect their
right to romain free of my
smoke. Can't you make room
(literally and figuratively) for
mo too?
Georgina Apple
English
Department OK
Kirsten Lucus in the article
"ESCAPE program survives
cutbacks "(ODE, Sept 27) la
ments tho effects of Measure 5
on tho ESCAPE program.
More lamentable is tho arti
cle's seemingly factual state
ment that tho School (meaning
College?) of Education will bo
eliminated.
The fact is that the College of
Education, while losing some
quality programs, will remain
in existence.
As with the ESCAPE pro
gram, the College is retrench
ing.
Reports that the College of
Education is out of existence
are not only completely untrue
but unfair to the quality pro
grams remaining and mislead
ing to present and future stu
dents who plan to pursue (.a
reers in education at the 1 ad
versity.
Ned Jay Christensen, Rh.I).
Professor, Director
Communication Disorders and
Sciences
Different face
So what's up with the derog
atory and inaccurate (albeit in
teresting) portrayal of the black
person in the Emeruld's edito
rial cartoon of Oct i'?
I thought wo had moved past
that about a half a century ago
It wasn't funny at all, or did 1
just miss the joke?
I.uila Macharia
Student
The wolf
This letter is written in re
gards to the cartoon that ap
peared on the editorial page ol
the Emerald on Oct. 2. I am an
African-American female who
is outraged at the blatant show
ing of racism in this cartoon
How can anyone seriously
see this us funny when it just
reeks with the stench of rac
ism? For those of you out there
who don't see this when you
look at the cartoon, 1 am refer
ring to the little caricature at
the bottom of the plcturo.
This imugo is one that was
seen during a time when racist
attitudes and ideas wore highly
accepted and encouraged. But
to see this in a daily, public
newspaper today, myself, along
with other fellow African
American students are just re
minded that racism still pro
vuils and that we have to fight a
little hit more and a little more
often than our follow class
mates.
Yos, there's definitely a wolf
in sheep's clothing out there.
but it's not just Clarence Thom
as.
Tonya Mem-fee
Student
Natural law
U.S. Supreme Court nominee
Clarence Thomas' praise for the
implicit use of natural law in
judicial decisions gives legal
standing to Catholic theological
complaints about "unnatural"
sex.
Using the pretext of natural
law, the Catholic hierarchy op
poses birth control, sex hygiene
items such as condoms, sex ed
ucation in schools, abortion,
masturbation, and homosexual
ity. Their real motive is to
make people; suffer fur having
SOX
They still believe virginity is
best ami that all sexual inter
course, even within marriage, is
somehow Impure and regretta
ble Yet celibacy practiced by
the Catholic hierarchy is just as
unnatural as birth control.
In Asia 2,400 years ago the
Chinese philosopher Lao-tse
objected to roads, carriages,
and boats as unnatural. Clothes
are contrary to nature yet make
man healthier than those who
went without clothing
Today we support the idea ot
inherent human rights but
these are quite different from
natural law. Since Judeo-Chris
tianity's basic cosmological
model is essentially
monarchial, only acquired, and
more specifically, bestowed
rights — which are revocable
— can be found in the Bible
and many rights therein are
ethnic group or gender based.
Let's not return to the Dark
Ages under the rubric of natu
ral luw.
Jim Senyszyn
Naugatuck, Ct.
Hard look
There are those on this cam
pus who dismiss our com
plaints of racism as nothing but
yet another hyper-sonsitivo
group crying "wolf." I would
ask these people to take a good,
hard look ut the DDLX)ct. 2 edi
torial cartoon.
l,eyla f-'arah
Psychology/Business