EDITORIAL
Oregon says no to
wetland redefinition
Chalk up another one for our un-environmental
president. In his latest venture, George Bush ami his
myopic administration plan to reduce wetland protec
tion to appease land developers and farmers - a move
Oregon will have no part of.
Revisions art; designed to redefine wetlands as they
appear in a 19H9 standard, and the result could drop
one-third of the nation's 100 million acres from the
protected list. Oregon would stand to lose ,'iO to 50 per
cent of its wetlands.
Hut the state's Division of State Lands will ignore
the proposed changes because of the large potential
land loss and possible confusion for property owners,
according to Ken Bierly, Division Wetlands program
manager.
At least someone has sense enough to reject a pro
posal that was launched in reaction to developer and
agriculturist opposition to lands that qualified under
the original wetland definitions.
The changes come not from a committee of experts
who arc upgrading the original scientific-based stan
dard, but from a political group whose bumbling efforts
to satisfy the elitist norm prevail.
The group's name and leader? The President’s
Council on Com pet i
tiveness, directed by
Vice President Dan
Quayle.
Bud enough this
crucial policy-breaking
council is led by
Quayle; bleaker yet,
this crew was given the
right to redraw wetland
defining lines not ac
cording to scientific
fact, but economic and
political persuasion.
Someone better take
this group's crayons
away before they do
some serious damage.
This council has no
business meddling in
Bad enough this
crucial policy
breaking council is
led by Quayle;
bleaker yet, this
crew was given the
right to redraw
wetland defining
lines not according
to scientific fact,
but economic and
political
persuasion.
what should be scientific affairs. Wetlands are valuable
ecosystems, acting us natural sponges and water filters
as well as breeding and sustaining grounds for count
less numbers of animals and plants.
But this isn't the first time financial gain and profit
won out against environment in this country.
Two recent examples:
• U.S. officials recently refused to participate in the
international reduction of carbon dioxide emissions —
the main gas thought to cause global warming.
• The administration’s recent creation of the “God
Squad" to override the; Endangered Species Act so that
logging of old growth timber in the Northwest may
continue.
This decision to sacrifice the environment in the
face of political and economic pressure once again
shows this country's weak-kneed decision-making pri
ority: monetary instant gratification.
America's ruling body doesn't seem to understand
that our almighty economic system is based in the nat
ural world. The operation of every “progressive" toy.
from industry to vehicle, depends on natural resources.
If administration officials arc truly concerned
about our economic well-being, they need to begin
thinking in terms of the gift horse: it's in our best inter
est to protect its long term survival.
There’s no room or excuse for declining wetland
protection. Our existence is intertwined with and de
pendent on these and all natural areas; they deserve
our undivided attention.
Mr V’S* >» V * ■ *•"/
Did I ever skew intelligence assessments to please my superiors'7
I don't know . how would you like me to answer that?”
LETTERS
Bom that way
Arr homosexuals "Ixim th.it
way?" 'lint media has directed
considerable attnntion toward
some preliminary research
whit h Implies that possibility
It s a notion that homosexuals
tirsirtng to legitimize their sex
ual habits want you to believe,
hut in fact, that suggestion has
a conflict with biological
truths.
Bv definition, homosexuals
max apply their sexuality to
recreation, but not to proerc
ution Obviously, a non repro
tiut ing gene pool would quit k
ly eliminate Itself Certainly
over the eons retpiireti to ra
tionali/e the theory of evolu
tion, homosexuality would be
totally erased Therefore, the
theory of evolution (as well as
the basic laws of biological st i
erne) leaves only one way re
maining to propagate homosex
ual it v: active recruitment.
Militant out-id the closet ho
moxexuels don't want you to
recognize this fat I It would
make it harder lor them to "re
produce” tfieir next generation
by blatantly penetrating our so
ciety with their landlyphohit
agenda.
Involution versus gem-tit ally
pretlisposeti homosexuality, at
least one of these theories is
false
This leaves a dilemma for
those claiming that practicing
homosexuals are powerless to
change since they arc "Ixirn
that way " If they abandon
their faith to evolution, that de
mands creation and u Cre
ator A Creator who has the
wisdom to define the limits of
sexual behavior.
On the other hand, if they ad -
mil there is no genetic predis
position toward homosexuality,
that loaves the perpetuation of
homosexual activity complete
ly to free choice
Jon Wollander
F'ugene
Angered
As African- American stu
dents here at the University, we
are deeply concerned and an
gered with the Oregon Daily
Emerald's lack of professional
ism and the increase of racial
insensitivity that the Emerald
has shown toward we African
American students.
Most recently, the Emerald
printed a political cartoon (Oct.
1) that We feel blatantly perpet
uated a racial stereotype toward
African-Americans. We feel
that there is absolutely no ex
cuse for such ignorance and
racism It is for these reasons
that we are making the follow
ing demands of the linn-raid
• The limn aid takes a step to
overcome its ignorance by in
corporating racial sensitivity
into its journalistic duties.
• I he lint,-raid aggressively re,
ogni/.e more African-American
activities as fieing newsworthy
in order to more accurately re
flect the University community
as Ixhng diverse.
• The Emerald editing staff re<
ogni/.e it as not only their pro
fessional but personal, and
more so. ethical responsibility
for what they allow to lie pub
lished.
• The Emerald staff guarantee to
us that such racial insensitivity
in their reporting in all aspects
will not occur again without di
rect action lining taken to guar
antee that we have an Emerald
staff that will serve the needs of
us as students.
We as African-American stu
dents demand th.it the Oregon
Daily Emerald uphold Us jour
nalistic responsibilities and
professionalism, and finally re
alize that their purpose is to re
port the news in a socially re
sponsible manner.
It these expectations and de
mands cannot he met, we as Af
rican-American fee-paying stu
dents will institute a change
I.isa Lawrence, Black Student
Union director, and other
concerned members
New right
It's about time! I hope there
are more conservatives out
there like William Caskill (ODE.
Oct. It) and myself; people who
believe that the Constitution
was intended to benefit white,
heterosexual males.
1 come from a small town in
eastern Oregon and was raised
to believe in traditional Ameri
can values However, 1 must
admit, Eugene has changed me
I live in sin with my girlfriend
We still try to be morally up
standing, however, especially
when it comes to protecting
and defending the lives of the
innocent (the unborn).
Wo both believe that life does
not start at birth Instead, we
are biological determinists who
believe that a person is already
formed before birth. Following
through on this belief, we try
and preserve as much life us
possible: Each month, my girl
friend ovulates, and each
month, she saves the egg in a
test tube. For my part, 1 save all
my sperm in a test tube, also.
We fool it would be un-Chris
tian to deny the right to life to
these procious organisms. We
hope there are many more out
there who feel us we do.
Matt Kmrich
Political Science
aF-GONE ' T4E PHILIPP/NES mill not
Support you aw longer /
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I SPLASH./ \