EDITORIAL
‘If it doesn’t work,
blame it on the aide’
It's hard to get good help those days, isn't it?
Just ask George Bush After two years of bitter hug
gling. he finallv got a civil rights bill he could live
w ith But then along comes C. Hoyden Gray, and things
aren't so clear anymore
Gray, who is the White House counsel, routinely
authors ''interpretations" of <.ongressionally passed
legislation Or in other words, he gives the semi official
policy of how the executive branch views the bill, and
what steps it will take to enforce such laws.
Gray's statements aren't legally binding, but they
do set the: tone for how Bush and Go. deal with the leg
islation. Gist Wednesday. Gray circulates! his draft
[>olicy on the new civil rights hill and interpreted that
it would end racial preferences and quotas in federal
government hiring practices
Not a law. just something to make you go hmm ..
The Democrats, who temporarily sided with Bush
to pass the legislation, were apoplectic They consid
ered the move treasonous and said Bush was try ing to
gut the 19ti5 affirmative action regulations.
The next day. Bush back pea ailed, claiming Gray
acted on his own and without White House knowledge
or approval Bush assured Democrats he didn't view
the civil rights hill that way.
He may he right Gray is well-known for having a
more stringent attitude than Bush toward affirmative
action — if such a thing is possible. It is not completely
out of the question that the whole controversy is just
one slightly rabid aide overstepping his authority
However, the timing and the suggestion Bush knew
nothing about it art* a little suspect Bush is not known
as a loose-rein president His aides do not act on their
own without his prior knowledge, except for Sununu.
who does pretty much whatever he wants Bush runs a
tight ship, and it is unlikely he would he completely
clueless to Gray's plan.
In addition, it is quite possible Bush was using
Gray's draft policy as a "trial balloon" as some critics
are suggesting. It makes for a simple way to test public
perception. Attach the policy to the bill and watch the
reaction. If no fuss is made. Bush wins a political victo
ry without having to take on Congress, if the result is
too sharp (as in this case), blame the aide and forget
about it for now. No harm, no foul.
And Bush comes out unscathed.
Even after Thursday's signing ceremony, controver
sy remained. Bush endorsed an interpretation of the
new law. which gives broad legal boundaries under
which employers could cite "business necessity" to
discriminate against minorities when hiring. What this
"business necessity” means is unclear, but giving wide
discretion to the clause defeats what the new civil
rights bill is supposed to be about.
Perceptions of Bush vary, but nobody cun accuse
him of not being u canny politician. A no-loss trial bal
loon has the taint of Bush mentality.
There can be no doubt Bush will eventually try to
"fillet" the affirmative action legislation. Now, it mere
ly remains to be seen where and when the opportunity
will come.
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LETTERS
DeFazio
I)(i vou ever wonder if you
(.in «((.■< ! out seemingly inai
i essiblc w or Id ii! politics' Over
I In* past monlh. University sin
.fonts and L< < OSl’IKt. i hap
tors sent nearly UMM) postcards
If. ! S Kej! Peter D.Ta/lt) (D
t)n j urging him to support
House Resolution 142't the
( lean Water Amendments Ail
I hose posit arils vs ore signed by
at live students exert iMiig their
right to he heard in Congress
This resolution vs ill t tune up
to vote m the House sometime
this session If passed, these
amendments will strengthen
tin ( lean Water \i I hv impels
mg mandatory minimum fines
on polluters and expanding the
puhlit s right to know about
toxu releases m our waterways
last week, l)e !•'a t i o an
tioumed hts endorsement of
this resolution, attributing his
support in part to grassroots at
tion Irom his constituents
We d like to thank all those
who took the time to till out a
postr aril tu support of i lean
water
(In Nov , Del a/io s stall
dirts tor Betsy Hovd wall he on
i ampus to speak and answer
questions on the toxi( s Issue
from tin' ( ongressional perspei
live The informal meeting will
h. held in the I.Ml ITr Room
from 12 it) to 1 It) p m We
hope students and far ultv w ill
lake idvantagi' ol tins valuable
opportunity to ext hangn
thoughts and learn about this
gc w mg environmental issue
Man Beth Kurilo
ITix ii s t Tiortlinulor
OSIMKt.
s. olt Madden
(.i .ism nuts ( mu d matin
ONITKt.
Not the fact...
Jo Sonia Watson, I am truly
disappointed m you Vou have
caused me to lose all my faith
in your abilities to perform
your duties with honesty and
integrity It is not the fat I that
\ ihi broke the law it's what
\.in stole and your irresponsi
ble handling of the ini ident
Vou should apologize for
vv h at vou ha v e done You
should feel verv ashamed of
vour Tilth- mistake Vou hold
an important role and are paid
a monthly stipend lor doing so
Vour student body deserves
better from vou
I. too, am a student hav mg to
make ends meet, but I have a
!;.i!• \ w hu has needs a-, well I
vrr miss nor negler l our ti
naniial obligations
: ills 1 rime you i omtilitted Is
in ill' 11.isI U hat s done is
done Till' question is your Hi
!‘ y:r11v Vim nivc your fellow
students an apology or a resig
nation'
Anne Harper
l’s\ i (mingy
A joke?
When ! read Bryan W'estly's
ill Defense letler {OIU Nov
1H), I honestly hoped it was a
joke Whether It is a joke or not,
I feel compelled to respond.
Westiy stated that there is
no plat e to put them (guys, les
hi.ins and bisexuals) " 1 dis
agree trenailse bisexuals and Ini
niosexuals .ire just as "real" as
any heterosexual man or worn
an
Din' s sexual preference lias
no hearing on where one
should slixqi nor how well one
( an perform an assigned task
M\ own bisexuality does not
affix 1 my abilities here al the
University or in my place of
work I am a dean s list student
and a diligent worker One's
sexuality does not determine
what talents one possesses
As for grouping lietero, homo
and bisexuals together well,
this cm curs in many other hous
ing settings 1 live in a dornn
lory on a floor in which 1 am
the only known non-straight"
person I do not go on sexual
rampages attempting to seduce
tm fellow floor residents
Most heterosexuals do not do
tills so why is it assumed the
lest of the population will' Ho
mosexuality and bisexuality do
not equal promise uity
f inally Westiy, having gen
ders separated in the greek sys
tern nr In dormitories does not
ensure when rape will occur
My rape and subsequent at
tempted rape occ urred on a fe
male Hour of my dormitory I
full to six’ the point of this argu
ment m your letter if you want
sexual orientation segregation
Mv raplsl was a heterosexual
man. not a homo or bisexual
person
One final question Why do
you i are when we non hetero
sexuals are having sex ' Just i u
rious
Lisa Hessen
Romani e languages
Challenge
In response !n Ilrvan AVesliy \
letter [OUt:. Nov 1H).
On this campus, diversity is
nut celebrated ami rape is nut
combatted by providing sepa
rate housing l.a iltties lor worn
en and men Mans women and
men cohahitate quite sut i css
fulls in co-ops, apartments
eli , and are i omfortable s\ ith
the idea of living m one nnoth
er's company as competent, re
spec tful indis iduals
Rape is a violent act, not a
sexual act Rapists are not ex
(used no matter w here they re
sided in proximits to the sic
tun Don't patronize women bs
pretending that separate Irons
ing ensures them safety from or
solves the problem of rape The
way to ensure against rape is
lor men to realize it's a man's
Issue and lor them to lake re
sponsibilits lor their ac turns in
stead ol casting the responsibii
its elsewhere, i.e partitioning
the sexes Only respect ensures
against rape
just as one must challenge
the mentality of the perpetrator
with rape, so must one ssith
homophobia Lesbians and gaxs
are everywhere (surprise
even m the military), always
have tieen and always will tie
Challenge homophobic men
tality. not lesbians and gays
Ann Seel
Student
Integrity?
The University student gov
eminent has a problem The
problem is an elec ted offic ial
who steals from the student
bookstore 1'bls of fit lal steals
from us and then turns around
and c laims to represent student
interests I, for one. do not
choose to lie represented by an
official who steals
Does the fact tliis official
holds an office say something
about the moral and ethical
standards t • the student gov
ernment'’ It certainly says the
University elec ts officials who
lac k certain ethical standards
that most of us find inherent to
a position of responsibility
Condoning behavior like this is
just as wrong as committing the
act itself I demand new repre
sentation You should tcxi
Matthew (jink
Student