EDITORIAL Individual element must be in system The human element gone'' In America' The sup posed land of the free and brave? That’s what some judges are saving about federal sentencing guidelines meant to make prison sentences more understandable and more uniform. The mandatory guidelines, which took effect in November came almut as a result of rallying on both sides of the political spectrum to better the legal system's method of setting punishment. Liberals pushed for change stating that heavier sen tences fell disproportionately on lower income and dis enfram hised individuals, while conservatives rallied for longer more definite sentences The strongest point these guidelines have going for them is the fact that they could eliminate unwar ranted disparity whim similarly situated offend ers go into different ( ourt rooms and end up will) vers different sentences Ilere. the sentence oh viously depends more on the mood and i ondition of the judge/jtirs than the a< tnal evidence In this ( ase, guidelines i ould on I v help m forcing the judge to settle in .1 i (insistent way. In the end, the supposed security of die guidelines aren't quite the fair trade when it comes to eliminating individual case evaluation. However, the guidelines undeniably steal the Ini man element from the judges' sentencing procedures liven in the most similar persecutory setting, there .ire variances Unless the judge's right to examine and re gard each consideration is protected, the sentencing procedure could turn into a inn hanistii rubber stamp session The guidelines have also i logged up both trial and appellate court proceedings because each detail of the case must be evaluated in guideline ese Sentences must now be based on a complex formula, including the seriousness of the crime and the offender's i riminal history. In the end, the supposed security of the guidelines isn't tjuile the lair trade when it comes to eliminating individual case evaluation (.ranted, every American judge doesn't brandish the traits necessary to fairly evaluate each case. Many are biased in areas ranging from race to gender to income generation; some are crooked themselves. It's understandable these guidelines were born to make the judicial system more fair. But to do so simply by slapping on a new set of rules doesn't answer the problem. Oregon Dial\ Emerald PO BOX tUGI Nl OMIGON9MO) OrJ XA.v«l«y t^vovq*' f Maimof'iAi U»von m/vJ t% a of rNi Aa-wx »*'•*&* I m prvttt property I *x» Ionian* * r*mov.* or ./*• O* <* p/OM*.\jta£>«a t>y mm tdHor mCh»f CUtmoohm Ba/a*yn Trapp* Commurufy T «n ►lighar f due •non Admirw«tration Corn* IW'mt f*atur*i l ns fcAfeagar MoporWra T amrrvy Marufy Baucum 0*»«1 C Cartoon nadu Joywv- J«n>6y J*T**fc*n Qturt Kuoppng fc.'V#n l All MO(W C 0»M*n F\yvuQ Copy I dMort Don i <\w Ka/ar f ng*<\ f -*i Paul ttaVonuir MJ'xa. Ka!*> S/wtoefc Photographers So< NonM* '-a»a Sh*rx1*r Advifloing Jim • (Variety S< of! Dana. I wv« » a Davxl Gaunt**: Jonr Huc*jn» Hr ‘ *?'■' K itK/'r' Tarn laarh fia xV*n ftiuy Oatharm* Moy«* Dustm Siaria Vctu Toe*' Stwor Vo.' CUmIM I'a^y U.'(Wv' AonC-fl-k S^oilof^ro Busmasa KAi^y ( a'bon* S^parvaMr .Aidy Connt>>y Production Ingno WM* f*txk+l»on CaonSrutiat S4<«nC4t Cor>n#t'«»' k ^ -aG/j 'g nr s.*an »Im1 Janr '*» Mu*y (Vo MevoDfc S *k> tt'.ro M.»" Ml> »* ** ‘Uj h*nwo Jarv*t*r V*k*t T oikl W V General Mi nag or Judy tUa) Advancing uifACior r > .1 m vHHwav" Ntwi'oom \4$ SS11 Buttnati Offic* U%-Sb\? rruuuiiwn ■*»> ■*» Display Advertising Classified Advertising US 3M2 U6AU1 George Bush arm -tw/’st_S -Tor the Defense Budget Q.p B'P THE CONGRESS Of The UNITED STATES of AwEft/cA HAS HIGHER pp»oQ'TiES THAN A FEW LOW OEAENSE contractors ! LISTEN, THERE ARE SOW Big defense CONTRACTORS OUT THEAE COUNTING ON miS KONEV. THEN THINK OF IT AS THE biggest mk£-wo$k Pork VOVR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS have ever seeaj. — _ rx LETTERS Not given The linuTuld m i• n11 y printed an interesting letter about r«»[>«•. tint you need not be ,i ft>(i>ail<> to be raped At I t I yvas raped I In- loi .il polu i- laughed nif out of their olfit <■ .mil I'v e Mini' lift'd on thfir half list Something is .is taken (null me nut olffri-tl. nut given (thf guy tiiil not make it h.u k hum Vift mini .ilivt') The important wort! is given .is in permission. not taken, .is in t If.ii i titling (tiff I.inning li.i'l or strip mining Aren't thfsf signs of rapii7 A funny thing about it is tlif Uihlf tails it thf original sin I hf apple was taken not given Isn't capi talism desi ribed as taking all you t an get7 bunny. isn't it Steven Reiter Eugene Relief I am writing in response to recent criticisms ol the I'niver sity s Measure '> niferentiutn 1 have watched in the past year as ASliO spending habits have tome to light flexible payrolls, tens ol thousands ol dollars in stipends, and thou sands more earmarked lor stall retreats 'l l ! somehow we still manage to he spending 111 the red lor the c urrent budget Offi cials and comptrollers have proven they have more money than they knoys what to do with, while, at the same time, assuming students' resources are limitless and that they i an continue to dip deeper into our pockets Now y\ e have a chain e lor re lief I'he referendum sponsored by Don King and Holly Fergu son would cut the ASl'O budg i-1 bv 10 percent Critical groups claim their services would have to Is- < ut, but their real i out ern is that their (are tree spending would he cur tailed Willi enrollment figures going down, lees will lie going up, unless vs I vote olherw Ise i’ass the referendum and elect h mg and Ferguson Matthew Chism Finance Cry babies I would like to take issue with the lutirrulJ article of April H entitled (lavs angr\ with movie portrayals.' As a gav man, I led guv people un ion sensitive when seeing themselves m unflattering situ utiuns in films or in the media We are barely out of the closet .is a group, therefore, many of m\ gav brothers and sisters would rattier see themselves presented only m positive rela tionships and situations How ever, the real world of movies doesn't work that wav, and un\ group could protest Holly wnod s stereotyping and gencr uh/utKins Hie lesbians find the bisexu ality and image of women as killers in Dasir Instinct repug nant Well, it is repugnant However, it is a well-construct ed picture and a well-made thriller 1 have asked my straight friends if. after seeing the film, they are affected in their feelings about lesbians, and they say, "No, it's just a story If I were a police detec tive. using the same logic us angry gays," I could protest the movie's image of detectives as killers, drunks and cocaine addicts with no sexual morals When we as a gay cornrnuni LETTERS POLICY The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing comments on topics of interest to the l 'Diversity community. Letters to the editor must be limited to no more than _'5U words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style. tv iirc no longer threatened by our portrayal in films, then we have been assimilated as part of this culture The guv communi t\ is as diverse as the straight r (immunity we are artists, loggers, dor tors, ministers, drug dealers, prostitutes vve are good and had. living normal, productive lives as well us lie mg m prison I'm tired ul my guv commu nity's "cry-baby” attitude when we are portrayed in less than favorable Iighl Mike Walsh Eugene Suck up Are you serious? I can't be lieve what I'm reading As we .ill know, student government will undergo elections soon, and the candidates must lx- get ting anxious But yesterday, a flyer was handed out to the greek system that blew my mind Don King and Holly Fergu son. one of the four teams run fling for the ASUO executive, tried to use scare tactics to at - cumulate votes I'm appalled Do they think the greek system, or anyone else for that matter, is naive or iriser ure enough that they would have to listen to warnings from them7 Warnings claiming that every single other candidate is against them? Come on now Running lor ASUO office is for the lienefit of all of us as a whole I have seen other candidates show their promising intentions to ward greeks and everyone else equally King and Ferguson — do you think the greek system is not intelligent enough to see vote begging through brown nosing? I am very much in support of all the University organiza tions. hut what worries me is why any candidate who wants to run my ASUO would be so busy writing these kind of fly ers that thoy may be overlook ing the truo importance and reasons behind running an area of the University student gov ernment. Tina Lavy Student