EDITORIAL
Turmoil defined
Bills’ ASUO reign
Oh. what a long, strange trip it's been.
A little over a year ago. Jennifer Bills was elected
ASUO president. With her history of school activism
and ideas for the future, things looked promising.
On Sunday. Bills became a president emeritus
She left office with a different vice president than the
one she started with. The scandals, Measure 5 backlash
and other energy-sapping affairs overshadowed her ac
complishments.
Bills worked hard in her job. She tirelessly lobbied
politicians to keep tuition down, pushed for a special
legislative session and tried to make peace with the In
cidental Fee Committee. Despite all that, one can't help
feeling a little disappointment.
When Bills and JoSonja Watson were elected last
spring, they had a genuine
enthusiasm for the job.
Bills seemed the ideal
choice to break out of the
historical do-nothing rut
of the ASUO executive.
Unfortunately. Bills
and Watson never had a
chance Turmoil marked
their administration; some
their own doing, most not.
Watson was forced to re
sign due to student anger
over her shoplifting
charge. Next came an at
tempted recall. As the
While problems
mounted on the
local scene, Bills
was charging
Don Quixote4ike
at the monolithic
windmills of the
federal higher
education
system.
year went by. Hills seemed less and less in touch with
student interests.
In an interview last week, Bills listed her two big
gust accomplishments as reforming the student health
insurance program and negotiating a 5 percent cut in
the athletic department’s budget. But throughout her
administration. Bills seemed more intent on the "big
picture." or what was going on with higher education
at the state and federal level.
There is nothing wrong with working to improve
higher ed as a whole, but students are more interested
in tangible results — what was done to better their Uni
versity life. While problems mounted on the local
scene. Bills was charging Don Quixotc-like at the mo
nolithic windmills of the federal higher education sys
tem.
With the Bobby Lee and Karmen Fore administra
tion now firmly entrenched in Suite 4. it is hoped they
won’t fall into the same trap Bills did. It is all well and
good to lobby the legislature, but don't forget the prob
lems at home.
In the end. Bills gets a passing grade Perhaps she
set her goals too high; the overall impression was that
of hopes unfulfilled.
Oregon Duily
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COMMENTARY
Violent protest sometimes justified
By I ydia l erma
II is unfortunate thn media
portrayed the incidents o<
curring in response to the
Los Angeles polite officer's tri
ul .is "ntoh riots " Throughout
the entire history of this coun
try. there have been thousands
of uprisings of discontent to
ward legislation, taxation and
unjust labor and social condi
tions
Too often we lail to refer to
this history of the United
States, and begin to assetl nega
tive charges toward those tn a
reactionary stale Ureal discon
tent lias surfaced from the im
pact of conservative politics
imposed on many Americans.
In 177:i. the British Parlia
ment passed tlie lea Act.
which was intended as a rev
enue measure tiiat would allow
Americans to purchase tea at
bargain rates, eliminating the
middleman. The colonists
though the Tea Act was ex
tremely unfair. "Taxation with
out representation" was
screamed in reaction to its en
actment.
Guess what? Our revered
forefathers, acting like looters,
threw 340 chests of tea into the
harbor, perhaps taking some
home for an evening s night
cap for those who can't re
momlxir (or don't want to), this
violence Is still referred to as
tho "Boston Tea Party "
I ask tho same question the
Oregon Commentator asks
(May, 1001!) What happened to
"public discussions? There was
no attempt to pressure (Parlia
ment). just illegal action, per
haps for the pure pleasure of
convincing themselves that
they were badass people who
wouldn't take it anymore
Those damned colonists'
In the same vein, in 1701.
Congress passed an excise tax
on distilled whiskey. In addi
tion to other acts of violence
this lax caused. Americans re
acted by tarring and feathering
federal officials. This famed oc
currence is referred to as the
Whiskey Rebellion "
So why didn’t those “radi
cal’’ Americans write a letter to
Congress expressing their oppo
sition to the tax? It is interest
ing how such violent acts could
tie referred to as a ‘'party" or a
“rebellion "
From 1880 to 1900, there
were over 23,000 strikes in the
United States, with over six
million workers involved Dur
ing the McCormick Harvester
strike of police officers
killed two workers During that
same strike, a meeting wus
called at Hnymarket Square in
Chicago, where 3,000 people
protested peacefully. However,
when ordered to disperse, vio
lence erupted resulting in the
deaths of one officer and four
other people.
By the end of the Croat Rail
road Strike ol 1H77, approxi
mately 580,000 workers had
participated, with over 100
deaths. Although great violence
ensued during the workers' ef
forts to receive fair wages, the
wages of most railroad workers
by 1HB0 had risen to former
levels Again I ask. what hap
pened to public discussion or
letters to Congress?
History is replete with vio
lence and discontent at all lev
els of society. In America, vio
lence is an integral and sustain
ing component of our national
spirit, and social injustice inev
itably results in violent upheav
al by the oppressed.
As we have seen throughout
our history, acting in a peaceful
manner has not always brought
about needed changes. It soerns
that if Americans acted in a
peaceful manner, we would
still be colonies of England,
Spain and Portugal. We must
also remember that when
Americans have peacefully as
sembled and participated in
peaceful demonstrations, they
wore not free from violence di
rected toward them.
Those who are currently ris
ing up in Los Angeles and
throughout the United States
believe that as Americans, this
six:iety hus acted In an unjust
manner. The struggle is much
like that of our forefathers; true
representation and justice must
prevail.
Whim many have demanded
that these changes lie made,
tltov have been met with great
resistance. An example of this
is a flyer that was received by
and associate of mine that
reads "Bigoted and proud, say
it out loud! Racist and high and
a wonderful guy, prejudice too,
and to hell with your liberal
crap and Donahue."
1 find it very interesting how
so many people have taken a
special interest in a summer
banner, but I didn't read any
letters from them when Rodney
King had been beaten A crime
was committed against another
human being. Where wore
those who stood by their ban
ner so honorably?
An extreme double standard
exists in our society It is inter
esting that when our forefathers
reacted to unjust measures in
violent ways, they wore
praised, and even later, elected
to political office.
Those who participate in il
legal acts for celebration — for
instance, during football games
are also praised. Several se
curity guards were assaulted
during the tearing down of the
goal post following Oregon’s
victory over UCLA in the fall of
1B90. Those who react to racist
oppression in the same manner
are hunted and "justice" is de
manded.
During the summer banner
incident, no one was physically
injured in any way. For those
of you wanting "justice" to be
served in reference to the sum
mer banner, remember; Next
time Oregon beats UCLA and
the goal post is torn down, will
you demand thu same justice
be served?
Lydia Lcrma is a student at
the University.