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 P O BOK J t yj. tUGCMf OHlGON»74Q3 Th* Or*go« Daily t mmma m pota»h*o da>ty Monday ihrough > 'day during in* icixxj y**r ai-x! Tuasday and Thur»d*y during in* luiww By in* Or agon Daily £ murad Putxah.ng Co Inc m in* um«nl) ol Ongon. £ug*n* Oogtxi In* £m#r*id oporaio* tnd*o*nd®nity ol tn* Unnmiiy auin oii*cm a! 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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.