EDITORIAL
Measure 9 symptom,
not cause of hate
Ballot Measure 9 claimed its first victims with the
deaths of two homosexuals in Salem last week.
Or did it?
Hattie Mae Cohens, a black lesbian, and Briun
Mock, a white gay man. died Saturday. Sept. 26 when
the house they shared was fircbombed. Immediately
following the tragedy, opponents of Measure 9 began
using Cohens and Mock as martyrs for the No on 9
cause. They believe that the deaths are the result of a
climate of hostility created by Measure 9 and Cohens
and Mock arc but the first of many to come.
However, they may be jumping to conclusions.
There were at least four other people living in the
house at the time of the firebombing, including a reput
ed member of the Crips gang. Any one of them could
have been the target.
Police have arrested four suspects, at least two of
whom have been identified as being associated with
racist skinhead gangs in Portland. Skinheads have nev
er needed a ballot measure to justify their brand of ha
tred and violence.
With the November election getting near, there are
still many undecided voters who may be swayed by
this incident. If it comes out that, yes, Cohens and
Mock were killed because they were homosexual, op
position to Measure 9 may increase. However, if anoth
er reason is found, the Oregon Citizens Alliance and
other Measure 9 supporters will point to this incident
as another example of gay-rights supporters crying
wolf.
An equally plausible reason tor the attack was tnat
Mock, a white man. was living with Cohens, a black
woman. Nothing stirs the ire of racist neo-Nazis than
mixed-race couples, and that fact alone was more than
likely the motivating factor in the attack.
Of course, the reason for the firebombing, whether
it was homosexuality, race or gang affiliation, is irrele
vant. All hate-crimes have a common root in igno
rance. and it is at that level the problem needs to be ad
dressed. Measure 9. the OCA, neo-Nazi skinheads and
their brethren are but symptoms of the greater illnesses
of prejudice and bigotry.
To blame Measure 9 for the deaths of Cohens and
Mock is to suggest that defeat of the measure will make
the problem go away. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Defeat of Measure 9 will do little more than
maintain the current status-quo. Hate-crimes existed
before Measure 9. and they will continue to exist even
if the measure fails.
The fight for equal rights will not end with the
(hopeful) defeat of Measure 9. Rather, it will have just
begun, and many more people will die before the war
is won. Cohens and Mock were not the first, but rather
two more in a long line of innocent people who have
been killed because of who they were.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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D
ETTERS
Trashing Trojan
More lhan 15 your* ago 1 be
como tho first person to lx- ar
rested at tho Trojan nuclear
plant Ninety-five other prison
or* of conscience quickly
joined mo on tho bu* bound for
Multnomah County jail.
One of tho jailors osktxl why
wo blockuded tho plant. As I
explained my reason*, ho
looked morn and mom upset.
"It sound* to me." ho said,
"llko they've arrested the
wrong poople."
Following a well publicized
trial with testimony by cancer
researcher*, an insurance com
pany executive und a former
Oregon Department of Energy
head, the "Trojan 96" wore ac
quitted. The jury hoard our
message.
Listen to tho facts, Oregoni
ans. You are in danger You've
boon entrapped by a shabby in
vestment that imperils count
less future generations.
Since then, the people of this
state have missnd several dem
ocratic opportunities to remove
this cancer from our midst. The
data we had in the 1970's con
cerning the health risks of nu
clear power has only increased
and become more condemning
Recent seismological evidence
shows that Trojan has always
been a disaster waiting to hap
pen.
We have two mom opportu
nities at the polls. Oregonians
must not be foolod by millions
of corporate advertising dollar*.
PGE now says, "We'll shut it
down anyway by 1996." Like
thoy took care of their waste
pools by I960 (still there and
overloaded)? Shutting down
Chernobyl by 1991 would have
boon four years too lato!
VIp Short
Eugono
Whitewash
Recently thero has been a
new trendy T-shirt compli
menting many faces of the Uni
versity student body. Tho mes
sage reads, "Love see no color.”
This message is reminiscent of
othor profound crunchy say
ings like, “give peaco u
chance." “world peace." or my
porsonal favorite, “peace
dude."
Now these slogans arc sim
ple. easy to print on T-shirts,
and complement the evor pop
ular Tevas and Birkenstocks
quite; nlcoly. giving almost any
liberal that sincere "gee, I’m
not a racist" look. Howuvor, the
newest slogan. "Love soo no
color," is not quite so harmless.
As a Korean-Amorican wom
an, I have found that love — or
perhaps more accurately ex
pressed, validation from white
people — does come one's way
if you conceal your color, as
similate your culture and meet
the whito standard of beauty as
much us possible. In essence, if
you whitewash yourself then
thn saying holds true.
But wo are different colors,
and one's experience differs be
cause of their ethnicity. This is
a wonderful fact, and as a cul
ture we must start celebrating
the diversity that exists, insteud
of the old liberal mentality full
of oppression and denial.
Racism is complex and oflon
hides itself In complacency.
Love does see color. It's timo
for white people to start educat
ing themselves about the expe
riences of people of color.
Christina Lowria
History
Not again
Departments have closed. Tu
ition has skyrocketed. Enroll
ment hus dropped. An educa
tion that will prepare Oregoni
ans for the 21st century has be
come harder to obtain and will
be less accessible for working
class people in the upcoming
years.
This is a result of Measure 5.
Many who voted for it now re
alize it was a mistake, that the
effects have crippled state insti
tutions. and the benefits have
gone almost exclusively to
largo corporations. Many are
owned not by Oregonians but
by stockholders who reside out
of state.
What is particularly distress
ing is that University students
votod In appallingly low num
bers. While voter apathy is
rampant, it is the 18-25 age
group that votes the least. Per
haps those who say wo. as col
lege students, are to blame for
the sad state of Oregon's higher
education system are partially
correct. True, it isn't encourag
ing to see politics controlled by
PAC's and interest groups, but
voting does matter.
Students need to realize that
democratic systams don’t work
unless the people contribute.
Every student who isn't regis
tered to vote shou Id do so. Reg
istration cards and drop boxes
are located throughout campus,
including the ASUO office in
Suite 4 of the EMU. It only
takes a couple of minutes.
And remember, if you don’t
vote, you have no right to bitch
about the outcome.
Andy Harris
ASUO Asst. Stats
Affairs Coordinator
No fear
I am a straight Christian and,
until recently, a single father.
Examining gay and lesbian
rights concerns and family val
ues helps me glimpse old fears
of being called a queer and
fears of having an "abnormal"
family. Fear numbs me in hid
den ways and generates hurtful
judgments of others.
Jesus directs us to wash oach
others feet. Paul admonishes us
to greet each other with a lov
ing kiss. Could I kiss the man
next to me in church or wash
his feet? What about the Chris
tian with AIDS?
Why is there so much con
demnation of certain sexual be
haviors and so little practice of
God's Intimate rituals? Are we
paralyzed by our fears?
God's love can overcome my
fear of being treated harmfully
as an abnormal, perverse fag if 1
share affectionate intimacy
with other mon. Love can also
overcome my hurtful, laboling
judgments as it frees me from
this fear.
God, teach me to cherish the
diversity of loving relationships
between individuals and all
unique, loving family bonds
Forgivingly overcome all fears
that shun, condemn and deny
thy loving kindness in our
world.
May your still, small voice
direct our vole in November.
May we euch strive with your
loving spirit not to blame ho
mosexuals — or others with
differences — for ouT fear of
them.
Wo can cast stony votes of
fearful judgment. Or our votes
can unfurl messages of Josus'
accepting love.
Ethsn Parkins
Eugsna