EDITORIAL
Fear and loathing
on Fillmore Street
Thn Acorn House is an adult foster home located in
the Friendly neighborhood. Sometime in November, it
will house AIDS patients. It will be a place where peo
ple in various stages of the disease will receive quality
health care for reasonable prices.
Few would dare oppose the existence or necessity
of the Acorn House.
But some Fillmore Street neighbors are concerned
about having the house on their block. They fear the
Acorn House will cause a traffic tie-up. lower property
values, and cause an influx of homosexuals into the
urea
The neighbors have a right to question the direc
tion of their community. If racist skinheads were mov
ing in next door, most people would probably be wor
ried.
But the Acorn House neighbors are not busing their
complaints on rational concerns. They are instead mak
ing minor issues into major ones to mask their fear and
ignorance of AIDS.
The neighbors say traffic is a concern. But only five
patients at a time will reside at the house in addition to
the attendants. Realistically, they shouldn't cause any
more traffic than a large family. And most residents
won't be well enough to drive.
Property values? The only reason property values
would go down is if new neighbors were os unreason
ably paranoid as the current ones.
The main reason people are afraid is because AIDS
will suddenly be within their community. No longer
can they ignore AIDS as a frightening disease seen only
on TV. Suddenly it's in their backyard, looking them in
the face.
As people should know by now. AIDS is not trans
mitted through casual contact. Little AIDS germs do
not fly through the air threatening to contaminate ev
eryone.
The fear about an influx of homosexuals is un
founded as well. Not everyone who contracts AIDS is
gay. contrary to popular belief. And even if they were,
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is as
immoral as racial discrimination. Arc they worried that
gays and lesbians will kidnap their children? No, be
cause they realize it's unreasonable. Just like other
tears.
It's dear that the house is u valuable resource for
the Eugene community. It provides specialized care for
AIDS patients that is in many ways superior to a hospi
tal. The attendants will have an opportunity to become
closely acquainted with the patients, the surroundings
will be more comfortable and family-like than a hospi
tal. and the cost of treatment will be substantially less
than hospital care.
Acorn House neighbors should be concerned not
about the fact that AIDS patients are living next to
them, but that these people are as comfortable as possi
ble in their last few months or years. It's far easier to ig
nore a problem than to confront it. But the neighbors
seem happy to do just that.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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Clarification
This l* (<> make sumo clarifi
cations about my point* regard
ing Potor Briggs' comments.
When interviewed by the
Oregon Dully Emerald reporter,
l intended to say, "Ho (Briggs)
indicated himself through his
word {instead of work) that ho
ha* been biased for a long
time," (ODE, Sept. 28). The rea
son I pul it this way was that in
the original comments, Briggs
clearly stated that his opinions
worn based partly on his "expe
rience with Chinese."
It might be too much to say
that I don't like Briggs' com
ments. But I have already said
that So lot me face tho conso
quonces.
It might bo too much for me
to ask the University to openly
say something about Briggs'
comments, especially as a for
eigner. So 1 am not going to ask
The trouble is that I am an
ordinary person, and an ordi
nary person has ordinary fears.
That is why I think I'd bettor
stop here.
Xlaoyan Yan
Chinese Students and
Scholars Association
Skull Potatoes
I did not ask for u Queer Na
tion bumper stinker on my car.
but some vandal decided to
think for me. It didn’t last long
I am willing to curtail abor
tions by allowing my tax dol
lars to support the handing out
of froe condoms to otherwise
careless promiscuous people.
But hypodermic noodles for
drug users? And food coupons?
When did wo surrender in the
war on drugs that we must sup
port the users?
No doubt this is reducing the
risk of AIDS transmission. This
must be what is meant by “edu
cating" the public: encouraging
high-risk or illegal activity by
supporting and protecting the
participants. And telling people
what to do and how to think.
Instead, people should think
for themselves whenever possi
ble. This is very difficult bo
cause "educating" tends to of
fer less in evidence and more in
propagandized "information."
No doubt someone figures that
most of us can't think for our
selves, so they support and pro
tect our weakness by doing the
"thinking” for us.
My point is this: think for
yourself, deeply and carefully.
Minds get stronger if you give
them a proper workout. Or they
can eut junk food and be "skull
potatoes " Think about it.
Andy Sauarwsln
Music
Won’t pay
On Tuesday, Oct. 0. I re
ceived a S10 ticket in the liMU
courtyard for pushing-off on
my bicycle with one foot on a
pedal. 1 was at a slower than
walking pace and never ovon
rotated my crunk once. So. I am
writing in regard to tho conduct
of campus socurity and thoir
"enforcement" of bicycle regu
lations.
I see the safety of not riding
at high speeds on sidewalks
and through court yards How
ever, if one is riding (basically
coasting) on their bicycle at a
walking pace, they not only
tuko up one-half us much space
as they would walking their
bicycle but are also likely to be
more balanced und maneuver
able on thoir bicycle than if
they were walking (reside it.
A S10 ticket is a fascist, au
thoritarian, job-security related
fallacy that I refuse to pay in
this victimless, no-posslbillty
of-a-viclim situation. I am a
poor student, and S10 Is food
out of my stomach and a high
Tine for even the fastest rider.
Whore does this money go. Into
tho pocket of so-called authori
ty?
Finally, 1 was treated very
rudely by the "officer," who
demanded identification with
out answering why and threat
ened to impound my bike. I
would suggest that campus se
curity closely oxamino the psy
chological effect that "authori
ty” has had on some of their
(my) employees. Especially
when officers wear leather
gloves and assert themselves in
unnecessary situations.
! beliovo it is timo to send
them to Los Angeles or some
where whore their attitude is
acceptable.
Christopher Aiken
Theater Arts
Pay attention
I am disturbs! by the amount
of inconsideration 1 witness
each day at this University. I
came here to learn and, unlike
most of you, I am interested in
what the professors havo to say
because I recognize that many
of them aro oxperts in their
field. Therefore. I resent people
who prevent me from listening
to the lectures.
In ono of my clusses. a man
not only wore his Walkman
during the entire lecture (he
was kind enough to keep the
volume up so wo could all en
joy his music), but he had the
nerve to sing along.
(I resent) thoso who talk to
their friends about their sum
mer vacation, etc., during class
l came to hear tho professor —
not you.
(I also do not appreciate)
those who pack-up during the
last five minutes of class. Obvi
ously you’re just dying to leave,
so why bother coming In tho
first place?
The University shouldn't be
a holding tank for high school
graduates with nothing better to
do. If you're not here to take
higher education seriously,
please stay home.
Christina Komaahlan
Student