EDITORIAL
Homeless dilemma
needs real solution
County Commissioners ferry Rust and Marie Fra
zier were among the chief organizers of an "emergency
housing summit" on Friday, in hopes that some solu
tions could be found for the county's growing homeless
dilemma.
The commissioners, various political candidates,
concerned public members and rhe homeless them
selves all attended the meeting. And while nothing sol
id was determined by the meeting, it produced several
promising ideas that could develop into solutions.
The need for such a meeting arose from the Oct. 1
eviction of several homeless families that were located
on a bank of the McKenzie River across from Arm it age
State Park. Since then, many of the evicted homeless
moved to county land near the old Armitugc site. Rust
has shown integrity in his decision to let them live
there temporarily.
But holding a meeting for permanent solutions
shows a lot more than integrity. It shows genuine com
mitment.
Among the proposals is a plan to open an aging
campground at Armitage State Park. Unlike the pre
vious site, this campground has bathrooms and actual
camping areas, thereby making available working facil
ities. Currently, the site isn't being used for anything
and would provide a good, if temporary, residence that
the homeless could adopt as their own.
Another idea is to open part of the Lane County
Fairgrounds for homeless camping. While this idea is
also good on a short-term basis, it's problematic be
cause the fairgrounds arc used frequently during warm
er months. It would be better to give the homeless a
place they can truthfully call home.
The concepts to open abandoned downtown build
ings for shelters and starting a program to build home
less dwellings ure also good ideas. The downtown shel
ters could be used as gathering places from which
homeless citizens could seek work. Plus, helping the
homeless build their own houses would give them
valuable job training that could prove useful in the fu
ture.
A final suggestion is for citizens to open up their
houses to a homeless family. Whilo this is probably the
most compassionate solution, it's also the most unreal
istic. Most families are probably unwilling to open
their homes for more than a week or two. And that
won't make a long-term difference.
Perhaps the individual ideas don't need praise as
much as tne entire meeting itself.
When the homeless campers were first evicted
from Armitage. the state showed little compassion to
ward the struggles of the homeless. Conversely, the
"emergency housing summit" was a huge step in the
right direction.
Rust, Frasier and many others met for nearly six
hours discussing solutions. Although many of those so
lutions may not work in the end. the county has shown
a willingness and a commitment to helping those in
need.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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THE DM AFTER; ELECTION 'll
Bike races
When you see the Dike Nazis
am active, please warn people
who urn headed for trouble.
Let's keep this campus a place
whore students work together
against bureaucrats
On another note, Put Malach
wrote in Write Angles (ODE,
Oct. G) that "racist" comments
made about the Chinese affect
ed "an entire race of pooplo.”
Take a few credits of anthropol
ogy. Pat
Fred O. Roelllg
Peace Studies
Holy smooch
A quick note about Lilian
Perkin'* letter of Oct. 7.
"Greeting each other with u
holy kiss" has never boon clas
sified a “sexual behavior" In
my mind. I guess that’s because
I’ve never greeted a brother of
mine in such a way us to be
"sexuul behavior."
Even though I don’t use a
kiss because of all the sexuul
connotations this society has
attached to it, one looking from
the outside might consider the
hug I give a brother to bo sexual
bohavior. It is not. because I do
not desire to perform a sexually
related act with that person.
I'd rather hug them to sym
bolize an ombracoment of that
person's well-being, and our
unity in a Christ who is very
different than the one who
seems to be getting the bulk of
attention these days
BobWIfpl
Lab Tech
Respect Hitler?
I would like to thank the Ore
gon Dally Emerald lor printing
tho commentary by Darrell
Fuller [ODE. Oct. 6). It was
clear after reading his piece
that I have, at long last, ac
quired an understanding of the
basis of logic on which the
OCA functions. Let's see, it
goes like this:
The OCA is trying to stomp
out homosexuals for the benefit
and protection of society. The
(X'A is prepared to deny homo
sexuals their constitutional
rights. And because of the
OCA’s willingness to be "con
trovorsiul," wo should look up
to thorn.
I have but ono question:
Wasn’t this the sumo idua that
Hitlor hud more thun 50 yours
ago In douling with tho Jews? If
you road tho uhnvo stutoment
using "Hitlor" instead of "tho
OCA” und "Jews" instoud of
"homosoxuuls” it is easy to see
that “controversial” doesn't al
ways moan “correct.”
Well, thoro you go. Using
Fuller's form of logic, wo
should givo tho (X^A tho same
respect that wo givo Hitlor.
David Tubb
Student
Who’s right?
The article In the Oct. 8 Ore
gon Dully Emerald about my
coming out ("Homosexuals
shuro tholr experiences") was
disappointing 1 went to lengths
to provide the reporter with,
severul incidents evolving into
and emerging from my coming
out. but they wore not includ- .
ed. My personality was not
present, there was no action or
drama, nothing about death
threats, depression, bolng
thrown out and no mention of
an Instrumental character (I
only made true statements
about a dead man). Wore those
adventures not written in, or
were they edited out?
Thu point of coming out is to
declare one's uniqueness. The
article presenled me as angry
and almost as a victimized,
bound Prometheus. 1 felt some
what liko the inhabitant of a po
trio dish.
Was It a mailer of space? (I
posed for pictures that wore not
used.) You included an article
on Bill Clinton resting his
voice. We need to know this?
The administration. ftnoncial
aid office, registrar's and local
businesses all endeavor to re
duce us students into a heap of
magnotic tape and Social Secu
rity numbars. When one stu
dent volunteers to say, "This is
my story,” what is the response
of tho journalistic left testicle of
Oregon Hall? I was approached
for a coming out story, not a
high sign and a “Yo! I'm guy!”
Andrew Shaffer
Russian
Yes on 9
Ballot Measure 9. the meas
ure that restrains government
from promoting homosexuality
as just another lifostylo, has
turned into a major confronta
tion — dominated by unrelent
ing liberal media hostility.
Thoso choosing to engage in
high-risk dysfunctional sex are
designated the heroes, and
those opposing societies ac
ceptance of it are labeled big
ots.
Those woaring lavender trl
anglo buttons are called toler
ant cltlzons. Thoje wouring
"Support Family Values” but
tons are mocked.
To not support homosexual
behavior is pronounced “irra
tional hulrod" by the American
Civil Liberties Union and
"mean-spirited" by the Secre
tary of State.
A procedure (condoms) with
a failure rule (yielding possible
death or lifelong disease) of 2
percent to 5 percent is culled
"safe sox" and is promoted us
sexual "responsibility." A pro
cedure (maritul fidelity follow
ing pre-inurilal chastity) with u
zoro-porccnt rate of death or
disease transmission is labeled
“fundamentalist zealotry.”
Out hero's the real issue:
Should society (viu government
institutions) encourage chosen
behavior that is known to be
highly unsanitary, diseased, in
fectious and enormously ex
pensive in terms of personul
anguish, health, lives and dol
lars? Is It loving to model this
destructive behavior pattorn for
our children as acceptable and
inovitablo?
Is tolcranco more Important
than truth? Must wo sunction
any-and-all behavior under the
ail-encompassing umbrella of
“tolerance"? Must we be brand
ed by some as funatlcal bigots
for refusing to do so?
Despite tho massive liberal
onslaught, I believe that think
ing. compassionate Oregonians
will vote this Nov. 3 in recog
nizing that governmental pro
motion of homosexuality is not
good for Oregon. Vole 'Yes' on
9.
Jon Wollandar
Eugana