r
Initiative procedure
needs second look
Oregon voters arc powerful people.
They cun affect the.* lives of thousands of citizens
by punching a single hole in their ballot. It takes just
one punch to elect a public official, enact a new law or
< hnnffc the Oregon Constitution.
it's that third power that concerns us. Should vot
ers have the right to amend the Oregon Constitution
the highest law in the state — because they don’t like
the way it stands now? Our answer is no
A majority of citizens should not be allowed to do
cide issues affecting everyone's rights through the hal
lot measure process.
There's nothing wrong
with ballot measures by
themselves — they are
a simple method of in
volving people in the
legislative process. Hut
ballot measures that
aim to change the state
The initiative
process simply
gives too much
power to people
who can't handle it.
Constitution permanently are dangerously hypof ritiral
because the Constitution is designed to protect all Ore
gonians from unjust treatment.
What tin; Oregon initiative law does is protect the
citizens* right to mandate — through majority opinion
— amendments that affect all of us. Wt; are protected
now as it is We don't need more amendments from cit
izens interpreting this document on their own terms.
That’s what judges are for.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize we art; talking pri
marily about Ballot Measure 11. But we also have prob
leins with 1 ton's Ballot Measure T> and many other vot
er proposed amendments. They put the power to
amend the state Constitution in the hands of the citi
tens — people who were never meant to have that
power. If the majority of people in the state were Nazis,
would we want them to change the Constitution?
Now we are not in favor of withholding voter
rights. Our point is that the initiative process is not a
progressive step in the democratic process. It simply
gives too much power to people who can't handle it.
In theory, the system should work. It mandates di
rect legislation by the people, which seems the very
definition of democracy. The initiative process should
protect the interests of individuals and serve as a check
against the power of the Legislature. But it doesn't.
This isn't to sav that enacting laws and voting on
legislative amendments to the state Constitution (refer
endum*) are wrong also. Those are fine. L aws, such its
the triple trailer ban or the fight to close Trojan, only
dictate a single policy and can he altered later.
But the Constitution is much larger than a single
law. Courts use the Constitution as a guideline when
deciding cases, and all future decisions are based on
the Constitution. As the highest law in Oregon, it holds
extreme power.
Are we complaining? Yes Would we feel different
ly if the proposed amendment were more to our liking?
No. The electorate does not deserve that much power.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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BZZZZZZ2T.
MR. PRESIDENT,
president-elect
BOZO, *\R OZON£ mN
Aajd the rest op
THE SPOTTED OWL
CRo^jD are HERE
IN THE LOfifiV
TO SEE YOU
^J|a> •'wfu n»9
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ic^lth/mg zec^rr jobs
vs VOuQ «V4S»TAT
f.
Thank the OCA
Now thill Ballot Measure '•
has fulled to pass. 1 would like
to sav a low wools of gratitude
to the OCA and its supporters
(or what I have learned from
them
Thank you for helping me
see the complete hypocrisy
(and stupidity) of my actions
(or lack of) toward homosexual
ity Though I may not agree
with their lifestyle, I am now
more able to accept and enjoy
them for who they are
By providing a contrast be
tween thi’ activities of a funda
mental religious group, work
ing toward what they tmlleve is
"righteous.” and the behavior
of a loving and taring homo
sexual couple 1 know, whom
you'd call "unrighteous" and
"perverse," you have shown
me that moral and religious is
sues, beliefs and activities
should never tie more impor
tant than people
It was wrong lor me to use
such things to protect myself
from what i found difficult to
identify with, accept and un
derstand
Through your efforts you
have inadvertently given me
the desire to fight for .1 group of
people who simply want to live
a life they bulieve is right for
them ami who are being at
tacked by a group of people
who want to live a life they )*•■
llcve is right for everyone
You have my gratitude for all
these things You also have my
invitation to join me in getting
rid of the trappings of religion
and anything else that would
he a hindrance to accepting,
loving and caring for all peo
ple Perhaps like Jesus did
Rick W. Donahue-Birran
Eugene
ft ain't so
No one doubts that Universi
ty President Myles Brand had
and has a "very deep personal
opposition" to Ballot Measure
o I hope, however, that he was
misunderstood or misquoted
when the Emerald printed in
the Thursday, Nov 5 issue that
"along with other University
employees, Brand was unahlo
legally to take a stand for or
against any candidate or meas
ure until the elections were
over "
In the first place, if it was in
appropriate to take such a stand
before the election, then it is in
appropriate after the elections.
Son of Nine is just around the
corner An election's always
coming up in this democ racy of
ours
More importantly. Brand is
certainly allowed to take a pub
lic position on any issue, as
long as lie c arefullv distances
himself from his official posi
tion bugene City Councilors
Kandy MacDonald and Shawn
Boles and councilor-elect Nan
cy Nathanson w-ork for the Uni
versity, as does state represen
tative Carl Hostic ka and a host
of other politically active em
ployees They have not been so
shy as their "leader" to exer
cise their rights
Brand, and by implication,
Mayors Jeff Miller and Bill
Morrisette and County Com
missioner Jack Roberts, who
stoexf by silently while this out
rageous inaccurac y was put
forth, have all done a disservice
to the students, the University
and our community We don't
need more excuses to abrogate
our rights as free Americans,
espec inllv here on campus, the
very treasure chest of those lib
erties.
I’lease correct Thursday's
false and dangerous story im
mediately, President Brand
Junior Robertson
Political Science
Not special
On Nov 3. Oregon voters
said no to intolerance and big
otry and yes to tolerance and
diversity by rejecting Ballot
Measure 9 The ballot measure
had about as much to do with
Christianity, traditional family
values and morality as night
has to do with day.
The measure was solely
about hate and prejudice plain
and simple It was without
doubt the most reprehensible
ballot measure to appear on a’
state ballot in the nation.
Now the (X:A says they are
coming up with a new ballot
measure, a "milder version" of
Measure 9 for 1994. One must
ask when they will learn. Nor
ma Puulus, the State Superin
tendent of Public Instruction.
Margaret Nichols, Superintend
ent of Eugene 4-J School Dis
trict, and other top school offi
cials have strongly stated that
homosexuality is not being pro
moted in Oregon schools.
Thu OCA claimed without
cause that homosexuality is lad
ing promoted because it was
the biggest fear button it could
push.
Section 20, Article 1 of the
Oregon State Constitution
stales "No law shall be passed
grunting to any citizen or class
of citizens privileges, or immu
nities, which, upon the same
terms, shall not equally belong
to all citizens." "Special rights"
for any group is thus already
unconstitutional.
1 strongly urge voters to reject
any modified version of Meas
ure 9 that may come up.
•I
Stefan Stent
Eugene
Mad math
An event as significant as the
grand opening of a long-needed
Undergraduate Mathematics
Center is pushed off the timer
aid's front page by trivial oil
campus news. The front page ol
the Emerald, Friday, Nov. t>,
hud two stories: "Street open
ing pleases owners," a story
about the Eugene downtown
mall, and "Delbert's Cafe
carves unique niche in Eugene
scene," with accompanying
photo of belly dancers.
There was no photo of the
Math Center accompanying
Dcmian McLean's story on Page
4 One must wonder whose
newspaper the Emerald is
Shouldn't the voice of the
University student body con
sider the education of those
students more newsworthy
than their entertainment?
Ann Appiegarth
Classics