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 f»0 801 lUCfcMC O8CCON«7403 Tho Orogor* D«#y J moroM at pubtohod da-> KAvxlay through f '*U*y Ou/Vig !hn u. fxxn r«v and Tuetday *vt1 T*v>rxwor%*y or«th of*<»* at Su«to ^00 o» tho (ft> Manors una>n ant) at a mamba* of tho AaaoodMKf Pr«t* Tfx» t i* pnvnio propohy Tho u- .**G -omov*; O' um o* % pro*axx.tat»o Mawa Fdflor I drtottal Fdiior Graphic* f d*tor Fntortammont Fdttor Editor Mat Matach jato Borg t rootanco I d*or KV»"nt «hor Fdftortal FdNor Joff Pnalay Sporla i dftor f n»y* tiorn Supplomonla Editor Might editor Darafyn T'appo Mop® NMA.aor Rvwa. Jinuan Davo Cfwt3Kxtrxa«o C&xty Anddnton Aaaociata f daor# Tammy Batoy Sftafanr Govorrvnont Actrvdaar Ddralyn T?appo Commu mfy. Coflaon PoKAg, l*gDof f due#ton A&mrmttMHOn Now* Staff ChotUot A. wi M*»/xty Ba.a:um Mat! Bonder Juatin Brown. Sarah Cta'K Amy Owvonport Amanda f om*j ABd* f or?an. l«a HaggaiTy. Mvnatngar Ma> Warn. I rsa Knee to Damwr Met oar. Stuvo Mn Sa^v* Suaon Upoagraf? Chatrttmt ton ftebecca B'OOK* K/tw- VanGonJu' Anthony Wynn Buamoaa Kathy Carbon# S*pvviM» .Axty Coonody Production ingnd Wh?to. fwn CoortJ -»tor K»iUir*o Grargo^. Dow MrCoOO, S:a > U'i.'at', Jonr 'tar Jon V*r Sir.'* A • Vt v «*phenaon. t),v*Vyn f ?appo Now a room 34A5511 Oiaplay Advartiajng M6-371? But mao* Off ico J46-S5I? Claaadiad Advartiamg 246-4343 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 .-g>Wi rwt 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