EDITORIAL
Packwood played
skillful deceit game
Son. Bob Packwood played his cards skillfully.
When The Washington Post interviewed him shortly
before his Nov. if showdown with l.es AuCoin about
reports that he had sexually harassed former employ
ees, Packwood denied the allegations "1 don't make
any approaches," he said.
The Post finally published the allegations Sunday,
Leonard Downie, executive editor of The Past, said re
porters worked every day after the election gathering
the information necessary to make the story complete.
There was no way, Downie said, the story could have
run before the election because the women's state
ments needed more confirmation.
Suspiciously. Packwood sent a three-paragraph
statement to the newspaper on the Friday before publi
cation. In the statement, Packwood declined comment
on the allegations, but did include an apology for his
behavior
In a span of four weeks, Packwood went from de
nying any approaches altogether to apologizing for
something that may have happened.
"Mv intentions were never to pressure, to offend,
not to make anyone feel uncomfortable, and I truly re
gret if that has occurred with anyone either on or off
my staff.” Packwood said in the statement.
One of Packwood's close acquaintances, Portland
lawyer Jack Faust, told The Post that Packwood "is ad
mitting to some human flaws He's accepting responsi
bility."
It s convenient mat racKWOoa nas wuuen unui
now to accept responsibility for any pain he may have
caused these women. The allegations against him in
elude forcibly kissing female employees, grabbing at
their clothes and suggesting further sexual activity.
Had The Post story been published before the elec
tion. Packwood would likely have lost support — and t
quite possibly his Senate seat. Fortunately for Pack
wood. the story had to wait, and he could deny in
volvement for a while longer.
Packwood played the game as best he could. He
waited until he was safe and confessed when it would
do the least amount of damage. Voters will probably re
member that Packwood used the same tactic with Bal
lot Measure 9. He waited until QCA-puppet A! Mobley
was out of the race, and then he criticized the measure
because his Senate seat was not threatened.
He probably assumes most voters will have forgot
ten the allegations in six years when he comes up for
re-election. As far as he's concerned, the sooner voters
learn about it. the sooner they will forget.
Packwood did not actually admit Ruilt. He accept
ed responsibility for the women's pain while not ad
mitting to anything But the evidence in The Post's sto
ry is extremely thorough, including statements from
the accuser's acquaintances on whether the women
mentioned Packwood's advances when they reportedly
occurred. The Post found confirmations for almost all
of the women. Basically. Packwood has little chance of
disproving them.
Packwood needs to do more than simply apologize
via The Post. He needs to apologize to Oregon voters
who trusted his character enough to vote him into of
fice. Voters are the people who were cheated by his
pre- and post-election confessions.
Oregon Oath
Emerald
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OPINION
University must get past phrases
This column is dedicated to
Carlos Arlus and Brian
Hoop, who were sentenced
to BO days in federal prison for
breaking windows, and to the
four Los Angeles police officers
who wore acquitted for the near
fatal heating of a human lining
"Yes I have cherished my
'demagogue' role," said Mal
colm X "I know that societies
often have killed the people
who have helped to change
those societies. And if 1 tain die
having brought any light, hav
ing exposed any meaningful
truth that will help to destroy
the racist cantor that is malig
nant in the body of America
then, all of the credit is due to
Allah Only the mistakes have
been mine "
Shortly after this statement,
Malcolm X's physical voice
was taken from our lives.
Malcolm X has always been
described as the man who
struck fear into the huarts of
whites It's important to under
stand that It isn't fear that
struck whites, but instead it is
the truth about the racist condi
tion of the United States.
Malcolm X was powerful be
cause he refused to allow
whites to hide from their legacy
of racism. He demanded for
white America to stop worrying
about the "so-called Negro
problem," and asked for whites
to start dealing with their own
problem of internalized white
supremacy Sadly, 20 years af
ter Malcolm X's death, white
America lias barely begun to re
spond to lus challenge
During the past three-and a
half years at the University. 1
have spent considerable time
and energy speaking on various
panels, leading class discus
sions, writing articles and hav
ing one-on-one discussions
with burn-American students
trying to cope with the com
plexities of race relations in the
United States
In class discussions, the gen
uine interest in racism always
amazes me. Then; arc very few
times that a discussion lias end
ed at the designated time. More
often than not, the class runs
over because of students' de
sires to be able to talk about
these issues on an academic
and personal level.
From these many experi
ences, 1 have come to realize
there is a craving by the major
ity of students to truly come to
grips with the impact of race in
our society. Sadly, the Univer
sity administration seems to be
oblivious to this need.
Instead of showing decisive
leadership of substance on this
subject, the University adminis
tration continues to hide its
head in the sand and fall back
on the hollow slogans of "hon
or diversity,” "constructive dia
logue," "building community”
and an array of other meaning
less terms The irony is that
this rhetoric becomes a barrier
to the very change it seeks to
bring about Sprinkling sugar
on a pile of bull dung does not
make it taste any better.
The University administra
tion has deceived itself into be
lieving that strides ure being
made in increasing tolerance at
the University when in fact the
very opposite has happened. A
few years ago. the University
was pleased to announce it had
increased the Native American
faculty by loo percent.
What it failed to acknowl
edge was the increase was due
to the fact that this University
had finally tenured ONE Native
American professor Previous
ly. there hud been none. Nearly
three decades ufler the civil
rights movement, the Universi
ty has one tenure-tracked Chi
cane woman and no tenure
tracked Native American or
black women professors.
Most ominous is the fact that
there has been a significant in
crease in confrontations drawn
along racial lines in the Unlver
sit\ area, many involving stu
dents As a whole, race rela
tions arc1 at an all-time low at
th<‘ University and in the coun
try.
This does not mean solu
lions are beyond roacn. univer*
sily students have put together
a comprehensive demand for
courses relating to race rela
tions in the United States. The
time has come for the adminis
tration to stop trying to cover
up the effects of racism on this
campus and begin to acknowl
edge the distance wo neixl to
travel to establish a real univer
sity for everyone
Malcolm X was not a teacher
of hate but a prophet who pre
dieted the consequences of the
failure of the United States to
become an inclusive democra
cy of all peoples regardless of
race.
The film Malcolm X is not
about the past, but of the pres
ent and a vision of the future.
The life, and oven the riijath of
Malcolm X reveals the power
ful and ofton painful path of
true human dignity in this
country. The message is as
clear as the final scene in the
movie when young black
youths stand one-by-ono, say
ing "I am Malcolm X.” This is
the true legacy of Malcolm X
Like Malcolm X. University
students are once again de
manding true racial discourse,
not by the administration or
faculty — flaunting their expe
riences in the civil rights move
ment of the ItJtiOs or by singing
"wo shall overcome; SOME
DAY" — but by committing to
a true struggle of dismantling
the white supremacist mentali
ty of the University.
Students can no longer be
satisfied with the excuses and
the refusals of University ad
ministrators to let go of their
caveman mentality.
Malcolm X. said to America
during his visit with Martin Lu
ther King, "If you don't deal
with Dr King, you will deal
with me." Today's generation
of students is increasingly
aware that all tin? cards have
been dealt. The only question
is: Will the University of Ore
gon fold its racist hand before
all bets are called off?
Eric Ward m trs a monthly
column for the Emerald