■
EDITORIAL
Hanging justified
for Dodd’s crimes
On Tuesday. Washington prison officials hanged
child-killer Westlov Allan Dodd. Death penalty oppo
nents decried the exei ution. claiming his hanging con
stituted cruel and unusual punishment. Several ques
tions arose
Was the death penalty warranted7 Does the death
penalty actually acromplish anything7 And was hang
ing .< just punishment?
Realistically, hanging is not the most gentle moth
od of death. Washington stale, where Dodd was exe< ut
ed. also offers lethal injection, a more humane option
Dodd, however. < hose the former
liv any argument, the cruel part of his punishment
had little to do with the manner he died According to
an autopsy of Dodd's body, he probably lost const ions
ness as soon as ho hit the end of the rope, suffering lit
tie or no pain. At most, Dodd would have suffered -a
few minutes
The cruelty of the death penalty relates more to
telling a death row inmate the exact date and time of
death. If a condemned man knows he is to die in two
years, the two years spent thinking about the death are
far crueler than the actual killing itself If Dodd spent
only .1 minute suffering in pain, he spent far more than
that in emotional suffering
Whether or not the death penalty itself is justifiable
is a tougher question, (living a state the right t<> kill
makes it extremely powerful Innocent people have
been sentenced to death in the past, and it probably
will happen again In addition, death sentences often
take years to settle, with the state spending taxpayer
money to conduct prisoner appeals.
Hut for a multiple murderer, there isn't really an
other punishment to fit the crime. People often argue
that two wrongs don’t make a right killing the mur
derer won't bring t>a< k the first \ i< lim But if someone
were to kill your ( hild. would you prefer another solu
tion? It's far easier to oppose the death penalty if the
crime doesn't affect von personally. But when it dints,
nothing else makes sense.
Dodd committed a vicious < rime and deserved
death. He molested and killed three young Ih>vs. and
confessed he would have killed more if he were ever
released. Life imprisonment would have accomplished
little, and bet ause his choice was hanging, the method
yvas justifiable.
Oregon Dtiilv
PO BOX 31&9. fUGCNF 0«f 00**7405
Th« (>njon (),*!y f-m«rf,|k) ift M '*!*, through f "lay CJurtf'sJ -'* ■"
y«« iMXl Tuoaday a/>«1 Thursday during lh# ■u^mrw by the Oregon f)»!> 1 m^axl
Co kv. .« th« Un*v« vty of Orrgtw T.ugme Oregon
The { rrvwaid operates «rvV?v*»ndeatty o’ the tMrywv’y w«th o-Wc «•-. XX) o* the
f <t> Mrwnortai Union and »% a member of the As&cx ,ite<1 Press
The t (’wjfct ia private pn'iperTy The u' ■.&»*■..• removal or u*>e pn peculate c
t>y law
Editor P.*! M.W.* h
Newt fcdiio#
Editorial Editor
Q/aphtct Editor
Entertainment Editor
Mv’-n S
j**ff P&ai&y
> reya Morn
r ireianir ukuk
f dHonal Editor
Sports Editor
Supplement!* Editor
myin iuhui i ■
H*vW Jars**'
t >av«* Chartwr* ne m
krxj&S'.*
Aiioctjl« Editor* Iammy Botey S'. r 4. • * ?*-% I'jm'*’’ i'.***.** >
rvty Gotten PofwSy Hfcpfter f dudbon Atimiustr.*t*on
Newt Start Chonttf* A'«r< Miintfy Bit . l, r> Ma!1 H**'-.k*1 » ‘ H» a 4 1 •>'* Oy ‘
M~; 1 •• • . A
l*»a Kni*H»'i Itfmi W.H Oem.an Mi l #?,.»n Sftry* M - \ t M-. ** »•' T \\i Nr*’ f s»*
S*,m UKt.r< Slv.ft,Jte* liKk Student fca Mar ton Su«Uv M*. r Tengri. A, i A-,
Van Tuyt. Todd Wt»um&. Jacqu*,n* Woge
General M*>ag<w Judy R»«*H Producl»on Manager Mcrtr* Ross
Advertising Tom leech SNvon V<u .Ws S'.m Berven .U *• " .» N~ •••>-»
I&abetk*. Ph.i.p Johnson H. Ch"* Kano**. Jeremy Mav -n. Van V O By*a;' H < > •* < A * r
Wtnd^wm
Classified Peggy McCWtn Barry logan. Sh»von Sjuv*
Olitftiutton: (Mwcai Brooks Knsfc Van (k*df* A thony Wy*n
Bunnm Kattiy Cartoon*. Supervisor Judy Connery
Production' Ingrid Wh*le P\vAx1*on CtXVdvttor K* •»• e Or a* ge*, Ow KA t <-t- '•'.*»
Jenr Vr Roland, Jenn.le* $m4h. Ann* Stephenson
N*w»/oom
Buimmi Offtc«
34^5511
346-5512
0*p»ay Adv<w1«*.ng
Cla**if»«l Advertising
346-3712
346-4343
/ E C Q ,VQMIC TK\NN x
Recognition
An official University com
mittee on inultu oltural curru u
linn lei'' -trro>;.11*■ ci itself the
right to decide who is a ho
slier ethnic student and who
is not In the member*' narrow,
leased and ignorant view, lews.
Arabs and other ellinii minor
ities simply don't exist
M\ ow n ethnic i (immunity
wIlli h has existed for i.HOO
\e,irs. makes up approximately
7 pert ent of the student body
It is unconscionable and grim
irons to me that in the name of
in it It it uituraiism. Ihis Universi
ty ennunittee would deny til)
people and others our vers
identity and existent
We will not Im* silent They
will not deline os We are here
I invite my brothers and sisters
ol other ethnit communities
similarly ilist minted to speak
op as well
My own Jeyvish civilization
did not make its last contribu
tion thousands of years ago, but
is yery mui li alive today Hy of
fering courses m Jtidou a and
other cultures, yse can begin
dispelling misconceptions and
learn sensitivity to the wavs we
are different — not merely tol
eranf of the fai! of our differ
ences.
The ai i umulated w isdom of
our diverse cultures fias much
to teach us about the sm c ess
and surv ivol of the human rai e
I challenge the University to
develop an inclusive environ
ment <11111 curru ulum that en
courages true multicultural di
versity and awareness, and not
continue its usual polu ms. in
sensitivity and apathy toward
minorities
Hanan Sills
Director
Hillel Foundation
Middle East
I would like to reiterate a
complaint initiated earlier tins
year In Dr Ke/.a Behnnm a
i.ornplaint that has thus far
been ignored In the administra
tion The absence of courses on
the languages, i ultures and pol
itit s of the Middle Hast
I believe the University has
been neglei tful in denying stu
dents the opportunity to learn
about a part of the world that is
home to so many millions ol
people and has significant im
portance on an international
level
I lie tai ! that such courses are
absent from the University does
not net essarily mean that the
student hodv is apathetic in
this regard I for one would
have gladU enrolled in a
i ourse in Persian. Arabic or He
brew if e\en one such course
existed
Eric Ntssani
Spanish
WAX local
With regret. I heard the
K.WAX Christmas announce
ment about dropping the pro
gram. "St Paul Sunday Morn
ing " One can't argue when the
c hunge is based on financ ial
problems, as this one is.
Still, it's unfortunate KWAX
therein moves one step further
into the jungle ol depersonal
ized network music. Granted.
"St. Paul Sundas Morning' is a
network product; hut it had a
personal touch for KWAX lis
teners. as the host is a one time
conductor of the t.ugene Sym
phony, Hill M< Glaughlin
The classical sound I savor
becomes one-dimensional and
redundant when lot al program
ming is absent. There's a way
to mitigate that by using expert
faculty of the University, both
in and out of music. They
should comment on events rel
evant to their expertise on a
lively weekly interview show
This positive change of pace
m sound would recognize mer
its of some of our campus spe
< ialists. It also would fulfill
some of the public service re
sponsibilities implicit on a
campus having the privilege of
a public radio outlet, and that
are not currently served at the
University.
It could be achieved with
only one 60-minute weekend
period out of the week's 10H
broadcast hours It would re
vise a sound that - except lor
the freshness of Caitriona Bol
ster's voice and understanding
— now is personally sterile
George Beres
Eugene
LETTERS POLICY
The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all
letters containing comments on topics of interest to the
University community.
Letters to the editor must be limited to no more than
250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the
writer must 1h: verified when the letter is submitted.
The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for
length or style.
TUi PtXLlO&S I
WORK FOR AW£fl
TO lA&tCO W«£RG
7M£VPAY<b04 AkI^O(X5.
r,
TUE OVAPANV'i
P Rot IT /MCCEASED,
B<JT Z'n OUT
OP A JOB
*)
y
NG'+J r’M //V
R£759AI^W6'
7WAT MEAV5.
(>0$ AN HovR IS NOT A
8AD wag£. voo could
Live ON GO< An Uouft
If vov TMINiC AB0JT1L.