EDITORIAL
Senator causes riots
but stays In office
Senator Pnckwood has finally made it to Oregon.
Hide your valuables.
For those who have forgotten. Oregon is Packwood's
home state. He was re-elected last November by a 53
47 majority over challenger Les AuCoin.
Unfortunately. Packwood doesn't seem to remember
whom he’s representing either. In the past week, he
said he's only accountable to the Senate Ethics Com
mittee. not the electorate. During a Tuesday protest at
the Valley River Inn in Eugene, he dismissed protesters
by saying. ‘Tve been picketed most of my political life,
so I'm used to ii."
In other words, he’s immune to people's criticism.
He's no longer concerned with what his public thinks.
Tim uproar began on Nov. 22. when The Washington
rosi revealed sexual
harassment allegations
against Pack wood by
10 women. The Post
couldn't publish the
story before the elec
tion because it ivasn't
complete. It was later
revealed that Pack
His past actions
have obscured
everything he
now says.
wood tried to discredit the women before the election
in an effort to preserve his image for the voters.
The Tuesday protesters, whom police numbered at 90
or more, yelled angrily in the hotel lobby for Packwood
to resign. Signs were spotted saying “Our senator by
fraud." "Clear-cut women lovingly, Bob," and "Sexual
harassment stinks."
People have a right to be upset. Many newspapers
have effectively argued that Packwood should resign for
his actions alone. Sexual harassment is not a small
crime, and his efforts to dodge the accusations are even
more reprehensible. Had he admitted his problem right
off. confessed he made mistakes and said he would do
his best to change, perhaps he could have been forgiven
eventually.
However, his only explanation was "I just didn't get
it." Weil, now he has an even better reason to get out of
office — nobody wants him there.
If a senator can't travel freely throughout his own
state without causing riots wherever he goes, perhaps
he should give some thought to resigning. He com
plained Tuesday that no one was covering the issues
important to him. specifically the timber crisis. But
that's exactly the point. His past actions have obscured
everything he now says.
As a representative of the state, people need to trust
his opinion and judgment. He can't, however, represent
the state's best interest if no one trusts him. He was
elected by the majority because people wanted him in
office. Now that the facts are known, people don't want
him in office. Simple respect for the wishes of the peo
ple. a trait most politicians say they strive for. should be
Packwood's reason for resigning.
To put it bluntly, he should quit being so self
absorbed and do something for the people — which
was why he was elected.
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OPINION
Schott’s offense within her rights
til a sports fan. I admit it
here and now. I'm not
JLashamed of this admission. I
|ust know that soma of you out
there (especially many of my
friends) aren't. Well, it involves
being an admirer of people's
athletic prowess and enjoying
the excitement of good competi
tion.
But what I'm writing about
goes beyond this because it
deals with basic constitutional
rights — rights which we all are
entitled to under the Constitu
tion of the United States of
America.
Which rights, you might won
der. could I be referring to in
association with being a fan of
jocks? Ol basic right number
one. the right to freedom of
speech. Marge Schott has it and
there's nothing we can do about
it; at least there shouldn't be.
For those of you unfamiliar
with the situation, allow me to
fill you in. Schott, the owner of
Major League Baseball's Cincin
nati Reds, appears to be quite
the little racist. Quite the hate
monger, in fact.
She is said to have made
many racist comments about
African-Americans as well as
owning a Nazi swastika that she
occasionally wears around for
the fun of it. Now I’m tempted
to make a lot of sarcastic
remarks here, but there are
probably a few of you out there
who wouldn't get it (or find any
humor in them) and would
label me a racist or Bccuse me of
condoning Schott.
Well. I'm not and 1 don't, if
you must know my feelings
about what she has said and
done. I think it is sick and twist
ed and she should burn in hell
for those feelings. They're
wrong, really wrong.
But as horrible as her state
ments and feelings are, she has
the fundamental constitutional
right to make them. Freedom of
speech is one of the fundamen
tal features of representative
democracy because the system
is based on choice. The free
flow of information is essential
to political choice (democracy)
as well as consumer choice
(capitalism), and any infringe
ment on it is a step on a slip
pery slope that threatens those
basic institutions and practices.
There is a call out there
among the "politically correct"
to reprimand and punish Schott
for her statements. For instance,
there is talk among the other
baseball team owners (a way
politically correct group of
men) to require her to sell her
share of the team
Two wrongs don't make a
right. One constitutional right
should not be violated in order
to violate another. Just because
he or she is a stupid person,
saying stupid things, doesn't
mean you can separate someone
from their property.
The best counter to an evil
argument shouldn't be the arm
of the state, but rather a better
argument. The danger of this
new sensitivity, which has been
labeled "political correctness"
is that a fundamental right, free
dom of speech, will be sacri
ficed on the alter of some new,
unstated right not to be offend
ed by others.
Are we willing to give up on
of the fundamental rights of a
liberal democracy in order not
to be offended by hate speech?
There is a plethora of things
that could be done to reprimand
Just because he
(Mr she Is a stupid
person, saying
stupid things,
doesn’t mean you
can separate
someone from
their property.
her, for instance, like the other
baseball team owners coming
out with a joint, unified state
ment strongly criticizing her for
her ignorance and stupidity (as
if baseball owners could ever
actually agree on anything, but
that's another story).
There are also many things
that we. as fans, can do. We
could start a letter writing cam
paign to let her know of our dis
gust at her statements. Fans in
Cincinnati and other major
league cities could organize
boycotts of Reds' games, there
by striking at the heart of all
baseball owners — their pocket
books.
Free speech is an important
right that must tie protected. In
our era of new sensitivity, it
seems as though if speech isn't
correct, it's not worthy of pro
tection. But the precedent that
could be set if the owners real
ly do attempt to separate Schott
from her property because she
exercised her right to free
speech, however inappropriate
ly. is dangerous.
David Strother writes a
monthly column for the Emer
ald.
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