EDITORIAL
Reno breaks barrier,
but is she qualified?
if ail goes well, sometime within the next weak this
country will have its first female U.S. attorney general.
Miami prosecutor Janet Reno, who is 54 and has
never hired an illegal alien, is expected to moot little
opposition during her confirmation hearings l>oforo the
Senate Judiciary Committee.
However, our relief at finally having a nominee and
our pleasure at seeing women break through yet another
barrier does not sot aside some nagging questions con
cerning this tortuous selection process.
One such concern is Reno’s qualifications. She has
been a slate prosecutor in Miami since 1977 and has
been a strong advocate for the environment and chil
dren, causes she said will remain among her priorities
as attorney general.
However, her office in Miami has gained the unfavor
able reputation ot
blowing big cases. Hav
ing taken office during
one of the country's
biggest increases in
crime, her office had
several cases thrown
out because ot techni
calities, and conviction
rates dropped sharply.
Until she proves
otherwise, Reno
deserves our
support.
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president of the* National Organization for Women, who
praised her for having "managed to negotiate that polit
ical minefield without setting off explosions." referring
to Miami's political and racial polarization.
Unfortunately, that's not the case. Reno's office lost a
1<IH0 case in which four Miami police officers wore
accused of (mating a black man to death at a traffic stop.
The officers wore acquitted by an all-white Tampa jury,
and three days of rioting in downtown Miami ensued.
Reno's office was also forced to turn ovor a police cor
ruption case to federal authorities after nor office
became unable to deal with the number of pre-trial
motions filed by the defense.
On the plus side. Reno has been a tireless advocate for
children's rights and juvenile legal reform. She has also
pledged to make violent crime, particularly when it con
cerns children, her primary target as attorney general.
Certainly. Reno is not the most qualified candidate for
the job. If she were, she would have been chosen first
rather than third. And though we applaud the selection
of a woman as the nation's highest law enforcement offi
cial. we must question whether she got the nod because
of her qualifications, or simply because she was a woman.
Whon George Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to
the Supreme Court, he said. “The fact that he is black —
a minority — has nothing to do with this. He is the best
person for this position," Sure.
The same degree of skepticism should be applied to
Clinton’s selection of Reno. However, it snould be
remembered that Robert Kennedy had virtually no expe
rience when his brother John appointed him. and he did
a docent job. And until she proves otherwise, Reno
deserves our support.
Oregon Daily
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congressman,
LETTERS
Critical choice
Thu 1993 Woman’s Law
Forum Conference featured a
panel titled "Women and Reli
gion." Catholic:, Protestant and
Jewish religions were all repre
sented Absent was Islamic rep
resentation. The one billion
Muslims in the world, six mil
lion of which live in the United
States, were ignored.
This isn't surprising on a
campus whose administration
and faculty suffer from a vacuity
of awareness of Islam and its
import in international rela
tions
Also sorely missing in a
November 1992 forum on the
life and times of Malcolm X was
an expert on Islam, the religion
that transformed the life of a
man named Little to a man
named X
The collective consciousness
on this campus emliarrassed itself
last year during a weeklong con
ference on racism. Many differ
ent groups were included in the
program, although Muslims were
not Time and space were hasti
ly provided without publicity
when I brought the omission to
the attention of the conference
organizer
These omissions are not only
sinful, but criminal, because the
United States is so heavily
involved in the Middle East. Stu
dents should ask why the system
wants to keep them ignorant of
the reality of Islam and the Mid
dle East it is always easier to get
violent with people you don't
know.
Included or not in confer
ences or the curriculum, the
Muslim struggle continues
uninterrupted and undeterred.
The faculty and administration
at the University can either
catch up or stay put. That is
their choice. The choice, how
ever. for students is critical.
Their future may include wars
they have to fight.
M. Rua Behnem
Eugene
Do research
I would like to respond to
Jason Porter's letter [ODE, Feb.
8), "Strike three." It seems as if
Porter had a little trouble read
ing my loltor. "Shod mvths"
(ODE. Fob 2).
Porter puls Emerald sports
editor Dave Charbonneau and
me in the same category, as if
we shared a common ground.
This is not true. Our views on
the Portland Trail Blazer situa
tion couldn't possibly be more
different. I support the young
girls involved; Charbonneau
does not (ODE. Feb. 2).
Porter makes a random state
ment saying "thousands of
innocent people go to jail each
year," implying women lie
about rape and sexual abuse. If
Porter was not watching so
many Blazer games on televi
sion and was more aware, he
would know rape is the most
underreported crime in the
nation.
One in every three women
has been a victim of rape, and
only a very few of these women
ever tell anyone. This is because
80 percent of all rape victims
know their attacker (friends,
dates, etc.). Knowing the perpe
trator only adds to the pressure
to keep victims quiet.
I would like to suggest to
Porter that he reread my letter
and then do a little research on
rape.
Rondine Niki Rauch
Undeclared
Athletic support
I don't think students at this
university realize how fortunate
and lucky they are to have an ath
letic program that operates the
way the University does, espe
cially when it comes to basket
ball games. To see the games, all
students have to do is go to Mac
Court, show our ID and get a tick
et.
Not many schools in the nation
make it that easy to see a basket
ball game. At schools such as
Kansas, students camp out for
days just so they can buy tickets
for individual games.
There is no reason why a Divi
sion 1 school such as ours should
not be selling out all the basket
ball games, especially since “The
Pit” only seats about 9.500 peo
ple. That's probably one of the
smaller Division 1 basketball are
nas in the country.
Some might argue that thev
don't want to go see a team that
has only won seven games. But
if the support had been better
all throughout the season, and if
the fans really did strike fear
into the hearts of opposing
teams, maybe we would have
won more games.
New head coach Jerry Green,
the rest of the coaches and all
the players are really working
their butts off out there, and it
seems to me that students
should really show them a heck
of a lot more support than we
are.
Rome Poracsky
Geography
Bad timing
After picking up the spring
class schedule. I was excited to
see the Folklore and Ethnic
Studies department has not one.
but two classes relating directly
to |ewish studies: Jewish Mystk
cism and Blacks and Jew^
American Experience. Imagine
my dismay when I found that
both classes were scheduled for
exactly the same time.
Perhaps the Folklore and Eth
nic Studies Department has not
noticed there are not very many
Jews on this campus. Classes
relating to Jewish culture are
equally scarce. I find it hard to
believe that when the opportu
nity presents itself. I will not be
able to take one of these classes
because I have to make a choice
between the only two Jewish
classes offered all year.
In addition, what about the
lewish student who has a meet
ing or office hours during these
Thursday classes? Does this mean
the student cannot take any Jew
ish studies classes until next
spring simply because he or she
had free time every day except
Thursdays from 3:30 to 6 p.m.T
I am sure this is coming off as
one more letter from an individ
ual with a gripe about their own
personal oppression, and I know
there are more pressing concerns
about equality and justice. But I
am concerned because I. as well
as others, will have to miss out
on one or both of the only two
classes offered for Jewish stu
dents all year.
Linda Malasls
University Housing