EDITORIAL
VanLeeuwen’s ideas
gloss over problems
State Rep. Liai VanLeeuwen was funny at first. The
Halsey Republican proposed a mandatory gun owner
ship law for all Oregon citizens, saying it would cut the
state's crime rate drastically. Everyone chuckled, in
cluding several police chiefs.
Two weeks ago. VanLeeuwen introduced another bill
to the Oregon Legislature. This time she wants to reduce
the penalty for assaulting a person who is desecrating
the flag. Rather than c harging the suspect with fourth
degree assault punishable by up to ono year in prison
and a $2,500 fine. VanLeeuwen wants the offender be
charged only $25 Jail time would not ire necessary.
VanLeouwen's outrageous ideas are harmless by them
selves. The legislature will never pass the bill, especially
given that Hag burning is perfectly legal. According to the
U..v .supremo court,
desecrating the flag is a
(onstitulionally legiti
mate form of protest.
People who don't agree
can simply turn their
backs.
And that’s exactly
what Vanl.oeuwen
should have done. In an
She Is more
concerned with
quick-Hx responses
than serious
problem solving.
interview with the Aioany vmnocmi-neraia. vanueeuwen
said she once saw some demonstrators drape a flag over
a Portland hotel entrance during a political protest, forc
ing people to walk over it. The incident so horrified her
that, presumably, she wanted to attack the flag drapers.
But VanLeeuwen must understand assault is a serious
crime, regardless of whether the perpetrator’s excuse
was justified in her own mind. Just because Van
Loeuwon is looking for an oxcuso to boat up flag burners
doesn’t give her the right to ignore the U.S, Constitution.
The truly frightening aspect of VanLeeuwen’s bill
introducing bingo is that she doesn’t seem to be able to
find anything better to do in the Legislature. Perhaps she
needs to be reminded that Oregon is still suffering from
1 BOO's Ballot Measure 5. The Legislature must work dili
gently toward either finding more revenue or cutting
excess spending. It’s a full-time job that requires dedi
cated lawmakers. VanLeeuwen’s recent actions indicate
she is more concerned with quick-fix responses than
serious problem solving.
What would happen were VanLeeuwen to get her
way? Someone breaks into her home and ends up wip
ing his brains off the floor. Someone burns a flag and she
beats him wilh the handle of the gun she is required to
own. VanLeeuwen probably doesn't like Democrats
either. Barbara Roberts had better watch her back.
It's hard not to laugh at VanLeeuwen’s ideas. She
bases her proposals on knee-jerk reactions rather than
rational thought. But the state Legislature is no place for
these ideas. She needs to represent her constituency
with pride and dignity — to dedicate hor skills toward
solving the state's budget crisis. The last thing Oregon
needs is more crazy legislation.
Oregon Daily
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LETTERS
Happy guy
I like this paper a lot because
it makes me laugh I want to
thank lake Berg's "Universitas"
for the reminder [ODE. Feb. 16).
The hardest I over laughrwf
while reading the Emerald was
when two people argued for days
about an irrelevant issue, only to
dis< over they had identical view
points all along It was funny to
open the pa [Mir and watch them
make fools of themselves day
after day. 1 laughed a lot.
It makes me sad that more
papers don't emphasis’.* letters
to the editor like the Emerald. It
would he a happier world if
these were published more of
ten, Everyone needs a good
laugh once in a while.
But most people don't give o
care My friends say the Emer
ald is a non-newsworlhy waste
of time But I know that in the
letter section — where there are
all sorts of crazy and kooky peo
ple — anything can happen.
I like the Emerald. I hope it
will continue to publish wacky
Iutters because the letters make
me laugh, and laughing makes
me happy. And perhaps, if I'm
lucky. Berg will continue to
write columns to remind me
that it's OK to laugh at all the
crazy, kooky people.
Matt nowara
English
Go elsewhere
Referring to Jake Berg's column
(ODE. Feb 16) If all the "crazy
and kooky people" in Eugene are
too much for him to handle. I
pleasurably encourage him to
pursue his interests elsewhere.
Brittany Henderson
Journalism
Abortion wrong
In the constant debate over
abortion, I would like to address
Ben Iglauer's letter (ODE. Feb.
12).
He said there are many char
acteristics that we believe are
essential to a human being,
"such as self-awareness and the
ability to interact with others."
He contends that a growing
fetus does not contain those
qualities, a pathetic argument he
uses in the defense of abortion.
However, a baby who is only
one-hour old lacks those same
qualities Iglauer mentions, and
nobody would think about kill
ing a child then Hut thousands
of women every day do just that
— kill a child.
I am completely for equal
rights, and most definitely sup
port women's rights. However,
in the case of abortion, the
''right" to choose who lives and
who dies is not ours to make.
Our choice is to have safe sex.
abstain or think of adoption, not
to kill an innocent child because
of our mistakes ant) wrongdoings
Robyn K. Hagg
Pre-Journalism
Much to learn
Steve Masat. Zoe Pnrgot and
Barbara Rodgers may believe
they have mastered the concept
of "diversity," but their actions
on Pel). 2 show otherwise.
It seems these three self-ap
pointed members of the Univer
sity thought-police believe di
versity to be a characteristic
solely dependent on ethnicity,
gender or the color of one's skin.
I have news for these individuals
— it can also be found in the dif
ferent opinions people posses.
Calling a person "racist and
homophobic." simply because of
a political philosophy he or she
adheres to. is an act of ignorance
that should be strongly discour
ager!
Unsubstantiated attacks are
often successful in the watch
what-you-say. politically correct
environment currently infesting
our University, but they fail in
the broader political en
vironment.
If Masat. Pargot and Rodgers
believe unsubstantiated charac
ter assassinations am the logical
way to confront people who
possess different political be
liefs. they have much to learn.
I suggest starting with the dic
tionary. It would behoove them
to obtain complete definitions of
the words "diversity.” "toler
a nee" and "intolerance.” They
might be shocked to discover
their actions on Feb. 2 fit under
the definition of "intolerance."
Bryan Vereschagin
Political Science
Skinheads
in the past, l have on occasion
heard stories related to skinheads
in Eugene. I have always ignored
those stories, believing they were
nothing but grossly exaggerated
rumors. I thought,"... Nah, a city
with a university that boasts
diversity can’t possibly lw
plagued by the skinheads." Well,
was I in for a big surprise.
On the evening of Feb. 10, I
had the misfortune of leaving a
sandwich store just in time to tie
caught at an intersection with a
bunch of, you guessed it, skin
heads. Thoy hollered obscenities
(which I cannot possibly describe
to you) regarding African-Amer
icans for at least three blocks. As
a minority myself, 1 felt both great
discomfort and anger at the time.
I wondered. "What did African
Americans do to these lost souls
to deserve such bitterness and
hatred?"
I see the skinheads as a defi
nite threat to minority students
at the University. I am not para
noid, but I am very concerned
about the safety of minority stu
dents who have to be on campus
at night
Constant patrolling by the
police is one solution, although
it's not adequate in solving tne
problem.
It seems ironic the University
should boast ubout its diversity
while no attempt is made to dis
courage such hate groups away
from the campus community. If
the University and the campus
community really care about
students, a joint effort should be
made to turn away hate groups
from the campus area
Paul Y. Ting
Visual Design
CORRECTION
An editorial in the Feb. 12 issue of the Emerald incorrectly
implied the Lesbian. Gay and Bisexual Alliance, at a Feb. 10
news conference, blamed the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity
for the actions one of its pledges Scott Siebert. a member of
Oregonians United Together Political Action Committee, made
the statement at the news conference asking for SAE to have its
charier revoked