EDITORIAL
Police wasting time
with Cops in Shops
To what extent should police pursue lawbreakers if a
law doesn’t make much sense? That’s the question
police have to answer before fully implementing the
"Cops in Shops” program.
"Cops in Shops” is designed to deter minors from pur
chasing alcohol. Police officers and Oregon liquor agents
will bo randomly placed in any of 130 participating
stores in the Eugene area. Posing as store clerks, the cops
will be responsible for curbing underage alcohol pur
chases. which would presumably lead to loss underage
drinking. A few agents will also survey the parking lots
to make sure no alcohol transactions occur between
minors and adults.
If ihe purpose of the
program is to uphold
the law. it will probably
he quite successful.
Minors frequently try to
purchase beer at local
grocery stores, and
clerks are often too non
chalant to care Cops
will now have a new
and more convenient
way to bust law
breakers.
Are minors really
too immature to
drink alcohol? No.
Some may not
handle their liquor
well, but neither do
many 40-year-old
drinkers.
However, if I ho main
pur|>OSo is really to curb underage drinking, the program
should give up right now.
For years, minors have found ways to skirt the system.
Adult friends sometimes buy the alcohol, or a minor c an
find a party where alcohol is served. By the time a per
son reaches the age of IB. he or she will usually have
several friends over the age of 21, few of whom object
to buying alcohol for a minor.
Saying all minors are drinking doesn't necessarily
make it right. However, by keeping the drinking age at
21, lawmakers aren't bestowing realistic expei tations on
today's youth. People can drive at 16 and vote at IB. yet
they aren't supposed to drink until they are 21.
In other words, minors can risk their own life daily
behind the wheel of a car, or they can punch a ballot to
change the direction of the < ountry, but they can't order
wine at a restaurant or have a beer at a bar.
Are minors really too immature to drink alcohol? No.
Some may not handlo their liquor well, but neither do
many 40-year-old drinkers. At the very least, an 18-yoar
old has been around long enough to be trusted.
Some people argue that lowering the drinking age
would mean more dangerous streets because of drunk
drivers. But lost we forget, a team of University of Michi
gan researchers surveyed 15,500 high school seniors in
1091. Eighty-eight percent had used alcohol in the past.
If minors want to drink, they do.
If people accept that the law is useless and isn’t entire
ly fair, police then have to decide how diligently they
should onforco an unjust law. If they want to prove a
point with "Cops and Shops,” they’ll probably succeed
in deterring a few minors. However, if they realize how
pointless the law is. they should junk the program
Oregon Doily
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Commitment
In my five years at the Uni
versity. 1 have had the pleasure
of working with the Office of
Multicultural Affairs and with
Marshall Sauced.!
When I first come to the Uni
versity in the fall of 1988.
Sauced# was in charge of the
Underrepresented Minority
Ai hievement S. holarship Pro
gram provided by this state for
minority students such as
myself. His professionalism and
sincerity ns a caring individual
are unmati fled hv anyone else i
have worked with at the t 'Diver
sity. both student and adminis
tration
His appointment by the Uni
versity as director of the OMA
after three years as ai ting direc
tor was based on his proven
track record as someone who
does a good job and actually gets
something done
Sam eda is such a great asset
to this institution of higher edu
cation. and I am proud and
thankful to see him where he is
today
John Patton
Journalism
Building blocks
Like many faculty and stu
dent leaders on this campus. 1
received a letter from Tom
Givon of Linguistics He wrote
adamantly of his opposition to
the proposed revision of the
Race, Gender. Non-European
requirement.
In his letter. Givon asks,
"Why teach only about racism
in this country?" The new
requirement does not solely deal
with racism in the United
States, quite the opposite It
enables students to learn a more
diverse spectrum of issues.
One of two courses will deal
specifically with race issues in
the United States, and the other
will be a broader exploration of
gender or race issues in a
domestic or international plat
form. How can we study inter
national race conflict without
first understanding race conflict
in our own Iwckyards?
Our university believes varied
requirements are essential for
the development of well-round
ed students. No one honestly
believes that writing courses
will make every student Pulitzer
Prize winners, but they will
learn basic writing skills.
Thu Rare. Gender. Non-Euro
pean requirement is equally
incapable of solving all the race
problems of the world and make
us all "love one another." but
we will take from these courses
Imsic human skills The require
ment is not the final answer —
on the contrary, it is a solid
building block I urge those with
voting power to vote for this
proposal and those without
power to attend the University
Assembly. April 7 at 3:30 p m
in 150 Columbia to show sup
port.
Dick Lee
English
No choice
Gordon Melby seems to have
the misunderstanding that being
gay is a choice. There is no evi
dence that supports this There
is evidence that no "environ
mental" factors (e g dominant
mother, submissive father) play
any role And there is an
increasing amount of evidence
suggesting biological causes
(pre-natal hormonal variances).
A trip to the library would
quickly convince you of this.
Gay people are a part of this
society According to the Janus
Report (available at the book
store). -4 percent of the U S pop
ulation consider themselves
exclusively homosexual, anoth
er 5 percent consider them
selves bisexual and, finally,
another ll percent have occa
sional same-sex encounters
This adds up to a large part of
society. The only request this
part of society has is to not lie
discriminated against because of
sexual orientation,
I do not want to impose my
morality on anyone. Gay mar
riages have to l>e up to the indi
vidual church or religion How
ever. I can find no logical reason
to discriminate monetarily
between married couples and
two people (gay or straight) who
have been living together for an
extender! amount of time. Espe
cially with the divorce rate in
the United States ( losing in on
the 50 percent mark.
Finally. 1 don't think a lack of
Melhy’s type of morality is
going to destroy any society. As
examples, consider the differ
ences in teen-age pregnancy
rates and the growing spread of
HIV m Europe and the United
States
Bjorn Pettersen
CIS
For candidates
It seems to me there is little
interest in the upcoming ASIJO
election — a low turnout of slu
dentwrunning for office and an
anticipated low turnout of vot
ers I believe student govern
ment, especially the ASUO
Executive, have more of an
impact on our brief student lives
than most people think.
I write in support of Eric
Bowen and Diana Collins
Puente for ASUO President and
Vice President These two qual
ity achievers have the experi
ence and positive style to make
the ASUO organized and influ
ential.
I've worked with Bowen in
the state Legislature, and he has
an approachable, caring person
ality and a desire to get things
done
Bowen and Collins Puente
have made a great commitment
to students this vear as ASUO
Coordinators As the ASUO
Executive, they would maintain
their high lever of responsibility
and leadership.
For community, equity and
unity on this campus, vote for
Bowen and Collins Puente
Jo«y Lyons
Philosophy/Political Science
CORRECTION
In the April 5 issue of the
Emerald, a letter by Marshall
Sauceda titled "Pass race
requirement" should have
said. "We increasingly oper
ate on a global economy that
requires a worldwide per
spective rather than one
focusing primarily on the
United States." The Emerald
regrets the error.