EDITORIAL Campus campaign exhibits dirty side This year s ASUO Executive campaign is off to a row dy start after the discovery that vice presidential candi date Diana Collins Puente may have violated student government guidelines by working as the ASUO multi cultural advocate fall torm while not enrolled as a stu dent at the University. The idea of Collins Puente possibly deceiving the stu dent body is bad enough. After all. the wages from her position came from student fees, which are supposed to be distributed among student groups for student con cerns. Collins Puente's employment as a non-student would bo wholly unethical. But even more interesting is the fact that Leslie War ren and Mark Johnson, the opposing ticket to Collins Puente and running mate Eric Bowen, were so eager to divulge dirt on their opponents. Warren and Johnson made sure a letter to the editor, referring to Collins Puente's fall-term enrollment, was turned in to the Emerald. They did not write the letter but were acquaintances of the person who did. Warren and Johnson came to the Emerald office to inquire about the status of the letter. The letter, which appears in today's issue, spurred Emerald News Editor Jake Berg to contact the University registrar about Collins Puente’s enrollment status fall torm. Monday, Warren learned tho Emerald wus working on a news story about her opponent and asked that it run before Tuesday's ASUO debates. The Emerald does not work as a public relations firm for any candidate and ran the story Tuesday only because it was newsworthy — not becauso it was requested. There's nothing illegal about Warren and Johnson's actions. But it does raise the question of whether candi dates should concentrate on smearing their opponents instead of running an Intelligent campaign. If Warren and Johnson do have credible solutions to problems on campus, they should concentrate on spreading their own ideas to the student body, not attar king others through dirty tactics. On iho positive side. Warren and Johnson have shown a natural flair for politics. Finding dirt on your oppo nents is an age-old campaigning technique that marks the true professional. Warren and Johnson could be the real thing — although that’s not necessarily good. At the very least, they could have been more careful. Can you imagine George Bush personally calling The New York Times editors and asking whether they were printing the draft story on Bill Clinton? Ho would have a low-level aide do it instead; the liability is less evident. That doesn't mean it’s ethical to have an aide do the dirty work for you. it’s just cleaner. This editorial is not Intended as an endorsement of either the Bowen/Collins Puente or the Warren/John son ticket. Each campaign has valid points to make and an agenda to push. However, the canaidates should con centrate solely on their own campaigns and lay off the dirty politics. Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon D», I me-aid <* put*shed d*ty Monde, through Today during me school year end Tuesday end Thursday duong me summer By me Oregon Deny Emeiaid PutftUi.no Co b* at me Universe, o* Oregon f ugme. Oregon the Emerald operate* independent*, of me Urwerirty with once* at Suer Editorial Editor Rivers Janssen o^yncs Editor Jefl Pasia, Night Editor Jaae Beg Entertamnent Editor I .eye Horn Supplement* Editor CaSey Anderson Associate Editors tamm, Bate, SArdv-’f Government Act v>t#*. Da/atyn Trappe Communrf,. Cooeen Pohbg Mgher EoPcarwc A.*-:. ’ Sharon News Statt. Chester A»er>. Matt Bender Just •- Brown. Sarah Oars. Meg Dedotpr- Am, Davenport Jen t sort Amanda Feme. Anthon, Tome, Bern l-lege Teresa Hunisnger i so Maun BeOecca Menat. Sieve Mm*. Kat, Moan*. Tdlm. Mue-urr tr.*la Noel. Emm Shaw E'<* Studervcba Mat-on Sudor Band, Ttvefcen Mcheie Thompson Agu>ar Amy Van tuyt. Todd W =*-am*. Clayton Vee general Manager Judy Wredl Production Manager tAcneie Boss Advertising Tom leech. Sharon vei Saras Manager* Shawn Server Othc* Manager Jane boia Teresa Isabella Ph.tp Johnson H. Chr s Kano*. Jar am, Mason. Van V O’Bryan II. Giftan Oh. Bachaei Tru«. An^e Wmdherm. Brian Wnthem Classified Be.*y Merchant Manager Barry Logan Sharon Sauve Distribution HrarvJor Anderson. She* Mannrung, Graham Smpeon Business: holhy Carbone Supervisor Judy ConnoSy Production: mgnd White Production Coon*n*to> Kr.st.ne Grange- Dee Me Cot* Stacy hatches. Jennifer Boland Jenrvter Sm.m lUwoon ..—_ jae-wtt Display Advertising-Mt-3712 Business OTTIce ..NMtti Claesihed Advertising M#*UbilUJStQN.. . ! fgMt -Am XbuMrtUM'tuouMr' .fitktlNO I VK JUST COMMENTARY Passover: celebration of freedom By Jonah Bookstem l yTonday. April 5 began or Passover. We Jews, friends and strangers recount the story of the exodus of the Jews from slavery In Egypt to freedom. We choose spring to celebrate free dom. Freedom from slavery, freedom to live our lives free from any oppressors or instru ments of oppression, freedom from intolerance and freedom from harassment During Passover, we discuss and hope for freedom for all peoples. In light of this holiday, it is interesting that Stephanie Sis son chose a public forum [ODE, April 5) to continue the oppres sion of two groups who have been victimized lor centuries: homosexuals and Jews In doing so. she those a time-worn method, using Christianity as a litmus test to |udge others' actions Her column reeks of anti Semitism. intolerance to homo sexuals. and it only does her and Christianity a disservice She writes that there has been a disservice done to her New Testament because in recently published condemnations of homosexuality it has been left to obscurity. She then states. "To be honest. I don't take the Old Testament laws very seriously. Those laws were given to the Jew*s.( One of them prohibits tat toos Give me a break!) But the New Testament, which concerns itself with more Christ-like behavior, 1 take very seriously Homosexuality is a chosen behavior. And it is wrong." Thanks for the honesty. If I remember correctly, though, wasn't Jesus a Jew? In her attempt to lie cute and Christ-like, she has. on the eve of the holiday of freedom, slan dered the Jewish community. the weeklong Jewish celebration of Pesach. Who gave her the right to judge tlie Jewish guide to life that has preserved the Jewish communi ty for more than 3.000 years? From where does she gain this overwhelming sense of superior ity that has empowered her with the right to condescend and insult the Jewish and homosex ual communities? It just so happens that the hol iday of Passover comes from the Torah (the term we Jews use to refer to our holy scroll). The Torah teaches Jewish people how- to celebrate their freedom from slavery, which is done by setting aside the week for feast ing and remembering the hard ships of slavery and oppression Perhaps this is just one of those "Old Testament" laws Sisson finds useless Passover is celebrated by more Jews than almost any other Jew ish holiday It is a unique cele bration with contemporary meaning and purpose. It is a chance to gather as a communi ty and with family It is a chance to be thankful for freedom from the bonds of slavery, which plagued our ancestors And it is a chance to always remember people throughout the world who are today not free from slavery. Annually, we commit our selves to freeing alt people from oppression; for as long as some one. somewhere, remains in bondage, we believe that we cannot ourselves he truly free This year we must think of the victimized men. women and children in the Balkans, the starving Sudanese, indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainfor est who are being murdered. Arabs and Jews who are at each other's throats, the islanders of East Timor who are being liqui dated by the Indonesian govern ment. migrant farm workers being exposed to dangerous chemicals and living in degrad in# conditions — and the list tragically continues So let me return to Sisson's intolerance of homosexuals in light of Passover. In Oregon, we narrowly defeated a ballot mea sure only half of a year ago that would have deprived a segment of the population fair and equal treatment. Thankfully the mea sure failed, but it reminds all of us that intolerance and igno rance are strong forces in our society. Through her unenlight ened, Christian-based egoism, Sisson is continuing that trend. By her vitriolic attack on the homosexual community, couch ing her moralistic judgment in pseudo-scientific: language and New Testament quotations (i.e that homosexuality is purely choice motivated and is a sin), she has demonstrated that she uses the Bible to support big otry. intolerance and ultimately oppression — a purpose I doubt it was created for Although she is "afraid that homosexuality is becoming an accepted lifestyle in our soci ety." and that it will keep “someone (Sisson) loves" from being "a follower of Christ," 1 am afraid her movement of Christian fundamentalism is intent on destroying the freedom of women to choose, the free dom of Jews to live in a society that accepts minorities and the freedom of homosexuals to live free from prejudice and harm But in conclusion, I will thanV Sisson. She hus reminded me, on the eve of Passover and with her "General License" to be self righteous from a walled island of ignorance and simplicity, that I have a life's worth of labor in this world until all people, including her, are free. Jonah Bookstein is an under graduate in independent studies and a member of the Jewish Stu dent Union LETTERS Student? I am writing to voice my con cerns regarding Diana Collins Puente. Is she a student? There is information circulating to the effect that Collins Puente was not a registered student during fall term 1 find this shocking. Did she not occupy a student-subsidized position during fall term? I am told by numerous sources that she was paid for holding the ASUO multicultural advocate position and also a Building Community student mentor position. If this is. in fact, true, I would like to know why she was paid and how I can get some of the money this University is throw ing around. Are we supposed (o cast our votes for someone that finds the pursuit of money more reward ing than the pursuit of an educa tion? What kind of leader would she be7 With these traits, she has the potential to be a politician, but not one that I would vote for. Matt Gougier Fine Arts