EDITORIAL
Multicultural debate
gets downright ugly
The spirited, often times heated debate that has tak
en place during the past few weeks concerning revisions
to the multicultural curriculum requirement sunk to an
all-time low last Tuesday.
The Student Insurgent published a special May 11 edi
tion dedicated solely to the University Assembly's vote-*
to reconsider the revised requirement. The gist of the
spo< ial issue was that all opposed to the revisions were
rat ists. and although that may Hot be true, the Insurgent
is entitled to its opinion.
However, on the last page of the spot ial issue is a full
page display labeling five University professors as
racists. At the top of the page is headline that says. "Are
they RACISTS7!' . Ask them." Immediately below that
reads. "Faculty in Opposition to the Requirement And
below that are the names, offices and phone numbers
and class s< bed tiles of five professors
Aside from the fact that the five opposed the revisions,
not the requirement (which already exists), and that 205
other faculty also voted to reconsider the revisions, the
Insurgent went beyond mere fat tual error by labeling the
five professors as racists.
Insurgent editors claim the page merely poses a ques
tion and does not label the professors as racists How
ever, given tho overall tone of the issue, including an
Insurgent editor act using one of the five professors ol
having a "white supremacist agenda." it is patently obvi
ous the back-page headline is intended as a label, not a
question.
Although other ideological bouinl pumuations nave
name-called movements and groups on campus, picking
out five specific opponents and labelling them moves
from expressing opinion to personal attai ks
Juvenile antics of the Insurgent editors aside, the issue
raises the larger questions of how the University (and,
for that matter, society) enacts change.
Every person who spoke in opposition to the revision
did so for one of three reasons. Costs, ,n ademic freedom
or breadth of the requirement, Not a single person sug
gested revoking the race, gender and non-European
requirement.
Those questioning costs have valid points Can the
University afford another requirement while enduring
Measure 5-mandated budget cuts? This is a legitimate
question and worthy of rational evaluation and further
debate.
Others wanted the requirement to encompass more
than the four rac ial groups mentioned in the revision.
This is also a valid concern. What message does it send
to various ethnic groups when the University votes that,
although they have suffered oppression, they have not
suffered enough or the right kind of oppression to be part
of the club.
At first, those who raised concerns of academic free
dom were accused of complaining merely about a "polit
ically correct” requirement. But with the Insurgent's
ugly name calling, the question is given new lifo. If the
Insurgent is any indicator, what kind of freedom can pro
fessors enjoy when they must remain silent for fear of
being labeled a racist?
What if the debate dealt with expanding courses in
Russian history? Would the Insurgent have published a
headline exclaiming. "Are they COMMUNISTS?!? ... Ask
them?" Probably not. And if it had. it would immediate
ly lie condemned by the University community — which
has remained curiously silent so far.
Oregon Daily
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COMMENTARY
Celibacy is valid lifestyle choice
By Bob Weigel
uringthc past few months
I have bean < i i ^ tutting mj
1 J disgust over tin* publish
mg of ii very brief loiter to the edi
tor. I tried to reason with all of
those involved but found no one
able to hear Perhaps the students
and family who read this will
demand the Emerald editors lie
field an ountahle for disregard
ing their own polii ins and play
ing games with tlie inone\ they
are allocated
I or tfiose who don't know, the
Emerald does not normally pub
lish letters that are dins t attai ks
on (M'rvms or group lifestyles For
example, il I were to write a let
ter in which I said "Oh come on,
(name of a gay person), you aren't
really gas. an- you?" and that let
ter got published under the title
"You i an't lie serious." what do
you think would have happened '
After all, il I were to say "1 was
|us! amazed that lie said he was
gas." that might excuse my
action, hut it doesn't excuse the
editor who is supposed to lie
aware of the fact that many peo
ple are gas, and that such a letter
would lie held as a direct attack
on that individual and his or her
lifestyle.
Well, people, that is analogous
to w hat happened months ago.
and not one of you screamed for
my defense. My lifestyle is urliba
cy before marriage. Andrew
O'Connell, in response lo my let
ter {ODE. Jan. 27). said "Come on
Bob. no sex?” {ODE. Jan. 29). The
Emerald printed it and titled it
"You can't he serious." Why isn't
anyone on campus speaking up
for me?
Are people really surprised
that someone is abstaining from
sex here in this society? I can see
where a person might be sur
rounded by people who give their
bodies awav to others who have
no real commitment to them, but
they really think there actually is
no one who is abstinent?
But an editor? Is that the aware
ness of the Emerald's editing
staff? Are they really that igno
rant of the diversity of lifestyles
that actually exist here in
Eugene? 1 doubt it. But us I spoke
with the person responsible for
letting Andrew's letter be print
ed, all he could say was “I think
he was just surprised that you
said that (no sex)." Isn't that
amazing? Any of you super intel
Its ts see a fallacy here'
So how about this? Is it OK
with everybody if people openly
make fun of celibacy, ns was done
on full-page ads in the Iwu.k of the
Emerald in-fore the elw lion Inst
vear.
(For those who may hove
missed it. the ad prompted pro
choice people to vote so they
could have abortion on demand,
rather than being responsible
with their sexual urges The last
line said ”... of course, there's
always celibacy!"!
What poor person wrote that?
They openly make fun of my
lifestyle ns though it is inferior to
theirs Meanwhile, thus encour
age people to vote so they can kill
the ivsults of their uncontrolled
lust.
Rather than having sex. I show
people love by helping take care
of their needs like food, shelter,
spiritual and physical well-being
It is something that changes their
life for the better I get financial
ly poorer for doing it, and odd
ly enough, it doesn't find me all
tiint many real friends (in com
parison to the number of people
who trv to misuse the help I
offer).
How dare any of you compare
a lifestyle whose very focus is
fruitless self-gratification with a
lifestyle of celibacy. Yet which
one are people defending'' How
strange Did I hear someone say.
"But it's you. Boh. who have been
bringing hatred against gay peo
ple for years”?
Well. I say. "You bigot." You
don't even know the personal
sacrifices I have made for people
who arefwere gay and the
absolute lack of persecution I
have offered Now you pro-judge
me and classify me according to
my lifestyle, rather than getting
to know me. Anyone who has
hated another for prejudice and
now has judged me in this man
ner must hate themselves also.
Above Andrew's silly letter
yvas one that basically said, "If
Rather than having
sex, I show people
love by helping
take care of their
needs like food,
shelter, spiritual
and physical well
being.
people art* not it potentially pro
ductive memlier of society, they’d
might its well be killed because
we have enough quantity " What
most of us today have forgotten
is that many will never achieve
because there was not one person
to show them love.
I certainly haven't felt very
loved these eight years as I walk
down sidewalks and hear women
say things like "I hate men" in
response to the seldom-returned
smile 1 try to give everyone,
regardless of gender, rai e or the
initial look he or she gives me.
Bigotry is very prevalent, isn't
it? It's not the evil that changes,
it's just the group that is subject
to it And all of the time it's the
same Ignorance at the root - an
ignorance that makes me and oth
ers "guilty" for the sins of my
race, family, sex and religion
What a sad people we have
become, a people without a
vision, without discernment.
Instead of responding with a
worthless sarcastic response, why
doesn't someone try directly rea
soning with people they disagree
with? Or do my opponents not
have the same hope and love for
me that I have for them? (As
though I haven't felt the cold
shoulder that would freeze my
tears should I cry on it lung
enough to know that answer
already.)
Bob Weigel is a lab technician
at the University.
COMMENTARY POLICY
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