EDITORIAL
Enforcing insurance
is not schools’ role
Kudos to the University for Its refusal to enforce pro
posed legislation that would require students to snow
proof of Insurance before they can buy a parking permit.
House Bill 3638 is a'watered down version of a bill
that would have required high schools, colleges and uni
versities to demand that students prove they have car
insurance before being allowed to buy a parking per
mit, r
The modified version simply gives schools the option
— an option that Randall Stamm, the University’s park
ing program coordinator, has said will not be exercised.
It is ridiculous for the Legislature to expect the educa
tion system, already overburdened and underfunded,
to take on the role of policing student drivers.
It is already against the law to drive a car without
insurance, a law usually enforced by police. And people
cannot register their cars without insurance, which
places the burden of chocking for insurance on the
Department of Motor Vehicles.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Patti Milne. R-YVoodbum,
is based on the dubious premise that drivers age 16 to 25
make up the bulk of uninsured drivers. The very fact the
bill targets a specific age group smacks of ageism.
But aside from that, the opposite is just as likely. Most
younger drivers aro insured by their parents, and those
that aren’t probably make up no greater percentage than
the number of low-income drivers without insurance,
it’s highly unlikely the Legislature would draft a bill
requiring low-income drivers to show proof of insurance
before they could drive to pick up their food stamps or
seek employment.
The House, an over amusing happy room of misfits,
continues to make strides toward ignoring Oregon’s eco
nomic problems, and this bill is just the latest example.
Before long, they'll bo requiring us to provide proof of
insurance and to show a helmet before letting us bring
bicycles on campus.
From the past
’’State Board Bans Student Autos," was the headline
in the May 24. 1932. issue of the Emerald. Students
caught driving cars would be expelled from school, a fact
discovered on Oct. 5.1932, by Ruth Ardiss Gorell, who
was expelled from the University for driving her parents’
car. Five days later, a second student, Omar Hoskins,
was also expelled for driving his car the 22 miles
between the University and Cottage Grove, whore he
lived.
The rule prohibited students from driving "to the Uni
versity ... to any event or function ... or for any social
purpose or for pastime."
On Oct. 18. the State Board of Higher Education toned
down the measure, requiring students register their cars
with authorities and the University. However, students
were still forbidden to drive on campus.
Oregon Daily
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H->«J J.UM
More Rousseve
1 agree with Ron Rousseve's
commentary "Academia should
lest beliefs" ( ODE, March 12).
I,et's start by testing his beliefs
To prove something scientific
( ally, one uses the scientific
method An event in history
cannot he proved scientifically
because it is impossible to
repeat and observe a historical
event under controlled lalxirato
ry conditions You can't even
use the si lentifu method to
prove you went to work or
school tins morning
The way we prove a Iega(/his
torical fact is by showing that
something is o fact beyond a rea
sonable doubt. One type of evi
dence used is written testimony.
Using the legal/historit al
method of determining facts,
you could prove beyond a rea
sonable doubt you went to work
this morning because your boss
remembers seeing you. you
signed dated material, etc
On historical events, we rely
on historical documents. No one
doubts that we have genuine
poems by Aristotle, yet he lived
around 343 B.C.. while the ear
liest manuscript we have is dat
ed around 1100 A.D., a 1.400
year gap — and only five manu
scripts exist.
To contrast, over 20,000 man
uscripts of the New Testament
exist dating to before and after
the second century A.D. Using
textual criticism, scholars have
found only l/1000th of ques
tionable-meaning New Testa
ment text. That amounts to half
a page of Greek text that does
not include any major Christian
doctrine.
Professor Rousseve needs to
admit that just as you cannot
prove a hypothesis, you cannot
prove a belief, and his is no
more valid than mine.
John Weemhoft
Biology
Confused
The recent spate of accusa
tions of racism confuses me a
lot I've always thought we were
all members of one race — the
human rate.
Sure we have our psychologi
cal differences, but don't we all
have feelings, intellect, etc., that
are far superior to those of low
er life forms? My question is.
when people say "racism." are
they talking about what X's
granddaddy did lo Y's grand
daddy, or are they talking about
why wo cannot tolorato certain
people?
And by the way. the much
maligned Professor Tom Civon
(or Tom, as he is known in our
department) is a very interested
member of my dissertation com
mittee. Academic interests
aside, his interest is also due to
the fait that my dissertation
addresses some of the issues
related to the survival of indige
nous peoples
Now I hear that Tom. a man
with whom I've had several dis
cussions about the brutal sup
pression of ethnic minorities,
could be a racist. Well, 1 would
hove never guessed. Sign me
confused.
Lainunthangl Chhangte
Graduate
Linguistics
Not hard
This question is addressed to
Kristen Kessler [ODE, May 2H):
What is so hard alwnit remaining
celibate? 1 do While I might
appear to lie celibate NBC. (Not
By Choice) because the opportu
nities for the alternative fail to
present themselves. 1 have in
fact made a choice.
1 choose not to engage in juve
nile "singles” scenes wherein
the object is to drink enough to
find someone else who has
drank enough in order to enter
into an awkward, gut-wrench
ing. second-guessing, insecuri
ty-promoting relationship.
By not actively seeking to
meet a potential partner. 1 have
also chosen not to become prey
for a soul-stealing, heart-stomp
ing vampire whose sole appar
ent purpose is to drive me to
suicide.
Celibacy, for me. is not hard,
nor is it a decision to be proud
of. I'm not making a grand ges
ture by denying my libido.
Frankly. 1 just don't care.
Rich Petorton
History
First Amendment
This letter is in response to
the Emerald editorial about the
last University Assembly (May
7).
It was stated that "... faculty
and students should be embar
rassed by their behavior at the
University Assembly meeting."
especially Associate Professor
Hob Proudfoot. who voiced his
feelings. What, may I ask. is
proper, acceptable behavior?
The fact that a majority, older,
white male group voted to
throw out a requirement that
would educate people beyond
stereotypes? What gives the
Emerald the right to decide
what is and isn't appropriate
Ixfhavior?
Those who left the assembly
were frustrated and disappoint
ed at what was happening
Many voiced their opinions as
they left, but that was only
because student senators, facul
ty and administrators eligible to
vote wens allowed to voice their
opinions. This requirement
affects all students, yet none
wore heard.
There's no doubt money is
important in our society, but
what's more valuable in the long
run: money, or an education? I
agree most students would see
this requirement as a hindrance
to graduation, but what about
cluster requirements in addition
to our major requirements?
This multicultural require
ment is not trying to pit one
group against another, saying
"our experience is more impor
tant than yours." It's saying to
the white majority that our
experiences as people of color
are important parts of American
history and deserve to be seen
that way.
You cannot tell me that some
one of color is treated as uncon
ditionally equal as someone
who is white. I have American
history to back me up.
Tina KokJa
Asian/Pacific American
Student Union
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