EDITORIAL
Head-in parking rule
unnecessary, costly
The rising tide of collective disgust with the perking
situation on campus threatens to inundate the narrow
confines of the overflowing parking lots and spill into
the streets and alleys of the University consciousness.
Far from plugging the hole in the dike, as did the lit
tle Dutch boy of legend, parking attendants and meter
readers on this campus are chopping at the opening and
threatening the very integrity of parking as an institu
tion. a tradition and a way of life.
They must be stoppod.
Melodrama aside, a new policy initiated by the Office
of Public Safety this term has only worsened a situation
that was already getting out of hand. The newest
requirement? Head-in parking in all University lots.
There may be legitimate safety concerns behind the
recent decision, which took effect, without much fan
fare. before the beginning of the fall term. OPS officials
cite the dangers of pulling through one space and end
ing up in another, with the front of the car facing out.
They suggest that another car might try to move into that
same space at that same time from the other aide, there
by resulting in a front-end collision and all sorts of dan
gerous mayhem.
This has undoubtedly happened before, but one won
ders just how often, and whether the frequency of such
accidents is enough to counter the convincing argu
ments that parking head-out is safer. After all. visibili
ty is always better when a driver is able to move for
ward. rather than have to twist around to look over his
or hor shoulder. Common sense would seem to indicate
that the less backing up that has to bo done, the better.
Because the superiority of head-in parking is still in
doubt, then, how can OPS can justify a $20 "improper
parking" fine for parking head-out?
“improper parking” is one of several auto-related
infractions listed in the University's Parking and Trans
portation Information pamphlet, which is Issued to all
parking permit owners at the time of purchase. Other
parking violations that are punishable by a $20 ticket
include parking in driveways, yellow zones, reserved
spaces, sidewalks, and, unbelievably, on "landscape
areas." How can simply choosing to park backward,
which may or may not be more dangerous, be on a par
with parking on the lawn somewhere?
The real reason behind the head-in rule, and the rea
son it's so strictly (and mercilessly) enforced, is because
OPS officers don't want to take the timo to walk around
a car and check to see if it has a permit attached. Plain
and simple.
Sixty dollars is a lot to pay for a parking permit, espe
cially when it doesn't oven guarantee you a space (even
the most inconvenient lots are usually full by 11 a.m.}.
It doesn't seem unreasonable to expect a little leniency
for those people who have made that investment.
If the rule must be enforced, for reasons of efficien
cy, then lot the punishment fit the crime. If that happens,
then maybe OPS can stem the tide of parking antagonism,
before it floods the campus. If not, maybe drivers had
better learn to swim. Or. worse vet: ride the bus.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
Editor
Managing I
Editorial Ei
Orapitlcs Editor
Freelance Editor
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LETTERS
Right is wrong
Throughout the 1980's and
into the 1990's, the religious
right has I wen working non-stop
in the name of Christian purity
to restric t our rights Those of us
offended by this tend to associ
ate this attack with Christiani
ty. The religious right has driven
many good and c aring people
away from Christianity with its
messages of hate and intoler
ance.
Letters like those from Matt
Fox and Leta Hamilton (ODE,
Oct 14) show that there are
good, tolerant and even liberal
Christians.
It is the duty of all tme Chris
tians to oppose the agenda of all
members of the religious right,
so that Christianity does not
become synonymous with the
hypocrisy, intolerance and the
loss of our rights. It is the duty
of those* opposing the religious
right to remember that we are
not opposing Christianity, hut
the psc'udo-Christian religious
right's attempt to control our
society.
Aaron Curtis
Mathematics
Induce vomiting
When 1 pick up the Emerald,
it reads like a copy of the Ore
gon Commentator without a
sense of humor. Your advocacy
of the administration's policies
is discreditable.
I just finished reading your
editorial concerning the Don
Munson affair, having taken sev
eral breaks to throw up over its
contents and question your
judgment.
In the article you state. "When
he was finally removed from his
coaching position (and subse
quently reassigned in the athlet
ic department), it shouldn't have
been a surprise to anyone who
follows basketball.'' Please
name one major college basket
ball program that has ever reas
signed a coach who wanted to
stay in basketball?
Reassignment would absolute
ly kill a coaching career. If the
administration had planed to fire
Monson (or reassign him to his
duties), they should not have
signed a three-year contract.
Contract law obviously is not
the administration's strong suit.
This was Monson's mistake.
No one is defending Monson's
coaching record at Oregon. The
administration had the right to
fire him. but Monson also had
the right to just compensation.
I must also point out that hav
ing a winning record at Oregon
isn't extremely important. Foot
ball coach Rich Brooks is 81
101-4 in football.
I have a suggestion. If the Uni
versity wins its appeal, let’s
work on reassigning Myles
Brand, Dan Williams and Rich
Brooks 1 hear the University
Physical Plant custodial staff
needs help
Jerry Carson
History
Psychiatric bias
My letter to the Emerald (Oct
11) concerning psychiatry anti
religion led to some misunder
standings. I’m sorry for not
tieing more clear. To respond to
Matt Fox [ODE.Oct. 14): My per
sonal spiritual belief is pagan
ism, and because of the oppres
sion pagans have undured. I
strive for tolerance of all faiths,
no matter how bizarre.
1 do object to those who force
religious beliefs onto others,
such as the Oregon Citizens
Alliance. Increasingly, letter
writers to the Emerald quote
their Bible as the foundation for
similar agendas. They thus
make ridiculous ideas — such
as the arrogance that Christiani
ty is the only ‘'true'' religion —
fair game for inspection.
People are allowed extreme
altered states, emotional distress
and even so-called "madness"
as long as they uphold the dom
inant world view. If Jung Sook
Jang — the University grad stu
dent who died at Lane County
Psychiatric Hospital — had
knelt in prayer in church on
Sunday, no harm would have
resulted. However, she was cap
tured. tied down, force-drugged
and killed.
The Oregonian (Oct. 13)
reported that three psychiatric
inmates died in Dammasch
State Hospital in the past six
weeks. Eight died there in the
past 22 months. Several died
under circumstances similar to
Sook's: forced drugs and
restraints.
l rn glad Fox agrees such
atrocities are crimes. The OCA.
on the other hand, has said
there's another group with "spe
cial rights" they hope to target:
people with psychiatric labels.
True Christians must con
demn the OCA, or l>e complied.
David Oaks
Eugene
Rude behavior
On Wednesday, Oct. 13,1 was
visiting the University from the
state of Washington, in regard to
u business matter concerning
mv daughter who is a student in *'
Eugene. I passed by on open
forum with the local Muslim
Student Association and
stopped out of curiosity to lis
ten.
I was appalled at the undisci
plined and rude confrontations
made by people in the audience
as others were speaking. I have
no idea what the issues were, as
my presence was brief. It just
seemed so out of the ordinary
that in an academic setting with
a generous number of interest
ed participants present that a
small number of people, not par
ticularly youthful ones from
their appearance, could so bold
ly and disruptively remove all
possibilities for a solution
because of basic rude and inap
propriate manners.
I applaud those students who
tried to restore order to an oth
erwise serious and interested
group of individuals.
Stephanie R. Colheny
Seattle