EDITORIAL
No defamation,
no bad reputation
Defamation: to attack the good reputation of. That was
the basis for the charge filed against the Oregon Citizens
Alliance by George VVickizer.
The case evolves from a news releaso two years ago.
stating that the city Human Rights Committee was head
ed up by a "practicing homosexual man.” Not that
Wickizer was a practicing homosexual man, but that the
human rights commission was headed by a homosexu
al man. Hours after the nows release was made the OCA
issued a refraction and an apology.
Scott Lively. OCA finance director, had claimed the
nows release was directed toward Ron Sinacore. who
at the time was believed to have been appointed to the
commission, but in reality was not given the position
because ho was already serving on the human rights j>anel
for the city and the University. Later, it came to light,
through city records, that Sinacore was a homosexual.
Who cares?
The news brief stating the human rights committee
was headed up by a homosexual could have never even
boon mentioned, regardless if it was true or not. As long
as the job was being done fairly and adequately, the
knowledge of the employer’s personal interest could
have easily been left out.
This seems to bo a case where human rights were not
really violated, yet a case that was brought to trial only
to further clog the already clogged arteries of the judicial
system — a case that should have never evolved into the
degree of a trial. Putting all things aside (if that is pos
sible simply because of the two titles involved: OCA and
homosexual), there was a mistake made in a news brief,
but a retraction and an apology was given. VVickizer
seems to have attacked the OCA on a basis of defama
tion simply because it is the OCA. The chances of there
oven being a case if the OCA wasn’t involved are
extremely slim.
Regardless of whether VVjckizer was on the human
rights committee, he is a public official as well as a pub
lic: figure. The court makes it possible to promote debate
of public issues by making it very difficult to collect
damages for defamation if working as a public servant.
This is no new ideal, but rather one for the benefit of
people just like Wickizer. enabling him to bring appar
ent points to the public's attention. It is an understand
ing that is to promote free thinking and the possibility
for people to speak out.
When the nows brief was given there were no names
involved. If Lively, the man making the allegations,
didn't oven know who at the time was on the commit
tee. few other people throughout the community prob
ably knew as well. Defamation was a slight issue and a
bad idea for a lawsuit.
This case, however, makes it nice to know that some
where in the clogged arteries there are jurors seeing
through the titles and names that often hinder one's
thinking. In most cases, it is probably easier to side with
the opponent in a OCA-related case. In this particular
one. it seemed to be an attack on the title "OCA"; the
facts wore evidently clear and the "defendant” won.
Oregon Daily
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LETTERS
Can’t withdraw
All Keyhanford's criticisms of
U.S. foreign policy in the Mid
dle hast are misguided (ODF.,
Nov. 8). Reducing foreign |>olicy
to black-and-white models may
make it easier to protest U.S.
involvement overseas, but it
hardly gives the issues the prop
er study needed to make reason
able decisions when we have
acted unjustly.
He says U.S. foreign policy is
"not doing what it is supposed
to do" without fully explaining
his alternative Foreign policy
for the United States (or any
country) should consist primar
ily of promoting human rights,
which is best achieved by pro
moting world stability and
democratic governments. The
situations in both Kuwait and
Somalia fit these criteria, so we
become involved. Bosnian
involvement would have been
justifiable a year ago. but little
could be achieved now by jump
ing into a civil war that is almost
over.
Hosni Mubarak is struggling
to keep a democracy alive in a
country that is threatened with
Islamic fundamentalists who
preach human rights while pro
moting Iran as a model govern
ment. He may not be a model
leader, but he is assuredly better
than what would most likely be
the alternative. As one North
African moderate pointed out.
the fundamentalists only want
democracy once.
The United States must not
withdraw from a world it
helped build. U.S. isolationism
is the post-Cold War era would
lead to an unstable and unde
mocratic world — hardly the
place for fostering recognition of
human rights.
Scott CroMon
Political Science
Solomon says
The best lesson college teach
es is: Don't accept as gospel any
thing you hear until checking it
out. No one tells us why better
than syndicated writer Norman
Solomon, who speaks on cam
pus Thursday evening, Nov. 18.
Whether the source is the
University president, your dean,
or a respected teacher, don't
"buy" before you question data
or opinions. Those men and
women usually have integrity.
Don't question their integrity.
Always question their informa
tion.
Solomon's target usually is
the mass media, which too often
accept information from the
power structure and pass it on
to us without asking questions.
What he says has special mean
ing for journalism students. But
it applies to all of us as we try to
protect an open, democratic sys
tem against lazy or unthinking
leaders.
George Beres
Eugene
Turkeys,
sinners
The upcoming Thanksgiving
holiday had its beginning with
turkey farmers who simply
wanted to sell morn turkeys, not
unlike Christmas, which was
begun by merchants and preach
ers who lobbied Congress to put
"In God We Trust" on our mon
ey. That's what happens in a
society without any integrity.
So. as we wait for the release
of the turkeys from their cells to
be taken to the slaughter, sin
ners may visualize their own
freedom coming later when
their spirits leave their corpses
to be recycled into a lower life
form by God. "For all have
sinned, and come short of the
glory of God." (Rom./Rev.
3:6.22).
John-Wayne Johnson
San Diego
Big blade
With respect to the recent
police beat (ODE, Nov. 4): I
wonder how the naked 42-year
old man managed to conceal a
50-inch knife, or for that matter,
where he got a knife of such
prodigious length. Perhaps this
incident should be reported to
the Guinness Bonk of Records.
Joa O’Brien
Corvallis
Unity vs. truth
Beverlee Patton-iniller, by
establishing "the promotion of
amity and concord" as the func
tion of religion (ODE. Nov. 8),
makes religion a thing of utili
ty. When "peace and unity"
become our ultimate goals, or
our standard of judgment, then
he means become arbitrary;
injustice works as well as justice
at times as a unifying force.
Look at the creed of Nazi Ger
many that unified that people so
well. When “the highest stan
dard of personal conduct" is
anything that promotes unity,
virtue and goodness become rel
ative to the situation, creating an
ethical limbo that is hard to
exist in.
Further, if vve are concerned
with truth at all. we will never
desire a unity based on the low
est common denominator of
political usefulness. True Chris
tians. Muslims, Jews, Buddhists,
etc., know fundamental distinc
tions exist that cannot be recon
ciled without eradication.
Excess of unity will destroy not
only the freedom of ideas and
thought, but also culture and
distinctive ethnic backgrounds
which are grounded in their reli
gious beliefs. We can't unify
religions unless they are exact
ly alike, which they are not.
Truth, unfortunately, is not that
kind. We can only hope that by
allowing religious difference we
arrive at a unity of mutual belief
— not the other way around.
It may well be that due to the
brevity demanded by the Emer
ald, I have misunderstood her
true meaning. If she means
"Virtue and goodness will bring
true peace and unity to our
world," we are on the same side.
But arguing religion from utili
ty will only lead to futility.
Matt Fox
Greek
Squirrels
The last few years I have
noticed crews of people filling
bags with acorns around cam
pus in the fall with obvious
commercial interests. Should
the University allow this? The
many squirrels around campus
and in the cemetery need these
acorns for survival. Hopefully
those of us who care about the
campus squirrels will call cam
pus security and ask them to
take care of the problem when
ever we see these commercial
gatherers.
L. Verano
Romance Languages