EDITORIAL
Handgun restriction
not unreasonable
Five days doesn't sound liko much.
But for gun-control advocates like James Brady, a five
day waiting period on handguns was worth a seven-year
fight
Finally responding to the wishes of tho American
public, Congress last week gave its approval to the con
troversial Brady Bill, establishing a five-day waiting
period on handguns as well as requiring states to con
duct a background check on all prospective handgun
buyers.
Opposition to the bill, which passed last Wednesday,
was voiced primarily by congressional Republicans,
propped up by the all-important special-interest group,
the National Rifle Association. Together they had been
successful in stalemating tho bill for years — it was first
introduced in 1987 — despite overwhelming popular
support. But no longor.
Now that the issue has finally been "settled." in the
words of Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole. K-Kansas,
it's hard to imagine what all the fuss has boon about.
The usual argument against the Brady Bill is that four
out of five felonies are committed by c riminals wielding
unregistered or stolen guns — guns that didn't proceed
through legal channels in the first place, anu which
therefore wouldn’t be affected by any waiting period or
background check.
Even so. there are still some cases; if it has any bene
ficial effect at all, it should bo passed, as long .is it
doesn't violate any personal liberties.
Of course, NRA-tvpes will argue that a waiting period
does violate their liberties, in particular their constitu
tional right to bear arms, but a logical examination of
this claim reveals it to be fatally flowed.
Anyone whose background checks out will be
allowed the purchase eventually. So the bill merely
restricts their rights — it doesn't violate them.
And let's be realistic. Five days is not a long time. A
person can wait more than five days standing in line at
Oregon Hall, waiting for their financial aid check. In the
course of a lifetime, a person will spend five days brush
ing their teeth.
But there is a more serious reason for supporting the
Brady Bill.
Buying a handgun is not, nor should it ever bo. a casu
al decision. It is not the same as going down to the cor
ner store to buy a quart of milk. Buying a handgun is
nothing less than purchasing the power to kill, maim
and murder. Five days careful contemplation is the least
we can ask of prospective gun buyers.
Brady Bill opponents fear that by "eroding" their free
dom in this small way, it opens the door for more gov
ernment intrusions. Maybe. But the passage of the Brady
Bill hardly means that the NRA will curl up and dio; it
may make the organization even stronger. And with the
NRA playing watchdog, it's haul to believe that any
more limitations will be passed without another long,
drawn-out fight.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
ManaglngEdllor
Editorial Editor
Qraphtce Editor
Freelance Editor
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2 Oregon Dafy Emerald Tuaaday. November 30.1993
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SOMOR'
LETTERS
Willful intent
An nrin It' in the Emerald
Nov 22 implied that "willful
intent" is now required fur the
University to reach a finding of
sexual harassment. I was quoted
in that story and would like to
respond.
Although I was involved in
the discussions and formulation
of the revisions of the sexual
harassment administrative rules
for the University, I did not
direc tlv review the final word
ings as printed Despite that, I
defended the rules knowing that
the Universitv has not and will
not intend to protec t perpetra
tors or other persons participat
ing in discriminatory behavior
1 have now heard the reac -
tions from people to one section
of the rule ami realize that the
interpretation by some is differ
ent than that intended when the
Oregon Administrative Rule was
adopted
painting with a broad brush, the
minority student community at
larm>. as Al Sliarpton -|esse lack
son style shakedown-oppor
tunists. who. with specious
arguments and hysterical
rhetoric. trv to bully and intim
idate individuals and institu
tions into adopting tiicir narrow,
self-promoting, political agenda.
Most of 11s would like to
assume that the cast majority of
the minority students are seri
ous. rational, hard-working peo
ple, applying themselves to the
privilege of higher education.
The University has image
problems enough in these times
when public support is so cru
cial, without the Emerald rein
fori ing the stereotypes of stu
dents as vacuous whiners, and
administrators as spineless pla
c.aters
David Hamarm
Eugene
1 lie k<>.iI uf tin* administrators
I have worked with closely on
these issues has been to at hieve
fairness and to improve the way
in which reports of itit idents
and grievances are processed
We will public Iv announi e that
the section of the OAK rule,
''unintentional differentiation
constitutes discrimination only
when the effect is to disadvan
tage all or a substantial propor
tion of the members of a protect
ed i lass similarly situated, will
not be implemented
Plans to rescind and/or
change the language are under
way. Our guiding principle in
such cases has been and will
continue to be the "reasonable
woman/man" rule. I am confi
dent that the University desires
to appropriately deal with issues
of discrimination at the local
level and provide fair treatment
for all members of the commu
nity. 1 commit myself and my
efforts to this end.
Lorraine O. Davis
Vice Provost lor
Academic Personnel
New image
The picture and story you fea
tured on the front page Nov. 23
illustrates a point that those
members of the Black Student
Union were, in their misdirect
ed way, trying to make.
The Emerald has a history of
Death squads
Brazilian and Guatemalan
death squads have killed home
less i hildren as well ns union
organizers, land reformers,
priests, intellectuals, students
and environmentalists Howev
er. I think most Americans
would fie shocked to know that
the death squads have operated
in the United States.
It happened during the period
of 1073-75 on the Pine Kidge
Indian reservation in South
Dakota The PHI and OA had
infiltrated and spied on the stu
dent movement against the Viet
nam War. and now. they were
out to destroy the American
Indian Movement.
They moved heavy weapons
onto the Pine Ridge reservation
and armed a group of tribal
police headed by Dick Wilson.
These tribal police were essen
tially death squads. They
burned AIM member's homes,
terrorized their families and
murdered them. It is discussed
in detail in a video documentary
by Robert Redford called Inci
dent at Oglala.
An innocent man. Leonard
Peltier, has been sitting in jail
for 17 years because of the gov
ernment's obsession with
destroying the American Indian
Movement. I don't know how
the United States government
can complain about human
rights abuses in China and other
countries when it frames people
and imprisons them for their
political beliefs. If there is any
thing left in Washington, D.C.,
besides hypocrisy and cow
ardice, then Leonard Peltier
should be freed immediately.
Gary Sudborough
Bellflower, Calif.
Stop
harassment
Recent revisions to the Ore
gon Administrative Rules inad
vertently caused some confu
sion, and the University has
undertaken stops to delegate
language that could be interpret
ed as weakening efforts to end
discrimination and sexual
harassment.
The final revisions to the OAR
inadvertently included the
phrase "unintentional differen
tiation only when the effect is to
disadvantage all or a substantial
proportion of the members of a
protected class similarly situat
ed." The language was an edit
ing effort designed to strengthen
protections, but it failed in its
intended effort.
Soon after the revisions were
made, a number of University
individuals and groups — led
by the Women’s Sexual Harass
ment Network — brought it to
the attention of University Pres
ident Myles Brand. President
Brand immediately asked that
the phrase in question l>e delet
ed,and until that deletion is
completed the language not be
enforced.
Nothing on our campus is
more important than protecting
the rights against discrimination
of any kind. That is a funda
mental principle the University
will not compromise in any way
shape or form.
We are indebted to the
Women's Sexual Harassment
Network and many others for
bringing this situation to our
attention and working with the
administration to tale immedi
ate action. Together we have
corrected an inadvertent error
and strengthened protections
against discrimination of any
kind on our campus.
Dave Hubin
Executive Assistant
to Myles Brand