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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1994)
EDITORIAL Negative campaigns min GOP chances Oh, the pleasures of democracy. With only a few weeks to go before the primary on May 17, things have just begun to get interesting — and sleazy. Craig Berkman and Denny Smith. Republican candi dates for governor, are joining forces, in a show of party unity Their objective? Apparently, they want to guaran tee that, just like in 1990, the Democrats will win the governorship, as tho Republicans blow their chances by engaging in another pointless debate over 'family val ues.” Flailing in the polls at no more than 15 percent, Berk man has begun a vicious negative campaign against rival Smith. Smith, a former U.S. congressman, was favored by 42 percent of polled Republicans in a survey con ducted by The Oregonian and Portland's KATU-TV last week. A political commercial financed by the Berkman cam paign, which began airing last week, blasts Smith for alleged instances of “bad judgment." For evidence of this bad judgment, tho commercial states that Smith's printing company. Eagle Web Press, prints a guide to topless bars and strip joints known cleverly as the TfrA Times. In his commercial. Berkman describes the T&-A Times as "pornographic,” although the newspaper itself isn't specifically named. Defenders of Smith have described the guide as "tastefully done,” presumably because it has the tact to use tho euphemism "T&A." It should also bo noted that Smith's company has no control over the guide's content. That responsibility belongs to publisher Phil Yoder, who over two years has paid Smith's company $250,000 to print tho guide. At a press conference in front of a Eugene sexual nov elty store on Wednesday, Berkman called Smith a "fam ily values candidate profiting off the smut industry." (Jreat. In 1990, Barbara Roberts slipped to an easy vic tory in the race for govornor, primarily because her Republican opponent. Dave Frohnmaver — now doan of tho University law school — lost much of his Republi can support to independent conservative candidate Al Mobley. Fortunately, this is just tho primary. If Smith hangs on in the face of Berkman's attacks and wins the Republi can nomination, then there might bo enough time for him to shako off the mud before tho general election in November. That is, unless Berkman or some other “fam ily values" type decides to screw things up all over again, by running an independent campaign. If tho Democrats are going to win the governorship — favorite John Kitzhaber being a strong candidate for the job — then they should have to oarn it. Tho state's Republicans ought to have enough sense to leave each other alone, rather than give away the state's highest office for the second time in a row. Oregon Daily Emerald po uo« m% iuGt **t o&icou *?*co fhie Omy tmemki t» published daXy Monday Itvough f nday Outmg tha arbor. >•#' and Tuesday and Thursday dunng ih» summer by the Oregon Da.ly Emereid Pubfcshing Co . Inc . a) the University ol Dragon Eugene. Oregon fn* f operates ■noeperyden'iy 0I I'-a Umversty rets on*** at Su«e 300 (X in# Elb Mem >na! Umon and n a member ol m# Associated n«u Tn« l '’’nAd a pnvate property Tn« urnnei.i: rgmova or uaa cX papers :y p-rramirfxa by Man ErBtor-tn-Chlef: JaKe Barn Managing Editor ('.alley Anderson Sports Editor Slava Um Editorial Editor Daw) Ihorn Editorial Editor Jett PeStwdl Graphics Editor Jeff Pastay Photo Editor Mnhaer ShmcSar Eraalanca Editor Aiama Baum Supplements Editor Katy Soto Night Editor: Je*t Pcshardt Assoc lata Editors ( dward KlotXonsiom SiuJanr Government Actruoa*. Ftabatxa Marrrtt Commurvfy tvttOaKi limes. tsgnar f dUrahon AdaiwM-abcn Naart Slat) lor: BattmasSi. Wtson Chan Dave Charbonneeu Amy Cdumbo. Jan Davta Mag Dedolph. Amy Devenpod. lathe Enhantehe Mata fields Martin I .sher Saran Henderson Yin leng Eeonn Mar.us Meiand. Tnsta Noal, Elisabeth Fteenstjerna HobOe Haevea Kala Satxxrm. lie Sahrrcoa. Scott Srmonson Stephan* Sisson Sus»vra Stehans Mchete Thompson. Amy Van TUyt. Danas West Oaneral Man agar: Judy H*J Advsrtlalng Director Mad Wants Production Man agar MchaM Hoes Advertising: Brian Davis. Subtr Dutte. Nicole Hertmartr, Taraea Isabella Jail Marion Jaremy Mason. Mkhaei Mritens. Ketsey Wshe* Classlllad I lacs y Merchant. Manager Victor Moya. S*m Its Tacs Distribution John long, Tsrenc HiAocti. Graham Simpson Business Kathy Carbone. Supervisor Judy Conno»y Production Dae McCotti. YV«Urf«n Coordnafor Shawna Abeie Greg Desmond Tsrs CiasXtnay Brad Joss. Jenrvtar Boland Natl Thangviyt Clayton Yae Newsroom .. Jab-55 It display Adverb ting..MB-371I Businasaomea MB-SSU Classified Advertising_ js^ajaj A LESSON FDR. THE YOUNG ram OF AMERICA DON'T PART CiPAT£. 8^ lAt ?*(■>! 1*KI0 'If'-'TU **» l''‘«.< »*v* J TKe pr«ceJif>g Inspira tion m«suga courbciy of EdRJlms. UV^tQoDY OOiMl ft> A(y 71//I 6UY TO STAY yOMf x A*0 WAro/ TfLEV'SiO^i, J OPINION However you swing, pride’s a good thing Lia Salcktia Hats off lo the queers for Pride Week. The work done by the University's Lesbian, Gay and Hisexuai Alliance is commendable bet ause of its celebratory tone and its positive focus If 1 were to say that I had attended all of the campus events of Pride Week. I’d be lying Hut from what I did get a chance to see, and from hearing others talk about the panels, speakers and events that were offered, I’d have to say 1 was impressed by how the week seemed at once non-apoiogetic and searching One of the most powerful things any political movement can be is proud of what is is It sends the message. "We won't be messed with." 1 got that message loud and clear when I saw bden Ajrian Omari dancing in drag and lip syncing to Whitney Houston m tfie bMU courtyard Monday during the Pride rally. Whatever your opinions on drag may be (some find it offensive, some think it's silly, some say it belit tles women), you have to admit that few of us have the courage to do it. I won't say that it took balls, rather, it took guts. It took a sense of pride that I think exists in every movement, but comes across more clearly in the gay and lesbian movement, at least the one that's here now. Kvery underrepresented group whether you call its members minorities, the oppressed, the marginalized, whatever - has a lot to say about victimization. Oftentimes it has a lot to say about it, precisely because it has experienced it. Unfortunately, telling people how they have victimized you isn't going to get them to want to understand your culture. Some times. understanding isn't the goal and it s more effective to say, "Look. I think you're screw ing me over " But the gay community really can't afford not to he under stood, lest ballot measures like 9 and Son of 9 gain enough popu lar support to vote away its civ il rights Nor can it afford for the world to think that AIDS is only a gay disease. If it wasn't for consciousness raising done largely by gay communities across the globe (Ac t Up, for example), probably most of us would still think AIDS affected gays only 1 he truth is. queers are pun ished routinely by society. Many religions decree homosexuality a sin. people make fun of gays all the time, and even some of the most opentninded straight people get queasy about what homosexuals do beneath the sheets l.GHA member Trov Shields commented that before corning out of the closet, most gays, lesbians and bisexuals have had to deal with the homo phobia they have inside of themselves And to think, they probably wouldn't have felt that they were somehow sick and many of them probably wouldn't have entertained thoughts of suicide, if society hadn t sent out the message that they were sick and bettor off dead it's enough to inspire a real and passionate anger But as Shields puts it, being angry all of the time equals one big nit. "We're finally identifying who we are,” he said. What's more, "once we come out, we are free” of the oppressions caused by internal and external homophobia, he said Freedom should be both examined and celebrated That in part explains the edu cational and the celehrational focus of the panel discussions, from Tuesday’s "Ask a queer everything you wanted to know about queers but were afraid to ask ... " to Wednesday’s "Color Me Queer." which explored coming out in minority commu nities, to Thursday's "Glowing up Gay in a Religious House hold."' I learned a lot at the panel about coming out in a religious ly charged atmosphere, and couldn't help marveling as one woman told her story of a < hurch experience where the words of someone speaking in tongues were translated to state that there were homosexual peo ple in the room with devils inside of them, and this woman thought, "Oh, they're talking about me!" It's important to note that not all queer people think alike and not all of them get along. Part of the process of universal accep tance is looking at the differ ences between us and under standing them without judgment. There's still a lot of stereotyping and cattiness going on in queer communities about race, gender, political and reli gious affiliations, and bisexual ity. Pride Week doesn't deny this, but rather makes a stab at trying to resolve some of those oppos ing perceptions. All of us — from those who are straight as a corset-bound rib cage, to those of us who enter tain thoughts and actions on troth sides of the fence, to those who are so flaming they could toast a marshmallow just by walking near it — could benefit from a little pride in who we are. Every movement is strengthened both inside and in terms of public visibility when it's clear that the people who make up the movement express glee with who they are and eagerness to share it with others. So if you're curious, check out the events that are left on this last day of Pride Week (noon today in the EMU and a dance tonight at 9:00 p.m. in the EMU dining room).
