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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1994)
Bill puts the ban on 19 assault weapons The vote was as close as a snipe shooter's best shot, ’the House passed a bill banning 19 assault weapons, but the effects of the ban probably won’t be felt — at least for quite some time. Supporters ranged from today's president to presi dents from terms past, big game hunters to police offi cers; but the other side of the argument was there to cast their vote as well. Representatives who voted against the ballot voiced concern that the bill really won’t do much at all. Not doing mtlch is a feeble excuse to vote the bill down. Even if one life is saved because of the ban, it deserves approval. Sadly enough, the bill won't make drastic changes. The legislation stops gun manufacturers from pro ducing and selling 19 assault-style firearms. It also stops manufacturers who produce copycat models and limits magazines to 10 rounds. But, if you've got one of them now — h'ufd rfrf to it. There is nothing in the ban that requires owners of such guns to turn them over to the authorities. Assault weapons are, like their name sounds, used for assault, used to kill people. Certainly you won’t see someone hunting game with an AK-47. According to the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, you’re certain to see assault-type weapons in the hands of criminals rather than law-abiding citizens. This is where the problem comes into play. I .aw abiding citizens abide by the laws. The law-abid ing citizens with the assault weapons probably aren’t the threat The criminals w»ho use the weapons will, without a doubt, still use them. They may be more expensive to get, but they will get them and they will use them. Because they have been banned, another market is open for criminals to tackle. The underground market for assault weapons will turn quite profitable in the future. Banning the manufacture of the weapons will make it more difficult to get the weapons, but at the same time they will become more appealing to criminals simply because they are against the law and they will be expensive to get. It w'as reported that only 10 percent of gun-related crimes committed between 1988 and 1991 used assault weapons. It was reported, however, that crimes involv ing assault weapons are on the rise. Banning the production of the guns is a step in the right direction in the fight against guns, but if legislation is going to have an effoct on gun control then it must be drastic and complete. There was really no reason for any of the representatives to vote against the ban. but in order for the legislation to be effective, it must be followed up. The anti-crime bill passed last fall needs to bo ful filled. Tho new assault ban and the anti-crime bill are steps in the right direction toward taking guns out of the hands of people who don’t deserve them. A yes vote is common sense becauso any move toward gun control is necessary in this country. Tho intentions are good, but tho effects won’t be felt for quite some time. Oregon Daily *>0 BOI JIM CUGtHt Th« Oapa* Mfy i^^rwkS a put>**h«j daily Monday through f 'day du*»rtg m# acbcxrf »*af a^d Tu«$ddy and Thursday during ih«» fu<nme< by th« Oregon Da y 1m^ikl Pu&fcftNngCo., me . attha Urvyeraity erf Oregon f:ug<sr*« Oregon Th« £fn*ra*i operates fcvlapanclentfy of tr*> U^ver^ty w*m oh«« nt $usa 300 of m# i ft Memorial Un*on and i* a member of th«* A*»0Ca’nd pf#a« Th« £me*skt *s prtvafe property Tbe untaertut removal or uao <rf pj*>#r* *% proeaevtabte by Urn fcdito*-lfvCh»«* iJ*n Barn Managing E df tor Editorial Editor QrapMca Editor f raatartca Editor Gafiey A/v.fcwao*' David TNyn Jo« P**ia> Baum Sport* Editor Editorial Editor Photo Editor Suppiomant* Editor Stove fcAm* S>T*ndtor ***y Soto ntyni totrar. saw Lumonsoc. Atftoctai* Edllcx* EctwnrJ Ktop*«n*!iw' Stixlant Government Kt’iit’m flatiocui i4w n Comm**vTy, IfeMrtfteiLo F*m«». taxation Aitmmatiatioo H«w Sl*ff Lort Banviwki. Wi»on Ciwv 0«v« Oart>onn*au. Amy Gc**nDo, Jim 0**»*. M»g OxcJotpA. Amy Devon po<1 T*»ha t W.i ,i F .«Wdi Ma'!m F :*F\*( S*'*F> Fie«d«r»on. Vm long loong Manus Mourn! Tnsta Nool. EkMboth FLoenstjwna, Ho«*o Htmvtn KaM S*xxmn. Lx Solaccta. Soofl Simonson. Suphxro* Sisson. Suume SLeflons. Mfc+xie Thompson. Amy Van TuyF, Da/voi Weal Qeoersi MmiQtf ftitKjl Advertising Director Mart Walter Production Manager Rom Advertising: IV;an Davit. $ob*r Oulta N<o*e Mertmerk, Teresa isafce^rv J#W Ma on. Jeremy Mason. fctchae* Mftette. Ketsey Wo*etf Classified Becky Merchant. Manager Veto* Mani. S*m T*e Tec* Distribution John Long. Ferenc Ratoon Graham Smupaon Business; Kathy Carbone. Suparvrao/ Judy Connoty Production: Dee MoCobb, Product*.™ Coordneav Shawna A&eie. Grog Desmond. Tam Gainey. Brad Joes. Jennifer Roland. Nan Thtngwst. Dayton Yee Ncwwoom ___ 346-Mtl Butiiwu OWc* — _J46-S5I2 Oiplay Advartlatng CtauJfM *ctv*rtinng M4-3712 344-4341 NKE SHOT® * T-* NRA 0*mon$th««$ mow an ASSawit *5 UW A* 5POBT. LETTERS Disservice 1 ft*** 1 it is my duly to tiring to light ttu* truth about multiyear incidental fee funding. The May 2 Emerald editorial inc orrectly stated that "under the ASUO c onstitution, ballot measures are unconstitutional if they have multiyear funding ” I have no idea where the Emerald "dis covered" this section of the ASUO c onstitution No such provision exists Actually, we have iiet'ii doing multiyear fund ing for years. This year s interventionist Constitution Court dug out a court opinion from the 1970s that stated sludent programs could not receive funding from the tiallot for more than one your at a time and incorrectly applied it to all incidental fees funding. In order to clear up the confu sion regarding multiyear fund ing, I have been working with the administration to clarify the matter in the Clark Document, which outlines the relation between tint ASUO and Univer sity administration over the inc idental fee process The Constitution Court chose to ignore the < larifiiulion and lurc hed forward with an incor rect review of Ballot Measure 9, which provided multiyear fund ing for a rec reation and fitness c enter. In light of the Court's confusion. 1 chose to put the matter lieiore the students. What disturbs mu most is not the over/ealous Constitution Court, or even the general cam fusion. hut the disservice the Emerald did to students bv spreading lies about their gov erning document, the ASUO constitution. Next time maybe you should actually read the constitution, or at least ask someone who has Eric M. Bowen ASUO president PTA 86s OCA The Oregon Parent Teacher Association recently passed a resolution opposing the Oregon Citizens Alliance's measure of discrimination targeting Ore gon's homosexual citizens. The PTA declared "prejudice against homosexuals — children, teaiii ers. parents — would affect stu dents " (77ie Orrgoninn, Mav 4) Over 400 PTA delegates, rep resenting over 28,000 PTA members statewide, attended the convention and worked together to pass this resolution. Yet OCA Director I.on Mahon had the usual head-in-the-sand effrontery to seek to discredit the members of this organiza tion by claiming this "is another example of how far this new way of looking at right and wrong has captured the estab lishment of this state.” The PTA. not exactly a bas tion of "liberal" thinking, took the just and right stand oppos ing the harm that discrimination and divisiveness inflicts on cit izens and communities. There's no "new way" about it. The PTA's job is to protect parents, teachers and i hildren from the ill effects of bigotry and dis crimination — the stock-in-trade of the OCA. The PTA recog nized the need to take a stand Good for the PTA and the growing list of community groups and religious organiza tions networking together to put a stop to the blight of bigotry taring promoted by the OCA. Carol Berg Eugene Students lose It seems that the University has found yet one more way to spite individuals attempting to graduate on time Most students who were planning to graduate next year should now find it extremely difficult — if not impossible. A recent curriculum decision changed most of the three-credit classes to four cred its Because the University lim its students to 1H credits a term, one must now nay extra to take the classes he/sne needs to grad uate. Contrary to popular belief, future students will not Irene fit from this change, either. Four credit classes will ensure that students will remain in school for over four years. There is not enough room in each individ ual's schedule to take the class es required within that student's respective major/ntinor depart ments Indeed, students will get loss for their money — even if those classes are intensified. A solution, short of repealing this change, would be to either allow these students to exceed the credit limit at no charge, or tailor major and minor require ments within the departments to match the former system. If nothing is done about this, 1 will expect the office of Academic Advising and Student Services to be extremely lenient with petitions dealing with this mat ter. I urge the students who are concerned about this to cut this letter out. sign it and send it to: the University president’s office, the Dean of Students, your major/minor department offices, or academic advising and stu dent services. This matter will affect all students, so as a warn ing. plan accordingly. Joshua Thomas Public Liaison ASUO Student Senate Nixsux, Rob rox I'm very tired of reading let ters that condemn Mr. Reeves column (ODt., April 2H) that painted Richard Nixon as the dishonest man he was. 1 too am weary of all the postmortem praise our 37th president has been receiving. I will lie the first to admit that his foreign polk y was not only insightful, but bril liant. I will also he cniick to point out his political begin nings. such as Ins seat on the House Un-American Activities Committee and the infamous Checkers speech. It is clear that when it came to furthering his political ambitions, he had no morals. Those who praise him would do well to remember the bombings that occurred in Cam bodia were exposed after the fact It was clear then that he was lying and I find it hard to lielieve that some peoples' mem ories are so short. It is time that his memory is treated with the respect that it deserves, which is the same respect that should be given to any person who has abused a position of power. Just because lie was president at one time doesn't make the man sacred. After all, this is republic — not a thoocracy. Mats White Political Science / History
