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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 20, 1994)
EDITORIAL Acceptance for gays still slow in coming Margo Schott, Fox Broadcasting and the tX^A: poli tics, it swins, makes strange bedfellows — particularly concerning the emotionally charged politics surround ing gay rights. In throe wildly unrelated but coinciding events. Schott, Fox and the OCA have proved that the march toward acceptance for gays, losbians and bisexuals is not without its obstacles — obstacles that come in many dif ferent forms. The Oregon Citizens Alliance's five local anti-gay rights measures received a majority in each of their sev eral localities during the primary election on Tuesday. Fifty percent or more of the voters in Cottage Grove, Veneta. Onkridge, Roseburg and Gresham elected to pass the OCA’s measure — although in Gresham a 60 (wrcent vote is required to amend the city charter, so the mea sure failed. The Oregon Legislature passed legislation in 1993 which nullified the legal significance of any local mea sures relating to gay rights, so these measures are seen as largely symbolic — a stepping stone to another statewide measure, which the OCA hopes to put before voters in the fall. In n far less ominous but still outrageous incident this week. Margo Schott, owner of baseball's Cincinnati Rods, chimed in with tho kind of comment that would make OCA loaders smile. In a speech to the Ohio Coun ty Treasurers Association, Schott told tho audience that she didn't want any of her players wearing earrings, because, in Schott’s words, "only fruits wear earrings." We'd expect that from Schott, the same nasty woman who was suspended by baseball officials in 1993 for using "racially and ethnically insensitive” language, focused primarily on blacks and Jew's. But from Fox Broadcasting, the network that has made a hobby of bucking popular opinion and taking a risk here and there? The same network that brings us In Living Color. The Simpsons and Married... With Children the network for whom almost nothing is sacred — balked at the chance to show two men kissing on the season finale of Melrose Place, which aired on Wednesday. The pro duction company left it up to Fox executives to decide whether to air the kiss; the executives got cold feet. Instead, tho camera cut to a witness of tho scandalous event, who looked on in surprise. Far be it from viewers to expect Melrose Place to bo on the cutting edge of social commentary — brainless tripe that it is — but since the show apparently has no qualms about gratuitous and tasteless heterosexual sex scenes, it seems strange that it should suddenly got shy. All these incidents, transpiring in a single 24-hour period, just go to show — in variously serious degrees — how acceptance for gays, lesbians and bisexuals is not hero now, nor on the immediate horizon. Whether it’s a TV network, a loud-mouthed hag or the OCA. there’s still a long way to go — and a lot of things are getting in the way. Daily •»o aot m* iuc»f’* c»tGO**?*ej f N» CVepon Os*y £ ^e^aief«» putofcafted da*y Monday Owough f '«CLay du**ng the tct\cx» y»*» Toe*d*y ftfHj Thursday during the *umm©' by !h© Oregon Oa-iy Eme'akJ PU^-thtoQ Co . toe . at th* Urv*er*4y Crf OrMO'V tugene. Oregon TN» tmerntf operate* independently o* the Un^ver^y ofhcee a! Su*e 300 ol toe t'b Memorial Union and 4 a mombe? of toe A»<x.»ated Pf<**>» TN» FmrntU *» private property The OnlewM '©mow* Or aMi o» paper* .» prr»*acuti»t*e oy lew Edhor irvCh»«f .lake B®*g Oregon Emerald Mvtagtna Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Fraaianca Editor Cafray Andarto* Daw*} Thorn Jafl Pasiay Aia»rva Baum Sport* Editor Steve Umi Edltortel Editor Pc*h»di Photo Editor kJhchMi Shvx*» Supplement! Editor Kely Soto Night Editor: Ka*y Solo AmocIH* Editor* Edward KiopFensiem. Student GovimmtiWActtwtt**. Rebwxa Merritt. Commu/Ufy, tieoiiNtr'c lime*. H*yh#r tOucat&vA&nifugtrati&n New* Staff Lo»» Bettmaeto. WMson Chen. Dev* Charboon**u. Amy Colombo Jen CWs. Meg Dedoipb, Amy Devenpori. Tasna Etchenteher. M»a F tetts. Ma/t>n F>shar. Sara* Mender too. Yin Lena Leong, Suzanne Made Mar»u» Me-and. Tr.ata Noel. Meentt^ern*. Robbre Reeve* Kate Sabourm. i at Salocaa. Scott S*monaon $tepnan*e Season. Susanne Slehona, Uct^« Thompson. Amy Van Tuyt, Dot* West General Manager Judy R*»dl Advertising Director Mark Walter Production Manager Mc*e*« Rom Advertising. Brian Da**. Sub*» Dutta. Nicole Her/mark. Teresa Isabelle Jett Ma/»on. Jeremy Mason. Mctva* Ms*e<t«. Ke»aey Wekefl Classified Hecky Merchant Manager Victor Me^a S*m Txe Teck Distribution John Long. Ferenc Rakocx>. Graham Simpson Business Kathy Carbone. Supervisor Judy ConnoAy Production Dee McCobb. FVodUchon Ccvvc*njfcv Shawns Ab*e, Greg Desmond. Ta/a Gauftney. Brad Joss. Jerwter Hotand. Natl Thangvijit. Clayton Yee 34ft-5511 34ft-5512 Htwwoom .. BuftlrwM Oftk« Display Advertising__ ClMSifled Advertising.... . 711 WMM <^wv« IVCfK FWfccm OTCouftt (9UTW C^¥lptt€N UfcTMtM I TUPWE A LtCM fhooucl TO0KCO B£OITt*$* NR* uoews. I LETTERS Nixon s in Hell I had just finished gagging over tin* mils*, madia's sentimental his torical revisionism prompted by Ric hard Nixon's death when ! rec eived a copy of your April 25 editorial in Trie kv Dick's defense You criticized my statement that Nixon was a "sleazv crook." I wrote that in 197-1 when I was the Emerald's editorial page edi tor. And it's just as true today, even though Nixon has gone to Hell and the Emerald editorial page has apparently been taken over by a hntm-dead yuppie wan na-!*' I suppose the current editorial writer was unborn or in diapers when Nixon was ravaging Amer ican democracy. so inav 1 remind you why, alive or dead. Nixon w as one of the most despic able si millings ever to disgrace the presidency Your editorial praises him for beginning the U S withdraw al from Vietnam Anyone who was alive and conscious at the time would remember that Nixon and Henry Kissinger prolonged the war for years, resulting m the unnei essary deaths of thousands of Americans and tens of thou sands of Vietnamese and Cam bodians. They also bombed the holy crap out of Cambodia for fac e-saving political purposes, a massacre that should have put them on trial for war c rimes Watergate wasn't some two-bit burglary or a minor sideshow in the Nixon presidenc y It was a massive, evil and totalitarian con spiracy against democrat v by those sworn to protect it All the simpering by amnesia afflicted apologists won't change the fact that Nixon was a mass murderer, a phony and a lying crook. Those who forget ore bound to vote for another Nixon. Lee Siegel Salt Lake City, Utah Take back... This year is the 15th anniver sary offake Ba..k the Night After talking to many people on cam pus. 1 have learned to my dismay that many people do not know what Take Hack the Night is Take Back the Night was created in 1978 during a feminist con ference on pornography in San Francisco. During this confer one*, over 3,000 women marc died through San Francisco's pornog raphy district and consequently shut it down for one night. One year later in 1979, over 5,000 women hold Take Back the Night in Times Square in New York City Imagine 5,000 women extending 20 blocks of the crime ridden streets of New York, pro claiming to the world, "We will not ac cept being beaten, battered and raped — we will take hack the night!" Sine e then. Take Hack the Night has become a tradition in cities and towns all across Amer ica It is a time for women to gath er together to show their power and to let their oppressors know that they will not sit passively by while a woman is beaten every three minutes and raped every five minutes Take Back the Night is also a celebration — a cele bration of our solidarity and progress. Violence against women isn't simply a women's issue, howev er Men must learn to understand their role in stopping tint vio lence While women march tonight at 8 p m , starling at PLC, men w ill hold a speak-out (at the i’iXI as well), a place to talk open ly and honestly about their thoughts and feelings on this sub ject. 1 hope you will take* this opportunity to partic ipate in Take Back the Night The oppres sion and senseless beating of women affects all of us — so let's do what we c an as responsible men and women to take hack the night from yiose who still insist on overpowering and conquer ing. Mandi Hood Students tor Choice ...The Night Violent ac ts against women occur every hour of every day in America The threat of these crimes causes women to be afraid for their safety when simply walking down their own neigh borhood streets, This fear should not bti necessary. The fac t that It exists, however, has led women across the country to make a statement allow! ending violenc e against women. This statement come* in the form of Take Back , the Night Started in 1978 in Sail Francisco, Take Back the Night r has given women the chance to band together and collectively say that they have the right to walk down the street at night without fearing for their safety By taking part in the march, women tire saying that violence against women is not OK — that it has to end. If you believe that violence against women has to end, please come to this year's Take Back the Night, tonight at 8 p.m. at PLC. Before the inarch, inspiring live music will be performed. Speak ers will also he present, talking about their personal experiences and about violence against women in America. While the women are marching, concerned men can take part in a speak-out sponsored by Men and Women Against Rape This male speak out gives men a chance to speak to one another and learn from each other as they share their personal experiences and feel ings about violence against women. After the march, a female speak-out will also take place If you believe that violence against women must stop, come to Take Bar k the Night and make a statement that speaks louder than words Jennifer Carter Pre-Journalism Mislead The story regarding Gordon Johnson's victory in the Twi light Mile way very misleading. It trivialized Johnson’s win, emphasizing his failure to meet the automatic national quaifying time by a mere second. The race was very exciting to watch because it was such a tactical and competitive race. Johnson may have played down his win to the media but it was actually a very big accomplishment. It was a win over some very tal ented post-collegates who make a good living at this sport. It may not have been as fast as it could have been, but track is about more than just times, it's about competition It is this type of competition that makes the sport exciting, Jen Doyle Women's Track LETTERS POLICY 1 h« Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt lo print all letters containing comments on topics of interest to the University community.
