Yo-yo
Two recent letter* to the fc'/ner
aid by members of the Oregon
Citizens Alliance [ODE, June 28)
are fine examples of a trend that
is as consistent in our history os
the passing of Halley's Comet
This trend is the pendulous
swing of the moral weather vane
over time.
We humans spout the doctrine
of. "If we don't learn from the
post, then we are doomed to
repeat it." Our moral progression
isn't linear forward, however It
is similar to a yo-yo action, with
progress inevitably being
snapped back up to the place
from which we started.
The losers in this exchange,
beside the human population as
a whole, are those who are some
how different from the people
holding the end of the string. If
we look around today this sce
nario is being played out across
this country, but most notably in
our own backyard.
If we ever wish to break this
monotonous loop of reactionary
blame, near-sighted finger
pointing and one-stop easy-cure
moral legislation, then the answer
is not to go trolling for conflict in
the letters to the editor section of
the Emerald.
The answer lies in a simple
solution. We, as supposedly civ
ilized human beings, need to
share a dialogue in which our
root fears and concerns are dis
cussed in a calm forum away
from the Sally Jesse yell-fest.
We need to be open to feel
what those who would oppose us
feel We need to stop this cycle
of either/or mentality or else our
valuable human energy will be
exhausted and all we'll have to
show for it is ugly human peiro
glyphs of broken-record, red
faced antagonism.
John Gordon
Pre-Business Administration
Think about it
Thinking alxiut adopting a |xit'
Wait a minute. Do you know
whore you will be in two years'
Three years' Twelve years' Will
your pet still be able to live with
you? Pets are too faithful and lov
ing to txi merely rented while it's
convenient. Owning a pet needs
to bo a lifelong commitment.
Other issues to consider: Are
your roommates allergic to pets?
Are the costs of veterinary care
and food within your means? Too
many animals are left at the
humane society or abandoned as
strays because such concerns
weren't addressed when the pet
was adopted
And when you decide to be
come a pet owner, please adopt
from the humane society By
adopting from an animal shelter,
you will be saving a life.
Finally, neuter or spay your
pets. Almost 8,000 puppies, kit
tens. dogs and cats were killed in
l.ane County in 1991 because
there weren't enough homes for
them all More than 12 million
die nationwide annually.
Pet overpopulation is a serious
problem in our community and
country, and each of us can sig
nificantly help end this problem
by neutering or spaying our pets
Please take these suggestions to
heart.
Blake Stehling
Spanish
If it were you
I Bin writing in response to the
June 2H letters bv OCA repre
sentatives. "Agenda" and "Dis
grace."
To Merle Pacewicz Sir, I
agree with much of the argu
ment you present, but it seems
to have one major flaw You
claim that the OCA initiative
does not jeopardize a person's
right to work based on their sex
uality, which you say is "'non
job' related." but you also assert
that a Jewish delicatessen owner
must have the right to screen
employees who are “unclean."
Well, granted.
Hut herein lies the problem;
one person's rights end where
another person's begin. Whose
concerns should take prece
dence?
To I.. Miller: I regard your
comments as little more than a
hateful agenda with a modicum
of consideration for the real is
sue It has been my experience
that homosexuals and lesbians
do not want special rights, they
simply want the same right you
anti 1 have to do their job with
out being fired or harassed If
people were discriminated
against for hate speech rather
than "the practices ... in the bed
room." perhaps it would be you
who would he fighting for spe
cial treatment.
James McClintock
Eugene
Thankful
Concerning the editorial of
July 5, I ask you: What is this
crap? You are apparently very
ungrateful for everything this
notion has done for you.
No, I'm not some conserva
tive, God-fearing hick from
Springfield, bul a Darwinian I
fear the attitude that our gov
tirnment is some cold-hearted
(and unjustified) oppressor Our
government is far from creating
a world utopia With that in
mind. I will he right there sup
porting U S imperialism, espe
cially when the world pop
ulation explodes to 10 billion
and beyond When it conies
down to survival, oppression
will not even be an issue any
more. 1. at least, am thankful for
what this nation has given me
Todd Helton
Humanltiee
Compassion
A genuinely compassionate
society does not pass laws or
polit ies sanctioning homosexu
ality as good or healthy. Promo
tion of homosexuality directly
conflicts with the laws of nature
Natural law is superior to all
law Contradictory human rea
soning has no validity Natural
law is right reason in agreement
with nature. Natural law is uni
versal. unchangeable and ever
lasting
The Declaration of Indepen
dence ret ognizes our inalienable
rights as being derived from the
lows of nature of nature's (’.oil
Our Creator laid down certain
unalterable laws of nature as a
basis in establishing rules to
govern ourselves. These laws, in
agreement with nature, are for
promoting the general welfare of
all society's members
Natural law separates man
from animal by recognizing
man's ability to reason. Right
reason, in agreement with na
ture. fully developed and per
fected. is called wisdom When
applied by government, it's
called justice Justice < annot be
derived from laws violating nat
ural law If justice was served by
man's opinion, a vote of society
could turn alcoholism, drug use.
smoking or overeating into good,
healthy practices A vote, law or
policy cannot change or alter a
biologically harmful practice.
Genuine justice is a compas
sionate society in obedience to
the laws of nature. A compas
sionate society does not promote
or sanction behaviors causing its
members physical harm Society
has a moral responsibility to
resist passing laws or policies
sanctioning wrong or destruc
tive behaviors violating the laws
of nature Sign the OCA’s peti
tion
Loretta S. Neet
Communications Director
Oregon Citizens Alliance
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