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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1994)
EDITORIAL Charges of racism unfair, inaccurate Tho Block Student Union threw the first punch in this year’s struggle over race relations by hurling insults and accusations at the Student Senate last week. The issue was the BSU’s $1,195 request for a top-of tho-linc IBM-compatible computer for bulk mailing/fund raising and word processing purposes. The problems started when the BSU's co-director called the Senate racist because of its new policy restricting funding requests for computers. The Senate's rule now requires that organizations must prove they cannot accomplish their missions with existing com puter resources before they will be given money to buy their own. Before the Senate had finished voting on the funding request, BSl) members began leaving the meeting, but not before a parting shot by one member who called the Senate's denial ”... a lynching. They might as well have lynched us from a tree and burned us up on a limb." The Senate then finished its meeting try declining to fund a computer request from the Office of Student Advocacy. The BSU’s actions do nothing but harm the already fragile "official" race relations on this campus, By citing the Senate’s refusal as an example of institutionalized racism, the BSl< is crying wolf to an audience tired of false alarms Lust year. MKChA. the Chicano student union, used similar tactics with the Senate's precursor, the Inciden tal Fee Committee, to get desired funding When the JR first failed to capitulate to MKChA’sf demands, members ring up the specter of racism and waved it at tho 1FC Not wanting to appear rat ist. the 1FC funded the request. This method relies on fear and intimidation rather than utility and merit. Racism is a very serious accusation. The mere insinu ation that a person is a racist is enough to destroy a i areer and reputation. It is a term that shouldn't bit abused to gain a few technological trinkets in a fit of juvenile anger. The HSU lost its bid for a state-of-the-art computer bin ause it could not prove that an absence of a comput er in the office would leave its mission unfulfilled. The Senate pointed out that tho new $13,940 Media Resource Center is Just a four second walk from the BSU’s office. Tho Media Resource Center offers two high-powered Macintoshes with CD-ROM. a scanner and laser printer for all ASUO groups to use. The BSU said using the center caused it to miss important tele phone calls. The bottom line is the HSU doesn’t need a computer to fulfill its mission. The Media Resource Center exists so that the ASUO doesn’t have to buy a computer for every student group. The BSU simply wants a comput er and is willing to use any meAns necessary to get one. By using racism as a threat, the BSU hoped the Senate would cave in, as history suggested it would. But tho Senate stood its ground, refusing to be cowed by an empty threat. Unfortunately, if tho Senate grants any requests for computers in the future, tho BSU will have a field day. Oregon Daily PO UOl J»« fUG€»«C 0»i<*0* ***. .} Tha Oegon D&y l m^fokl «* puW»*hed ctody Monday through f ndoy cfc»f*ng the adhoc* >*»«' and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer t»> fh« Oegon Da>ly Fm#ra‘d PubfesNng Co . Inc . at the UnrversMty of Oregon. fugana. Oregon The t me*nkJ operate* Ihdependenfty of th« Onrveraity w«th office* of Su*« 300 of fN> t rt> Mtmonal l>*on and»» a member of the Associated Preaa The £ mar atfts prrvate proparty The untairful removal or uM of paper* <a prosecutable by Utw EdHor-in-Chlel: Kafy Solo Managing Editor Editor tat Editor Graphic > Editor Fraaianca Editor tn-Oapth Editor Oav*J Thom Jo« Harwood Paakay AJwna Baum Ed Kkjpt«n»ie»n Nm Editor Sport* Editor Ptioto Editor Suppluitol* Editor Mgtil Editor HatMOCa Mor'-n Ova Mmi MhcnsM 5VwxJhw lri«U f*** Amj Cduntw AiaocMa Editor* t nadancft von Carp. Studcmf (*?*ammani Actotbe*. Ma»oa*ena towards Commw/vfy. Ttftany Sn*tr>. >4gn«r €0ucot*ot\Adnrmt%trat>0^ N««t Staff: Lon ftatbne** Wilton Chan. Amy Coiumbo. Ta*ha f*ch«n»*rt0? Aba f U>mada» Pnmo Fontana. Garyto f orman. Qmalophar Fo* Matt Garton. Gary Grata Sarah t*flnde**on. Kft» Harvy. T»ovo» Kearney Adam KiOcbe* MaA McTyt*. Ban Mofltfcu*. Aru^a Mom* KornMd. Sherry Ramey Rot*»e Reeve*. Lia Sakxxsa Paul Van Sck* Kim We^s Diwvn- Waal Bnan Womack General Manager Judy R**S Advertising Director Mark Witftt* Production Manager m ‘ i- e K vs Advertl»«ng M.» Gn-ng t. > < . t H©»*r-er, ft » H*'*~ r. , M i. M- f-,v W **b«* S.Viih M.*. Nw\ Tv - M?mo .'.»»•».*. Ke»*-r-> Wc*** Cta*»if»ad fw, *t Mr-- * Mi ;*v'tw w.f > .o Wil Distribution J f •■ • ; J , * Butmes* Kalhy Carton* Svpwxy j.Kfy Cqtok% Pfoduction LV' -i M . bb (Vv'vJ Abe^. Gfeg Desmond, Tara •■V -inty Brad a^v ir*.----ft* Mow>d Watt thangs Oayt n Yr» ftewtroom 346-5511 Display Advertising 346-3712 Butin*** Office 346-5512 Classified Advertising 346-4343 O*' CK'VfR NOWTM K U*0'*C IN ViRCIN'A Tfc'O K€NMEDY WuRTinC iiVV^SSACMUSET'rS MARio Cuomo rt Sinking in NEW YORK Tom <roi fv' JTumBl nG 1N WASHINGTON KATMUIfN BR'-'WV IS TPaiv'NO 'N CMifoRNiA Bill Clinton ^ Praying 'n rur District ** Columbia ■ LETTERS The EMquirer? \v fortune tjf reading ]ames faiongs artic le on the elitism of whites vou probnhK know what I am talking about How does such poor journal ism ever make it to publication? Let me explain the most proba ble scenario Bov gets an assign ment concerning elitism, he runs out of material and is fon ed to reach into his hag of over used, fictitious stereotypes. And what does he pull out? The grcek system This article was not only poorly written, but also way off line The greek system has always encouraged people from all bm kgrounds to join its chap ters The COL OKS program is just one of many educational mediums that it sponsors to encourage the importance of strengthening interne ial rela tions The quotations used from the interview with Mark, the disgruntled Asian fraternity member, were blatantly distort ed and false. This is probably true because no one who really felt that way could be found I spoke with Mark I hi fore writing this letter and found that you had never even formally inter viewed him i ne stnnstns regarding expenses in the greek system were so far from reality, they were comical. Do you honestly think that greeks spend $1,000 on parties and travel? I don't know how you made up the number for pledge and member ship fees, but they wore wrong too. The overall expense of liv ing in a fraternity or sorority is almost even to any other i ost of living on i ampus. If you are wondering why there aren't more minorities in the greek system, take a look at the number of minorities at this school. The actual number of non-white students in the greek system varies between 10 and 30 percent, compared to the University average of 'll per cent. James, your article was pathetic You had n great oppor tunity to write about the need for all students to open up to each other, and you blew it. Reporting false stereotvpus like you have done is not only bad journalism, but also harmful journalism. With this article you have single-handedly belittled the efforts of hundreds of greeks on this campus Next time you need some fat !s about the greek system, rather than make them up to fit your story, please con sider giving me a call Donavan Dichter IFC President-elect Hail Womack I applaud Brian Womack's commentary on Measure 16, and w ish to add to his list of reasons why we should be concerned if this measure passes on Nov. H Proponents of this measure toll us to look at Holland to see how assisted suicide is working then*, so being curious I did. Derrii k Humphreys, founder of the Hemlock Society, admits that Measure lfi is simply an attempt to open the doorway to lego I i zed euthanasia. In Hol land. two types of euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegally practiced regularly by Dutch physicians. The Rammelinck Report, conducted by the Dutch government, revealed some eye opening practices. Sixty percent of all euthanasia patients were given lethal doses without their consent or knowledge. In Oregon, where we have no real socialized medicine, people who fall under the new Oregon Health Cjire plan will be at risk of becoming casualties of this measure. Under controlled cost plans, physicians receive bene fits for keeping patient treatment costs low. Given the choice betweun exploring expensive treatment options or implying that suicide might be an option, a physician is placed in a moral ly compromising position. The question is no longer “How can this patient be saved?”, but "Is tins patient worth saving?" And we have a right to be con cerned— if not for ourselves, then for those who are society's throwaways: the elderly, dis abled and poor If euthanasia doesn't work in a socialized country, *.ve can be sure it will have disastrous effet ts here We are a society that has deformed aging, making it a feared part of the life process. We ignore the elderly, disabled and terminally ill because they remind us that quo day we will die too Hut more importantly they remind us that we will need the help ol others which threatens the independence we worship as a society We leave many of the elderly to die alone in nursing homes or shut away from human contact. Perhaps the real problem here is that yve have transformed dy ing into an unnatural process, one to he feared and controlled. Perhaps the real problem is that yve know we will die in the same way that we have lived. Kristen Parmeter Sociology Rules are rules Knowing that all University services and programs must fol low the University of Oregon policy statement on affirmative action and equal opportunity, we were surprised and disap pointed to see U S. military recruiters at the Career Fair sponsored by the Career Center. According to a Career Fair organizer, all agencies are asked to comply with the University affirmative action policy when registering for the event. Both the military recruiters and the Career Center know that the fed eral government tan bypass the University policy. Thus, the mil itary does acknowledge the pol icy, but they am not bound by it. Wo approached the Career Fair table and asked a represen tative why they, as a University service abiding by the policy, sponsored an agency that dis criminates. They told us that the military has previously partici pated in the fair and that many students express an interest in military careers. There is also a population of students that are interested in careers in the mil itary but (.annul pursue them, if they are openly lesbian, gay or bisexual. We recognize that we cannot change the existing laws that govern military eligibility, but we expect the Career Center to adhere to University policy and deny access to the military for recruiting on campus By invit ing the U S military to recruit at the Career Fair, the Career Cen ter has made it clear that it sup ports the discrimination of homosexuals. Douglas Knecht Jennifer Williamson University students
