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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1994)
OPINION OCA operates under the guise of respectability £ f A "hate-monger.' "Save JL JLOur Children.'' Folks, it's a battle of words out there, which has been flying hard and fast from both sides. But, stop the music, let's think rationally for a minute. What exactly is behind Ballot Measure 13? To look for the answer to this timely question. I attended two recent events. I wanted to get behind the stream of meaning less words, and find what was behind all of the acrimony My first stop was the No On 13 rally a few weeks ago on Oct <). and the other was a meeting of Club laiissez-Fairo, whose featured speaker was Kathy Phelps, regional director of the (X.A. Both experienc es were in their own way quite enlighten ing. For me. the high point of the No On 13 rally was meeting George Link of Lugene a dea con in the Central Presbyterian Church Link is a kindly older gentleman who is part of the Religious Response Network This group was formed in response to what he railed the “wrong and unchristian" ideol ogy and tactics of the OCA which we witnessed during the Ballot Measure 9 campaign a few years ago. Link was friendly and person able, and he was also quit k and unembarrassed in explaining why Ballot Measure 13 was important to him. Aside from his aforementioned theological differences with the strut Calvinists of the (XiA. Link also described himself as a o< ( opting g.n man " Ho related his ( timing out ns "a religious experience," and to tic quite honest, I think, even Uin Mahon would have boon impressed with his conviction and sini ere ty. To those who are now calling me another drooling left-winger you can stop. Link was open, frank, and ns my father tried to teach me. above board. This is impressive in anybody, regard less of their views Mv experience with Kathy Phelps was quite different Her speech was at Club l.aissez Fnire of btigene. which is a thin ly veiled attempt to push Libertarian ideology without directly mentioning the party while the dub convene* Meeting her was .» (rue it tirn mi; experience She was not a wild-eyed radical earning the Bible under one arm On the contrary She was intelligent, thoughtful and face to-fare, quite ( harming- Hut. to he hon est. her main debating tm tic was that of most Republicans: dodge the question or answer a different one Regarding Phelps, if you look on page 79 of the 1994 Oregon Voter - Pamphlet, you will see her noted as ■'GO!’ Chair, 4th Cong Dist " This is interesting When I met her. she went by her Other title. Regional Director of the OCA. Kathy, say it ain't so, The column which you cosigned in the Voter's Pamphlrt terms one such as Phimo A. J.Font\m (leorge l.ink, ns one who par takes m what you and your col leagues call "wrong behavior Hut he. in nil of his supposed wrongness, was totally up front with me and in turn, the public Now I see that here, you have conveniently dropped your (XIA title, presumably to push your cause Is this a very hon est. or dare 1 say it. Christian thing to do? If the OCA's pose tion is so correct and righteous, it is interesting that it must use su( h covert tai tics Bui, let's get tun i to the issue, which is much bigger than Phelps According to the OCA. we must "Save our Children" from something which they <<»ll tiie tiomosevu.il Agenda I don't know what tins means, and Phelps dm ked the (puts lion, but the main example w ini h we, tiav e all heard It that of the Five Oaks Middle Si hool in Beaverton. According to an OCA publi cation. Homosexuality 1/1 the Schools. I.arr\ Smith showed eighth-grade boys a film enti tled Stale Holes and Tight Hans This alleged im idnnt has been the main, and perhaps only, proof that the children of Orison are being brainwashed into homosexual drones .is the (X A so firmly attests However. out of n group of about t:t!> boys, less than H) have supported thi' ()( A s claims When ! asked Phelps about this disparity. 1 was told they were the only ones with the "courage to reveal w hat had happened This is the sort of garbage that has made Kush l.tmhuugh a news source and may make Newt Gingrich the next Speaker of the House Simple unsub stantiated nonsense, with no intention whatsoever exi ept to incite controversy Let's (»' realistic Think of how most eighth graders fuel about their teachers On top of that picture 1 tr> of them in one room Now do von honestly think that more than 125 of those leiys could be frightened (as the (X A Is implying) into not speaking' Forrest l.ump wouldn't buy it The (X A and other support ers of Ballot Measure I t have used inflammatory and ludi crous rhetorii to frighten the voters of Oregon into voting yes. and it has gotten quite out of hand If you don't agree, 1 would like to quote Fli/aheth Thomas and Amy Feudmrg of lews and Friends of Holocaust Victims For Measure 1 t, who have written. 'Nazism was largely an outgrowth of (Germany’s gay rights move ment." Now remember, this is not the (MlA's writing and presmn ably most of its numiUTt would disagree w111» this statement, but it provi’s that the voters of this slate fiiive witnessed a com plete evolution, from debate to the circus arena, in regard to this measure. So let's take a deep breath and think rationally Kven if ballot Measure 13 passes, it will more than likely have no effect on the laws of Oregon lust as in (Colorado, it will probably be deemed unconstitutional, or spend an eternity in the courts but. a resounding no vote is still imperative Wo should go to the polls on Nov H and give the (M A ,i message If they are reallv interested in "protei ting" their children, there is u |>erfo< t site in Wai o. I’esas, whit li they could probably get lor a steal. lor just oni' moment, wo shouldn't think, .ihout agendas or Jesus or onv of the extraneous issues and “hot button" terms Hehlnd the mess of ,u rimony and rau< krnUng lies George l ink kuthv Phelps and all of us. the people of Oregon No subset of Our group should !«■ singled out in the constitution of thin state l or that goes against something much more important than any of tile nonsense which has I Mien spewed through the great deflate of the last few years Simple human doi um y d o he frank, that is what No On I t is really all about f’rimo A I Fontana is a colum nist lor the I merald ■ LETTERS Go Chiefs! 1 just wanted to state that I have the utmost confidence that the Kansas City Chiefs vvill win this year's Super Howl That is all Gordon Mark Verbiske Spanish Literature Life and death In his commentary on Ballot Measure in [ODE. Oct 26), Larry Haft I suggested that we “got the facts straight.” How unfortunate then, that ho should begin his discussion with generalizations that imply th<it everyone in the medical profession opposing Ballot Measure ll> dot's so only fur re.i sons of Financial gain, and that the entire religious community does so because it "demands that everyone live by its rules or rot in hell." Willi*! I I annul speak fur tile medical community, I can say us u person of faith that my own oppoMtion to this measure has nothing whatsoever to do with people going to hell Rather, because of tnv belief in the sanctity of human life, I strong ly question the wisdom of pass ing legislation that says in effect, when one's life becomes too painful, it is acceptable to allow a physician to help that person kill himself. I fear for the good of o«r six 1 iitv vvluit message this would send to our young people when teens urn already attempting suicide at an alarming rate I fear for the good of our six iety if suicide should become an acceptable “solution" for those who feel their sit kness is a bur den to others If this happens, over time, the "right” to die will Inn (iimi the assumed “duty" to die for those who suffer from prolonged sickness. Finally. as a person of faith. I absolutely believe that everyone should both live and die in a grin nful and dignified manner. However, there is nothing either graceful nor dignified in killing oneself ever. Fr. Fred Lucci, O P St. Thomas More Newman Center WV1.TTFAOIOUS Bpfw Assootwfnt * HWDBFDS OF FftFAKTSW Foods tn Bw.k * SUWDTUOUS SFLFCTION OF/ SUTMFDWC SWACKS yjj2 * Dfviusw Bfucmts IN TWF PrUCATFSSFV 2489 WILLAMETTE • 345 1014 • OPEN DAILY 8 11 fa Lane C ounty Republican Party invites you to visit with our Republican candidates at our tent at the Arizona vs. Oregon game, Autzen Stadium, Oct. 29th. Our candidates include: Denny Smith, candidate for Governor Jack Roberts, candidate for Labor Commissioner John Newkirk, candidate for Congress, 9th Dist. Jimi Mathers, candidate for Senate 20 Senator Bob Kintigh, candidate for Senate 22 Wendall Hall, candidate for Representative 39 George Boehnke, candidate for Representative 90 Jeff Lewis, candidate Jor Representative 91 Jim Welch, candidate for Representative 93 Marty Ballance, candidate for Representative 99 Authonzed/patii by the lutne County Republican Party, PO Box 4003#. lucent OP. 97404
