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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1995)
EDITORIAL Community must not pay beggars You've probably seen thorn on street corners or along 13th Avenue. These days, it seems like the campus com munity is full of panhandlers. Some of the beggars out there are polite and creative in their attempt to separate legitimate wage-earners from their money. However, a number of panhandlers in the community are coercive and threatening I he Eugene City Council responded to the < omplaints of citizens and passed an ordinance prohibiting aggros sivo panhandling, defined as a time when a person is assaulted or tout bed in some way, or when a panhandler blocks the route of someone els<- When a < itizen is will ing to sign a complaint against a panhandler. In an attempt to be a service to the community, the Hnwmldcompiled a list of suggestions for what residents can tell panhandlers when asked for money Use them liberally when encountered by a local beggar. Here are the Emerald’s top ten put-off lines for beggars, 10. "You can sell me those l)o< Martens™ for 550 " o "Apply for student loans, pal." 8 "Change comes from within” 7 Offer to buy their puppy “One less mouth to feed” ft. When they ask if you have a quarter, say "yes” and walk away. V 'What, do I look like the Dept, of Health and Human Services to you7” ‘S “Got a job." 3, Ask the panhandler for spare change fust, 2. Tell them to put your donation on your parents’ Gold Card"* I, Give a long, Irorsng lecture on the Protestant work ethic. Ail fun aside, paying beggars doesn’t help anyone in the community. Thera are other ways to solve the prob lem of aggressive panhandling While there are some people in the community who are in genuine financial distress, there are a number of resources available that can help with employment, food, schooling end shelter problems A hit of effort by the person In need is necessary to obtain help. They are not forced by c« onomic or societal ills to stand on street corners to panhandle near a major University to survive However, some choose to stand on street corners and hog instead of taking the initiative to get help. In some cases, this can he? a fruitful method of earning money, in some areas, it is conceivable for a person begging to earn tip to $100 in a day ail for doing nothing. While this may help a person in the short run. it broods depen dency on the street for people in need and is annoying for those who must put up with them. Some people are down on their luck and need help. The way to give people help is not to give them spare change and encourage them to continue begging. hv refusing to donate spare change to those who ask. members oi the community will help to solve the prob lem of aggressive panhandling by showing that lagging doesn't pay. 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ULMUOUSL o* REPfttS^NiTAT• V£S Jm l I nu cm »i*st ?c ^ ■■ 7 He p* -'•> • ■ OPINION Year of the Pig offers acceptance Ann* MosKK-KoRNmj) In- Chinese New Year begins today and each JL year's ■ clebrntinn lielongs to the family The Y ear of the Pig or Hoar is the last animal in the Chinese Zodia* fiver) year, follow mg the first day of the new moon after the sun enters Aquarius, the New Year celebra tion (logins New Year's Day provides the Chinese culture one svav to express the meaning of family values The jubilant celebrations of Yuan Tan include spending time with loved ones, business es generally close and people wear new clothes to avoid being rei ogruzed by evil spirits Rough language and sw earing are not tolerated during the two week celebration The color red sym bolizes Joy, and is used to deco rate the home or plat.os where people gather to wish each other good lin k The postal service issued a gravure representation of the Immu that became available Dim 30. The artist. Clarence Lee, emphasized traditional Chinese culture, but the stamp itself isn't very dynamic or striking Per haps it s even patronizing, a concession to multiculturalism "Dear Abby" sends greetings, "confidential" to her Chinese readers, this time of year — con gratulations and happiness Resides her consistent message, the mainstream press jmys little attention to the Chinese commu nity throughout the year. Part of this may come from the division among Chinese peo ple Ai the University, the Chi nese Student Association pre sented a cultural night Saturday to offer audiences a feel of Tai wanese culture Taiwan and mainland China view the new year differentia While both groups may be quite insular and fearful of outside interpretation, the Taiwanese students appear more politic al and opwn to mod wrn viewpoints The event sponsored hv CSA left me with a disappointing feeling for a time of year other wise known for its hope and fresh start The meal was badly organized, as food supplies ran out, and crowds rushed the serv ing tables There were a few tables set up to give luu kground information to anyone who wanted to know more about Tai wanese culture, but overhearing conversations among students gave me more insight into unfa miliar customs. I expected much more from this school because of the ui ad emic disi iplinus devoted to Asian studies and the large pop ulation of students from varying parts of the East This brought up many ques tions, particularly ones I'd askisl myself in preparation for writing this column 1 wanted to know where a general interest publica tion on Chinese culture could la found Feminism has yet to reach Chinese women and when it does, the entire system will break open, just as it has been doing here for over 20 years Traditional religions, such as Buddhism, doesn't invite believ ers to question their spirituality nor are they going through an identity crisis like many Christ ian religions in the United States Pork consumption, for reasons that leave a sick sensation in my stomach, has risen in the past year. Pork fried rice is common ly eaten in the Chinese culture and served in American-Chineae restaurants Pork, regarded by some as unhealthy ami from the carcass of an unclean animal, is being eaten in this country at a rate equal to that of the Depres sion era This comment may sound out of context to the m-w year, but it introduces students who have contrasting ethnic backgrounds an opportunity to discuss their heritages Food allows people to agree or disagree about tastes and share thoughts that other wise wouldn't enable them to bridge gaps The Year of the Pig, a practical yin sign, represents ease and family prosperity The action implied with the pig is one of at i optance Chinese beliefs hold that a person's zodiac deter mines someone's character and destiny Persons born in the Year of the Pig are honest, brave and always t omplete projects they start The las! Year of the Hoar was 1983, before that 1971, and students who were born that year (an be assured they're able to learn their studies well. I he Chinese New year pos sesses great meaning for rue t celebrate the new year and (Min der Chinese astrology, not only as a way to discover additional societal customs, but to ground myself into how people medi tate and unravel their lives The volatile political situation in mainland China throughout tins century may enter a new era this year with the ailing health of the elder statesman. Deng Xiaoping. State officials deny that his health is failing, but the Year of the Pig often preludes the death of a government leader. Trade between the Unit ed States ami Beijing has also pi< ked up since China proposed a new initiative with intellectu al-property rights I was born in the Year of the Fire Horse, and will not come into my element until well into the next century. Next year marks the Year of the Rat It's not supposed to tie a very good year for horses I'll enjoy this year while I t an Rung Hei Fat Choi! Anne Moser-Kornfeld is a columnist for the Emerald
