Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1995)
EDITORIAL Overturn Colorado anti-gay-rights law justice look a largo step forward i uosday when Ihe Supreme Court agreed lo rulo on the constitutionality of a Colorado anti-gay-rights law. It's about time. The law. known a* Amendment 2. bans local govern ments in Colorado from enacting laws to protect gays, les hums and bisexuals from discrimination. It is too late for the voters of Colorado to correct the mistake made in the November 1992 election. Unfortu nately. Amendment 2 has passed, it is likely that a small number of vocal anti gay rights activists scared Colorado voters Into believing that gays won; people to be feared and that laws to protect them from discrimination was unnecessary. However, quite the opposite is the case. Most would agree that gays are often subject to discrimination in vary ing forms. A number of gays have been killed, many more have been subject to brutal attacks and still others have been victims of hate crimes Without laws protecting themselves from discrimina tion. attacks against people based on their sexual orien tation will increase from the already disturbing level to a frighteningly high number Discrimination would become overt and commonplace. This isn't the type of society that should Im* encouraged in America. Some argue that laws like Amendment 2 are needed to protect society from "special rights." The reality Is that laws like the Amendment must be overturned to protect sor iety from dis crimination and to ensure equal rights for ail. Without laws pro tecting themselves from discrimination, at tin Its against people based im their sexual on emotion will increase to a frighteningly high num bet Amunumnnt - must do overturned If tho Supremo Court rules that tho amendment is con* stitutlonal. it will sot the nation on a slippery slope down hill It allows rights' of citizens to In- taken away at an elec tion. If the citizens of a particular stale dec ide to take away tho rights of a particular group, there will bo lit tle. if anything, that the group i an do. America would create a set ond-t lass of t iti/ens who could easily l>e dis criminated against. Opponents of the group would Im» able to discriminate, freely and with the blessing of the gov ernment. The debate on gay rights is not solely a Colorado issue. Gay rights battles have been fought for several years here in Oregon. Gays, lesbians and bisexuals are discrimi nated against nationwide. Action from tho Supreme Court is needed to ensure that legally, all citizens will be pro* te< ted to the fullest extent of Iks law. By passing Amendment 2, Colorado voters denied gay citizens of that state the right to safely express themselves as who they are By overturning the Amendment, the Supreme Court can reverse that discrimination and make a bold and nec essary statement. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation will not be tolerated in America. Oregon Daily Emerald PO (K5i >n* tucc»4 Q*fX>0* 1**3 TNi Osgcv? t "HvaM1* (MAtNid &**» Mo*xS«t ®hrt3Mflh f‘?K1*> during ?n# *aho<# y«t »nd 1 and Thursday dw»*x| !hs lunvnir by m® Ospon 0**y t m*r*a Publishing Cfl K #1 t*^s Urwefwty O* Osgon F u^rw. <>SQOn Th* fVn«r*tf oparatM *nd«p*nd®n*ty o? wv« On« ^ vi> offccat <H Sii'ta 300 o* m* f »t» Msmottal Unon and * * *tv« Associated Pt»m Tha t'mmwkf «* pnvafta p»op«rty Ths uniawM national o» use or papery « prosecutst** b> law Msnspma EdMor Editor Utf Editor HmmiI Art f dHo* fiaaimct Editor Edhor-to-CMe# Kary Solo D*v%d Thom Ho«*e frleevm J*« »'«■**> I on BetfcnasAi Mm Editor Sports Editor lupptjiTanTi Night EdRor tWatca Ur* ChmMati r TnMa Now Marceiena t deardt Aaaociat* Edhor* Echareahar StudentGovernment Armih**. Man-Man* f dear da. Communay, T harry Sm*h Higher f &jCJ»on Admmt*ion Nnn tail: Sieve Atfcury Amy CoAaaeo. Amy l Devenport Pnmo Fontana. Gay** F orman ChnttoehM Fo. MM! Clarion Gary Or am Jo* Harwood. Ana Henry. Travur Aeamay. Shannon Adam A nchor Su/anna Marta Man McTyia Paetct MWord. Ban MorOut NMMt* Montgomery, Ann* Motor AomlaM Oo*ean Pohkg. Sherry Haney Kate Safcourm. Pml Van Scale. Seen Smah Jaremy Simeon Km Wert* Boon #oma» General Manager Judy Bret* AdverUtMg Director Mart Waller Production Manager lO fee lv>« Adcectttrng Ann* Amador, Anna Btygaet Marco Omg Tony Fat, Enr Harther KOcor* Itarrmart. Jeremy Maton. Sarah Machea. Tom AMiMtlaer* Aettey Meat Claaamod Beet, Mar chare AAa-iager Ay»e Dana Jot Satan Dmnbulion: John long, t eranc ItaAocn Graham Srrnptcn Buatneaa talhy Cartwna Suoervitcv Judy ConrcOy Production Dema MtCot* ProdkiCton Coorctnaror Shaema At*** Tata Gejlmey Brad krtt Afc>*y McCawa Jerwier Hcaard. Oayion tee Maweroom . Mt-MM Display Advemaing _ MATT!! Butt nett Otftca J*»S1U Clattrhed Adcertitmg. Ml-OtJ DEDICATED to the FANS f*OM TW* Players* Owhers ■ OPINION Computer literacy crucial for future Anns Mo,smi.Kor\fhj) The four \ear stall, otherwise known ns getting a liachelor's <it*>;r»*t• is tin* time to loam how to operate computer* and how to apply computer knowledge With nil the computer tech nology available on latnpui, we are not learning enough about computer systems or how to use computers during our time at the University. The limited number of classes using the University gopher is testimony to how poorly instructed mam students will he about the internet and emerging technolo gies when they leave The University currently graduates computer-impaired students We’re not given the opportu ne In take i lasses in ; omputer basics According to an assis tant at the Computing Center, no class exists to teach students the basit s of w ord-pn* essing or how to use various computer platforms There are only non credit workshops We're cheat ed and forced to stumble along and loam on our own. The truth is that computer ignoramuses need someone willing to teach them how to use software applications But that [>erson would have to tie a computer whiz with a big heart and an ample amount of patience. Those students with the time, the inclination, the access to computers and the forethought to plan ahead will excel at using them Sadly, those who haven't got the self-confidence to go to one of the camp us computer labs and take on learning an intimidating software program are out of luck. Even professional schools emphasizing computer-depen dent. real-world environments don't adequately prepare stu dents for example, the School of journalism and Communication doesn't devel op students' knowledge of the computer technology they'll encounter in print fields to a level of mastery Students are encouraged to learn how to use page layout software and they must l» proficient enough to use word processors. Again, students are not offered classes devoted exclu sively to teaching them how to use computer programs, lamming how to make a tem plate or how to insert graphics is time consuming, but they are some of the many skills that set a tmginner apart from someone who knows how software works Creating class projects or printing out papers is not the same as learning the idiosyn crasies of new software. Each new software applna tion upgrade loses one or two old customers who insist they haven't figured out everything for the system they've had for past couple of years. Students can't possibly get everything out of a program through a tit week class that doesn't even stress the application itself, but instead dartres around the rim of it. A typical instructor might tell students to “forget alwtut that function — it's not important. All we care about in this class is what this menu does " Okay, sure Whatever, just give me an A. the student says The next time those students sit down at a terminal, they've only retained a third of what was already an abridged session with an unfamiliar program. The education value of learn ing a new system has disap peared and students are back at square one because nothing was teamed completely or with any intention of it sticking in their brains. The benefits of becoming knowledgeable about comput ers are innumerable. Computer literacy makes us more visually aware and artistic. Computers add to our communication skills by giving us a safe place to test the waters of new-found information On the Internet, anonymous correspondence give students a chance to feel their way in a rapidly ( hanging world. Computers are tools. Tools don't work by themselves The The idea that stu dents should only learn how to use corn puters once they've refined the skills need ed to use them produi lively negates the increasingly important role that computers have in daily life. idea that students should only learn how to use computers once they've refined the skills needed to use them productive ly negates the increasingly important role that computers 1 have in daily life Over and over again, the argti- . men! is made that it doesn't matter if students don't know how to use computers because they can always learn how to do that What matters is that stu dents know how to read, write, do algebra or almost anything else Wrong Experts in any field will read ily admit that it took them years to get to be tops at what they do liest During the time they honed in on their life's passion, they also luanied other skills, like how computers work Computer skills deserve more attention than is received on campus, fust because our jiar ents didn't grow up with com puters doesn't mean we can afford to lag behind in the same way. (.earning computers takes practice, guidance, a willing ness to accept mistakes and an ability to ask for help. These are wonderful qualities, which out be gained through routine expo sure to computers, and ones in which no competent adult wants to tie lacking. We need more computer classes to move out of the dark ages of strictly algorithm sci ence-based instruction and into the applicable user-friendly world of CD-ROMs and duta retrieval. Anne Mosttr-Kornfeld is a columnist for the Emerald.
