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
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■ 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.