EDITORIAL
Responsibility law
good move for city
A small Oregon town set a precedent earlier this year
when it demanded that parents bo accountable for the
t ondtn t of their children and threatened fines if they
weren't.
The law took effect Jan. 1 in Silvorton, a small town
near Salem. Just over two weeks later, one parent. Ani
ta Hock, was charged for failing to supervise hor son
under the ordinance because her son shoplifted.
Bor k and the American Civil Liberties Union contest
ed the law. arguing that it invaded the lives of parents
The court rojoi ted the argument and uphold the ordt
nance.
The Silvorton law is a positive stop toward ensuring
that parents are more proactive in raising their children.
While there are many parents who raise their children
excellently, others take no responsibility for the upbring
log of their t hildren. They need to know that they are
required legally, if not morally - to take t are of their
children.
One of Beck's charges was that the ordinance infringed
on her right to raise her children free of intrusion by the
gutxwat is a fallacy The community should
be able to expect that a parent will teat h his or her child
proper conduc t and that some things, such as stealing,
are wrong While parents don't always know exar tl\
where their children are. they should be held account
able for their actions
Parents are responsible for many things in the life of
a child A parent must consent before most medical pro
endures are performed on a child. Parents can be held
financially liable for tin? actions of their children, logi
cally. therefore, parents should bn held liable for the
criminal actions of their children
The Silvorton ordinance doesn't take away punish
ments ior children com ictml of crimes. Children should
bo hold accountable for their actions as well, just like
everyone else. The Silvorton law only adds penalties for
parents
The env ironment in whit h a child grows up often
rennets on the minor. A child may resort to stealing or
joining a gang as a response to problems at home. The
Silvorton ordinance will help children by ensuring that
they grow up in an atmosphere in whit h parents take a
role in teat hing children the difference between right
and wrong under threat <>i law
No law will take the place of unproddod communica
tion between parent and child. Perhaps, one day. an
ordinant o like Silvorton's will be unnecessary and juve
nile crime a nonissue. However, the parental responsi
bility ordinance is- a good first step toward addressing
society’s problem of juvenile crime. Parents, more than
anyone, can help to solve the problem by teaching their
children that crime is wrong.
Silvorton is moving the right way in working to help
i hildren who commit crimes More cities should fol
low Silvorton's example.
Oregim Daily
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■ OPINION
Frog, Pinkman improve campus life
Primp J. Fom \n \
ift* in Fugeno is. to say the
very least, quite interest•
-1—JtuK More th.in anything
else, vs hat makes it so is tlu* cast
of i harat tors w« six* around our
larnpus
I wo sui h people, who 1
would like to salute today, are
Pinkman and Frog
Now til of us know Frog, but
Pinkman may need a bit of intro
duction 1 saw him for the first
time lust week as 1 was walking
down Fast 13th Avenue toward
Gilbert Hall
As I was trudging to my class,
I nolle od someone riding a uni
cvcle down the street, which
although rare, was not startling
in itself Then, upon closer
inspection. I noticed the rider, a
little guy who probably yveighed
about 150 pounds, yvas wearing
a neon pink, full-body spondees
suit that covered all of his laxly,
including his head.
As he tipped in and out of the
bicyclists and on and off of the
sidewalk through the pedestri
ans, he i aused quite a commo
tion.
He made "zooming" noises as
he puttered about and made
sure to quip with ail of those
who gazed at him as he passed.
To one young woman with
purple hair, he pulled up along
side and said: "Great hair!
Pinkman loves purple."
It yvas obvious that he was
having u ball, and so was every
one who saw him Students,
hippies and professors alike
stopped for a moment to have a
laugh with him.
Even Frank Anderson, who
yvas my professor for Math 315.
slopped for a chuc kle 1 haven't
seen him laugh that Itard since
he graded my final las! fall.
Everyone was impressed One
friend of mine, w ho stood along
side me as we watched ill awe
summed it up perfecth "I want
lo know whut he's smoking, and
how 1 can gel some of n ."
I’inkman was awesome for a
number of reasons.
First, riding a unicyele as well
ns he did u quilt* an accom
plishment in itself.
Second, anyone with the guts
lo wear that outfit publicly
should either la* feared, respect
ed or both
Third, he was more entertain
ing than anything I've seen on
television since The Jefferson*
and All in the Family went off of
the air
For all of us. as we moved
through the motions of our day
to-day routine. Pinkman gave us
a chance to giggle for just a
minute and take a break from
the frenetic pace of our lives in
this age of rough times and fears
about the future, that's worth u
lot.
Another person who performs
such a public service is that per
manent fixture of 13th and Kin
<-aid. Frog The world's greatest
joke- book seller has l*een there
for years, probably longer than
any student currently enrolled
I remember my first encounter
with Frog. It was about three
weeks into my freshman year,
and I had just dropped a friend
off at her house off-campus As I
walked alone through the dark, I
was startled by a little bearded
man on a bike who stopped at a
light alongside of me
"Have you had a chance* to
read the world's funniest joke
books?" he asked in the voice
that by now is familiar to all of
us.
"Well. uh. no. 1 don't think
so." I responded, still sho< ked at
the prospect of discussing books
at a stoplight with a total
stranger during the small hours
of the morning.
"Come and see me in front of
the Bookstore this week if you'd
like to take a look."
Fventuallv, 1 did see Frog in
front of the store, and out of
sheer curiosity I bought one of
Ins f>ooks f hate to say i was sur
prised, but it really was funny.
After that. 1 started to sis' him
as most of us do. a facet of life at
the University A fellow /-.filer
aid staffer once told me: "I think
that Frog is the only stable thing
in Eugene " In a town where
Kevin Hornhut kie could get
elected, that's probably true.
While students are walking to
class or going to buy something
at the Bookstore. Frog is there
smiling, books in hand, with
one of his witty sales lines
"Buy one of these joke books
and Jesus will love you."
“These make great Mother's
Day gifts."
And. of ( nurse, the oft repent
ed i i.ismi "Have you seen the
world's funniest joke books?”
On a rough day. walking
toward a midterm or a final, it’s
■tUsijs nice to see timi there
Without fail, we crack a smile as
he banters with us, even if we
don't want to — it simply can't
he helped. His enjoyment of
what ho does is contagious and
it makes pushing through school
just a little easier.
As some of us prepare to grad
uate and leave not only this
town hut our youth behind us.
we should think about Frog and
Pmkman 1 hey don't play it by
the liook. they don't wear suits
and ties, at least not that I’ve
seen; they don't lit the image of
what we're taught is "success
ful." but both of them bring
something valuable to all of us.
Life is hard, and we all know
this No matter how tough it gets
though, there is always time to
sit bat k for just a minute and
realize how- silly all of our wor
ries and preoccupations are.
This is the gift that Frog and
Pink man give us When we
laugh with them, we can laugh
;h ourselves
Primo A / Fontana is a colum
nist for the Emerald.