Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1995)
EDITORIAL Serb action shows peace isn’t goal The war In former Yugoslavia look another turn (or the worse this week, as Serf) forces took more than 300 United Nations peat ekeeping troops hostage and bla tantly disregarded U.N. mandates. The troops, who were handcuffed to key Serb instal lations. are being used as insurance against further attacks by NATO air forces aimed at stooping Serbian aggression. NATO troops have used military force to enforce U.N, resolutions and the will of NATO rnem !>er countries, Other Serb leaders said the U.N. troops were against the Serbs and therefore port of the collective “enemy.” In reality. NATO troops bombed Serb ammuni tion-storage facilities after the Serbs failed to return heavy weaponry stolen from the united Nations. The Serb action demonstrates a t 'allous tbs regard for peace und indicates that the Serbs are piac mg t u lory above /react a bloody mistake Beside being the product of a long, confusing series of events, the Serb action demonstrate*, a callous disregard for peace and indicates that the Serbs are placing victo ry above peat e a bloody mistake Unfortunately, the Sorbs, one faction of the ongoing conflict, are missing the point. The 1 N troops are attempting to establish peece, 01 at least mitigate the damage and protect t iviliarts in no way is peace served by chaining troops to Serb instal lations. If the Serbs view the U.N as art enemy, it become# im reasingly evident that Sorits are an enemy of peace, as this is the goal of the U.N troops in recent days, Serb leaders have taken steps to isolate themselves from tin* world community. They have said they do not intend to follow the mandates of U.N reso lutions aimed at restoring peace to the war-weary land. I h« hostage situation only exacerbates a nurnbor of problems in the region. The Serbs holding U,N. hostages not only increases tho already high tension typical of this war. but it brings into question the effectiveness and usefulness of U N. troops, II the troops become pawns of tint Serbian army, what purpose can thev serve in pro moting peat or1 Hostage-taking will only promote drastic at tion by world powers, including, at the very least, an invasion of Serb-held territory to rescue the held U.N. troops. The Serb action prompts world loaders to question their resolve about ending the war in the Balkans, For some, pulling foreign troops out of the country looks tempting, and only their t onscienees stop them front allowing an even more lethal war from reign it ing. Serb leaders should listen to the message of world powers Taking peat ekeeping troops hostage crosses the line a line blurred by the. reality of war In an area that hasn't seen pence in years. PO 00* 3m fUGfNt OAtOON«’«63 Th* Otgon f)j-> I -m.i’.i.» puetsfotl Mooday ffwouflh f -.sa, -hj lha k.fvxv a«J T .atvlay and Thm Kia> Ak™ t»-.o lawi* t>y Mm Oregon 0«j, t m*atd Co Iik »Uft« Um«wv!y erf Oegon fogane. Oegan r n« l mar am otwatM tfxJapandanity of is* Urxvwmy man ott<cm at Suaa 300 o* me Eft) M»mo>>al Uo-on and >» a or tSo t\n»t Tfta t •••vrMitt pfnrata pfOperty The uffija'J removal u> u»e ol a pio»etuliK» EaitOf tfl Chte K^ySott! Maftagtna Conor Editorial Editor Nm AH Editor FflMUftC* Editor Pav*} ihfvri Wot**« rWv<» Jn*1 lO* Hmm% Editor Sports Editor Supplements Editor Might Editor KMr*! Om» KM/ T rtsta Noe* Pftirc* Mkntord AiaociaU Edilwi A-t' j ; oiumoo student (torv'nmtnl AeiivitiM M,v-. fcoy»*>d» CorfWttwndy, CoAaart Po#V^ (ApTW fdbcal!ferv4oyn#varrateyt N*w» Sraft Si«nt> A*6u<-y Meyyna (Vow Matody Oytir.-, Amy t tlewtnpwl. Prvr.o f oraana. GayVr TOman Mjlt Garter Joa Hatwkv] Kft* * V-*v, !twvot kaarrayy. SNateon AAluft, Adam K..ocft«r S»-.,frtha Miifi.r Man McftiM. M.»» MTy.„ f'ati.y M Vyit (W» Moatku* (tnlv Mcvngtynery Anna MUaar Kw-'toM Sharry Mavtay ktatauv*. Sr**wrd. ('»,( V*f> Scvva. Saute Smaf M.O'cm SJ-.«e< Mas Shod. Joromy S*n»On. K*n Mom [V-wi ManU. tm Zm.it* Q*n*»al ManaQar ijdy Max! Advaatiaing Dtraclor U*>* A*Ro* PfOduclkm Managar U. !*. Mom AdvarHaTng: A.-iro Amatoi, Anaa Boroaa*. Marco CNna Tony Fo*. McxM*Marim»»' *<*» lyoc Jottt-, Mason. Sa/ah Ut, ngr T Mflaittaodl kmw, Am«c Claadittad iW»*, Mr< • i • Mi ago k,<a Osm, Jot SasHar Dutrlbulion: -k>rvi L.jog » ■><». MaAoi / Or (team S»me»on Buainaa* k ate y Carbona Stywv^ Judy Connofiy Production (Ml i M 66, Produrdort Coonhnmoi Shassna Abara. Tara Gauanay. Brad Joa*. V*. y Mc< .v' jarvyio Mo.AY! Oust,son Y«*> Mwrwoom J44-55U CNtpJty Ad*«rli»mg ClaMifKd Actvartlalng M6-371J JA6AWJ 1997 AM's'I v * « T r -*X loot 1998 Ml. I >** A 1999 UNTOPfcTfe, W,v*MT * mirun* I Elvis Ptscoytaro Auvt„ | 2000 PUAS* munt CM»NB(T <bUI$T_ TWi Fmrr TXLKMC Ooc... BlCPocff EMfRCES - 2001 UFOf fflEVEM 2002. Budgets BAWCEP' ■ COMMENTARY Police use of tear gas forces students out of home Coffin© Burden As wnidenls of a house which was rendered unlivahle (as staled by the Eugene I’olii e Department) by the tear gas dispensed by the l-.l’D on May llt, we Iwl it is our responsibility to share with the public what we experienced that evening We did have a party in our house that night and until about 11) 30 we thought it would Ik* a dud Around that time, the house suddenly filled with people. Apparently, there were two oth er parties in the immediate area whit h had been broken up or whose kegs had gone dry Any one familiar with tin* campus area know s that 17th Avenue and liilvard Street is a busy and pop ular interset turn Our house sits on this interset turn Kssenttally, our house became a magnet for everyone in the surrounding area People gravi tated toward our house first, bet a u so there was a party going on and set otid, to see whv there were iilxiut 100 people standing on our front lawn. This crowd assembled as our house reached maximum capacity. As the crowd grew , we tried to clear people out of the house and then oil the property A number uf us were trying to move people off the property and we were either ignored or met with open hostility What followed has already been made i tear Once police began to approach the crowd, they were "showered with bot tles and obscenities." We saw that the situation had become dangerous to everyone in the area At this time, a house mem ber called the polite to see what they wen* doing, to see what we could do to help and to explain that this situation (over 200 peo ple standing on all four comers of 17th and Hi Ward) had esca lated beyond our control unfore seeably. The point of this letter is to make known that after this “mob" dispersed (or, rather, as people scattered to escape the cloud of tear gas which engulfed the entire southeast region of Eugene), the police felt it neces sary to discharge more canisters of tear gas at our house Several people heart! (wo tear gas can isters ricochet off the large win dows on the side of our house f»« mg Hilyard Street. One canister was shot at our front porch and strut.k one of our friends in the chest. Anoth er landed on our porch and vs as thrown off by a friend who was trying to keep people off our property. He suffered serious bums and blisters to his hands. As one of rnv house mates opened the front door to pull a person in from the tear gas. another canister went off on the porch. When the two canisters were shot at the side windows, there were about 10 people still inside the house — not a mob and cer tainly not a threat We want to clarify that there are very large windows ami with the lights on it is easy to see inside. As far as our porch goes, one house mem ber was standing behind the police lines on 18tii and Hilyard and could easily see that our porch was clear, except for a few people trying to help those who had been gassed Those who were inside claim that the house was close to empty until they pulled a few people in who had I»*en gassed. That night our house was ren dered uninhabitable. Through out the weekend, we asked the police for advice and assistance They told us to air out the house and sent the fire department over to hose off the front porch These efforts were not helpful and only further dispersed the tear gas. which we later found out requires a much more Involved process to be removed from a house On Monday, the police The whole night was filled w ith unfortu note ct cnl.s and nr empathize with every one w ho felt the iju.v that night. Let's hope nothing like thi s hap pens again advised us to rent large fans to blow tin* powder out of the house and. after throwing away the most saturated pieces of fur niture. to clean every surfat e in the house, including curtains, clothing, housewares, furniture, kitchen utensils and personal possessions We have been unable to live in our house for almost a week, with slim resources to detoxify the house ourselves. YVe have been very ill. with symptoms ranging from vomiting to chest tightness, bronchial congestion, severe headaches, faintness, lightheadedness and sponta neous nosebleeds YVe are staying with different friends and art* severely dis trnssod. YVe are facing exams the week of June 5. without access to our personal possessions, without a home base in which to study and without a se< ure place to sleep The whole night was filled with unfortunate events and we empathize with everyone who felt the gas that night lag's hope nothing like this happens again Comne Burden and nine co-sign ers live near the area where Eugene police dispersed a crow d using tear gas May 1 it ■ LETTERS * COMMENTARY POLICY The Oregon Daily Emerald welcomes letters and commen taries from the public concerning topics of interest to the Uni versity community. Letters to the editor must ho limited to no more than 250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is submitted. Commentaries should l»t between 600 and 800 words, legi ble, signed and the identification of the writer must lx- verified when the commentary is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style.
