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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 1995)
VIEWPOINTS EDITORIALS OPINIONS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Cuban trade embargo mean-spirited ■ OUR OPINION: Cuba. Castro have changed their ways and the U S should make the necessary moves to befriend them Carry B. Trudeau's car toon-strip characterization of President Clinton as a large waffle is a spoof that Clinton has om « again brought on himself. Our grievance with our dor isjvely indnr isivo presi dent is over Clinton s refusal to look beyond superfir nil (and selfish) rea sons for keeping Cuba under the heavy heel of an e< o nomic ally crippling Amori i an embargo While be does shoulder mm h of the responsibilitv. (Hinton is not soloK to blame for this unnecessary embargo The Republicans, led by Senate Foreign Rela tions Committee Chairman Jesse Helms. K N (i . and Rep Dan Burton. R-Ind., have been putting their leg islative muscles behind a bill called the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act- a nice-sounding piece of legislation with an even nastier intent The bill advocates nothing less than the overthrow of Fidel Cas tro and his regime through some kind of "final push,” in Helm's words This is blatantly a rase of bruiting an alrearh dead horse. Yes. Castro has boon a tyrant and Cuba has had more than its fair share of human rights abuses, but Castro’s Communism is dead, and it is now time to extend a helping hand of goodwill. The Cold War is over and there is no reason to continue to punish the people of Cuba (whose daily food intake is loss than 1.800 calories per person), for the sins of an old guy with a funny beard who's finally trying to get his country out of its 36-year slump. America's trade freeze with Cuba has outlived its usefulness Castro has had to face the reality that, with out the raw goods and finan cial aid of the former Soviet Union, his country will have to continue seeking Other means of self suffi ciency. And Castro has been taking small steps in a direc tion that just might save his country. Cuba is undergoing an agrarian revolution finding that it < an be self sufficient through basic sustainable agri< ulture The Cubans are planting pesti cide-free crops using oxen and the sweat of their brow-, and its working for them They are beginning to feed themselves. Meanwhile. hat k in the C S . where the harvest of presidential hopefuls is beginning to ferment and stink up the politic al land scape. Clinton is spending most of his time trying not to offend large numbers of people lie hopes will lx* vot ing lor him. Clinton is not about to endorse the Cuban "Liberty" bill and jeopardize his favor with the anti-Cas tro voting block in Florida's Cuban American communi ty. The policies and beliefs that are keeping this embar go in place should be dis carded like neon active wear - get rid of the stuff Not only is it ugly, it makes us look bad to the rest of the world. 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ALL or 1/5 ? / s tss ■yiiinii Vermin Oh dear, I have |ust rend soidh of the mns) i harming, bleeding-heart-liberal tripe in John Davidson's letter "Try tol erance*' (ODE, Oct. 10) Mv stars. you'd almost think Davidson has some vested interest In the derelict* who defile our pristine tempos. Perhaps our friend over in Legal Services has some sort of {ahem) financial stake in the welfare of the poor miscreants he refers to as "people without evident financial means who i house to lie near the University.'' As we nil know, the vagrants and other such assorted vermin who swarm about our campus are among the mam propaga tors of crime in our area By this. 1 refer to both misde meanor and felonious crimes I'm sure when student vagrants hap|Hm to be arrested for sell ing l.SD to an undercover police officer, they are quite overjoyed to know that there is a big. strong vindicator in Legal-Services land willing to take on "The Man " Neither do I assert that Davidson is paid according to the number of clients he serves, nor do I assert that lie happens to be o lawyer It cer tainty must make the Big Boss Man or Woman quite happy to see that one of his or her employees is lieing requested so frequently (win*, wink — nudge, nudge). On to tile topic of the assort ed litter and refuse on our dar ling campus roads As I'm sure you can tell by now, I hold a very . shall we sov. "negative" perspective on the vagrancy issue I have attended South Eugene schools since middle school, and I have seen the ideals of frwnelu rebellion, blatant irrationality and uncontrolled “small" drug use held up as the greatest of all moral codes I have seen many of my grade-school play mates metamorphosir.e into the seamy mas* of stinking human ity you see crawling along 13th Avis, every day To grow up in Eugene is to witness the idolization of all that is putrid, rotten and decaying in the fabric of our nation. No matter what some so-called expert will tell you, the vast molarity of the trash congregating on 13th Ave have chosen to be in their situation and ant capable of building a bright and rewarding future for themselves. Hear this in mind: "By contributing to the social illness that these people have chosen for themselves, you are only reinforcing and strengthening every depravity you once fell comfortable in scoffing at." By refusing to acknowledge their delaying existence, we are bringing them one step closer to realizing their plight The next time a smelly, lice infested, dirt-encrusted, patchouli-wearing parasite tomes up to you and asks you to provide him with something for his dog. I suggest you take the high road and offer him a frying pan and a good reci|>e for Canine Flam be You may reply to this letter via e-mail at ' k a v i #urs u I a uOregon ed u " Kavi Chaitanya Grace-Luke Philosophy/Pre- Business Liberal 30s 1 am not an Emerald alum nus. but I was a reader of the Emerald inn k in the ! 1120s and early 30s while l was a student at the University I'll relate tins small incident It was spring 1930 and the Emerald sent out reporters to interview those of us in the senior class in the ROTC. ! happened to in* cadet colonel and I told a re|>orter that l liked ROTC fine " The next day Dick Neuberger. the student editor, ridiculed my remarks saying 1 was only an “ROTC stooge." He. like others, had a pacifist l>ent at that time Of course he. like 1, went on into Army ser via; during World War II 1 think that ns a U S. Senator. Dick (and later his wife Maureen) supported tin; U S. military. A few years ago. writing a letter in Old Oregon. I signed my name as a retired colonel. Some other alumnus took the occasion to wonder who such a follow might ho who was on the military side. He also objected to having ROTC on the campus in the 30s and still thought the U.S. participation m World War II was a bad idea! It's too late now. but in retro spect I think I should have studied journalism Writing letters to the editor is now my biggest hobby. Kart S. Landstrom Arlington, Virginia GTF reps Diane Ran, Graduate Teaching Fellow Federation union representative, and I-arry Williams, who managed the GTFF Health Plan, have t>een having difficulties negoti ating their employment con tract with elected union offi cers. Williams has already left for another job and Rau appears to be under extreme pressure to fort e her to quit As graduate teaching fellows, we come and go, as do GTF union presi dents. but stability and experi ence in our union representa tives is essential Rau has sue cessfullv seen us through four negotiations with the University. She served as chief negotiator for the last two. which made the GTFF one of two graduate student unions with medical and dental bene fits and wage increases at a time of shrinking budgets. I do not know what is moti vating the current union offi ters, but I think it is important they inform us and act for the beat long-term interest of the union and not some momen tary flirtation with power. Yvonne Rauch Department of English
