EDITORIALS. OPINIONS. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Pinkman’s powers fail;
superheroes aren’t real
■ OUR OPINION: Pmkman
has a skeleton in his
closet, but we should
forgive him
it takes coordination to
keep your balance on a uni
eye in. Hiding one of those
single-wheeled contraptions
is .i lot like life: Sometimes
the ride is smooth and
uneventful; sometimes you
take such a bad spill that
you wonder if you'll ever 1m<
able to get back on.
Last week Pinkman's life
hit some loose gravel His
past cruised up from behind
and ran right over him.
Michael Max. also known
as "Pinkman." was a self
styled superhero on the
front page of The Register
(kturri last Wednesday
Two days later Pinkman
went from silly superhero to
child molester when The
Guard reported that Max
had fondled three girls in
separate incidents during a
several year period
What a different e two
days make.
Thanks to this recent rev
elation. Pinkman's image
has gone from a brilliant
dav-glo pink to an enibar
rassing shade of red
That's good.
Max’s behavior was inde
fensible and any attempt to
minimize his u< lions would
be irresponsible. However,
he also admitted his deeds
and turned himself in I le
has shown remorse His past
is forgivable.
It is for this reason that
we should grant Max a set
ond chance in our commu
nity While Max has a seri
ous problem that he must
t ontinue to deal with
through professional coun
seling. we should not run
him out of town
Sot iety justifiably holds a
more intense amount of con
tempt for individuals who
purposefully harm children.
This is as it should In* Chil
dren who depend on adults
for protection and guidance
suffer deep psychologic al
wounds when the vory peo
ple they look up to turn on
them and hurl them
We urge the victims of
abuse to see someone who
can help start the healing
process. Victims of abuse
have been dealt an unfair
hand, but there is hope.
They are not to blame
The fault lies with people
who have a problem. People
like* Pinkman
But, as tragic and awful as
Max's actions were, wo
should save our rage and be
stingy with our forgiveness
for inhuman monsters such
as Tod Bundy, Klizobeth
Diane Downs and John
Wayne Cacoy Society has to
bo protec ted from individu
als sill ll as these who are
better off spending tine rest
of their lives in prison
Max has already paid a
hefty price for his actions,
and he shouldn't Ire hated or
driven from our city.
It seems he has been trv
ing to get his life bat k on
tree k after having to start all
over again. The man
deserves another chance.
Pinkman’s joy is conta
gious He has made us smile
and laugh in the middle of
our otherwise routine and
boring days.
ile dici the right thing by
bravely coming forward and
turning himself in.
Now. for his sake and the
benefit of the people around
him. he should resumo his
counseling. If he does, he
may be able to find that elu
sive inner peace without
putting on the pink suit.
Then there will be a new
superhero in town.
Michael Max
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LETTERS
Supreme law
Normally I find vuur editorials to be harmless
if somewhat uneducated babble The editorial
regarding the Supreme Court {Ol)E, (b t <i). has
crossed the line
ro accuse o conservative court of legislating
from the bent h is to ignore the last 40 years of
Supreme Court history. The very term "legislating
from the bent h" i ame in response to the efforts ol
the Warren i ourt to row rite social policy, regard ■
less of what was in the Constitution
I'he fact that mm h of w hat tame from the i ourt
was good does not change the reality that it was.
for tlu* most part, judicial legislation In Roe v.
Wade, the court changed the law rather than
allowing it to be changed through the legislative
pris ess By contrast, the Rehnquist court has gen
erally followed the Constitution and has not let
the right of judicial review get out of hand
lust I localise we may agree with what the War
ren t ourt did dia*s not change what it was — judi
cial legislation Just because we don’t agree with
the actions of the Rehnquist court does not give
us the right to cell it something that it is not.
Robert M. Farley
Political Science/ History
Humans, not God
This letter is in response to Jesse Bohrer Glan
• v s column concerning "God" and the two-slit
experiment in quantum physics {ODE. Oct l .'t).
Though Bohrer-Claniy is correct in saying the
experiment brings up very large questions of
metaphysics as well as physics, his conclusion
that some sort of god is therefore at work in the
periphery is a somewhat galactic jump in logic
The two-slit experiment has to do with the
wave/particle duality of light Photons of light are
shot through a sheet with two slits cut in it The
interference patterns that result on the photo
graphic plate (the measuring device behind the
double-slitted sheet) do, as Bohrer-Clancy states,
vary depending on whether you know atiead of
time wliicJi slit the photons have passed through
The illogical jump he makes, though, is to explain
this discrepancy by resorting to some sort of (dare
1 say Christian?) god.
The experiment does not so much prove that
some "prankster god" is at work, as it shows that
the ai t of focusing your mind, your conscious
ness. on an experiment can causally effect that
experiment.
I'lie critical variable in the experiment (the
variable that creates the two separate interference
patterns) is not "God." hut rather the human
observation of which slit the photons have passed
through.
An answer to this very important discrepancy
shown by the experiment is not to be found in
resorting to Christian theology, but rather in more
study (scientific or otherwise) of the connection
lietween human consciousness and physical mat
ter
Such study would help us to transcend tired,
incomplete and often dangerous materialist-sci
ence world views and allow us to form more
complete and less destructive metaphors with
whir It to perceive the world
Saul Harper
Philosophy/Women's Studies
Hunger activism
I was surprised to see myself the subject of your
editorial (ODE, Oct 13), with quotes, as neither 1
nor any other hunger strikers (there are now
three) have ever spoken to anyone at the Emerald
staff You said our hunger strike to oppose log
ging without laws "will change little," will not
"have any offer t on the logging of Oregon's tim
ber," and is "pointless and a little silly."
You i hide the hunger strikers !>er ause we are
not "willing to die for our cause." You suggest
that we should "Write commentaries to local
papers Ask people to sign petitions. Call our
elected officials Form a lobby Watch CNN.”
I have written opinion pieces for six papers in
the last two weeks We have gathered almost 200
signatures on two petitions We have met with
Congressman Peter DeFazio's staff three times
and held meetings with the Forest Service and
the Bureau of land Management.
We have a meeting scheduled with Governor
John kitzhulxtr s staff and hope to meet with Sen
ator Mark Hatfield’s staff We have also had dis
cussions with U S Senate candidates Hurry Ix>ns
dalo and Mu haul Donnelly.
Contrary to your suggestion however. 1 still
believe the most important thing we are doing is
remaining steadfast in this place and foregoing
food Only four percent of the original forest m
the lower 48 states remains uncut.
The moral dimensions of cutting this final four
percent demands an in-kind response. I'm willing
to give every moment of my time and energy to
stop this I'm sorry I'm not willing to give my life
at this time 1 don't think my actions are silly and
pointless I don't have the money to boot industry
at lobbying. Watching CNN doesn't feel very use
ful
I'm doing the best 1 think I can at this time. I
benefit from publu support I try to support oth
ers who are approai hing this destruction with
different strategies Working together will be most
effective. Please come by and visit us at Seventh
Avenue and Pearl Street Let's stop the cutting of
ancient forest and each other
Tim Ream
, Eugene