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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 1995)
ijfl ETlJUFd#\| 3 Cm mm WT ■ I'll I »w3B EDITORIALS. OPINIONS. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bipartisan budget battle reveals larger problem ■ OUR OPINION: Politicians need to be reminded that they are employees of the people By the time you read this, a large sector of the f<*(h>nil government could he* in a state of suspended anima tion. and 800.000 govern ment employees could be sitting at home watching soap operas. All bi>( auso lhi( hoys in Washington just can't play nice. If congressional leaders and President Clinton weren't able to reach a bud get compromise by midnight Monday night, the govern ment will only be able to operate the most essential of law-enforcement and health care services The Kepuhllc de controlled Sen ate submitted a proposal to the Oval Office that would cut Medic are funding, deregulate environmental protec lions and site« deep c uts in education spending. Clinton refuses to sign the budget, and thus, without a compromise, the s\ stom c omi's to a screec hing halt Of c ourse. Ixith sides are blaming the other. Bobby and Newt in say Hilly won’t talk to them Hilly says if Hobby and Newtie don’t follow his rules he’s not going to come out and play. And < aught in the middle of this reality-sized game are thousands of gov eminent employees and the Americ an people. Not surprisingly, a gov ernment shutdown will not include a freeze on politi cians’ salaries Hut it should. As Democrats and Repub licans joc key for first plac e in the presidential race, their preocc upation with power has superseded their concern with what is host for the country Is the aver age American going to bene fit from increased effluent dumping into the country's rivers? Will it really mean better-paying Jobs for blue collar workers in Mississip pi? Of course not. Politic ians support the jkso pie who donate money to their campaigns so they t an spend the next 12 months flooding our television si roons with images of wholesome family men eating apple pie and shaking hands with people of tailor. Mean while, the people who do the real work for the government have to worry alxjut how they'll put Thanksgiving din ner on the table next week Instead, the American peo ple should demand a stop payment on all electod-offi cials' salaries until our representatives can agree on the budget. As it stands, nei ther the Senate nor the White House is motiv ated to work together Imh ause they have nothing to lose doth sides i an sound-bite their way to the next elec lion, pointing lingers and t ailing names, In the end. both can say thin stood by their principles. By eliminating their pay checks and their perks, politic ians would fee] the pressure they seem so willing to place on their constituents. More importantly . it would remind them that we. the people, are their employers. For too long, the federal gov ernment has at ted like the parent of the people. It's time to let our pul it i - i ians know that they art? only temporary guardians and we will have the final say on election day. In the meantime, we should take away their allowances and ground them until they can India ve \T* to&f I n pwCflttfwa Mr MbM P«vMJM.«u, &«*«0 P* *tv) WAty mtf 0to*MQ the i*«me» bf r?m Oioqoa D*<ty t ilpM l*utifc*lwi0 Co <j*. »t r?» u<v*e*vty of OtpQtMt I *germ i>«ooo A nmmfm* ^ t*? 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SOflpi snawock} Copt Oe* Sfrnrty Hi*** rope <rh»f &»t *wt Bet* m . t Kavtngt P*y* via Ski* fbetopraolty tucasm Wbntgcrtmrf *ttv An&#m Bnutemrift K^m &*’*•'<&£ Mafe*ty u*voy ham uAto SMnnqr MsSwfl U»!hr* Settle* Omm* fk« IAi8 Girton fifAtm . ty H*d> APfertiarag jf(ty Hp^W. Jfrjtfc* A.vm Ami0o< U* ., Cimcj forty f01 >4rt*.<i MBAi Huptt >mifw .v.Vv>afc3rt *«% ieoi- t*r*M*e **'• M*UV\ Tom ItttwitaotT? .waifa -W r •-•'« trfmmrnift Pto^ctoom ityrvgpr »ngr« Wvn coortnuo* SMwm ADA* fUcfpf CamiP^im. tAcitt Hor^nil Ofti Jontt lAv-«» Kkt>«i Cirty SOBttttf x*$p«r ttmori Slormo. Serena wmarm Wkmn Vowng lrt»«m MPty Cmbone usfmvrw* Josty Corwofy OtsiMboftoo JofPHon John tony Xty Sai<v T I Gfc.&net "'wjyr* W* 5511 M* »U Irtimi Ottut CfcwMif Utrrtutig Cum<hts m J7i* yuiui o rjmrym*•» •«***«• Give peace a chance, but watch your back Peace claimed another < asualty Nov. 4 Yitzhak Rabin wan killed t»*i ause he dedi< at»*d himself to solving the violence between two exiled peoples determined to claim the same homeland He recognized the n<« osMtv for < ompnmuse in a nation where every acre of land is sacred history. Rabin is now part of a tradition of martyrdom that has U'come the hallmark of peace struggles Anwar Sadat was shot bv fanatii s opposed to the Kgyptian-lsraeli peace accords while he watched a military parade in 1 oh i Gandhi was snot i»y another Hindu in J918. And no mw in A mum a can forget that Marlin Luther king's peaceful campaign for racial equality was snuffed by an assassin in 1W>M. Society has a habit of butchering its peace loaders. Diabolical rulers live long lives protected by the militia of para noia, hut those who sele< t OPINION nop Sherwood peace .is their path live in danger of every fanat ic with an attitude Groat love is akin to terrible hatred — inspir ing the one* often inc ites the other, Christ advised that we love our neighbor, but the Bible itself teaches us that preaching (mace-love will get you three nails and a cross The bumper stu ker says it all Wage- Ptoirr Sal War These days, (mace can get you killed Rabin and his Nobel Peace Prize co-rec ipient, Yasser Arafat, understood what it meant to wage peace Both men were old campaigners in the brutal business of political war before they turned the other cheek Rabin joined an underground antis while still in high sc hool. "I was a military man for 27 years." he once said. "1 fought as long as there was no chance for pence." Arafat evidently used the same logic when he headed the Palestine Liberation Organization during its terrorist activi ties If there's no way in hell you'd join 'em, lick 'em. Unfortunately, Rabin's and Arafat's early activities set an example that would coma back to haunt them Together they guaranteed that Israel’s next generation would consist of Jewish youths with guns (all Israeli citizens are required to serve time In the army) and frustrat ed Palestinians with bombs. If Rabin's death teaches us anything it's that the prejudices of a lifetime can't I hi changed as quickly as government policies For an illumi nating account of how quickly Britain changed its government policies regarding Israel after the M'i mid World War! mMl The Id H tl by I Bowyer Bell. Arafat is unique because he found a balance between the hot strategies of early PLO activities and patient progress He and his organization, the PLO Authority, call the most intense strip of land in the world their home He is surrounded by potential enemies on all sides and must con it— Society has a habit of butchering its peace leader v lj Rabin s death tenches us anything it s that the prejudices of a lifetime can't be changed as quickly as government policies. 99 tend with Muslim fundamentalists such as Hamas Nonetheless. he straddles the political Tonie with poise Arafat signed peace accords with Rabin while the official Pl.O vow to destroy Israel was still in effect How many post terrorist politicians-cum statesinan could net away with that? Kven now, as Arafat gtxis ahead with plans to bring more of the West Hank under Palestinian self-rule, the PIX) Covenant remains an active terrorist decree. Arafat couldn't attend Rabin's funeral because it would have been too controversial, yet he umsoled Rabin's wife during a historic visit to Israel last week A master statesman fluent in doublespeak, Arafat is a genuine peace-warrior His challenge will tie to resolve his credibility problems with bis neighlmrs, put a stop to llamas' attacks on Israel and clean up the ghettos of the West Hank And to stuy alive — he's a peace-maker now. people will 1h> out to nail him In the void left by Rabin, the region needs a leader who can wean the West Hank from inter national aid and transform it into a site for inter national in vestment Middle ( astern business men am excited about developing an Israel-I’alestine Jordan economic triangle now that tensions have eased’ There has been talk of luxury hotels, airport services and a currency union set to launch in 2001 Business may now do for the Middle East what terrorism and militancy didn't. Hie (mini mum) wages of puttee am security, prosperity and tolerance. The costs are long struggle, vio lence, and sometimes the loss of an extraordi nary leader. Men like Arafat, K W de Klerk of South Africa and Northern Ireland's Gerry Adams are trying to dismantle the apparatuses of hate and rebuild with (tetter materials The deaths of men like Sadat, King and Rabin remind us that the fight will be hard. Sonia Shenvood, a senior majoring in journalism and English, is a columnist for the Emerald. WHAT DO YOU THINK? The Oregon Daily Emerald metcomes your opin ions on this and other issues. You may submit a letter no longer than 250 words to the Emerald ofhees at Suite 300 in the EMU or send us your thoughts via e-mail at ode^oregon.uoregon edu
