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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power has superseded their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
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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