Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1995)
VIEWPOINTS EDITORIALS. OPINIONS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Emerald staff gives thanks for a great year ■ OUR OPINION: Despite many challenges, we have a lot to be grateful for Loath as wo art* to wallow in sentimentality, the Emer ald staff has established a tradition of taking a moment at this time of year to reflect on nil the many people, events and policies for which wo are grateful Our list this yoar was dif ficult to assemble only because wo have so many things to be thankful for and so little space to express ourselves Our apologies to those who made it into our hearts but not into our list. This year, the Emerald is thankful that: 1) The Senate sent Hob Packwood packing. 2} The i hu ks are heeded for the Cotton Bowl. 3) We get four weeks for winter break *}) Kovin liornbuckle is now living in our ward only SO peri out of the time 5) The Amazon drama lias had its denouement, and half of thn housing is Ireing refur bished in another location. t») The many people who revolted against the idea of using hx ators and cellular phones in the wilderness will not Ire using thorn when they go hiking. 7) The O.J. Simpson trial is over, and the media must seek out something else to over-promote to death. 8) Race is not an issue for 99.9 percent of the campus population. 9) The federal government can shut down for a week and it has no effect on our lives. 10) Wo cover the news instead of writing about oth er campus publications. 11) We won best overall college newspaper in a national competition. 12) We can still afford an education (barely). 13) We 1 iv** in a commu nity whore everything is t ontroversial. 14) Our mascot is not the Beaver. 15) The federal speed limit has lawn repealed. (Eugene to Portland in 30 minutes or less, Guaranteed.) 16) The Eugene Police have set up shop in front of 7-Eleven and are doling out SBO jaywalking tickets for our protection. 17) The rain has cleaned more than dirt off of East 13th Avenue. 18) We can express our opinions without being arrested. Id) We didn’t print the Unabomber’s manifesto. 20) We’re not turkeys with genetically enlarged breasts 21) We now pay a S50 technology fee for a comput er service that used to cost $10 dollars, and we get worse servh o to boot. 22) The (Jap will guarantee that all University students get jolrs after graduation 2:t) Kush i.imhaugh and Newt at least have eai h other. 24) Yitzhak Rabin's assas sinatiun has m>t caused an eruption of violent e in the Middle Hast. 25) We get to come to work and do what we love every day. Above all. however, we are thankful for many of the things that don't lend them selves to snappy one liners or sarcastic asides We are thankful on this hol iday that wo are not homeless and that we will have food to eat and warm homes to return to. We am thankful that wo ant healthy enough to get out of bod each morning. Most important, we are grateful for our families and friends who fill our lives with joy Without them, nothing else matters *1* i>*gon (l*»n [ m*t*W n pef*rt**J d**l Utw*i#t Ih'ougt* ti*Hn dt/ftng Si* utiooi t*M *nd luaal** *»*1 !s*cw>») it,tat) n* KM* 5* tt* 0>«eon [••».** I nw<*M Patunwij Ct* me n era .-,wwt> at 0*90. t uy*n» Ckaaan * nwntw ot ft* AiMOMM PH»i s*l rna *M n*n*i mate****.*:*) ot At unnwuti ■*« ot**« *( Su** MO ot A* [15 Manual Union wmjnto *Wwt« ittnwt in* oemon ot in* t «»*« tmam t»*)d 1*9*1 totumre -*t«n**u »»spnur ctmcoMnrait In* I m*>**9 a pant (*oiw** In* u«aa*y< i*nw*» f* uw at (upai n (v.nau'jh* 6* Ua [SHOT I* CkWl 0**3 ’5 - K*«i|a| itnm , on H*tr**i* D*ti|* 0»r*<tt» Motr aha-i **« t*fto» , on Caaaaattj Ut »m I t*ish *>’ AO* f i'-*d* Itwu utatm tontiwii <*t w IH4*' Uat»M* Qttdy tt*n> ««v ftapml fcw Ui l Stin* &.J'. Mum** n»*M! A* matin *j-nj Ct*on*x> »Ms» Avtor ton jams** tow tkiog irana Vartt liM>utn*y *« M*» w«>« uwniosi c*** :5s;., [•ad*,**#*! bfi**(*ti Ann* Men* Ad 'dad *J«M Aim Man* *\v>!*n(«A> . a On* u*nn Petag <tM» IihIwi tom Hunt* a*w 0* l (*t 1'lflJl Own aM.1 f *rtan*t R*na town tne Stun Snath **nyj ac#v Antoim StM* Botna Ottxy MX' w Him »n~ tonatgtam IhatwAJ ItasiA* tooloonw uirylura **» AitutMhaa! Satrtwmt Can 0*t* $lwi> ton** cnp» iAwt 1**191 »» Arm* lath t.u*na* mu i»nr> •***! Vm S«:*>* h»«a*inn* Vtaa antsmur a>*. * A»»«» b>* »<• •••.* A«n« hi* ■««: M**«j*Oewo» im tot* stanrwn A**." Uitrwa Santa & •**-<! Oanm Ml Mas toto* 6***t*i Maaa**. J»d* H*aS Miatlw** l*c*» I*" M « .»■«.*, AniwHnxX M* . .(toy) Uxt, 1 , ;,■• ■ , <* s ». «*■;* (**!«*< son'll,.' «*•* lion to*n w• fa* Ja«nn Uiv.t Ic.- wanttfi wit* Man Iiau Stownm AadatHa W. ntattou ntnxjt «: «»»»»' • snwiitM R*.na tontM^fwn lati'to v. MHu.mn toiascn** !*f*«n*j».i was Metont* ,ts sura jw-aai «*wn stiamt. town watumt U. h*«t *oia*j IxtiMM * j"t C*6t»» wntf AJ) Ctmnofi Oii»f*«um x* Jehmen JuMiong jo> Swii «MV» M»»11 I<!-. ««! 0*«« Itt 1S1! Damn— i*<*G*s#*no CHurli*4 Atf*»«fi»t*9 M* 3712 M* ISA! j when i Asked 'WHO'LL CARUE THE TURKEY' what i Actually mew c>as... v___ _ i €>*r*f *.* j) i^w> 80S COLi ’ Sweep away cynicism, and give thanks During a meeting this summer, my fel low columnists and I were eac h assigned one holiday to cover during the sc hool year. When I heard that mine would be Thanksgiving, I was ecstatic: for two reasons One, my fear that 1 would have to spend a spring weekend researching Arlnir Day would not be realized , and two. Thanksgiving is my favorite secular holiday Of America's in«|or non-religious holidays. Thanksgiving is the only one that is not a com petition. Halloween is a competition to see who i an come up with th«> best costume Christmas (which is a s« ular holiday at least in our country) is a competition to see who can give and receive the lies! gifts. New Year's Day and the Fourth of July are competitions to see who can get invited to or I OPINION MHll rWDB throw the tiest party Thanksgiving however, ts simply a chance for us to spend time with the ones we love and reflect on the things for which we are thankful. Unfortunately, in our enlightened age, this holiday has come under stringent attacks from a number of groups Some say that the peaceful imagery that represents the first Thanksgiving does not do justice lo the horrors the Pilgrims brought upon the Native American population at the time Others. I kid you not. say the cele bration is discriminatory against vegetarians because turkey is the traditional meal for the occasion. What arguments against Thanksgiving do not take into account is that visions of William Bradford with gold-buckled shoes and a black hat. and even the meal itself, are not what is important about this holiday It is a time for introspection. It is a time of. as the name implies, simply giving thanks. How often do we actually stop for a moment and think about ail that we have, such as our health, our families, our friends, our country and. as students, the plethora of opjxirtunities that we have before us This is what Thanksgiving is almut — to look up to the higher powers in which we believe, to the peoplo who help us along the way. and to ourselves, to be grateful for all that makes this life so wonderful, and even in a broken world, so worth living. If we look at our generation, our music, cul ture and idols, the emphasis is consistently and almost unfailingly on the negative. A film such as kids, which is merely thinly-veiled kiddie pom. is lauded for its realism because of its |M>s simistic slant Trent Reznor. Kurt Cobain and Ivddie Vedder are incessantly filling our ears, so that just in case we have forgotten, we can Ims reminded of how crappy life really is. « This is w hat Thanksgiving is about to be grateful for all that makes this life so wonderful, and even in a broken world, so worth living. 99 In some ways, they're right Lite can suck at times There is isolation, pain, death, the situa tion in Bosnia. Colin Powell's exit from the presidential campaign, an ever-growing deficit that old-s< hool politicos are going to do their darndest to increase. New Age music — the list could go on indefinitely But wait lot's think for a minute What about laughter? Klia Fitzgerald? The Ducks' hid to the Cotton Bow l ' Smashing Pumpkins? The 49ers beating the stuffing (no pun intended) out of Dallas' That eternity between the moment you look into someone else's eyes for the first time and her or his lips touch your own? My God, there is a wonderful world out there, and simply dismissing the whole enchilada as a big mess of sadness and misery is not only defeatist, but absolutely wrong We must remember, we live in a nation that for all of its problems, has the most liberties and freedoms of any in the world Radical feminists such as Catherine MacKinnon and radical frue market conservatives such as Milton Friedman have equal freedom to express their views, whether we agree with them or not. Our genera tion has never seen our home soil invaded in an act of war Aside from the far-left fringe of the sixties and the far right fringe of the nineties, terrorism in our land is highly unusual There is so much for w hich we tan be grate ful. so much that we have to celebrate As we see the homeless in our midst, the starving across the world and the war-torn regions of other nations, we must keep in mind that our ingratitude for what we have will lead to our inability to assist those who have nothing If we an; not truly and honestly thankful for the many blessings in our lives, we not only do a great disservice to ourselves, but to those who need us as well. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving Prtmo A.I. Fontana, a senior majoring in eco nomics. is a columnist for the Emerald WHAT DO YOU THINK’ The Oregon Daily Emerald welcomes your opin ions on this and other issues You may submit a letter no longer than 250 words to the Emefald offices at Suite 300 m the EMU or send us your thoughts via e-mail at ode@oregon uoregon edu
