VIEWPOINTS
fOltORjAl S OPINIONS If MMS TO THE EDITOR
UO students: Weren’t
we supposed to vote?
■ OUR OPMOfc University
voters decide to be
inactive m Oregon’s future
Unions thousand* of Uni
versity students sped to bal
lot-drop boxes yesterday,
the ASUO's aggressive cam
paign to register campus
voters had little effect on the
number of students who
exercised their right to rep
resentative democracy.
In fad. as of Monday,
only 31 percent of registered
voters in the four precincts
around the campus had sent
in their ballots. This would
tie a dismal turnout in any
election Bui this limn, our
rale of ballot return is 23 5
percent lower than the stale
average,
It's hard to believe that
just last year the University
was named the most politi
cally active campus in the
United States.
If that doesn’t disturb you.
f’ou're not alone Apparent
y. we don't tare that we’re
apathetic
OK. maybe that’s a little
harsh Alter all. the negative
campaign may have turned
many of us on to the elec
tion. And yes. some may
view the election as a selec
tion lurtween the proverbial
leaser of two evils.
Or {>erhaps because so
many of us ant from out of
stale and will leave Oregon
the second our diplomas
grace our palms, we feel no
incentive to invest our ener
gy in this state’s political
dealings.
We can easily rationalise
our (tn|a< lions In the end.
however, all of those excus
es amount to little more
than a whiny. Gen-X justifi
cation.
Twentysomethingv com
plain UtOMMUttly about
owing lalteled as do-nothings
who have no work ethic or
sense of civil responsibility
We're told that we arts
media-sawy and cynical,
aware erf the world'* prob
lems tail unwilling to take
them on. In revolt we txy;
"We're nol slackers' We are
not a target market!”
And ihett we go out and
prove them right.
In our defence, we did
register in record number*
for thi* election That wa*
the easy part It takes minis
cule political passion to fill
out a card and get the ASUO
off your back Taking part in
the political prtx.vu and
helping shape the nation's
future requires work It
requires you to can*
Why bother? Be* aim*
more than senatorial elec
tions are at stake.
Political power is money
driven Pw the most part,
college students can't wield
influence with that sword
We are. however, a huge
vesting blot k. and we get our
needs met (eg. student
loans, financial aid. tuition
cost control, student health
care funding) by tasting our
Iuillots We matter in the
political debate only
because 4.000 of us can
swing an election
Thus, when we don't
exercise our rights, politi
cian* lose interest And we
lose our voice in Salem and
Washington, D.C
As jaded Geo-Xen. most
of us won't tie dragged to
the polls by some archaic
sense of duty or patriotism
No matter. Voting can
appeal to us for selfish rea
sons We won't gel what we
want unless we punch a
hole in a ballot, lick a stamp
and head for the mailbox
Oh, the sacrifice* w* make
for democracy.
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If TIERS
Weapons ban threatens student safety
DO you peck a 3* Spam*! in your puna
on campus? Do you tarry * 25 auto in
your backpack’ If you do, you have a
Mfiwu new choke lo make
If you tarry a gun with a uiikmM carry pet
mit. you won t be legal on campus any mom
A proposed change to the student conduct
tod* will prohibit tone waled weapons on cam
pus Thu ton es people with permits to choose
between leaving their guns off campus, handing
them over to the Offic e of Public Safety (OPS) or
carrying them illegally
This it an miner assary rule change, we don't
have a problem with concealed weapons on
campus It infringes on the rights of Uw-abiding
dliiMM. and dose nothing to increase safety on
campus It will actually increase the risk for
those who now choose to carry a weapon few
self-defense
And how will this new role b» enforced?
Well, for the most part, it won't be If OPS offi
cars have reasonable cause lo searc h you. they
can do it The legal means to deal with disorder
ly or dangerous people already noli Those
who carry weapons now might well ask If the
t M’S and Eugene cop* can't deal with the proh
lam* on ! 3th Avenue, how do they figure
they're going to make campus safer by removing
a legal means of protection from licensed and
monitored people’
You can assume that anyone with a permit is
a law abiding citiron bscau the sheriff* office
gets a weekly report on *,| permit holders, and
those convic ted of niiwieroewuior* or greater
offenses lose their permit* Four or five people
per month in lame County have their permit*
revoked fur misdemeanors such as shoplifting,
or for a DUI or an assault
OPS ami the Eugene Police Department sup
port this tun because of some scary situations
they've experienced with people who had con
cealed weapon* (and permitsl Problem is. this
new rule would allow the confiscation of per
sonal property leased on a crime that might hap
pen
Let's say you drink now and then, and your
«* roommates hate your guts Let's say they call
OPS and say you've lwen drinking, and you own
a tar. and they’re just terrified you're going to
drive, and they say you once threatened to run
over your biology professor An imminent mur
der. right?
Should the police be able to come and get
your car? You can check it back out when you
need it. so what * the problem?
For that matter, do you really need a car on
campus? Perhaps we ought to ban possession of
can because people might drive them
Considering the number of assaults, rape, and
attempted rape* on or near this campus in the
last year,! can't believe the OPS is trying to
explain it* support for banning concealed
weapons by insisting "no one needs concealed
weapon* on campus “
But then, I wouldn't expect large males
trained in law enforcement to understand that
some of us small females must occasionally
walk alone after dark across campus to our
homes 1 understand and agree with forbidding
possession of weapon* an a plane I understand
banning their possession at grade schools I
might even support banning them from resi
dence halls or athletic events. But take a look
around, boy* and girls — this campus is not a
grade sc hool, and Kugene is not a small, rural
town where the cops plav cords at the donut
shop on Friday night
wunug um ymn
that t carried a gun, I never
shut anyone, and I drew it only
once ~ the night in lttt*2 when
I watched a very drunk man
scuffle with a friend of mine
When it became obvious that
*he w*» within incite* of being
raped. I aimed at his chest and
told him to stop He looked at
my gun. then at my face, and
he split l am still not sure
WitMlter tllen would have tioan raped had ! not
done that
1 am sure. however, that I would have shot
htm And I am sum that 1 wu glad 1 had that
pivtol in my coat pocket I am even mom sure
that Elian w«* glad I had it,
l am not tolling you thl» because I think l am a
hero I'm telhng you thi* so you'll understand
that them am both pros and cons to this rule
change
The new rule won't keep the nuts from carry
m8 gun*. But it might keep people like roe hum
carrying them on campus, and it puts those who
leave them home at risk
Don't kid yourself into dunking thi* new rule
will make campus any safer.
It will not keep loony psychopaths from pat k
mg gun* around lo shoot you with It will not
keep violence prone people from drinking It
will not keep guns off campus It dues give OPS
sod the real police one more tool a citation they
IWlHilNfal
When it comes to safety, though, this is noth
mg but a feel good rule, s political I ycomxt
declaration that guns are dangerous and we're
going lo keep them off campus so that students
will be safer
kelly Andaman. a senior ma/urtng in joumaluun.
is a columnni fur the Emerald