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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1996)
VIEWPOINTS EOHORIAIS OPINIONS UTTERS TO THE EDITOR It’s not OK to be down in ‘be happy’ America ■ OUH OPINION Young and okJ turn to suicide to escape unhappiness “I wish I could fust get it over with I'll never he successful I'll never tm able to reach the level of prosperity my par ents did I've hated every fob I've ever worked at, mr classes are boring anti depressing, and I don't even like myself. I'm not happy and I don'I think I ever will be I don t hate any direction If I did, I wouldn 'I know how to get there ~ and even if I did get there. I don't think I would fit in My life basically suck* I wish I could find just one good reason for not putting a gun to my head to end this ntetmingless rvis fence." Thought* like these may ftll the mind* of young pt*<> pin who decide to take thoir live* Imxaumi thuy fust “can't take it anymore." While the largest rate of suicides still occur* among the elderly. it i* young peo ple aged 15 to 24 year* who have seen an alarming incnNtM! over the huit two years. Tht« should coma as no surprise Today's young people face pressure* their parent* never did. Rolling around in tho back of a *57 Qievy "back then" might have resulted in an unplanned pregnancy, hut it wouldn't nave pul the entire genera tion at rick for contracting the AIDS virtu or Mime other potentially life-threat ening sexually transmitted disease. And why shouldn't young people play Russian roulette with their sexuality? Every one else is "doing it." Beanies, who r«*allv care*? Both parents. or the tingle parent. tuts to work to sup port the family, but that moans no one is ever home to be wtlh the family . To (III the void that family used to HU. young people have turned to gangs, drug*, •ex. the shopping malls and other empty materialistic pursuits. And like never before, today's youth are isolated by the very things they think will satisfy their empty lives Ttie media and entertain ment industry certainly doesn't offer a rosy world outlook for young people to invest their hopes in Holly wood's constant production of crime and violence has only added to the psychotic tendencies of a society that has lost its respect for good ness and decency. A single afternoon of Jerry Springer, fenny Jones or Rick! Lake alone could convince any one that suicide might Ire the oniv exit from this incredibly sick world of ours. Our society also worships youth, beauty and succee*. We see it daily in our TV commercials, magaxtne*. billboards, and most every other form of media and entertainment Wo are bom barded by this pervasive and shallow preoccupation with everything sexy, seduc tive, happy and carefree Society would have us believe that if you don't fit into the Bold and Beautiful category, then you just don't fit in. Nothing could be fur ther from the truth Life isn't easy, but it wouldn’t tie as colorful or challenging if it were It's perfectly OK to be sad. r rME Sun \s Sh/niNG, THE DAVS ARE GETI7N6 LONGER, THE BIRDS ARE S'NGW&, THE GROUND IS THAW/NG, IT'S T/M£ 70 TAKE SHOVEl /N HAND ANO START Digging c/P THE ^SS GRAVES HERE /N BOSn/A . 1 > Springtime for Hitler *»>»**»% «*♦*; **■»» »*>»* »tn M**s*«*v* fm Vu*€ «m« n<rs o»Jt JKrtfME Funding issue should be put to students Keith <'unningham * column (OD£. Fab ?J artn ulated quit* dearly his disgust for the cotdani of the campus public* lion the Oregon Commentator Citing avert *tt«< k» against women *ml women * right*, pro rape discourse end contin ued subversion of women'* *eietv. Cunningham accurately Identifies the (UtmmrnUthur a* an undeserving recipient of student incidental foe* end a* a journal that he* no place on the Univwr sttv rampu* He doesn't even have to mention the hate con tent of tin* Unmmentotor'* relent im attar Jut on campu* underrepresented group* that further validate hi* opinion* Unfortunately. (Running ham further argue* against the apathy of campus leader* in deliberating the Cammrntaiat'* fond ing far next year without consulting those who are elected to do an, founder Williamson and I. when considering how we wanted to operate the encutitra office, decided that we would operate functionally as m presidents. with her the ASUO president over Slate and federal issues, and myself presid ing over institutional affairs, including the inci dental foe budget After hs against Jen regarding apathy or Urn tiun on binding issue* are wholly unwarranted arid invalid len un't taking a position cm (Urn amtmar funding because that's not her job If* mine A* the keeper of she ASUO budget. ea< h issue of the Ckmmtmtolar makes me cringe as I aee the product of lee* allocated by last year's bud get pr<*e*» through which the Commentotor »taff wa* able to convince campus leaders that the magariiie wa* contributing to healthy debate and discourse on campus. COMMENTARY i£\i\ iTFJnl !ih i Based on what I've seen and the complaints I've heard about this year's product. I remain unconvinced, and do. indeed, plan on doing something about it. Historically, the Commentator staff has been aide to squelch attempts to defund its magazine by initiating the argument that such action con stitutes censorship — something that few peo pie in student government or the media actively embrace This argument has invariably led the finance committee toward funding the fouraal based on a fear of unfairly silencing someone's voice on campus Recognising this history and the argu ment therein. I feel that there is only one truly fair way to gauge whether the Commentator should receive funding for next year — referring its budget request to the ballot for all students to vote on This will hr my recommendation to the Pro grams Finance Committee, if that body chooses not to follow it and funds the (Commentator because of these age old censorship arguments. I will veto it and send it bec k for leconsideratiun cur put it on the ballot myself. Rest assured. Keith, that 1 have every inten tian of ensuring that the opinions of students are heard cm this issue; further. I am confident tluit students' outrage at the magazine's content will mult in dramatic editorial change or removal of the publication from the ASUO budget Zachary kelton ut the vice president of the ASUO LETTERS Feminist Keith? A* • woman I am insulted by th# column* written by Keith Cunningham (ODE. Feb 7) A* the editor-in-chief of the Oregon Commentator. I am amused by hi* anger Cunningham accuse* Fdwina Welch and lennifer Williamson of weakness, two women I have never known to be weak, mum idated or content to sit quietly a as other* criticise and tnvi t» their programs Both are well-spoken, driven. mteUtgent women who stand up far what they believe in The first Emerald issue of winter term printed a letter from Williamson regarding the Commentator's Kwanzaa ba* k page She had no problem «tamhng up to u* then Perhaps the fueling on the pot of these women wet that a list, created by four ignorant men in New York, wat not worth the fight The men are chastised for their action* by Cornell and they were made fool* of in the article Cunningham suggest* that we are interfering with the Univer aity'a educational mitaion. The number of women taking Saferide and the number enrolled at women's ttudiet major* have not decreased betaute of our magatine No interference can be proved Defunding u» for content i* cam torahip. Keith The incidenlel Fee Committee tned it four year* ego and failed; a PFC that trie* that today wilt fait. Finally. Cunningham refers to the Commrniator u a bunch of little buy* He conveniently ignored the editorial staff that is 50 percent female and the board of director* that i* tie percent female He alto forgot the two regular staff writer* who are women. Cunningham s«*tn« to **y that even it women hold positions of power on the paper, they are not capable of making any real decision*. Before you take a stand on behalf of women such as Welch. Williamson, and the women of the Commentator, consider for a moment whether we need your protection Farr ah L Bostic Ecfttor in-Chmf Oregon Commentator
