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
*»>»**»% «*♦*; **■»»
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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