Lawless need handcuffs, not handouts
Eugene * Rapid Oepiuv
meni Ontt (RtRJ)
recently nwi* 2« felony
•nd ?»
arrests. wtm« SO traffii dU
ii«n*. issued warning*, and
generally *wept the riff raff
from »J>e streets and sidewalks
of the Weat University area
Complaint* from local buti
nesses and ttudent* prompted
the sweep. and though it didn't
quit* sterilise the ar*w. the
improvement i* both noticeable
and appreciated I'm tick of try
ing to negotiate my way
through the herd* of raggedy
dread* and neo-hippie* with
their puppie* on tiring* and
their obnoxious demand* for
(pare change None of my
change i* spare. and even if it
were. I'm not about to hand it
over to *umeone who doesn't
have the *en*e to broth their
hair and lake a hath.
I’m tired of being farced to
*tep over or wound actuary peo
pie tprswled an sidewalks I
can't count the number of time*
I've wanted to go down to Cof
fee People for a double mocha
breve only lo decide it'* not
worth the hassle fighting ray
way pa*t pushy panhandlers
and imelly tieggars t* not my
idea of a good time.
I’m disgusted by having to
detour around their snarly
humping dog* and pul smoke i
can find other source* of coffee
where I don't have to rt*k step
ping in dogshit or being fol
lowed down the street by some
guy who is pissed because I
refused his demand for a hand
out.
I did hand over money on an
icy morning in February I gave
a dollar to the old guy in the
tutggv plaid clothes who fre
quents the intersec tion at 13th
and Kincaid. He was shivering
in the wind, and I felt sorry for
him
When I gave him the dollar
he asked for another, but that’*
not what forged my determine
tion not to do It again I saw
him that night at the Safeway
on 18th. buying a at*-peck of
tall cans of Olympia I still feel
sorry for him. but not in the
•am* way
local merchant* am right to
think »trw>t folk* cut down
their butinea* At Un throe
time* a week | dec nt«* again*!
ptm h*tn in the ami. chousing
to taka my business *iwwh«n>
an a* to avoid dirt hag* who gat
in my face
( •all me unsympathetic. cold
hearted. biaaad o» politically
incorrect it you want to He
intolerant of m* In branding
me intolerant and feel good
about your enlightenment
Eugene police Sgt Rick Siel
•ay* University students have
traditionally been more tolerant
of vagrant* Me * surprised at
the number of complaint* horn
•indent* _ he shouldn't be
Student* a* a group have
changed So ha* the ttreet
run
Uni vanity student* have
been rock* in the *hoea of con
servative politician* for eon*
Ere*tdent (ohnaon laid during
the Vietnam War that it waio’t
neceaaary to pay any attention
to what tba "little *hit* on cam
pua“ were saying. He Uler had
occasion to aat tncne word*
But moat vtudent* in the 60*
were much more laid back and
mellow than they are today
Many of the student*. *treet
paopta. hippie* and flower
children * hired a common atti
tude: "Hey, man, that'* cool; I
can dig it Peace and love "
Sharing waa good. and *har
mg wa* optional Sharing your
"tpare change" wa* not manda
tory. expected or demanded
Helping other* wasn't political
ly i urrect. tt waa just coal Now
it'i a guilt trip, something the
tub*walk chaff think they 're
entitled to
When I *« a kid there waa
no such thing aa homeleas peo
ple Bum* panhandled, tramp*
came through town looking to
get a hot meal at a few buck* in
exc hange for doing tome
chore*, and hobo* lumped the
freight* and lived under
bridge*. The mat of lh« commit
nity felt sorry for them Many
were willing to help them out
But no one felt obligated to
donate money fur nothing No
COMMf NT ARY
i. mnm iw-wi
orw Mi metal for mpm liivf) a
tramp * diversity or for demon
strating hi* or hat tolerant*
toward a bum Rad tempered
beegers who sprawled on the
stclewalk. blocked access to a
place of business and rudely
demanded money would have
been promptly arretted and/or
run out of town
law-abiding people who are
down *m their luck deserve our
help Coestal resident* who suf
fered tremendous loss Rom the
February flood* need our sym
pethy and our money Fern the*
trapped in poverty, who ttrug
gle at minimum wage (oba with
no health care, deserve our
assistance and our advocacy
Abused and neglec ted children
deepen*tely need the caring and
intervention of other*
Oklahoma resident* who suf
fared the grief and tragic toaa of
iaat year * bombing surely merit
the assistance being offered by
the citizen* of Denver l onely
elderly people who waste away
in nursing home* without lov
tng family memtser* to comfort
them truly need our kindness
and good will
Bui the t3th Avenue hair
bell* are none of the above
How dare these people slouch
around in our midst, holding
out their hands and demanding
we donate to their chosen
lifestyle? Flow dare they pre
tend to deserve the compassion
and assistance merited by peo
ple who truly are needy ? Those
deserving of our compassion do
not smas* more than ISO
arrests and i llations over the
course of a few day* —- law
breakers do My tolerance ami
respec t for diversity does not
extend to tairy lawlessness my
purchases don't lisp pen at
places where I have to fight my
way in. and my donations are
confined to those who merit
compassion
Xei/y A/uhrsson a motor motor
tng in toumalitm. is a eohtmnm
for the Emerald
LETTERS
Vote Lonsdale
A* you prepare lo vole In the
upcoming U S senatorial aloe*
turn. remember that Jerry Kust it
nol tba environmentalist ha
waul* the voting public to think
ba la. Ha promoted tba develop
maul of tba Riverfront Rwiaith
Park that encroaches on tba
Willamette Green way a* it pass
e# through Eugana Ruat aiao
batched tba idea to develop a
golf course on tba banka of tba
river in Eugana * Alton Baker
Park Wub tbatr dependence un
herbicide*, golf courae* are not
environmentally friendly Their
anting on the banka of a river t*
not a mark of environmental
sensitivity
Harry Ion*da I* ia the
strongest environmentalist run
ning for Senate Harry U com
mitted to protecting the
environment by ending the cut
ting of old growth tree* on pub
lic lands and restoring salmon
runs He has traveled a number
of times to Washington D.C al
his own expense to advocate
sustainable forest practices in
the Pacific Norlhwest Harry
supports eliminating corrupt
money in politic* through cam
paign reform and railing the
minimum wage He want* equal
rights for alt
Talk with Harry He * very
accessible Vote Lonsdale, a
utrong candidate with the
courage to express hit convic
tion*
Nana Lovtngar
Career information System
CoOege o* Education
Vott Lewis
Many voter* share Congress
man Peter DeFazio'* objec tions
to the undue influence of tpe
cial interests big buck* in poli
tic* It'* gratifying to know that
Republican voter*, at ieasl. can
now chooae a candidate who
refuses to pley the big money
game Jeff Lewi* i* distributing
poster* headlined “WANTED!
#25 from 100.000 Oregonian*!'
to help him defeat Gordon
Smith and Lon Mabon in the
Republican primary for U.S
Senate.
faff i* backed by volunteer*
working full lime in apprecia
tion of hi* view* supporting
aqua) right* for all. separation of
church and Mate, no govern
mental intruaion In abortion
accent and aound fiscal polk;tea
Jeff L»wt» i* a welcome choice
for many mainstream Republi
can* dismayed about the hurt
done to our communitiea and
our party by religious political
extremist* intent on forcing
their agenda on everyone The
difference*, if any. between Gor
don Smith and Lon Mabon are
miniscule. Their messages of
intolerance and intrusion into
lha private livee and choices of
citizen* are the *ame
Religion performs a legitimate
role In society — hut it's not
meant to he a controlling role
Our country was founded as
much on freedom horn religion
as it was on freedom of religion
Jeff Lewis supports both
A vote for Jeff Lewis on May
21 is a great first step to help
stop extremist agendas at the
pass Let's do it
Carol Berg
Eugene
going overseas? catch the Oregon daily emerald
on the world Wide web: htip://djur Jrwrixxf. uoregon.edu/~od«
TOUR THAILAND
Istttttri OM Mt.iMMrt HI tut %n*>t m u tut i A ism* tin u»u\>
•» »Si.M>K'* t« **i Pit** • Otf.mti IH S HIS •«|TTH*VA*X i»m*i(■
* Ststl r\f, , «hncl(i>nt4tS{; Mil'S Uihil hi|Minh
isi»<SV IXHJRS si l*l ft JO, si rt ]«,oci 4. I•t'xt
School of MUSIC
UNfVWMSfTY Of OfffGOJf
^ Department of DANCl
MAY CONCERTS
Clip and Save this Calendar!
For more ntor matwn on School oi Muse ewn». cal 34&56T8,
Of cat fte kAiec Hotfene at 346-3764 tor ■ taped message
Wed. BONES A BRASS plus Youth Symphony Brass
5/t VO Bms Emamftfes A Outsat I pm, Beal Hal
S4 General Adrmaswn. S2 students A senior afewm
May SPRING STUDENT DANCE CONCERT
2-4 VO Dane* Ma/ota I pm, Dougherty Dance Thrat re
IS General Admaaion. 43 students 4 senor cauara
Sua CONTINUUM
5/5 Vanguard Sams muse ol tm HokxmM I pm., Baal HaM
17 General Admission. $4 students 4 amor cauara
Wed. LAWRENCE MAVES, Violin
5/8 BARBARA GONZALELZ-PALMER. Piano
Faculty Afimt Stmt • p.m, BmA Hal
S? General Adm*s«n. U students 4 tenor c*ians
Fri. THE JAZZ CAFE
5/10 UOJu/CcrtXM • p.m, Room 146l*u»k
S4 General Admission. S2 students 4 tenor cauara
Sat. TLEN-HUtCANI: The Singera of Veracruz
5/11 MxVkkoxSatm I pm, B*aA Hafi
HO S8 students 4 «noa cal 346 4363 (EMU} or 667 5000
Sun. FLUTE CONCERTOS
5/12 UOFkaa Students C p m . Beal Hal
S4 General Admeaion. S2 students 4 saner cftcaea
Mon. NORMAN CAROL: String Workahop
5/13 Mastat Claaa 4 Workshop by tom* concertmastar ot it*
PNiadtiphta Orchestra FREE Admission 1 pm.. Beal Hal
Thu. UNIVERSITY GOSPEL ENSEMBLE
5/16 UOEmamUa • pm. Beal HaA
$4 Garwai Admaewn, 12 students 4 senior cauara
Fri. SPRING JAZZ CONCERT: Partnta' Weekend
5/17 UOMuEnam&m I pm. BaaM Hal
S4 Garwai Admtaion, $2 students 4 senior cauara
Sun. CHAMBER MUSIC AT TEA TIME
5/19 UO Chamber EraamMaa 3 pm., BeaR Had
14 Garwai Adtraeton, $2 students 4 senior cauara
Sun. MUSIC OF INDIA: Pandit Mulhar Kulkami, flute
5/19 GtmiAmtRacaai • pm, Bead Hal
$7 Garwai Adrmeewn, $4 students 4 senor cauara
Mon. BAROQUE SONGS A ARIAS FROM EUROPE
5/2Q FacvAy Artist Sanaa a pm, Baal Hal
|7 Garwai AdMnuon. S4 students 4 senior cauent
Tub. PACIFIC RIM GAMELAN
5/21 UOEnunUm I pm, Baal Hal
$4 General Adnrnam. $2 students 4 senior cauara
Wed. OREGON WIND ENSEMBLE
5/22 VOEwamUa I pm. Bead HaR
$4 Garwai Adrraseion. $2 students 4 senior efttane
Thu. UO SYMPHONIC BAND A CAMPUS BAND
5/23 UOEnsamUa* • pm., Baal Hal
14 General Admission, 12 students 4 senior cauara