VIEWPOINTS
(OITQRlAl S OPfMiOWS |fll(RS TO THf t QlTQff
Long overdue proposal
has many advantages
■ OUR OPINION: Turtton
program will benefit future
students immensely
For on<*. the Oregon utitn
government ispaying atten
tion to students needs.
Because of Salem Rep Peter
Courtney, proposed legist#
tion U now in existence that
it aimed at helping Oregon i
ana aav« money on tuition
— before student* reach col
lege
At Oral, the idea aounda
utwtrac I, and it is already
attracting adtidsm. Critics
believe the idee of pfe paid
college tuition is too pmb
I emetic and they are point
ing to problem* with
Florida's program
Hut with the rising costs
of tuition and the prospect
of even fewer Americans
having the opportunity to
arm themselves with a col
lege education, there is no
way this program's guaran
teed positive effects will not
outweigh it* ptaisible prob
lem*
One of the places where*
the proposed program secerns
to have the capacity to (pi
wrong is related to parent*
planning their child's
future What if the* child
does not want to stay in
Oregon? What if the child
does not like the parti to tar
Oregon collage that his or
her parents selected? Or (cot
ter yet. what if the child
doe* not want to get to col
lege?
All these "what ifs" are of
no consequence. If the* child
is not content with the insti
tuiion that parents have
selected, the parents, or sup
plier of funds, can easily
receive their money l>ac.k
without intermit.
Another advantage of the
prepaid tuition program i*
that the money from ton
tracts purchased today will
benefit universities now.
instead of ten years latrr
Thu will encourage and
allow parent* to start plan
rung and investing in their
children's education and
future right away The uni
versities will receive money
now, and parents who might
not have the money for
tuition in the future will bn
motivated to stan saving.
Hut parents are not the
only one* who will benefit
from this program Hum
nesses and other family
members can purclutae the
contracls. These businasaes
could distribute the con
tracts as scholarships and
therefore benefit the com
munlty.
Critics’ argument* that the
pro Mid tuition would
result in future losses for
colleges are completely
illogical.
If people are willing to
purchase contract* and sup*
port higher education now.
there is no reason they
would not lie willing to pur
chase further contracts. This
will assure that them* will be
no possibility of Oregon col
ieges being in debt
It is about time that Ore
gon stop* parsec uting its
education cystem and start*
(raying attention to the
need* of its students
Rep, Court nay is on the
right track There is no ma
son we, th«* students of a
university, should not com
pletely support this pro
gram, whit it will provide
benefits ami opportunities
we did not have to future
generations of college stu
dent*.
, ,JI • <
KIDS SCMOOl JNIFORM,
I95CH-.
PROPOSED NEW
KJPS SCHOOL UNIFORM,
1990*.
Recorded jail conversation steals rights
Though it happened 12 year* ago thi*
spring 1 atilt remember the day of my
firm <(inflation vividly, if not fondly
With dancM Jaw and twisting hand* 1
entered the umfiaimnul boa; and solemnly
began. “Forgive m father, far I have tinned
A* a T-yeaf old. I didn't have much to confess
.I bad yelled at roy mom and (jeon mean to my
*i*t»r la impwntly revisited tonfo**ion). but 1
had the MCUftty of knowing 1 could confess*
The sacrament of reconciliation it both an
immetiMtiy holy and a completely private time
for Homan Catholic* While the other sacra
ment* (such a* baptism, holy matrimony, rdf .)
at* generally one* to *b*r» and celebrate. racon
< dun.m I* the moat intensely private of your
inner thought* — said out loud
Absolutely anything can be aaid In the priest
—* really. directly to God and you will receive
forgivtuuMM and a penance (something to alone
for your tin prayer* or action* you mutt
take) And it I» kept completely between you,
the priest and God
While I have never had anything mayor to eon
foe*. I waa always comforted by the knowledge
that tf I met Maided to tali, even Just to think
something through. I could turn to a priest and
be comforted — be unconditionally forgiven
And it would never be spoken or heard of again,
unless* I chute to revisit the confessional and
that particular »ub)« t
Unfortunately, soma Unc County authorities
decided that all people don't have that right
During the sm ramenl of recant ilialion. Conan
Wayne Hale and Father Tim M»* kaiti* were
recorded Every word they said, every breath
they uttered (though meant only for ted) are
now on tape for other ear* to hear
There i* a difference between Hale and 1 He
may have bad something to confess. Something
big digger than stealing hi* sitter* gummi boar*
or not cleaning hi* room Ha may have con
based to murder
I would Ilka nothing better than to hava the
guilty party cunvictedof threw crime* But to
want that to happen to Hale on the batts of a
private confession. 1 would have to go back on
something I believe in even more strongly —
each person * right to practice hi* or her rail
gioo
h> much the same way I support other peo
ple*' freedom of tpeach right*. 1 support evi
dence being withheld to support the freedom of
religion
What 1 question ic how this entire situation
got thi* far in the first place There were no
sign* in ihe Jail that day While soma claim pris
oner* leave their right to privacy et the door.
Father Mac kaiti* definitely did not That alone
it enough to make the evidence worn inadmtsst
hie to me
Second Oregon Court of Appeal* ha*
already ruled on a case dtnscilv bearing on thi*
"The clergy penitent privilege belongs to the
penitent." Meaning of course, that only Hale ha*
the authority to release what is said in a confev
sional Especially in the Roman Catholic Church
where the priest is just an earpiece for I'hmI. this
makes absolute sense — only the thinker can
release his private thoughts.
Ai < ording to Deschutes County District Attur
ney Mike Dogan. “If the sole purpose of the
priest's appearance at the jail was to engage in
this religious ceremony of confession, then in
all likelihood, the priest-penitent privileges
apply."
But by taping the private confession, a whole
OPINION
can of worms has been
opened. it may be too lata for
th«* tape not to be used in the
trial, f or if Hale realty did con
fwss to something during that
confession and the prose* ution
listened to St. even if they did
n't use the tape in court, they
could use it to get leads
In that case, the defendant
may have to request that the
<«|*>t*» brought lonvard simply to show that In*
prosecution used it unfairty
ThU is obviously not something that occurs
•naryday Hut Ucould
This travesty rales right up there with the
Telec onitnunkations Act (or unconstitutional!
ty Htwiw, while free speech still survives oti
the Internet, freedom of religion has lawn wiped
out fur inmates in lane County
The Bill of Bights clearly state*. “Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the tree swards* there
of..." While tame County authorities might
not be Congrats. they have the same responsibil
Hies to hold this law to the fullest of their capa
bilities. And they haven't.
fine part of Catholic confession is that it CAN
NOT be shared outside of the priest penitent
relationship (unless, of course, the penitent
decides it should bej.
The priest u invested with this responsibility
For now. until privacy is insured, the sacrament
of reconciliation cannot be morally given by a
priest This takes away a major, perhaps neces
sary. sacrament for any prisoner
Because taped confessions remove inmates'
ability to fully practice their religion, they
should be declared illegal.
It could take extra procedures (pastoral ere
dentists verified, altering recording equipment,
etc..), but it must be done to ensure every citi
sens basic rights Prisoner or no. everyone
should be able to have Cod in their lives
Kay Kmutu hmd. a sophomore majoring in bkdo
S' ant* psyc hology, it a columnist for the Emer
d Email kaykdtgladatom. uangon *du