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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1996)
VIEWPOINTS EDITORIALS OPINIONS tETIIHS 10 THE EDITOR 'Neighbors’ campaign brings people together ■ OUR OPINION H&* program will teach peopk* about community “It** * beautiful day in the neighborhood ..." Mmi of us am sing or at least hum the words to that funny little theme song from the long-running Mr Rogen' Neighborhood TV show After years of ridicule for being America's biggest nerd, the aoft-apoken. sweater-dad man has recently been praised for his work with children and for his efforts to educate society about basic concepts such as tom pas •ion. making friends and treating others with respec t You can laugh at his cheesy programs and silly songs and maybe even haik over the silly puppets and the red trolley that rings its hell to speak, hut the sad reality is that the U.S des perately needs people like Fred Rogers We need to learn how to treat each other Imtter. how to communicate with one another better and how to be lietter neighlairs to each oth er. literally and figuratively. Unfortunately, there seem to be a number of barricades (cultural, psychological and social, among others) that prevent many people bom making connections with others — whether those “others" are next door or in a nearby cubicle at work Whether these tterriers come from busy and hustling lifestyles or from a subcon scious defense against the fear of crime, many people seem to lie unable to meet or make friends with others. Did you grow up knowing your neighbors? Do you know who your neighbors are now? Have you ever said "hello" to those people who just moved into the area? Thunks to a campaign »l»on*or*d by the City dub of Eugene. The Register Guam, the Eugene Neigh borhood ii»d«n Council, the League of Women Vo)«t of lane County end lane Community College's FM radio station, city residents ere being given the opportu nity to thine stories of how their nnightiorhoods have (f You run lough at his cherry programs and silly songt and maybe even balk over the silly puppets and the red trolley that rings its bell hi speak, but the sad reality is that the U S desperately needs people like bred Rogers 99 tut-eroded in bringing peo ple together. Hated on a !9tt4 Oty Club forum that identified citi zenship and "notghborlt noss" as two issues Eugene residents considered vitally important, the Sin restful Neighborhoods’* campaign is an attempt to reveal and advertise examples of com munity building. Those ideas and formulas will then he applied to other neigh borhoods throughout the community There are people who actually know who their neighbors are — right here in Eugene Some neighbors actually talk to each other and do crazy things such as throwing block parlies and helping each other out when they need an extra hand. It will be interesting to bear their stories and learn from their examples We can all benefit from Swing better neighbors and having just one more friend "»«l **»<* »• KWWt* *« C* On*** OMB t«*»* #*»<*«■<* t* Ml * a* Urn***, t> Ormfm «*M"* Cw**» l w—*<!■ tonmniH t»l**mM ntato #*» jnnrwi, mm mtm * M *se«M*i 1st rnmtnt .**» umiM— ■*»»'«* mm*»» <■*lamww —it*imm t»~ r*.1 b n« - m p.m w*i —mmturn*iMum n*« l»wi<WW>yMliM«>i»i UntKW KM MMMMt Matos ta*hn» l«*nii 0»»si t(* MB* MM II M t»> Mtoto* Itoto kMM I fta|M|BH| MO'lfe -" M Ttol M Mill II » ■ ■“■ ■— fc-aJM. * ..— ■*— a* -.— BB— ... ... -- - ™ MBav "-IrW* BnnJ tarauaa* *M» MwOmmi .in—auto, C»» wm m vmm* .«•»:*» aapiBIwlM IMHO IfnltMlMMM* | tom IBW.IMM tototo tM«to*M, VaM* Ot. «B*» CM* J ■BMMMM <M»JMB *#***0*, IM| MstjHto CM% <*»*—» m C4*lMMK jfrrffy C&Mg&t MM ___T (Ml) MB Mil ■a M« Ml! MtHU (Ml) Mini (Mis M»4M1 r'M staving in the Fight not 8€CAU5§ r rW»NK I CAN W/N, Sur TO INFLUENCE TUi D»SCC*S*W Of ZSSUES W MV OpPoNEHT^ LockSR Room (JlESRATio^ If sports were like politics “•*«*« Ml **fU M ****** *J*wf AM0 4M T ON tHi »urfo«M i{ ^ cope j***, Bill of Rights doesn’t give license to kill *.. that whenever any farm of government became* destructive of theme emit, it it the right of the people io alter or to abohth ft. and to tmtituto new government * — The Declaration of independent» It would seem (lull out Founding Father* ere ated the Bill of Rights in a linear fashion They wrote the most vital clauses first, the neat roost important second and so on The First Amendment allowed lor wm noisy Ameri can* to always he heard — regardless of what ws navi* to uv i ni* .nximu Amendment give* u* the nwwm to *upporl th» righ: iboutd tho need trite, whether it he againai a foreign power (Greet Bntatn in their um| or agairut our own government {In our cate) Yet, the NR A doe* have our beta intereti* in mind (Don't worry. I hate era tool Dr per hep* more *< < uratelv — they're doing the right thing* ww me wrung immiu l he .Second Amendment w« not intended to protect the right to boar hunting rifle* Rebellion* aren't fought with i »•» The Second Amendment wa* designed to protect the right to bear handgun* Ak47» and other »u« h lethal knickknacka whom *oUt purpose is to kill human being* The only thing you tan hunt with a bazooka U either a tank or a bmntwMufu* The Second Amendment'* intention wa* to allow the people to fight back against a govern merit that they thought wo becoming too tyran Meal and out of touch with the populace Thomas |of!en«n once wrote to |um Madison that the occasional rebellion was a good thing because it kept the government in line Remem ber. this country was founded by a group of rebel* What we called patriots, the British called terrorists From this rebellion the greatest country in existence was bom Whoops, there l go being patriotic again lust put a cork in it, quit vwr bitchui about the joy* of socialism, communism and every other damn ’’Ism." toss out your Marx (not C'.mucho) and giin us back iiere in the not-so nuw real world If you don’t like it hem. move to China Your cumradns over them have got more freedom and liberty than they can handle. The problem is that these fruit loop militia*" have gone overboard The whole idea of protect ing one’s self from the government is a bad idea. Ye*, they am a tad bit crazy But that's what happens when your family tree doesn't brsnc b What define* them at loony toon*’ Of course we all know they am, so we let the FBI pursue them But what if they honestly believe that their civil right* are lining violated? And what if they actually arrl Conspiracy or not. that threat will alwav* p*i*t with any w>rt of government Clinton want* to take a way our ability to defend ourselves against the government ana each other by restricting handguns and assault rifles under the pretense of fighting crime. What good is a .22 against a M 16 and body armor? If everyone is to have access, then criminals invariably will as well. You isn't have it both ways. Too bad the president doesn't realize that I sincerely doubt he would try or want to become Augustus Caesar. but infringing on our civil rights will not endear biro to those who hold the Bill of Rights sacred Clinton also signed into law the Telecommu nications Decency Act. which bends the First Amendment over the hood of his Mustang and shoves the government's foot up its ass. Am I paranoid or is there a pattern here? Or have I just been watching too many of The X-Films again? The Freemen in Montana deserve the worst possible punishment for being tyrants under the guise of being “patriots “ But what of Randy Weaver, a bigot — but as an American be has a right to be — whose wife's head was blown off by an FBI sniper while holding her infant child. Not a weapon, a child. Or the debacle at Waco, Texas, with the Branch Davidians. led by the charismatic demagogue David Kurwsh The ATF could have nailed him outside the compound on his daily fog. best instead they opted fur a full frontal assault that ultimately led to the immola lion of the entire compound Stupidity on the part of the federal government? Gee, them's something new But the government's dispersion of Justice in the name of freedom and liberty? Where was Justice when a woman's head was vaporized while she smiled her child? Where was liberty when blacks marched peacefully for civil rights in the middle of this century and instead got fire hoses, dogs, nightsticks and bullets in their heads? Is the government getting out of hand? Will we only realize it once it's loo late? Am the quacks not so crazy after all? The greatness of America lies solely in the individual's love of liberty and freedom This may be they greatest country on the face of the earth, but there's plenty of room for improvement Until there's a perfect world, who's going to defend your rights? The govern ment f Don't be naive Grab your guns and keep your wtts about you. Or maybe I'm Just para noid Probably both, but why lake the chance? /e*w I BahrtrrClancy. o senior majoring in bio t hrmtxtry. iti a columnist for the Emerald E-mail /bcluncydigladstone uOregon edu
