VIEWPOINTS
» 01 f 0 H IA t OPifCUXS KMIHS JO 1 Mt IDlfO*
Supreme Court ruling
means new tolerance
■ OUR OPINION: Rights of
all aliens should be
defended by courts
Last week , Ilia Supreme
Court overturned Amend
ment 2. an amendment that
banned aril ( disc rimmatiun
protection far homosexuals
in Colorado. The Supreme
Court** 6-/ruling lui«
opened the entire nation's
eyes to the fact that gay
rights are not about sex but
about every citizen* right to
equal protection under the
law.
One of the moat amazing
facts about the Supreme
Court's movement is that
Oregon was one of seven
states that filed an amicus
brief in the case. Apparent*
ly. Oregon'* brief proved to
lie quite persuasive because
the justices' ruling was
formed through its argu
ment.
With the OfIA currently
collecting signatures in a
hurried attempt to get their
measure on the November
ballot, Oregon c ould not
have taken a better politic a!
stance at a better lime.
Hopefully, this ruling will
force homophobic religious
right organizations to realize
the judicial system is no
longer on their tide. Unfor
tunately. before Amende
ment 2 was ruled
unconstitutional, the
Supreme Court supfiorted
the religious right and
helped reinforce the stereo
type that gay rights were
aWit sex.
The Bowers vs. Hardwick
decision made by the
Supreme Court nearly ten
years ago creeled a platform
for the anti-gay rights move
ment Since that monumen
tally unjust ruling, many
cases of gay discrimination
have either been ignored or
diwarded by the Supreme
Court But the May 20
motion will hopefully alter
the court'* perception of
these i .jam..
Amendment 2 wu crwit*
ed and sponsored by Qjl
orado for Family Valuev, a
group that most likely
share* a similar purpose
with the OCA. Though 53
percent of Colorado's voting
population approved
Amendment 2. which i« a
**ar> enough as It ia. the
Amendment should have
been declared unconstitu
tional as soon as it reached
the ballot But with this
nation's unfortunate history
of homophobia, ranging
from Clinton's "don't ask.
don't teir policy in the mil
itary to the impossibility for
gay couples to be legally
married, it ia no wonder that
this amendment made su
much progress before it was
*tnick down.
This ruling should be
used as a reminder that civil
rights are still being denied
to entire groups of people
Though many people might
say that civil rights am
available to all citizens, cit
ing the African American
civil rights movement of the
l‘too* as their prime exam
ple, them are many other
races and group* of people
who are still suffering from
discrimination. California's
Proposition 187 is an exam
ple of this discrimination
and prejudice, generalizing
that moat Latinos are illegal
immigrants and deserve to
lie deprived of health cam
and a basic education. But
the repeal of Amendment 2
gives hope that unjust legis
lation that singles out or
ignores entire groups of peo
ple will be overturned or
prevented in the future.
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Doesn’t understand
Keith Cunningltem's latest convoluted diatribe
(OOfi. May IS) promonly bit <omplete ignorant*
of woman's issues and conttmt.
Thera is nothing wrong with being angry end
drawing attention to the brut*! rape that occurred
on our campus We resit** that date and acquain
tance rape* comprise the vat! majority of rape*
that occur, hut that don* not decrease the impact
of this i rime
The goal of .HaJertd* it to dermaae rapra and tec
ual asMult on camput and to provide access to
ntghmme event* fa* woman who would otherwise
(eel unsafe walking at night
We do not appreciate his claim that we deliver
women to rapists Alto, insinuating that groups
like Safaride are 'turning our becks" to atT other
forms of sexual assault is ludicrous
Would Keith prefer that we ignore the violent
rape that took place May 12’ The emotions and
cunt eras that have suriatsd over the peat week are
worth everyone's attention
Thera are other groups on campus, such at Ihe
Speaker's Bureau, the Office of Student Ufa. the
Resident* Hells and the Women's Cents* that edu
cate student* about date and acquaintance rape
Perhaps if Cunningham would look around and
take the responsibility at educating himself on
these issues, we would he spared hit ignorant com
menu concerning women
A* long as Cunningham is pretentious enough
to assume that he can speak for women, he will
never begin to understand feminism
Jenna Wasson
Project Satarx* co-dtractor
Arm Watieniua
ASUO Women s Center
Survivors
Finn. I want to thank Doug Irving (or hi* fine
coverage (OUK, May 17) of the Take Back the Night
Rally on Thursday evening. May 16 It was a mov
ing an«l important event, and it* value was con
veyed by Irving However, there la one significant
point on which 1 need to comment
In hit description of my participation in the
event. Irving twite used the term “victim" — once
in reference to me. and once regarding the other
woman whose poems I teed
The term "rape victim" ta one I never use to
describe myself or others who have been sexual
ly assaulted because it tends to imprison the per
son who has been attacked and puts them into a
position of powerless ness, fear and further “vic
timisation. *
instead. I prefer the term "survivor." because
it places the emphasis on our strength in living
through and overcoming our trauma
Rape is such a horrible crime because it invade*
the body and soul, undermining the person's sense
of value and identity But when a woman who has
been raped begin* to see herself as a survivor, she
can shift her focu» away from the event end it*
dehumanizing effect*, end begin to rediscover her
value end strength.
Calling • rape survivor a "victim" pushes her
bath inside the emotional prison she ha* fought
so hard to escape.
While this shift from victim fa survivor is an
tmportantpari of our healing process, it is often
not easy. Those around us can help by sharing not
only the changed terminology, but the changed
attitude that must accompany it.
Indeed, this shift is what "Take Back the Night
is all about: empowering women ami teaching men
that violence against us is unacceptable.
Elizabeth Ctaman
Graduate student. Comparative Literature
Smith's triumphs
1 heard a collective groan rise from the masses
when the attack ads on Tom Hruggere began air
tog recently The frustration over negative ads ha*
been stirred again, and at Cordon Smith's head
quarters in take Oswego, Smith's staffers felt the
same displeasure.
Smith was in no way responsible for the sds
—• they were produced independently by the
Republican National Committee Smith has placed
a personal call to RNC to ask that the ad* he pulled
Gordon Smith is a man of integrity who wants
to be Oregon's next U.S. Senator. His response to
the negative ads is only one example of his com
moment to Oregon * needs (risomatu want clean
campaigns
Abo, students need access to art affordable edu
cation. and Smith wn a key play er In allotting
Oregon bitten funds to college scholarships
He oppose* the Newt Gingrich plan to cut stu
dent loans The president ofCrime Victims Unit
ed endorses Smith for passing tougher crime bw*
and penalties, specifically one* aimed at »***
offenders and stalking Finally. Smith is work
tng to save Medicare and the Oregon Health Plan
l have met him on several occasions and admire
how he answers questions directly without tb«
usual rhetoric heard from most politicians
1 support (Gordon Smith because of his triumphs
a* the state legislator's Senate President, his plans
for Washington and his character,
Gail Johnson
CoHsqs Republican Federated
Co-cftmneoman
ETTEBS PQUCY
The Oregon Darfy wtfl attempt to pom
tf leaert contaawtg comments on topics at Merest
to the University community
Loners to the odrtor must be Hmttad to no more
wan 250 eons*, legate stgned and the ajeneftca
bon ot me writer most be ventied when We letter
is submmeo
The f meneW reserve# me ngnt to eCH any letter
•or lengm or sryt*