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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2000)
Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas Newsroom: (541)346-5511 Room 300, Erb Memorial Union P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu Friday January 21,2000 Volume 101, Issue 80 Erfiehdd PFC may be great equalizer Laura Lucas Government usually isn’t something peo ple praise, and there’s usually a pretty sound reason for that. Pork here, corruption there equals displeasure with the systems that allocate our tax money. While the nation (or at least the less than 50 percent of it that votes) turns its eyes toward a presidential race in which tax responsibility is an important part, the University is also discussing budgets and student fees (our taxes). Now, it’s been in the paper for the past couple weeks, so I expect that you know that the ASUO Programs Finance Com mittee is right now approving budgets for student groups for next fiscal year. Everyone from the Survival Center to the stu dent unions to the Emerald has to prove their budget worthi ness. For those of you who have never been to a PFC meeting, this is how it goes: the group whose budget is up for ap proval makes a brief statement about their service to the Uni versity community. PFC mem bers then get to ask questions and people at the hearing are able to respond or offer more information. The meeting is run nicely by PFC chairwoman Shantell Rice. She keeps all talk “germane” to the subject at hand. The thing that struck me as I sat in on the Emerald’s PFC hearing Tuesday night was that the committee is the great equalizer. Not that all student groups get equal money or should, but rather that every group has to justify its funds, organize its budget and be ac countable to the student body via PFC members. The Emerald asked for a budget to help finance printing costs (we do this every year and didn’t request an in crease). To make sure that we are fiscally responsible, we have to submit canceled checks used to pay the printer. Makes sense. The point is that no matter how important you or anyone else thinks your group is, you have to justify the funds. (Somebody ought to tell that to our national government.) I know some people out there are want to point out that PFC can make mistakes, but the truth is that PFC does a pretty important job, and they do it pretty well. Even though a few members seem have their own personal concerns (and why not?), they certainly are representatives for stu dents’ voices. Be glad that someone out there is watching out for your money. And be glad that the bright lights of interrogation shine on all, even us at the Emerald. Laura Lucas is an editorial editor for the Emerald. Her views do not neces sarily represent those of the newspa per. She can be reached via e-mail at llucas@gladstone.uoregon.edu. Stop the killing: Abortion denies right of life America has come a long way in terms of equal and civil rights, but we are not going to get any further if we don’t start respecting life. Our society is so death-ori ented, we believe death or killing is and end to our problems and a way out of our suffering. The death penalty, euthanasia and abortion are all examples of our society’s disrespecting life and moving farther and farther away from peace. Saturday, Jan. 22, is the 27th anniversary of denied life to the unborn. Twenty seven years ago, Roe vs. Wade ruled that unborn ba bies were no longer people, but a choice. Since that day, more than 36 million babies have been killed in America alone. In a place that promis es unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the most basic right of life is being denied. America the beautiful does n’t seem so beautiful now. My fellow students, if we want to live in a peaceful world, if we want to promote love, if we want to stop the hate and violence, we must stop the killing of our unbori children. How are we to flourish as a society if we kil our most helpless and inno cent members every day? In the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “The unborn child is a human being, capa Commentary Tommy tffef ble of love and being loved — created and loved by God.... Every abortion kills two: the child and the conscience of the mother.... My Brothers and Sisters, I beg you in the name of God, do not kill the unborn child.” Most people would say that abortion should be the choice of the woman because it is her body and she needs to empower herself. “When we consider that women are treated as proper ty, it is degrading to women that we should treat our chil dren as property to be dis posed of as we see fit.” Eliza beth C. Stanton, the organizer of the first women’s rights convention in the U.S., and a leader in the women’s suffrage move ments, spoke these words. Also, “There is so much talk these days about em powering women. What greater power can we give them than the tools to sur vive a crisis?” Mary C. Agee, the founder of The Nurturing Network, said this. To the students, faculty and staff, I present to you a challenge. A challenge to look into how much you re spect life. How much does our society respect life? What kind of message are we send ing to the youth of today when we are not willing to protect life? If we all really want peace, we all need to work for jus tice, and the killing of un born babies is the most un just occurrence in the world today. Abortion is wrong, and I bet my life on that, and I bet my soul on that. “It seems to be as clear as daylight that abortion would be a crime.” — Mahatma Gandhi Tommy Stoffel is the president of Justice For All. His views do not nec essarily represent those of the Emerald. He can be reached via e mail at jfa_uo@yahoo.com. ToWU°/AWasiP'/bJ JKEToAX^essVoO^ QU^TtOH-T^ Fi£$T HP/,Tttt»WN«R. <***. ) WRtlfecUCgK oRTUE(g^^»>rCV c^W3f ft# ^spr' O.S.^AT&? TWk rMSWPVcUF'HW.yR8lMZS> 'T's cVtPPUE; l JUST w.sW Tfou HAP^fr SK*PPeP 'SiHecWWTe(2o^ <f|J iffe/Wiy PLANMin&...'>^ CORRECTION The story “PFC not slowed by grievances" {ODE, jan. 19}, should have read, ASUO President Wylie Chen said he did not know if Saferide complied with federal law, but it has been withheld through ASUOand Oregon University System rules. It also should have read that Chen said he planned to introduce an alternative to Saferide that would shuttle both men and women. Thumbs To another progressive Oregon move Gov. John Kitzhaberwasthe first governor in the nation to en dorse former Sen. Bill Bradley as the Democratic presi dential nominee. The governor's main reason is Bradley’s plan to help millions of Americans with much-needed healthcare. To remember what really counts The Complete Count Committee, a group attempt ing to make sure local populations such as the poor, youth and minori ty groups are counted fully in the census, launched public meetings Tuesday night. By counting under-represented groups as accu rately as possible there will be in creased federal funding through out the area. To losing an advocate Former ASUO Pres ident and Duck supporter Bobby lee, who Joined the City Council three years ago, has said he will not run again for that position. The Uni versity will lose a valuable voice in local politics. To a Fox leaving the hen house Michael J. Fox, known to the masses for his comically conserv ative Alex P. Keaton in televi sion’s “Family Ties," is leaving his current show "Spin City” be ease.
