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.
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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.