Editor in chief: Jack Clifford
Associate Editors: Rebecca Newell, Jeff Smith
Newsroom: (541)346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
Tuesday
August 1,2000
Volume 102, Issue 12
Emerald
Listen to
ideas
In the coming weeks, there will be four political
conventions happening in America.
That’s right, four.
You’ll see two on television — two well-script
ed production numbers spouting Demoblican
propaganda. The TV spectacles for Bore and Gush
will make the Oscars look like a poorly-planned
frat party. These conventions
people wouldn’t have to “protest” if they were ac
tually represented by our so-called political sys
tem.
Many of us disaffected by the endless corporate
politics will agree with much of what the People’s
Convention and Direct Action Network are es
pousing. Check out both counter-conventions’
Web sites at www.directactinnnRt
will feature carefully-coiffed
candidates offering nothing but
simplistic platitudes.
The Republicans have noth
ing to present except the usual
tax cuts for the wealthy, corpo
Commentary
Michael
Kleckner
| work.org and
peoplesconvention.com. Progres
sives will find the ideas of these
“protesters” commonplace. Not-so
progressives may find that they
make sense.
race nanaouts ana protection ot power tor the rich
and conforming. They’ll package it to look like an
inclusive, multicolored platform of compassion,
but the legislation behind it only hurts the average
American.
The Democrats only seem to believe in staying
in power. They haven’t had a new idea in years,
their candidates are nothing more than Republi
cans who like taxes and they will desperately ap
peal to the “mushy middle” voters, regardless of
who they have to sell out in the process. They, too,
will pretend to embrace causes that they’ll never
back up with legislation.
Unfortunately for democracy and voter partici
pation, the only coverage of the other two conven
tions — the conventions actually engaging in spir
ited discussion of issues that affect the average
American — that you’ll see will be police officers
in the streets of Philadelphia and Los Angeles
“cracking down” on the “Eugene anarchists” and
“protesters.”
That's right, mass counter-conventions will be
happening during the major party galas. In fact,
they’ll be happening right outside the door. These
Destroying property to get attention is not the
point of these conventions. Discussing social jus
tice, environmental protection, health care, edu
cation and global capitalism is. But like the WTO
protests, having TV cameras filming something,
filming any part of these ideas holds the possibili
ty of Americans seeing and thinking about them.
Media outlets won’t discuss these issues.
The media barrage instead will be histrionic:
Must cover empty sound bites and superficial
photo-ops! No time for covering issues during the
busy election cycle! Hillary said bad words! Bush
snorted coke!
Many progressives and hard-left liberals will
complain about the tactics of some of the “protest
ers,” saying that vandalism is violence, saying that
we can’t create fear if our ideas are to be accepted.
Maybe. But the corporate politics of Bore and
Gush give me fear. The notion of a two-party polit
ical system dominated by big lies and no ideas
gives me fear.
The possibility that the rich will keep getting
richer, the poor will keep getting poorer and the
mainstream American voters will keep getting
suckered and fleeced by politicians with pretty
things to say really, really gives me fear.
Has anyone (especially the progressive naysay
ers of anarchists’ tactics) stopped to think that
maybe we’re running out of options? I condemn
violence; don’t get me wrong. But I neither con
done nor condemn corporate vandalism. I think
that’s a personal choice. No matter how many peo
ple say otherwise, the strength of the message and
the vandalism in Seattle made the powers that be
take notice. And when you’re left out of the politi
cal process, ignored and pushed aside as if your
concerns and ideas aren’t as important as big cor
porate donors and nicely worded slogans, what
should you do?
Perhaps if the media and the politicians spent
some time addressing the issues and concerns of
the working class in America, there would be no
need for news outlets to cover broken windows
and marches in the streets, and no need for politi
cians to decry the lawlessness of “fringe groups.”
If the media and the government would engage
in a dialogue with the disaffected masses about
our society, instead of using sleight-of-hand ad
campaigns to sell something vaguely representing
politics, we wouldn’t have such unrest.
More and more of us aren’t represented by the
two-party system. We’re taxed, but not represent
ed. More and more of us are represented by
“fringe groups.” Those groups are finally joining
forces to try to rally disaffected voters and repre
sent a growing ideology in American politics.
Some appropriate media attention is required —
now.
Michael Kleckner is the Emerald’s editorial editor for the
2000-01 school year, and is currently in Salt Lake City, work
ing as an intern for the Deseret News. He can be reached at
sioenroux@playful.com
Letters to the editor
Prediction could come true
Some months ago, immediately following the
University’s rather reluctant decision to join the
Worker Rights Consortium, I predicted that it
would not be long before Johnson Hall used
the one-year trial period “get-out-of-jail-free card”
as a way to back out of what many administrators
perceived as a slap in the face of the University’s
most famous sugar daddy.
Recent news articles regarding President [Dave]
Frohnmayer’s “concerns” with the consortium’s
slowness in getting on line and potential effective
ness overall, suggest that that augury may indeed
have been right on the money. I take no pleasure in
being right this time.
Bill Smee
University staff
Smoking ban a healthy choice
I am an exchange student from Puebla, Mexico
here at the University. I have been reading the Ore
gon Daily Emerald frequently since I first got here.
I came across [Rebecca Newell’s] article about
“Lifting the smoke screen from businesses.” (ODE,
July 25) I must say that it was very interesting. Es
pecially your concern about people exposed to sec
ond-hand smoke. I must say that cigarettes stink
and make me sick.
Hopefully the Eugene ban will be put into effect.
Amado Correa
Student
CORRECTION
A photo accompanying the story “Music innovator uses
all he has” (ODE, July 27) carried the wrong cutline. It
should have identified the musician as Ela lambin.
Needless to say, Santa Claus did not leap to his death
from the roof of Gateway Mall.
The Emerald regrets the error.
Quoted
“I feel good I rode
him. [But] I hope I
never have to get
on him again."
— Bullrider Rocky
McDonald after
riding Blue Grass
—an infamous
Bull who had in
jured other riders
—and marking
the first time he
h'ad been ridden
for eight seconds
in competition.
McDonald, a Texas
resident, placed
fifth at the 2000
Eugene Pro Rodeo.
The Register
Guard, July 31.
“It’sacatand
mouse game. It’s
goingto beall
week.”
—Commissioner
JohnTimoneyof
the Philadelphia
police said in re
sponse to several
tense confronta
tions between the
thousands of ac
tivists crowded
throughout the
streets and police.
The Register
Guard, July 31.
“My energy and
enthusiasm have
waned, and you
need that energy
to come at the
monster every
day."
—Assistant Com
mandant Bonnie
jo Houdien upon
resigning from her
position at the
Citadel. Houchen
was the Citadel’s
first female officer,
hired in 1997 to as
similate women
into the corps of
cadets. The Regis
ter-Guard, July 31.
Word
On the jt
Should the Universi
ty stick to its original
one-year commitment
with the Worker
Rights Consortium or
should it pull out
sooner?
\:mL,. - l
Stick With It
“I think [President] Dave
[Frohnmayer] made a deci
sion that cost the University
$30 million and I think he
should stick to it.”
— Senior Gabrielle Hendel,
psychology and
women’s studies
Pull Out Early
“I think they should pull
out. I thinkthe WRC wasa
joke to begin with and it’s a
joke now. P.S: Thank you,
Phil.”
—Sophomore Seth Revoal,
undeclared
Stick With It
“I think they should stick to
it. They’re still hashing it
out. If it doesn’t work out,
we tried. We gave it a shot.
We’re giving the message
universities want a say in
what’s going on.”
—Senior Michael Medlock,
general and
political science
Pull Out Early
“If [Frohnmayer] has con
cerns, he should pullout
now before waiting for it to
get worse. ”
—Junior Christina Huber,
chemistry
" I
Stick With it
“They should stick it out a
year and reassess after that
because they made a com
mitment.”
—Junior Ryan Anderson,
exercise and
movement science