Oregon daily emerald., October 12, 2000, Page 3A, Image 3

INader supporters want equal representation in media
■ uube 10 iuu local resiaents
gathered Wednesday to voice
their distaste for a two-party
system that excludes others
By Eric Martin
for the Emerald
A crowd of more than 90 Ralph
Nader supporters gathered Wednes
day evening at Wayne Morse Free
Speech Plaza in downtown Eugene
and vehemently voiced concerns
that the presidential debates are un
democratic because they exclude
viable third-party candidates.
Chanting “Let Ralph Debate” and
holding green picket signs that read
“Gore and Bush Make Me Want to
Ralph,” the protesters listened to
speeches by 10 different Nader sup
porters, while the second debate be
tween presidential candidates
Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice
President Al Gore took place in
Winston-Salem, N.C.
“We want a leader who’ll be
much greater,” said Michael Glown
ia, a write-in candidate for Eugene
mayor. “We want a leader like Ralph
Nader. Rise above mediocrity,
choose a leader with integrity.”
several speakers said corpora
tions are silencing candidates such
as Nader while supporting Bush
and Gore — candidates represent
ing corporate interests. They say
these interests are destructive and
wreak havoc on the environment in
foreign countries, while cheating
workers in foreign countries out of
hard-earned pay.
Responding to protester com
plaints, Executive Director for the
Oregon Republican Party Darryl
Howard said in a phone interview
Wednesday that any candidate who
has the potential to run a national
campaign should be allowed in the
presidential debates.
“They should be open to all can
didates,” Howard said. “I don’t have
the pay grade to make these deci
sions, but if I did, there would al
ways be a third-party candidate in
there.”
But Maria Smithson, vice chair
for the Oregon Democratic Party,
said allowing unproven third-party
candidates like Nader to participate
in national debates is unrealistic
and not advantageous to the public.
“If we opened up these debates to
every presidential candidate, there
could be up to 50 candidates,” she
said. Having a large candidate pool
would put voters at a disadvantage
because they wouldn’t have time to
be exposed in any depth to the plat
forms of so many candidates, she
said.
“The fact is, no third-party candi
date has any chance at the presiden
cy this year,” Smithson continued.
“Ralph Nader is not qualified.”
Nader protesters also criticized
the media, which they said is corpo
rate-owned and is guilty of not cov
ering Nader consistently.
“It’s unfair that the media is ex
cluding information about Ralph
Nader,” said Kathy Jones, a member
of Lane Victory 2000, Nader’s local
campaign organization. “All the
people I talk to say, ‘Yes, Ralph Nad
er should be allowed into the de
bates.’ Is this democracy? We need
to take it back.”
Members of Lane Victory 2000,
who organized Wednesday’s rally,
said they support Nader because he
is anti-corporate control and stands
for economic justice.
One Nader supporter even quot
ed President John F. Kennedy.
“The unity of freedom has never
Kevin Calame Emerald
Michael Glownia addresses a crowd of about 100 Nader supporters Wednesday evening
at the Wayne Morse free speech plaza in downtown Eugene.
depended on the uniformity of
opinion,” said Richard Alevizos, a
member of Lane Victory 2000.
Speakers also encouraged voters to
cast their ballots for Nader because of
a rising tide of Nader supporters who
* have turned out for rallies in Chica
go, Seattle and Portland.
Two Nader supporters who spoke
were considerably younger than
their counterparts: 15-year-old
Churchill High School students
Melissa Adkins and Sarah Coon.
Adkins said her parents tried to
convince her that Gore was her best
choice for president, but after doing
some research on the Internet, she
said if she could vote, Nader would
be her choice.
“I feel empowered,” Adkins said.
“We’re going to Xerox some fliers
and hand them out at school.”
Coming Out
continued from page 1A
ence of people meeting me and find
ing that I blow all the stereotypes. ”
Shasta Willson, a computer science
graduate student who spoke at the
event, said that Coming Out Day is a
time to show students who haven’t
come out that there’s nothing wrong
with them and they’re not alone.
“Coming out can be a scary thing,
especially with all the stories about
negative reactions and gay bash
I
ing,” she said. “But I’ve reached the
point where I take all opportunities
to come out because I’ve had posi
tive experiences. This day helps
give students on the other end of the
process courage to come out.”
Gabrielle Hendel, co-director of
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans
gender Association said the oppres
sion of gay students is more chal
lenging to overcome because being
gay is easier to hide and deny.
“Being gay isn’t like other oppres
sions,” she said. “You can’t hide the
color of your skin ... but you can
hide being gay.”
Michael Dippel, a junior journal
ism major and vice president of
Delta Lambda Phi, a national gay, bi
sexual and progressive fraternity,
said that students who do come out
become more content in their lives.
“Coming out makes you so much
happier as a person,” he said.
“You’re not living with a secret any
more and you’re not hiding any
thing. It’s a great feeling.”
Elise Self and Sharon Walker, rep
resentatives from Parents, Families
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays,
also spoke about their experiences
and how parents sometimes go in to
the closet when their children come
out. Dave Sanchez, junior political
science major on the No on 9 cam
paign spoke on the dangers of the
Student Protection Act. He said the
passing of the measure would pre
vent teachers from helping openly
gay students, creating the unwel
coming, hostile environment socie
ty should be trying to eliminate.
Other members of the communi
ty are also recognizing the LGBT
community nationally. Radio talk
show host Dr. Laura gave the LGBT
community a full apology during
her show Wednesday and admitted
she’d made an error by talking about
homosexuality as deviant in the
past. Gov. John Kitzhaber has also
proclaimed October to be Lesbian
and Gay History Month.
“National Coming Out Day proves
that there doesn’t have to be one way
in this world,” Juleah Willson said.
“All kids should know that they have
a place here... and we can only have
that kind of community if we de
mand that kind of community.”
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