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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 2001)
Conference to address hate crimes awareness ■An increase in Northwest hate crimes prompts a conference in Eugene to raise community awareness By Rebecca Newell Oregon Daily Emerald With the Northwest seen by white supremacists as the “last great home land” for the white race, the number of hate crimes has dramatically risen in the past two years, said Greg Rikhoff, city of Eugene human rights manager. Local political leaders, diversity programs and law enforcement are combating the problem by raising awareness and involvement in the community before the problem reaches higher proportions, Rikhoff said. As part of that effort, the city of Eu gene and Eugene Police Department are serving as two of the hosts for the Oregon Hate Crimes Conference tak ing place Saturday through Monday at the Eugene Hilton and Conference Center. The theme of the three-day event is “Eliminating Bias Crimes — Healing Our Communities.” Judy Shepard, whose son Matthew Shep ard, a gay University of Wyoming stu dent, was beaten to death in 1998 be cause of his sexual orientation, will give the opening speech. “The conference is important be cause there needs to be a general awareness in the community at mini mum that [hate crimes] can and do occur,” Eugene Police Chief Jim Hill said. “It’s a real feather in the cap of the Eugene community to have it here.” Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore, who has supported national hate crimes legislation, is scheduled to speak Sunday. The city of Eugene donated $5,000 to the event, an amount matched by the EPD, said conference coordinator Tracy Schermerhorn. In addition to financial contributions, the city has donated staff hours and space for the conference, she said. “It’s the biggest civic project of the year in Eugene,” Schermerhorn said. “The idea for the conference came two years ago when we saw the rise in bias crimes,” said Rikhoff, who serves as vice-chairman of the confer ence coordinating committee. “We discussed how important it is to get the rest of Oregon looking at this is sue, not just Portland.” In the past 20 years, white su premacists have targeted the North west because of its relatively small number of people of color, Rikhoff said. Pushing the “Northwest Imper ative” — a movement to force out people of color and make the area white only — white supremacists have been the cause of most racial contention in Oregon. Several bomb ings in Eastern Oregon and Washing ton have been attributed to the Aryan Nations, Rikhoff said. “In the last two years, there has been a huge increase in ‘lone wolf crimes’—individuals acting alone in the effort to promote the white race by starting a race war,” Rikhoff said. Though attacks may be focused on a single person, they impact the en tire community or culture of the vic tim, Rikhoff said. When Shepard was brutally murdered in Wyoming, it re verberated in gay and lesbian com munities throughout the nation, he said. “We really wanted to focus on get ting not only an intellectual but emo tional understanding on hate crimes. It’s hard for privileged whites to un derstand what these crimes do to our culture,” Rikhoff said. Another focus of the workshop is promoting good relations between the police and community members, encouraging them to work together to combat hate crimes. The conference puts emphasis on the realization that stopping hate crimes is not a police issue alone, Hill said. “There is a fair amount of negative marketing about police, and it’s im portant we are seen as supporting and protecting all members of the community,” Hill said. “We want to showcase to people the strategy and policies we have in place to deal with hate crimes.” In addition to speakers and per formances, the conference will give participants a chance to network and brainstorm. Registrants include members of law enforcement, educa tors, activists and directors of organi zations from every comer of the state, and they range in age from 14 to 95 years old, Rikhoff said. “It’s a great cross-section. We hope to get them empowered and give them some skill,” Rikhoff said. “We want to give them the power to make a difference.” Oregon Hate Crimes Conference When: Saturday through Monday Where: Eugene Hilton and Conference Center Cost: Registration is $195, which includesall meals. Daily rates are also available. For more information: Call (503) 295-6761 or (541) 682-8440. Oregon Hate Crimes Conference Speakers: Sen. Gordon Smith—supporter of national hate crimes legislation. Judy Shepard—mother of M att hew Shepard. Ken Stem— nationa I ly known authority on hate crimes and anti-Semitism. William Johnston—aformer police officer now involved in educating the police and community. Source: Oregon Hate Crimes Conference 2001 PFC debates Emerald, Philosophy Club budgets—again ■The committee increased the Oregon Daily Emerald’s budget from its first hearing By Lisa Toth Oregon Daily Emerald In the Programs Finance Com mittee’s third night of budget ap peal hearings, extended discussion arose Thursday over the Oregon Daily Emerald and the Philosophy Club budgets. The Emerald asked the PFC for approval of its original budget re quest of $132,870, but it left the meeting with $120,000, an in crease from the $99,652 it was allo cated at the first budget hearing }an. 22. The PFC gave the Emerald less than it requested because commit tee members think the newspaper is capable of raising more funds on its own. PFC members agreed with ASUO Controller Danielle Hath away, who suggested that the Emerald do more fundraising in stead of asking the PFC for fund ing. But Emerald General Manager Judy Riedl said the newspaper al ready raises about $80,000 a year. Riedl and Emerald reporter Jeremy Lang said the newspaper has re duced its reliance on the student incidental fee, and the Emerald has not asked for a budget increase in the past five years. “I am disappointed in the deci sion,” Emerald Editor in Chief Jack Clifford said. “But I cannot com ment further until I have an oppor tunity to talk with the staff about our options.” Clifford said the newspaper had a fair hearing because Emerald members were given the opportu nity to express their concerns. Lisa Blasch, co-chair of the Phi losophy Club, left the PFC meeting feeling the club had not received a fair budget reconsideration. The PFC decreased the Philosophy Club’s budget by $701. Blasch said she didn’t feel the PFC was interested in supporting student groups that want to pursue new opportunities. Neither the Emerald nor the Phi losophy Club was willing to com Hearing Results: Oregon Daily Emerald FirstHearing $99,652 Appeal $120,000 Office of Student Advocacy FirstHearing $93,707 Appeal $104,013 Philosophy dub FirstHearing $1,993 Reconsidered Budget $1,292 Pre-Law Society Tabled — FirstHearing $331 Chinese Students and Scholars Association Tabled — First Hearing $2,686 American Advertising Federation Ad dub Tabled — First Hearing $6,580 Chinese Student Association First Hearing $7,413 Reconsidered Budget $7,263 Arts and Administration Student Forum First Hearing $703 Reconsidered Budget $618 ment as to whether they plan to appeal the PFC’s decisions. 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