Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
PO. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online Edition:
www.dailyemerald.com
Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Managing Editor:
Michael J. Kleckner
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
Letters to the editor
West, Islamic world need perspective
Those who have learned history from the point of view of the
West would likely be surprised if they read Amin Maaloufs
book, “The Crusades Through Arab Eyes.” While the English
word “crusade” means an enterprise filled with high ideals and
heroic deeds, the people living in the countries that represented
the military objectives of the crusaders saw the Crusades as for
eign invasions to be repulsed as quickly as possible.
The long history of strife between Christianity and Islam
has created two conflicting collective memories. Past con
frontations have produced the two communities of “Islam”
and “the West” and have caused the West to view Islam as a
source of antagonism. Muslims are aware of the decline of
the Islamic world since the Renaissance. Looking at the
world from the exact opposite perspective, Muslims feel
themselves under attack from the West; there is a sense from
both camps of being under siege (see Graham E. Fuller and
Ian O. Lesser, “A Sense of Siege”).
The opposite sides have an ignorance about the experience
and perspectives of the other camp. A solution to conflict not
based simply on superior force requires people to use empathy
and imagination in an attempt to figure out how their antago
nists see things. Everything depends on your point of view.
Milton Takei
Master’s degree, Class of ’92
Eugene
Emerald should show respect for Springfield
It was with sad amazement that I read the Emerald edito
rial, “Eugene healing needs to begin” (ODE, 10/01). What
were you thinking?
Painting Springfield residents as low-class folks who
| spend their time driving around in pick-up trucks with
monster wheels undermines any message of healing. At a
j time when community, in the broadest sense, is so impor
tant to all of us, cheap shots, ridicule and misinformation
are unacceptable. We must all work harder to find common
I ground, bring our hearts and minds into our efforts and re
sist the temptation to label anyone as “less than” or “other.”
For the record, students, faculty, staff and administrators
who call Springfield home contribute daily to the success of
the University. They teach and attend classes, participate in
our governance, plan, attend programs and solve a myriad
of problems on behalf of our community. They work across
our entire campus — in our buildings, academic depart
ments, residence halls and, yes, in Johnson Hall and the
EMU. They are an integral part of the teamwork keeping our
campus warm, welcoming and working.
There is no “shame” in being born in Springfield. Can you
understand the damage that such a remark causes? Does it
not occur to you that in making such statements it is your in
tegrity and credibility that suffers?
The University of Oregon is a state institution, not a city
college. Our local home is the Eugene/Springfield metropol
itan region. The city leadership of Springfield is a valued
partner as we strategize and work with other public entities
to solve problems around local, state and federal issues,
public safety, economic development, diversity, transporta
tion and more.
The University community works hard to provide a safe,
inclusive, respectful environment for everyone; we expect
and deserve more from our campus journalists.
Jan Oliver
associate vice president for institutional affairs
University of Oregon
Tips for cyclists
Cyclists new to Eugene shouldn't have to learn the following
the hard way [by accident!):
• Bike lanes are one-way
• Sidewalk cyclists yield to everyone else
• Trust no driver—consider yourself invisible, night and day
• Hang up your “cellys.’^snuff out your “ciggys,” keep your
hands near die brakes.
Go play in traffic!
GaryTrendler
junior
art
How do you feel about
the military action?
The Emerald encourages all voices to express their concerns about
this sensitive topic and its implications in the future. All letters are
limited to 250 words and guest commentaries are limited to 550
words. Letters and commentaries can be sent to
Ietters@daily8merald.com.
Campuses Speak Out
College campuses across the
nation are stunned by the
air strikes the United States
began against Afghanistan
on Sunday. Here are a few of the re
actions from college newspapers:
Where’s the other news?
The news is dominated, as it
should be, by the reverberations
around the world from the attacks on
America. The front page always in
cludes the big developments in this
ongoing dilemma for that day. But
can't some news exist outside this
right now? Is it possible that every
piece of news has been touched by
the events of the 11th? Is there such a
thing as an isolated event?
The biggest news of late is that
George W. Bush has sent $320 mil
lion dollars in humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan. We're flying dangerous
missions through possible Taliban
anti-aircraft fire and desert storms
that spring from nowhere to bring
supplies into this impoverished na
tion. Why?
Well, there is poverty, disease and
starvation. Yes, that's all true but
that's not really, really why. The real
reason is that we’re trying to butter up
these guys in the Middle East and
widen the divide between the people
of Afghanistan and the Taliban.
Chris Townsend
FSView & Florida Flambeau
(Florida State U.)
Media mustn’t settle
fora press release war
Sure, there are humanitarian justi
fications for the bombings. Some 7.5
million lives are at risk from starva
tion or exposure. Not that we expect
cruise missiles and high ordinance
explosions to abate the famine in
Afghanistan. Not that we expect any
of the aid packages we drop to be dis
tributed. Nor should we expect more
success in Afghanistan than in hu
manitarian actions in Somalia.
We run the risk of dropping food
and blankets on people who need
other things — like infrastructure
and sustainable agriculture. Air
dropping supplies is a patchwork so
lution to systemic problems and may
even create refugees while exposing
recipients to further repression.
So, we're at war. At this point, what
we must do is challenge the press to
refuse to settle for Pentagon press re
leases. The media should be free to in
vestigate and interrogate the practices
of our government. Citizens inside
and outside the university communi
ty should explore and debate U.S. for
eign policy, including the rationale of
training men like Osama bin Laden.
Staff Editorial
Daily Texan (U. Texas-Austin)
U.S. must use force cautiously
The Taliban asked bin Laden to
leave, but did not give him to U.S. au
thorities. The training camps re
mained open. And Sunday, U.S. forces
responded with military action.
U.S. officials moved cautiously,
and for this they should be com
mended. They didn't cave in to the
cries for Afghan blood. Instead they
were methodical about making sure
of bin Laden's involvement and the
safe haven the Taliban was provid
ing. Sunday's strikes were calculated
and aimed at Afghanistan's military,
rather than its innocent civilians.
Now, the United States needs to re
main just as cautious as before. Our
government must continue to act
with jurisprudence. If we stop using
good judgment, this conflict will turn
into a politically motivated coup
rather than a justified retaliation.
Staff Editorial
Kentucky Kernel (U. Kentucky)
Country’s response
is becoming vigilantism
The U.S, response to the tragedies of
Sept. 11 is turning from shock and
anger into a fanaticism that leaves no
room for rational critique and analysis.
Hate crimes across the nation are
only a glimpse of the emotionality
that threatens to plunge the country
into blind vigilantism. Everyone
knows of someone who has been
threatened or harassed since the at
tacks — Guardian staffers, too, have
suffered from the backlash—but few
seem to realize that the spirit behind
the harassment is perpetuated
through other, more socially accept
able means.
Catherine Navarro
The Guardian (U. California-San Diego)
Killing bin Laden
will only continue war
Bin Laden would be a martyr like
no other. His death in the face of the
"American war mongers" would
serve as a rallying point for other fun
damentalists all around the world.
Thousands of young Islamic men
would take up arms—young men
out to prove something, orphaned
adolescents with no one else to fol
low, and other extremists looking for
a reason to terrorize.
Should bin Laden fall victim to a
U.S. strike, his followers and new sup
porters from all over the world will
continue his war against America.
Matt Chain
Washington Square News (New York U.)
Keep eating bagels
War is war. It is a scary and morally
ambiguous thing. And while it will
affect us all in one way or another, it
is vital to the running of America to
continue with our lives.
Go to class. Eat a bagel. Watch a
movie, pay your bills, play a game of
football—just keep living. Osama
bin Laden wants to disrupt our lives
and destroy our "evil Western deca
dence." If that's not a rally cry for us to
eat, drink and be merry, then what is?
We can't live in fear because that
means we lose. That makes us cowards
and America isnot about cowardice—
it's about freedom, so enjoy it.
Staff Editorial
Daily O'Collegian (Oklahoma State U.)