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\v\Y\v. dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, October 31,2001
Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Managing Editor:
Michael J. Kleckner
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
Editorial
Americans should
turn to community
this Halloween
W ith the threat of international terrorism on
home turf, Americans should certainly
take extra safety precautions this Hal
loween. But even though there are reports
from the government of possible terrorist threats in the
United States within the next week, citizens should not
empower terrorists by letting threats instill fear in them.
Local mall owners have claimed they will not open their
doors to trick-or-treaters this season because they want
to support neighborhood celebrations. Whether this is
the real reason for the closure, or whether recent bogus e
mail threats about Halloween were the true cause of mall
owners’ reticence, we should all take our cue from the
mall owners and focus our Halloween efforts on more
community-oriented celebrations.
Community-based Halloween events have been on
the decline in the last decade, mainly because of Ameri
cans’ tendency to leave their own neighborhoods in
search of safer, more controlled areas for children to
trick-or-treat. It is time to change that trend. We need to
return to our roots as a community-based society. Ameri
ca could choose to use the terrorist attacks to improve so
ciety —and getting to know one’s neighbors is a good
place to start. Neighborhood parties where revelers can
safely enjoy the holiday are the most practical options
for parents who have safety concerns fortheirchildren.
A community-minded Halloween is the best way for
Americans to celebrate this time around. Just because
the malls are closed doesn’t mean the party has to stop.
During this season, we should all be spooked by vam
pires and goblins — not by the specter of terrorism.
Editorial Policy
These editorials represent the opinion of the Emerald
editorial board. Responses can be sent to
letters@dailyemerald.com. Letters to the editor and guest
commentaries are encouraged. Letters are limited to 250
words and guest commentaries to 550 words. Please
include contact information. The Emerald reserves the right
to edit for space, grammar and style.
Correction
In Tuesday’s article on American Sign Language, “University student
speaks out for sign language,” University Academic Requirements
Committee chairman Gail Unruh was incorrectly identified.
The Emerald regrets the error.
T T n A whole new
Halloween
It’s been several years since I last wore a costume on Hal
loween, and it has been even longer since I’ve carved a
pumpkin. Like most holidays, Halloween has gradual
ly changed for me as I’ve grown older.
But even if my enthusiasm has waned during the years, this
particular Halloween will likely be one I won’t soon forget.
My first Halloweens were a time to get dressed up and
score some candy. Then during ado
lescence and even the teenage years,
it was about going out to smash
pumpkins, throw eggs and cause oth
er general mischief. Now that I’m in
college, the Halloween night is usu
ally spent drinking and partying,
with some occasional mischief.
I don’t look forward to Hal
loween like I used to either. The
privilege of staying out late at
night doesn’t hold the same appeal
as it did when I was younger. Now
Adams that I’m almost 22, Halloween is
Columnist Starting to feel like just another Fri
--- day night.
&
\i ^
Except this Halloween. This one feels much different.
All the others have gone by in a consistent pattern that has
slowly evolved as I have grown. But now with a little
more than a year left in my college experience, I’m struck
with the fact that the next Halloween will be a new experi
ence altogether. I wonder what I’ll do then, when I’m out
of Eugene and hopefully gainfully employed. I’ll bet I
probably won’t be smashing many pumpkins.
Added to that is a prevalent sense of dread that has de
scended on everything these days. Perhaps “dread” is too
strong of word, but as we move forward with our war
against terrorism, we have some real things to be afraid of
this Halloween. Anthrax, suicide bombings and maybe
World War III are all things that land the rest of this gener
ation are going to have to deal with now and likely for
some time in the future. It seems even more superficial to
get drunk and wild when American servicemen are risk
ing their lives to defend our national security — and when
the threat of determined, concentrated anthrax attacks
could likely hit a major subway system or large shopping
mall in this country sometime soon.
But we in Eugene, myself included, will probably all do
some sort of partying tonight. We have the luxury of being
young and considerably removed from the probable horrors
and to forget them for a night of ghoulish revelry. At times it
seems ridiculously unfair that here on the West Coast, in
the state of Oregon and the city of Eugene, we can distance
ourselves from a national tragedy. But then it also seems
like a great privilege as well.
As we go out tonight to fight the Eugene Police Depart
ment’s totalitarian “Party Patrol,” cram into the campus
bars and maybe even see who can hurl a pumpkin the far
thest, we should remember all those who don’t have much
reason to party and know that in the coming months there
will likely be fewer reasons.
Following years of Halloweens that grew to mean
less and less to me, the holiday has finally gained some
meaning. Part of me wishes that it hadn’t and that this
could be just like all the others.
Andrew Adams is a columnist for the Oregon Daily Emerald. His views
do not necessarily reflect those of the Emerald. He can be reached at
andrewadams@dailyemerald.com.
Steve Baggs Emerald
Letters to the editor
U.S. government is hypocritical
Sean Walston generalizes about “peace ac
tivists,” including calling them hypocrites
(’’Peace activists are hypocrites,” ODE,
10/22). I don't categorize myself as a peace
activist, but I'm against our government’s ac
tion in Afghanistan. I agree there’s no justifi
cation for committing terrorist acts. But
hypocrisy arises when government leaders
say they’re waging war on terrorism. They
should look in the mirror.
Our government has been responsible for
more terrorist acts since WWII than any other
government. Freedom and democracy aren’t
principles our leaders uphold. Our govern
ment has helped destroy popularly elected
governments in Third World countries and
supports Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.
I don’t blame people for being unaware of
U.S.-sponsored terrorism. It receives no cov
erage in the U.S. media. People don’t hear
about things like the 1986 World Court in
dictment for unlawful aggression against
Nicaragua (which our leaders ignored). They
see no hypocrisy when our leaders condemn
others’ aggression.
Many people who had nothing to do with
oppression perpetrated by our government
died Sept. 11. They were innocents who did
n’t deserve this tate. It’s also true for the peo
ple of Afghanistan. The majority don’t like
the Taliban and aren’t terrorists. They’re see
ing their country bombed. They've done
nothing to warrant it.
The attacks were committed by a group of
individuals, not an entire country. It’s hypo
critical to claim to target a covert interna
tional group by bombing a country, especial
ly when, according to the CIA, most of
Osama bin Laden’s operatives reside in Sau
di Arabia and Egypt.
Mason Gummer
junior
sociology
Energy conservation
will send message
Did everyone forget about the shady energy
fee that taxed students $30 per term for ener
gy use in instructional areas? Well, I didn’t. I
was reminded of the surcharge when I visited
Portland State University and discovered that
students were not taxed an energy surcharge.
I was shocked because PSU’s energy cost in
creased by 52 percent, but students were not
taxed. How so, you ask? PSU administration
involved students in an energy conservation
plan aimed to alter the University’s behavior
when they anticipated rising energy costs.
It is now the time for University of Oregon
students to show our administration that we
can collectively save energy, thus saving $1.5
million for students. We need to make the ad
ministration aware of our power and that we
value our money. By conserving energy, we
will demonstrate that involving students in
the process in the first place would have been
the best decision.
Joy Nair
ASUO vice president
Government should invest
in energy conservation
The energy problems in the Northwest and
in California were caused by the coming to
gether of several forces last winter. The solu
tions presented by the Bush administration
are unacceptable. In a time when the country
should be moving toward renewable energy
sources, the Bush administration is moving
toward unreliable, dirty, limited, unsustain
able sources of energy.
More than 96 percent of U.S. energy comes
from harmful sources. Only 2 percent comes
from clean, renewable sources. Air pollution
causes smog, acid rain and is linked to millions
of people afflicted with asthma. The 10 energy
companies that control 42 percent of the ener
gy production in our country reap big profits
by limiting supply. In the 2000 election cam
paign, oil and gas companies gave more than
$32 million, and coal companies gave more
than three million to campaigns. Of all federal
energy subsidies, 80 percent go to oil, coal and
nuclear energy. We, as individuals, need to take
control of our energy future.
Our government should be investing in en
ergy conservation and clean, renewable ener
gy. Conservation is the quickest and cheapest
way to reduce demand and save money. Each
of us should be looking to conserve on cam
pus and in our homes to lessen our environ
mental footprint. It’s estimated that by 2020,
one third of our energy could come from re
newable sources. We should support this
cause by signing up for programs such as
EWEB windpower and voting for representa
tives who take this course. E-mail me or write
your representative or senator.
Jacob Meyer
senior
biology