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
Thursday, November 1,2001
Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Managing Editor:
Michael J. Kleckner
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
Editorial
Tobacco ban
imprudent,
patronizing
Biology professor V. Pat Lombardi is on
a personal crusade to save the campus
from the ill effects of tobacco smoke.
Lombardi’s concern for the health of
students and faculty is endearing, although his
attack on the tobacco sales in the Erb Essentials
convenience store may be futile.
Lombardi told the Emerald that money
earned from tobacco sales is tainted because it
is made at the expense of people’s health. This
is true; however, if the professor is adamant
about health issues, he should also advocate for
the removal of candy bars, soda pop, coffee, hot
dogs and virtually every other junk food snack
that is sold alongside the cigarettes in the store.
Even if Lombardi gets his way, students will
not be deterred from buying tobacco or smok
ing. It will simply be an inconvenience for stu
dents who will be forced to spend their money
elsewhere, which would take money away from
the EMU.
Last year the Erb Essentials store made more
than $100,000 from tobacco sales, making up
7.5 percent of total EMU food service sales. If
these sales ceased, the EMU would lose a large
chunk of its annual revenue and more student
fees would have to be allocated to keep the
building running.
Lombardi presents us with paternalistic
garbage by suggesting smokers should be
stripped of their rights to buy cigarettes on
campus. Erb Essentials has been selling tobacco
products for years with little or no bellyaching.
Why Lombardi is bringing this issue up now is
unclear.
Students are adults and should be trusted to
act and behave responsibly. Because Erb Essen
tials is a convenience store, perhaps students
should lobby for putting beer and wine onto
store shelves. After all, it is as inconvenient for
drinkers as it would be for smokers to have to
go off campus for drinks. And if Clancy
Thurber’s sells alcohol, why not allow Erb Es
sentials the same freedom?
If Lombardi truly wants to help with the
smoking epidemic on campus, he should pro
pose a more plausible suggestion. Perhaps if we
add a dime or nickel on tobacco sales from Erb
Essentials, that money could be used to create
an anti-smoking advertising campaign.
Barring cigarette sales from campus is both
financially unsound and patronizing to smok
ers. There are better causes to be preoccupied
with than cigarette sales.
Editorial Policy
These editorials represent the opinion of the Emerafd
editorial board. Responses can be sent to
{etters@dailyernerald.com. tetters 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.
Jessica Blanchard
editor-in-chief
Michael J. Ktecicner
managing editor
Gabe Shaaghnessy
community representative
Julie Lauderbaugh
editorial page editor
Jacquetyn Lewis
assistant editorial editor
Grant Leffler
community representative
bland,
Creating a
TV3
culture
Shortly after the terrorist attacks
Sept. 11,1 noticed an interesting
chain reaction. Billboards and
advertisements containing im
ages of the World Trade Center began
to disappear. Then I heard news that
the twin towers would be digitally re
moved from upcoming movies, includ
ing “Zoolander” and “Serendipity.”
Not long after, a group of station direc
tors from Clear Channel Communica
Jaccjue
Lewis
Assistant Editorial
Editor
tions, a media con
glomerate owning
radio stations that
reach millions of
listeners, sent
member stations a
list of 150 songs
they “requested”
not be played, out
of respect for vic
tims of the terrorist
attacks. Now Aaron
McGruder’s famous
“Boondocks” comic
strip has been re
moved from New
York’s Daily News
after McGruder fo
cused on politics surrounding the at
tacks. In its place? A crossword puzzle.
So what do all these things add up to?
Artistic license falling by the wayside in
favor of a blander, more “politically cor
rect” media. In the Oct. 5 issue of Enter
tainment Weekly, reporters mused,
“Since Sept. 11, the industry’s been ago
nizing over questions of sensitivity:
What sorts of movies, TV shows and
songs are appropriate for an angry na
tion in mourning?” Call me crazy, but all
this time I was thinking I lived in a
democracy, where as soon as I turned
18, it was up to me to choose what was
“appropriate” for me to watch, read or
listen to. If I didn’t like what was pre
sented, I simply walked away.
I’m not suggesting the intent behind
any of these omissions was blatant cen
sorship. The point was to pay homage to
the victims by avoiding material that
may remind the victims’ Mends and
families of the attacks (and possibly lead
to a plunge in ratings). While the digital
erasing of the towers from media im
mn
ages; not airing certain songs and remov
ing heavy political cartoons from comic
pages may be well-intentioned, none of
these things will help people forget
what happened Sept. 11. They won’t do
anything to ease our nation’s pain or
anger. These decisions are an utter waste
of time that only open the floodgates for
more serious forms of censorship and
infuriate those of us who want to make
our own choices as to what we read,
watch or listen to.
As for Clear Channel’s “suggestion”
of not playing certain songs on the ra
dio, such as the Dave Matthews Band’s
“Crash ” and John Lennon’s “Imaging,”
it’s a notion that’s ridiculous to the
point of giggles. Most of the songs re
quire a huge stretch of the imagination
to connect them with terrorism. I
doubt The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah”
will cause anyone to burst into tears
while driving down the street. Clear
Channel’s “nod” to the victims of the
Sept. 11 attacks reeks of ignorance and
futility.
Oh, and don’t worry about the
“Boondocks” disappearing from the
mi
Steve Baggs Emerald
Daily News forever. Spokesman Ken
Frydman told Entertainment Weekly
the funny pages aren’t for heavy politi
cal issues but assured readers the pa
per plans to reinstate the strip when it
“returns to a milder line.” Wait, isn’t
the point of a political cartoon to be
political?
Please don’t misunderstand me.
Don’t take my opinion for insensitivity.
I’m aware our nation is in dire times
right now. We need all the relief, soli
darity and community we can muster.
However, erasing images and music
from the media is far from the answer.
Even if the concern isn’t censorship,
it’s frustrating that media authorities
would waste their time mulling over
what might be “inappropriate” for the
nation. They can certainly find better
ways to help victims, such as donating
jmoney to relief efforts. Benevolence
can be a wonderful thing, but misguid
ed, it can only lead to frustration.
Jacquelyn Lewis is assistant editorial editor for the
Oregon Daily Emerald. Her views may not necessarily
reflect those of the Emerald. She can be reached at
jacquelynlewis@dailyemerald.com.
Letters to the editor
UO should conserve energy
I was walking by the EMU late Thurs
day night while doing security for the
street fair, and I noticed a custodial worker
cleaning the hallway floors near the Buzz.
From far away, I immediately noticed how
bright the Buzz and nearby hallways ap
peared. It was 3 a.m., and the Buzz could
have been open from the brilliant light
coming out of the EMU. Every light in the
coffee shop was on. The hallway lights
were shining radiantly. This is not only
unnecessary but completely wasteful.
As a student from a campus renowned
for its vast organizations, activism and en
vironmentally friendly attitude, I find it
quite ridiculous, if not embarrassing, that
our campus wastes so much energy.
In light of the recent hikes in energy rates
influencing the new energy surcharge, I
hope that students would at least be moti
vated by the ever influential money-saving
factor, if not pure energy conservation.
We as students have the most power to
influence classroom conditions. We should
. be screaming/' Turn offthalights at night!,
Drop the heat a few degrees!” Small steps
like these can make a campus our size save
a great deal of energy and money.
My suggestion is simple. Let’s turn off a
few bulbs, wear an extra layer, turn off
computers at night, sociahze on the bus
ride to school and bring Eugene back to
the ideals it has been known for — a con
scientious community — and make con
servation not simply a passing fad, but a
permanent lifestyle.
Carmen Stuewe
international studies
We must annihilate states
that breed terrorists
Hatstat asks if the sweeping war of self
defense advocated in the advertisement
“End states who sponsor terrorism”
(ODE, 10/15) is terrorist itself (“Full page
ad was shocking,” ODE, 10/24). I have a
question: Where have you been? The
essence of actual terrorism was made
perceptual in the events of Sept. 11,
when death-seeking mystics smashed
into those pursuing happy life on Earth.
A war of self-defense against those who
* seek death is nqf MJ&vtfc terhWth,1 hiU'.
justice in the name of our love of life.
Perhaps Hatstat questions the need for
heavy civilian casualties in a war against
terrorist states. But we cannot win a war
where we furnish the enemy with a way
to escape defeat: Does anyone doubt Tal
iban soldiers are now hiding amongst the
neighborhoods, hospitals and mosques
the Bush administration has promised
not to bomb, and are going to shoot the
first American soldiers who get close
enough? Further, so long as our self-re
straint keeps us from defeating the enemy,
terrorist states are emboldened, which
guarantees more American victims.
Civilians must die if our enemies are
forced to surrender and American lives
are to be saved. The culpability for this
horror belongs to the terrorists and their
supporters, not to those who would se
cure a world free from terror.
Indeed, the “friends of peace” oppos
ing annihilation of states that breed ter
rorists are actually enemies of peace, be
cause their pacifism paves the way for
slaughter after slaughter of Americans.
Brad Williams