Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
HO. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: editor@clailyemerald.com
Online Edition:
www.dailyemerald.com
Monday, November 5,2001
Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Managing Editor:
Michael J. Kleckner
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
Editorial
Needing
a decision
onASLnow!
The debate surrounding
whether American Sign Lan
guage should be used to sat
isfy the University’s second
language requirement has been go
ing on for years, and the Emerald
has reported on it before. However,
I students have recently brought the
j issue back to the forefront, and for
j good reason. The University needs
to accept ASL as a second language,
and now.
The major question the University
ns wrangled with and deadlocked
on is whether ASL has enough “cul
tural components" to deem it worthy
of satisfying the requirement. ASL is
certainly worthy of second-language
status. The point of the requirement
is to teach students about different
cultures and allow us to communi
cate with new groups of people. ASL
accomplishes both of these goals.
There is definitely a deaf culture
for students to discover, and ASL is
estimated as the third most frequent
ly used language in the United
States, behind only English and
Spanish. ASL would also be an ideal
language to satisfy the University re
quirement for students with more vi
sual learning styles, or who plan to
work with the deaf community.
Committees have been mulling
over the ASL issue since 1994. It’s
time they come to a decision. There’s
no reason ASL shouldn’t be allowed
to satisfy the second language re
quirement. University officials
should give American Sign Language
the nod now, so we can start working
on the hurdle of finding a depart
ment to sponsor it.
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.
SPEND MONEY
for Americas sake
In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist at
tacks, the United States has gone on a
spending spree. Government money has
been set aside not only to improve secu
rity in the airline industry, but also to keep it
afloat. Public officials around the country
are looking to improve security in food and
water systems. The U.S.
Postal Service is pur
chasing new equipment
that will protect against
anthrax, and health
agencies are beginning
to load up on medical
supplies. Where is all
this money coming
from?
Didn't Republicans
huddle a $200 billion
tax cut through the
Oliver
Columnist
House of Representa
tives a few weeks ago?
Does anyone remember
the $1.3-trillion tax cut
President George W. Bush signed in the
spring? It doesn't take an economics major
to figure out that when you spend more
money, you need more money. As prece
dent shows, this isn't the way America usu
ally heads into war. The typical response to
a lengthy military retaliation is to increase
taxes, not cut them.
In fact, the first federal income tax
was implemented to fund the Civil War.
In World War I, the tax rates in the
upper bracket increased more than 70
percent. Under President Roosevelt, 40
million more Americans were asked to
pay an income tax. Even during Korea
and Vietnam, income tax rates rose.
So while combat bills are beginning to
stack up on the Federal Government's
desk, $300 refund checks are rolling into
households around the country. This
makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
The lack of money the United States
has to support its military actions is a
serious concern, but future financial
strength is also at stake. Economists have
forecast that the federal government will
spend its full budget created by general
tax revenues in 2002 and 2003 and there
is a possibility that the Social Security
surplus will have to be dipped into.
When you are talking about trillions of
dollars, it may be difficult to conceive
that America faces the realistic problem
of simply being able to put the symbolic
bread on the table in the coming years.
We were already vulnerable to terrorism,
but that risk is greatly compounded when
the government has to shut down in
order to simply pay the electric bill.
As summer ended, President Bush's
grand economic plan looked like a genius
idea. Americans would all have a few extra
dollars in their pocket, they would go and
spend the money and, like magic, the econ
omy would receive a swift kick in the rear.
Now consumer spending is dropping at its
fastest rate in 14 years. People don’t want
to spent and those tax refund checks are
just sitting in bank accounts.
However, raising taxes is not the solution
because with less money to tax there is less
to gain. Raising taxes also creates a major
economic risk that could propel the United
States into a prolonged recession or even a
depression.
Tax cuts, rate cuts and stimulus packages
from Congress are actually the best bet for
the economy to rebound and ensure the fu
ture financial strength of our country. The
next two months set the economic tone for
the upcoming new year, and we can’t be
afraid to spend. Americans need to carrv on
as if nothing happened at all. Our leaders
have done their part in setting up the eco
nomic revival plans, Ixrfrhey won’t work if
we don’t actually use them.
Jeff Oliver is a columnist for the Oregon Daily Emerald. His
opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Emerald.
He can be reached at jeffoliver@dailyemerald.com.
Letters to the editor
Students should pursue
freedom of ideas
I urge all the great students on this campus
not to sit quietly and let anti-American ideas
be propagated in your classrooms. Your pro
fessors can punish you for speaking your
mind, especially if you show anger, but a re
spectful disagreement is the least you can do.
America was founded on the ideas that the
individuals have rights to life, liberty and the
I pursuit of happiness. The government is sup
posed to secure these rights.
Jack Crawford
Silver Spring, Md.
Drug war has failed
The article by Debenham ("There’s no
hope with dope," ODE, 10/15) has the
theme of government propaganda. Please
inform the columnist that the drug war is
approximately 30 years old, and that it’s
one of the most failed social policies ever
conceived.
Michael Gailb
New York, N.Y.
Bloodletting won’t
resolve this war
Six months before the Red Army invad
ed Afghanistan, the CIA pumped some $6
million into the country in support of the
right-wing opposition party. The commu
nists eventually responded to this obvious
meddling in foreign politics. At that point
the CIA amassed some 30,000 religious fa
natics, trained them, gave them guns and
pointed them at the Reds.
Years later, when the Red Army was de
feated, they and the United States left the
mess we know as Afghanistan how it re
mains today. The aftermath of this conflict
led to warring among the many factions,
but the one that eventually rose to power
was the one that had their hands on all the
weapons that we gave them!
The United States is courting disaster,
just like in Cambodia. We’re propping up
multiple evil dictators in other countries
in an effort to get at some thug who was
once on our payroll. By the way, is patri
archy in all its forms any different from the
standpoint of women?
We as a country promote anorexia, bu
limia and promiscuous sexual activity
worldwide and feel the right to point the
linger at a country whose women cover
their bodies out of modesty? This is a war
of the powerful against the weak, the rich
vs. the poor and man vs. woman, and it
will never be resolved with more bloodlet
ting.
Matthew Mulholland
junior
fine arts, education