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-Oregon Daily Emerald
Commentary
Editor in Chief.
Michael J. Kleckner
Managing Editor
Jessica Richelderfer
Editorial Editor
Pat Payne
Wednesday, February 26,2003
Editorial
DEA raids take
war on drugs
to higher level
of absurdity
On Monday, Attorney General John Ashcroft and the
Drug Enforcement Agency drove the war on drugs head
long down the nonsensical highway, leaving puffs of
tyrannical smoke behind them. Across the country, fed
eral agents served indictments against a new, incredibly
dangerous group: Glass blowers and distributors.
The danger, of course, is to any pretension of Ashcroft’s
sanity. Among those raided in the operation, sardonically
named “Operation Pipe Dreams,” were a number of lo
cal merchants, chief among them Higher Source, a store
on 13th Avenue.
These raids were spurred by Ashcroft’s Monday morning
reinterpretation of federal law, wherein he determined that
water pipes are “illegal drug paraphernalia.” Water pipes
can be used to smoke marijuana, so to Ashcroft, that’s all
they are used for. Which is of course, untrue.
One can smoke flavored tobaccos through a bong, like
a glass artisan’s hookah. Actually, many locations that
sell (sold?) water pipes include information about the
benefits of using them for tobacco (it reduces tar and par
ticulate matter, which is likely a reason some people use
them to smoke marijuana).
Ashcroft will have to wait for court decisions to know if
his frightening reasoning will hold. Federal law is not
nearly as clear as the attorney general that just because
an object can be used to consume illegal drugs, the item
itself is illegal. Federal law is also not clear that he gets to
decide this all by himself.
Ut course, to make his case, Ashcroft relied on silly
propaganda about families and the Internet. Kids can go
on the Internet and buy pipes! Families are being violat
ed! Run for the hills!
Remarkably, Ashcroft’s virtual concern for children’s
safety doesn’t prioritize sites selling prescription drugs il
legally, or child porn sites, or anything else illegal. In
stead, he valiantly closes down a successful, taxpaying
business providing jobs to Oregonians. Go figure.
Speaking of the economic impact of Monday’s action,
will someone tell us why the government is wasting mon
ey on this? Aren’t there real security threats to worry
about, schools to fund, jobs to create and an ever-ex
panding national debt to pay off?
Perhaps the worst part of this cartoonishly surreal turn
of events is how completely impotent Ashcroft’s action
is. Getting rid of expensive art glass isn’t going to stop
anyone from doing drugs. (Focusing on harm reduction,
education or rehabilitation might have an effect, but just
try telling that to this administration.)
Finally, we were concerned that the raids missed some
demonic drug paraphernalia. We humbly offer a memo
to remedy the situation.
To: Atty. Gen. J. Ashcroft
RE: Overlooked drug conveyance systems
Dear Ash-inator,
We know it wasn’t intentional, but a large amount of il
legal drug paraphernalia was missed Monday. As a favor,
we have compiled a list of items regularly used for ingest
ing drugs (or so we’ve been told) and ask that you indict
the distributors as soon as possible.
Obvious paraphernalia: Lighters (especially with tell
tale bums on them), matches, rolling papers, soda cans,
mirrors, razor blades, straws, empty pen tubes, apples
(really, any hard fruit can be a pipe), aluminum foil, toilet
paper tubes, scented dryer sheets (a residence hall sta
ple), paper clips (used to clean pipes), fish tanks (makes a
really cool bong, bro), any kind of spoon (you’re not over
looking heroin, are you, Ashcroft?) and finally, when in a
pinch in the woods — hollo wed-out logs.
Editorial policy
This editorial represents the opinion of the
Emerald editorial board. Responses can be
sent to letters <§>dailyemerald.com. Letters
to the editor and guest commentaries are
encouraged.
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hPCllSloM U)HETHeROR Not To ATTACK XRAQ.THERefbRJE,
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Steve Baggs Emerald
Show up to support Higher Education Act
Guest commentary
Did you know there is currently a #3
billion shortfall in the Pell Grant pro
gram? Before the U.S. Congress right
now is the reauthorization of the Higher
Education Act, which establishes many
programs that support higher education
on a national level. The HEA funds
some of the necessary programs such
as federal grants and federal loans so all
students can have equal access to a
higher education. Some of the pro
grams under the HEA are Child Care
Block Grants, campus safety provi
sions, voter registration provisions, fed
eral grants and federal loans.
The ASUO has teamed up with its na
tional partner, the United States Student
Association, in an ongoing campaign to
gain awareness on all campuses about
the reauthorization of the HEA. The
USSA is also pressuring members of Con
gress to increase grants, maintain loan
limits, eliminate loan origination fees,
fully repeal the drug-related question on
the FAFSA application, preserve good
programs such as the TRIO programs,
and increase support for child care.
At noon today in the EMU Fir Room,
the ASUO is having a press conference to
educate and mobilize support from
members of the community. Members
from the congressional offices of Rep. Pe
ter DeFazio, Sen. Gordon Smith and Sen.
Ron Wyden are going to be attending the
press conference to show support for the
ASUO campaign and also for reautho
rization of the HEA. Students who are di
rectly affected by the HEA also are speak
ing at the press conference because they
are the ones who need the provisions to
pass. This bipartisan coalition will work
to benefit all students because all stu
dents are somehow affected by the HEA.
Show your support for the HEA and the
ASUO campaign by showing up.
It is necessary that all students begin
to realize that it is necessary to increase
funding for federal grants such as the Pell
Grant so more students can graduate
debt-free. All students need to support
the ASUO by signing the yellow post
cards stating that you urge Congress to
reauthorize the HEA and increase fund
ing for federal grants. By stopping in the
ASUO office and filling out a postcard,
you can have your voice heard when the
ASUO hand delivers these postcards to
members of Congress on the National
Student Lobby Day on Mdrch 11,2003.
As a recipient of federal grants, I real
ize the importance of gaining awareness
and urging congressional leaders to fund
higher education programs. There needs
to be an increase in federal grants so stu
dents do not have to graduate with enor
mous amounts of debt.
Let’s stop inhibiting students obtaining
a higher education by limiting the
amount of grants they receive or worse,
by prohibiting them from receiving and
aid because of a drug conviction. Let’s in
crease child care for nontraditional stu
dents who cannot afford child care yet
want a better education.
It is about time congressional leaders
hear students. Equal access for all. High
er education is a right!
Nick Hudson is an ASUO legislative intern,
the Barnhart/Riley Complex president
and a freshman political science major.
Letters to the editor
War resolution will damage
University credibility
The University has no right whatso
ever to take an official stance on the
possible war with Iraq. This is a public
university, not a political party. It is the
duty of the University and its faculty to
educate us broadly so we become good
leaders in tomorrow's world, not to
preach political views and indoctrinate
us with their beliefs.
A college or university should have no
official stances on political issues, it is for
students to decide for themselves what
they believe in, not to have it dictated by
the school they attend. It is bad enough
that the liberal elements on campus do
everything in their power to silence the
other points of view, but passing an offi
cial resolution on a political issue is going
too far.
I will not tolerate the University treat
ing its students with such blatant disre
spect. We do not pay $10,000 plus to be
told what we believe.
I am aware that Oregon State Universi
ty, to their everlasting shame, passed a
resolution condemning the possibility of
war. This has not only severely damaged
their credibility as an institution of high
er learning, but it also showed that the
OSU senate does not respect the differ
ent opinions which exist at any universi
ty. We can do better. We don't have to
sink to such a low level of disrespect.
If the University Senate passes this res
olution, it will not only alienate a large
group of students on campus, but it also
will severely damage the credibility of
our fine university. If it passes and the
University takes an official stance on the
war, I personally will lose a lot of respect
for the University.
Zachary White
sophomore
history
Students should actively
support grant availability
It is within the confines of institutions
such as the University that we students
are given the opportunity to gain the
skills necessary for our respective career
paths, if we can make it that far.
The reality of student loan debt and
the possibility of having to go to school
off and on in order to work to pay tuition
are becoming more prevalent. This is
partly because the cost of education is in
creasing rapidly. Moreover, the ability to
receive funding in the form of grants is
more stringent than ever before.
All of these issues have been at least
partially addressed by the Higher Edu
cation Act, but there is more that is re
quired from Congress in the form of
reauthorizations of certain provisions
in the act.
The bottom line is: Students need
more grant opportunities and less loan
debt overall, and the provisions account
for this in part through Pell Grants and
maintaining student loan limits. Whether
you have taken out loans or received
grants yet does not mean you won’t need
to at some point. This matters.
Let your elected officials know that
you have done your “homework” and
found that the HEA reauthorizations are
crucial to student success and come vo
calize your support or simply come to
learn more about the HEA at the ASUO
sponsored press conference today at
noon at Johnson Hall.
Be active; take your educational op
portunities seriously.
Shannon Tarvin
freshman
biology