Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Suite 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
Email: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online Edition:
www.dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, March 11,2003
-Oregon Daily Emerald
Commentary
Editor in Chief:
Michael J. Kleckner
Managing Editor
Jessica Richelderfer
Editorial Editor
Pat Payne
Letters to the editor
Americans should proudly
sacrifice for equality
While reading “Title IX is in serious need of revision,” (ODE,
Mar. 6) I was once again disappointed with the perspective that
many people have regarding this issue.
We live in a country with an appalling track record of classist
laws and oppressive actions. In recent history, many noble at
tempts have been made (including Title IX) to even die playing
field for the marginalized. These shifts have increased oppor
tunities for some, thereby limiting opportunities for others.
Decades ago, this country decided to allow blacks to serve
in the armed forces. As a result, there are simply fewer posi
tions available for upstanding white folk. Providing tax relief
and governmental support to socioeconomically disadvantaged
individuals raises taxes for the rest of us. Should we ever get
around to granting homosexuals the right to marry and receive
commensurate insurance benefits, heterosexual couples
everywhere can surely expect their rates to rise to make up for
the financial losses incurred by the insurance companies.
My point is this: When the reality of finite resources is paired
with a desire to even out the appropriation of those resources,
there will necessarily be individuals who “suffer” in the
process. This is the price we pay for equality, and we should
pay it proudly. As Americans, it is who we are.
Jessica Rasmussen
first-year graduate student
special education
State must fund suffering
education system
Bent over the guillotine, funding for post-secondary educa
tion sits on the chopping block; the blade of the state budget
cuts hovers a mere in«h above the heads of students. Once the
current budget plan, recently signed by the Oregon Senate, re
ceives the governor’s signature, more than 3,000 Oregon col
lege students will lose some or all of their Oregon Opportunity
Grant for the next school year. Oregon recently received an “F”
for affordability by the National Center for Public Policy and
Higher Education, and any further cuts will drastically damage
students’ abilities to attend college.
I know that K-12 education is facing a funding crisis and that
the Education Stability Fund money is needed to keep K-12
schools going. However, Oregon’s colleges and universities are
suffering their own crisis as well. Oregon needs to support edu
cation at all levels, rather than transferring funds between high
er education and K-12. By maintaining funding and grants for
higher education in the next biennium, students will have the
opportunity to receive a college education, allowing Oregon to
reap the economic benefits of a highly educated workforce in
the future.
Tobias S. Piering
freshman
pre-planning, public policy and management
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Letters to the editor
and guest commentaries policy
Letters to the editor and guest
commentaries are encouraged. Letters
are limited to 250 words and guest
commentaries to 550 words. Authors are
limited to one submission per calendar
month. Submission must include phone
number and address for verification. The
Emerald reserves the right to edit for
space, grammar and style.
Online poll
Each week, the Emerald publishes the previous week’s
poll results and the coming week’s poll question. Visit
www.dailyemerald.com to vote.
Last week: What was your favorite PBS kid’s show?
Results: 93 total votes
3-2-1 Contact— 15.1 percent, or 14 votes
Electric Company—6.5 percent, or 6 votes
Mister Roger’s Neighborhood — 19.4 percent,
or 18 votes
Reading Rainbow — 17.2 percent, or 16 votes
Sesame Street — 25.8 percent, or 24 votes
I watched cartoons — 12.9 percent, or 12 votes
Leave me alone! — 3.2 percent, or 3 votes
This week: How much does Dead Week suck?
Choices: it’s a vacation; It’s worse than finals week;
It’s like any other week; Get me the hell out of here!
mimm
EUGENE i
Steve Baggs Emerald
Farewell to annoying Eugene
As of April 1,1 will no longer be living
in Eugene. When I leave, I hope to have
a diploma in my hand but am allowing
for the possibility that I may fail a class
— no sense in setting myself up for dis
appointment. Ei
ther way though,
I’m out of here.
I can’t imagine
what my life would
be like right now
had I not gone to
the University of
Oregon. I’ve been
blessed to be
around a number of
amazing people in
both my school and
work lives, includ
ing brilliant professors, from whom I’ve
learned so much.
I feel fortunate that I have had the
chance to attend this school.
Of course, in the four and a half years
that I’ve lived in Eugene, there are still
things about the city that have annoyed
me. I was going to keep my final column
on the positive side, but anyone who
knows me knows that the positive stuff
doesn’t generally last too long. So, just a
short list of the top four things that an
noyed me about Eugene.
1. All of the hype surrounding the Uni
versity football program: It wasn’t so bad
this year during football season (because
we sucked) but when Joey Harrington
was still here I almost disliked the guy
Kathryn
Petersen
In other words
simply because I heard his name so
damn much. It doesn’t help that even af
ter he’s moved to Detroit, he’s still star
ring in a television commercial — selling
cars, no less, to the folks of Eugene. Give
it up, people. He’s not even from Eugene;
he just spent a few years here to attend
school. And now he’s gone. Mourn, move
to Detroit, do what you have to do. He’s
gone — get over it.
2. The smell of patchouli oil: I’m not
attributing this foul smelling product to
any one group or type of person. I’ve
smelled it on people sporting J.Crew and
Banana Republic clothing just as much
as on people wearing patchwork pants
and tie-dyed dresses. Either way, the
stuff reeks. If you’re into scented oils,
there are a number available that aren’t
abrasive — check them out.
3. Landlords — or slumlords: It’s a
shame that the landlords in this commu
nity prey so heavily on the college-age
population. I’ve lived in a couple of
dumps in my years in Eugene. The rent
has been high, things have lived in our
walls, the plumbing hasn’t worked, and
ceilings leaked. Everyone has one story
or another about crappy houses and
landlords. I’m sure that this has gone on
forever too. But, why has nothing
changed? Why? Because Eugene, with a
lack of renters’ rights, operates in such a
way to encourage these scumbags to con
tinue to do business in the manner that
they see fit. It sucks.
4. LTD bus drivers. I think that public
transportation is a great idea. I just don’t
understand why the drivers of these mas
sive buses feel the need to test the limits
of their capabilities by taking comers at
60 miles an hour. I have been a witness
on two different occasions to see an LTD
bus tear down 19th Street and wipe out
a side mirror on both a car and a truck.
It’s just not right. I fear for my life when
I’m driving beside one of the monstrous
buses — and heaven forbid trying to
cross the street in front of one, even if
you have the right-of-way — unless you
have a death wish.
OK, I’m done. I feel good that I can
leave Eugene with nothing bad left to say.
It’s all out in the open and, maybe, Eu
gene and I can make up and eventually
see eye-to-eye again. We were a good
couple for a number of years. I learned a
lot about myself, thanks to Eugene. We
had some really good times. I love Eu
gene, I really do. I just feel that we’ve
grown apart; my life is headed in a differ
ent direction now.
Sometimes Eugene and I disagree on
ideas and politics, but that’s all right —
it keeps things interesting. Maybe
sometime in the future we will get back
together, who knows. As for now,
thanks, Eugene, for everything. I’ll call
you, I promise.
Contact the columnist
atkathrynpetersen@dailyemerald.com.
Her views do not necessarily represent those
of the Emerald.
Citizens should be grateful of military’s protections
Guest commentary
I am a cadet in the Army ROTG pro
gram, and today as I was walking in uni
form back to my residence hall, another
University student asked me “So, you want
to go kill babies do you?” in a very mock
ing and disrespectful tone. Not really
knowing what else to say to him and cer
tainly not wanting to engage in a conflict
with this person, I simply walked on. This
really disturbed and offended me because I
feel that it reflects a sentiment felt by some
students on campus. I want to take this op
portunity to say that not only was this indi
vidual being extremely rude to me, but he
was showing his complete lack of knowl
edge on the subject of war and the military.
Yes, I concede that in the past soldiers
in the Army — and the armies of all na
tions — have committed war crimes and
killed civilians. However, such an action
is not something that the Army praises or
intends to do. In ROTG we learned about
the laws of war, and it was stressed to us
during training that the murder of civil
ians is condemned in the Army and it
will probably result in criminal process
for the offender. It really angers me that
people are so uninformed and intolerant
of things they don’t understand. The
Army strives to protect the United States,
not kill innocent people. Just because in
the past, wrongs have been committed
by an organization, doesn’t make the en
tire organization bad. By that logic, we
should condemn churches, schools and
practically every other organization be
cause in each of those organizations
great evils have been committed.
In war, things which shouldn’t happen
end up happening, but to say that sol
diers murder babies and civilians out of
bloodlust is an incredible overstatement
and is really hurtful to the image of the
armed forces and the brave men and
women serving our country. After all, sol
diers are human beings too and are just
as horrified by violent crimes.
To the gendeman who made this remark
to me I have to say: You should be grateful
to the military for voluntarily protecting
the country you live in, and if you disagree
with the war and other political issues, re
member that the military doesn’t decide to
go to war. That is the job of politicians, not
soldiers. Stop blaming the military and
cadets such as myself for the wrongs in this
world. Get to know us ROTC people. I
think you will find that we are not the baby
killers you imagine.
Zachary White is a sophomore history major.
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