Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Suite 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
Email: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online Edition:
www.dcdlyemerald.com
Wednesday, April 2,2003
---Oregon Daily Emerald
Commentary
Editor in Chief:
Michael J. Kleckner
Managing Editor:
Jessica Richelderfer
Editorial Page Assistant:
Salena De La Cruz
Editorial
‘New American
Century’is way
more fearsome
than Saddam
Does anyone imagine that Osama bin Laden isn’t
laughing insanely at the idea of young Arab children sit
ting in their living rooms watching images of American
GIs fighting Muslims in the streets of Iraq?
Gould Osama bin Laden possibly share the Bush ad
ministration’s excitement about regime change in Iraq?
After all, it’s the only way Islamic militancy stands a
chance of taking hold in that country in ways that it nev
er could under Hussein’s iron-fisted secular dictatorship.
Hussein has been stepping on bin Laden’s Iraqi Muslim
brothers for more than 30 years.
Bin Laden set the trap, and think-tank refugees from the
American Enterprise Institute walked U.S. troops into it.
While serving in the first Bush White House 12 years
ago, current administration officials and advisers Dick
Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Donald Wolfowitz, Richard
Perle and William Kristol developed a foreign policy doc
trine that called for using unilateral U.S. force to pre
empt perceived threats to U.S. dominance and make the
Middle East safe for democracy. Glaringly absent from
this list is Colin Powell, the only current top administra
tion official who served his country in Vietnam.
When the first President Bush saw the plan, the expe
rienced diplomat, former CIA chief and World War II
combat veteran threw it into the Oval Office trash can
like a rotten piece of okra. It was considered too costly
in lost American lives, plundered economic resources
and ruined international relationships. It also risked a
huge potential for backfiring.
It’s now about 18 months after Sept. 11,2001, and the
pre-emption doctrine has been dug up, dusted off and is
being implemented in the guise of protecting American
citizens from an Arab regime that has never convincing
ly been linked to the Sept. 11 attacks. Iraq is a country
that our own CIA believes poses no imminent threat.
This doctrine is now being promoted through a “non
profit educational organization” called “The Project for
the New American Century.” Signers to this plan include
Gary Bauer, William J. Bennett, Steve Forbes, Dick Ch
eney and Dan Quayle. Check out their frightening con
clusions at www.newamericancentury.org.
We wish the best to the innocent Iraqi civilians and
America’s brave fighting men and women, most of whom
come from the working-class and minority communities
that President George W. Bush flies over on his way to
his sprawling Texas ranch or his family’s Connecticut va
cation compound.
But support for the troops is an invalid justification for
stifling dissent. Michael Moore “outraged” some Ameri
cans with his comments at the Oscars. But did anyone
catch the painful irony on TV the very next evening?
While military-age “First Cousin” Billy Bush hosted the
Miss USA Pageant on NBC, another network was broad
casting footage of GIs fighting for their lives and being
taken prisoner in Iraq.
Some might find that glaring inequality of duty to
country more offensive than a “Pope-and-Dixie Chicks”
potshot launched at the president.
Remember: “These Colors Never Run.” But our presi
dent used family connections to hide in the relative safe
ty of the Texas Air National Guard while his less-well
connected peers were fighting, killing and dying for their
country in Vietnam; now he and a group of overreaching
ideologues (all of whom had their own excuses for avoid
ing the Vietnam draft) have sent a new generation of
America’s finest to fight overseas in the name of another
misguided political “domino” theory.
Too bad that won’t fit neatly on a jingoistic
bumper sticker.
Steve Baggs Emerald
Supreme tolerance
It was the summer of 1995. Supreme
Court Justice Steven Breyer checked his
schedule for the first oral arguments of
the term. They coincided with Yom Kip
pur, the Day of Atonement. Probably the
most important holiday in the Jewish
calendar. Breyer planned to stay home
that day. Chief Justice William Rehn
quist said no.
We don’t meet on Christmas, Breyer
noted. But if the court honored this re
quest, Rehnquist claimed, why it would
have to respect the
beliefs of Muslims
and Buddhists, too.
Breyer replied that
he thought the
court should re
spect the religious
holidays of any jus
tice. Justice Ruth
Bader Ginsberg
echoed Breyer’s re
quest. Rehnquist
refused to budge.
You can listen to
tapes of the argu
ments, he responded.
Then providence intervened. The
chief justice’s ailing back started acting
up. Doctors recommended surgery. He
missed a meeting. The other justices
postponed oral arguments.
The Rehnquist Court has not been
sympathetic to minorities, religious
and otherwise. During its first term,
Rehnquist wrote an opinion affirming
military regulations that forbade Cap
tain Simcha Goldman, an Air Force
pyschologist and rabbi, from wearing
Philip
Huang
A different light
his yarmulke while on duty. During its
last term, the court refused even to
hear the case of Zeinab Ali, an employ
ee of Alamo Rent-A-Car, who moved
her to the back of the office because
she wore a hijab, or head scarf, to
work. What’s next, the back of the bus?
The most famous religious freedom
case of our generation took place in Ore
gon. Alfred Smith, an Klamath tribe
member, was fired from his state job for
taking peyote as a sacrament. Oregon,
represented by then-Attomey General
Dave Frohnmayer, wanted only to deny
Smith unemployment benefits from the
state. But the court went much further
and denied Smith the right to practice
his religious ceremony at all.
Which brings us to the present day.
On April 1, the Supreme Court began
hearing oral arguments for Grutter v.
Bollinger, the challenge to the University
of Michigan law school’s consideration of
race in admissions. The first question
before it is whether diversity is a “com
pelling state interest.”
After reading about Goldman, Ali and
Smith, my answer is absolutely yes.
Their cases show that America’s diver
sity makes it a challenge to govern and
work together. But Breyer’s story reveals
diversity may help solve these challenges.
Last fall, I sat in Constitutional Law,
listening to arguments about affirmative
action. Not a single black student was
present. Not surprisingly, the discourse
was rather dry and limited. My class
mates are bright and thoughtful. But no
amount of theorizing can replace the ex
perience and perspective of minorities
on laws intended to help them.
I don’t believe only minorities hold
the key to certain questions. But I be
lieve anyone who interacts with people
of different backgrounds will learn more
about their world and possess greater
empathy for all kinds of people.
Eugene is the largest, most diverse
place many students have ever lived.
The University itself is a crucible that
tries to emulate the diversity and cultur
al richness of larger cities. Those wish
ing to prosper on bigger stages like Port
land, Seattle or San Francisco would
profit from absorbing the different per
spectives and experiences of their peers.
Diversity is not a magic cure, but too *
many people have suffered for lack of it.
Don’t just take my word. Go to the
local movie theater. “Watch Rabbit
Proof Fence,” “The Quiet American”
or “The Trials of Henry Kissinger.”
Each historical film tells the suffering
of darker-skinned people under the
rule of whites who had very little
knowledge of their subjects.
Is it too much to hope for diversity
among the “experts” who shape for
eign policy and carry out regime
change? Will it take long for diversity
to trickle up?
Perhaps not. On Oct. 6, 2003, the
Supreme Court will not hear any oral ar
guments “so that Yom Kippur may be
observed.” One small step for atone
ment, but a greater step for tolerance.
Contact the columnist
at philiphuang@dailyemerald.com.
His views do not necessarily represent
those of the Emerald.
CORRECTIONS
The We b address in the story
about author David Loftus’
book ("Eugene native bares
male thoughts on pornogra
phy,” ODE, April 1) should
have been printed as
www.david-loftus.com.
The ASUO elections story about
Executive candidate Christa
Shively fMelton/Morales,Shiv
ely/Bae tickets tout ASUO expe
rience,” ODE, April 1) incorrect
ly identified Shively as being
chairwoman of the Associated
Students’ Presidential Advisory
Council, She j$ not the
chairwoman* as the board
does not have that position.
The Emerald regrets the
errors.
CLARIFICATIONS
Monday’s ASUO elections story
about Student Senate Seat 1 did
not have a byline. It was written
by news editor Brook Reinhard.
The Online Poll announced
In Monday’s paper inadvertent*
Letters to the editor
for ASUO election
candidate races
Letters to the editor can be sent to
!etters#dailyemerald.com. For space
and time limitations, letters in support
of candidates for ASUO office are limit*
ed to 200 words and must be submit*
ted by 5 p.m. Friday, April 5 in orde
to run before the primary election.
Authors are limited to one submission
each. Submission must Indude phone
number and address for verification.
The Emerald reserves the right to edit
for space, grammar and style.