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
Friday, June 6,2003
-Oregon Daily Emerald
Commentary
Editor in Chief:
Michael J. Kleckner
Managing Editor
Jessica Richelderfer
Editorial Page Assistant:
Salena De La Cruz
Editorial
DPS shouldn’t
receive more
police powers
In January 2001, the Department of Public Safety an
nounced that it would commission some of its officers
for probable cause arrests and stop-and-search powers
— essentially, it gave them introductory police authority.
At the time, the Emerald editorial board opposed the
commissioning, arguing that the decision was made with
little student input and served little legitimate interest.
DPS Director Tom Fitzpatrick told the Emerald at
the time that officers needed the right to apprehend
and cuff a suspect because it could be dangerous for
an unarmed DPS officer to wait around for the Eugene
Police Department. Somehow, we were supposed to
believe it was safer for an unarmed DPS officer to try
to make contact with a suspicious person than to wait
for the appropriate authorities.
We bring these arguments up because DPS is making
the same case again — only this time it’s for expanding
its powers.
On Wednesday, the Emerald reported that DPS has
been working to give officers the right to issue citations
for MIPs, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana
and other common violations.
And the argument from DPS in support of such
changes is the same: To improve officers’ safety.
However, it is unclear how giving more enforcement
powers to unarmed non-police officers makes
anyone safer.
The city has a legitimate police force, and these are
highly trained individuals who have had the appropriate
background checks and education to enforce the laws —
with violence, if need be.
We are not suggesting that DPS officers are somehow
bad individuals, or that they are untrained. We’re sure
there are good personnel at DPS. It is, however, a simple
fact that they are not police officers.
And it is unwise for a college campus to have non-po
lice officers enforcing anything other than campus rules.
If physical enforcement is needed, then campus security
should contact the appropriate authorities to handle the
situation. It is also unwise for a city to delegate its police
authority to a non-poliee force.
DPS has done some of the footwork necessary to im
plement the expanded powers without formally ap
proaching the City Council or publicly involving the stu
dent body. That is also unwise.
A decision of this magnitude needs input, discussion
and debate. While the probable cause arrest and the
stop-and-search powers seem to have been handled
relatively well by DPS over the past two years, more
powers mean more opportunities for direct enforce
ment, which could lead to more involved and more
dangerous altercations.
And the more involved DPS officers get in enforce
ment, the more likely it is they will request guns — for
everyone’s safety, of course. At that point, why wouldn’t
the University just have police patrolling campus? At
least then the campus officers would have the same
training and background as the other city officers.
If that’s where the University is headed, every stake
holder in the campus community needs to be involved
in the discussion. Such discussion can’t happen when of
ficials wait until the end of the year to bring up an issue
— which gives us little confidence in the system or the
likely outcome.
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Are your words kind, helpful, necessary?
Guest commentary
On May 9, a commentary in this pa
per expressed disgust for male homo
sexuality (“Homosexual men should
hide their disgusting acts”). Violence
was not advocated, and the author
made it clear his opinions were his
own. This is clearly protected free
speech. In addition, it encouraged
that most precious university event:
open dialogue.
But while we’re discussing free
speech, sexual morality and access to
public forums, it’s important to under
stand that there are people for whom
this dialogue is not merely an academic
exchange of ideas.
For those of us who are gay, every
day is another opportunity to decide
whether we will respond to societal
messages with pride and hope, or with
fear and depression. Many people have
said that they will not be silenced,
that they will be more out and proud
than ever.
I, too, share this sentiment, but I am
acutely aware that many in my commu
nity are not yet ready to make that
choice. Very few have the fortune to go
through the coming out process without
emotional trauma, and the suicide rate
for gay youth is very high.
What role, if any, do legally pro
tected discussions play in this? Con
sider a more familiar scenario for a
moment. African American students
and faculty leave this campus (or
choose not to come) regularly be
cause of the racial environment.
Rarely is actual violence and outright
discrimination cited.
Instead, a subtle but consistent so
cial discrimination is the most com
mon complaint. We hear about stupid
questions in stores, ignorant com
ments in classes and hateful looks
walking down the street. Gay students
face the same daily challenge, despite
Eugene’s reputation as a “really liber
al place, dude.”
In addition, it is entirely legal to dis
criminate in housing, employment and
public accommodation in many places. It
may not be easy to be a conservative
here, but it’s not easy to be queer any
where.
The effect of protected speech can
be devastating. Take a moment and
imagine that everywhere you went,
every day of your life, you were sub
jected to disgust for being conserva
tive. Your parents weren’t conserva
tive, and you never heard conserva
tive opinions on the radio. Some con
servatives formed student groups, but
then people broke in and burned
posters on the walls and “allies” criti
cized you for making your conser
vatism a big deal. You can probably
imagine the effect a debate about con
servatism in the school paper might
have. It might feel very personal.
Working on a doctorate degree has
taught me that deconstruction is easy.
It’s coming up with solutions that are
challenging. How do we protect free
speech while being sensitive to the im
pact it can have on people?
Let’s go back to the basics. In kinder
garten, we are taught to ask ourselves
three questions before speaking: Is it
kind? Is it necessary? Is it helpful?
If what you are considering saying is
not kind, then it should be both neces
sary and helpful.
Even if you feel it is necessary to
campaign against homosexual equality,
please try to do so in a responsible, ma
ture manner. Expressing your disgust
publicly helps no one, isn’t necessary —
and it can hurt a great deal.
Shasta Willson is a graduate computer
and information science student
Letter to the editor
Tree-hugging hippies
are straight-A students
In Salena De La Cruz’s May 28 article,
“Bye, not-so-great state,” she expressed
her distaste regarding five characteris
tics of the state of Oregon, and specifi
cally, this University. I have to take issue
with two of the five, the first of which in
volves the peace movement, to which
she commented: “Enough with the
peace rallies already! I get it.”
Jdst. h .
the word “enough” in conjunction with
the word “peace” does not, in fact, “get
it.” And if they don’t understand why
this is the case, then they really don’t
“get it.”
On a more personal note, De La Cruz
attacked “tree-hugging hippies” as con
tributing to the (negative) image of the
University. Although I seldom smoke
pot and have never been a huge tie-dye
fan, I am the biggest “tree-hugging hip
pie” you’ll ever encounter: I’m vegetari
an, I have hemp shoes, I occasionally
hug trees, I often walk barefoot, I
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fasten to Itob Marleyv f ‘
play hippie songs on my guitar, I medi
tate daily and I’m committed to improv
ing the life of every being I encounter.
Moreover, I’m a straight-A student.
Now I know this may be alarming, but
these characteristics are not limited to
me; the most friendly, compassionate
and intelligent people I’ve had the pleas
ure to experience would fall under De La
Cruz’s category of “tree-hugging hippies.”
Now, why exactly should the Univer
sity of Oregon not reflect these
characteristics?
Tim Redmond
. . .. ,, , junior
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