Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Suite 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
Email: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online: www.dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, July 29,2003
—-Oregon Daily Emerald
COMMENTARY
Editor in Chief:
Brad Schmidt
Managing Editor
Jan Tobias Montiy
EDITORIAL
Council's DPS
ruling violates
common sense
Ward 4 City Councilor George Poling, a former Eu
gene Police Department officer, said Monday that it is
important to expand Department of Public Safety
powers now, as opposed to waiting for student input,
in order to allow for greater student awareness of the
changes when school starts this fall.
Gee, thanks. We give a feeble golf clap to the no
tion that students will have the opportunity to be
more involved in finding out about a decision we
had absolutely no say in making.
Despite all the laughable arguments Monday in
favor of quickly passing the proposal, all but one
councilor — Betty Taylor of Ward 2 — ended up sid
ing with Poling.
Even Ward 3 City Councilor David Kelly, who open
ly fought to get student voices and floated an amend
ment to that end during Monday's meeting, eventually
voted in favor of the proposal. Our knight in shining
armor backed down when he realized his attempts to
stall the proposal had failed, proving that he really did
n't mind handing out new powers to anybody capable
of holding a flashlight and passing a test.
In fact, Taylor was the only councilor to go beyond
the student-voice argument and question why the city
would give more police powers to people who are not
really police. Hmm...
OK. Fine. Have it your way.
Just wait until these "trained" University officers
start frivolously handing out citations to students.
Think our courts are hurting now? Wait until DPS offi
cers send hordes of students to municipal court for vi
olations stemming from playing music too loudly in
the residence halls or, God forbid, getting a bit tipsy.
Better yet, wait until DPS officers mistakenly cite
someone for trespassing on University property. What
happens when they realize the error? What could sim
ply be a question of rescinding the order must now go
through die city court system.
Poling, though, argued that if officers can cut
down the time it takes to detain and cite a student or
community member for breaking the law on cam
pus, then police would have more time to focus on
more important issues.
Great idea. We're talking about college students who
drink beer while underage or make too much noise in
their dorm rooms, not violent criminals. EPD should
n't be involved in that.
Let's give those guys who carry flashlights and drive
1990 Chevrolets around supermarkets similar power,
provided they receive "training.' After all, it would save
EPD time and would make our community safer.
We should really think about handing over more
power to the security officers in the mall, too; EPD
shouldn't really bother with shoplifting crimes. Cita
tion, misdemeanor, what's the difference?
Hell, we're just a quick jaunt away from giving
them all handguns and the means to gun down un
ruly students and citizens. We've already given DPS
the right to arrest, and now they have the right to is
sue municipal citations.
Well, Mr. Poling, we like your rationale. Thanks, in
fact, for doing us all such a great service That's a won
derful path we're headed down.
Perhaps we'll be so lucky as to have the county re
zone the land where city councilors reside.
While they're on vacation.
To which they can return, and find a locked-and
loaded, "trained" security officer standing guard.
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. Letters are limited
to 250 words and guest commentaries to 550
words. Authors are limited to one submission per
month. Submission must include phone number
and address for verification. The Emerald reserves
the right to edit for space, grammar and style.
TRUE LIES
Ever see an action movie in which soldiers
shoot their guns straight into the air? I think
of the movie "True Lies," when terrorists —
celebrating their impending nuclear attack on
America — shoot their machine guns straight
up for a solid few minutes.
Ever wonder what happens to those bul
lets when they come down?
Here's real life: Celebrating the deaths of
Odai and Qusai Hussein this past Tuesday,
Iraqis throughout the capital city fired their
weapons into the air. I lere's what happened:
About 31 people were killed and 76 were in
jured when those bullets, instead of disap
pearing into the dark recesses of space, fell
back down on Baghdad, according to news
paper Al-Mutamar.
Sir Isaac Newton figured that out more
than three hundred years ago; think about
it, guys.
Interestingly, while some celebrated the
Hussein deaths, others questioned whether
the reports were true. Despite overwhelming
evidence: photos, multiple positive identifica
tions — including matching scars, dental
records and even a matching serial number on
the steel plate in Odai's leg — many still be
lieve the United States is trying to trick them.
Not everything is a conspiracy, guys.
Oh yeah, speaking of conspiracies, Jeb Ma
grudet a former deputy campaign director for
Nixon's Committee to Re-elect the President
now says the president did order the Watergate
break-in after all. Three decades after the fact
Magruder now said he overheard former At
torney General John Mitchell get the go-ahead
from Nixon over the phone Some historians
dispute the claim, however, saying there would
be recorded tapes of such a conversation. The
new information didn't draw much attention
from state papers, though. Hardly a ruckus!
Oh, and speaking of ruckus, I glanced
over at the TV on Friday and saw something
that made me bust up laughing. It was a
room full of lawmakers erupting into a Jerry
Springer-style brawl. What a show! I kept
trying to figure out who was sleeping with
whose sister.
I didn't see the full report, but I figured it
was some unstable Southeast Asian country.
This weekend I saw in the paper a picture of
lawmakers grabbing and shoving each other,
with a woman surfing on top of the crowd and
some guy has his hand on her breast It looked
Peter Utsey for the Emerald
Jared Paben
Hell in a handbasket
like Pantera visiting the Men's Warehouse
Anyway, get this: It was in Japan! Whoa,
dude! This isn't some Third World country!
This is the second-richest country in the world,
and their lawmakers are throwing hooks that
make Mike Tyson look like a four-year-old girl
throwing a tantrum in the Wal-Mart toy aisle If
only they had that on pay-per-view!
Anyway, speaking ofiyson, the entire town
of Jefferson, Wis., has gone on strike to protest
Tyson Foods, Inc., the world's largest meat
company After 470 workers started striking at
the local Tyson plant the town of about 7,300
has stepped up to battle the meat giant. For
example, businesses are offering discounts,
and locals are collecting items to help the
striking woikers. The mayor supports the strik
ers, too. Some businesses have even boycotted
Tyson meats. For example, Ken's Towne Inn
has stopped putting their pepperoni on its
pizza, all in an effort to turn the heat up on
the company.
Oh, speaking of heat Eugeneans have fi
nally tired of complaining about high tem
peratures. I know 1 have In Phoenix last week
it hovered at more than 110 degrees, and the
week before it reached 117 ctegte&f. An Asso
ciated Press article said that because of the
heat windshields are shattering, dogs are get
ting shoes^o they don't bum their paws and
candles are melting indoors. Inmates have
gotten permission to wear only boxer shorts
and people are really, really grumpy, the re
port states.
Rumor has it that people are cooking their
Tyson hot dogs on car hoods while they stay
inside and watch, you guessed it Japanese
subtitled episodes of Jerry Springer where the
guests deny making phone calls and shoot
guns into the air. Ah, true lies.
Jared Paben is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald. His opinions do not
necessarily represent those of the Emerald.
Valuable Urban Farm site must be preserved
Upon reading Jesse Thomas' July 22 article
"Mac to the Future," I was surprised by the fact
that the University Urban Farm was not men
tioned once. One _
of the seven pro
posed sites for the
construction of the
new Mac Court is
GUEST
COMMENTARY
the North Campus/Riverffont Parkway/Old
Coca-Cola Bottling Plant/Urban Farm. I feel
that the very feet that the Urban Farm exists at
this site has been ignored in much of the dis
cussion during the site selection. I have and
will continue to communicate with Universi
ty President Dave Frohnmayer about this is
sue because I feel that selection of the North
Campus site is unnecessary, given the number
of other sites available The Urban Farm is a
year-round project that involves a large num
ber of students, faculty and community mem
bers. I urge anyone not familiar with the Ur
ban Farm to walk across Franklin Boulevard
and personally understand and appreciate it
for what it is: a peaceful, productive haven
that serves our University community in a
unique way.
I am a fourth-year student in international
studies and Spanish here at the University. Be
cause of the interdisciplinary nature of my
studies, I have had the incredible opportunity
to take courses in a variety of departments. A
major part of my experience has been shaped
by the two terms I have spent at the Urban
Farm. The focus of my work in international
studies is directly linked to many of the issues
I have learned about and explored through
the Urban Farm class. I believe that the hands
on experience of working and learning as part
of the Urban Farm's strong community has
been an especially important part of my stud
ies because of the way it has allowed me to ap
ply many of the theoretical concepts discussed
in my other dasses.
The Urban Farm is much more than just
another course offered by the University It is
a community education project with deep
roots in the local community as well as na
tional recognition as a model program. The
physical roots of the Urban Farm run deep
and any farmer familiar with this incredible
site can confirm that we have some of the
most fertile; healthy and biodynamic soil in
the region. The relocation of the Urban Farm
would force us to rebuild it from scratch,
practically nullifying the past 20 years of ef
fort and commitment that farmers have de
voted to it It is imperative that it not be con
sidered as a possible construction site and
that the University recognize the valuable re
source that it is.
Magali Rabasa is a senior mqjoring
in international studies and Spanish.
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’s your favorite way
to enjoy the summer sun?
Results: 33 total votes
Hiking and exploring the mountains -
24.2 percent, or 8 votes
Barbecues, parties and wild camping trips
- 24.2 percent, or 8 votes
Four words: Television and air
conditioning -18.2 percent, or 6 votes
Dipping in the river and swimming in the
ocean —15.2 percent or 5 votes
Bike rides and strolls in the park - 9.1
percent, or 3 votes
Leave me alone! - 9.1 percent, or 3 votes
This week: Do you regularly donate blood?
Choices: Yes, it’s my duty as a citizen;
Yes, I like the cookies and juice; No, I am
ineligible to donate; No, needles hurt;
Leave me alone! *