Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Suite 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: editor@dailyemeralcl.com
Online: www.dailyemerald.com
Monday, December 8,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
COMMENTARY
Editor in Chief:
Brad Schmidt
Managing Editor
Jan Tobias Montry
Editorial Editor:
Travis Willse
EDITORIAL
GED program
is important
to community,
needs funding
Bad news came last week in the world of higher educa
tion. The University High School Equivalency Program,
which helps migrant and seasonal farm workers obtain
General Educational Development certificates, is being
threatened with a loss of federal funding that would result
in the program's elimination.
The program, which is funded through the U.S. De
partment of Education, is important to the University
and the 22 residential and 15 community students it
supports. It provides high school dropouts and migrant
workers with assistance so they can obtain GEDs and
move on to a better life.
But a lack of funding at the federal level could result in
eight of the 59 programs around the nation being cut.
We find it troubling that the federal government
would fail to scrounge up the extra five million it would
take to fully fund the program at a time when the mili
tary is gaining monumental increases in its budget. A
U.S. House-Senate Conference Committee proposed
$ 19 million for equivalency programs, according to Uni
versity officials, which is a mere five million less than the
amount that would guarantee full funding. The figure,
however, is also $6 million more than what President
George W. Bush recommended.
Clearly this program is important for many reasons.
First, it allows people to join the workforce for higher
wages and a better way of living. Even though they are re
ceiving money from the federal government to do so, their
eventual employment will prove to be a wise long-term in
vestment for the economy.
Second, as HEP Recruiter Armando Bravo told the Emer
ald, the program is beneficial not only for enrolled indi
viduals, but for society at large, because it enrolls students
who are in danger of falling into correctional or welfare sys
tems. He added that the program will help these people be
come more productive members of society.
Last, the program has demonstrated its success in the
past and, if frilly funded, will continue to be a accom
plished program in the future. HEP Director Emilio Her
nandez Jr. told the Emerald that the program has an 82 to
89 percent success rate based on students who obtain their
GEDs and move into a workforce outside of agricultural
work, and he said he has even seen students become doc
tors and attorneys.
We urge students to contact their federal legislators over
the break and voice their concerns about the future of this
threatened program.
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 calendar
month. Submission must include phone number and
address for verification. The Emerald reserves the right
to edit for space, grammar and style.
EDITORIAL BOARD ‘
Brad Schmidt Aimee Rudin
Editor in Chief Freelance Editor
Jan Tobias Montry Ayisha Yahya
Managing Editor News Editor
Travis Willse
Editorial Editor
Eric Layton Illustrator
West is to blame for Iran's problems
The recent invasion of Iraq has clearly
indicated that the colonial powers have
been ashamed of their past of colonizing
the Middle East, rather than shameless
ly, and has aggressively opened a new
chapter in re-colonizing Iraq, which has
a history of struggle against colonization
in the region.
It becomes more and more clear that
the invasion of Iraq was not because of
weapons of mass destruction (as they
weren't found), but rather that is was
_mainly fought
g"* ■ | gZT <C"f for oil, and the
%3i I United States'
COMMENTARY intolerance for
—- an independent
regime. Con
trary to its Iraq policy, the United States
has supposed or brought to power all cor
rupt, brutal, dictatorial regimes in the re
gion, including the mullahs in Iran, as well
as other corrupt regimes around the world.
In 1953, the CIA overthrew the popular
elected government of Dr. Mohammad
Mossadegh in Iran, and brought back to
power the corrupt puppet regime of the
shah, who had fled the country. The
United States supported him until he was
overthrown in 1979 by the Iranian people.
The change of regime in Iran to rule by
the mullahs did not bring independence
or democracy to Iran. Under these mul
lahs, Iran became more repressive, more
corrupt, poorer and one of the world's
worst violators of human rights. Today,
more than 53 percent of Iranians live be
low the poverty level; approximately 20
million of the country's 70 million resi -
dents are drug addicts. There is no need to
explain the condition of women in Iran,
and the results of poverty there have in
cluded high prostitution rates and huge
unemployment. Millions of Iranians have
left the country since the mullahs took
power to avoid execution, torture or living
with humiliation.
Since mullahs came to power in Iran,
there has been a lot of speculation about
the role of Western countries — including
the United States — toward Iran, such as
secretly wheeling and dealing with the
mullahs, regardless of their gross human
rights violations. Clearly, many people
portray Iran as a revolutionary country to
hide the mullah's actions and the nature
of their policies.
Iran, like other repressive, corrupt, bru
tal regimes in the region and around the
world, has only survived because of the
Western influence — including America's
— that wants the mullahs to be in power
through trade or other means of support.
Iran not only has not opposed these
colonial policies; rather, they need a lot of
support from the West to survive, as a re
sult of lack of support from their own peo
ple. As a recent poll showed, less than 5
percent of the Iranian population is inter
ested in voting.
Before Iran's showcase of its nuclear
power, Bush, Colin Powell, Donald Rums
feld, Condoleeza Rice — and most lately,
Richard Armitage — didn't show interest
in any change of policy toward Iran.
The CIA coup in Iran in 1979 — which
has eluded the world for 25 years — truly
brought the mullahs to power as one of
the most repressive, brutal regimes in the
world.
Cyrus Cohen lives in Eugene.
_ ONLINE POLL__
Each week, the Emerald publishes the results of the previous week’s poll and the coming week's poll question.
Visit http://www.dailyemerald.com to vote.
Last question: Do you think cheating is a serious problem?
Results: 38 votes
• Yes, I work hard for my grades, and others should have to do the same: 44.7 percent or 17 votes
• Yes, cheating shows a lack of integrity: 34.2 percent or 13 votes
• No, students should do whatever it takes to get a good grade: 13.2 percent or 5 votes
• No, it doesn’t matter if students cheat: 7.9 percent or 3 votes
This week: What was the biggest story of fall term?
Choices: "ASUO VP pleads innocent to assault charge;” five-part series on cheating; “Oregon shocks No. 3 Michigan;"
“Howe Field selected as location for new arena;’’ "Business school enters new era with Lillis;” “DPS: Officer committed
misconduct;” other.