Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Suite 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online: www.dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, February 25,2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
COMMENTARY
Editor in Chief:
Brad Schmidt
Managing Editor:
Jan Tobias Montry
Editorial Editor:
Travis Willse
EDITORIAL.
Ignition lock
requirement
is inefficient,
too costly
When will the government learn that it all too often
makes a miserable baby-sitter? Apparently, not soon
enough.
Last week, the New Mexico House of Representatives
passed a bill requiring all car-owning citizens to breathe
into "alcohol detection devices" (usually called "ignition
interlocks") installed in their own cars in order to unlock
the ignition. The New Mexico Senate will now consider
the issue.
Although the law's intentions are good, the unintended
consequences of setting this new regulatory bar are stag
gering. The most pressing problem with the idea is the ab
surdly high cost and the harsh reality that it would be
passed down to the consumer (we're pretty sure that the
government would be unwilling to foot the bill). Accord
ing to Reuters, the device currently costs $1,000 — and
that's before installation. It defies reason that these law
makers could possibly rationalize forcing mostly law-abid
ing taxpayers to fund such an expensive device. A middle
class working family with two cars would pay a minimum
of $2,000 to clean up the government's inability to stop
drunken driving.
Second, implementation of the device would be a night
mare. Would car manufacturers be required to install the
device or would consumers need to take their cars to a
dealership? What about out-of-state drivers who don't have
a device? What consequences will befall consumers who
uninstall it from the car? What if it breaks and consumers
can't start their car even though they haven't been drink
ing? (Last we checked, any object the government requires
to be installed in a car, such as seatbelts or registration tags,
won't keep the car from starting if it breaks).
Beyond these two considerations, one must also analyze
how effective the devices would be. Consider this: A student
goes to a party, knocks back several beers, pays somebody
$20 to blow into the ignition for him and he's on his way.
Allowing the government to assume that all drivers
have been drinking before they even enter the car is
frightening territory. A similar debate surrounds the issue
of gun control: Advocates say firearms should be restrict
ed so people can't use them for violent means, which as
sumes that all people who pick up a gun will potentially
use it in this way.
And we all know how well gun control goes over in the
realm of political discourse. Many would argue that gun
control doesn't stop violence, instead failing to address the
underlying problems in society that cause it.
Here's an idea: stiffer penalties for drunken drivers.
Currently, driving while under the influence in New Mex
ico becomes a felony only after the fourth offense. Like
wise, anti-plea bargaining only kicks in if the accused
driver had a blood alcohol level of. 10 or above — die le
gal limit is below .08. New Mexico doesn't impose harsh
sanctions against repeat offenders, failing to employ min
imum one-year "hard license suspension" and mandato
ry minimum sentences, either, according to Mothers
Against Drunk Driving.
Before the New Mexico Legislature sets an example
based on faulty assumptions that other state lawmakers
around America might parrot, it should consider the un
intended consequences and try stiffer penalties before in
fringing on the public's freedom and the rights of the vast
majority of citizens who don't drive drunk.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Brad Schmidt
Editor in Chief
Jan Tobias Montry
Managing Editor
Travis Willse
Editorial Editor
Jennifer Sudick
Freelance Editor
Ayisha Yahya
News Editor
yBLL HoMEi; BervJEEfJ
ALL THESE reality TX
SUoWE ANt> SiAS HARRISES,
I WONDER IF THERE’S ANN
SAHCTlTi LEFT IN THE
WCTnOrTwH of MARFiMbE.
up
■j^-lf (AMc€?J
OR.
fOtUiWEt) %'S
"WE ]
SA«ew««.m
Steve Baggs Illustrator
DON’T ASSUME...
When I was 21, a beautiful woman
leaned over and kissed me in a bar. Un
prompted. Full flush, on the mouth. I was
in the middle of a sentence.
My friend Chris, an incredibly sexy man
in his own right, owns a T-shirt with the
phrase "Don't assume I'm straight" print
ed on the front and on the back, "Don't as
sume I'm gay." Chris has art tattooed in
sleeves down both arms and across much
of his chest. Rumor has it, his penis is
pierced. He works as a writer and photog
rapher. I know which way he swings, but
I'm not telling.
I dated a man once who didn't know
how to change the tire on a car. He sat in
the passenger seat while I jumped up and
down on the tire iron trying to loosen the
lug nuts that the serviceman had over
tightened after mounting my studs. Even
tually I got the tire off, the spare on, and
the guy was left by the wayside.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about
gender and sexuality and the roles of men
and women in the media. On Feb. 12,
Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francis
co, directed the city to begin granting mar
riage licenses to same-sex couples. Since
then, more than 3,200 licenses have been
granted to people — not just from the Bay
Area, but from around the world.
Newsom's action was in direct opposition
to a California voter-approved law prohibit
ing gay and lesbian marriages. California
State Attorney General Bill Lockyer has said
he plans to file a lawsuit against the city to
prevent further licenses from being issued.
Newly elected California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on
NBC's "Meet the Press," saying he fears the
allowance of same-sex marriages will re
sult in civil unrest.
Aimee Rudin
Five feet of fury
"All of a sudden, we see riots, we see
protests, we see people dashing,"
Schwarzenegger said on the show. "The
next thing we know, there is injured or
there is dead people. We don't want it to
go to that extent."
On Tuesday, President George W. Bush
backed a Constitutional amendment that
would ban gay marriage in the United
States. He said he believed such an
amendment would protect the sanctity of
the "most enduring human institution."
Here is the president of our nation — a
nation that touts itself on personal liberty
and opportunity, a nation that was found
ed in part because of the pursuit for reli
gious freedom — suggesting that language
be added to the Constitution that would
not ensure freedom but would instead
limit it. Way to go, George.
If we as a nation choose to follow our
president's advice and place a Constitu
tional limit on the freedom of individuals
to marry whom they choose, then we are
doing more than a segment of our popu
lation a disservice. We would be wronging
the population in its entirety by unjustly
restricting freedom.
Mark Twain once said, "Love is not a
product of reasonings and statistics. It just
comes — none knows whence — and can
not explain itself."
We can't choose the people we fall in
love with, but we can choose who we mar
ry. Isn't it important not to limit that
choice?
Contact the columnist
at aimeerudin@dailyemerald.com.
Her opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Senator Smith’s speech
full of 'opportunity'
The Emerald published a front-page ar
ticle on Senator Smith's public speech at
the Lane County Republican's Lincoln Day
Dinner ("Smith stresses Bush's strength,"
Feb. 18). His speech reflected the ideals of
his conservative party's platform — a
redundant reminder of Republican homo
geneity during this current administration.
My only reply: Thank you, Mr. Smith.
Thank you for reminding Oregonians
"George Bush understands what creates op
portunity in America." I have truly appreci
ated the president's current reforms: the op
portunity to restrict birth control, the
opportunity to remove funding from educa
tion, the opportunity to limit education
reforms and the opportunity for govern
ment to dose its door on the gay communi
ty. For me, these four years have been inun
dated with opportunity. My only question
remains, Mr. Smith: What will be left for
Bush if elected for another four years? My
opportunity, at least, has been exacerbated.
Sarah Koski
sophomore
political science