Marijuana manual in Pulse I 5
Oregon Daily Emerald
An independent newspaper
www. dailyemerald. com
Since 1900 | Volume 106, Issue 40 \ Thursday, October 21, 2004
★ AMERICA VOTES 2004 ★
Gun policies target voters
Photo illustration by Lauren Wimer
Legislative candidates are divided over r
issues of assault-weapon contol, right to bear arms
BY PARKER HOWELL
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
With the war in Iraq and controversial
domestic issues at the forefront of po
litical debate, national and statewide
gun policies have often been lost in the shuffle
of public discourse.
Yet almost two months after the Sept. 13 ex
piration of a contentious 10-year federal ban on
assault rifles — which prohibited the sale and
possession of semiautomatic firearms with cer
tain features — many candidates currently run
ning for office are taking stances on the level of
restrictions the government should place on
which guns Americans can own and where
they can take their firearms.
Presidential race
In the race for the White House, candidates
George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry have
identified themselves as sportsmen, but have
both spoken out in favor of some restrictions
on gun ownership. Their campaigns have pri
marily focused on the recent sunset of the as
sault weapons ban.
The ban outlawed specific brands of
firearms and several firearm features, such as
pistol grips and ammunition magazines that
held more than 10 rounds. A provision in the
law set the ban to expire this year unless Con
gress renewed it, which it did not.
During the final presidential debate on Oct.
13, President Bush said he supported
extending the ban, but did not encourage
Congress to reinstate it because of biparti
san advocacy against it.
Bush added that “law-abiding citizens
ought to be able to own a gun," but said he
believes background checks should be neces
sary everywhere guns are purchased.
The president also said comprehensive
prosecution of those who commit gun crimes
is “the best way to protect our citizens from
guns.” Bush said prosecutions of gun crimes
have risen about 68 percent under his admin
istration.
“Neighborhoods are safer when we crack
down on people who commit crimes with
guns,” Bush said. “To me, that’s the best way
to secure America.” Project Safe Neighbor
hoods, a partnership between state and feder
al law enforcement agencies that targets crim
inal misuse of firearms, has “substantially
increased the enforcement of existing gun
laws,” according to www.georgewbush.com.
Violent crime rates have dropped 21 percent
during the three years that Project Safe Neigh
borhoods has been in effect, and at least 72
percent of federal gun-crime convictions un
der the project have resulted in a prison sen
tence of three years or more, according to the
Web site.
Kerry — who said he is a hunter and gun
owner, as well as a former district attorney —
harshly criticized Bush’s stance on the assault
weapons ban during the final debate. The
senator called the expiration of the ban a
Is gun control a key issue in this election?
me erceuui i a
referendum on Iraq and
gun control is not a
factor in that. I haven’t
heard it talked about
almost at all in debates
and other political
forums."
Brendan Morley
Jafanf.se
"I think it’s an issue, and
people have been
discussing it, but I don’t
know how much division
there is between the two
candidates for people to
be polarized about it."
Lance Lucas
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
i m muie ouiiociiigu
with college tuition,
health care, tax cuts-type
stuff than gun control. I
guess I thought about it
back in the day when
they did the whole
Michael Moore,
Columbine thing,"
Jennifer Isfan
JOURNAUSM
“I'm always interested in
it, but it certainly doesn’t
seem like it’s getting any
attention."
EmiueGoe
GRADUATE COUNSEUNG
PSYCHOLOGY
ership” that allows terrorists to purchase
dangerous weapons. “Because of the
president’s decision today, law enforcement
officers will walk into a place that will be
more dangerous,” Kerry said. “Terrorists can
now come into America and go to a gun
show, and without even a background check,
buy an assault weapon today. And that’s what
Osama bin Laden’s handbook said — because
we captured it in Afghanistan.”
Kerry said his views reflect those of the law
enforcement community.
“1 know something about prosecuting,” he
said. “And most of the law enforcement
agencies in America wanted that assault
weapons ban. They don’t want to go into a
drug bust and be facing an AK-47.”
Kerry also disputes Bush’s claim that his
administration has enforced existing gun
laws, citing a Justice Department Inspector
General report that showed less than 1
percent of the 120,000 people who illegally
tried to purchase guns was prosecuted for the
crimes, according to www.johnkerry.com.
Kerry also favors closing the “gun-show
loophole,” which allows guns to be
exchanged between private dealers and
buyers at gun shows without background
checks, according to the site.
U.S. Senate race
Democratic candidate Ron Wyden said in
an e-mail statement that he supported renew
ing the ban on assault weapons. During his
last four years in office, Wyden has voted on
several gun-control-related bills in the Senate.
In 2004, Wyden voted “no” on the
unsuccessful Protection of Lawful Commerce
in Arms Act, which would have prohibited
certain civil lawsuits against gunmanufactur
ers pertaining to acts of criminal misuse.
Wyden voted “yes” in 2000 on a rejected
GUNS, page 4
IN BRIEF
Event invites UO students
to enjoy cultural offerings
The 10th annual Weaving New
Beginnings — a celebration meant
to welcome faculty, staff and stu
dents of color to the University —
will take place in the EMU Ball
room tonight at 6:15 p.m.
The event, which is free to the
public, will feature free music
and food.
“WNB is a remarkably impor
tant opportunity for students, es
pecially incoming students of col
or, to learn about everything that
awaits them at the University,”
ASUO Multicultural Advocate
Maria Cortez said on an ASUO
Web site dedicated to the event.
The Weaving New Beginnings
opening event took place Wednes
day from noon to 3 p.m. in the
EMU Amphitheater and included
musical performances, speakers
and dancing. Right, Multicultural
Center Outreach Coordinator
Aaron J. Martin, a philosophy and
ethnic studies major, performs in
the EMU Amphitheater.
— Jared Paben
Lauren Wimer | Senior photographer
Bakery site
may hinder
basketball
arena plans
Members of the Fairmont
Neighbors Association request
zone change, site review
BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF
NEWS REPORTER
The Eugene hearings official heard
testimony Wednesday night regarding a
zone-change request from Williams
Bakery that would change the site from
one that requires a site review to one that
doesn’t. The opposition was given one
more week to submit new evidence before
the issue will be closed for discussion. A
decision will be made by Nov. 18.
Because of recent changes in site-review
criteria, attorney Kim O’Dea said the request
from Williams Bakery is legitimate.
“Under the new site-review criteria, site
review is just no longer justified on this
property,” O’Dea said.
A site review lets the public discuss a
site’s impact on the surrounding neighbor
hood and scrutinize any aspects of the site
that may be considered a nuisance.
Those opposed to the request voiced
concerns with the bakery, located just east
of campus, being the targeted spot for the
University’s new basketball arena and what
the lack of a required site review would
mean if the University does acquire the site.
O’Dea said the opposition against the
zone change is unfounded and as soon as
the opposition has a clear understanding of
the current site-review criteria and of what
omitting the site review entails, "much of
the argument goes away. ”
The law does not require a site review for
the parking area currently on the site, but
co-chairman of the Fairmont Neighbors
Association Jeff Nelson said if the University
does plan on building the new arena on the
site, it should be taken into consideration
before labeling a site review as unnecessary.
Nelson said a site review is “critical in
trying to have a buffer between the
commercial area and the resident area,”
which is a pressing neighborhood goal.
Mary Ann Holson, a 34-year resident of
the Fairmont neighborhood, said she is very
concerned with the possibility of the area
becoming a construction site and wants to
make sure the public is involved in the
planning process.
“The neighborhood wants a say in what
will be located on these blocks and what it
will look like,” Holson said.
After the meeting, Holson said she wants
to make sure the beauty of the historic
Fairmont neighborhood is preserved. She
and her husband lived in Los Angeles
during a time when many nice areas were
getting “slummed out,” and she said the
effects on the community were devastating.
“We saw the happenings of bad
planning,” she said.
University architecture student Michael
Hahn and two other students attended the
meeting to better verse themselves in what
the neighborhood concerns are about the
proposed stadium.
Hahn said he is in a class that is
working with the architect who is
designing the new arena, and he hopes to
relay the concerns that were voiced at the
meeting to the architect.
ZONING, page 3