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Oregon Daily Emerald Thesday, January 25, 2005 NEWS STAFF (541) 346-5511 JEN SUDICK EDITOR IN CHIEF STEVEN R. NEUMAN MANAGING EDITOR IARED PABEN AY1SHA YAHYA NEWS EDITORS MEGHANN CUN1FF PARKER HOWELL SENIOR NEWS REPORTERS MORIAH RALINGIT AMANDA BOLSINGER ADAM CHERRY KARA HANSEN ANTHONY LUCERO SHELDON TRAVER NEWS REPORTERS CLAYTON JONES SPORTS EDITOR JON ROETMAN SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER STEPHEN MILLER BRIAN SMITH SPORTS REPORTERS RYAN NYBURG PULSE EDITOR NATASHA CHIL1NGERIAN SENIOR PULSE REPORTER AMY UCHTY RYAN MURPHEY PULSE REPORTERS CAT BAIT)WIN PULSE CARTOONIST DAVID JAGERNAUTH EDITORIAL EDITOR GABF. BRADLEY JENNIFER MCBRIDE AILEE SIATER TRAVIS WILLSE COLUMNISTS ASHLEY GRIFFIN SUPPLEMENT FREELANCE EDITOR DANIELLE HICKEY PHOTO EDITOR IAUREN WIMER SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER ITM BOBOSKY PHOTOGRAPHER NICOLE BARKER ERIK BISHOFF PART-TIME PHOTOGRAPHERS BRET FURTWANGLER GRAPHIC ARTIST KIRA PARK DESIGN EDITOR DUSTIN REESE SENIOR DESIGNER WENDY KIEFFER AMANDA LF.E BR1ANNE SHOL1AN DESIGNERS SHADRA BEES LEY IEANN1E EVERS COPY CHIEFS KIMBERLY BLACKF1ELD PAUL THOMPSON SPORTS COPY EDITORS AMANDA EVRARD AMBER LINDROS NEWS COPY EDITORS UNDSAY BURT PULSE COPY EDITOR ADRIENNE NELSON ONLINE EDITOR SLADE LEESON WEBMASTER BUSINESS (541)346-5511 JUDY RIEDI. GENERAL MANAGER KAITIY CARBONE BUSINESS MANAGER REBECCA CRITCH ETT RECEPTIONIST NATHAN FOSTER AIBING GUO ANDREW LEAHY JOHN LONG HOLLY MISTELL HOLLY STEIN DISTRIBUTION ADVERTISING (541)346-3712 MELISSA GUST ADVERTISING DIRECTOR TYLER MACK SALES MANAGER MATT BETZ HERON CAUSCH-DOLEN MEGAN HAMLIN KATE HIRONAKA MAEGAN KASER-LEE MIA LEIDELMEYER EMILY PHILBIN SHANNON ROGERS SALES REPRESENTATIVES KELLEE KAUFTHEIL AD ASSISTANT CLASSIFIED (541)3464343 TR1NA SHANAMAN CLASSIFIED MANAGER KATY GAGNON SABRINA GOWETTE LESLIE STRAIGHT KF.RI SPANGLER KATIE STRINGER CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ASSOCIATES PRODUCTION (541)3464381 MICHELE ROSS PRODUCTION MANAGER TARA QInANI PRODUCTION COORDINATOR JEN CRAM ITT KRISTEN DICILARRY CAMERON GAUT JONAH SCHROGIN DESIGNERS The Oregon Daily Emerald is pub lished daily Monday through Fri day during the school year by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Ore gon, Eugene, Ore. The Emerald operates independently of the University with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private property. Unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law. ■ In my opinion With less than a week to go before the Iraqi elections, insurgent violence will no doubt increase. Many Iraqi citizens will give in to the fear and stay home. Many people will die. And in the end, the legitimacy of the winners’ victories will probably be tenuous at best. Meanwhile, back in America — Pundit-ville, as I like to call it — crit ics of the elections will point to the chaos and say, “We told you so.” These short-sighted feet-draggers ar gue Iraq isn’t ready to hold elections until the country is more secure, which is ridiculous. There’s no right time to lose your virginity and there’s no right time to hold your first elections as a free people. If you’re going to do it, just do it — there’s never going to be a time when it’s easy. If we wait until Iraq is an oasis of democratic ideals before holding elections, the U.S. appointed interim government will be in power forever. • Democracy is a journey, not a destination. For years, minorities and women couldn’t vote in this country. Our idea of liberty was seriously screwed up. But we kept on holding elections. As we addressed one problem, there was always another to take its place. To this day, our democracy is rife with problems. We’ve never had a perfect election in America. The path to freedom seems to be two steps for ward, one step back. GABE BRADLEY THE WRITING ON THE WALL In our own history, there have been those who said America wasn’t ready for the steps it was taking — those who have retreated at the first sign of difficulty. By and large, history has forgotten their names. History is shaped, for better or worse, by those who are willing to face struggle. If we truly believe that a democratic Iraq is worth having, then we have to accept the fact that it will not come cheap. Of course, it’s easy for me to say that as someone who will not have to directly pay the price for a free Iraq, just as it is easy for some to criti cize the elections when their own right to vote is relatively secure. The real question is whether the Iraqi peo ple want democracy — and that ques tion will be answered on Sunday. How many people will stand up to the violence, face the fear, and go to the polls? I don’t know the answer to that question; no one does. But come Sunday, we’ll know for sure how many Iraqis value their vote enough to risk death. Democracy can’t be forced. It must live in the hearts of the people, or it will never take root. The Iraqis them selves will decide whether they are ready for democracy, and they will tell the world with their actions on Sunday. Just as surely as democracy cannot be forced, neither can it be stopped once it has taken root. If the Iraqis are ready for democracy, it’ll show in the turnout, insurgency or no insurgency. We will know whether democracy has taken hold in Iraq, but it will not be the absence of conflict that tells us — democracy is not a smooth process. Meaningful change is al ways accompanied by struggle of some kind. As for me, I’ll be back here in Pundit-ville, watching the news and hoping for success. There have already been some incredible changes in Iraq, and I dare to hope for more. People are getting access to education like never before. Outlets for free speech are sprouting up slowly but surely. And a guaranteed 25 percent of the members of Iraq’s new parliament will be women (women make up only 14 percent of our national legislature). Change has come to Iraq, and it seems to be sticking surprisingly well. Is it too much to hope that they can once again take control of their own destiny as free people ruled by popu lar sovereignty? Like I said, we’ll see. In the meantime, let freedom ring. gabebradley@dailyemerald. com INBOX Many people still in the dark about pregnancy In a letter to the editor (“Poetic ge nius: Anti-Bush advocates chant lit erary gold,” ODE, Jan. 21), Melissa flicker asks, “How many kids did you kill today, pro-abortion liber als?” With the exception of a rather strange friend of mine, I don’t know anyone who is “pro-abortion.” Abor tion is an awful situation. But it’s a fact that a lot of people end up there. That’s why I’m “pro-choice.” There are obvious reasons for the need for an abortion: rape, incest and threat to the mother. Then there’s misinformation. Yes, kids are being robbed under the abstinence only movement, but then there are people who you’d think would know how to avoid getting pregnant who don’t. I was surprised to find my own mother at age 48 didn’t know antibiotics render birth control pills ineffective. Then I found out half of my friends didn’t know either! Or how bout this: You can get preg nant during your period. A lot of women don’t know that either. Read the small print on your pill-pack: Dur ing the first week of pills use a back-up method. You’d think doctors would tell you these things but a lot don’t. In response to the “kill” quote, did you know that if a baby is born ex tremely premature and under a cer tain weight hospitals will not help it live? Hospitals choose a weight to determine life. As of now there is no scientific evidence that fetuses are “alive.” The only thing that brings “kill” into the topic of abortion is religion and morals, relative and per sonal things. In an imperfect world where this is something people have to face, let them at least have a choice. Sermin Yesilada Senior OSPIRG provides solutions for textbook woes I bought my books this term and I was appalled; prices just keep going up, seemingly without reason. A recent report done by OSPIRG shows that publishers add “bells” and “whistles” to inflate the price of textbooks. These bundles come Saran-Wrapped with additional materials like CD-ROMs and work books, but more than 65 percent of the faculty surveyed say they “rarely” or “never” use these materi als. Textbook publishers put new editions on the market frequently, usually with very few content changes, making the less expensive, used textbooks obsolete. As a student of the University who relies on financial aid, reading this report made my blood boil, but there is a solution available for us students in the form of OSPIRG’s Affordable Textbooks campaign. As I write this they are working to put direct eco nomic pressure on the publishers, are making it impossible for the pub lishers to ignore students, and are working with the University Book store to set up alternatives for stu dents to buy and sell their textbooks (visit www.uobookstore.com for more information). It is time for publishers to pay attention to us and stop ripping us off. Lynette Hieber Eugene Protect McKenzie River forests from logging As some of you know, the Forest Service currently has over a dozen mature and old growth timber sales planned in the McKenzie River wa tershed. These timber sales encom pass over 2,000 acres of the most beautiful, pristine land found in Ore gon. The McKenzie River not only provides Eugene with drinking wa ter, but also offers amazing recre ational opportunities. The trails networking through this area provide world-class hiking and mountain biking. People come from all over the country to take advantage of the natural beauty found in Eugene’s backyard. This influx of eco-tourists has helped diversify the economies along the McKenzie River by supporting guiding outfits, bed and breakfasts, and other local shops. The logging slated to take place along the river will degrade the natural beauty that is responsible for drawing so many people to the region. It is vital that we protect the last 10 percent of Oregon’s old growth, our recreational areas and the economies along the river. Logan Berner Eugene OREGON DAILY EMERALD LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged, and should be sent to letters@dailyemerald.com or submitted at tire Oregon Daily Emerald office, EMU Suite 300. Electronic ■submissions are preferred. Letters are limited to 250 words, and guest commentaries to 550 words. Authors are limited to one submission per calendar month. Submissions should include phone number and address for venfication. The Emerald reserves the right to edit for space, grammar and style. Guest submissions are published at the discretion of the Emerald ■ Editorial Budget cut contradicts an ASUO contract The ASUO Executive recommendation for the Emerald’s budget, which the Programs Finance Committee eventually passed, represents the low est student subscription rate in at least 20 years, when factoring for inflation. To deserve such a historically low budget you might think the Emerald did something horribly wrong. Did our fundraising level fall off the map? Did the amount and quality of our coverage suddenly decline? Just the oppo site is true. The Emerald’s fundraising, in the form of advertising, is the highest it has been in years, covering almost 85 percent of our costs. And we are providing more original and professional content than ever, to a growing number of students, in the face of skyrocket ing printing costs. In short, the Emerald has been doing more with less all year long. So why are we being punished with more than $8,000 in cuts ($13,000 less than our request)? The ASUO believes the Emerald prints too many papers and is concerned that students are being charged for newspapers read by University faculty and members of the Eugene community. According to a two-year-old readership survey, 81 percent of students read our paper at least once per week. Any freely distributed paper would be envious of this level of saturation. But readership is not the only measure of the Emer ald’s impact on this campus. Of those students that never read the Emerald, how many are in a student group that receives discounted advertis ing in our paper? How many have been featured in an Emerald story? How many have written a letter to the editor? How many have been in formed about an issue or a story from a friend who read it in the Emerald? Everyone on campus, whether they read the paper, is touched by the Emerald and the work of its dedicated student staff. That is why the bulk student subscription fee, which allows for distribution of the Emerald to the student body free of charge, has never been based on the number of copies read and distributed. In fact, in a contract signed last year by ASUO President Adam Petkun and ASUO Vice President Mena Ravassipour, it expressly states, “The parties agree that the payment amount ... is not related to the number of newspapers to be distributed ... in that it is not based on a cost per distributed paper figure. ” In the past, attempts by the ASUO to impose such a formula have been met with skepticism and rejected by the PFC. This year, a far more incompetent PFC completely ignored past precedent and approved the Executive recommendation without bothering to discuss the issue. Not only that, nobody on the PFC felt it was necessary to inspect how the Executive ar rived at its recommendation figure. The only person at the table who understood the com plex equation was Mike Martell, who con ceived it. If the PFC had bothered to inspect the math, it would have discovered that it was nothing more than a series of inaccurate num bers cobbled together with arbitrary calcula tions to arrive at a meaningless total. The Emerald would have refuted the numbers if we had been given our Executive rec ommendation before the meeting as originally promised. In a November e-mail to all student groups, Ravassipour wrote, “The execu tive recommendation will be completed 72 hours prior to your hearing. ” The Emerald didn’t receive notice 72 hours beforehand nor did we receive it 24 hours EDITORIAL, page 3
