Oregon Daily Emerald
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
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■ In my opinion
Moderating the bench
We are facing a Bull’s Run, the
Moderate’s Last Stand. Our nation is
on a hideous precipice about to be
tipped over into a wasteland of parti
sanship and hate. Democracy was
always supposed to be about discus
sion. Democracy was always sup
posed to be about compromise. Un
fortunately, it seems the more vocal
among us are also the most ridicu
lous; the people on both sides of the
spectrum who view the world in
terms of black and white and refuse
to acknowledge sepia. Even Pat
Robertson is railing against Bill Frist
for not being right-wing enough.
I must admit, John McCain has al
ways been one of my favorite politi
cians. Growing up in a post-Water
gate world, to me he seemed almost
trustworthy. Though I’m not sure
the higher gavel should go to any of
the three judges who appear to be
on their way to the bench because of
the settlement McCain helped au
thor, I applaud the courage of men
and women who brave their party
heads in order to do what they feel
is in the national interest.
In this case, I think the recent
judicial bargain was correct. The fili
buster was about to be abolished,
which would have caused more
damage to our democracy than the
compromise of the Infamous Four
teen. The Democrats would have
martyred themselves to no avail, and
there’s no way the game of chicken
(slowing down the federal govern
ment) would have turned the liber
als into good guys in the eyes of the
public. Not that it shouldn’t have —
conservatives were wrong in their
accusations about the Democrats be
ing against religious judges. When
looking at the nominees, newspa
pers from The Washington Post to
The New York Times base their
opinions on business ties and previ
ous legal decisions. William Pryor,
JENNIFER MCBRIDE
QUASHING DISSENT
for example, is so far right that even
the more conservative Supreme
Court justices have written opinions
striking down his rulings. He was
the advocate for Texas’ absurd
sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas,
and his ties to corporations (big
tobacco, among others) make me
very uneasy.
Our judges are already being ac
cused of playing politics. In some
states, judges need to raise huge
campaign coffers in order to be elect
ed — in West Virginia alone, the last
judicial election’s candidates spent
more than $5 million. The Supreme
Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore split
down partisan lines. In times like
these, we need to do everything
necessary to protect the purity of the
legal system. The U.S. Constitution
must preserve justice for all, not
justice for the rich, the white and the
heterosexual. The best way to be fair
is to make sure our bench is full
of moderates who don’t owe any
party favors.
For this reason, rather than give
the most bone-flaying of partisans
lifetime federal appointments, I urge
cooperation. If the president and the
Senate can’t be trusted to keep the
judiciary impartial, I suggest that
one more safeguard be added. I
don’t think it’s an unreasonable sug
gestion that the people who make
most of our laws, who are the custo
dians of truth and justice for a life
time, are asked to be confirmed by a
supermajority. A candidate who
receives 51 percent of the vote is
probably not the right robe for the
job. I would advocate that the U.S.
Constitution or Senate rules be
altered so that 60 votes are required
before any nominee assumes the
bench. This would assure a biparti
sanship that is more than superficial
and craft a law less likely to swing
to extremes.
Neither party is likely willing to
give up the power to almost single
handedly appoint someone of its
own politic viewpoint, but what’s
best for the country will probably be
somewhere in between. This real
“constitutional option” would de
crease the incentive for filibusters
and death-in-committee and would
encourage true consultation be
tween the president and the Senate.
The next few elections are going to
be important for the level of discourse
in this country. I am afraid of the po
tential of red and blue to stop talking
to each other, of border wars breaking
out between California and Nevada.
We have much more in common than
we have in difference, as witnessed by
the voice of Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah,
who is willing to go against the presi
dent in order to support stem cell re
search. For this reason, Liberals and
Conservatives alike should applaud
the courage of the moderates. Instead,
the bloggers’ attacks on George
Voinovich for criticizing Bolton are
acerbic. One blog tells us that “it’s a
good thing for Voinovich that the Sen
ate is in recess;... that’ll give him time
to go see his therapist and get back on
his Zoloft.”
Can’t we all agree that people who
are willing to reach a hand out to
the other side in friendship are the
most courageous of politicians? I, for
one, admire a man willing to cry for
his country.
jennifeimcbride@dailyemerald. com
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■ Editorial
Diversity
plan bogged
down by its
own idealism
In May, the University introduced a Five-Year
Diversity Plan designed to ensure that our cam
pus community is one that supports freedom,
safety and equal opportunity for all.
Some ideas are well thought out and feasible,
and for that Chair Greg Vincent and the plan’s
other creators should be lauded. Encouraging
racial or gender minorities in job announce
ments is an easy way to reach out and bring di
versity to campus. Making sure that a course in
gender/sexuality is required for graduation is
also an excellent, tangible plan. Mentioning at
one point that tokenism is not the aim of the
plan and that the University system itself needs
to change is a priceless piece of wisdom.
However, the fact remains that much of the
diversity plan is just too idealistic. Ensuring that
the University works with local schools to get
minority students, their parents and their fami
lies excited about college is a lot to swallow, es
pecially considering the lack of concrete plan
ning or funding. Hiring clusters of faculty in
different areas of diversity for 30-40 staff posi
tions in fewer than 10 years will surely prove
difficult considering the University’s less-than
desirable faculty wage. Even the simple idea of
more community conversations on issues of di
versity needs to have a solid plan behind it.
When it comes to the tangible issues of offering
more scholarship money, the question is practi
cally implicit: Will funds be redirected toward
these and other programs? Where will that
money come from? We just don’t know.
Goals such as seriously recruiting underrep
resented faculty, increasing Diversity Building
Scholarships and setting up new departments
and staff positions cannot be sufficiently ac
complished given the current situation of fund
ing within the University. The plan even men
tions that putting money toward diversity is key
to showing the University’s value on diversity,
and yet this five-year set of goals outlines no
way to ensure that funding can be created or
redirected toward the program. The plan claims
to be a vision for the best educational environ
ment possible; with a host of new ideas and
less University money than ever, it seems clear
that accomplishing all facets of this plan is any
thing but possible. Idealism is only worth so
much when it comes down to reality.
As always, the issues of a University are
fundamentally connected. It is hardly just the
fault of the new diversity plan; it is a fault, as
well as an important issue, of the entire Uni
versity. The problem of lagging diversity sim
ply cannot be solved without first solving the
problem of an underfunded school in gener
al. Lower-than-average faculty salaries won’t
bring in new and diverse faculty, and new, di
verse graduate students surely don’t want to
attend a school that can’t later offer them ex
citing job opportunities.
The Five-Year Diversity Plan is a fabulous
step in the right direction. In the future, howev
er, the best thing for this University will be more
funding or at least feasible proposals to increase
diversity when the best thing falls through.
CORRECTION
The summary to Tuesday’s story “Malone rewrites
Duck javelin record" states, “Sarah Malone landed a
throw at 186-10, three inches farther than her previous
school record.” This is incorrect. Her throw on Satur
day was 7 feet, 3 inches farther than her previous per
sonal best of 179-7.
The Emerald regrets the error.