Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 2005)
OREGON Daily Emerald Thesday, November 8, 2005 NEWS STAFF (541)346-5511 PARKER HOWELL EDITOR IN CHIEF SHADRA BEESLEY MANAGING EDITOR MF.GHANN M. CUN I EE 1ARED PABEN NEWS EDITORS EVA SYLWESTER SENIOR NEWS REPORTER KELLY BROWN KATY GAGNON CHRISTOPHER HAGAN BRITTNI MCCLENAHAN NICHOLAS WILBUR NEWS REPORTERS JOE BAILEY EMILY SMITH PART-TIME NEWS REPORTERS SHAWN MILLER SPORTS EDITOR SCOITI. ADAMS LUKE ANDREWS JEFFREY DRANSFELDT SPORTS REPORTERS AMY LICHTY PULSE EDITOR TREVOR DAVIS KRISTEN GERHARD ANDREW MCCOLLUM PULSE REPORTERS AILEE SLATER COMMENTARY EDITOR GABE BRADLEY JESSICA DERLETH ARMY FETH • COLUMNISTS TIM BOBOSKY PHOTO EDITOR NICOLE BARKER SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER KATE HORTON zane Rrrr PHOTOGRAPHERS KATIE GLEASON PART-TIME PHOTOGRAPHER JONAH SCHROGIN DESIGN EDITOR JOHN AYRES JONNY BAGGS MOLLY BEDFORD KERI SPANGLER DESIGNERS CHRIS TODD GRAPHIC ARTIST AARON DUCHATEAU ILLUSTRATOR DAWN HELZER REBECCA TAYLOR COPY CHIEFS JENNY DORNER BRYN JANSSON JOSH NORRIS JENNA ROHRBACHER MATT TIFFANY COPYEDITORS STEVEN NEUMAN ONLINE/SUPPLEMENTS EDITOR TIMOTHY ROBINSON WEBMASTER BUSINESS (541)346-5511 JUDY RIEDL GENERAL MANAGER KATHY CARBONE BUSINESS MANAGER IAUNA DEGIUSTI RECEPTIONIST LUKE BELLOTT1 RYAN JOHNSON RANDY RYMER CORRIEN MUNDY DISTRIBUTION ADVERTISING (541) 346-3712 MELISSA GUST ADVERTISING DIRECTOR MIA LEIDELMEYER SALES MANAGER KELLEE KAUFTHEIL JOHN KELLY LINDSEY FERGUSON WINTER GIBBS KATE HI RON AKA DESI MCCORMICK STEPHEN MILLER KATHRYN O'SHEA-EVANS CODY WILSON SALES REPRESENTATIVES BONA LEE AD ASSISTANT CLASSIFIED (541) 3464343 TRINA SHANAMAN CLASSIFIED MANAGER USA CLARK ANDO AMANDA KANTOR KERI SPANGLER KATIE STRINGER CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ASSOCIATES PRODUCTION (541)3464381 MICHELE ROSS PRODUCTION MANAGER KIRA PARK PRODUCTION COORDINATOR JAMIE ACKERMAN CA1TLIN MCCURDY ERIN MCKENZIE JONAH SCHROGIN TERRY STRONG DESIGNERS The Oregon Daily Emerald is pub lished daily Monday through Frh day during the school year by the Oregon Dally 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 Have a happy holiday! Last week, I bought my first gallon of eggnog for this year. Now that Hal loween has come and gone, it's time for the more mushy holidays of the year. It’s no longer a surprise to anyone that the winter holiday season begins earlier and earlier every year. Besides, it makes sense. Since the lion’s share of retail business is done during the holiday season, those corporate bas tards who run this country would be stupid not to milk the holiday season for everything it’s worth. Holiday movies come out in late summer/early fall. Stores put up holi day displays sometimes before Hal loween is over. And, of course, there are the catalogs. The holiday season is the one time of year when the number of catalogs sent to my room mate “Current Resident” almost matches the number of credit card of fers in my mailbox. You know it’s just a matter of time before someone thinks to bundle catalogs with credit cards for our convenience. I don’t mind the commercialization of the holidays because I never really took it that seriously in the first place. I figure I have control over how commer cial I allow the holidays to be. Since we live in a capitalist society, there are al ways going to be people around using whatever angle they can to make a buck. The choice we each have to make is how much of an influence that commercialization will become in our own celebrations. Personally, I pick somewhere right about in the middle. I don’t take a vow of poverty during the winter months, but neither do I max out my credit cards with goodies from a catalog. Be sides, commercial holidays are just less GABE BRADLEY THE WRITING ON THE WALL controversial than religious holidays. Every year around this time, a handful of controversies spring up about holi day displays containing religious iconography. From my job choice, it’s obvious that I’m somewhat drawn to controversy. However, the types of con troversies surrounding holiday displays never appealed to me. These controversies take what’s supposed to be a happy, celebratory time and turn it into a showdown be tween the forces of good and evil. Can’t we all just go the mall instead of duking it out? There will always be another battle to fight. For now, can’t we bring the troops to winter quarters and resume the culture wars when the weather is nicer? Maybe that’s asking to much. Another reason I don’t mind holi day commercialization is precisely be cause it’s the commercialization that stretches out the season. I know there are plenty of people who don’t like the winter holidays. I can understand that. For someone dealing with loss or grief, the holidays can be a painful re minder of that loss. Add the dreary weather into the mix and you have a recipe for depression. Some of the most traumatic events of my life are associated with the winter holidays. However, instead of using the holidays to remind myself of it, 1 like to use the holidays to distract myself from the trauma — and there’s never a shortage of distraction in this country. It’s the same with the weath er for me. I hate the winter weather — 1 absolutely hate it. However, during the holiday season, the terrible weath er is romanticized and spun as a posi tive. I want to kiss the marketing ge niuses who thought up the song “Winter Wonderland” or “I’m Dream ing of a White Christmas.” What kind of mind does it take to turn awful weather into something every kid wishes for? It’s brilliant, I say. So during November and Decem ber, we’re idealizing the awful weath er. Then, when the holidays are over, you look around and fall is gone while winter is already one-third over. In my case, my birthday is in February, so the only bad-weather month in which I don’t have a cele bration to look forward to is January. Unless of course you count New Year’s Day, which I don’t because it’s only purpose is to give us a chance to recover from New Year’s Eve. Anyway, I guess my point is just that in addition to choosing which holidays to celebrate and which traditions to keep, families and individuals this year will also have to decide what level of commercialization they will allow into their holiday experience. Commercial ization is a part of our shared culture — our collective traditions. You can have a lot or a little, but you can’t avoid it completely. So make your choice and be happy with it. gbradley@dailyemerald. com ■ Guest commentary Police hostility toward bicyclists hinders progressive movement Last Friday represented for most a particularly exciting party night, giv en Halloween’s approach. For those who chose to participate in Critical Mass, the monthly event in which bikes, tricycles, recumbents and tandems take the streets, greater ex citement was more felt than planned. After 25 minutes of collective riding, two police cars pulled up and at tempted to disband the peaceful demonstration. When riders refused to discontinue, more cop cars pulled up ahead of the group and proceeded to yank bicyclists from their mounts without any verbal or physical provo cation, and write out a number of tickets —- many exceeding $200. On Friday, I rode near the front of our bike “flotilla,” which caused a brief, though certainly frustrating, wait for drivers unlucky enough to be caught at an intersection as our group crossed. That said, I always find the number of supportive drivers we en counter surprising and heartening. At the first police car’s approach, I was ad mittedly dismayed because I did not want a clash with city authorities. I see it as being in the city’s interest to be open to non-violent critique of local, national and international decisions. Furthermore, it would add to Eugene’s image as a progressive and bike-friend ly town, where its police and citizens are more than willing to permit (if not respect) the infrequent impairment of traffic flow in order to make a state ment and maintain a now well-estab lished bicyclist’s tradition. My nervousness increased when the loud and demanding tone of sirens rang out and more cop cars pulled up directly ahead. After swerving around this rather dramatic blockade, I pro ceeded to (and I am slightly ashamed of it) hurry from the immediate prem ises. Later I heard that a girl with whom I am acquainted and who rode several paces behind me, was forcibly torn from her bicycle by an angry police man. After the greater part of the mass reassembled and continued on its way, the decision to leave was reconsidered in light of the need for solidarity with those receiving heavy fines and threats of arrest for nebulous charges of “dis orderly conduct,” or noncooperation with the police’s arbitrary demands. Some of those who returned in smaller groups to the “scene of the crime,” I am told, were fined and handcuffed merely for being present — without any evi dence of wrongdoing. While on the road, a friend and I were very nearly run down by an en raged and impatient driver who then proceeded to weave between other cars up ahead, driving above the speed limit. This “gentleman” certain ly received no interest from the police. Instead, numerous cyclists received heavy fines for traffic violations that caused nothing but a two-minute wait or detour. Critical Mass means something dif ferent and unique among its many par ticipants. As there is no specific charter or organization, riders use the opportu nity for a variety of reasons — com monly to protest the use of cars and other causes of environmental damage, but also to oppose the Iraq War and other questionable aspects of U.S. for eign and domestic policy. Most also ride for fun. For many, Critical Mass is a matter of pride — an opportunity for bike riders to claim dignity for their chosen or only option for transporta tion. Whether they ride for pleasure or to commute, all are welcome, and Criti cal Mass draws participants from all ages and backgrounds. I am familiar with the arguments against bicyclist activism — “bike lanes should be enough,” “bicyclists can ob struct urgent commute and/or emer gency vehicles,” etc. However, bicy clists can make room for ambulances with far greater ease than a car, and many roads (even here in Eugene) lack bike lanes. Road disputes should be discussed and resolved in appropriate venues — not through police hostility played out as “cop-and-robber” melo drama in the streets. Jonathan Irwin is a University student. ■ Editorial State should recognize civil rights of everyone It has been more than a year since Oregon voters passed Measure 36, which changed the Oregon Constitution so that only marriage be tween a man and a woman is legal. Since then, advocacy groups such as Basic Rights Oregon have continued the fight to end discrimination based on sexual orientation. Most recently, BRO sued the State of Oregon on the grounds that the measure is unconstitution al. because it made multiple changes to the con stitution and was therefore a revision, not an amendment. Marion County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Guimond upheld the measure Friday, rul ing that the changes instated by the measure are “substantive” but not enough to overturn the law. Although we don’t dispute Guimond’s legal decision, we are disheartened that Oregon con tinues to deny equal rights to gay couples. BRO plans to appeal the decision, but this group alone shouldn’t bear the burden of mounting legal chal lenges against Oregon’s law. Rebekah Kassell, communications director for BRO, said, “Although this is a necessary part of a long-term movement, it’s tough when you real ize discrimination will stay for some time to come,” (“Legality of Measure 36 upheld by Cir cuit Court,” ODE Nov. 7). We are confident that one day — possibly within our lifetimes, possibly in a hundred years — people will look back on the era when same-sex marriage was illegal the same way they now look back on the time when women were not legally recognized as citizens who could vote. Banning the privileges and rights bestowed by civil contracts to gay couples is an infringement upon human rights and con tradicts the values inherent in the concept of freedom in the United States. Opponents of gay marriage don’t appear to understand the meaning of a “civil right.” After the court upheld the measure, Tim Nashif, po litical director for the Defense of Marriage Coali tion, said, “They’re saying Oregonians don’t have the right to determine what is a civil right and what isn’t. They assume it’s a civil right, but we would disagree. ” On its Web site, the Legal Information Insti tute at Cornell University Law School defines a civil right as “an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury.” If marriage can be defined as legal or illegal, it falls into the category of being an enforceable right or privilege. The LII continues its discussion of civil rights, saying, “Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class.” If the right to marry can be defined as a civil right, which we believe it can, and gays and les bians are a particular group or class, Measure 36 is discriminatory. Eventually, people will be able to see the effort to legalize same-sex marriage for what it is: a civil rights movement. BRO’s Web site states that in 2006, “the or ganization will launch a three-year campaign ...to achieve long-term gains in the fight for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality in Oregon.” We applaud BRO for continuing the fight against discrimination despite the setbacks it has encountered in the Legislature and the courts. Yet even Oregonians who oppose gay marriage for religious reasons should acknowledge that all adults in consenting, long-term relationships should be awarded the same status under the law. We encourage BRO and all people who op pose discrimination to continue their efforts to give gay couples legal protection in Oregon.
