OREGON Daily Emerald
Thesday, November 8, 2005
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■ 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.