Monologue
Idle Hands
By J. Dana Haynes
Welcome to the world of the high powered
press ...
Two weeks ago, Paul Nastari, the president of
the Associated Student Body, called me on the
phone and wanted to know if I would be willing to
speak at the press conference.
Now the obvious question was: what press con
ference?
The one on Saturday, Oct. 23, of course.
Glancing at our duty roster and events calendar,
I noticed that the only big happening slated for that
Saturday was a Mary Kay party that Peg, my wife,
had been suckered into holding. So I pointed out to
Paul that there was no press conference planned for
that day. I mean, after all, we are the free press. If
anyone would know about a conference, it’d be us,
right?
“Course there is. Can’t go myself. Need a stu
dent to represent College. Interested?” Paul tends
to be a tad preoccupied when he’s in his office.
I eventually dragged out of him the fact that the
No On 3 people were holding a press conference to
help fight against the passage of Ballot Measure 3,
and Nastari was suppose to be one of the speakers.
Being unable to go, and knowing of my weakness for
big croyi/ds and the spotlight, he asked me to speak
for the College.
Of course I told him I couldn’t, conflict of in
terest and all that garbage, but that I’d be delighted
to cover the event. Granted, I was a wee bit miffed
about our not being informed, but in the past few
years I’ve come to grips with the fact that most peo
ple think of The Print as being Twenty Thousand
Leagues Beneath the Majors. Still in all, I felt that
this was newsworthy, so I planned on attending as a
member of the press.
So Saturday rolled around. Complete with three-
piece suit, steno pad, hangover and my three or four
hard-nosed-yet-compassionate questions, I made
my way to the Oregon City Union Hall.
By nine in the morning, the Hall was filled to
capacity with politicians, teachers, concerned
citizens, policemen, firemen, senior citizens, more
than 300 volunteer canvassers ...
And me. The only member of the press to show
up.
With more than a small bit of embarrassment,
County Commissioner Ralph Groener held the con
ference for 20 minutes. When no trucks with lighting
equipment, cameramen, no writers with press-
passed fedoras appeared, it became painfully ob
vious that yours truly was the sole representative.
In the entire history of the free press, there has
probably never been a more chagrinned conference
than that one.
And the worst moment of all was when the
representative from the College stood and gave me a
look that would chill snow. Y’see Nastari and I didn’t
want the school to go unnoticed, so we convinced
one of the writers from The Print, Shelley Ball, to
sacrifice her Saturday and, in less than 24 hours,
become knowledgable about Ballot Measure 3.
Ms. Ball, when you look back on this day, and
you will, be kind. It may have been a crock, but you
gotta admit: they put on a damn good show.
THE PRINT, a member of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers
Association, aims to be a fair and impartial journalistic medium
covering the campus community as thoroughly as possible. Opi
nions expressed in THE PRINT do not necessarily reflect those of
the College administration, faculty, Associated Student Govern
ment or other members of THE PRINT.
Office: Trailor B; telephone: 657-8400, ext. 309,310
Editor In Chief: J. Dana Haynes
News Editor:. Doug Vaughan
Arts Editor: Brett Bigham
■- Sports Editor: Tracy M. Sumner
Photo Editor: Wanda Percival
Copy Editor: Kristi Blackman
Staff Writers: Victoria Archila, Shelley Ball, Kari Gassaway, Doris
Hatcher, Tom Jeffries, Etta Leonard, Walt McAllister, F. T. Morris
Staff Photographers: Roberta Ellsworth, Duane Hiersche, Troy
Maben, Joel Miller
Business Manager: Joan Seely
Typesetter: Teresa A. Hannaford
Advisor: Sara Wichman
page 2
Abortion equal to murder
EDITORIAL
BY TRACY M. SUMNER
This is not a commentary that will be well
received by all. In fact, some will no doubt be of
fended and possibly find a response in order.
Others, however, will hopefully receive it as
what it is meant to be ... a challenge.
Our tax dollars support a wide assortment
of programs, one of which I find reprehensible
and almost frightening. It is the social and moral
issue that has become almost white-hot in the
last few years. Abortion and public funding
thereof.
Some arguments come to my mind that I’ve
heard from “pro-choice” groups in defense of
abortion and its public financial support.
The first is the idea that abortions need to be
readily available to women whose health is en
dangered by the pregnancy or whose pregnancy
is a result of a rape or incest.
Can the deaths of millions of unborn infants
be justified by the very small percentage who fit
into the above group? Absolutely not! That
would be like the Israeli army killing everyone in
Beirut, Lebanon to insure the evacuation of the
PLO. This reasoning is little more than a political
smoke-screen.
Those who favor unrestricted abortions
seem to think of the unborn child as “sub
human” and therefore not worthy of the same
consideration or care as other children.
Most aborted children are fully recognizable
as human beings and quite often the face of the
victim is grossly twisted and contorted in agony
over the fatal violations on its body by the im
plements of torture used to perform the abor
tion.
The unborn human baby is helpless,
underdeveloped and for the most part is totally
incapable of survival outside its mother’s womb.
But it is a human being the same as any other
child and as such should be afforded the same
protection and care as any other child.
Another argument for abortion is one that
could only have been born of our rights-oriented
“me-first” western culture. That is the argument
that it is a women’s personal decision whether to
fulfill her responsibility for her actions and have
the child, or to put herself through the physical
and emotional devastation involved in an abor
tion.
The rights of individual Americans are of ut
most importance to me as a citizen and a jour
nalist. However, with these rights come respon
sibilities and consequences for failure to heed
and act on these responsibilities. Abortion is
nothing more than an easy (easier in the short-
run than a full-term pregnancy) way out of the
consequences for one’s actions.
Promiscuity has been made so much easier
when the consequence (in this case an un
wanted pregnancy) can be “erased” with a saline
solution and a suction device.
Lastly, the insidious idea that abortion has a
positive side in that it aids in limiting population
growth. How can a supposedly advanced
civilization such as ours stoop to such barbaric
reasoning? Cold-blooded murderers go virtually
unpunished while innocent children are being
brutally butchered at the slightest whim of any in
dividual.
Publically funded and supported abortion-
on-demand must be stopped. T q _ allow this
holocaust to go on unchallenged is a -sad com
mentary on the state of our nation. To allow
public funding of the murder to continue is un
thinkable.
It is my sincere hope that the people we
refer to as politicians will begin standing for what
they know “is right on this issue instead of bowing
to pressure groups for the sake of voter populari
ty. They may lose a few votes, but hopefully
they will save many innocent lives.
Dialogue
Vohs
defends
choice
To The Editor:
I do not enjoy writing this
reply, for it is not the way I
prefer to do business. After
this, spoken words will suffice.
I’m writing concerning last
week’s letter to the editor
(regarding ASG sponsored
movies). I feel it is more impor
tant to learn the truth of things
than to appear to be right, so
here I go!
The purpose and intent of
the noon movie is to give
students a chance to take a
break from their studies, relax
and view entertaining,
historical and even comedy
type films of art. An example of
the last type of film is Cheech
Marin and Tommy Chong’s
“Up in Smoke.” This movie
allows the viewer to take a look
at the lighter side of reality. (By
the way, we had the biggest
turnout for a noon Ynovie at the
College with the showing of
“Up in Smoke”).
It is not in the interests and
philosophy of the Associated
Student Government to pro
mote in any way, and by any
means, the use of drugs here at
Clackamas, as suggested by
the author.
The article also disagrees
with the choice of “Halloween”
for use as a college student-
oriented Halloween movie;
think hard, I don’t have to, I’m
not going to order “Bambi” for
Halloween.
The article suggests that
neither of these films are
“entertainment” (his opinion,
maybe others too!) But I would
not stand in front of 50 million
people and tell them it’s not. I’ll
let them make up their own
minds. (Besides, I like my face
the way it is.)
Very abruptly, what the
author suggests is CENSOR
SHIP. I’ve thought about my
reply, and it is not as good as
that of a well educated, Lewis
and Clark graduate.
I will quote uncut,
unretouched and uncensored:
“Certain self-righteous factions
in our society have bravely
taken it upon themselves to be
critics of the arts. They have
just as bravely written their own
credentials to do so. Recently,
a member of a certain group
saw fit to condemn the film
choices of the Associated Stu
dent Government activities
council. We all must remember
that the only power these
groups have over us is the
power that we ourselves give
them by recognition. Even
placing their name in print
acknowledges their self-taken
power.
“In answer to such critics I
can only say that we must con
tinue to use all our freedoms as
guaranteed by the amendment
to the constitution of the United
States of America.
“And one more thing,
variety is the basil, the cumin,
the nutmeg, that’s right, the
spice of life.”
What more can I say? We
do not force anyone to look
and participate in our activities.
If it does not suit your tastes,
don’t look at it or do it!
Steven K. Vohs
ASG Activities Director
:amas Community College