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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1989)
Opinion THE CLACKAMAS PRINT PRO/CON stance, not to mention that is at least as addictive as Heroin. Cigarette smoke also has no medical benefits; that is a fact. The issue here is not the smokers’ freedom of choice, but the students’ free dom of choice. At this college, all students must be treated equal. Yesterday the Clackamas President’s Council had the opportunity to make this decision. The decision of whether or not to have smoking on campus has gotten to the level that it must be made. However, the decision should be made by the stu- dents-not the administration or faculty. The major conflict we are forced to deal with is just exactly what is more important, the smokers’ right to smoke or the right of all students to protect their health? In the end, the reality is that desig nating all indoor areas on campus would be a partial ban on smoking at Clackamas Community College. Smokers, as well as Jim Titus, will tell you that it’s not fair to ban smoking in doors because it would violate the smok ers’ freedom of choice; and smoking out doors wouldn’t be fair. If these people choose to smoke, then they’re going to have to make sacrifices to do that. One of those sacrifices should not be the non-smokers’ freedom of choice. Smoking a ' non-issue1 for ' 80s activist society Welcome back to the 1960s-a wa tered-down version, that is. If you watched any television at all this year you know that the American people are extremely nostalgic for that wonderful decade of activism and political awareness. Hell, even ALF had a 60s episode. But there is no Vietnam War in 1989, no feeling that the system is screwing everyone, no major cause to rally around (at least none that anyone recognizes). So what is the climate of activism in 1989? We have a multitude of non-issues to fill the void: animal rights “comman dos” place the value of a mink or guinea pig above fellow human beings, law-abid ing gun owners are denied the right to own certain weapons, and everyone is in shock over steroid use as a multi-billion dollar narcotic industry goes unchecked. College campuses used to be the center of protest What major, earth-shattering issue confronts us today at Clackamas? What issue received more coverage in The Print than almost any other? The issue the campus of Clackamas Community Col lege is torn apart by is whether or not to allow smoking or sell tobacco products. Absolutely ridiculous. It seems that, in the late ‘80s version of activism, protestors have given up their assault on the system and turned their at tention toward personal freedom. Who really cares whether or not people smoke on campus? If the problem is “second hand smoke,” why don’t non-smokers simply ask smokers to step outside, rather than complaining to their friends? It makes moresensethanskulkingaroundinafter- the-fact forums or wasting time passing resolutions. Smokers are just like everybody else; they simply have an addiction. There aren’t many smokers who would blatantly smoke in front of someone after that person has informed the smoker that he is bothered by cigarette smoke. I have been stepping out side for a cigarette since the beginning of the year, rain or shine, ban or no ban. Another non-issue tied to smoking is the sale of tobacco products in the book store. Some people say it is hypocritical to ban smoking in any way on cam CON pus, or pass out Jim Titus stop smoking information, and still sell cigarettes on campus. These people also say that harmful products shouldn’t be sold. I really wish these people would turn their energies and passions to things like the environment or the homeless and quit taking such a personal interest in my health. I am fully aware of the dangers of smoking, but I am a big boy now and am capable of making my own decisions. Is the bookstore going to quit selling candy because sugar is harmful in excess? Are they going to throw out all of their X- acto knives because sharp objects are dan gerous? Is it really important? Does any body even care? In a free society people have the right to make choices, good or bad. People should be allowed to smoke (with courtesy for others), eat Hershey bars, and even chew on X-acto blades if they want (as long as they don’t get blood or chocolate on anyone else). Maybe the next time a non-smoker “can’t get away from all the smoke” he should take a trip to the Environmental Learning Center and learn about what needs to be done to keep our planet hab itable. 17 38.62 -0.18 -0.04 18(B) 28.86 0.54 0.60 19 16.19 -0.05 0.73 20 8.29 -0.81 0.19 21 3.44 -0.23 0.49 22 31.41 20.98 -19.43 23 72.46 -24.45 55.93 The Oregonian, Wednesday, Novem ber 30, 1988, carried an article by Bill Mackenzie, in the Business Section, titled: the treasury of a similar amount. Otto Vance Long points out that the machinery for this lottery is already in place. The Government Printing Office could print “Group Suggests Ways to Help Reduce the tickets; every Post Office would sell the Deficit” tickets; every US government office would have the equipment to do so, as would The roster of the group was made up of every bank, Plaid Pantry, 7-11 store, li distinguished gentlemen from the worlds brary, school, University; in other words, of Academia and Big Business. this would be a declaration of War on the Big Pile, generated Briefly, sugges The during the eight year, tions for the reduction reign of Ronald Re of the deficit were: Cap Laugh agan. defense spending; in Clinic® Twice a week, crease taxes on higher- about 170,000,000, income Social Security Joseph Patrick Lee people would buy tick- recipients; control the rate of Medicare cost increases; reduce ets. This comes to $240,000,000, a week, federal and military retirement costs; re less about 2 percent for overhead, since the duce farm price supports. The council fa regular employees of the government, al vored higher taxes on the assumption “that ready on the payroll, and all the other financing federal spending through taxes is facilities mentioned, would do the person greatly preferable to deficit financing.” to person work on each purchase of a ticket. Revenue choices proposed include: The net take on this government-spon Raise motor fuel taxes and excise taxes on sored gaming project would discharge the cigarettes and alcohol; limit home-equity National Debt in jig time, an put our gov loan deductions and phase out deductibil ernment in the black, as it should be with a ity of mortgage interest on vacation homes; world-class government which we like to impose a permanent 5 percent income-tax think we are.' When a suitable good-house keeping surcharge on families earning more than $220,350 a year and a temporary four-year sum is set aside for stormy-day contingen 5 percent surcharge on all other individual cies, the net profit from the Lottery would be applied to programs such as Health, income. During a high-level conference held at Catastrophic Illnesses, Cancer Research, the first table inside the street door of Education, Infrastructure Maintenance and Howell’s Lounge and Restaurant on Sev Repair, Space Exploration, Foreign Aid enth Street, in Oregon City, Oregon, a and so forth. The Committee of Four, invoking the similar stab at solving the financial woes of these United States of America was on the spirit of Frank Howell, nowjleceased, and his convivial brother Charlie, who was not agenda. Present were no less than four great present but would have been had he not thinkers on matters universal. They were been in Palm Springs at the lime, agreed Otto Vance Long, inventor extra-ordinaire; that this was a capital idea. This is a most Joe Lee, bon vivant, latter day poet and democratic way to get money for our coun idea man, working out of the right hemi try. It is altogether voluntary, bringing no sphere of his brain, churning out notions hardship on individuals and their families central to any subject under discussion; and offering a chance to become wealthy Mike McJunkin, contractor, builder, good beyond their wildest dreams. family man and computer-wise genius; and Thousand of prizes could be won twice Tim O’Rourke, young, intelligent, thought a week. Cash for first prize could be 5 ful man of the hour with a keen insight into million, graduating down to $500. After matters arcane as well as conventional. that prizes could be moth-balled ships, The matter of the National debt was Bradley Tanks, out-dated firearms, $740 under scrutiny by this erudite collection of toilet seats, $450 hammers, and sundry tools citizenry. Otto aired his idea for the disso now warehoused by the Pentagon. There lution of the 3 trillion and growing pile that must be millions of typewriters sitting in threatens to bring this country into the warehouses gathering dust which could be country club-status of a banana republic. palmed off as prizes in the lower echelons Our President George (read my lips) of the winners. Bush has vowed “No New Taxes) which So, there it is, Georgie Boy. Notice translates to “we’ll just, increase the old that that evil word “TAX” is not men ones.” tioned once in this proposal. And it could The Otto Vance Long solution: Start a give every man-Jack citizen a patriotic high National Lottery, dedicating the profits whenever he/she buys that Red, White and (after paying off the prizes on the winning Blue ticket. *Twould insure your place in tickets), to the National Debt and nothing History and give you some onc-up-man- else until that mountain of debt has been ship on old Ronnie.’ levelled to nothing and we have a surplus in ■ 16 (M) 49.25 -0.16 0.01 Page 3 Federal deficit could be shrunk with lottery funds Smoking, tobacco sales bans go hand-in-hand In the May 25 faculty senate meeting, the faculty voted to revise a recommenda tion it made to President’s Council re garding the sale of tobacco products (ciga rettes) in the Bookstore. We need to understand that the sale of cigarettes in the bookstore promotes smoking on campus. If we ban smoking on the Clackamas campus, then the sale of tobacco products should be banned as well. We know PRO that smokers have the free Christopher L. Curran dom of choice to smoke if they desire. I’m not disregard ing that fact. Students who smoke pay their tuition to attend Clackamas Com munity College knowing that they have the right to smoke. What a large number of the smoking population at Clackamas doesn’tseem to understand is that non-smokers also pay their tuition to attend Clackamas, most expecting the smoke level not to rise into a major issue on campus. Don’t these non-smokers also have the freedom of choicc-thc freedom to attend college without being subjected to the inhalation of a deadly substance? Let’s make no mistake, cigarette smoke is a deadly sub- May 31,1989 24 72.95 16.83 68.80 The Clackamas Print is looking for news, feature and sports reporters for Fall Term. If you enjoy writing and working with a supportive team, join us. See Jim Titus, Editor, or Linda Vogt, advisor, in Trailer B. ■ ■ 25 29.37 13.06 -49.49 26 54.91 -38.91 30.77 27 43.96 52.00 30.01 centimeters 28 82.74 3.45 81.29 29 52.79 50.88 -12.72 30 50.87 -27.17 -29.46