January 15,1992
OPINION
1
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
Page 3
Editor's comment
Article fairly portrays Rau's remarks
by Heidi A. Hoffman
Editor-in-chief
Instructor John Rau has sub
mitted a letter in response to my
article “Politically correct or Preju
diced?” in the Dec. 4 issue pf The
Clackamas Print.
The paragraph in my article
that Rau has responded to reads as
follows: “The problem that I see
here is not one of political incor
rectness but one of prejudice. Pro
fessor John Rau said that he would
not rent to a person of a different
color or sexual preference. He went
on to say that this is his “choice.” Is
his justification for that choice being
“politically incorrect?” I think not.
It is obvious that political incor
rectness really has nothing to do
with this whole issue. The issue is
that we have some prejudiced teach
ers who refuse to recognize and ac
cept any sort of diversity among
our students.”
Although I did not directly quote
Rau, he technically did not say that
he would not rent to a black person.
In my opinion, however, my article
represents the spirit of his com
ment Following is a transcript of
the forum, upon which I based my
comments:
Uris (to Rau): “Why did you
bring up the issue of homosexual
ity?”
Rau? “I think basically the is
sue of homosexuality is one today
where it’s being forced upon people
whodon’t want it”
Uris: “Are students here in
danger of being forced into homo
sexual acts?”
Rau: “I think in many instances,
people are being forced to rent their
boarding house rooms and rentals
to people of homosexual persua
sion. It may be their individual
right to choose not to do so.
Uris: “How is that different
from forcing someone to rent prop
erty to a person of color?”
Rau: “I’m opposed to that,
also. I oppose the Civil Rights Act
of 1964.”
(Later in the forum another
important question was asked)
*
Rau: “Most of our administra
tors are people of liberal persua
sion. The majority of the college
board is Democratic liberal. Look
at most of the promotions here on
campus; the story is, “White male?
Forget about it!”
Student: “What if you were
black?”
Rau: “If I were black, I’d be a
conservative Republican, as I am
now.”
Student: “But you wouldn’t
want anybody to rent a home to
you?”
Rau: “As a black conserva
tive, I’d have the right to rent... I
believe in individual freedom;
perhaps you don’t”
I feel that my article was writ
ten in good faith. What my article
is about is my opinion of what
happened during that forum. I do
not feel that I was alone in my
beliefs, as to what was said during
that forum. Several students made
comments referring to the fact that
Rau would not rent to a black per
son. Even in the transcript a student
mentioned that she felt that was
what he was saying when she asked:
“But you wouldn’t want anybody
to rent a home to you?”
In Rau’s letter of response he
says that I maliciously quoted him.
First of all, I never directly quoted
him. Secondly, what I said in my
article was not even close to mali
cious. The definition of "malicious"
taken from Webster’s New World
Dictionary reads: “Active ill will
designed to harm another. Having,
showing or caused by malice; spite
ful”
After reading Rau’s response
letter I would like to know which is
more 'malicious*: his name-calling
letter, or my article?
Ir. ,
:nion when someone
is opposes to something they will
not do it I am opposed to drugs;
therefore I do not take them. I am
opposed to abortion; obviously I
am not going to have one. So in
light of that, I imagine that Rau’s
being opposed to being forced to
rent to blacks and homosexuals
means that he would not rent to
any blacks or homosexuals.
Rau seems to be upset because
in my article I said that the issue is
bigotry and prejudice, while he feels
it is about political correctness.
The defin ition of a bigot, taken
from the Webster’s New World
Dictionary, is “One who holds
blindly, intolerantly to a particular
creed, opinion.” The only person I
see holding blindly to a particular
creed is John Rau.
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