Wednesday, February^ 3,1993
The ClacktflS Print
Opinion
Pg. 3
A look into Oregon's gay rights battle, and beyond
OCA agenda includes moret|ian 'anti-gay' initiative
by Daniel J. Mala
Staff Writer
In the past year the Oregon
Citizens Alliance (OCA) has be­
come very well known. For many
people, Ballot Measure 9 brought
about the OCA, but the truth is
that the OCA has been working
on different political issues since
the mid-1980s. Focusing in on
Measured and its content leaves
out the majority of the picture
when trying to make sense of
complicated and controversial
issues. All too often people hear
about“hate”and“discrimination”
because it’s interesting and emo­
tional and it makes us struggle,
but that doesn’t tell us what the
OCA’s agenda is. In order to
understand the OCA’s plans, it is
imperative to understand the
OCA.
In talking with Christy
Mabon, a CCC student and an
active member of the OCA and
daughter of Lon Mabon (the
founder andexecutiye president),
it became clear that Measure 9
indeed is a small part of the OCA’s
agenda. The OCA is founded on
“traditionalism” and protecting
the “standards and values that our
country wasfounded on.” Christy
expressed gravely that “our capi­
talistic system is going away ...
and we are moving'into social­
ism.” In essence the OCA’s goal
is to “fight against that (social­
ism) movement, and to uphold
traditionalism.”
The work of Lon Mabon
started in Klamath Falls in a re­
tirement' home owned by the
Mabon family. In 1986, Mabon
started working on the Joe Lutz
campaign for U.S. senator. He
felt that the liberal view was be­
ginning to dominate politics and
that there needed to be a balance.
Though Lutz lost in the primaries
to Bob Packwood, Mabon con­
tinued using the political clout he
had gained from the more conser­
vative voters to form the OCA.
In the years prior to Measure
9, the OCA worked through the
legislative process at state and
city levels. They worked to ille-
galize abortion, cut back on gov­
ernment regulation, lower taxes
and reform the school system.
Although he got through these
processes with few positive re­
There are a lot of important
things that can be learned from
the past, but the OCA believes
that the “traditional lifestyle” can
be achieved through thè ballot
box. The main problem is life is
far different now then it was 40
years ago and the likelihood of
returning to the days of the house­
wife are virtually impossible.
Gary Wilson from People of
Faith Against Bigotry has been
an activist within the gay com­
satisfied living his life in the
closet, but the crimes against gays
caused him to come out “It’s
very common for a gay or lesbian
to have had two or three friends
that were murdered. I’ve known
several people that were killed.”
Wilson feels that “the issue will
not be won or settled or finalized
on paper. People (gay) need to
start coming out (of the closet) so
there’s a face. We were invisible
to survive."
"It’s very common for a gay or lesbian to have had two or three
friends that were murdered. I've known several people that were
killed.''
-Gary Wilson
People of Faith Against Bigotry
sults, Mabon started gaining sup­
port and political power.
As crime and divorce rates
rise, many people begin' to fear
the future. The alternative for
those people is clear; the OCA
provides an opportunity to fight
back to the past through the ini­
tiativeprocess. All thatis needed
to get there is a majority.
But the past didn’t have the
same benefits and problems that
we haye today. People are more
free in America than ever before,
and with freedom comes chaos.
But in trying to relieve the stress
and fear of the chaos, rights will
be lost if we were togo back to the
past. Christy clearly states that
“the family is breaking apart...
and it’s not because of religious
fanatics. You’ve got feminists
and women going to work every­
where, which isn ’ t a bad thing but
it takes away from the children.
Parents bringing up the children
properly: you just don’t have it
anymore.”
munity for 25 years. One mes­
sage he wanted to make clear was
that he was “pro-gay and lesbian
rights, not against the OCA ...
just working for any affirmative
action laws.” Wilson, a former
school teacher before becoming
a minister, is a leader in the gay
community. “There’slotsofedu-
cational work that needs to be
done. Our (PFAB) role is to
provide materials and resources
to churches... we don’t shape the
churches, we just provide knowl­
edge.”^
Wilson's physical appear­
ance does not fit the stereotype of
gay men that the OCA perpetu­
ates. But he is gay and very much
unwilling to live within the “tra­
ditional standards” the OCA of­
fers. Instead of directing hatred
at each other, Wilson said that
“we (the gay community and the
OCA) need to find a way to sit
down and talk about what they’re
afraid of.”
Wilsonexplainedthathewas
The OCA’s Ballot Measure
9. isjnst an attcmptto¡return to
our traditional roots. Though it
is only a small step back, it caused
a great deal of animosity.
. People yeiltng “$ top special
. rights”,and “stop bigotry”, and
“hate, hate,Hate, if
escape from fear' If you voted
yeis on BaiibtMeasare.9 because
^nJimdOfstddd foe GCA’s 4^
jectlveandwishtoreiurntomore
conservative 'famii.l|OlueS-of
years past, then you voted cot-
rectly.
' -
If you voted yes on Ballot
•Measure 9 becauseyouhate
mos.fags,dykes, orquecrs,next
time' you mighiptty more atten-
fipntoyour own fears and make
:S^'.:tii^|^A.-agehda4s'some-''
thing ycm Wat
Hllllll
If you voted no oh Ballot1
Meastire9,Iwishyouluckinthe
fut ure for it is unknow n and full
of chaos, but 1 think we’U live.
A talk with Oregon
Packwood and Blazers' behavior is morally-reprehensible
by Robert A. Hibberd
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Putdown that chainsaw.
Stopthe destruction for a moment.
I think it’s about time we had a
man-to-state talk.
I’ll give you a moment
to let the buzzing in your head
subside.
OK, here’s the situation.
As much as I love your fresh air
and clean rivers, I am downright
embarrassed to live in this state.
I’m embarrassed about all this
morally-reprehensible behavior
that is being committed here.
First of all, what’s the
deal with all this stuff about our
Junior Senator Robert Packwood?
Here’s a guy who hid out in his
house (wouldn’t talk to us) when
all these women were saying all
these horrible things about him.
When he finally emerged from
the catacombs, he said he had a
drinking problem then admitted
himselfintoahomefor drunkards.
Now, he says this whole deal was
a just a cruel hoax played against
him by plotting maniacal women.
Now he’s sure his buddies in the
Senate Ethicscommittee aregoing
to bail him out.
I watched the Portland
Trail Blazer game Saturday. It
was a crushing defeat handed to
us by our rivals from up north, the
Seattle Supersonics. Shawn Kemp
of the Sonics murdered us. Did
you see that awesome slam dunk
he did? The one where he kicked,
Robinson in the head after
slamming home. Ouch!
Anyway, during the
course of our televised slaughter,
I couldn’t help but wonder if the
reason we were playing so poorly
was because our guys were
suffering from a hangover or that
they had too much sex with
teenagers the night before. Which
brings me to my second point of
interest.
Let’s face it, a lot of our
Blazers are not somuch concerned
about winning as they are getting
messed up on booze and having
sex in hotel rooms with young
girls that they’ve picked up in
shopping malls. Malls are the
best place to meet little girls.
Parents haye a tendency to leave
them there for the course of a day.
This is tactical information for
basketball players.
So maybe Portland
shouldn’t put all of our state’s
pride in these millionaires who
throw balls through holes. Maybe
every bumper shouldn’thave these
sex animals’ logo on it. It’s
embarrassing.
Well, I think you get the
point and I’m tired of lecturing. I
won’t bother mentioning Trojan
or Measure 9.
OK, I’ll let you get back
to work. Here’s your chainsaw.
Don’t cut down the babies and
please don’t clear cut
You’ve embarrassed me
Oregon, but I still love you.
G ive
A nother C hance .
G ive B lood .
I I *4*
American Red Cross
,
With Clinton
comes change
by Zach Kreinheder
Staff Writer
It has been three
weeks since the presidential
inauguration and I find myself,
as well as other young
Americans, skeptical of things
to come. With the change of
presidents many Americans are
hopeful that this administration
is the start of a new era, and
believe in Clinton’s judgment.
However, there are also many
whoarereminiscentoftheBush
administration.
I myself find the idea
of Clinton as president not
necessarily appealing, but can
welcome it with open arms and
mind. I feel that America is
ready for change. My main
concern, as I’m sure is many
others’, especially young
Americans, is where will we
fall in this administration? I
believe we are all children of
the future. The choices made
by Clinton’s new era
government will affect all. The
most drastic change will be the
way we ‘run our, society
tomorrow, as well as thé
standard of living.
In the next four years
we will be settling into life, and
making our careers. The time
is here, the stage is open, stand
out and speak your mind; we
need to let the world know we
don’t want to be the only
generation worse off than our
parents.
With all things taken
into account — the deficit,
federal spending, the national
economy, social security and
the ever rising unemployment
rate -- we will be the ones most
affected by thechoicesof today.
Letter
to the
Editor
Antifreeze issue
Dear Editor:
In regards to a letter
in the Jan. 27 issue of The
Print from Michael Odgers.
Antifreeze should have an
embittering agent added to it. I
know from personal experience
that its flavor is quite sweet
Odgers is right that
parents should keep antifreeze
and all toxins away from
children. Accidents, however,
do happen.
Antifreeze
containers may leak, and
cooling systems on cars may
also leak and release an tifreeze.
Dogs and other pets are often
attracted to spilled antifreeze.
For a few extra pennies of cost,
antifreeze could be made safe.
According to a letter in the
Milwaukie Review, antifreeze
manufactured in the United
States which is bound for
foreign markets must have
embittering agents added. I
think Americans deserve no
less.
Ray Conklin
CCC Automotive Instructor