Letters______________
2_________
WedNEsdAy, O ctoòer 18, 2000
Al! signed letters to the editor should be 500 words or less and will b<
Opinion
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-Editorial-----------------------------------------
Measure 9 threatens free speech, school funds
The Clackamas Print believes Mea
sure 9, to be voted on in the Nov. 7
general election, would vial^at&e right
Rs progpedib® tmeon-
b®h t^Wffltld States
’W this reason, the Print
opposes Measure 9.
Measure 9 would require that “in
struction of behaviors relating to ho
mosexuality and bisexuality shall not
be presented in a public school in a
manner which encourages, promotes
or sanctions such behaviors.” Non-
compliance by any school could re
sult in the “withholding of all or part
of state funding.”
This reasonable-sounding lan
guage is nothing less than censor
ship in the guise of student protec
tion.
The Oregon Constitution pro
tects citizens from intrusions by gov
ernment into their free speech rights.
While the Print opposes Mea
Section 8, Article 1 forbids laws “re or a fair opportunity to, or discrimi
straining the free expression of opin nate against, any students who wish sure 9 on the basis of freedom of
ion, or restricting the right to speak, to conduct a meeting.. .on the basis speech, many other individuals and
write, or print freely on any subject of the religious, political, philosophi groups have spoken out against the
cal, or other content of the speech measure for other reasons.
whatever...”
Planned Parenthood of Oregon
When Measure 8, an initiative re at such meetings.”
Groups in support of homosexu asserts, “Measure 9 would severely
lating to sexual orientation, was ap
proved in Oregon in 1988, the Or ality or bisexuality, like Clackamas’ limit what our kids learn about birth
egon Court of Appeals overturned Rainbow Group for gay and lesbian control, abstinence and AIDS/HTV
it, finding “free and open expression students, would likely be in viola prevention...” and “...Measure 9
about sexual orientation is clearly tion of Measure 9. Since other groups will create even more danger to our
protected...” by the Oregon Con do not have similar prohibitions kids by taking, away vital counsel
stitution, and “expression may not placed on them, Measure 9 raises ing services for lesbian and gay stu
be punished in the interest of a uni the issue of equal treatment, not dents that help prevent teen suicide
form vision on how human sexuality only endangering federal aid, but attempts.”
Oregon Teachers and Parents state:
violating, again, the Oregon consti
should be regarded or portrayed.”
‘Teach respect and fairness, not ex
Measure 9 could also jeopardize tution.
Section 20 of Article 1 of the Or clusion,” and “our schools should be
federal funds for Oregon schools.
The Federal Equal Access Act egon Constitution states: “No law places to reinforce values of tolerance
states: “It shall be unlawful for any shall be passed granting to any citi and respect, not harassment and fear.”
If discussion of homosexuality and
public secondary school which re zen or class of citizens privileges, or
ceives
Federal
financial immunities, which...shall not bisexuality may be governed, what
assistance...to deny equal access equally belong to all citizens.”
speech will be the next target?
WHO OPPOSES
MEASURE 9?
Oregon Parent Teacher Assoc.
Planned Parenthood
Children First for Oregon
Oregon Nurses Association
League of Women Voters
Ecumenical Ministries
Oregon Education Association
Oregon Republican Mainstream
Peggy Fowler, President, PGE
Rural Organizing Project
Human Rights Campaign
Nat'l Ass /Letter Carriers, Br. 82
Basic Rights Oregon
American Civil Liberties Union
American Fed. of Teachers
Oregon Library Association
(Partial list)
MR*'
If you vote, politicians Protect the children, vote yes on 9
will have to listen
A news story in last week’s Print
pointed out that only eight percent
of people between the ages of 18
and 24 voted in the last election. I’ve
been wondering why.
At the age of 18, United States
citizens gain one of the premier privi
leges of being an adult in this coun-
Stand and
be counted*
try. Yet, many people have ceased
to believe their votes make a differ
ence. Unfortunately in this case, if
you believe it, it becomes true.
People in power in our govern
ment actually pay a great deal of
attention to voting groups such as
women, seniors and farmers. How
ever, if your attitude as a group is
to give up the power that comes
from voting, then they don’t have to
listen to you. It’s as if you don’t exist
Yes, voting requires taking re
sponsibility. All privileges come at
that price. However, this is the age
of communication and technology.
Never in history has information
been so freely available to every
one. Of course, it’s a bit of a task to
seek and sort it out, but developing
the ability to do so may be the most
important thing you learn in college.
It’s a shame to see young adults
putting their heads in the sand,
when the country badly needs new
ideas and input. By not voting,
you are giving away part of your
personal power.
The state of Oregon has made it
easier than ever to vote this year.
Oregon is the first state to ever
have an entirely vote-by-mail gen
eral election. Your ballot will be
mailed to you between Oct. 20 and
Oct. 24. If you have registered and
do not receive a ballot by mail, you
may call
your local
county elec
tions office
for assis
tance. The
telephone
Tam Oliver numbers are
Feature Co-Editor listed on
page 375 of
your Voters’ Pamphlet.
The ballots must be received at
any county elections office (des
ignated in the Voters’ Pamphlet) by
8 p.m. on Nov. 7, so a postmark that
date will not count.
And there are many ways to be
come informed on the issues.
There are web sites such as http:/
/www.sos.state.or.us/elections/
nov72000/nov72000.htm. . news
papers, television and the Oregon
Voters' Pamphlet. Additionally,
every ASG representative is pre
pared to explain to every student
the seven measures on the Nov.
7 ballot that will directly impact
students. Go to the ASG office in
the Community Center and ask
questions. Speak your piece too.
Your opinions are important.
And don’t let the Oregon Vot
ers' Pamphlet intimidate you. If
you can’t be informed on every
issue, then vote on the ones you
know and care about. If you stand
up to be counted, they will pay
attention.
After all, they are politicians.
Measure 9 prohibits public
school instruction encouraging,
promoting, or sanctioning homo-
sexual/bisexual
behaviors, and
provides penal
ties for its viola
tion. Sounds
simple enough,
right? In fact,
the bottom line
is, Measure 9 is
that simple. This measure is
about the children, and even if
homosexuals dp what they do,
that doesn’t have any place in
the children’s curriculum. This
is a measure that will ensure the
standard of education for them.
We’ve seen what’s going on
with the curriculum down in Cali
fornia, and that’s not how it
should be. In the last four years
the Gay, Lesbian Straight Educa-
tion Network (GLSEN), has
greatly accelerated its activity in
California and we (Oregon) are
their next target!
This is a measure that leaders
of the GOP (Republicans) in Or-
egon have endorsed. In a meet
ing in June, closed to the press,
the majority of the
Education,
Principle,
Action.
Michael Choe
Staami,er
100 delegates endorsed this stu
dent protection act.
The initiative pretty closely
tracks what the party platform
says. “While we respect indi
vidual rights of privacy and while
we are tolerant of different pref
erences,
we
oppose
government’s efforts to validate
or sanction homosexual activity,”
said Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Sa-
lem.
Another issue intertwined in
this measure is religion. The mea
sure has split churches. About
75 percent of Oregonians classify
themselves as Christians, while
about 17 percent consider them-
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Feature Co-Editor:
sP'intl A• ir mein with toe.
selves to be non-religious (the
highest percentage in the nation,
according to the 1990 National
Study of Religious Identifica
tion, conducted by City Uni
versity of New York). In a lit
eral interpretation, the Bible
states that same-sex relation
ships are an “abomination” de
serving death. The Christian
Coalition of Oregon has also
taken a stand.
“We’re at a crossroads,” said
Executive Director Lou Beres,
“When you affect our kids and
want to teach a lifestyle that is
completely against God’s word,
that’s the line in the sand,”
David Reinhard of the Orego
nian agreed that the underlying
morality of this measure cannot be
denied. Pro-homosexual curricula,
films and handouts have become
commonplace, such as the infa
mous Los Angeles Unified hand
out that claimed Abraham Lincoln
was a homosexual;
I'ts not about singling out one
group of people, it’s about making
a moral decision for the future.
Business Manager:
Secretary:
Mike Pollock
JoAnne Gale
Advisor:
Scott Crcson (x2578)
Linda Vogt (x2310)
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g.EVo LunoMftftrßs •
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