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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2003)
Which is Scarier? There is another front to the U.S. war effort and it is taking place here in this coun- try. This attack is being waged quickly and quietly, and we are the intended targets. This attack is to our civil liberties. Since Sept. 11, 2001, our government has taken the opportunity to expand their powers in ways that we would have thought unthink- able in the past. This administration has taken advantage of the fears of the American peo- ple, allowing our lawmakers to pass legisla- tion that invades our privacy and circumvents our constitutionally guaranteed rights to due process. The so-called “PATRIOT Act” has opened doors for government agencies to col- lect information about us such as the books we check out of the library, the websites we look at, the people we associate with, and our political and religious information. Now our state government is pursuing leg- islation that would make it possible to consid- er acts of civil disobedience to be an act of ter- rorism. This madness needs to end! We can no longer be politically apathetic. We need to become involved while we still can and ensure our constitutionally guaranteed free- doms will still be there for our children. Our government is offering us a sense of security in exchange for our civil liberties but are we really any safer as a result of our govern- ment’s actions? We need to stop letting our fear of terrorism strip us of the freedoms that help us define what it is to be an American. If there is really anything to fear perhaps it is our government rather than a far-off adversary. Dan Orleck Eugene lege student home for spring break, saw the war supporters marching down Willamette St. on March 29, the last day of her visit home. Desperate at the idea that anyone could sup- port war’s carnage, she begged me to help her stop them. I told her that, issued a permit, they had the right to express their opinion. With “No War” buttons our only protest, we bought Eugene treats at the Kiva for her to share in New York, where over a quarter of a million people “who for weeks had smelled rotting corpses on the fall air” had marched against the war. War aggravates masculine violence, already endemic in American culture. My passionate, articulate daughter, powerless to stop the ravages of this real and immediate war, refuses to cheer it as an oil-fueled football game. She hasn’t the hardened attitudes to pretend that bombs don’t blow up people, including the brown people in Iraq. She won’t forget that gas masks being used by the Iraqi forces were made in America. Young and optimistic, she believes a communitarian spirit can cure a society sick- ened with violence and undermined by jingo- istic pride. For her sake, I fear the oppression that racism and violence perpetrate under the name of patriotism. Louise M. Bishop Eugene Terrorist Ghandi Joseph Goebbels is smiling from the gates of Hell. Sen. John Minnis (R) sponsored sen- ate Bill 742, which would define A Mother’s Fear My 18-year-old daughter, a New York col- anyone who disrupts commerce, transporta- tion, or governmental institutions of Oregon as guilty of the crime of “terrorism.” The bill would also gut Oregon’s “181” laws that pro- tect individuals and organizations from being spied on when engaging in lawful activities. Specifically, chapter 19, section 666 of the bill states that “a person commits the crime of terrorism if he plans or participates in an act to disrupt: (a) the orderly assembly of the inhab- itants of the state of Oregon; (b) commerce or the transportation systems of the state of Oregon; or (c) the educational or governmen- tal institutions of the state of Oregon. A per- son convicted of terrorism shall be punished by imprisonment for life.” This bill broadly defines any citizen who engages in civil disobedience or anyone involved in non-violent direct action as poten- tially guilty of terrorism, punishable by life in prison. A food fight in a university cafeteria or a sit-in at an administration building could be defined as terrorism. Ghandi and MLK would have been defined as terrorists within the first week of their historical activism. This is Nazi stuff and it needs to be stopped in its tracks right now. I believe that we need to contact Mr. Minnis and inform him that we value our freedoms and are not interested in modeling our society after the third Reich. Contact info: Senator John Minnis, (503) 986-1725, sen.johnminnis@state.or.us Gerry Rempel Eugene More Coverups George Bush and his administration keep fostering their lies and deceits on the Your mind and your body will be A RTS and C ULTURE to S ATISFY your M IND. in good hands here in Portland, thanks to the P ORTLAND B IG D EAL. It’s all you need to ensure an unforgettable weekend of music, theater, great food, and a A fabulous H OTEL R OOM to S ATISFY everything E LSE. beautiful hotel room from which, if you’re not careful, you may never emerge. www.travelportland.com/ct — or call — 1-87-PORTLAND (that’s 1-877-678-5263, toll-free) Great music, theater and dance, plus deals on dining and travel on the Amtrak Cascades, not to mention the absolute lowest rates at the finest hotels in town. With complimentary continental breakfasts, free parking and fabulous shopping! Rates valid from October 1, 2002 to May 31, 2003, subject to availability. Offer does not apply to prior reservations. Space is limited. Valid for individual/family leisure travel only. Does not apply for business or convention travel. Other restrictions may apply. APRIL 10, 2003 9
