TO THE EDITOR
THE SEXUAL GAG
T
here is an
actual fear of
sex by many in
this country, and
there is no more
powerful way to
control women and
men than by using
this fear to create
havoc and pain.
After reading the “Gag Ed” cover story
in last week’s (6/12) edition, I could not
help but notice that there is another agenda
at work in addition to limiting a woman’s
reproductive rights. I’m talking about sex.
There is an actual fear of sex by many in
this country, and there is no more powerful
way to control women and men than by
using this fear to create havoc and
pain.
Abstinence-only programs invented by
someone based on guilt and religious
shame seems to be another form of brain-
washing. This is like seeking marriage
counseling from a priest who’s celibate,
which is upside-down logic. These self-ap-
pointed guardians of morality want every-
one to impose the same beliefs and para-
noia they have about this powerful and
beautiful experience called sex, on chil-
dren!
Between all the hand-wringing over the
pedophilia scandals in the Catholic
Church, and most Americans thinking that
Clinton’s lies about Monica were worse
than Dubya’s lies about Iraq and WMD’s,
we are announcing to ourselves and the
world that we have not yet evolved as a
civilization in regards to one of the great-
est gifts from God(dess) and Nature.
Sex is the energy of love expressed, of
stars and babies being born, of deep emo-
tional release, and artistic and spiritual in-
spiration. I feel it is about time to tell the
truth about sex to ourselves, then we can
offer truth and real guidance to our chil-
dren. Our reproductive freedom begins
with our sexual freedom.
Isaac George
Eugene
BY TONY CORCORAN
Dinner on Us!
A wolfish invitation to the woods.
N
egotiations are plodding along at a snail’s pace, but folks are
still talking. The education debate is at a standstill: Republicans
aren’t budging from $4.9 billion for K-12, so we’re only $700 million apart
on that budget. Democrats also want to fund a tuition freeze in community col-
leges: cost is $20 million more. For OUS: restoring lost funding and tuition remis-
sions, funding the Early Intervention program and a tuition freeze will cost an addi-
tional $76 million. Restoring Headstart hasn’t even come up yet.
In Human Services the good news is there’s a bi-partisan agreement on saving
the Oregon Health Plan; the bad news is Republicans have shown no interest in
funding anything else. These programs are not in the Republican proposal: school-
based health clinics, prenatal programs, relief nurseries, court-appointed special
advocates (for abused kids removed from the home), children’s mental health,
emergency services for kids, System of Care (a legal promise the state made to the
Juvenile Rights Project regarding child abuse), county health services, crisis men-
tal health, drug and alcohol treatment, non-Medicaid mental health programs,
gambling addiction services, the Staley Settlement, restoring care levels for sen-
iors and the disabled, partial restoration of Oregon Project Independence, inde-
pendent living centers — easily $150 million in programs. Oh well, it’s only June 23.
There is a working group made up of the chairs and vice chairs of the House and
Senate Revenue committees — and a fifth member appointed by the House
Republicans to keep an eye on their own chair, Lane Shetterly. This fine tradition,
the Gang of Five, first emerged during the special sessions: The Republicans didn’t
trust Ben Westlund’s liberal compassionate conservatism in a room cohabitated by
noted socialists like Lenny Hannon, Kurt Schrader and Peter Courtney. Lane and
his buddies — Judiciary Chair Max Williams and Rob Patridge — had to form a secret
cell just to talk to the infidel Democrats. Their colleagues originally called them the
RBC, the Rat Bastard Caucus; but being shy moderate wallflowers relative to the
rest of their caucus (and lawyers besides) they now call themselves the Usual
Suspects. The BFC — Butt-Faced Caucus — has subpoenaed these guys to our hear-
4 JUNE 26, 2003
PROVOKING COPS
The persecution of activists in our com-
munity by the Eugene Police Department is
going unheeded. Very few questions are
being asked as to why particular activist
groups are being targeted with brutal ar-
rests and ticketing. The Bikes not Bombs
ride on June 5 ended with eight bicyclists
being ticketed for an array of nonsense vio-
lations. During the rally for Jeffrey Free
Luers on Saturday, 10 people were cited
with violations, and two were arrested. The
police handle many non-resisting protest-
ers in an extremely abusive manner.
I am personally involved in the anti-car
movement that is going strong in Eugene. I
understand the desire to lash out when the
police force is sent in to subdue and dis-
perse our rallies and meetings.
I would like to urge Eugene activists to
not provoke the EPD. We are not fighting
them, but fighting against society as a
whole. The world needs activists free and
unharmed to be able to announce their
ing next Tuesday to explain accordion-folding and other weapons of mass dis-
traction.
But I digress. These folks have been meeting and they’re actually making
some progress in identifying sources of additional revenue. A retired
Democratic lawmaker remarked: “Hell, I can’t see what’s takin’ ’em so long.
When we were in control, we taxed everything that moved. And if that was-
n’t enough, we’d go after things that didn’t move, like death certificate fees,
and actuaries and pension lawyers.
B
ut we’re making fabulous progress in other areas of public policy. To wit: We
bravely waived state park user fees for foster kids and disabled vets and ac-
tive duty military folks, but only on Memorial Day, Independence Day and
Veteran’s Day. I kid you not, we did.
And great news for outdoor recreationalists: A monster compromise has been
reached between the Sierra Club and the NRA; yes folks, someday you’ll be able to
hunt wolves from the air. But, political sausage-making compromises being what
they are, we have agreed to hear from the wolves before we start shooting. (Gollee,
I’m getting a chill up my spine, this feels like the Camp David Accords; this is what
political life is really all about!) We did this by saying: If the definition of “game
mammal” in ORS 496.004 is modified to include wolves, the Fish and Wildlife
Commission can kill wolves only if they have a management plan. Brilliant! I can
see it now ...
“For the record, Chair Shields and members of the committee, my name is
Trampus Lupus, I’m a 4-year-old visiting from Idaho — although my family tree goes
back thousands of years in Oregon — and I’m here on behalf of OWSHIT, the Oregon
Wolves Society for Humane Intelligent Treatment.
“We are here today, Sen. Beyer, to understand the dash-3 amendments to
HB2209. In fact, Senator Beyer, we would like to take you personally to our lodge in
the woods and discuss this management plan ... No, Sen. Beyer, we do not want to
take your personal airplane, and firearms aren’t allowed at the lodge anymore,
after that drinkin’ incident with Betsy Close’s pickup a few years back … Yes, Sen.
Beyer, you’re more than welcome to bring your guide, Sen. Atkinson … yes, fine, he
can bring his fishin’ pole, but we’ll probably be having lamb chops for dinner. It’s on
us. Thank you for hearing this testimony, distinguished senators.”
Sen. Tony Corcoran of Cottage Grove represents portions of Lane and Douglas counties in Senate District 4, which
includes the UO area. He can be reached at sen.tonycorcoran@state.or.us