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Volume XXVI, Number 43
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Committed to cultural diversity.
SECTION
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Psychosis-induced
violence
Conference general admission is $55.
Nursing and social work continuing edu­
cation credit is $65. Physician continuing
education credit, $70. To register call
(503)725-4832. Outside Portland call 1-
800-547-4832.
Should you start
your own business?
Workshop title: Shpuld You Start Your
Own Business? Presented By: Boly/
W elch Career M anagement Services
Saturdays; November 9, 1996; 9:00 a m.
- 1:00 p in.. Cost is $45. Call 452-9999
for information and reservations.
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International Drum
Festival
Drummers from four world cultures
converge at portland State University
Nov. 8-9 for Portland’s first Internation­
al Drum Festival, this exciting weekend
involves performances, workshops and
discussions, tickets may be purchased in
advance form the Black Studies Dept.,
725-3472, o rat the door o f Harrison Hall
on Nov. 8. for more information call
Susan Addy at288-3025.M ountain W rit­
ers
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Halloween is a special treat for Henry Williams, who can pick up a pumpkin bigger than himself near the Portland International
Airport.
Photo by Curtis Huff.
What is an American?
Three student essays from Albina Youth Opportunity School
by
Planetarium show
focuses on galaxies
“The Universe o f Galaxies,’’ the No­
vember planetarium show, will be pre­
sented Nov. 2 at 11 a m. and I p.m. in the
Mt. Hood Community College Planetar­
ium Sky theatre. Admission is $1. For
Information call McCarty at 667-7297.
MHCC ‘Political
Issues Forum’
The Mt. Hood community college
Chapter o f the American Association o f
Women in community Colleges will spon­
sor a “ Political Issues forum” on Mon­
day, Oct. 28, 11:45 a m. to 1:15 p.m., in
the MHCC town and gown Room, 26000
S.E. Stark St. in Gresham. For more infor­
mation call Christa Spinkle at 256-0432.
Lewis & Clark C ollege’s Theatre Depart­
ment to Present
Much Ado About Nothing
SUBM ISSIONS: Community
Calendar information will be given
priority if dated two weeks
before the event date.
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n the days before the Amerl
can Revolution, the States
(known then as "Colonies
were governed by the ruling monarch
of England, a king or queen who as
cended to power the real old fash­
ioned way: inheritance
T he s u b ­
je c ts o f the
realm had no
say in their in­
dividual and
collective fate.
If the monarch
made a m is­
take in judge­
ment or was
simply insane,
the su b je c ts
had to either endure their hardship quietly
or stage a violent revolution. Not the most
efficient form o f goverment.
So when the framers o f the U S. C'on
stitution looked at how they would avoid
that scenario in the future, they decided
to establish regular, popular elections
That way, at regular intervals voters
could retain a good leader or replace a
bad one.
Now there is a threat to take away the
power ofchoice among voters: ballot Mea­
sure 48. This measure would make an
official Amendment to the Oregon State
Constitution, compromising the integrity
ofthe Constitution and, in effect, limiting
the voice o f the Oregon voter.
Measure 48 would change the Oregon
State Constitution to force our present and
future state legislators to vote for Con­
gressional term limits. The limits would
be to two Senate terms and three House
terms.
In the State o f Oregon we have term
limits for governor, mayor and other local
office holders. Voters in the 1992 general
election approved limits ofthree full elect­
ed terms (six years) for State Legislators
and two full elected terms (eight years) for
State Senators. The voters approved this
measure by a large majority, but it’s still
too early to determine all the effects these
limits will have at the state level
When we go to the polls on Iuesday
November 5, 1996, some changes will
already be apparent. A third ofthe choices
are first time candidates. This is not be­
cause term limits chased the good law­
makers out, but because many experi­
enced legislators decided to call it quits.
I lowever, in November 1998 2/3rds ofthe
legislative will be brand new. Two thirds
ofthe people tasked with developing pol­
icy and statues will be legislative neo­
phytes having no experience in the polit­
ical process.
The people with the experience will be
legislative staff and lobbyists. I am very
concerned about this prospect. We don't
want special interests groups winding up
with more power and in lluence than elect­
ed officials, but that’s what w e’re looking
at with term limits.
We don't want competent, enthusiastic
legislators kicked out o f office just as they
are in office long enough to get the expe­
rience and clout they need to do their jobs
effectively, but that’s what w e’re looking
at with term limits. We don’t want our
choices and freedoms curtailed by unrea­
sonable limitations on whom we mat favor
to represent us in Salem, but that's what
w e're looking at with term limits.
It’s more important to vote for the
qualified individual, not for the maximum
number o f years they should serve in of­
fice. If we re not happy with them, we
ought to be able to decide for ourselves
what to do about them.
W ould you like the C o n stitu tio n
changed to mandate how you may vote on
a specific issue? Most o f us would say that
how an individual votes on any issue is a
personal choice. However, the authors of
Measure 48 would have you believe that
yourown judgement can't be trusted when
it comes to how long your lawmaker may
serve you.
So join me, Jo Ann Bowman, on the
stroll to the poll on Election Day in a vote
for common sense and vote No on Mea­
sure 48
I
Reasey Clark, former U S . Attorney
General under president Lyndon Johnson
discusses “Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7 p in. in
the Smith Center Ballroom (Room 355
1825 SW Broadway). A donation of$5 to
$10 is suggested. Advance tickets will be
available beginning Oct. 28 at PSU ’s
Middle East Studies Center (725-4074)
and at the Portland Peaceworks office
(236-3065).
Guest artist Pat Patton o f the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival and Tacoma ac­
tor’s Guild will direct Lewis & Clark
College theatre departm ent's production
o f “Much Ado About Nothing” by Wil
liam Shakespeare. A cast o f 20 students
will perform the play Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, Oct. 2 4 ,2 5 ,2 6 , Thursday,
Oct. 31, and Friday and Saturday, Nov.
I, 2, at 8 p.m., on the Main Stage o f Fir
Acres Theatre, Lewis & Clark College,
0615 S. W. Palatine Hill Road. Tickets
are $6 general; and $3 alumni, senior
c itiz e n s and n o n -L e w is & C la rk
students.
B
Term limits
and you
Clark visits to discuss
war and sanctions
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Louis
Simpson will join the Mountain Writers
Series for a reading on Friday, Nov. 1,
noon-1 p.m., in the Visual Arts Center
Theatre at Mt. Hood Community Col­
lege. admission is $3 general or $2 for
students and seniors. A book-signing re­
ception will follow in the Visual Arts
Gallery Loung. For more information call
Sandra williams at 667-7497.
L Jb» ?
October 23, 1996
tEíp' ^ a rtía n h (©trserlier
Series hosts Pulitzer
Prize winning poet
i’
Cassia Losinger
by
C assia L osinger
A little girl sits outside o f her school and
patiently waits for her mom. An hour and a
half later, her mom shows up and repeatedly
apologizes for forgetting to pick her up again.
The little girl nods, knowing it w on’t be the
last time. She is an American.
Three friends lay back and relax under a
tree in a public park Taking turns passing a
joint, they analyze their futures One says
he’ll be a doctor, another says he’ll be in
forestry, and the last says she’ll stay an artist.
They are Americans.
A man waves his hand in the air repeatedly
À
Photo by Curtis Huff.
to hail a cab. Many just drive on by, but
finally one stops. Just as he was about to enter
a common businessman pushes him ou, ofthe
way. gets in. and the taxi takes off. He is an
American.
Having an overworked, underpaid job is
typical. Living in a two-room apartment with
three kids, no husband, and up to the neck in
bills is common. The typical American is just
like any other human, with a name, and label
They learn to deal with the hardships in life
and grow from the positive. The sooner they
learn that life is not fare and that B.S. hap­
pens, the easier it becomes.
R ickey W aits
An American is a person who makes up
names for other people when he or she first
encounters them. An American is a person
who is not all there in the head. An American
is a person who likes to destroy other peo­
ple’s lives with a stupid saying.
Americans are all around us. You just have
to stay c lear o f them . I f you meet one, you will
know it, and if you can’t tell, just ask the
person what country he or she is from All
Americans are dumb, so they will say Amer­
ica. Some Americans, when asked what is an
American, will say, “An American is a per­
son who enjoys sports, eating pizza, and
doing what they want to do”. But to my
understanding, that means a person who is
lazy, likes to get fat and be careless.
The world is full ofmany different kinds o f
people, but only the ones that want to take
control o f you will say that they’re Ameri­
cans. they will try to sucker yuou in and be
your friend, and then “pow” let you have it.
Next thing you know, you’re in their total
control. Then they try to make up laws and
make them so strict that you can’t help but
break them. Then they throw you in jail and
throw away the key.
I know this American named Peter. He's
like totally red, white, and blue, you know
He always comes to my house trying to tell
me what to do. Now who does he think he is?
I know he thinks he’s cool, but he’s not. He's
stupid. I tell him that all the time and he just
laughs and tells me I’m contused. I say, "hey
man, I’m not confused. You’re the one that's
confused." He tells me to shut up. Then I think
to myself. “There he goes again trying to
control me.” So I get mad and tell him to leave
and don’t come back and he gets mad and
throws a rock at me, but he always misses.
I am an American. I live in America. I go
to school. I do things I enjoy and not things I
don’t want to do.
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