University needs to fight
racism in sports
I recently read in the online edition of the Emerald that my beloved alma mater was approached by the law school’s Sports and Entertainment Law Forum to consider refusing to schedule games with teams using racist mascots.
Although I am not aware of any racist mascots in the Pacific-10 — a remarkable thing, indeed — I believe this resolution will send a strong message. It’s the job of educators to encourage tolerance, to work to prevent the teaching of racism and to open students’ minds to the possibilities of living with diverse cultures.
No other ethnic group is singled out, their heritage mocked, their facial features distorted like American Indians. When I see the mascot for the Portland Winter Hawks, I am physically sickened.
It isn’t just an unappealing image painted on bleachers that bothers me. The U.S. Department of Justice found that American Indians suffer more violence than all Americans combined twice. More than 70 percent of crimes against Native Americans are committed by non-American Indians, compared to 25 percent among whites.
I can’t prove that these statistics are because of racist mascots. But I’m disturbed to think that encouraging the crowd to do a “tomahawk chop” can somehow encourage brutality against American Indians.
I am proud of my education. I’m proud of the teams at the University. The University is a great school, a well-known school. Use this visibility to make a statement against the racism that has plagued sports for 200 years.
Aabra Jaggard
Class of ’96
Denver, Colo.
Judaic Studies
delivers objectivity
George Beres recently criticized the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies for co-sponsoring a talk by Israeli speaker David Harris, (“Middle East discussion in need of solid University curriculum,” ODE May 22). In fact, the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies was not a co-sponsor of this student-initiated event, although we were mistakenly mentioned in some publicity.
I am glad to clear up this misapprehension, and I would like to challenge several of Beres’ other remarks, as well. Beres suggests that Judaic studies courses serve only a small minority of students. This is not the case. Like any other University department or program, Judaic Studies courses, and our major and minor, attract students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. We do not expect that any of our students have prior knowledge of any aspect of the Jewish experience. Rather the program is based on the assumption that acquiring such information in an academic context will be a positive and powerful educational event.
I am also surprised that Beres questions the credibility of Judaic Studies on the subject of the Middle East. We recently offered a course, “Israelis and Palestinians,” taught by anthropologist Dr. Diane Baxter, that is a model of objectivity in its multidisciplinary and participatory approach to this most tortured and complex of international dilemmas.
Judith R. Baskin
professor of religious studies
director, Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies
Ruthlessly crush terrorist states
Contrary to what FBI Director Robert Mueller says, we don’t have to “live with terrorism.”
That kind of mindset invites passive acceptance. Unless there is a huge public outcry about Mueller’s statement, we’ve sealed our fate and encouraged terrorists to immolate us on an increasingly larger scale.
Instead we must ruthlessly crush terrorist states, by whatever means necessary. The public must demand that President George W. Bush live up to his stated principles post-Sept. 11. He must move decisively against Iran, the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism, stop treating the enabling Saudis with kid gloves and allow Israel to destroy Yasser Arafat and the PLO.
We’re fighting for our lives.
Tym Parsons
Seattle, Wash.
Incumbent politicians
should be canned
Many states now have major problems with their budgets. None of the incumbent governors and legislators have taken responsibility for their failure to do their jobs. In many instances, they have spent and wasted money with no regard for the consequences. In the real world, you and I would be fired from our job for failure to perform. The American people can resolve this problem by voting these politicians out of office. Most have been in office for years and have forgotten why they were put there.
This would send a message to each and every politician on the local, state and national level that they have been elected by the people to work for the people — and that performance will be dealt with. They are not there for a lifetime career of looking out for themselves.
Vernon Hill
Atlantic Beach, N.C.
