Eugene Weekly : Views : 3.22.07

Unda The Rotunda:
Paranoia Abounds
Lions and tigers and bears … oh, my!
BY SEN. VICKI WALKER

It’s been an interesting two weeks at the Capitol. We listened to five hours of testimony on March 12 regarding SB 2 — the bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, etc. For many, the bill was about honoring and respecting diversity in our everyday lives so all Oregonians can enjoy legal protection from discrimination. For others, it was the ultimate infringement upon their religious beliefs. At one point I wondered aloud whether the conservative religious groups believed they owned God.

The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights under the U.S. Constitution states in part that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The 14th Amendment clarifies that states may not exempt the tenets of the U.S. Constitution. And while the Supreme Court has made several rulings on how the religious clause should be applied, their efforts to actually define what a religion is for First Amendment purposes is a work in progress. [Read More]

 

Viewpoint:
Demonic War
Incompatible with morality and maturity
BY EDGAR PEARA

Peace is a modern idea. Not peace as simply the absence of war. Persons and countries have always entertained that idea of peace. The contemporary concept of peace as an active circumstance is much more than the opposite of active combat.

Modern peace is the nonviolent agreement created by nations who commit themselves to resolving differences and solving problems by rational, civilized bargaining, by patient reasoning and open-minded, unselfish flexibility. [Read More]