1984_03 The Daily Collegian March 1984

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Church and state: united or divided?
A dangerous precedent was set in Monday's Supreme Court
ruling allowing the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island to use Nativity
scenes in its Christmas displays without actually violating the First
Amendment ban of an established religion. This ruling, in effect,
draws a fine line between the separation of church and state arid in
conjunction with the current fight in the nation's Senate over silent
prayer in schools, is an example of flagrantly overstepping the
boundaries of the public _ freedom of choice.
By the approved use of the Nativity scenes, the Supreme Court
approves of facets of some religious faiths while leaving others,
such as the Jewish faith and other minor religions, virtually
unrecognized.
The decision essentially paves the way for a kind of
"nationalized" religious view to be taken by the federal government
as a whole. This is not the function of our governmental ruling
body, nor should it ever be. Religion and politics should never be
allowed to mingle in American society: this is an attitude originally
brought to this country by those who observed th; atrocities and
failures of a British government operated as a church state. This is
an attitude that should be kept alive by United States citizens in
the twentieth century as well.
President Reagan has been pushing for specific times to be set
aside in American public schools for silent prayer. Yet, during the
course of a school day, students already have the choice to
meditate or pray as they so choose. What need is there for a
specific time to be set aside? The need exists not by the students
but in the narrow-minded thinking of our own government. Public
schools don. serve that need in the first place; that is one of the
functions uniquely reserved by private schools.
The separation of church and state has been a touchy subject
throughout history, and the questions of such a division can be
detected even today on a local level. The Clovis City Council, as a
matter of policy, includes a religious invocation at the beginning of
its proceedings. Here is a prime example of a lack of such a
separation in city government; is this to be allowed in our public
schools as well? This is something that must never be allowed to
happen in any form, and that includes the use of silent prayers in
class or in public displays of the Nativity.
March 7, 1984   IPmggCE S
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The Daily Collegian
  Founded in 1922
Editor in Chid B_a» Cevart
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Letters
Editor, the Daily Collegian:
Your editorial about Elizabeth Bouvia
(March 5) is. to say the least, an inaccurate
account of the issues involved — to say the
most — it is appalling.
Several principal issues were either over
or completely ignored'in your article.
First and foremost,.Ms. Bouvia is not
dying, she has cerebral palsy. The question of euthanasia deals with the terminally ill or those who would die without life
support systems. Her refusal to eat does
not fall into either category.
Many cerebral palsy victims live happy,
productive, and quite often inspirational
lives. Ms. Bouvia has chosen not to pursue
such a life style, and has asked a hospital
to let her die while relieving her of any
pain that might incur.
Although your editorial did not take a
definite stand either way (a fact that
further weakens your already shaky
position) even with a good imagination it
would be difficult to define a hospital's
function as one that allows a living patient
to die.
Ms. Bouvia went to the hospital to die,
which she' could have done at her home,
but she wanted physicians to eliminate the
pain of the ordeal. She surrendered her
individual right to commit suicide when,
she stepped out of her home into the
public.
The final issue is the government's
responsibility to tbe disabled community
as a whole. Although the government
should protect an individual's human
rights, in this case the ramifications would
include the statement that a disability
such as cerebral palsy is a condition worse
than death.
Whether a court should decide life and
death questions is highly debatable. The
issue here, however, is should an individual have the right to demand that a
hospital give her a deathbed? The answer
is best left lo the courts to decide and not
to an individual or a hospital's governing
board.
Todd Hansen
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Future Lobbyist gains experience
By JmiumM* Verhoorn
Staff writer
Learning about state government is
usually boring, but CSUF student Patty
Smith said she finds if exciting, fun and
interesting. .
This semester, the 22-year-old political
science major is living and working in
Sacramento as an intern lobbyist in a program operated through CSU, Sacramento. Smith is earning 12 units credit
while experiencing government first hand
and developing some important connections that may help her land a lobbying
job when she graduates in May 1985;
"I always considered lobbying as a
career, but 1 never knew that fnuch about
pit, just what 1 read in the textbooks," she
said. "lVe been there a month or so and
now I know for sure that's what I want to
do."
Smith works for the Western Mobile
Home Association, but she said there are
opportunities for interns in assemblymen
and senators' office, with organizations
such as U nited Cerebral Palsy, the League
of California Cities, the Sierra Club,
Common Cause, "everything you can
imagine."
Each participant in the Sacramento
Semester program is required to go to
three interviews. Smith said she was
impressed by her boss, Dennis Amund-
son, because of the interest he took in her
at the interview. "He wanted to look at my
grade transcripts, he read all my sample
writing, he really wanted to get to know
me."
Amundson promised her she would
learn all aspects of lobbying with a position at the Mobile Home Association,
Smith said. "Mr. Amundson is following
up on his promise, I'm learning everything
there is about lobbying. 1 know I'm making a wise career decision where before 1
didn't know.
Nixon selected
outstanding
CSUF professor
Dr. Arne Nixon, a professor in the
School of Education and Human Development, has been selected as CSUFs Outstanding Professor of 1984.
A faculty member for 23 years, Nixon
will receive a S1.500 Exceptional Services
Merit Award from CSUF arid will be
recognized as the university's Outstanding
Professor in a special presentation during
the 1984 commencement ceremonies,
Saturday, May 19, in Bulldog Stadium.
Nixon will also represent CSUF as the
university's nominee for the CSU* Board
of Trustees Outstanding Professor honor.
The CSU Board will select two recipients
from the statewide system.
t
The CSU Outstanding Professor will be
named by the trustees in the March 20-21
meeting at CSU Sacramento. The two
selected professors will then be honored at
a Trustees meeting May 29-30 at CSWs
headquarters in Long Beach.
"Right now there's about 30 or 60 bills
I'm trying to get background information
on," she said. Smith said she writes a one-
page summary on each bill — ranging in
topic from Bingo legislation to rent control — explaining how it wilt affect the
mobile home industry. The bill analyses
are read by members of a political action
committee where a decision is made on
what action to take.
"To me, it's like swimming. You never
learn how to swim until you jump into the
pool, and that's what I'm doing there in
Sacramento, kind of jumping in the pook"
Sacramento Semester participants do
have to attend classes. On Wednesday
nights on the Sacramento State campus
the interns meet for a three-hour class and
on Fridays they meet at the Capitol to
listen to a guest speaker. "You don't get
out of school," Smith said. "We still have
about three papers to write, a midterm
and a final."
She said the program isn't only for political science students, but for students of
journalism, business, almost any field.
"Government affects all industries and
they usually have lobbyists for those
industries."
Student interns usually aren't paid,
although Smith earns $200.per month
with her position. She pays $290 per
month rent for a studio apartment across
from the Capitol building, but she says
not all the apartments in the area are quite
as expensive.
"Even though it (the program) does cost
money, it is affordable."
Since she's beep in Sacramento, Smith
says she's learned that's lobbyist must be
very honest. "You lie once lo an assemblyman or a senator and that's the end of
your career. But even tho ugh. you are honest and nave the right information,'you
still need money."
The Western Mobile-Home Association spends close to a quarter million dollars on lobbying, she said. The association
keeps a "report card" on each legislator to
determine how much it will spend on him.
"We know how many mobile home
parks they have in their district. We know
how they voted before, if they have any
leadership position and we take that all
into account," Smith said. "Then we say
so m,_ch will go for him, so much will go
for him. Or, he used to get more, but now
that he lost his leadership position in the
•See Lobbyist, page I
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7
Meeting—
The CSUF Students Against the Anns
Race will meet today 12 to 2 p.m. in CU
Room 309. -All interested students are
encouraged to attend.
Criminology Meeting-
Lambda Alpha Epsilon: American
Criminal Justice Association will hold a
meeting today at 3 p.m. in San Ramon
Building I Room 16.
Boomtown Air Guitar Meeting—
You can help organize these exciting
events of Vintage Days '84 by attending
the "BAG" committee meeting today in
CU Room 311A at 1 p.m. Come join the
fun and get involved.
Amerasia Week—
A Chinese cultural program with music,
fashion, and exhibits will be presented in
the Satellite College Union today at noon.
Lecture—
Gregor Cailliet, a faculty member at the
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories will
speak on "Shark Like Histories and tbe
Problem of Over -exploitation" today at
12:10 p.m. in New Science 110.
Tree Planting Ceremony—
A tree planting ceremony will be conducted by members of the CSUF Ornamental Horticulture Oub at the Robinson
Elementary School starting at 1:15p.m.in
recognition of Arbor Day. The club will
be donating 78 trees for planting at other
campuses within the Fresno Unified
School District.
THURSDAY, MARCH I
Ag Career Day— ,     .
Representatives from marketing, sales,
finance, management and production will
talk with CSUF .students about'career
opportunities. The campus guests will be
available in the College Union conference
rooms at 9.45 a.m. The program will be
repeated at 1:30 p.m.
KFSR schedule for
Wednesday. March 7:
Request Line 294-4082
Office Line 294-2598
6AM-NOON ... Jazz
12PM-3PM ... Oldies Invasion (50s- 6©'_ >
3PM-2AM Progressive Music
NEWS: NOON & 5PM    SPORTS: 12:45,2:45,5:45 & 8:45
AMERICAN
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