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Vision of Purpose:
Favoring a More Secure Home
Wade Tomlinson
Staff Writer
Being that this is my inaugural
article, I would like to take some
time in introducing this section's
purpose and expectations. Last
year, as many of you know, this
section was written by a radical
right conservative. This year it's by
a middle of the road Democrat.
Last year topics ranged from Leg
islative issues to personal attacks
on national figures. This year the
format will involve more insight
into "political bickering" and na
tional policy.
This year this section will focus
on hot issues facing our nation to
day, both in domestic policy and
foreign policy. Much will be de
batable and controversial. The ex
pectation set forward is to make
you think, grab attention and form
opinions.
Today's topic: Crime and crime
prevention. As many already
know, the House of Representa
tives is considering a bill that
would spend more money (30.3
billion) to build prisons, pay for
prevention programs and add a
supposed 100,000 new police of
ficers. In addition the bill would
take 19 assault rifles off the mar
ket, includes 15 more crimes to the
list that would be punishable by
death and has a provision that al
lows people three criminal of
fenses before putting them away
forever (three strikes and you're
out). Other than the fact that the
nation cannot pay for this, at first
glance, it sounds all well and
dandy.
We all know how rampant crime
is today and many of us have first
hand knowledge of how dangerous
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and insecure it is out there. The
problem is how do we, as a nation,
confront this in a responsible way
to insure safety. Police officers,
politicians and average Joe think
this bill is the perfect and legiti
mate way to go.
When one analyzes the proposed
solutions, some misconceptions
are made apparent. For instance,
the money that is provided for new
police officers will only actually
pay for 30,000 new cops rather
than 100,000. Second there has not
been any study that has shown that
more cops equals a decrease in
crime. Third, the money that is
going to these prevention pro
grams is nothing more than a fa
cade to pretend to do more to fight
crime.
Money being snent on preven
tion programs: $lO million for a
crime research center in Beau
mont, Texas (to Rep. Jack Brooks
district). $5 million federal dollars
to pay for keeping basketball cen
ters (midnight basketball) open.
There's one question that comes to
me: why does it take federal dol
lars to support this when YMCA's
and 34 states already provide this
service to inner cities - $5 million?
Multi-millions for increased edu
cation and information, billions for
federal tracking networks, millions
for pre-school programs (to try to
nip criminals in the bud, I guess).
And everything else in the 30.3
billion will go to new cops and
building more prisons. There is too
much money going too many
places and not solving enough
problems.
Secondly, there is already evi
dence to support the claim that
there is discrimination in the way
people are sentenced to death;
why increase crimes to be punish
able by death without any provi
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sion to insure judicial fairness in
the sentencing process?
My last critique of this legisla
tion is there are still too many
guns! I say ban all assault rifles that
have no purpose or use in society
and tax ammunition to pay for such
things as health care and damage
done to the environment. Make
gun owners have to pay for the
guns they have in their house in
stead of continually giving sti
pends and tax breaks for gun own
ership.
The problem, politically, is one
of too much special interest influ
ence and too much political bick
ering on both sides of the aisle. The
NRA has forced its way into the
House to kill the bill entirely and
most Republicans are dead set on
stalling any vote so that Clinton
cannot say he tried to fight crime
when running for reelection.
Legitimate concerns are not be
ing addressed while more "pork"
is added to sway influential con
gressmen and Republicans sulk in
depression after having the lost the
White House. Why do we need a
crime center in Beaumont, Texas?
Well, D-Jack Brooks wasn't going
to vote for the bill that he helped
author because of the weapons
ban. Why are Republicans cater
ing to a Georgian that goes by the
name Newt? Because many of
them know that political jelly
beans await them down the road.
It is not the system; it's the atti
tude. My hope is Clinton will some
how work another composite
miracle to get this thing done and
done right. Clinton, as far as domes
tic policy goes, is trying to center
debate upon issues that face people
day in and day out. He doesn't seem
to want political bickering, just
clean results that work.
As for now another woman is
raped while the criminal does little
or no time in prison, another drive
by shooting takes the life of an
other girl while placing her sister
in a wheel chair for the rest of her
life, and another man is stabbed for
what little money he has in his
wallet. The sooner w> realize that
we are all victims is the time we
realize that we really do favor a
secure home.
LEARN ABOUT GUILFORD:
THEATRE & Music DEPT. HENRY V
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As a part of Saturday night's scavenger hunt, S.O.S
groups run down the halls of second floor Founders
Hall to try to find the offices of The Guilfordian, The
Quaker, and WQFS.
AFRICA
Continued from page 3
will sow a seed of democracy
that is more in line with true Afri
can principles, traditions and cus
toms. Such a system has thus far
taken root in Uganda, and we saw
a semblance of it in South Africa.
In conclusion, we need a stern
reminder or realization, as the case
What do you think of
our first issue?
Write us a letter, e-mail us, call us! Tell us what you
think. Your comments can either be in the form of an
official letter to the Editor to be printed in the paper, or
as an informal suggestion note. If you want to make a
personal difference in the paper, join us Mon 8:00 PM
Upstairs Founders.
gugllgt 26,1904
may be, that among the number
of the victims of man-made and
natural disasters that we witness
daily, thanks to the electronic me
dia, are many intelligent men and
women. There is an intelligence
that is inherent in negritude that
needs to and will be harvested.
We invite you to join us on this
fantastic journey, that will explore
the mind, attitude, concerns and
opinions of three young African
men.
Heather Glissen