St. Cloud Times from Saint Cloud, Minnesota • Page 8

Editdeiai Sonja Sorensen Craig, publisher Don Casey, executive editor Pia Lopez, editorial page editor. 255-8762 Mike Knaak, photo and graphics editor Current citizen representative: George Schoephoerster Times 8A Sunday, Feb. 13, 1994 MIOT -y? 'WJSNOKj-fc iff. 0 mm6" M'l '1994 frt J' a -a Generous on handling criminals? Noway! You can be tough without being cruel WASHINGTON About the treatment of criminals: On this issue, I've been called a wimp, wet noodle, simpering liberal, bleeding heart, do- M)M TWITCH- gooder and worse. Those jeers, I'm used to.

But one man I know threw me for a loop when he said, accusingly, I am "really generous" because I don't want to lust dispense with evil-doers; I want to know what drove them to their heartless, devastating deed. Reading this, the man's comment may seem to have been a kind appraisal, but you had to have been there. The sweet, civilized, pleasant-sounding word, generous, came galloping Deborah Matkis GANNETT NEWSSERVICE Our View Limits could be easier Voting, campaign finance reform better than amending Constitution A wrench may have been thrown into the term limits machine. If the decision of a federal judge is upheld, the issue of term limits for members of Congress may have to be be decided by an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, rather than the voters of individual states.

The federal judge ruled Friday that a 1992 initiative passed by Washington state voters cannot preempt the qualifications for House and Senate set out in the Constitution. The ruling has no effect on term limits for state legislators. 1 Critics of term limits argue that states that have imposed term limits would be at a severe disadvantage in Congress, where so much power springs from the seniority system. A state's Congressional clout and the taxpayer-paid "goodies" that often come with it depends on how its lawmakers climb up the leadership ladder. That often depends a great deal on seniority.

Term limit advocates have vowed to press on to get a constitutional amendment if necessary. That gets sticky, however. It requires approval by two-thirds of both House and Senate as the first step. What are the chances that many lawmakers are going to start the ball rolling to end what too many have found to be a comfortable way of life? Even if an amendment gets Congressional approval, it requires approval of three-quarters of the state legislatures. That's another batch of entrenched lawmakers in many states.

Term limits is a desperate and extreme effort to deal with voter frustration and a perception that too many members of Congress place holding onto their jobs ahead of voter interests. But voters haven't taken the initiative to make changes on their own and the Congressional establishment quickly whips reform-minded newcomers into line. The energy that would go into an amendment to limit Congressional terms would be put to better use stimulating voters to get involved in making change and leveling the playing field for challengers. Campaign finance reform would be a good place to start. New school finance plan stirs concern Readers' Views brought to law enforcement, public officials and the (Nebraska legislature directly from other government agencies, including the Foster Care Review Board.

I only much later became involved as an attorney. As for the (implication that) "tales" (told by) children (were) all false and a hoax, and that the prominent folk the children named were all innocent, (the Times) Label milk produced with influence of hormone I was happy to see the headline "Some won't buy milk with hormone" in (the Feb. 5 edition of the) Times. The FDA's approval of the use of the genetically engineered growth hormone (bovine somatropin or BST) to increase milk output in dairy herds concerns me, especially since the approval doesn't include the requirement of labeling to inform milk consumers of the use of the drug. While the Food and Drug Administration is satisfied that the tests for safety are conclusive, those tests have only been short term.

What do we really know about the long term effects of antibiotics used to control the expected increased incidence of mastitis in daily herds? More importantly, what long range evidence do we have that the increase in Insulin-like Growth Factor-One (IGF-1) caused by the use of the growth hormone will never cause unnatural growth in humans? The testing done on rats did include changes which the FDA once reported but now denies as significant. Consequently, I believe consumers have a right to know through labels on the product so they can decide if they will give their children milk produced with a chemically-engineered growth hormone. Besides its possible effects on human health, I personally oppose BST for several reasons. Its purpose of increasing milk production when we already have a surplus problem seems irrational to me. This increased production which we don't need will also result in taxpayers paying an additional $11.7 billion in price supports during the first two years of approval.

Finally, the use of BST will benefit the big agri-dairy business to the detriment of small dairy farms. A 30 percent loss of dairy farms nationwide is expected. And we know that one rural business fails for every seven farms. I would prefer those billions being used for true human needs like housing and healthcare. Merle Nolde, OSB ST.

JOSEPH from his mouth like a wild horse, kicking up Clearly, it was intended as a put-' down. In fact, Fm quite sure he was think-) ing "wimp," "wet noodle," "simpering liberal," etc. His tone of voice certain-, ly had that certain diss-ability. But, I suppose he didn't want to attack me outright, seeing that we're co-workers, obliged to keep company the better; part of each day. Still, when he said, "You're reallyj generous," it sounded an awful lot like "You're really weak." Notthatlhaven't given some consid-i eration to the criticism he so snidely implied.

1 '-') Maybe, on this matter, I have beent too soft opposing the death penalty, arguing for improved accommodations for prisoners, supporting alter-1 native punishments and believing in; rehabilitation and in redemption. I am, at the very least, out of step! with the multitude of Americans who -believe that the way to get a handle on crime is to build bigger and better pris-', ons better being anything that; keeps the bad folks locked up and in such misery that, with every bitter, breath, they curse having ever been born. Yet, my alleged wimpery is not sor full-blown that I would propose letting; the perpetrators off easy. My bleeding; heart doesn't spill over for country club settings or lullabies at lights out or haute cuisine. No, this wet noodle believes in consequence, in paying the price, in facing the music, in doing the time.

And she believes it as starchily as the next guy- Which is why I am, as my colleague put it, so "really generous." I want to know what composes the man who can dispatch bullets into weary commuters on their way home after a day's hard work. And the teen-. ager who unloads on classmates in the halL And the stranger who steals a child away from her slumber party' then robs her life. What made you this way? What; deadly combination of events and experiences killed your conscience and turned your heart to stone? I wonder about these things, not so that I can work up a patronizing sympathy. Fm not scouting for new made-for-TV movie material.

I don't crave guilt to fuel some sense of purpose. I' don't crave a cause. I want answers, not to spare the criminals we've plucked from the tree( but to save the ones ripening on the, ground. To figure out if there's a pattern or missing link a dot-to-dot that reveals a vile destiny that's the rea-" son. So that tomorrow, this discussion, might be moot It may give the critics comfort to know that some of us wimps are not al-j together such, but quite capable of aj crushing cruelty under certain circum- stances.

If, for example, we were ever to dis- cover the thing that produces these two-headed tragedies, I would generously, put my hands around its' neck and wring the life out of it Teaching understanding is no educational frill The Talahi Elementary School Advisory Council wishes to express its support for the $60,000 Teachers of Color Grant program between (St. Cloud School) District 742 and St. Cloud State University. This recruitment, training, support and hiring initiative for teachers of color holds great promise for enrichment of district faculty, students, and families, not to mention the St. Cloud community.

By increasing diversity among teachers, the district builds the best possible base for multicultural education, not only in the curriculum, but also in day-to-day interactions among faculty, staff, and students. In some quarters, initiatives such as this' grant are dismissed as "politically correct" or "attitudinaT rather than "academic." The term "politically correct" may sometimes blind us to the real needs of real kids in our schools. According to the Times, board split," Jan. 24), minority students make up 3 percent of the student population. These youngsters, some of whom may be necessarily segregated in English as a Second Language classes, often feel extremely isolated and alienated among the white, Christian majority, even under the best of conditions.

Exposure and access to teachers and staff of color can greatly enhance the learning environment and therefore the educational success of our minority students. Likewise white students can benefit from seeing people of color in positions of authority and from being exposed to the diverse cultural backgrounds that these teachers represent. It is a demographic fact that, not only is the minority student population of St Cloud growing at a faster rate than the white student population (Times, Jan. 24), but in the U.S., populations of color are growing at a faster rate than the white population. Globally, of course, populations of color greatly outnumber whites.

As our world grows increasingly international and globally interconnected, children of all colors and creeds must be prepared to live and work together productively and peacefully. If our white majority student population in St. Cloud is not responsibly exposed to greater diversity of race, religion, and culture, those students) will be ill-pre- pared to succeed in the future. Can we really separate "attitudinaT from "academic" education? Attitudes deeply affect the psychology and environment of learning. Minority children who feel isolated and alienated cannot perform at their best academically.

Majority children cannot succeed in a multicultural world with a technical education limited to numbers, facts, and words. A humanistic education which teaches values such as tolerance, respect, empathy, and cross-cultural understanding is no frill. Such an education is just as essential to success and productivity as are the "basics" of math, science and language. Judy Foster CHAIR, MULTICULTURAL SUBCOMMITTEE TALAHI ADVISORY COUNCIL ST.aOUD Story laden with lies, half-truths, subject claims The Times story of Feb. 3, claims sex ring took relative to (the kidnapping of) Jacob Wetterling and my visit to Minnesota, is laden with lies, half-truths and false innuedoes.

The opening paragraph is simply false. I made no claim that somebody did or did not take Jacob Wetterling. I described a pedophilechild kidnap ring that operated in the Midwest well documented by others including America's Most Wanted, etc. which may or may not have been involved in Jacob Wetterling's abduction based on information from young adults, former children, who had been involved in that group. The Times' statements about my causing a stir in my home state with my tales of a child-sex ring involving prominent businessmen and government officials, and then suggesting that such "tales" and allegations were false, is itself totally false.

It was not my story. I was not even involved in the stories. The stories were again flat lies its reporting. (Perjury) charges against Paul Bonacci (described as a former victim of the alleged child pedophile ring) were dropped and he sticks by his story. Three of the five key prominent individuals he and the other children identified as perpetrators have now been convicted.

As for the Times' statement, "Two grand juries looked at the accusations and found no credence to the claims," please be advised that is truly a half-truth and distortion of reality. In fact, on Dec. 30, 1993, after four years in the courts, the Nebraska Supreme Court in the case of Chambers v. Douglas County District Court, unanimously ruled that the so-called grand jury report the Times reporter so nobly referred to, violated multiple Nebraska laws and must be expunged (eliminated forever) from all official court records. In other words, the reporter quoted what legally and officially does no longer even exist.

(The Times' reporter should) take the time and read my book and he might learn, like a lot of other people have, that the world is not always perfect, and there really are some bad guys out there and, some of them wear thousand-dollar suits, hold high positions in business andor government, and will do anything to conceal or cover-up their weaknesses. John W. DeCamp ATTORNEY LINCOLN, NEB. 'Schindler's List' provides important lesson On Jan. 29, four friends and finally, after many weeks of waiting, saw "Schindler's List." It was the most emotionally gripping movie Fve seen.

I was not alone; each of my friends was greatly moved. There were, however, many things that upset me after seeing the film. We had to see it at the Mall of America because it had not yet arrived in St. Cloud. It was disturbing to walk out of the theater into a multi-million dollar shopping center.

The thought of the money that was wasted, purely to satisfy the American greed was quite disturbing. I was sure that many persons that had seen the movie were more impressed with Camp Snoopy than the movie. I feel this only reinforced a previous notion of mine that many people are ignorant and materialistic. (Now that "Schindler's List" (is playing in) St Cloud, I fear it will be passed up for movies such as "Beethoven's 2nd" and "Mrs. Doubtf ire." It wouldn't be the first time.

Critically acclaimed movies, such as "Heaven and Earth," "The Age of Innocence" and many others, are often overlooked by moviegoers in St. Cloud. This, I feel, is a sad commentary on the mentality of the citizens of St. Cloud. When the movie ended, I was considering suggesting to my history teacher that my whole class go to see this movie for its historical value.

I was then informed of an incident in California: A high school class was forced to leave the movie because (students) were laughing and disturbing others. This was appalling, and as I heard about this incident I wondered how my class would handle a similar situation. I came to the conclusion that some of the students I attend school with would react in a similarly sickening manner. I implore each person to see this film. I think it is important for everyone to be reminded of the atrocities committed to a minority group not even a half century ago.

If people are not reminded, I fear these terrifying things could happen again. Tony Mueller ST. CLOUD poses no problems in another neighborhood For almost two years we have had the good fortune to live next door to Chauncey and Carol Oleson (in St Cloud). Not only are they wonderful neighbors but also good hosts for their bed and breakfast. Even though our living room, dining room and TV room face their house and bed and breakfast parking and entrance, we rarely know when they have guests.

In the summer we use our side and back yard almost every night and we have never felt our privacy has been invaded or that we have been on display. If the residents on Riverside Drive SE fear strangers so much maybe the city should rip out Munsinger Gardens, because of the hundreds of strangers who come to view the gardens and park every day. We only only wish the Olesons continued success with their bed and breakfast and a positive outcome for Mr. and Mrs. (Jim) Tinblad (who are attempting to start a bed and breakfast in their home).

Jerry Pooler and Don Rein ST. CLOUD The seeds of wide-ranging education finance reform have been planted. Those who work in the administration and "extracurricular" facet of education are nervous about it. The legislature last year passed the general outline of a new three-part funding system. The details remain to be worked out, but the gist of the plan is that the state will fully fund "basic" instruction and "support services" for basic instruction.

Local districts will have to pay for "discretionary services," like athletics and other extracurricular activities and administraction. Educators from the Central Lakes Conference schools who met with legislators in St. Cloud Thursday said they fear local voters will not vote for things considered "extra." They're concerned that property-rich districts that support "discretionary services" would be at a tremendous advantage in Minnesota's open enrollment system and whole communities could see schools decimated. To allay this fear the Minnesota Business Partnership, which helped draw up the proposed finance reform plan, recommends the state "power equalize" discretionary service money deposit it in a central fund and redistribute it based on property wealth. That seems like a reasonable answer.

The Central Lakes school representatives also argue that extracurricular activities are basic to education. That's true. The question is if voters in all districts will recognize that. The Business Partnership estimates that the local levy for discretionary services would be less than current property taxes for schools. There would be no other local levy for education under the new plan.

On the whole, the plan would increase state spending on education. Taxpayers are expected to see an increase in city and county property taxes, but a substantial reduction in school-imposed property taxes. A key test will be whether the total tax load evens out. The debate is just beginning. Central Minnesotansshould be sure their voices are heard.

How To Seed Letters If you have an idea or an opinion on public matters, you are encouraged to write a letter to the editor. In general, the maximum length is 300 words. All letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Include your name, address and a daytime phone number. (Only your name and hometown will be published.) Letters may be mailed or transmitted by fax machine.

Mail letters to: Letters to the editor, St. Cloud Times, P.O. Box 768, St. Cloud, MN 56302. When using a fax machine, label your contribution "Letter to the editor" and send to 612-255-8704.

you can write Deborah Mathis at Trib une Media Services, P.O. Box 119, Or-,.