Tucson Daily Citizen from Tucson, Arizona • Page 27

EDITORIAL PAGE Lawrence Condit's idea of justice Justice of the Peace Lawrence C. Conclit is displaying a knack for justifying the outrageous with the absurd. Before presiding Monday over a second coroner's inquest into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting last June of a Tucson teen-ager by a deputy sheriff, the Precinct 4 justice of the peace ordered members of the press and public out of the courtroom. A Tucson Daily Citizen reporter, recognizing that JP Condit's action violated state law requiring that such procedures be open, promptly reported to his editors what had happened. The Citizen took immediate legal steps and secured a temporary restraining order from Superior Court Judge Alice B.

Truman, forcing JP Condit to open the proceedings or to halt them. He complied by opening the inquest. What was particularly outrageous about the order to close the inquest was that JP Condit had the gall to as a precedent the 1970 Massachusetts inquesf'into the drowning of Mary Jo Kopechne. That kind of muddled reasoning makes one wonder how the JP's legal mind works. The Kopechne hearings were closed because of the political leverage applied by Sen.

Edward Kennedy, whose actions the tragic night Miss Kopechne drowned never have been explained clearly. The fact that the Massachusetts inquest represented a flagrant example of political manipulation apparently escaped JP Condit as he groped for legal precedent to justify the unjustifiable. This kind of shoddy judicial performance seems to fit the style of JP Condit. In October, for instance, the Precinct 4 JP released on a $25,000 signature bond a man charged with two counts of rape, two counts of lewd and lascivious acts, one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of kidnaping. Fortunately, on that one, County Atty.

Dennis DeConcini saw to it that the suspect promptly was indicted and rearrested. JP Condit was appointed five months ago. His performance during this short time he has been on the bench falls far short of what the people of, Pima County have a right to expect. The now? After 20 months and seven defeats, how can the Arizona Department of Corrections ever expect to build its badly needed medium security prison? Once again, on Dec. 20, corrections Director John Moran will go before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee armed with five more possible prison sites in Maricopa County.

Once again he will ask for approval to start building the facility; which is designed to train and rehabilitate the young or first-time offender. For 20 months, this approval has been because residents near proposed prison sites have protested against the prison and state legislators have listened. Meanwhile, inflation has doubled the prison's cost, from roughly $5 million to $10 million, and the state's crime rate has soared due to a lack of space to house youthful criminals and a lack of effective programs to rehabilitate them. Harsh as may sound, it is time for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to override these constant neighborhood vetoes and finally approve a site near Phoenix on Dec. 20.

There no longer are election politics to interfere with making a decision on that day. The fact is that a neighborhood's distaste for the prison is far outweighed by the rising crime rate and steadily increasing construction costs which threaten all Arizonans because of this delay. 4-H is everywhere No longer is 4-H a name associated only with farm kids. The 4-H Club of the 1970s is as much a part of the inner city as it is of rural America. Young urban dwellers belonging to Arizona 4-H clubs constitute over 60 per cent of the 27,000 members statewide.

And it is notable that the state's 4-H membership rolls have grown by 148 per cent since with most of the increase generated by young people from the inner cities and Indian reservations. But the expanded 4-H program has deepened the organization's need for financial support. That is why the Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation currently is conducting a $00,000 fund-raising drive. The success with which Arizona 4-H has broadened its appeal is heartening. It speaks well of the organization's program to mold the young people of today into the outstanding citizens of tomorrow ftucsmt dilizm William A.

Small Publisher Paul A. McKatip, Editor Tony Tselenlis, Associate Editor Dale Walton, Managing Editor George C. Mt-Lcod, Editorial Page Editor -PAGE 28 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1974 jf Letter from the editor Do we use kids' names? Suddenly and unexpectedly this week the press of Tucson finds itself holding the power to turn the rising tide of juvenile crime in this community. So we of the press are tokl, anyway. The power of the press must be brought to bear against delinquency by publishing the names of all arrested juveniles.

That was the urging given us by the Tucson Police Department's legal adviser at what was expected to be a routine meeting on public communications called by the department Monday. Reporters who regularly cover police news anticipated that there would be discussion of the accessibility and flow of information from the department. Instead, the conference itself made news. The story in yesterday's editions of the Tucson Daily Citizen quoted Patrick Kelly, the legal adviser, as saying: "I wish you would run their names (arrested juveniles). It might deter some of them from crime." Superior Court Judge John P.

Collins, assigned to the juvenile bench, was not at the meeting but later was asked to comment on Kelly's proposal. He said he agreed with it. Collins said if more names of juvenile offenders were made public parents might say, "My gosh, I'd better pay more attention to what my kid is doing. It might embarrass me." Well, there you have it about as much as we have it right now. Let me add a bit of background.

There was a time when state law prohibited publication of names of juvenile offenders. That law was removed later. Names of arrested kids may be published and police usually make the names available to the news media. The present and long-standing policy of this newspaper, which probably is the same for other news media, is to publish only those names of juveniles involved in major crimes. The off-hand proposal made by the police legal adviser Monday is not going to cause us to change our policy just like that.

But we are prepared to look at the subject again and to discuss it with interested aulhor- ities. What are some of the factors to be considered? First, experience has shown that naming names of juveniles arrested for everything from minor vandalism to major crimes is just what some of them want. Almost everyone seeks attention, in one way or another, and if a police arrest produces publicity for a kid or a gang of kids, some of them relish the notoriety. If you doubt that at all, consider the fact that some adult delinquents in guerrilla groups in this country and abroad often try to claim credit for bomb threats, bombings and similar criminal acts against society. Second, there are a lot of parents, sad, sad to say, who either reject the idea that their kids could possibly be in trouble or reject their youngsters and any, responsibility for them when trouble comes.

The "embarrassment" threshold is remarkably high for a lot of- parents in these days of youthful i a a a permissiveness. Third, if publicity for offenders is a major deterrent even for some juveniles, is it counterproductive for others? Which way does the balance swing? And if alf names are to be published, should they be emblazoned on the front page for maximum impact? If public embarrassment is what we're after, might it not be a good idea also to put the youngsters on public display in old-fashioned stocks on the front lawn of police headquarters? I'm not ridiculing or dismissing the proposal but I am suggesting some of the aspects of the police adviser's remark that we at the Citizen would want to consider. I feel sure our readers, too, would want us to weigh the proposal seriously. In fact, I invite readers to i me with their own thoughts and reactions. ideas will be helpful.

You may address your letters to me personally and they will be kept confidential if you so request. I do ask that you sign your name because I do not read unsigned letters. Fair enough? PAUL A. A I Ford can't lead Rocky will fill the void By KEVIN P. PHILLIPS Gerald Ford is America's Commoner-in-Chief.

The phrase is not mine, having been coined by Michigan reporter Saul Friedman. But it may be a very appropriate description of Mr. Ford's emerging position in the governmental scheme of things. Most other countries have a chief of state who handles the ceremonial side of national business opening parliament, welcoming heroes and Boy Scouts, attending the year's leading sports events. Meanwhile, a prime minister sees to the serious side of affairs.

Unfortunately, the American system combines the two jobs (and the pre-Watergate result has been what Arthur Schlesing- cr accurately labeled "The Imperial Now 1 think we are beginning to see a change the possible emergence of a Commoner-in- chief who fills a unique, non- aristocratic ceremonial role in keeping with America's anti- monarchical political origins. Mr. Ford is a kind of Ozzie Nelson in the White House the very embodiment of a station- wagon, trout-fishing, wrong- pair-of-dress-pants, play-foot- ball-with-the-high-school team, Middle American family man. As such, he is well-suited to meet with Boy Scouts, throw out first baseballs and read speeches to Congress in a way not unlike kings and queens serve Britain or Norway. Alas, he doesn't seem suited to much more.

Bluntly put, private speculation that Mr. Ford may be shifting into such a role rests on analysis that 1) there is at present a massive leadership void in the executive branch and 2) Nelson Rockefeller can and will fill that void with alacrity after his vice presidential confirmation. Here in the capital, there is quiet but growing speculation on the extent of the power shift. Meanwhile, Rockefeller will play a major role in foreign policy because I) he has quite a bit of experience, first as assistant secretary of State, then as a member of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board; 2) international finance will be central to policy (and the Rockefellers are central to international fi- naance); and 3) both Henry Kissinger and his wife are former Rockefeller employes. It seems to me that the so- called "Establishment" is begin- ning to bank on Rockefeller, and with some cause.

Via his family resources, prestige and connections, Nelson Rockefeller commands most of the talent America can offer, while Gerald Ford (if we are to judge by his present White House staff) commands none of it. With U.S. economy, society and interna- tional power on the abyss, the need for leadershp and talent in the White House is indisputable. My own view has long been that the U.S. presidential system suffers by comparison with the parliamentary system.

Perhaps we are seeing the beginnings of a major change. Nelson Rockefeller will he our first Imperial Vice President, and how will that role mesh with that of our first Commoner-in-Chief? Will we begin divorcing ceremony and function? Can the presidency and vice presidency shift into a chief of state and prime ministerial relationship? Evolution of the Ford-Rockefeller relationship will have enormous and fascinating implications for our two-century-old system. Copyright 1974 VOufi PARDON THIS ISW not harass Police change their image By S. I. HAYAKAWA Some parents, from what I hear, are incredibly stupid.

Physicians have told me that one of the problems in dealing with sick children is their fear. Their parents have told them, "If you're not good, you'll get sick and we'll lake you to the doctor." i The child given this kind of indoctrination cannot but find illness terrifying. The illness, the child believes, is the result of having been "bad." The doc- -tor is the punishing agent. Under these conditions some children scream; others grow stiff with terror. And a simple procedure involving only momentary discomfort, like the injection of an antibiotic, becomes a major crisis.

Law enforcement officers have similar problems of image, often created by parents who control their children with, "If you dont behave, I'm going to turn you over'to a policeman." Even more than the physician, the policeman is seen as a punitive agent: the angry father of a boy's nightmares or a girl's. The angry father with a pistol. The image touches us all. As E. E.

Cummings wrote: "Along the brittle streets of memory comes my heart, singing whispering like a drunken who (at a certain corner, suddenly) meets the tall policeman of my mind." Policem'en, I am sure, have been aware problem -and many have tried to replace the police of the angry father with that of the helpful father. i The Police Activities League of San Francisco, for example, promotes athletics among young people, coaches teams, organiz- es tournaments. Boys and girls are also given chores to do at public agencies, including the Hall of Justice, and act as ushers at public events. The police also sponsor the Golden Gloves boxing competitions. In these and many other ways, police officers try to be seen as kindly, father or big brother.

Such activities are surely helpful to the young. From the point of view of image-making, the traffic officer has an interesting His job' is not to lellyou where to go, but to help you get there. Joe wants to go fishing at the lake; Estelle wants to get to her job at the school cafeteria; Lucille wants to drop off her children at nursery school; Peter wants to get on the highway and on his way to'Kansas City. If the traffic officer rests well at night, it is because he feels that everybody got to where he or she wanted to go because he did his job well. You might say that he has no purposes of his own except to help others achieve their purposes.

The model of the person who helps others achieve their purposes is the mother. The traditional mother wants her husband and children to be happy, to achieve their purposes. Billy wants to play baseball. Susan wants to go to summer camp. Her husband wants her to have a dinner for his colleagues.

Like the traffic officer, the mother (as mother) is happiest when everybody gets to where they want to go. (T.ake it easy, Women's Libbers! The mother I'm talking about is only metaphorical.) When you come to think of it, is not a basic role of all police- men maternal? Let me explain. The authoritarian fatherlike the authoritarian state, says, "Do this! Do that!" The kindly father, like the benevolent despot, says, "Let me show you what to do and how to do it." The mother in her traditional, role says, 'What do you want? I will create the conditions of comfort and health that will enable you.to achieve your desires." Is this not care from government in a democratic society? And is it not maternal, in the sense" of the word used here? So a government for example, a city government says to us in effect, "You want thriving businesses, good schools, clean air? You want secure homes, convenient transportation, safe streets? We shall try to provide these for you." Hence the police, like all other agencies of a city, has the huge maternal role of providing for the safety and well-being of its many, many children. It is only when all other measures for the maintenance of civil tranquillity and order fail that the police must assume their ancient, punitive, angry father role. It is the last-resort aspect of police work.

Nevertheless, the punitive and angry father remains' in the forefront of the police image, challenging the unruly and rebellious. Every day I see police cars going by with a riot gun upright and plainly in a shotgun- holder beside the driver. I don't know how often it is taken out and brandished. But there it is a symbol and a reality. Tremble and obey, it says.

Yes, Daddy. Copyright 1074 Mark my words Santa's no lady I I I Asked by a wire service nowswoman why she thought Kris Kringle has always been portrayed as a man, a female department store Santa in New York City blamed it.on "the illusion that men are powerful. Anyone who holds back 12 reindeer while riding through the air and gives things to children around the world had to be powerful." A cute theory but dumb. As dumb, in fact, as the question It was like asking why Abe Lincoln or Attila the Hun have always been portrayed as men. As most of us know, Santa Claus had his origin in St.

Nicholas a man, of course who was a bishop in fourth-century Asia Minor His generosity not only earned him canonization, but the Dutch began celebrating his feast day with sports and gifts for the children. When Dutch settlers came to America they brought "Sinter Klass" along, where he was promptly attacked by lazy tongues and slurred into Santa Claus. We can see, then, that the masculine ability to hold back 12 shorting reindeer has absolutely nothing to do with Santa Claus being a man. We can also see that ladies shouldn't be allowed to play Santa unless they have unusually deep voices. Women needn't fee! discriminated against, however.

The other biggie, the Easter Bunny, has always and exclusively been portrayed as a female. Males, after all, can't lay eggs. And you don't hear any guys complaining about that. Copyright 1974.