Longview Daily News from Longview, Washington • 8

A8 The Daily News Wednesday, November 14, 1990 Editorials Response is misdirected WWW would open the door wide to government efforts to censor news that threatens to expose questionable government activities. That is exactly what's at issue here a questionable activity by the government. That is the taping of Noriega's calls to his lawyers' office. Noriega's defense team argues that airing tapped telephone conversations with their client would threaten his Sixth Amendment right to a fair trail. That may or may not be true.

In any event, threatening the assurances provided by another amendment is not the thoughtful response. Moreover, is misdirected. Both Noriega's lawyers and the judge should be looking into what CNN has exposed rather than trying to silence the network. CABLE NEWS Network has agreed not to broadcast tapes of Gen. Manuel Noriega talking with his lawyers until the U.S.

Supreme Court rules on a Miami judge's order forbidding the broadcasts. This is sensible, unlike the U.S. District Court's attempt to prohibit the broadcasts. The network can afford to wait. But the nation cannot so easily afford the censorship this lower court would impose.

If the Miami court's ban on the CNN broadcasts is allowed to stand, it will be the first time in the nation's history that the high court has affirmed a lower court's attempt to censor beforehand what a news organization may report. First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams says that would be an astonishing development. Chilling may be the better word. America needs IT TURNS out that a 1988 law tightening controls on foreign investment suffered an accidental death in the closing days of the 101st Congress. Distracted by any number of larger issues, members failed to reauthorize the Defense Production Act.

This investment measure, the Exon-Florio law, was part of that legislation. Congress is expected to revive the law early next year. That's unfortunate, because the legislative slip that wiped it off the books can be viewed as a bit of good fortune. Admittedly, the Exon-Florio law isn't all that restrictive. It's design It it ed be or are Retirees contributed hard work be entitled to the help some people who haven't been so ambitious and thrifty are getting.

I remember, during the Depression of the '30s, working two months to pay for one day's care in a skilled nursing home. After our savings are gone, which won't take long, there will be help available. The COLAs senior citizens have received during the last 10 years or so have helped meet the rising health care costs. But all other inflationary costs for basic necessities lessen the spending money of senior citizens, as in most cases their income is set. Perhaps enjoyable lives for retired senior citizens should be limited to the rich and famous.

With salary increases for themselves, it seems as if politicians are doing a good job of taking care of themselves first. To those who resent that some senior citizens might be having a decent standard of living, I will say: If they worked as hard and had been as frugal as many senior, citizens, they might have a different attitude. By George Shane Kelso resident When I read or hear that senior citizens are taking a ride on the younger generation, I wonder if those making the statements have considered some facts. Unless senior citizens are native American Indians, they are immigrants or decendants of immigrants, and have come to this country to have better lives for themselves and, usually, to help their children have better lives. To accomplish this, many have worked very hard 60 to 80 hours a week, in some cases, without overtime pay, vacations, health insurance and other benefits that some of the younger generation are receiving and taking for granted.

With hard work and conscientious effort, some have built successful businesses, farms, ranches, factories, mining ventures, transportation facilities and professions, to name a few accomplishments that have created jobs and opportunities for others to have good lives. Some have taken jobs and made the best of the opportunities and 'Points of light9 emerging investors to give the government authority to block acquisitions judged to against the national interest. In practice, though, the law has done little but frustrate foreign investors. They're frustrated by its review procedures and the uncertainty it creates about potential investment opportunities. This ought to concern us.

Like it not, these foreign investments very much needed to help shoulder our crushing budget deficit. Congress should let the Exon-Florio law rest in peace. be attributed to the baby boom generation, just coming into its prime philanthropic age. Of course, generosity plays a large art in all of the giving Some apparently are more generous than others. Curiously, those with the least tend to give the most.

The poll found that lower-income families are comparatively more generous with their time and money than the rich. The president might want to be a little more forceful in spreading his "points of light" among his friends. and Publisher Charles R. Koethke, Classified Ad Manager Steve Lafady, Human Resources Manager Harold Luhn, Display Advertising Manager Bonnie Snyder, Business Manager Kenneth Weakley, Marketing Director THERE MAY be something to President Bush's notion of "a thousand points of light." A recent Gallup Poll found that Americans are giving more of their time and money to charitable causes this year. The poll indicates that 71 million households 75 percent of the total number of households in the nation contributed to charity this year.

That's up from 65 million households identified in a poll conducted the previous year. Part of this increased giving can Religious intolerance grows tiresome The Daily News Reader Commentaries with hard work and thrift, have been able to have a decent standard of living and even have been able to save some money for retirement. Unfortunately, too many able-bodied people haven't taken advantage of the opportunities available and have chosen to accept welfare that is too readily available. They are willing to take a ride on the efforts of those who have helped themselves. Unforeseen circumstances, like catastrophic illness, has dealt some people, especially senior citizens, a very severe blow.

At the present time, my wife's very fragile health condition is too much of a problem for my daughter, and we feel very fortunate to be helped with custodial-care help. However, there may be a time when she might be too much for custodial care and will be faced with skilled nursing home care. Due to the fact that, during my wife's and my 43-plus years of marriage, we have been able to save a little money, all the expense of this is our responsibility, without any help. However, had we not been so ambitious and thrifty, we would Now you tell me, whose behavior is most Christ-like here? I grow weary and intolerant of Christian hysteria: irrational fear of satanic practices, assaulting with words and deeds those who appear different and offer alternatives. I am particularly upset with Chaplain Lyle Prather, who is emerging as a self -proclaimed obscenity detector and supposed spokesman of community moral standards.

I suggest that what he sees, at least in the case of the Invite the Light store, grows more from his own perceptions and motives than from the observable reality of the store and its contents. Simply put, you see what you want to see and find what you are looking for. I grow even more weary and less tolerant of Christian hypocrisy. People breaking windshields and hurling unfounded epithets toward peace-loving people is not consistent with any laws Letters to the Editor ed and burned and buried by the acre. So what can we do? There's a lot to learn.

The world is changing, and we'd better learn to use the new technologies that are taking over. Learn about the people who'd like to flush our future for their gain. Learn to survive. RJN. Carter Forestvflla, Calif Issue overblown Handgun Control Inc.

made a big issue of the $4,950 campaign contribution to Jolene Unsoeld from the National Rifle Association. This relatively small contribution was nationwide news in many newspapers and on TV stations across the country. However, there was no mention of all the political contributions made by Handgun Control Inc. Through its Handgun Control Education Fund, it made political campaign contributions to 11 U.S. senators and 113 members of Congress.

The total contributions amounted to $96,100. Among those listed were Washington congressmen John Miller, $500, and J. McDermott, $500; Washington Sen. Brock Adams, $500; and Oregon Sen. Mark Hatfield, $2,000.

Individual contributions ranged from $300 to $6,000 to 124 politicians that Handgun Control Inc. is trying to influence. So why was one political contribution to Unsoeld from the NRA blown all out of proportion? Ken MacPhersoo Silrer Lk TedM.Natt, Editor Jim Bros. Editorial Page Editor William Collin. Production Director Jerry Engebo, Circulation Manager Vlnce Evans, Systems Manager Robert B.

Gaston, Managing Editor A Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper J.M.McCWland, Publisher, 1923-1955 M. McClelland Publisher, 1955-1977 I've ever seen in the New Testament. Prather's harassments do little but. belittle his position and the role that he seeks to play, in the community. For shame! Freedom of religion in America does not mean freedom of Christian religion only.

Let those who live a more Christ-like day-to-day existence than Elazar cast the first aspersions. I expect there would be little verbal litter lying in our streets. for one, believe we should encourage alcohol- and drug-free business people to flourish in our community. I believe we should commend anyone who lives their lives in such a way as to bring peace to the community, not war. I hope that this letter, in some small way, can contribute to the softening of intolerance, hysteria and hypocrisy that so often grows out of grass-roots Christian crusading.

Thanks (or the favor I figured someone should thank you of the news media for the publicity you provided for Jolene Unsoeld's championing of sportsmen's rights and her connection with the NRA. If you had not called her championing gun owners' rights to so much public attention, she might not have won by so great a margin. You probably had fun laughing at her supposedly shooting herself in the foot, but it looks like you opened your collective mouths and put your foot in them. So we thank you for the favor, although I am sure it was not intended. Leroy Doran LotfrWiw A cheap shot By Mark Bergeson Longview resident Let's see if I understand all this.

In one instance, a prominent local Christian public figure on a little crusade invades the business of a man of peace, a man who lives by such Christian tenets as doing nothing that may harm another and seeking to bring peace, not war, to the community. He then rails against this man to the county's chief prosecutor. In another instance, area police authorities, with no evidence of any unlawful occurrence, descend upon a quiet observance at Jones Beach, hassle the participants, and invade their privacy by reading private mail. In a third instance, unnamed individuals, no doubt caught in the throes of some pious outburst, vandalize and disturb the peace of Elazar and Paula Joy. Learn to survive We really screwed up.

We elected politicians who're selling our forests to Japan for pennies per tree, raw logs that get milled in the Orient or Mexico, not here. We elected politicians who deregulated our financial industries and its operators, who guaranteed their theft and incompetence with our money. We elected politicians who were bribed to promote economic growth over environmental preservation, quick-bucks rather than sustained-yield. We heard years ago that our way of life would have to change, that we'd have to learn new skills to live in a new America, but we didn't listen. And what are the results? Our Northwest looks like its been mowed; our remaining mills are closing.

Our jobs just moved to Osaka or Mermasillo; our house payments are late; our kids' schools are closing. And we blame environmentalists and spotted owls. Some dealer grabbed the company using junk-bonds sold by another dealer who's now in prison for fraud, and our states are being clearcut to pay the Interest on those bonds. In five years, there won't be a tree left to cut. Some savings and loan dealers financed some development dealers to build shopping centers, houses, office complexes that nobody wanted or needed, a few hundred billion dollars' worth.

Now those empty buildings are being knock As I scanned your front page oh Nov. 6, 1 could hardly believe what I was seeing. Surely, Mr. Editor, the four-column article, accompanied by a large photo, depicting Lyle Prather as an overreacting, religious zealot, is not an example of responsible journalism. Was this just "coincidence" that it appeared on the day he was running for election? Regardless of how I voted, I feel this was a cheap shot to any candidate, with material worthy of the third page, if any.

Why not let us voters make up our own minds from campaign Information before Election Day? Evelyn Dailey SUrtr LmI i IWX ri-lrrr 'I haven't decided yet.