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Show ChnoNicU Paqe WfdNcsdAv, April 27, Six 1988 EDITORIAL Civil rights may swfffeir setbacks - When the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will reconsider a civil rights ruling it handed down 12 years ago, its decision to rehear the case was itself a setback to civil liberties. Sadly, the harmful deed has already been done. Five members of the court voted on Monday to rehear and reconsider the case. And in doing so they have displayed a malicious lack of respect toward the inalienable rights of people living in this nation. The 1976 ruling, Runyon vs. McCrary, v , r"S mmimmmmm tim, f mm ... .. POSTAL SERVICE determined that private institutions, such as into private schools and clubs, could not discriminate against minorities. The court decided to reconsider the 1976 ruling after reviewing a pending race-discriminati- r-- mil POSTAL SERVICE cSA! SERVICE IS? I sr yfX on, which could be stricken down as a result of the precedent of the Runyon vs. McCrary case. It is interesting to note that, in this instance, the vote to reconsider the ruling was polemically divided between the conservatives and the liberals on the court. The conservative side, led by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, included Justices Byron White, Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia H Dee NaQuin Change isn't always negative and Anthony Kennedy. The conservative faction of the court was not especially vocal in its reasons to reconsider the case. On the other side, the liberals, including Justices John Paul Stevens, Harry Blackmun, Thurgood Marshall and William Brennan, vociferously opposed the court's decision. Indeed, the liberals offer the most compelling reasons for not reconsidering the ruling. The liberals correctly pointed out that the U.S. government should have the right to prohibit discrimination in both public and private institutions. Private institutions operating in the United States are subject to the laws and regulations of this country. And, like any public insitution or individual, they should be prohibited from violating any of the laws of this land. One of the laws, as established by the Supreme Court in the Runyon vs. McCrary ruling, is that private institutions cannot discriminate against minorities. Justice Harry Blackmun was right on when he said of the court's recent decision, "I am at a loss to understand the motivation of five members of this court to reconsider an interpretation of a civil rights statute that so clearly reflects our society's earnest commitment to ending racial discrimination. . ." Discrimination of any sort is legally and morally wrong. And simply because a business, club or school is privately owned, that shouldn't allow the owners of those institutions to operate above the laws of this nation. Civil rights should take precedence above everything else. In the wake of this decision, civil rights is teetering dangerously in the balance. While nothing can be done to reverse the court's decision to reconsider the case, the Chronicle supports the liberal justices and their attempts to uphold the 1976 ruling. scription correspondence, including change of e, ss, . ambiguity. Ambiguity is disturbing to people because it means we don't know what's coming next and therefore feel a lack of control or insecurity, or both. It's an ultimately unrealistic but cherished Shauna Bona Kent Anderson Editor in Chief The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published during fall, winter and spring quarters, excluding test weeks and quarter breaks, by the University Publications Council. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinionsofthe student body or the administration. Subscriptions are $25 a year, $10 an academic quarter. All subscriptions must be prepaid. Forward all sub- 84112. open-mindedne- Editorial Board: Kent Anderson, Shauna Bona,Darren Hawkins, Andrew Hunt, Bryant Larsen, Dee NaQuin, Fara Warner Chronicle address, to the BusinessManager,Dai7ylaA CArom-cl240 Union, University of Ut ah, SaltLakeGty.Utah Headline: something like, "The personal is political" or "The personal and political intertwine" You may have noticed the volunteer-staffe- d table in the Union Monday with information about where to go for the neighborhood mass meetings. It wasn't busy, though, and my friends said there hadn't been many participants. This might have been because the table was laden with Jesse Jackson buttons and pamphlets. Jackson's views do have a tendency to put off people. In a conservative national climate, he's talking notions that come dangerously close to such dreaded concepts as socialism and redistribution of the wealth. If there's one thing we've had a problem with historically in this country, it's having the flexibility to change the status quo. For example, changes that resulted from women's suffrage and the Civil Rights movement occurred only after prolonged battles. It makes sense, in a perverse way though. People tend to have a hard time accepting changes on a personal level. We don't learn to trust or accept ourselves, let alone others who are somehow "different" from us. No wonder collective social changes remain elusive. I believe that by reconsidering our attitudes at the personal level and striving for we can have a positive effect at a level. public More importantly, we need to get away from the mindset that says, "But it's always been this way. That must mean it always has to be this way." A poster in our backshop offers a positive way of looking at the future: "What appears to be the end may really be a new beginning." That seems so obvious. But what a change, what an end usually means to people is uncertainty. An ambiguous situation can cause stress-fe- ar, apprehension and anxiety--i- n people, says Robert Ornstein in his book The Study of Human Experience. A very different political system, such as Jackson's vision, certainly conjures up Managing Editor News Editor Fara Warner Dee L. NaQuin Editorial Editor Sports Editor Feature Editor Photography Editor Chief Copy Editor Investigative Editor Campus Editor Assistant News Editor Assistant Editorial Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Feature Editor Assistant Feature Editor Assistant Photography Editor Assistant Copy Editor Reporters . LauryLivsey Darren Hawkins Steven C. Wilson Bryant Larsen Dennis Romboy Darren Tucker Lori Bona AndrewHunt Glenn Seninger John Pecorelli notion that one can gain complete control of one's life by using appropriate "strategies." This is undoubtedly why social institutions, such as religion and politics, have survived so well over time, despite preaching many outdated rules. Such structures do provide a sense of security. If one follows the rules, one can anticipate a set of expectations. But when the expectations don't materialize, people experience stress anyway. In such situations, people try to solve the problem as well as deal with their emotions. There are two kinds of coping, Ornstein said. Problem-focuse- d coping includes such strategies as making and executing plans, asking people for advice or getting information. Emotional-focuse- d coping includes such processes as trying not to think about a problem, expressing your feelings to someone, drinking to forget about problems or looking on the bright side. But the social and personality dimension most protective against stress is flexibility, or the ability to perceive and try alternatives rather than beating one's head against the wall, says psychologist, Anton Antonovsky. And one important trait that characterizes flexibility is having trust-- in oneself and in others. We could think about the public changes that would be brought about by someone like Jackson in a different way. We could realize that institution and government is a human-create- d therein lies many of its problems. Nature and real life aren't intractable, as stated in this quote from my dance book: "No form is permanent, definitive, ultimate; only the basic principle of dance is enduring, and out of it, like the cycle of nature itself, rises an endless succession of new springs out of old winters." No form of government is definitive; only the basic need of people to coexist in peace. This is one of the ideas espoused by Jesse Jackson. By opening our minds to new and different ideas, I believe we can change our personal realities and ultimately our public reality. I know this may sound simplistic. But on the other hand, look at where complicated "solutions" have put us. Dee NaQuin is a mass communication senior and editorial editor of the Chronicle. Kelly Hindley .... Guy E. Elder IV Edward Ruiz Bruce Burningham Kent Condon Todd Curtis Sharon Deckert Ellen Garff Amber McKee Kerry Shea Deanie Wimmer Photographer Business Manager Accountant Classifieds Jennifer Peterson Robert McOmber Kay Andersen Charlene Collins Accounting Clerk Collections Account Executives Kim Bartel Michael All sop JohnHausknecht KrisDeBry Tammie Bostick Todd Butler Sara Wilson Production Typesetters Ad Production Manager Assistant Production Manager Distribution Abbie Hall James A. Beck TraceyL.Heinhold Michael Q. . . deary .Kenny Watanabe David Orchard Christopher Stratford |