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Show Sunday Letters with full name, Opinions Should be typed double-spaceless than 406 words, signed and include address and phone number (number won't be Direct questions to Flint Stephens, editorial page editor, published). Hearings on Wright should be televised House Speaker Jim Wright wants to bar television coverage of disc- iplinary hearings into corruption charges lodged against him by the ethics committee. Such a blackout would deny Americans the right to d these historic prowitness the first ever involving ceedings formal accusations of misconduct against a speaker of the House of Representatives. The ethics panel, which has earned distinction thus far by its first-han- deliberate, even-hande- investiga- d reject pressure from to prohibit cameras in the Wright After having docuroom. hearing mented 69 counts of rules violations and other serious improprieties by the speaker, the committee has an obligation to allow access by broadcast as well as print media to the next stage of the probe. During the last 10 months, the panel has operated behind closed doors as evidence was compiled by special counsel Richard J. Phelan and considered by the six Democrats and six Republicans who make up the committee. Now that the members have issued what amounts ; to an indictment against Wright, it ; is time to open the deliberations to the public. To do otherwise would amount to holding a trial in secret. The next step in the panel's inves-- , tigation is comparable to a criminal proceeding in a court of law. Phe-- : lan, acting as prosecutor, will present the case against the speak-- ; er. Wright, in turn, will have the opportunity to offer his defense. tion, ought to . After both weighing the sides, committee will determine whether there is "clear and convincing" proof of misconduct then vote to drop the charges or recommended disciplinary action by the full House. The panel's disciplinary options range from a mild reprimand to censure or explusion. Inasmuch as the speaker is second in the line of succession to the May 7, 'W W V0U LEAVE YOUR i)8) rS fCoiTiON A$ CRISIS MANAGER Herald comment presidency, the ethics investigation is far more significant than one involving a junior member of Congress. Accordingly, the TV and radio networks have asked to cover the hearings live. At present, the Democrats on the committee have reportedly pledged to support Wright in his bid to block such coverage. With calls for his resignation mounting, the speaker's motivation in trying to black out the cameras is obvious. His best hope of hanging on to his job is to minimize the attention attracted by the disciplinary hearings. If his ample record of wrongdoing is aired on live network televison, the public outcry is likely to doom his chances of retaining the ETtA H(JLM6"()ra9 F0PT WOPTHfTAR speakership. The ethics committee's rules rebe open to quire that the hearings the public, but prohibit TV and newspaper cameras, as well as sound recordings for broadcast. Although some panel members have already said they believe the rules should be amended to allow live broadcasts, the House Democratic leadership is united in an effort to head off the move. Not surprisingly, the House Democrats took a totally different position when they conducted live investiga- tive hearings into the affair and Watergate, to name just two congressional probes against Republican administrations. Now that the nation's top Democrat is in the dock, why should the rules be any different? The American people ought to be permitted full access, through live television and radio coverage, to the hearings that will pass judgment on the speaker's illicit activities. Iran-Cont- ra THe WHiTe House 2 joiMT ONGRess r -- k. SJPGeT acCoRp, aVoiPiMG months oF FiGHTirJG. More control needed for mailed weapons In these days WASHINGTON of urban paranoia, it is comforting to know that all the battle gear you need can be dumped on your doorstep by the U.S. Postal Service. So you want to convert your semiautomatic Uzi to a fully automatic machine gun? No problem. Send $6 to Phoenix Systems Inc. in Evergreen, Colo, for the instructions. Have a hankering for a weapon that doubles as a handy household item? Phoenix offers a $50 umbrella sword "with a hidden surgical stainless steel lance, designed for deep penetra- tion." Phoenix is one of several national houses that specializes in paramilitary gear. Who needs it? A spokesman for the company told our associate Jim Lynch that Phoenix has a mail-ord- er broad array of customers, including many who simply want to protect themselves. And what better way to protect yourself than with these items from the Phoenix catalog: A $65,000 armored personnel carrier that Phoenix advertises as The perfect pounds of muscle . security or survivalisl vehicle. Full set armor plate never demiliof f tarized." You can call Phoenix for an appointment to test drive this baby. The M-5- 9 "40,-00- 0 . . bullet-proo- way things are going, it could become the vehicle of choice for urban commut- ers. Barbed razor tape is sold with the pitch, "Stop attackers cold with a very-nastsurprise. Cuts and hooks into flesh and clothing." Phoenix suggests the tape can be strung between trees or across doors and windows. "Use your imagination," the catalog says. "When laid out in the proper patterns, it will force an attacker to advance into your killing zone." Road stars, nasty little spikes, are handy for creating what Phoenix calls a -portable roadblock" that blows tires. "Stop those unwanted pests who drive on your property," the Phoenix catalog says. range of ammunition carries Phoenix's guarantee of quality: "It's like being hit with a sledgehammer instead of an icepick." We assume that distinction is important to Phoenix shoppers. Riot buster smoke grenades, the catalog says, are useful for war games, smoke screens or riot control. Phoenix doesn't specify what types of riots its customers might be called upon to put A down. , booby-trapsThe selections are endless stun knuckles, brass trip wire, guns and tear gas that won't leave a messy residue on your nice furniture. 7" (hru Jack UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. The Phoenix catalog also advertises lock picks, but the company spokesman told us the firm no longer sells them. It does sell a video cassette called, "How I Steal Cars." But don't get the wrong idea. The spokesman said the video teaches people how to protect their cars from thieves. The Phoenix spokesman conceded that the goods could end up in the wrong hands, but, he said, the folks who sell butcher knives have the same problem. The legality of all the toys offered varies from state to state. The Phoenix literature warns that it is the buyer's responsibility to check local laws. Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark, is pushing legislation to tighten controls on the sale of weapons. Stark also opposes the sale of smoke grenades, armored cars and firearm-conversio- n manuals through the mail, but he has not proposed legislation to ban that practice vet. UNCOMMON ALLIANCE The citizens' lobby Common Cause got crosswise with some of its staunchest supporters on Capitol Hill when it took on House Speaker Jim Wright, Liberal friends of Wright were dismayed that Common Cause, in urging a probe of Wright, was allying itself with conservative Rep. Newt Gingrich, the liberals' public enemy No. 1. But after the congressional liberals saw the details of the House Ethics Committee investigation of Wright, most of them quietlv made up with Common Cause. TAX DOLIARS AT WORK The Federal Aviation Administration is throwing away money when it contracts for research on aviation safety. Not that the subject isn't worth researching, but much of the research is mismanaged. The Transportation Department looked at $1.4 billion spent by the FAA on research contracts. Because of poor accounting, the FAA was paying for expired contracts and duplicated research. In some cases, the contracts to provide research were more than 10 years old, the work still wasn't finished and the FAA had hired more contractors to do the same work. Feedback Error made in letter on fusion Editor: In Friday's Daily Herald, page D4, the Feedback opinion titled "Fusion possibility announced too early" incurred a typographical error in the printing. On the second and third lines from the semi-automat- ic - - . bottom of the first column the erroneous wording "reliable researchers" should have been ' unreliable researchers" An additional comment: It is interesting that both Dr. Pons and Dr. Fleisch-ma- n have been quoted as say ing recently that they are 100 times more certain now of their claims. This implies that at the time of the initial big stir they were no more than 1 percent certain! Andrew L Gardner Provo Sunbathing column was poor journalism Editor: For years I have tried to figure out . the lack of quality of our local It didn't make sense to me that The Daily Herald could so consistently miss the point in so many important stories. I thought maybe at first that it had sold out its journalistic responsibilities in favor of being in bed with the city fathers; then I thought maybe that it was a newspaper training ground for student writers who, once they had learned their craft, moved on for bigger and better climes. But nothing really seemed to make sense until Friday, daily-paper- April 21, when I opened the paper and saw the bespectacled, balding visage ot Alfred E. Newman peering out from the editorial page. Not only was his picture there, but the pseudonym and his title were there: Flint Steph-n- s, Editorial Page Editor. Like lightning, suddenly, it made sense; all this time I was treating the newspaper as a serious attempt at journalism, but it was really just an attempt at a daily joke staffed out of the pages of Mad Magazine. It was obvious from the editorial that the editor had gotten all his information from a piece of fluff that Channel 5 had done earlier in the week on the same issue without discussing the real problem, and without a second thought (and maybe without a fist) Newman, a.k.a. Stephens decided to jump in. Stephens even offered his own yard as a haven for sunbathers, an offer l think ought to be seriously considered if only he'd had the courage to give his address. Of course, his wife would have probably killed him, for what woman in her right mind wants to be bothered all day by people wandering in and out of her house, demanding to use the rest-roothe drinking fountain, the telephone, and leaving their litter and strewn all over the yard and house like they do at the Wasatch School. Of course, the bright side for Mrs. Stephens would be that she'd probably never have to water the yard again after Flint got through hfs daily salivating over the tender morsels on the lawn, and she'd never need to worry about her children being taught the biological facts of life, for the demonstrations would be obvious and plentiful. Actually, that may be a plus since Flint might prove incap para-phenal- ia able of discussing it in a serious vein, unless of course he accidentally stumbled onto a television program on tht facts of life. An additional positive item would savings they could make on stem, equipment, for the sunbathers would bring their own, which are normally top of the line. Unfortunately the stereos are usually connected to their cars, so Mrs. Stephens would have to get used to the cars being parked on her sidewalks and lawns. But other than that it's great unless of course she doesn't like !. music, or objects to volume loud cno .: to shake her windows, or thinks that it i inappropriate between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. But, I'm sure that Mrs. Stephens being married to a fun loving guy 'ikt Flint, probably wouldn't be bothered a' all. If she were maybe her husbanti would be a bit more serious and thor ough about journalism, and certainly' be could write a better attempt at irony But after all. Alfred E. Newman's mot:., always has been: "Wbat. me worry?'' Donald W. Fossuil ; Provr Jake Garn comment right on the mark Editor: In regard Garn, show your more facts to the letter about Jake in The Herald on April 9: Good old boy. I believe every word in article. I believe there are a k' power-corrupoliticians if all ttv were brought to the surface. pt Huh . Dans Payson |