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Show Editorial Page of the Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah w i 1 ' i A5 MARCH 15, 1973 THURSDAY, IN OUR OPINION Why tougher penalties can be compassionate In calling for harsher penalties for drug pushing and restoration of the death penalty for certain federal crimes, President Nixon is riding a wave of public support. Thats clear from the fact more than . of the states are working to' restore capital punishment for a variety 'MW .V Federal crimes are rarely 'crimes a of passion. Airplane hijacking is not done in a blind rage; it nas to be carefully planned. Using incendiary devices and bombs are not crimes of passion nor is kidnaping; all of these must be thought out in advance. three-fourth- s L: ss; ' At present those who plan these crimes do :.ot have to include in their deliberations the possibility that they will be put to death for their deeds. I believe that in making their plans, they should have tc consider the fact that if a death results from their crime they, too, may die. of offenses. Its clear from the California referendum in which voters authorized mandatory execution for any crime that state's legislature might see fit to name. Its clear from recent national polls showing that the widespread opposition to capital punishment which prevailed three years ago has gradually been replaced by a demand for sterner law enforcement including the death penalty. Under the Nixon plan, anyone convicted of a crime bearing a possible death penalty would get a separate hearing to determine whether or not he should be executed. With apparent foresight, this is the same course followed by the recent Utah Legislature when it adopted a new Criminal Code reinstituting the death penalty in this state. It is a course that still leaves ample room for mercy and leniency. Even before the Supreme Court ruled on capital punishment last June, no one had been executed in the U.S. since 1967. No doubt many executions were stayed by legal uncertainties that led to the courts ruling. But long before 1967 the number of executions in the U.S. had gradually dwindled to near the vanishing Both the Presidents message and the public sentiment behind it reflect a growing demand that the rights of victims should gain greater recognition in a society that has put too much emphasis on the nghts of criminal offenders. This sentiment reflects a repudiation of the philosophy that society is to blame for crime, and instead reaffirms the principle that the individual should be held responsible for his actions. It also reflects a realization that greater rehabilitation should be balanced by greater deterrence not only out of fairness to society but also out of fairness to those who are kept out of jail cells when they are thwarted from breaking the law in the first place. On this matter of deterence, the Presidents message was particularly persuasive. As he put it: point. Americans are still a compassionate people. But the most compassionate course is the one that prevents crime from occuring. It is toward this objective that Congress should aim as it weighs President Nixons new proposals. 0 n IL IN THE MINDS EYE By David Bly Staff there isnt much trade. Of the $49 billion the United States in products last exported $547 year, about 1 percent million was bought by the Soviets. The capitalist nations sold the soviets nearly $10 billion worth of goods last year, the leaders being the omnipresent Japanese ($11 billion), By Nick Thlmmesch L. A. Times Syndicate - Who are WASHINGTON those two men beaming at each other over the luncheon table like two in search of a new business connection or perhaps a better piece of Swiss long-parte- d steak? Why, they are Communist and capitalist, in cozy session U.S.-Sovi- followed by West Germany ($1 billion) and France ($725 . million). The Soviets urgently want our wheat, equipment, the technology and equipment to build huge new plants, and consumer goods like shoes and cloths which good eld Sears, Roebuck & Co. might just sell them. earth-movin- . g The Communist is Vladimir-SAlkhimov, 53, Soviet deputy minister of foreip trade. The In turn, the Soviets want to capitalist is NAM chairman, sell us gas, oil, copper, other Burt F. Raynes. The others in hides, furs, camminerals, 800 business suits are diamonds and uncut eras, can businessmen and 20 Soviet much more caviar and vodka. speialists who can talk their seventh The principle language. They are all authenPresident tically impressed with each signed between Nixon and Soviet Party Chairother. man Leonid Brezhnev at the Everythings That report should be particularly sobering in the light of the results of a nine-yea- r study at the University of Utah into possible effects of marijuana use. The study found significant amounts" Of chromosome damage in both light and heavy users of marijuana. What are the results of such chromosome breakage? Possible birth defects in ones children, for one thing. A chance of developing cancer, for another. When defective children began showing up in Europe because their mothers had taken thalidomide, the drug was promptly removed from the market. Some years ago, even the hint of a cancer link reused the U.S. government to temporarily remove all canned cranberries from the supermarket shelves. With those examples in mind, its ridiculous, in view of the latest findings, to talk of legalizing marijuana. If anything, penalties for pushing it should be One Bear Lake: treat it so and Idaho, Utah, years, River Bear a had have Jompact oming roi. out difficulties in apportioning the ;rs waters and maintaining its quality. ior only common sense to take next step and set up a joint govern-nta- l unit to protect Bear Lakes envi-meand its surroundings. State and il officials are moving to do just that. More and more, regionalization is s ping to solve some of the tough ques-iwhich heretofore have been attacked is a y piecemeal. Bear Lake, of course, both in is me example, situated as it ih and Idaho. end of the Zonig ordinances on one on the other, for those from e differ other cri-i- a and standards Health imple. So its nt also differ. But if the lake is to be developed in done on a orderly manner, it should be jonal basis and as one entity. The problem will not be entirely and Idaho ved, however, by Utah unit. Since eeing on a joint regional iederal lake straddles the state line, agencies involved are administered by one with two separate federal regions headquarters in San Francisco, the other with headquarters in Denver, Some means needs to be found to simplify this fragmented approach to the problems concerned with the area. If Utah and Idaho can solve that problem, the federal government should be able to cut through the red tape to find more effective answers closer than San Francisco or Denver. great, but By Jim Fiebig General Features Corp. I have not touched the abortion issue since 1965 because my first and last attempt to settle the problem in print resulted in the presses grinding to a halt halfway through the first edition. single, Being a fuzzy-facesmart childless. aleck at the time, I came out for abortion on the shaky philosophical ground that no one is unhappy 10 months before his birth. On the other hand, many people are unhappy 10 months after their birth. Thus, is I concluded, happiness being aborted. It was only minutes after the first few issues were distributed around the newsroom that the owner of the paper emerged from his office like a great wounded bear and stopped the presses. (It was all pretty exciting, actually. Contrary to popular belief, about the only time anyone stops the presses is if a pressman falls into one. And if ttjyre not running late when it happens.) As it turned out, the owner of the newspaper was the proud father of two sons who were Roman Catholic priests. When he had calmed down enough to speak my name without clutching his chest, he summoned me to his carpet. For years. he said, fighting the very to remain calm, greatest minds in tne world have struggled over the pros and cons of abortion. And you come along and think you can resolve the issue in 200 words. As you can see, then, I was frightened by abortion when I was very young. Eat your heart out, President Nixon. BOmBECK ' j..' DOUG SNEYD MEKILLAC C development COKrORAXIOtf Moscow summit last May was to promote trade between the two countries. Accordingly, a detailed, formal agreement on trade was signed last October by the United States and the Soviet Union. Personally, I felt that was a rotten thing to say to two are only trying to share with him our vast vat 'of knowledge and experience. Traditionally, Daddy has al- ways helped the children with their math and I have helped . them with their English. Any subject that Is foreign to us, ' we toss for it. people, who ! , war, greatly restricted the' kind of products U.S. exporters could sell the Soviets. But row we liberalize the export to the Soviets of machine electronic tools, equipment, ' went tq school with. Also, that words with ie and ei are tetter off left unsaid or unwntten. Why agonize over the correct spelling of words like inauguration and dinosaur when one only happens every four years and the other is extinct? The Soviets also claim they need credit. The U.S. Export- Import Bank is arranging $259 million in such credit for them. And the Soviets have agreed to repay $722 million e on their World War II inter3 at bill, percent est, and all money due by the Samuel B. Casey Jr., president of Pullman. Inc., whose firm is helping to build the giant Kama River truck plant, says Soviet trade is for profit, is big risk and big reward. He quotes Alexander Hamilton as saying commerce softens the manners of men and those 'my kindle into war. But now prejuduce-agai- nst imperialist Pepsi is gone. Among the people everywhere, the cold war is over. I have become old persuading people on both sides to have people. Alkhimov has excellent credentials in terms of his Soviet ' peers. Bom a peasant, a bright student, he fought in the seige of Leningrad, he was one of three men in his company who lived, was awarded the elite gold medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union and has won two Order of Lenin medals. He has spent much time in the United States since 1953, and is tuned to the American mind. I like your Don Kendall, He is an says. energetic man. He is your American businessman. We have much in common. open-minde- d, And a moment later, Alkhimov, a disciple of socialism and Hero of the Soviet Union, remarked: That McGovern. His ideas were so foolish, werent they? Spoken like a true Im working on This one is yours, Barney. : iYDfiEY r' HARRIS Some months ago, I mentioned in passing that the public fpind tends to vulgarize and distort the basic thoughts of great men, often bending these thoughts to their own narrow and ignorant purposes. Among such, I cited Darwins famous survival of the fittest. Pepsicos chairman, Donald Kendall, had Alkhimov as a weekend guest recently, and is a Soviet trade enthusiast. His Pepsi will be sold in vending machines in Moscow this summer. Making arrangement with Pepsi is great change in RusAlkhimov. sian mind, says Years ago, I did not think it was best product for Soviet No, he" said hurriedly edging away, ex education paper. looked a(,my husband, inflam- mable hunws which so often i: As he poured through the bookcase a couple of days ago, his father asked, Is it a math problem, son? I have a little time. d If youre looking for the plural of mother-in-law,- " I offered, remember few people have more than one at the same time. 2001. extinguishes I dont know whats been happening in math, but I do know the adviser told my son to stay away from any pro-- : fession where he had to make change or double a recipe. ; (Actually, she suggested that he remain unmarried until he . had a firmer grasp of multiplication.) T ' As for English, I was taught by a teacher who felt that ' God would never strike down a person who knew the differ-- ! ence between a direct and an indirect, object. I was her first failure in 35 years of teaching and survived only by a method which 1 call, Why apologize? Improvise, . I f passed this method on to my son'. I have taught him it is possible to live a normal, life . . many, havd children, and go on vacations to the Smokies . . without once having to distinguish between I and me. When you knock on a door and someone asks, Who is it? Just answer, Have you no curiosity? T have also taught him that alumni, alumnae, alumna and alumnus are just as happy being called, The kids I well-rdunc- grinding machines for ball bearings to name a few. , year ; t But many problems remain. The United States, daung to ls30, placed high tariffs on Soviet imports. Most nations charge a $1.25 a gallon tariff on vodka; the United States levies $5, but promises to, lower it. The United oiatqs. .. particularly during the ctikr he "In order to appease City Council and give a touch of class to the project, we're putting a Doric column right in here," Our son told us the other day if we didnt stop helping with his homework he wouldnt get out of high school Until he was 30. - hin trade. Too bad, Dick After George McGovern got buried under one of the biggest landslides in presidential history, youd tlpnk that at the very least his clothes would have been mussed up. But no. In the estimation of the Fashion Foundation of America, clothes make the man and Sen. McGovern is the Best Dressed Statesman of 1973. ERfTlfl lend-leas- How he solved abortion issue problems with pills and potions but the cure must gome from within. ..) Trade Conference held here under the sponsorship of the National Assn, of Manufacturers and the International Management and Development Institute. The other day the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse reported some chilling news: Marijuana is Americas third most popular drug, behind alcohol and tobacco. Wp seeK to solve our . . . Serious trade talks bring Soviets to U.S. at the The popular poison t1 h Several readers have written to ask me for an explanation of this, including one whole high school class in California, which is preparing to study the Darwinian theory. I am happy to oblige. First of all, survival of the fittest has nothing to do with individualism. It cannot and must not be used to philosophy, as so many do oday. justify a The survival that Darwin referred to was survival of the species, not of the individual creature. It was not a survival based on ruthless competition between individual members of the same species, but based on the ability of the species as a whole to change and adapt itself to new conditions of life. dog-eat-d- When the dinosaurs died out, it made no difference that some were stronger and some were weaker, or that the stronger conquered the weaker and thus obtained more food. When they perished, they perished uniformly, because, indeed, the bigger and stronger they got, the less they were able tc cope with a rapidly changing environment. We have perverted Darwins theory of the survival of the fittest to make it mean something wholly different from what he intended (just as we have done, in our age, with Freuds sex and Einsteins relativity). We have sanctis fied competition, and ignored the biological fact that man must work together as a species to preserve and provide those conditions most suitable for our continued existence. individIt is true that man exists as a sharply-defuse- d ual, and this is his glory; but he can become a full individual cnly if the society acts cooperatively to grant him safealmost ty and security. If he is allowed to be crushed from birth by those stronger and mare aggressive, then the result is a tyranny of the powerful, not a flowering of the individual. This weakens the race, rather than strengthens it. intra-specie- Competition must rest on a broad base of cooperation; it must not undercut it. In our century, as never before, mankind needs to work for the mutual goal of survival in our precarious space-shiAnd every hand aboard needs to be made as fit as possible in this common venture.' il |