Drawing the line
The Nixon Ad'riinir.tMtion week
revea'ed its iegis.ativ; proposes .wrted at
America's growing crime problems. President
Nixon made it dear that be intends to
continue tht; "hard line auuinst street crime."
In his rdatemeni, r.;ion i-mphusied some
major revisions :o the- n.a'ond criminal codes
which he he! mve i.Vw;.rd fo ;n fiyht against
crime. The Prevd-.-nt d. increw-jeiy'v' convinced
that !he 'owe'' f..-j.! :s ,! ''" source of many
cu''ren! c-r'1'; ;;.-!.ie'mi : 1 . . r : - die .iHo.v
liber'..ii insanity deh;":,ee, s'-n fencing
procedures and ;" .' d"ea;n.;d Pre t.r ia!
r.deasr ;,';aa .;ns w'dch permd d' ,.) o"'-ndets
to comm.: more crimes w'e'e awaiting irial.
The President also wants to re "eiobiish the
death pc-rvdty dr crimes sucn as bej.ick iny and
kidnaopma. NKon flat! states that the threat
Of " v . .f j a : ; t a ' ' t O c r ' rne'. H is
.;r ; ;. ,-, ; :c oppc, sit. on t; the'
Sup:';" e C'.ir! . ! J ''.' iiuiyii 1! op.mon
whu h rial's"! out t'rt dree w-r; li'tie or no
di f h't ' i'. ". i:s the . r i::,.- rate b"iw ei 1 states
,vi i K.i' a id th- de.iin r r.a'y .it that Pm" and
sta!'", which h.ni iMdawd ..:.;' d 10; .
I he r resident rid naPva thai tee vvill ask
Congress 10 i;!m n nvt insanity as ,i defense
aeainei federal .b'jtii' of murdci and similar
crimes. According to the legislation proposed
by Nixon, a suspect would no longer be able
to avoid conviction by proving that he was
insane at the time the crime was committed.
Various definitions of insanity have been
accepted as a legal defense in the U.S. for
more than 3 century.
President Nixon's proposals also seek to
de-emphasize poverty as a major factor
contributing to crime. His criminal justice
statements include only the slightest
suggestion that housing and other social
welfare programs can help reduce street
crime.
In the statements noted here, Nixon has
proposed some sweeping changes which have
already provoked a few drastic reactions from
both supporters and opponents of the
President's crime plans. Perhaps this was the
President's tactic. The media have
overwhelmingly focused their attention on
the popular issues of capital punishment and
the insanity plea changes proposed by Nixon.
Because of this the public has been diverted
from a recognition of the real shortcomings of
the President's crime message.
Most of the presidential proposals made
since January have played down the federal
government's role in solving social problems.
Nixon's proposed criminal justice legislation is
no exception. In his Inaugural Address,
President Nixon said, "In the challenges we
face together, let each of us ask-not just how
can government help, but how can I help?"
Apparently, the President now wants to apply
this philosophy directly to the challenge of
crime.
Through his criminal justice proposals,
Nixon seems to be saying that if the American
people want their crime rate to decrease, they
just damn well better stop committing crimes.
In his proposed legislation, the President
includes only a couple of phrases about the
relationship between social problems and
crime. A good deal of social research and
practical experience have shown that this
relationship is a very important and direct
one, esnecially in the poorer sections of large
U.S. cities.
Yet Nixon has essentially ignored the link
between poverty and crime. And the White
House has proposed cutbacks in various social
programs. Since these cutbacks will eliminate
jobs in poverty areas, many sources agree that
they will hamper the fight against crime.
If America is to meet the challenge of its
social ills, including crime, there must be a
working partnership between the government
and the people. As of now, President Nixon
seems determined to sell out tfie federal
government's share of the bargain.
Tom Lansworth
S -
:1ff l l ."1 " "jf
" ' ' 7i7W
Drive-ins-bastion
of beer,
backseat boogie
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lean :" 'l 1 i"
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ie t.i'l let .veer 1 my legs, I finally decider! we -.Mould
lea.'", A', ,V" Wte pull.ixj out (I M.id Hie t e )t , t .
a -i, l wouldn't in, ike1 ;i mviJcK ie of my, el)
,vM e le n ri'j), I Me.j-d til, it tell tjie f lo flop of ,1 fl.it
' 'r I I,, id never i.h;jiHed a fae on my p.iren!'', r,,i' ,nnf
I ',oil')e't f'lioo (;ut t)(Jir to wor I- tt,ej,i(k I in.iil,.i
rj.j f'orri ,1 oreiih CiJ' i Sf.li'.'d me', ,ilthooi(li hi1
.'.f.jf ir e .irfrferj .ifiolMi't hl'jvV to i"y in, uly
lli)l' ey ".ti'llt in,j',euilll!t'.
I usually would entfirtain mysflf at the; tlnvt; in by
vv.itchini) tin; surrounrling itctivitms. Onci; I was
),irk;d m'xt to iin old station waqon, complete' with
fins and a crinkly roof. The man was abut forty, had
,1 hcer qut and won; an undershirt. Tin; woman was in
her late twenties and looked a hit sleay, They we're
"making out" on the roof of the station wagon.
Meanwhile, their two kids, who had on Superman
t dint with spaghetti stains, ran around yelling and
'! 1 "".in g rocks. Their chorus added to the growing
eie.i.endo of tin- rumbling and crinkling on the car
in')!.
bob russe
horse sense
As ou cm fell ( I vv,i', a f 1 ii'.ti at'-d male. I was long
P-e t Pie Ungate daido! iictui", in my bmlliei's
I'l.iyh'iy m,iii.jif ,1",. Fiii.tijled males I n i to I'tad
into the (;ai v'.nlfi a sm pack )l lri'l viituie tri tin;
( 1 1 1 v1' in
A 1 11 j' 1 1 at ed 1 1 1 'i id of mile .Vi'i it to I ei 1 y' s (jai ina
F t , , t r t (yi'S, I en (, 11 1 1 1 1 ! 1 ' 1 ) one July i v'vilMsomi;
o'Mei l.oin,'i iiial'", the '.pi'iit mo', I o! Ihe movie
ij' lliinj doinl- anil Monk'iiij the Mom dining love
M.enc', llli'il rjiand (mill (allic doling I In? f 1 1 1 ' V.'oi k ',
rli'.pla vvhiii III,' ',t"in on tup ol li' 1. .11 and
I 1 '1 11 ' vd I Mel tr,e I yi ", of I he t n 'i I
(Jtln'i r.".s bashful f 1 lends of mine tell me of going
to the dnve 111 during the winter, when 1 ho windows
could be easily steam tl to opaqueness which
prevented the man with the flashlight from
discovering anything. They also tell me about feet
sticking out of the window and nothing but clothes in
the front seat, but all that is beyond my drive n
experience.
I oda I am no longet so f 1 1 , M i a t' "1 , winch I , lo say
'Mat I no lomii'l It j to li j 1 no to II, a h,,,l, ., I,,.,. I
vision of llnrjl, Hi.fni'i. Althoi!ih il to"l- in,' year,, I
f'M.,11 hod of ihe ' 1 1 iv" hi food, wMn M e air, id my I
b I iddei If, fill iiioi dinati'l f ast j
1 J'id"i standing d'M'.n'l eon," ea, I ra.-e , , t . r i j
wood,. i. "i what def-'ii s'-less ) , m i.i l , Ihinl' o niMV'ar,
tl'"") and 0ipi'",',le Ami'lli.a'i rT,.(l, h()j, I
si n i H" ii i" !el Is lee v ,: in ' i la , J
VV''!rn"l,.iy( llinif.h 1
P t'l'
daily nebra'-k.iri