Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 December 2002 — Page 3

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20,2002

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE A3

County officials change fee plan for teens held in youth centers FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - Allen County officials have modified a plan to charge parents whose children are in juvenile detention centers after a group of ministers complained the plan unfairly targets poor people. The county judge who first proposed charging the fees has agreed to a change in the ordinance to exempt those families whose income is less than 150 percent of the poverty level. Superior Court Judge Stephen Sims obtained approval last month from the county commissioners to charge parents $25 a day while their children are incarcerated or in a halfway house. The fee would be $150 a day for children from outside Allen County. “We have good juvenile judges now,” county Commissioner Marla Irving said. “But what could happen when we have other judges? Making the standards more objective should relieve some anxiety.” The Rev. Michael Latham, presidentofFortWayne’sNAACP chapter, said he and others had received hundreds of telephone calls about the fees. “My wish would be for no fees at all,” he said. “But I appreciate the willingness to talk and work something out. But I’d also like to see people go out into the community to explain.” Charging no fees at the Wood Youth Center detention facility and the Youth Services Center for troubled or abused teens is not an option because the county needs more revenue, Sims said. Although Sims said Allen will be the first county in Indiana to bill its own residentsfortheirstay | 'at a'youth facility, othtfr counties j are doing similar things. DeKalb County; Whkh pays AMen County j $70 a day to keep teens at Wood, bUls parents for that expense. Irving said she expected the commissioners to approve the revised fee plan within the next few weeks.

JusHce Thomas speaks out on cross-burning case (Special to the NNPA) — U. S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, known for his conservative views regarding AfricanAmerican issues, took a stand last week when he condemned cross burning as a “symbol of a reign of terror” that does not deserve First Amendment protection. Thomas, the court’s only Black justice, rarely speaks during oral arguments. However, he took this opportunity to speak up and change the direction of the debate. "It is unlike any symbol in our society. It was intended to cause fear and terrorize a population,” said Thomas, a product of segregated Georgia. The case involved a Virginia law against cross burning that the state’s top court struck down as unconstitutional. A Ku fOux Klan leader who set a cross afire near a highway, and two men who planted a cross on a Black neighbor’s lawn, challenged the law. In Virginia it is a felony to bum a cross with the intent to intimidate. Many ofthe justices had doubts about the constitutionality of singling out cross burning as the only symbolic act to be banned. However, Thomas’ arguments made an immediate impact, and several justices appeared poised to uphold Virginia’s law. "If the message is as powerful as Justice 11100188 says it is, why isn’t that a sufficient basis of forbidding it?” said Justice John Paul Stevens. The court last addressed crossburning laws a decade ago when the justices struck down a Minnesota law targeting those who bum crosKS or display swastikas. A decision in die case, "Virginia vs. Blade,” is expected in

U.S. to arm Algeria against Islamic rebels ALGIERS, Algeria (GIN)- proposal to Congress to increase mitted by the security forces, Dropping its previous opposi- military aid to Algeria. state-armed militias and armed tion to weapons sales to the “These steps aim at intensify- groups during the current conrepressive government of Al- ing the security cooperation be- flict. geria, the United States has tween the two countries,” he The generals say they began announced an arms sale agree- said. the fight against violent Islamment with the North African Algerian radical Islamists ist fundamentalism years before regime that has been battling took up arms against the mili- the U.S. and other countries Islamic militants for more tary establishment when the took it up. than 10 years. 1992 general election, which the Algeria has become a key More than 100,000 lives Islamic Salvation Front was ex- partner in the fight against alhave been lost in the fighting pected to win by a landslide, Qaeda, because its insurgents between government forces was abandoned and the gener- are close allies of Osama bin and rebels who are believed to als took control. Laden and have provided foot have won the last presidential More than 100,000 people soldiers in Afghanistan and for elections in 1992 that were nul- have been killed since then, ac- planned terror attacks in the lifted by the incumbent gov- cording to the government. In- United States and Europe, ernment. dependent sources put the num- More than a dozen members Announcing the agreement her at more than 150,000. of the most active of these as he ended a visit to Algiers, The army has been accused groups, the Salaftst Group for William Bums, assistant sec- of carrying out some of the vil- Preaching and Combat, have retary of state for Near East lage massacres —the main char- been arrested in Europe since affairs, said: “Washington has acteristic ofthe conflict—which Sept. 11, 2001. much to learn from Algeria on it has blamed on the Islamists. Last year the government also ways to fight terrorism. We are An exiled former paratroop of- was confronted by members of putting the finishing touches ficer, Habib Souaidia, is among the Berber minority, and 80 to an agreement to sell Algeria those who say he has witnessed people were killed by the police military equipment to fight them. and army during riots, terrorism.” Souaidia is the author of a The United States joins the Burns did not identify the book published in 2001, which European Union in seeking type of weapons it was willing details reports of torture, extra- closer ties with the government to sell, but added that the judicial executions and other over the protests of Amnesty InWhite House was drafting a grave human rights abuses com- ternational and other human rights groups.

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