Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 November 2003 — Page 8

PAGE A8

EDITORIAL

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14. 2003

No easy answers for mess in Iraq

By SHANNON WILLIAMS Recorder Editor

Will thriv ever be peaee in the Middle Hast ... and United States? 1 was recently having a conversation with a fellow co-worker whose son is a United States Marine. Our conversation was a touchy one because this woman's child had served several months in Iraq, then he was released lor a few months, and unexpectedly called back to serve in Iraq. The question that this woman had, that I really couldn't answer for her was "Why does he have t< > go back after they said

he served bis time?"

Sure I could have said, "I le signed the papers, it's his duty." Or maybe something like “It's to be expected, war is still going on over there." But looking into the eyes of that grief-stricken,

yet angn mother.all 1 could say was, "Things will work

out. Your son is a hero." As the conversation pro-

gressed, the topic of prisoners or inmates sen ing in the war came up. Amongst the people I was talking to. most agreed that it’s only fair that men and women who are incarcerated should be expected to defend our country during

times of war.

That Concept was somewhat tough because in my opinion, people who are incarcerated arc still human beings. Would it be fair to force someone to fight for the United States during wartime? In trying to think objectively, I said if something like that did come to manifestation, maybe an incentive or additive would be a decreased sentence for the

inmate.

I spoke with an individual who served in Iraq and is nowhome. I think he summed up the w hole process of re-sending people to fight in the war best w hen he said, “Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil. There needs to be more security for the (soldiers) there." I agree. It's ven sad to have served your time, been released w ith the hopes of starting over fresh, only to be called back again. But, bad things are still going on over there. The soldiers that are there need more protection. In tlying to liberate Iraq, President Bush stirred a lot of things up. Now in addition to dealing with various attacks, our soldiers are also responsible for peacekeeping, security, and rebuilding the infrastructure of that country. Another suggestion that was mentioned, was to give our allied countries a piece of the pie in exchange for some oftheir soldiers. If we united more with others, that would make this war effort all the more solid. I remember w hen the war first started that Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair w as all for supporting the U.S, but w here is he now? His people could definitely help in the rebuilding

process.

I am very interested to bear your thoughts on this subject. What suggestions do you hav e for the frustrated mother? Howdo you feel about inmates serving in the war in exchange for reduced sentences? Do you think tilings will ever be good for the Untied States and the Middle hast? I.og onto Www.indianapolisreeordor.oom and post your remarks on our discussion board, or you can write me directly at shannonwfo indvroeordcr.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Let’s give our allied countries a piece of the pie in exchange

for some of their soldiers.

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JUST TEILIIT IT

The UniGov curse ends with Demos controlling council; and Kernan is in

Patrice Abduallah crushed their

By AMOS BROWN III

Keith Bulen, architect of Republican UniCiov dominance, is sulking in heaven (or hell as Bulen’s adversaries believe) after the

Democrats astounding election victories. Victories fueled by a strong African-American vote. Democrats won control of the City-County Council. Something Bulen and the Republican masterminds of UniGov never thought would occur. Democrats captured the council majority when Sherron Franklin edged out GOP Neanderthal Curt Coon rod by a lucky 13-vote-margin in Dis-

trict 12.

Mayor Bart Peterson received 62.6 percent of the vote. His 37,402 vote margin was higher than former Mayor Steve Goldsmith’s two victories and the best performance bvan Indianapolis mayorsince 1987 at the height of the Hud nut era. But the mayor’s coattails couldn't give the Democrats more than 15 seats. Days before the election, a top Peterson campaign official said, “Ifwe get over 60 percent of the vote, we’ll win 18 seats." That didn’t happen. Karen Horseman lost her District 16 race in a supposedly “safe” Democratic district by just four votes. Republican Isaac Randolph beat Ricky Hence by 82 votes in the major battleground council fight in District 1. Randolph’s win marks the return of a Black Republican to the council after a four-year absence. Democrats scored big council wins in District 2 (Angela Mansfield 55.3 percent); District 7 (Greg Bowes 60.3 percent); District 17 (Mary Moriarty-Adams 62.9 percent); District 18 (Vernon Brown 61.7 percent).and District 19 (Dane Mahern 53.2 percent). Monroe Gray, Jackie Nytes, William Oliver and

opponents and Steve Talley was unopposed. There will now be nine African Americans on the City-County Council, the most ever - eight Democrats and one Republican. WISH-TV/Channel8political maven Jim Sheila’s color-coded map of council districts (centerpiece of Channel 8’s best election night and post-election coverage) visually demonstrated the change in I ndianapol is politics. A change built on a strong base of AfricanAmerican votes. The Democrats’ majority mirrors the contours of our AfricanAmerican community, from Eagle Creek to the Hancock County line. Former council President Beurt SerVaas told Channel 8 the change to Democratic control means, “The inner city will get a lot more attention.” No Beurt, the majority of our Black community doesn’t live in the “inner city," we live all over this great city/county. In a Demo-cratic-majority government, all areas of Indianapolis, not just the “inner city” will get more attention. The mayor’s coattails helped the four Democratic at large council candidates. Joanne Sanders got the most votes (76,612) followed by Rozelle Boyd(74,849) and Ron Gibson (74,635). Lonnell “King Ro” Conley (69,374) overcame concerns about his nickname and bested the best of the “A Team” Sean Frick by 2,057 votes. The Republicans controversial “A Team” campaign strategy backfired. Besides Frick and the at-large team’s defeat, mayoral hopeful Greg Jordan’s abysmal 37-4 percent of the vote was the biggest Republican countywide loss since Tom Schneider’s massive defeat last November. Jordan’s failure to actively campaign in our African-Ameri-can community came back to haunt him as hegarnered the fewest African-American votes of any Republican mayoral candidate in the UniGov era. The election was an unmitigated disaster for Libertarians. Their council candidates fared badly and their great hope, Rev. Greg Dixon of Baptist Temple

fame, finished a poor third in his District 22 race. The ballot controversies, the “ATeam” flap and growing Democraticdisdain for Republican policies fueled a massive turnout of straight ticket voters with 38.7 percent voting straight Democratic; 27.3 percent voting straight Republican, 0.4 percent voting straight Libertarian and 33.6 pereentsplittingor “scratching” their ballot. In the council district contests, 53.1 percent of voters supported Democratic candidates, 44.6 percent Republicans, 2.3 percent Libertarians. Democratic council candidates received 12,280 more votes than Republicans. The decision to count 8,647 absentee ballots in one location, instead of the precincts was preposterous. The count took 24 hours because of a lack of planning and coordination by Count)' Clerk Doris Anne Sadler. A businessman who helped count ballots said, “Sadler totally screwed

this up.”

But, the actual count was fair and accurate because of veteran Democratic and Republican volunteers. But the disorganization and delay did nothing to improve Sadler’s growing reputation for ineptitude. Another GOP embarrassment oecurredin LawTencewhereTom Schneider again suffered humiliation as firefighter Deborah Cantwell defeated the four-term mayor by 13 percentage points. Schneider’s defeat, by a woman, is fitting retribution. Happily, Law'rence residents ended Schneider’s Neanderthal-style government. While Democrats were elated at winning the mayor’s office and three council seats in Lawrence, Republicans captured mayor, clerk-treasurer and six of seven council seats in Beech Grove. That victory and Isaac Randolph’s win were the only bright spots in the Republicans’ Jordan/A Team di-

saster.

Speaking of mayors, Democrats will lead eight of Indiana’s 10 largest cities. Democrats won big in Fort Wayne, recaptured the Evansville mayoralty and w’on the major towns along the Ohio River. Despite losing races in Anderson,

Marion, Muncie and Elkhart, , state Democratic Party chair Joe « Hogsett says it was the best may- « ors’ election for Democrats since •

1959.

Then, after Mayor Peterson’s j landslide win, breaking the j UniGovcurse by winning control j ofthe City-County Council, doing ♦ well statewide, Democrats got an early Christmas present when , Gov. Joe Kernan got into the , governor’s race; and Vi Simpson ‘ and Joe Andrew got out. Kernan’s re-entry into the race made Democrats ecstatic and ‘ gave the Republicans fits. Instead of campaigning against Joe Andrew, weakened by the Bren Simon fiasco, or Vi Simpson, the ' GOP faces a newly energized Gov. Kernan campaigning to “unleash / the potential of Indiana for eveiy man, woman and child that calls this good state home.” Gov. Kernan said his decision to make his announcement at the j Madame Walker Building wasn’t based on symbolism, but convenience. But his decision resonates positively with African Ameri- " cans. ' At the Walker, Gov. Kernan acknowledged the difficulties of the coming campaign. “We take ' nothingforgranted,”Kemansaid, “ “I know it will not be easy. I will work hard. I will work smart. We will have fun and we will win.” Yes, Keith Bulen’s fuming in the afterlife. But, ending the UniGov curse for Democrats and Gov. Kernan’s rejoining the campaign has Sam Jones, Frank Lloyd, Mozel Sanders, Larry Conrad and Frank O’Bannon joyous in their heavenly home. Finally, in the battle of pundit predictions, I bettered the Indianapolis Star’s editorialists. Seventeen Star endorsed candidates won; a .586 prognostication average. Of this column’s council endorsements, 14 of 19 won; a .737 prognostication average. This winning pundit’ll see “ya next week. Amos Brown’s opinions are ’ not necessarily those of The Indianapolis Recorder. You can contact him at (317)221-0915 or e-mail him at [email protected].

Rush Limbaugh and justice

By JESSE L. JACKSON SR. NNPA

Rush Limbaugh, the conservative talk show bully, is in big trouble. He’s admitted to being addicted to painkillers. His former housemaid, WilmaCline, testified that he got her to supply him with enough illegal drugs to "kill a horse,” and apparently has given authorities records on some 30,000 illegal drugs that he purchased. Limbaugh admitted his addiction, checked himself into a rehab center, and called one of the best trial lawyers in America, Roy Black, to deal with the prosecutors. I le could get up to five years for his repeat offenses. Given the scope of his alleged activity and his prominence, prosecutors will have a hard time giving him a pass. I.imbaugh’s troubles have had the expected effect among the barracudas ofthe press. Liberals chortle at his hypocrisy and suggest the book should be thrown at him. Conservatives 1 i ke moralist and gam hi i ng addict William Bennett plead ignorance and duck. National Review columnist and lonncr Bush spccchwriter David Frurii gives Rush a pass: "I don’t think any less of’him for having ordinary frailties. The question is, do ymi face up to them in a manful way, w hich it sounds like he did.” Others try to draw a moral distinction between those who become addicted from painkillers and those who buy other drugs fort heir pain. But both sustain the criminal drug market, the underground crime underworld with itsconncctionstodrug mafia and terrorists. In fact, what Bush Limbaugh is struggling with is a terrible, brutal addiction, a destructive disease that afflicts many Americans. What Limbaugh needs is treatment, not prosecution It is good that be checked himself into a rehab center, although 30 day-, is not likely to suffice to rid him of a habit as had that this one reportedly is. The last thin^ Limbaugh needs is to be locked up in a cell for falling prey to a disease that consumes him. I.iinhaugh ol course, denounces treatment not jail as wooly headed liberal cod-

dling of crime. He’s of the lock ‘em up, zero tolerance school of jail cell conservatives. "Drug use... is destroying this country,” Limbaugh has ranted. "And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted

and they ought to be sent up.”

He added, "Too many whites are getting away with drug use. Too many whites are getting away with drug sales. Too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff. The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we’re not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.” Now Rush is seeking a personal exemption from those very laws, and those very sentiments. And, to ensure he gets it, this tribune who rails against trial lawyers, has

hired himself one ofthe best.

This desire for a personal exception isn’t unique. Any father would do what Gov. Jeh Bush did, w'hen he sought to keep his daughter Noelle from being locked up when she was arrested for using a false prescription to try' to buy drugs at a Florida pharmacy. Or seek the same privacy that President Bush sought for his daughter who was cited for using a false driver’s license to order a

drink when she was underage.

But no society can long abide one set of rules for the privileged and another for the poor, one for the connected and another for

the rest of us. It isn’t Rush’s hypocrisy that is the problem. It is that you can’t plead for an exemption to the law simply because you are rich, ' powerful, or conservative. The answer, however, is not to enforce bad laws on Limbaugh, but to change those laws. And in this, Limbaugh has a major role to ; play. His responsibility is to get himself J healthy, not to go to jail. * But at the same time, if he isn’t going to jail - as he shouldn’t - then he has a responsibility * to use his power and influence, his millions of viewers, to campaign to change our drug laws. He should lead the lobby for treatment rather ' than jail for addicts. He should campaign not simply on the dangers of’addiction, but on the folly oflocking up people who suffer from a ' disease. Conservatives don’t have Ho condemn Limbaugh for falling prey to a terrible addiction. But they can’t give Limbaugh a pass and throw the hook at young men and women growing up on mean streets, with far less ' hope and far more reason to seek an escape , from despair. I jet’s pray that Rash gives himselfthe time and treatment needed to break his habit But let’s offer treatment to the young and the p<x)r as well as the ’ < >ld and the wealthy. One set of rules, as conservatives like to say, for eveiyone. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago-based Rainbow/Push Coalition.

the? step on •me pcap id woccMepy is to apMir >00 nave a pccaeM

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