Page 48 - ThePhoenix1989-90

, " ~'" 41 Western Maryland Collegel Editorial On Capital Punishment I left the forum on capital punishment on November 14 in McDaniel Lounge even more decidely unresolved than before I had entered the room. Yet to say that I am unresolved is a dichotomous inaccuracy. My mind says that capital punishment is a just retribution. ~ My heart, on the other hand, not an acknowledged Hammurabian disciple, but a thinker nonetheless, contends that "just" has not been -Letters to the Editor- satisfactorally defined or applied. Mr. John Morris, a lawyer with the A.C.L.U. (not to be confused with against capital punishment, but rather. as he declared from the start, one from Harbold Pleads for Personal and the American Criminal Liberties Union). did not present a substantive case a process standpoint. He stated that since we cannot agree on who should be executed. Campus-Wide Responsibility executions should be discontinued. My heart (not the thinking one described before. but the biological one) Editor, The Phoenix: Nonetheless. no one is excused news for you, folks-we are all ulti- is prone itself to fallacies: heart murmurs and occasional excessive racing. Three cheers for the editorial in by cultural or societal standards from mately responsible for our own con- If I were to discontinue its usage. though. because it is faulty, I'd be up theNovember9.1989.Phoenix! It's personal responsibility. duct. the creek without a canoe. good to see that there is one paper on Personal responsibility is a con- Maleand female, noone has any Or. as Mr. Marc Rasinsky, a local lawyer who presented the opposing campus with at least some sense of cept which seems to have gotten bad right to touch anyone else in an inap- viewpoint. asked, should we completely abandon our judicial branch be- journalistic responsibility. pressinoursocietyofiate. Butlhave Continued on page 5 cause it has made mistakes1 As a Western Maryland College If so, crime, which admiued1y exists, would then overrun the stale. student, lam appalled at the very ex- Mr. Morris also said that, he, and we, should not trust the people making istence of such a rag as the so-called Sellman Questions Theft the decisions to execute criminals. (raEherappropriately,Imustconfess!) A student in the audience asked him if he would feel differently if his Sphincter, and far more so at its wife or brother were murdered. open-one might say flagrant-ad- [This letter is to] the cheap char- are reminded of your mean spirited ButIaSk,in the defense of Mr. Morris, if your wife or brother were the vertisementoncampus,muchlessits acter who stole the Western Mary- dishonestyandlackofintegrity. You murderer, would you so hastily and vigorously demand death? presence in a display on alternative land College banner from the Forum serve no good purpose on this cam- In that lies Mr. Morris' argument: how can you reconcile the fact that student publications in the English on Saturday morning.November II. pus. some convicted murderers are executed in some states while other convicted department. . 1989. Hopefully, those with whom you murderers, some of more heinous crimes, are allowed to Jive, albeit in jail? It is unworthy of such an honor Thebanneryoustole wastoserve associate have a higher moral stan- Theinconsistencychokesoutthefaimess;lifeistoofragiletobeplaced on its name alone. leaving content as the background for pictures of dard and will return the banner to the in human hands. aside! WMC championship teams as they Alwnni Office on second floor EI- (Then I wonder why the A.CL.U. does not oppose abortion. If life Toclaim theexcuseof"freedom were honored at the Sports Hall of derdice. begins at conception, then the United States is guiltyof millions and millions of the press" is a gross distortion. Fame banquet. of wrongful murders. Yet. since no one seems toknow when lifestans, like. . With rights come responsibili- I hope that each time you look at Donna Sellman no one knows who should be executed, why take the chance of te~iruiting ties, despitea prevailing sentiment to your stolen piece of goods that you Director or Alumni Affairs it when it has begun? the contrary. i---..:....-...:.--~-----_;_--------, In the thinking 'of the A.c.L.U. and other similar minds. it is more With freedom of the press comes worthwhile to risk the death of someone who is neither morally nor legally the obligation to a certain level of de- , guilty nor deserving of death than of an individual who is guilty "beyond a cency and decorum, not to mention reasonable doubt" and is questionably deserving of death.) journalistic objectivity. Editor-in-Chief Bob Blue Mr. Rasinsky, who cited the Magna Carta, the U.S. Constitution, and the While this is an ideal which is by BusinessManager $tefanieR.Shaffer nation's forefathers, realized the need fora better system, but concluded that no means universally realized in the Copy Editors .Julie E. Baile, Meg Gobrecht, Alisa Rock we cannot abandon the present one. But capital punishment, in fact, can be world today. it is one well worth Sports Editor : Steve Harlan abandoned without aborting the system. striving for. particularly on a college Photography Editors Helen Lowe, Jon Marsh Moreover, this is the same system that once tenaciously upheld and campus. Cartoonists..... . Kellie Marsh, Erik Siano enforced slavery, segregation, the persecution of social minority groups, and The right to express one's own Production Assistants Andrea Covington, Christine Keiner, women's anti-suffrage. Our laws and punishments. which still statistically viewpoints does not admit me right Michelle Kloss, Kellie Marsh reflectaracial and sexual skewing, may be justasat fault today as in the past to trample over the rights and coune- Reporters J. J. Boggs, Andrea Covington, Grant Disharoon. Capital punishment may be a leftover totalitarian habit from a less enlight- stes due. explicitly and implicitly, to Juan Hidalgo, Andrew Krevolin, Mike Kubacki, Stuart Pearlman, Ed ened America. others. Rigling, Todd Robb. Wendy Ruderman He also contended that it is the will of the majority to preserve capital I must disagree, however. with Advisor... . Dr. Pamela Regis punishment (On my math exams, IansweramajorilY of the questions. but, the statement that there is a "subtle let me assure you, that does not and has not made the answers correct) anti-female sentiment" on campus: ThePhoenix ispublishedbi·weeklybi~adeadline-crazedstaffatWestern Unless you believe that might is always right, it is clear that it is f!1e there is nothing subtle about it! Maryland College. The opinions expressed do not nccessarily reflect majority that often brings down the disgraceful acts upon a nation. The above-mentioned publica- those of the administration, the staff, the students, or of anyone else ..for --Writing-my ldeas.downcertainly has not resolved the issue for me. If tion is both a symptom of and a con- that matter. Editorials are the responsibility of the witty Editor-in-Chief. I knew that I had the right answer, then I'd be running for God in '92. tributing factor to this trend. The Letters to the Editor must be one page. typed, doubJe spaced, and signed. J believe. though, that to be in a state of befuddlement and asking studentsofthiscampusarenot wholly Include a phone number for verification. questions is to be on the path to truth. If the issue has been resolved for you, to blame: it is a trend not specific to Address all mail to: The Phoenix come explain it to me. thisoranycampus,butunfortunately Western Maryland College Otherwise, I hope you are as befuddled as I am. far broader. LW~es!!!un!!!in!!!s!!:le!..r~M~D~2:!."!ii5.!..7 _J , ,