Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
Flagpole Magazine
April 8,. 1992
We get letters, P.O.Box 1027 • 30603
Letter #1
Draconian laws...
Dear Editor.
Imagine, if you will, a society so preoccupied
with prosecution for non-violent crimes, that ben
efits accrue to violent criminals as a result. Imag
ine defendant Jones during his confession of
raping a young woman indicating that he had
used a hotel towel in the victim’s bathroom and
then being stopped by the prosecutors who are
suddenly more interested in the victim's illegal
possession of a hotel towel than whatever it was
Jones was talking about. I recently encountered
examples of this mentality, which is a natural
extension of the theme of current law enforce
ment: “shortcuts through the Constitution and
disregard of privacy concerns for the sake of
prosecuting moral crimes." The scenario I de
scribe actually represents a combination of local
cases currently in our courts. Prosecutors had
actually paid burglars to tell the police about what
was in their victims' houses, i. e. “contraband."
The compensation received by the burglars,
ostensibly some favorable senN ncing treatment,
came in return for information that one of the
victims had a few marijuana plants in his closet.
The Smith family, consisting of a young infant and
working parents, with absolutely clean records,
were not insured when the burglar took virtually
everything they owned (they struggled hard
through the recession to put food on the table),
and Mr. Smith planted unsterilized bird seed
(which consists largely of imported hemp, or
marijuana, seeds) and grew a few plants for
private use and as a hobby. He never bought or
sold They couldn't convince the police to take
fingerprints after the burglary, because the po
lice were “too busy." and only had one fingerprint
set available They never got any reports back
trom the police about investigation of their bur
glary although they called the investigator sev
eral times and there was no “court cluttering’
restitution proceeding. But they did get a batter
ing ram in the front door nine months later, when
storm troopers, armed with a warrant, marched
passed Mrs. Smith frantically clutching her
screaming child as they ransacked the house
and carted off a box of frail hemp plants as
evidence. Mr. Smith faces jail time, but the jails
are overcrowded with non-violent victimless of
fenders A burglar may get early release to make
room for Mr. Smith if he does hard time
But that's not the end of the story, because
new draconian “zero tolerance" federal forfeiture
laws allow the government to seize tho Smith
home This includes the house, the yeard, the
equity in the home, everything they have been
working for for a decade, regardless of the minus
cule weight and volume of the plants The Smiths
still owe on that mortgage, though — gosh darn
it; and Mrs. Smith better send a check from the
homeless shelter where she and her baby have
been able to stay thanks to charitable non-gov
ernment funding. She lost her job. of course, once
Mr Smith’s disappearance with the storm troop
ers mado day care unaffordable
The burglar, soon out on the street, knows to
keep an “insurance" file listing contraband he’s
located at each one of his hits. The pornographic
pictures of the wife in one victim’s home, the
unlicensed antique pistol, the stolen road sign,
the hotel towel, the adultery evidence, anything.
The prosecution will argue he is not an "agent of
the state" atg the time, there was no express deal
(so his methods of obtaining the evidence do not
affect their ability to use it against the offending
burglary victims). And even if there was no con
traband when the storm troopers got there — “the
burglar’s say-so oughta be good enough to get a
warrant to invade someone's house If the infor
mation was false, the cops may get lucky and f ind
something in plain view once they can randomly
get in someone’s house to look around — and
isn't that what law enforcement is all about?" The
Court could even deny disclosure of the “confi
dential informant’s’ identity, even though he’s the
guy who burglarized their home.
I consider this another example of the “kinder
gentler nation" which ignores the basic concept
of wisdom, justice and moderation, eulogized on
our state seal A Constitutional c hallenge is in the
works for the propriety of using burglars as retro
active agents of the state for non-monetary com
pensation Let’s hope that American values of
family, privacy, and Constitutional considerations
do not fall victim to this new order of prosecutorial
thinking.
Eric Keith Krasle
Attorney at Law
Letter #2
Free speech first...
Dear Editor.
While Dennis Greenia may be correct that
current U S. obscenity laws are patriarchal, he is
wrong in the belief that a new standard would
offer benefits to the public and particularly women.
[FP 3/4/92]
It helps pro-censorship forces someone gives
an eloquent explanation as to why certain speech
should be banned. Before the latest explanation
offered to the Canadian Supreme Court, there
was the one provided by homophobic, patriar
chal pundits. With the Men's Movement going
strong, it is only a matter of time before masculinists
begin a propaganda campaign which claims
male nudity ‘degrades or dehumanizes" men.
and hence, should be censored. At the end of this
tit-for-tat restriction game, the First Amendment
will be trashed. The real beneficiaries will be pro
censorship zealots like Jesse Helms and Phylis
Schafly [sic] who wanted all along to decide for
others what was proper for them to see and hear.
Speech restrictions always represent a threat
totheequalityof citizens Thecensor is better and
more intelligent then the censored; it is up to the
censor to decide for others what may be harmful,
while tho general public is seen nothing more
than a mob of potential rapists and child molest
ers. whom, if not protected bu their betters, would
follow their natural tendencies toward criminal
deviancy.
The selling and viewing of sexual material or
any other speech must not be restricted Produc
ers of pornography are subject to [ a pe. nryrder
and molestation charges. But the fact that por
nography may imply a criminal act should not
make that portrayal illegal.
Dennis Greenia tells us that “sexuality and
eroticism" are not obscene but that material de
picting "degradation, subordination, or dehu
manization" is obscene. This assertion relates
more to personal than to hallowed knowledge,
suspect. And judging from extant pornography,
many sexual fantasies do indeed involve acts
which Greenia. if he could, would forbid the
public to see
Because the new Canadian law specifically
applies to women, it implies that females need
special protection; as such, the law helps to re
establish the “cult-of-femininity" wherein women
are weak and vulnerable needing the support
and the protection of the government or strong
male patriarches. A similar theory underlay the
past disenfranchisement of women voters in this
country Then, women's roles were thought to
arena of political decision-making.
Incidentally. Hunter S. Thompson pointed-
out that If it were true that viewing pornography
caused individuals to commit rape and molesta
tion, then the members of the Meese Commission
on Pornography are probably, now. dangerous
sexual predators
Sincerely. Scott Starling
From tho Publisher: The question is. Should
there be any limits on freedom of speech? You
would argue that there should not be and that any
limitations are dangerous. You may be right.
However all of our freedoms should be limited by
a respect for others to enjoy the same freedoms.
A conflict occurs when one person’s freedom
denies a freedom to another. Ours is a patriarchal
society. Violence and domination of women are
condoned at every level It is not only Jesse Helms
and the conservative right who hold these views.
The liberal left embraces the patriarchal view of a
women's place in society as well. The radical
movement of the 60's and early 70s failed in large
part because the final position of women in the
movement was to be barefoot, pregnant and
stringing beads.
The Canadian law is not perfect. It has some
real problems. However, it is the first time that a
definition of obscenity was based on violence
and abuse as opposed to sexuality, homophobia,
nudity and puritanical patmrchal values. It is the
violence thai is obscene. Any censorship is
dangerous. Any obscenity law needs to be
extremely narrowly defined and intentionallyhard
to prove. If there are to be obscenity laws they
should be based on what violently denies one
person their rights and not on eroticism.
The obscenity debate will go on. Perhaps a
new law is not needed Perhaps each of us needs
to examine our own values and learn to respect
each other Our freedoms are only as strong as
our sense of personal responsibility and our will
ingness to protect them Question what you read
and think.
Dennis F. Greenia
Letter #3
Don’t believe
the Observer hype...
Dear Flagpole readers;
Pay no attention to the man behind the cur
tain! Publisher Dennis Greenia’s column last week
made me wonder if Flagpole has become a
public relations arm of The Athens Observer The
Observer's journalistic wounds are entirely self-
inflicted. Observer management should have
realized long ago that the three R's of journalism
are readership, respect and revenue Without
readership and respect, the paper’s manage
ment cannot expect to get revenue. The Athens
Observer has long been a fountain of favoritism
and a nest of nepotism, and now their journalistic
sins are catching up with Observer management.
I wrote for the Observer since three months after
the paper began in 1974. Week after week, month
after month and year after year, I wrote about the
important issues of the day. For my trouble I was
fired from the Observer on the eve of my 500th
article for the paper. I was fired for the lame,
trumped-up 'eason of “not being a team piayer
So much for yajr comments on the Observer
“giving a voice and an outlets (sic) to the many
divergent opinions that make Athens a great
place to live." Presently I am writing for The
Athens Star and the Athens daily papers and can
say emphatically that the daily papers that Mr.
Greenia seems to despise are treating me with
much more fairness and respect than the so-
called alternative Obsea'er ever did Hundreds
of Athenians who read my columns in the Ob
server are still angry and disillusioned with the
paper and have followed me to my new journalis
tic venues. Flagpole readers should not be fooled
by Mr. Greenia’s sentimental simpering about
“helping an old friend," "giving the paper a
chance - and ‘reading and supporting" the Ob
server Readership and support should be earned,
not freely given because the Flagpole publisher
is pals with the Observer publisher. The Athens
Observer has forsaken its roots and has treated
its own longtime contributors in a grossly shabby
and shady manner. Before Athenians buy The
Observer, they should remember the words of
rock band The Who: “We won’t get fooled again."
Ed Tant
Observer writer. 1974-1991
From tho Publisher: It is true that the Ob
server has fucked up in the past. It is also true that
there are some folks over there who are dedi
cated to improving it. Their efforts should be
judged on the product they produce. It is a
simplistic notion that the troubles of the past
mandate the outcome of the future I said we
should be willing to give the publication a chance
and I am right. Read tho Observer and judge it for
what it is.
Dennis F. Greenia
Letters to Flagpole are welcomed and will be
printed as space allows. Send you coments to
Flagpole Magazine / Letterrs / P.O. Box 1027 /
Athens. GA 30603.
Fine Dining
The Downstairs Announces
With sadness in our hearts. The end of BRUNCH
as we know it. so, until further notice,
we are Closed on Sundays.
In Other Cafe news:Thursday Nights
Will be devoted to Indian or Thai Cuisine
we hope you’ll Try our Dazzling array
of Authentic Curries and Cool Side Dishes.
Tuesdays Fantasy Dinners
April i4th Cajun Extravaganza Crawfish EtouffE,
Jambalaya. & our renowned Gumbo. Only $6.95
Art on the Walls
posters by:
Deonna Mann
Useful Knowledge
Gumbo Mondays
Party New Orleans style every Monday
with Shrimp Gumbo, Red Beans fit Rice,
and Garlic-Drenched French Bread
Onl> $3 99
HOURS. SUN: 11-11 PM/'MON.
Great out of town Bands
are the Greatest or Treats
Come see NY City's ‘The Very Pleasant
Neighbor" and be Amazed'
• Thurs. 11am- 1 am / Frl & Sat 1 1am • 3 am •
Swell Music
Wed., Apr. e — Einsteins — Free Show
Thurs., Apr. 9 — Thorny hold / Killbillys
Frl, Apr. 10 — the Very Pleasaftt Neighbor From NY City
Sat., Apr. ii - cicada Sings / Asa Nsi Masa
Wed., Apr. 1 s — lisa Majersky — free Show
Thurs., appil 16 — Greenhouse / McDowell Sisters
Frl, April 17 — Daisy
Sat.. Apr 18 — doe / Synthetic flying machine
Mon., April ?.o — situ point - Poetry Readincs
Ljls., April 2 i — still, point - Fiction Reading
w :d.. Apr. 22 - sr*anse Damsel
14C c Clayton Street * 549-4416