Poughkeepsie Journal from Poughkeepsie, New York • Page 4

3JH' Ik i a ougbhccp)it Journal Established (USPS 440 480) Richard Wager, Publisher Wil(iom Pukmel, Managing Editor iVh PouohkMosM Journal Is owned kftd oubllshed dally and Sunday f6ughkcepile Nwsppr, Inc Richard Waor, president, Thomas Chap oy mia. ueretarv Principal place fit business and address of officers, ecept Mr Scitapple. IS CMC Center Plata, Poughkeepsle. I2M1 Entered as second SLclass matter at the post office In Poughkeepsle, Subscription rates single fopy, dally 20 cents, Sunday 50 cents IKXelephone Ua 2000 lltfomt delivery by carrier, MX per month ff! iTSHtl JUL.ll fVilliinwl CiiHiInu I Only MEMBERASSOCIATEDPRESS "it WK 3Moi. 6 Mot tYr S19S $25 35 15070 $10140 75" $75 $19 50 J39 0O Fridoy, Januory 25, 1980 jfcfof The editorials which appear are the opinion of the management of the Poughkeepsle Journal.

The editorial board consists of Richard K. Wager, publisher, William T. Pukmel.f managing editor, and Bert Burns, editorial page editor. Lsssssflr sssssssssssHRisssssssH HHHIhHHBBIIIb Jack Anderson 'fly aiy means i 1 1 Devoid of clouding rhetoric, President Carter has committed this country to military action if the Soviet Union should expand its invasion of the Middle East. jThe key words in his State of the Union message were, "any means necessary, including fdfee," in his pledge that this country would repel any attempt by the Russians to take over countries neighboring Afghanistan that sit over the world's largest ocean of petroleum.

It was not surprising that this portion of his speech received the loudest bipartisan applause frcun the joint session of Con gtss, nor that the warning has received the support, by and large, of the American public. l(3s an indicator that this country is ready not only to flex its nSjiscles but to use them. It also is encouraging that the President will seek reinstitu tion of registering 18 year olds for potential military training. While this does not necessarily mean resuming the draft, it does mean maintaining a list of ready reserves if a national crisis should occur. The draft became a dirty word during the Vietnam war because of the widespread unpopularity of our involvement in it.

But prior history, primarily our floundering at the outset of World War II, has shown the damages that. can result from the failure to be prepared for a crisis. We hope that future events will not require sending American military forces into the Middle East, or anywhere else for that matter. We hope that it won't be necessary to draft our young people into the services. But preparing for the worst is a matter of better being safe than sorry.

Everybody's Column Alore consideration for retarded asked I a ruiytfi nit? siyuifjio The following is reprinted feom the New York Times: thought for a time that the Soviet Union has responded, to this and other boycotts, with at tempts to undermine Mr. TO THE EDITOR: My mother was recently visiting me from out of state, and I wanted to show her how Poughkeepsle has flourished In the past 10 years. On a lark, we decided to have lunch at a restaurant located on the Main Mall. As It was noon, the place was very crowded and very noisy. My son, who happens to look normal, but, in fact, is severely retarded, was making "his" sounds (the excitement of eating out).

I realize that his sounds may grate on some people's nerves, but it was so noisy in there that I was literally astonished that anyone had even heard him. The owner actually had to scream over the din to tell me (and everyone else within earshot) to have my son keep his noise down. This is not the first time, and I'm sure it will not be the last, that I have come across this type of problem. It is because Dutchess County has the highest per capita mentally handicapped in New York State that I feel I must voice my opinion. I have never been ashamed or embarrassed when an incident such as this occurs, only sadened at the ignorance and insensitivity that.

some' people show. lympics could be saved in 1980 Carter's authority. 4 the world were Jforced to' love the games to permanent Hid apolitical sites, starting in J84. neutral spot in Greece auld be logical for the sum Jeri games. Switzerland or istria would be fine in win r.

In the past, many nations rested the idea for reasons of pride, politics and commerce. Tjiey dreamed of being host. Hut, given the present interna onal embarrassment, the I nited States could have insist ea on relocation as the price of going to one last, supremely national spectacle in the Soviet Union. gThat maneuver is no longer possible. President Qarter seems to have felt all along that an American boycott of the Moscow games would be a significant retaliation for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Having now pressed for a boycott, joe cannot bargain, with it. many American athletes iwere to turn up in Moscow while Afghanistan is occupied, (they would flout and diminish ifJie American presidency, and validate the Soviet calculation that there was more profit than Cost in the seizure of a neighboring country. A boycott of. the Moscow ames stands as one of the few Ihon violent measures readily Available to the President. The ThelRussians seek to escape his economic sanctions by exploiting the free markets of the West.

They will use American freedom to their advantage to encourage discontent among farmers, businessmen, athletes and others affected by the counter In time, they may blunt those measures. But Amerian withdrawal from the Olympics will hurt the Soviet Union for a very long time, draining joy from a keenly anticipated event. As long as they were universal, the games promised to place the normally isolated Soviet citizen at the center of world attention and interest. They also promised the communist leaders of the country a bonus of legitimacy. The Kremlin knows now to turn the acclaim of foreigners into enthusiasm at home.

The loss will rankle, and will not be easy to explain. It would be best, then, to ratify the President's judgment and to abandon plans to compete in Moscow, even though the world is unlikely to agree on another site soon. More difficult policy decisions await Americans in the wake of Afghanistan, Gradually, a new agenda of Soviet American projects will appear. The Olympics should be among the easier ones to repair. There has never been anyone, anywhere who has wanted or wished their child to be born mentally or physically handicapped.

Maybe it's time that the people in our area realized that we, as parents, cannot do any more than we are already doing to control our children's actions. Maybe it's time that, when they see a child acting in a strange manner, they realize there is probably a very good reason for their behavior. Maybe it's time they put'themselves In our shoes. I would not have brought this Incident to the attention of the public had the owner come to my table and asked politely if I could possibly have" my son behave in a more appropriate manner instead of yelling across the counter and several tables to get my attention. Had I been holding a crying infant in my arms, the noise would have gone totally unnoticed.

You can be sure that I will never frequent this restaurant again, nor will any of my family. If this is the way Poughkeepsle is growing, it is going to find that there will be no people growing with it. MARIEL JOANN YOUNG, Hopewell Junction Editorial on abortion rebutted TO THE EDITOR i I would like to comment on your recent editorial entitled, "Abortion Reignited." The editorial Indicated the usual points of pro abortionists, i.e., the plight of the poor, freedom of choice, etc. Nowhere does It mention the right of the other party to the "choice" (life or death) the unborn child. The right to life is guaranteed to all under the U.S.

Constitution and preempts any seemingly prejudicial effect of the ability of the poor to pay for an abortion. In this country, there has to be a better way to provide for the poor without killing their babies. The editorial said, if the decision is that it should be legal (meaning abortion), funds should be provided for all women If we sub stitute the word "murder" for the word then that sentence would read, if the decision is that murder should be legal, funds should be provided, etc." I am certain no one really advocates providing funds for such a cause. Medical technology is getting closer to the day when it will be able to confirm the humanity of the fetus even from the moment of conception. This discovery, plus a human life amendment, will clear up all the confusion and will declare the will of the majority of the American people that "all human life is We pray and hope this time is not far off.

JOHN LANE, Fishkill WASHINGTON There Is a nagging conviction In the Washington 'strategy councils that President Carter himself laid the groundwork for the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. His unsure, unsteady hand at the helm, the strategists think, en couraged the Soviets to strike. These professionals believe Carter was gulled and intimidated by the Soviets. According to one scathing assessment, the Kremlin took Carter's measure and found him "weak, va scillating and vulnerable." The strategists doubt that the wily but wary old men of the Kremlin would have risked a massive military move to the rim of the Western oil reserves if they had thought the president would stand up to them. In an earlier column, I described how the Soviets had tested Carter's mettle at the beginning of his term.

'They repeatedly rebuffed him, and he repeatedly rebounded full of confidence that moralism would triumph over amorality In the end. He was sure he could reach an understanding with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev if only they could sit down together. Carter believed that the sincerity of his purpose and the power of his faith would overcome the barriers between them, that a summit meeting would ease worldv tensions and reduce the nuclear threat. The president' was as enthusiastic as an evangelist when at last he confronted Brezhnev in Vienna last June. Carter beamed happily when the Soviet leader responded to his appeal for world peace by declaring: "God will not forgive us if we fail." Carter jotted down the remark on a sheet of yellow paper, Other 'members of the American delegation looked startled at old atheist's reference to the Deity.

Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromy ko, apparently sensing' theirsurprise, pointed at the ceiling and confirmed: "You know, that's the Guy up there." Carter left Vienna exuberant over his new personal relationship with the Kremlin czar. But intelligence reports suggest that Brezhnev was less impressed with Carter; according to one report, Brezhney regarded his American counterpart as weak and waffling. The next crisis came just a few months later. Photo reconnaissance detected a Soviet combat brigade on maneuvers a few miles south of Havana. Soviet advisers had been in Cuba for 17 years, but the appearance of a combat force within' 90 miles of our shores was a disturbing new development.

The president registered a protest with his new friend in the Kremlin. Back came a flat denial that a Soviet combat brigade had been sent to Cuba. Carter complained to congressional leaders that the Soviets were Soviets deny it has com bat status," he told "But It is a combat unit." He his protest public. JThe presence of a Soviet combat brlga'dV in Cuba, he declared, was ''unacceptable." He would use 'diplomacy, he get the Soviets to eliminate the combat nature of unit If wV do not succeed, we will, take appro priate action to, change the status quo. Bui four weeks of diplomatlceP forts 3iad no effect upon the SovietsT Gromyko rejected Carter's entreat ties'in blunt language.

"OurJ advice on this score," he said, "is simple: It is, high tim.efyou admit this matter is artificial and proclaim it to be closed." Seventeen years earlier, the Soviets had backed away from a Cuban, confrontation with President John Kennedy. This time it Was America's turn to back away: What: had earlier, Carter conceded, was now acceptable. "The brigade issue is certainly no reason for a return to the cold war," he explained to the American people. He couldn't even extract a Soviet pledge, according to Insiders, not to provide airlift or sealift capacity for the disputed brigade. Carter's backdown'came last October.

There Is solid intelligence that the Soviet decision to invade Afghan istan came later the same month. U.S. analysts believe that the two events were related, that Carter's nervous handling of the Cuban crisis convinced the Kremlin crowd they could get away with aggression in Afghanistan. Carter had made such a sorry hash of things in Iran, meanwhile, that the Soviets were tempted to close in on the oil fields. At first, Brezhnev tried to mask his military moves by announcing a unilateral withdrawal of Soviet troops and tanks from East Germany.

He made this appear to be a concession to Western Europe. In reality, the Soviet units were quietly moved to the borders of Afghanistan. They remforced an airborne division, which was also put on a war footing. The military buildup was monitored by US. intelligence agencies which submitted their reports to the president.

He sought an explanation from Moscow, and Brezhnev reassured him that the Soviets intended, no military action. The trusting Carter accepted Brezhnev's assurances. Later Carter took the Afghanistan aggression as a personal affront. He was particularly offended by Brezhnev's explanation over the Moscow Wa sh ington hot line that the Soviet troops had been "invited" into Afghanistan. "This was obviously false," the president later commented angrily.

But. with the election only nine months away, he now seeks to proj ect himself as the hero of his own catastrophes. Between You and AAe By Bert Burns Corruption in prisons alleged TO THE EDITOR: On Jan. 4, a federal judge in New York City charged New York State prison officials at various facilities with action tantamount to embezzlement and direct larcenies. This federal court charge stems from prison officials using the interest from Inmates' money In several banks to give prison guards salary advances and for other things illegal.

These unlawful actions may run into the millions of dollars dating back over a five year period, and you, the taxpayers, will be required to undo the wrong by paying all inmates whatever money they lost. Naturally, the Inmates regret this, Instead of the corrupted prison officials who knowingly violated the laws and who will not have to stand trial for their unlawful actions. Instead of contacting the director of the budget In the Corrections dE partment to determine if they can use the Inmates' money, several prison officials willfully disregarded department rules and went on a spending rage. Why don't you contact your political representatives in Albany and thei governor, and let them know how you feel about this whole mess because, with the money at Green Haven prison, you may wind up having to pay higher taxes before the year is over, LOUIS MILBURN, Green Haven Prison, Stormville 5 ry Few Good Samaratans found Loophole of loopholes Congress recently passed leg Jllation to prohibit members of Jjie House and Senate from converting unspent campaign funds to their personal use. it Cases have come to light in hich retiring representatives jbave taken well stocked campaign treasuries with them into private life.

Money contributed to political pampaigns should not end up i Jn an office holder's pocket. Absolutely right. But it turns out ihat the bill contains a loophole jyjdg enough to accommodate ft the entire membership of the current Congress. The new law will applonly to members elected in the future. Current members will be governed only by the self imposed rules of their respective houses.

While the Senate rules forbid personal use of campaign funds, the House rules are silent on the subject. If it's going to be wrong for future members of Commerce to take unspent campaign funds with them into retirement, it is just as wrong for current members to do so. TO THE EDITOR; Recently, a friend, my brother and I were in a car accident, and I want to let you people know that only one out of all the cars that passed stopped. Not even a policeman who passed right by stopped to see if wewere injured. It's sad to think where my parents' tax money Is going.

Was your Saturday night out so important that you couldn't stop for five minutes to see if medical attention was necessary? What ever happened to the good neighbor policy? BONNIE DELSON. Oak Bend Road If you've got something on your The Journal welcomes letter! to the We print more than 2.000 of them from readers every year, and like to print as many as possible. This means that short letters have a better chance of being printed than long ones. And it means we will edit letters relative to taste, style, length and libel. You can help insure that your letter will be printed by signing it, and Including your address and telephone number so we' might verify you wrote it.

Everybody's Column is Just that, and we look forward to hearing from )U. We try to print them'in the order In which they are received. you The over 40 crowd received successive shocks recently when two of their celebrated number, Bert Parks and Mike Douglas, were fired. Parks, of course, got canned as master of ceremonies for the Miss America Pageant, a job he had held almost since the advent of the one piece bathing suit. Douglas took the boot as host of a syndicated TV talk show which has been a fixture on the tube in the mornings or afternoons for the last 18 years.

At the root of their firings were their ages. Bert, Is 65 and Mike is 54 and counting. The thinking of the Miss America people was that it was becoming increasingly more incongruous as the years passed to have an aging tenor singing the coronation song for the sweet, nubile morsel who had been judged the cream of ''the nation's young womanhood. It was a slightly different thing with Douglas, but the age factor was no less a key. According Jo the New York Times, the stations that carry the show had been pressuring the Westlnghouse Broadcasting which owns It, to find a younger host, since his loyal audience was "growing old with him." Now, I am not exactly, bleeding over the misfortune of the pair, I long have been of the opinion that Bert, parks was among the more corny of our TV performers, and huTrenditloa of, "There she Amer.r.r.r.ica," was more an irritant than an inspiration.

However, I recognized that my opinion may have been in the minority. As for Mike Douglas, he turns me off for two reasons. One is the terrible faces he makes when he sings, as though the act hurts his tonsils, The other Is his interviewing technique which consists of shooting questions at his guest, and never waiting for a full answer. But my personal prejudices don't negate, the larger issue. Should their ages have been the central reason for their getting canned? Goodness knows, they seemed popular enough in the ratings.

Does over 50 constitute over the hill in Show business? Hardly, a A check of the records shows that Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin, who host shows similar to Douglas's, are both 54. Griffin syndicates his own, and Carson is the top moneymaker for his network, which explains why their jobs may not be in jeopardy. AS for Bert Parks's peers, Frank Sinatra Is 64 and Perry Como is 67, and they continue to warble pretty well. Then, you have Bob Hope, who will turn 77 in May, and George Burns who was 84 last Sunday. There are no flies on their continued activityactivity And, if sex appeal Is Injected Into the picture, it might be pointed out that Paul Newman will turn 55 tomorrow, and Robert Redford will be 43 in August.

They are in no immediate danger of being dragged off to an old folks home. The point of this whole thing is that it is a myth that piling up years on one's age has to be a downhill trip, either for males or females. There is plenty of life yet in a lot of us aging birds, and, if you don't think so, just drop the handkerchief. There are some things, of course, that are better young like sweet corn. But there are other things that get better with age wine.

There are many of us who, for many reasons, sympathize with the lyrics of the song sung by Maurice Chevalier in "I'm glad I'm not young anymore. 4 fs.