February 2, 1978 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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!i Jour00l C_OPINl0100.
Why we do what we do
You arc aware, if you have read the letters to tile
editor during tile past month, that a munber of readers
have objected to the Journal's policy of using tile nanle of
the alleged victim in reporting a rape trial.
Our policy on rel)orting public trials is exceedingly
shnple. The Journal reports all major trials in Mason
County. Our purpose is to transmit to readers a true
; picture of what transpired in the courtroom. In order to be
', fair and accurate, it is necessary that all principals be
I
, nanled.
: Those who disagree with our policy ask that we make
• an exception in one type of case. They ask that we set
aside our ethics during the coverage of a rape trial and omit
the name of one party.
Their response is understandable, given the emotion
generated by the crime of rape. But we believe they are
overlooking some important aspects of the criminal justice
system which the newspaper must consider if it is to act
fairly and responsibly.
They choose to ignore, but the newspaper should not,
the basic concept of law which insists that the rights of the
accused must be protected. Until, and unless, a jury returns
a verdict of guilty, there is no victim and no lawbreaker.
The principals are the accuser and the accused.
In any test of fairness, the rights of the accused must
be considered equal to those of the accuser.
We ask those who criticize our policy to contemplate
how they would explain to an accused rapist who was
acquitted why his name appeared in the story of the trial
and the name of his accuser (lid not.
We also ask them to. consider what the result would be
if what they claim is an important reason foi" not printing
the name of the alleged rape victim is true. They claim that
i more alleged victims would agree to go to trial if they
could be promised their names would not be used.
r!
': If that claim is true and a newspaper adopted such a
policy for that reason, the newspaper would become a
"; weapon in the prosecutor's arsenal. A newspaper has no
; business being in such a position.
7, We do not know enough law to understand the legal
:2 ramifications of such a conspiracy, but we think a defense
attorney might be interested in exploring its effect on his
b,
client's right to fair treatment.
l-
, Be that as it may, the Journal wants no part in such an
arrangement or even the appearance of such a partnership.
The newspaper's role is to bring you the news of what is
going on in the courts, not take part in the proceedings.
These, then, are the reasons for the Journal policy
which is being questioned. We think they make sense and
are ,onsibility for the consequences of
r We have no quarrel with those who question the policy.
They have every right to do so. We do hope, however, that
i they will put emotion aside and try to understand why we
do what we do.
And we hope they will tmderstand that there are no
monsters at the Jourual. We are all compassionate human
being'. We deplore the crime of rape. We get no enjoyment
from covering rape trials. We do not sensationalize; the
report you read is a matter-of-fact account of what went
on in the courtroom.
A repeated opinion of the objectors is that only law
enforcement personnel and her immediate family will know
lllllllllllllll
the alleged victim's identity if her name is not published.
This is simply not true and those who attempt to
alleviate her suffering by telling her that are practicing a
cruel, if well-intentioned, deception.
The trial is public. Police, court officials, courthouse
workers, reporters and casual visitors arc all aware of her
identity. Human nature dictates that they will discuss the
case with others, who will also pass along the information.
Friends and neighbors also know of the incident, and they
become links in the chain of gossip.
We want to stress again the matter of fairness. A
newspaper's good reputation rests upon its readers'
perception of the fairness with which it presents the news.
If it is deliberately unfair in just one instance, there is no
reason for its readers to believe it is fair in all others.
No matter what its other shortcomings, we want you to
believe our newspaper is fair.
Words of wisdom
We live in conmplex times. But you can work your way
through the troubling maze if you renlember the following
truisms.
Never trust a psychiatrist who is sitting on his mother's
lap.
If at first you don t succeed, run as a Democrat.
Old beauticians never fade away, they just dye.
The Army Corps of Engineers can move mountains - and
valleys, and rivers, and trees, and homes, and.. •
Movies are better than ever - if you're five years old.
Hysterectomies are the stuff of which investment
portfolios are made.
Howard Hughes was a willful man.
Malfunctioning computers are best described by words
that are unprintoutable.
Never argue with a judge who wears a black leather robe.
Vampires are a pain in the neck.
Old plagiarists never die, they just steal away.
When tile cat's away, the mice sneak off to the laboratory
to smoke cigarettes.
The milk of human kindness is currently rated at two
percent.
• The late show would be easier to follow if they didn't
"'"keep interrupting the commercials with those dumb old',
movies.
Junk food is nature's way of subsidizing the medical
profession.
A Congressman is known by the companies that keep
him.
Take-home pay is the doggie bag the bureaucracy gives
you after it has finished eating.
If you wish to sight a sasquatch, first buy a defective
camera.
If God had wanted man to shop in discount stores, he
would have labored seven days and rested after 9 p.m.
Jimmy Carter always sends a good old boy to do a man's
work.
Mack McGinnis' Going to
Comedy"00Comment t h e d o g s
' |uuu|uluuu
Bob Ban" tells about the two Eskimos who were sitting in their kayak
and got chilly. So they lit a fire, but when they did the boat sank. It
proved once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it, too.
(Bob Batz in Dayton Daily News)
• Announcement about a school play that was printed in a Memphis
:publication: All of the cast will be played by members of the eighth
:grade, except the baby Jesus, who will be played by a concealed
40-watt light bulb."
(Red O'Donnell in Nashville Banner)
Phyllis Diller on her heavyweight mother-in-law: "She was so big
when she was a kid she could only play 'Seek.' She eats so fast
there's a racing stripe on her fork. When she wants a salad I pour oil
and vinegar on the lawn and tell her to graze."
(Jack Berry in The Detroit News)
A farmer sent his nephew t c¢te.of chickens but the crate burst open
just as he started to take them out. He wrote his uncle, "I chased
'em through my neighbor's yard but I only got back eleven." "You
did alright," wrote back the uncle, "I only sent you six."
(Claude McDonald)
¢l'tl.e 00007;Jourrlal
Founded 1886 by Grant C. Angle
Mailing Address: Box 430, Shelton, Wa. 98584
Phone 426-4412
Published at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Mason County,
Washington 98584, weekly.
Second-class postage paid at Shelton, Washington
Member of National Editorial Association
Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $7.00 per year in Mason County,
$9.00 per year in State of Washington $12.00 per year out of State
By DAVE AVERILL
You know how it is with people.
All of us are, well, particular. Toss us in with a
cross-section of hunlanity, and we'll find those we like and
those we can't stand.
Only one person ever said, "I never met a man I didn't
like," That was Will Rogers, who was noted more for his
wit than for his truthfulness.
As for the rest of us, every day brings people who are
easy to like, and people who are just not very likeable, and
people who are dreadful.
But now look at the human race through a dog's eyes.
Nobody is so unpleasant, so grouchy and nasty and
awful, that he can't bring up a dog to love and admire him.
Unlike our fellow humans, dogs look at us without
criticism.
Consider the fragrant drunk who is propped up against
the bar in the saloon. He may be a disgrace to the human
race, but his dog waits patiently for him out there on the
sidewalk.
Chirpy ladies who crowd into lines ahead of you have
dogs who love them.
Sullen grouches who want to argue with the whole
world go home to dogs who think they're marvelous.
So do zanies who want to discuss theology with
strangers on street corners. If the rest of tile world thinks
old Crazy Sigmund is slightly demented, at home there is a
dog who thinks he's just right.
What do people mean when they say somebody has
gone to the dogs? They mean he has acquired problems
that bring only scorn from his fellow humans -- but not,
obviously, from his canine friends.
Dogs are not snooty. •
They can love anybody.
That's what we mean when we call them dumb animals.
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ...................... Henry G. Gay Lacking good sense, they can admire even tile worst of us.
Page 4 - ShaRon-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 2, 1978
Changing of the Guard
"General Rodosovich reporting, me'm. Where's the War?"
00e00ters'JourrLa__l :
Those with less should pay less
Editor, The Journal: money's worth. This will not be ' allowing this would be "fined"
After going to recent city
council meetings I feel I can
better understand the council's
motives regarding the Rapid Rail
garbage system. However, I feel
that the council needs to better
understand the feelings of
families who find they are
expected to pay a rate for
garbage service regardless of the
type of service they need.
Upon expressing my feelings
to the council, I received the
following responses from Mayor
Lowery: It is not feasible to
have split rates because of the
problem of enforcement; people
would put two cans' worth of
garbage in one can to get the
lower rate; health and sanitation
problems would result.
These things can be worked
out satisfactorily if an attempt is
made. Although the 'Rapid Rail
system is pleasing to the eye, it
has a very unpleasant effect
where it ,counts - in the
pocketbook!
I understand from the
council that even if the Rapid
Rail system does not stay (and
some people don't want it to),
rates will not go down. In fact,
they might go higher. That
would be even worse! But what
recourse do we have when we
disagree with a bill? We cannot
pay it. Nothing would happen if
we didn't, except that the
unpaid charges would accrue as a
lien on our property, forcing us
to pay them sooner or later.
That is not the answer.
The answer is to make the
council see that the new type of
service can accommodate
staggered rates similar to those
present under the old system. By
charging according to need,
Family A will not have to pay
for weekly pick.up service
because Family B has a lot of
garbage.
A fact the council
acknowledges (verbally) but does
not seem to recognize when the
bills are sent is that fixed
incomes do not change just
because rates increase. This is
frustrating for people just trying
to make ends meet. And fixed
incomes apply to more than just
senior citizens.
Everyone should have the
right to pay for only what they
need or use. The careful
shopping by families to leut
down on garbage should be
rewarded. Cutting back on
garbage generated means the
landfill where it is ultimately
dumped will last longer before a
new site will have to be found.
But people, being what they
are, will strive for the most for
their money. If they are forced
to pay for a 90-gallon can picked
up weekly, they will do their
best to fill it just to get their
economical for them or
ecological for our city.
Charging everyone the same
rate is a fast way to make up
needed revenue to balance the
city budget, but is the extra
revenue gained worth the public
ill will?
The 300-gallon cans,
a'ccording to the council,
combine service for several
families, saving time and money
for stops around town. Time and
money could also be saved on
the 90-gallon cans if the city
would pick them up less often
for small families. It takes the
same amount of time and
expense to lift a full can as an
almost-empty can. Charging by
the stops per month per family
would put the major expense
where it belongs - on families
generating the most garbage.
Families who can neatly
contain their garbage for
less-frequent service should be
allowed the chance to save on
their bills. If necessary, people
could report if they see
unsanitary accumulations of
garbage piling up in their
neighborhoods and those
with increased rates. But those
who could keep things neat
would be "rewarded" with lower
rates.
Or perhaps with the new,
larger containers the whole city
might be ready for bi-monthly
pick-up service. This would result
in great savings being passed:i'on.
The city councl E s
admitted poor planning in going
to the Rapid Rail system and
raising the garbage rates at the
same time. Though they
maintain the two have no
correlation, it is practically
impossible to get this across to
the public (me included). It
looks like too much of a
coincidence.
They further complicated the
matter by raising the water and
sewer rates at the same time.
Somehow, these changes should
have been done in steps.
The people asked for
structured garbage service to
keep the city cleaner; they did
not ask to be forced into the
poorhouse to accomplish it.
Jan Ward
Shelton
Where are feathers?
Editor, The Journal:
Health and Sanitation
Ordinance 410-413, page 4,
section XII, states: "The charges
for refuse collection and disposal
shall be compulsory. The charges
shall be paid at the City Hall
office by the owner or
tenant... The charges shall
become a lien against the real
property for which the garbage
collection service is
rendered . . . "
Page 2, Ordinance 410-413,
Section V, states: "Accumulation
of Refuse. it shall be the duty of
every person in... control of
any dwelling.., at all times to
keep.., portable appurtenances,
metal or other approved cans for
th.e deposit therein of
garbage...
"Such cans shall be
constructed.., of not less than
15 and not more than 35
gallons' capacity, shall have two
handles at the sides thereof and
tight fitting lids ..."
Ordinance 410-413, page 5
section XVII, states: "Any
person violating any of the
provisions of this ordinance shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor..."
Garbage pickup in City of
Tacoma: One 32-gallon can per
week, $2.45 a month; curb or
alley service.
I've got the tar! Do you have
the feathers?
Them. "Site" Adams
Shelton
Help for seniors
Editor, The Journal:
I have heard for years how
our city fathers and politicians
are going to help the senior
citizens and low income. Well,
this new garbage system is a
good example.
I burn everything that will
burn in fireplace or burning
barrel. The balance goes in
compost box except for a few
bottles and cans, which were
dumped in the street and not in
the truck on January 24.
I would rather haul my
garbage to the disposal site and
pay 50 cents per month than to
get out in the rain and clear the
streets of broken glass and
empty cans.
The largest piece of garbage I
have is the can itself. It's hard to
store behind less than a four-foot
door and runs full of water if
left in the open.
J. C. Willis
Shelton
Capitol
000111e:
Accord
sought
on IAC
By ROBERT C.
If lawmakers can
how it should be done,
change the compositi,
lnteragency
Outdoor Recreation
session.
The present
the IAC was one of
concerns expressed a t'
meeting of the Senate
Parks and Rec
Committees in
Established in
mandated by an
approved in 1964,
presently consists of
members appointed
Governor, and seven
officials.
The latter
commissioner of public
the directors of
recreation, game,
transportation,
economic developrae
ecology
Opponents of the
set-up have objected
that state agency
the commission and
position to pass
their own projects.
This has led to
inequities, and corn
the inability
governments to
IAC-approved projectS.
Proponents,
that the present
provides a good balancel
state and local re
They also
in state agency
results in more ob
evaluation of funding
projects, where
intense.
Though the
attracted little if
attention to date, the
of the two commit!
, Peter vonReidabauet
and RepresentatiVe
Hurley (D-Spokane)
important enou
special joint
explore the issue
The purpose of
administer tile
federal and state funds
for conservation and
A nationwid
conducted by the
showed that in 38
states, this is an
function of a state
other responsibilities.
Not Worth
The subcommittee
didn't waste any
this latter method,
the likelihood of a
Governor Dixy
• unsuccessful efforts
present parks
Odegaard, is still
minds. They are,
studying varioUS
proposals which!
prepared by
Of seven plans
the subcommittee,
have discarded three,
. studying the other
One calls for
• state agencies from
increasing t
membership from
' Another would
number of state
. from seven to four
citizen membership
eight. Still another
state agency repreS
four, increase citizen
to seven, and add a
official to the
Subcommittees
A fourth pro'
dividing the
subcommittees,
one local. The state
be composed of
members and the dir
four state a
responsible for
recreation.
The local sub
would be
county officials,
officials and fou
members.
Each
have authority to
decisions within
category, but the
would establish
criteria and
the statewide
plan. :