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The Herald and Tht Lantern

Wednesday, December 24,1989

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Let’s Put Away The Criminals, Not The Guns by l/Ou Rodia John licnnen is dead — the victim of another of many mindless crimes with a gun. And, immediately, the cry for stronger gun controls permeated the shock waves in the aftermath of the killing The reaction was swift, and even while the tragedy was still fresh fhe campaign was being mounted to once again utilize the death of a well-known personality as the launching pad for another anti-gun missile. The names of President Kennedy and his brother Robert were linked to that of Lennon as examples of the greatness which has been stifled by the use of a gun in the commission of a heinous crime. The killer of President Kennedy lies dead - his life snuffed out by yet another crime with a gun, and the killer of Bobby Kennedy remains in jail. The killer of John Lennon still faces judgment Strong gun law advocates point to the rising use of guns in commission of crime as a reason for the increasing need for restriction on ownership of guns. Take away the guns and you take away the tendency to commit crimes, they argue It is a familiar cry. and one which has been

The Message 'Of Christmas Is Peace’ by R. Leslie Chrismer Like all the great nature writers, the late Itai Borland was also a wise and humane philosopher about human nature During 37 years, Borland wrote more than 1900 "nature editorials" for The New York Times, sometimes addressing himself to things like the celebration of Christmas. Many years ago, including a memorable editorial on the underlying meaning of that day. Borland said. "There is no other occasion quite like this, no other holiday, no other holy day, that unite so many of us in a common spirit It is the solemn festival of the Nativity, of the birth of Jesus; it is also Christmas, not a mass or a sermon but a secular festival fb the innocence of children and the goodness of mankind." One need not deny the minor pleasure of giving and receiving things at this time of year as long as it is understood that the major purpose of Christmas lies in its proclamation of universal peace and good will. This means that all of us should do all we can to stop the waste and wickedness of armaments, and thus end the scourge of war. which is the murder of humanity. "It is a frightening fact that there are still in 1960. people who believe that wars can be won," says Alan Myrdal, the 78-year-old Swedish delegate to the Geneva Disarmament Conference and the United Nations. A war of today with our techology of megamurder' has no winner. It is only a competition as to who can bring about the most monstrous destruction." When we ignore the basic meaning of Christmas, we not only dishonor the memory of the One whose birth we celebrate, we also diminish ourselves as human beings through our failure to have a complex sense of reverence for life No one said it better than the late Sir Victor Gollancy, who valued his work for peace, (and against capital punishment), far. far more than his success as one of Great Britain's greatest publishers. We shall never stop war. whatever machinery we may devise, until we have learned to think always with a sort of dc.sperate urgency and an utter self, identification of single human beings. "

P Leslie Chrismer is a resident of Wathinulon St. May

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given new life by the death of so prominent a man as John Lennon. IT 18 IRONIC, IN VIEW of the existence of the strongest gun control laws in the country, that Lennon met his death in New York City. It is ironic, too, that the news of Lennon’s death hit at the time that millions of Americans all over the country are in the midst of their annual hunting seasons. For the non-hunter, it is a difficult thing to understand why guns are necessary in today's society. It is even more difficult for many to understand that the threat of gun control is abhorrent to la^ge numbers of Americans who recognize that if guns are taken away from us, only those with a criminal bent will still have them. It is important too, to note that in the totalitarian states one of the first freedoms taken away from the masses was their right to keep arms of any kind. The constant cries for gun control seem to come loudest from those who have cried longest and loudest for rehabilitation of criminals rather than punishment. It is this liberal bent to our society which has created a country club atmosphere in our prisons, allowed judges to offer swinging door justice which keeps criminals on the street to engage in repeated drime activity and which has often allowed confessed criminals to escape any punishment because of technicalities. In an effort to protect the rights of those accused of crimes, the pendulum of justice has swung far to the side of the criminal to the point where the private citizen who injures a criminal who is involved in committing a crime might even find himself being sued successfully by the criminal who was trying to rob, kill or maim him. SOME GOVERNORS AND LEGISLATORS are less than enthralled with legislation which would establish a mandatory prison sentence for use of a gun in the commission of a crime. This type of action, we firmly believe, would keep a lot of criminals from carrying a gun in the first place, and would make it a certainty that an offender would spend time in prison, not for committing a crime, perhaps, but for using a gun in commission of a crime. This would work as a real deterrent. We couldn’t care two hoots in hell about the fact that it takes away part of the judge's prerogative in sentencing, for we have felt too many times that some judges have been entirely too lenient, especially with habitual criminals and repeat offenders. Violent crimes are different. Murderers, rapists,looters, robbers at the point of any weapon, or anyone who commits a crime against another person or his property in a violent manner will persist in our society as long as criminalsare aware that they will face little, if any punishment. WE CANNOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE theory practiced today in some places in the world that if a person is caught stealing his hand is cut of. We might agree that this is cruel and inhuman punishment, perhaps, but as one person put it to me. you may see some one-handed people around, but for sure you don'tseetoo many with two hands removed for stealing. We did not want to see John Lennon or any one else shot. We do not profess to know the reasons for his murder, but we do know that punishing the gun and the legitimate gun owner will not stop the criminal acts which we all want to see halted. What we would rather see is a call for stronger, swifter and surer punishment for those who commit crimes with guns, knowing that such a deterrent will make it surer for the law-abiding members of our society to keep their firearms, to use them in peaceful pursuit of their pleasures and to keep intact another of our important freedoms.

Lou Rodia. an avid sportsman, is asst, director of Public Affairs for the county.

No ‘Gun Control’

Law Could Have Saved Lennon byWrlon B. Carter While contemplating the sad death of musician John Lennon, Americans should realize that no "gun control" law, no amount of restrictive firearms legislation, could have prevented this tragic act. Gun laws simply cannot stop someone who is intent upon committing murder. The suspect charged with Lennon’s murder purchased the murder weapon in Hawaii, a state which requires that all firearms and ammunition be registered with local and state authorities. The crime took place in New York City, which has perhaps the most stringent gun laws in the country. New York not only requires registration and permits for handguns, but also requires the licensing of firearms owners. These restrictive gun laws did not stop Lennon's murder. Additional gun laws would not have stopped it, either. The act, for whatever reason it was committed, was premeditated. Once he is bent upon such a crime, a person cannot be thwarted by an existing gun law, nor by the passage of any additional legislation. Murder is already against the law. THERE WILL BE THOSE who call for more “gun control" laws. Such laws, however, only restrict the lawabiding citizen’s use of firearms and will not affect the criminal or reduce crime. Such laws merely open the door for civil rights violations which have occurred many times under the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968. These violations have already resulted in 63 United States Senators calling for reform of that gun law. To stop crime, laws must be directed at the violent criminal. The National Rifle Association has long been in favor of prompt and adequate punishment for anyone convicted of a crime of violence. Take the criminal off the streets. Force the criminal justice system to be as severe as necessary to compel the criminal to realize that he will suffer the consequences of his actions. This is the way to stop such deplorable tragedies.

Harlan B. Carter is executive vice president of the National Rifle Association.

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by Charles V. Mathis The Lenni Lenape Indians, native to the Cape, had a beautiful legend: Ixmg before the White Man arrived, the fires of the World were nearly extinguished at the beginning of winter The birds were troubled because they knew that man would need heat to keep warm A Bird Council was held, and it was decided that the birds which could fly highest should soar into the air and see if they could find a spark of fire anywhere The efforts of the Eagle. Lark and Raven were of no avail. The honor was left to the little brown Sparrow, which found ,a spark of fire in the hollow of an old stump in the heart of the Pine Barrens. The birds flocked about the stump and tried to decide which should pick the spark out. But all their efforts were in vain. To their dismay, they saw the spark growing smaller and fainter. The wild Turkey then volunteered to keep the liny spark alive by fanning it with its large wings. The heat became greater and hotter until the feathers were signed off the turkey s head. looking carefully, one can still see the lumps on the head of the turkey - lumps which look like blisters Legend has it that all turkeys since that time have bald heads and wear blisters as mementoes of their brave ancestor. The faithful turkey lost its head feathers but it gave fire back to the world. So. m its honor, and as a memorial to its faithfulness, the Indians use Turkey

wings to fan their fires. Among the interesting decorated trees in this area, one is the miniature tree artistically arranged with sea shells in the lobby of the Christian Admiral in Cape May. Some of the earliest Chrifttmas trees in America were seen in old Cape May. The early trimmings included fruit, ribbons, colored paper, red haws, cranbetries, polished nuts, tufts of cotton and strings of l>opcorn. The cotton and popcorn may have represented snow. Since cranberries were native to this area, it was easy to obtain enough to fill many strings.

One of the area’s loveliest traditions is the Helen Oilier Vacation Home for the Blind in Stone Harbor One eight-year-old who visited the summer home sent a letter to Santa listing gifts he'd like: "I know you can read Braille,'' wrote David. His folks and friends will see to it that Santa respondswith a shower of gifts.

thousands of French Canadians. They make it a point to feed the cat well during the yule season, for it is supposed to be bad luck if the cat mews in the house on Christmas Eve.