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reader's forum ' Insanity Plea Changes Likely

by JamcvK. Hurley The Acquittal of John Hinckley Jr by reason of insanity has stunned and outraged the natiorf Many had sw n the tapes of Hinckley shooting the President and three others, only to have a jury a year later proclaim , him innocent of the crime . t It took a tragedy like this to point out that there is sorfiethinglerribly wrong with the law Hopefully, public indignation over the Hinckley verdict will lead to changes in the old but rarely used defense of not guilty by reason of insanity Several members’ of Congress have proposed revisions in the federal law In New Jersey, even before Hinckley was found innocent, two bills were introduced in the Senate to reform the ihsanity pleas THK NKW JBUSKY I.AW is similar to federal statute that allowed Hinckley to bo found«innocont Hinder New Jersey Law . a defendant who clearly committed a crime can bo found innocent if the jury determines he was insane at the time If found innocent by reason of insanity, a defendant can bo committed to a mental.institutionOnce psychiatrists determine a defendant is~no longer a danger to himself and the public, a judge can order him to be set free* without ever serving a prison term for the crime ^ one proposal before Wie legislature would abolish the insanity plea for all criminal cases. The mental state of the defendant would be taken into consideration a* the time of sentencing and a judge could order treatment. THK OTHKR HILL would eliminate the defense of in nocent by reason of insanity for murder I'm sure other proposals will be forthcoming soon • It is time for the Legislature to carefully study reform of the* insanity pleas line poosible solution was offered by the jurors who found Hinckley innocent by reason of insanity: A defendant who is clearly guilty of a crime but mentally disturbed should receive treatment and then be punished for the crime : Jiimon R Hurlry is State Senator for Cumberland Cape May

Food & Dullness— In People, Politics

by R. Leslie Chrismer There is no evidence that feeding people makes them smart But it is indisputable that hunger makes them dull That was said, not too many years ago. by Dr Charles liowe, then chairman of the Committee omNutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics. ' Around the same time, a U.S. Senate Committee report estimated that about 80 pefeent of the approx imately 150.000 reported mentally defective and retarded children horn each year in our country are horn in poverty POVKRTY ALWAYS MKANS POOR KOOO^t the age of 18 months, a baby, has all the brain nerve cells it will ever possess. If a baby has been deprived of proper food (mainly protein, the building block of body tissues) immediately before and after birth, damage to the brain nay lie permanent, or. at best, only partially reversible The foregoing is common scientific knowledge; hence • the Reagan administration knows it Hence it should also have known the consequences of cuts in the federal urogram Which provides supplemental food to poor ■regnant women, and children under five years of age PKIMATRKT \NS ARK NOW BKOINMMi to report increased malnutrition of very young children due to inadequate food which stops weight growth, height growth', and brain growth the third degree being the worst kind It's hard to watch kids starve but that's what we do." said Dr Jennifer Kothbren of Boston's Children's

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Bonhie Reina

Editor

General Manager & Advertising Coordinator Publisher

DarrellKopp

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Batter Up!

Ice cream here, folks, spoon in every box!

By Clare Campbell The pitcher winds up and he lets it fly, , .. “STRIKE.': yells the Ump as the ball gde&by. 1 But the next one connects and it sails lilft a breeze — For a hit? I can’t see! You want ham or^trese?

The fielding was good and I liked the way Our second baseman made a double play One wild pitch, though, got the catcher flustered — Here's your hotdog. yuh want any mustard?

Yep. a hit! There he fidgets on second base. And the next man's up with a smile on his face. He pops a high fly - it was caught. I'm afraid. But I don’t know for sure: Ice cold orangeade!

The pitcher threw one that was pretty high. But the Ump said “STRIKE'’ as the ball whizzed by. If the batter was mad he didn’t let on — A quarter gets yuh a cushion to set on!

Oh. a hit and there goes that guy to third! (In a minute I'm gonna kill this bird Who gets in my way^hen I wanna see And waves that Basbball Book at me!

Between the innings they had a band And what I heard of it was grand. But some pest kept shouting in my ear: Yuh want Cream soda or Rootbeer?

The Ump was pretty fair most of the time. But one he called out was a doggone crime! That ball was way down around his socks!

No. I couldn’t hear much and I couldn't see 'Count of those guys walkin' in front of me, But I had a good time, and I guess ydu know: The next time I get a good chance — I’ll go!

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12,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Drunk Driver; 1,2,3...

by Phy llis Dodd M.A.D.I). is alive and well and trying to put some roots down in South Jersey. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers recently held its first meeting to organize a Cape May-Atlantic County chapter As a new member. 1

■NOTICE TO-

Letter Writers

Opinions for our Reader's Forum should: • Be signed by the writer and include the writer's address and phone number. Letters can be printed anonymously, but the newspaper must have writer verification • Deal with one topic or issue ip an accurate, nonlibelous manner.

sat wide-eyed listening to appalling statistics. For example: • •In J981 there were 22,000 murders in the U.S. In the same year 26.000 Americans lost their lives to drunk drivers. 'HjO* •One American dies every 23 minutes in an alcohol / related auto crash. , V •In 1981 Atlantic County lead the State in drunk driv- ' X ' ing fatalities. Cape May County placed seventh •For every 10 cars on the road, one has a drunk driver behind the wheel (This statistic has to be higher for shore communities where bar hopping is part of the summer experience.)

Hospital Medical Center "We're going to sec things get worse if more funds are cut," said Dr. Deborah Frank of Boston City Hospital. “The treatment for malnutrition is food, and we see money for providing poor children with food dwindling." Question: How smart is the richest country in the world which many military men say overspends billions of dollars on unnecessary “ttefense." and yet cuts down a few million dollars on food for defenseless children allowing at least lOO.ott) of them bach year to grow up dull — or worse? R Leslie Chrismer, a retired pharmacist, lives in Cape May

MOST OF THK NEW MEMBERS at the first meeting had been personally touched by a tragedy involving a drunk driver. Some of us were there hoping to prevent such a tragedy We are all potential victims, our husbands or wives, our children, our parents, our friends A drunk driver isn't choosy when it comes time to pick a victim.

M.A.D.D. has proved itself in other states Since its inception in 1980, tougher drunk driving legislation has been passed, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg In order to make our roads safer, we need you to get involved. Together we can make a difference. M A D D. has shown that a gr iSsroots movement can be effective. I hope I have aroused your curiosity about M.A.D.D. This organization is open to everyone, not just mothers. For more information call me at 967-7344 Phyllis Dodd Is an Avalon resident. J

Fox Statements Are Disappointing

by Freda T. Linn ( We the Ocean City Republican Cotnfhlitee Men and Women strongly resent and disagree with the article written by Bob Shiles in the July 7 Herald (Sheri// Blasts GOP Leadership! This article expressed Sheriff Beech Fox' views of the GOP leadership and the way candidates are selected by the party leaders. We resent the comments and think it is totally unfair The important decisions are not made in the backrooms but are discussed with the committee people who. in turn, go out to the public and see how they react and respond to the problems at hand Only then, after careful thoughts and consideration, the committee peo-

ple make their selection and submit them through the proper line of channels THK DECISION MAKING IS therefore definitely from the “bottom up" through proper channels, not from the "top down” as stated in the article We are disappointed that Sheriff Fox would make such a comment We are sure he knows better, as he has had the complete'backing of both the committee people and the top members of the Cape May County . organization

Freda Linn is secretary dnd wrote this on behalf, of (be Ocean City Republican Committee Men and Women