Crimes should void criminals’ Drivacv
Mewl of u* on r*mpu* are oblivious to
lh« < hunh v* *w*>‘ upheaval sur
rounding th* Kugeo* u immunity
The iMw of no absolute sanctity of
religious confession wtthmii regard to the very
«»l possibility that a guilty party would be
released ln»o our dally live*. U on* that has
b**n effectively reduced to only a brief consuter
atlon while on* skims through th* wwipiMt
head !i mm
Aa an unsuspecting University student. I have
h*com* emotionally entangled in th* invest!**
Hon and eventual outcome surrounding Oman
VVayn* Hal*, a triple homic ide suspect and th*
devised "martyr" of tkia rwtmvmy
My n**t door neighbor happen* to h* th*
mot ha* of a 13-yew-old boy who was savagely
and senselessly murdered in lata December
Despite her devastation. th* hat. at would be
expec led, devoted the pett five month* to making
cure that the killer* responsible for bet lorn
would be convicted
While on* assailant ha* admitted to th* crime
and implicated hi* partner, th* second inspect
Conan Wayne Hal*, ha* dented any responsibili
ty and ha* *hatnel***ly triad everything in hi*
power lo get off scot-free Recently. a con versa
lion In jail between Hale and a Catholic priest
was recorded
I believ* that th* boat any of u* can do to ben*
fit this world is to use each day to stand up for
wbal we feet i* right. I wa* terribly saddened
upon learning of th# ruthless murder that had
taken away my neighbor * child, but wbal has
truly angered me it th* absolute disregard fur this
crime sine* th* recording of th* confession mad*
th* news While religious groups and political
figures swarm, the facts have begun to be brushed
over, and this case has been seized upon as a
springboard for a political push toward a more
concrete separation between church and state
As a young person ordinarily secluded at a lib
eral university. I am shocked by the blatant bias
in our media, of which this atm has matin me
aware
While recently watching th* local new*. I was
disgusted by th# juvenile attempts to Incite a gen
eral controversy without regard to the real details
of the crime (>n a televised Portland newscast,
reporters played up their angle of "justice system
commits ruthless violation of privacy" by pur
(raying Conan Hal* as a victim of a Big Brother
like district attorney's office Without any
mention of the triple homicide in question, the
station used seven minute* to interview area
Catholics who railed against any interference
with th* sanctity of the sacrament While no one
Ilka* the idea of eavesdropping, it is dearly star
COMM}MIAH V
•d within Oregon law that prison inmates do not
have the same right* to privacy that other . itlsen*
maintain in recent luim erf The Kejpsfrr Guard
thi* caae ha* made the front pan*, but the paper
ha* made no secret at tu riant Indeed, both at
the Mate's major newspapers. Th» Hauler Guani
and Ttm Oregonian. have already issued Mate
nient* calling tor the immediate destruction at
tha recorded conversation to «t> Mmoles.
Newsweek. the HBC and Tom Brokaw clamor to
cover thi* i«u» nationally. I ant very upset by the
idea that the local citijwn* who tbould be made
aware of the detail* of this case are only being
exposed to one point of view If reieaaed on this
* religion* freedom* technicality, e possible mur
derer will be living in our city, coming into con
tact wtth our children and could eventually be
living next door
While I must admit that the separation of
church and state t* a viable one. I am not willing
to allow an individual religion to interfere wirh
our justice system's n*le in convicting criminal*
In thi* specific case, I refuse to to along with a
priest's decision to declare an alleged murderer
repentant without any tangible justice being
served In hearing the resounding clamor for the
'‘sanctity of confession.* I am troubled by the
crimes that a church might attempt to cover up
and "deal with within the confines of the
church. *
Confronted with this line of thinking. I am
forced to wonder how many crimes could have
been prevented in the past if only the church
would have involved the state's justice system as
In the instances of priest misconduct. On# exam
pin is that of the highly publicised accounts of
child molesiation that have previously taken
place and been "dealt with" within the church,
wherein priests who confessed to their superior*
were simply transferred to another parish, where
the molestations continued
If in fac t Male has been n* orded confessing to
the i run! murder of three children. 1 find it inex
cusable that ihe tapes be destroyed
If this man is innocent, a consideration of the
tapes will not affect him
Permitting the recording to l* used to a court
of law will simply enable our justice system to
keep alleged murderers from being released
Sumnrw Union*, a pr+pnrhaJugr it m for is a res
ident of huge nr
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