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lanuary 29. 2003
O pinion
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— — — — —
Restore Black Colleges
and Opportunity
The ability to
The sad fact is,
afford college is a this President has
gap that’s
stood by while
widening
college has slipped
by
S en . J oe L ieberman
out o f fiscal reach
for middle class
families o f all races
and backgrounds.
I welcome President Bush’s
announcement that he intends to
provide more funding to histori­
cally black colleges and universi­
ties— but time will tell whether
this is a serious effort to increase
educational opportunity or just a — Sen. Joe Lieberman,
well—timed photo opportunity. Ii-Conn.
In supporting historically black
colleges, he is in danger of gradu­ ford, and aid isn’t keeping up-
ating magnacum lately. Histori­ resulting in a widening economic
cally black colleges and universi­ opportunity gap. During the 2000
ties throughout the country- Presidential campaign, then-Gov-
which educate some 300.000 Af­ ernor Bush decried that problem
rican-Americans— are struggling and called for a meaningful in­
to preserve their deteriorating fa­ crease in the size of Pell Grants,
cilities. For months. I’ve been but that support has never mate­
fighting alongside Rep. Jim rialized.
C la’yburn to help these schools
In the coming months, I'll in­
save and restore their campuses. troduce a comprehensive plan to
If President Bush is truly commit­ make college more accessible and
ted to stre n g th e n in g these affordable to students at all in­
schools so they can serve this come levels— and help ensure
and future generations of Afri­ that when students graduate,
can-Americans, he’ll support our they are prepared to enter the
bill— which he has up to now ig­ workforce and start climbing the
nored.
ladder of economic opportunity.
The sad fact is, this President
Access to a college education
has stood by while college has is what makes the American Dream
slipped out of fiscal reach for more than a mirage for millions of
middle class families o f all races young people. On the day we
and b a c k g ro u n d s. My dad celebrate Martin Luther King,
worked days and nights to save Jr.’s legacy and every day, we
enough to send me to college; I can never forget that.
was the first in my family to get
Joe Lieberman is senator for
that chance. But these days, tu­ the state o f Connecticut and a
ition costs are rising faster than Democratic candidate fo r presi­
even two-income familiescan af- dent in 2004.
fJh the (SLditor
Truths Taken to Heart
Thank you for printing a very fine column by Michael Hudson (All
Faiths Can Unite in King’s Dream, Jan. 15 issue). His words are a
reminder that the truths of the Rev. Dr. King's message can be taken
to heart by people of all faiths. Keep up the good work with your
excellent newspaper.
— Asher Abrams
Why Gov. Ryan Cleared Death Row
C orruption in
death sentences
extend beyond
Illinois
by S teven
W. H awkins
Before outgoing Illinois Gov.
George Ryan commuted the death
sentences of 156 people, more
than two-thirds of those on Illi­
nois’ death row were black. These
included 35 African Americans
who were convicted or con­
demned to die by all-white juries.
And th e y in clu d ed A aron
Patterson, who, under torture at
the hands of the Chicago police
department, took a paper clip and
scratched a message on to the
bench of the interrogation room:
“Aaron 4 /3 0 1 lie about murders.
Slapped and suffocated me with
plastic.”
Ryan’s decision to commute
the sentences of his states' death
row inmates to life without parole
was an occasion to celebrate, but
it also raised troubling questions.
We must ask ourselves how the
justice system in Illinois became
so corrupted that it allowed 17
innocent people to be sentenced
to death. We must ask ourselves
why the Illinois Legislature failed
to pass the reforms recommended
by the Governor’s Commission
after he declared a moratorium in
2000. Finally, we must ask our­
selves if the same problems that
exist in Illinois also are in place
elsewhere.
Ryan recognized that the death
penalty is an emotional issue for
many people. He expressed his
sympathy for the families of the
murdered as well as the families
of the exonerated. But he was
brave enough to ask the people
of Illinois whether execution of
I
exist in Texas, Flòrida, Miskòùrì, *
Oklahoma, Alabama, North Caro­
lina, South Carol ina and the other
states that most frequently put
people to death.
Ryan correctly noted that while
reforms might reduce the poten­
tial for error, they would not cre­
ate “a perfect system.” His deci­
sion to extend a blanket commu­
tation has brought the world’s
attention to the fact that the death
penalty, by its fatal nature, will
always make mistakes. Now we
must ask, with former Governor
George Ryan, “How many more
cases o f w rongful conviction
need to occur before we can all
agree that the system is broken?”
I ask further, how many innocent
people must go to death row and
be executed, before we agree that
the system cannot be fixed.
another human being was a fit­
ting memorial for the innocent
victims of terrible crimes. Ryan
further commented that perhaps
the staggering amount of money
Illinois spent on putting people
to death could be used to provide
counseling, support and health
care for the victims’ loved ones.
The former governor under­
stands that his is not a popular
position. Opposition to the death
penalty will never be popular with
politicians, because it might lead to
the accusation that they are soft on
crime. Ryan, in this regard, was a
true political leader: unwilling to
shirk the demands of his office in
order to avoid criticism.
We can hope th at the
governor’s decision will spur
other states to debate morato­
rium legislation, as well as bills
that would establish death pen­
alty commissions. The same prob-
lemsthatexist in Illinoiscertainly
Hawkins is executive director
o f the National Coalition to Abol­
ish the Death Penalty.
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