European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 29, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes monday june 29,1987 Carl t. Rowan Goetz jury reflects changing american mood the acquittal of Bomhard h. Kotur. Of charges of attempted murder and assault says a lot More about what has been happening to America than about either Roctz or he jury hat cleared him. It Tetts us that because of a frightening increase in crimes and demagogic exploitations of that fact the crazy Pas Sions of Vigila ism Are As alive in Amer Ica today As the aids virus. It tells us that a Public outcry Over Vio Lent crimes can make he majority of the . Supreme court do a flip Flop  the meaning of the Constitution unleashing in state after slate the drooling operators of the electric chair the Gas chamber the deadly injection the firing squad. In cells us that in this atmosphere juries succumb easily to the mind sets of rambo dirty Harry and that celebrated death wish vigilante created by Hollywood s Charles Branson. Some americans Are astonished that a " try would acquit a Man who spoke of itself As a cold blooded murderer a vicious rat and a monster and who said the following on videotape of his intention with regard to the four Black youths he shot on a new York sub Way 2fe years ago my intention was to murder them to Hurt them to make them suffer As Muchas possible. If i had More bullets i would have shot them All again and again. My problem was 1 ran out of Bullet and i was Gonna gouge one of the Guy s eyes out with Rny keys  i was not astonished. I have been watch ing the mood of America change since he decade of the 1960s, when violent crime Rose 126 percent i note that whereas americans opposed capital punishment by 47 percent to 42 pen a in a 1966 Gallup Oil they favored the death penalty by 65 percent to 28 percent in 1975. The supreme court that had found the death Penally  Bent to the turbulent Shin in Public opinion and decided that the slates could resume executing people if they did not do it in an arbitrary or capricious Way. Only weeks ago the nigh tribunal said it did t offend the James j. Kilpatrick from % by a jury Constitution that Blacks Are executed Way out of proportion to their percentage of the commission of capital crimes. So the state sanctioned killers Ait hav ing a Field Day. Louisiana just executed its fourth prisoner in 10 Days. Millions of americans say to hum believing or hoping that the executions will deter others from committing murder and other capital offences. The facts Don t Bear this out. Until recently Florida was Way ahead of Louisiana and the other states in executions. Yet Flor Ida has More people on death Row now than when it resumed  resumed executing people in 1983, the three years prior to 1983, Georgia had the lowest murder rate in its history. In the three Yean after resuming executions Georgia had the highest Mur Der rate in its history. There were about 600 americans on death Row when the supreme court digits nip Flop and said the states could tune up heir death machines. There arc More than 1800 on death Row now some deterrent still the Roctz jury reflects the Fawn Hall theory that sometimes you have to go beyond the Law As  new York s subway vigilante did and is getting away with a vicious shooting spree because those he shot could be characterized by his defense attorney As a Wolf pack and Savages who got what Urey  god spark us Alt a widening spell of lawlessness in which self styled vigilantes May decide what you the Reader and 1 deserve. Dec a making . The 51st state is a fatuous idea should the District of Columbia be made the 51st state it is a fatuous idea if Ever there were one but in is gaining ground on Capitol Hill. The House District committee has reported a Bill to accomplish this end and the Bill has impressive support. The Bill to create the state of new Columbia came out of committee on a vote of 6-5. It has the support of speaker Jim Wright and majority Leader Tom Foley Tor political advantage if for no other reason demo cratic leaders in the Senate also would Back the proposition in a closely divided chamber two More Liberal democrats would make a significant difference. It seems incredible that so monumental a Folly should be seriously considered. By any rational definition Washington ., could not possibly become a  this is a City and not a remarkably Large City at that. The District consists of 67 Square Miles of land and water. It is smaller than the Island of Guam. It has no agriculture whatever. In has Only a single Industry of consequence Trie Industry of government. Two thirds of ail employment there is related directly or indirectly to the Federal government. The sole argument in favor of statehood rests in the right to Vole. The Litany goes that District residents pay the same taxes obey the same Laws and fight in the same wars that others do but they cannot vote for members of Congress who enact these Laws. They Are unfairly disenfranchised and Only statehood will re Lieve the inequity. New Columbia is the answer. Hokum to look Ai the apathetic record of local voting for City Council and the school Board it is far from evident that Washngton ians give a Hooray about the right to vote. To those residents who regard a right to Vole for congressmen As he be All and end All a suggestion is in order that they move to Maryland or to Virginia where they could vote to their hearts con tent. No one compels anyone to live in the District of Columbia. Local residents Are there because Urey voluntarily have swapped the right of franchise for the privilege of enjoying the District s amenities. Washing ton boasts a magnificent concert Hall Beautiful Parks and a superlative subway system paid for not by the citizens of new Columbia but by the taxpayers of the nation As 3 whole therein lies the fundamental objection to this Dilsy notion of statehood. Washington ., does not belong to the 626,000 people who Lite there. The City belongs to All americans. It is our capital the seat of our government. Under the pending Bill we no Longcr would have a capital City. We would have Brace yourself Only a National capital service area running jag Gedly from the Potomac on the West to the Library of Congress on the East. The Bill should be Defeated for two reasons it is almost certainly unconstitutional and As a practical matter it would create chaos. Sponsors of the Bill would have us ignore the 23rd amendment to the Constitution. We might equally ignore an elephant in the Kitchen. Ratified in 1961, the amendment gives three electoral votes in a presidential election to the District constituting the scat of govern ment of the United  unless that amendment were repealed which could be accomplished Only by further amendment the handful of residents still residing in the National capital service area would carry the same weight in a presidential election that is car ried by Wyoming or Vermont. Proponents Brush aside another constitutional pro vision. Under article i Congress has Power to exer Cise exclusive legislation in All cases whatsoever Over such District not exceeding 10 Miles Square As May by cession of particular states and the acceptance of Congress Beform the seat of government of the United  Maryland did not cede 67 Square mile to the National government in 1790 in order that a state of new Columbia be created. If for any reason he scat of government Ever should be moved to is. Louisor Kansas City or wherever presumably the 67 Square Miles would revert to Maryland. Without Maryland s consent to the statehood proposal the idea founders. Vou Chunoi create a new stale from land within the jurisdiction of an existing state. The practical objections to statehood Are As powerful and More numerous but i leave those for another Day. This time bomb of a Bill is ticking away in the House. Opponents Are confident that it could be talked to death in the Senate if it Ever gets there but that is As May be. Now is the time to make opposition known