European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes columns Carl t. Rowan Bowen Koop Are heroes in drug aids War Many kinds of heroes pop up in Washington a or. who filibusters and blocks a horrible piece of legislation a lawyer named Welch who stands up to sen. Joseph Mccarthy a Harry Truman who asks Congress for historic civil rights legislation even at the risk of losing the presidency to Tom Dewcy bureaucrats who blow the whistle on their corrupt Bosses. I think we Are now seeing some of the Greal profiles of courage in the Way health and human services Secretary Otis r. Bowen and surgeon general a Everett Koop Are standing up against their administration their president and fighting for a sane approach to drug abuse and the terrible disease aids. Bowen dared to Tell president Reagan face to fact that the administration ought to Cut Oul the pretence that it is winning inc drug War because he pall of drug abuse spreads wider and deeper Over America. Bowen made it Clear that he is not being blinded by the draconian suggestions of attorney general Edwin me Csc thai everyone arcs cd for any alleged crime be forced to submit to a drug test. Bowen did t lie Back and let Reagan Swallow the absurd Mccase notion that almost All Federal employees and then All stale local and private workers ought to be forced to undergo drug tests. In look a Brave and dedicated Public official to Ell the president what Bowen did. Now comes the drug related night Mare of trying to curb the spread of the deadly disease aids acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Bowen and especially or. Koop have been swimming upstream against a tide of sophomoric nonsense by people who think they can banish sexual activity among teen agers and homosexuals and even extramarital sen. When Koop urged the use of con . Rosenthal Doms As Protection against aids the Jerry Falwell and others who think heir preaching can overwhelm human nature accused the surgeon general of Condon ing sexual we can be grateful that Koop Bowen and others have had the courage to ignore the criticisms of the self serving Morali cars. They know thai aids rep resents a health crisis for increasing Mil Lions of americans and Ihal in is a Pri Mary responsibility of the Federal government to enforce Laws provide medical help and educate the masses As to How to avoid this killing disease. So admittedly prodded by Congress Bowen and Koop have produced sit million Worth of Frank explicit Bro Chures that arc being mailed to 107 Mil lion american households. The brochure says what a government of Good sense and integrity ought to say about what could become the plague of our lifetimes avoid anal sex with or without a condom do not engage in Oral or vaginal sen with anyone who shoots drugs or engages in anal sex. Do not shoot drugs especially when you must share Needles and syringes with someone else Koop and Bowen Are Brave men who have graduated from the dream world where politicians pretend to be Lieve that All 21-year-Olds can be held to virginity nobody smokes Reefer an businessmen and their wives will not snort Coke. So they have put together document thai is so Frank so Shocki Nidy True Hal it May offend a few picks diffs Bui in will save thousands octives. Heaven bless these new american he roes. Censorship remains the Rule not the exception _ l a. ,. _ i. 4 i ii a a Hamidh i Rimini Rhc regulations. Sivc everyone has the right to Freedom of opinion and expression this right includes Freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek receive and impart information and ideas through any Media regardless of that is article 19 of the Universal declaration of human rights adopted at the United nations 40 years ago. Article 19 is also he name of a Small deter mined International organization based in London. Its Mission is to Sec How article 19 of the declaration fares country by country. Poorly. That is the sad news for those who believe Hal inc right to speak think and write in full Freedom is the tallest Barrier against tyranny. A new report by article 19 on article 19 shows with Calm detailed clarity that in most parts of the world censorship is the Way governments Hoid Power and Rule their people. Nations that practice government through censorship before article 19 was written still cing to it. And most countries that came to Independence later decided that the easiest and safest Way to Rule was through the gag and the Blindfold. Even countries proud of their traditions of Freedom of expression like the United slates Britain France Are regularly seized by urges to Tell their people whal is Good for them to read or know. The study covers 50 countries and has just been published in London by Longman. It will be published in the United slates in october by times books a division of random House. The report is testimony to the powerful urge of some people to Lell others whal to write or say or preferably to shut up altogether. In Pakistan science students arc not Parmi Ltd to study Darwin. In Zaire a music censorship com Mission guards against any impulse
