European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 07, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes columns Eloy o. Aguilar . May keep forces in Panama past 2000 Panama City. Pain a the . Invasion of Panama is raising new questions about . Military presence in this strategic Central american nation. The United Stales is obligated by Trca \ to close its military bases ill Panama a 2000. Bui in the Wake of the invasion questions have Arisen whether . Forces might be around longer than that. President Guillermo Endara has abolished the military organization of for Mer Leader Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega leaving open the question of who will defend the Panama canal. One newspaper has suggested that the treaties signed in 1977 Bic Lweyn panamanian Leader Omar Torrijos and president Carter be renegotiated to Panama s financial Bene fit. The treaties provide for possible Post treaty agric meals concerning the defense of the canal. Some panamanians believe that the United Stales must continue to handle the canal s Security after 2000. The United Stales claimed Noriega had become a threat to . Interests an the canal s operation As one of the main reasons for launching the dec. 20 inva Sion that toppled the general now in the United Stales facing drug charges. Noriega claimed the United states wanted to gel rid of him because he opposed its plans to renege on the treaties and maintain its Large military installations in Panama. One newspaper. Panama America has suggested editorially that Panama could negotiate the permanence of some Mili tary installations if the United states is willing to pay. The optimum Benefit of leasing the bases would be the possibility of charging rent even before the year 2000. Said the paper. Although Panama now collects no rent for he . Bases the bases contribute $100 million annually to Panama s Economy in services and other expenditures. The newspaper has been inviting Tom Wicker panamanians?nicara60ans ? Public debate on the topic. Endara has made no comment on the future of the bases. Some . Military sources say the United states might maintain Howard a. Just outside Panama City and theroman naval base. Even before the invasion one unidentified . Diplomat said it would be a Good idea for us to retain Howard air  the treaties did away with the old Panama canal zone a 10-mile strip of land along the canal that was . Terri tory and stipulate that the canal will be turned Over to Panama on dec. 31, 1999, when the last american Soldier isto leave. The United slates has had bases in Panama since the beginning of the Cen Tury and now maintains 10 military installations with 12,000 soldiers As part of the Southern come. Panamanians who approved the trea ties in a plebiscite organized by Torrijos. Do not dare ask for a revision of the trea ties for fear of sounding anti nationalist. The topic was taboo before the . In Vasion. I personally do not feel that he United slates needs a Large military presence in Panama after the year 2000." said one . Army officer who has been in Panama for years. A Large military presence when the world situation is changing could be a political liability for the United states he added. The United slates would be criticized As an expansionist  Mai. Gen. Marc Cisneros commander of . Army South the ground forces in charge of protecting the canal says the United states will meet its obligations to leave on schedule. It is the intention of the United states to fully comply with the canal treaties. The president of the United Stales has said so Cisneros told the associated press. With 10 years remaining he said. In arc is Lime to discuss the continuation of the bases after 2000. Cisneros emphasized that the new panamanian government if it maintains democratic system will be Able to run the canal As efficiently As we  Endara recently abolished Noriega s military forces and established in their place what is called a National police. Last month As stipulated by the agric meals a panamanian became and min Tralor of the Panama canal com Mission the . Federal Agency that administers the canal. About 30 ships a Day transit the canal. The associated Prais proposed a. Law perilously close to censorship the Pennsylvania House of representatives has passed a Bill requiring parental warning labels on certain recordings before they can be sold or offered for Sale. Since the measure requires Only the warning and does not ban sales outright the House Legal counsel insists there s no question that our Bill is constitutional. There s no censorship in the Label  no censorship this is a Bill that in the absence of a warning Label on the cover prohibits Selling or an offer to sell recordings of lyrics Hal explicitly de scribe advocate or encourage suicide incest bestiality sadomasochism rape or involuntary deviate sexual Intercourse or that advocate or encourage murder ethnic intimidation he use of illegal drugs or the excessive or illegal use of alcohol. The intent says rep. Ron Gamble the Bill s sponsor is to Alert parents to specific records Hal icy won t want their children to be listening  but who s to decide which records tit the Bill s description sufficiently to be labelled not the producers the musicians the state of Pennsylvania or Gamble but the retail Sellers. Violators could be fined $300 or imprisoned for 90 Days. Maybe the courts won l consider that literal stale censorship if the Pennsylvania Senate also approve the measure. Bui whale Var its subterfuges the Gamble Bill will still be state legislation loosely defining certain kinds of lyrics As subject to specific pejorative designation stale legislation requiring recordings of these to be visibly Sci apart from others in Advance of sales or offers to sell and slate legislation setting state penalties for violators of the Law. Won l retailers in fear of fines and jail Slick those labels on any recording that might conceivably fit those broadly state defined categories won t those prominent labels inhibit or prevent sales won l some artists be influenced to alter their creative works to avoid Labelling and the resulting dam age to sales or producers of recordings to urge artists to do so if that s not censorship in fact what s a better word chilling effect it s that for sure. But Call it what you wish a major question in inc Pennsylvania Mea sure and in similar provisions pending in numerous other states is How to decide what it is that s to be prohibited and How to specify it. Those Pennsylvania categories suggest the problem. Not Many people want to encourage suicide for instance. But a melancholy tune and doleful words even if clean might do just that. The driving pounding rhythm of Rock music or Ravel s famous Bolero Neil her of which would re quire a Label might be More sexually arousing than four idler words in a Lyric. Ethnic intimidation is certainly to be condemned but some Singer s accent or Slang might arouse some other person s rage or contempt. That phrase also could be taken to proscribe songs of social protest or satire a Rich vein in american music. Some might consider we shall overcome ethnically intimidating. Another problem is where to Stop. Why recordings if not a Richard Pryor concert him what about the numerous sexually exploitative commercials on television neither Pennsylvania nor any other slate to my knowledge bans or requires labels on the explicit pm climbs extreme violence that s a Staple of television programming or on the sexy Content of the Day time soaps in which adultery is commonplace. And if a stale can ban or require retailers to Label a commercial recording Why can t it require booksellers to Label books since Many May contain words or ideas As explicit As any rap Lyric the language of which is mostly the language of the american streets and Long familiar to most adolescents the Root reality of censorship or of chilling however is the restrain imposed on free expression and artistic creativity. Both supposedly arc protected in this country by inc first amendment to the Constitution. And both supposedly arc encouraged in the expectation that truth and value will emerge most forcefully from the clash of ideas and attitudes in a robust marketplace of intellectual Freedom. Pennsylvania and other slates moving toward record Labelling Laws May protest that they Are not trying to restrict artists or expression. But Freedom of expression is surely diminished if the Freedom to listen is limited. If government can legislate by whatever device and with whatever intent that which should or May be heard it can also decide what May or May not be written read said Sung shown or published