European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 20, 1992 commentary the stabs and stripes Page 13democracy gets the Job done in the Long run you get some heartening a and occasionally dismaying a examples of democracy in action when you look beyond the most glamorous parts of americans National elections. This months balloting showed that the average voter is a lot smarter than is thought by the demagogues who i a i a we a 3 % Carlt. Rowan try to exploit their emotions their supposed  in California gov. Pete Wilson and others tried to blame that states economic crisis on welfare recipients. They tried to sucker californians into voting for a draconian proposition 165 that would have Cut welfare benefits by 25 percent denied assistance to Many Young mothers and their babies a a All this As a Way to Force welfare recipients to a take jobs a even when no jobs exist in California. Wilson would have assumed major dictatorial economic Powers if proposition 165 had been adopted. Joe Doe saw this. The people voted Down this outrageous proposition by 54 to 46 percent. Here in the District of Columbia the Congress forced a referendum on the death penalty. Sen. Richard c. Shelby d-ala., figured that Blacks who Are the irime victims of homicides and other Vio ent crimes in the District would vote Gul Lily to a Fry Mem Gas Mem hang  what two out of three . Voters said was a Congress butt out of our politics. We know that nowhere in America can it be shown that capital punishment Laws Are a deterrent to crimes of passion and violence. We know that the death penalty has always been imposed unfairly victimizing Black and Brown people and those too poor to hire Highfalutin lawyers. We will not endorse government killings in the District of  homosexual rights were just As emotional an Issue in the 1992 Campaign. Oregon voters were Given a Chance to declare homosexuality abnormal and to make Gay people Legal outcasts. The peo ple of Oregon were smart enough to reject this Scarlet letter invitation. Yet voters in Colorado said by 53 to 47 percent that state prohibitions against racial discrimination in hiring and housing must not apply to homosexuals As they do to Blacks hispanics native americans and others. Such schizophrenia As Between Oregon and Colorado was Manifest nationwide on the Issue of taxes. Some states approved limits on property taxes. Others refused to do so. Big Public works Bond issues and initiatives to pay for better Public education were Defeated. Yet More than 19 million americans voted for Ross Perot who was calling for painful austerity and higher taxes with which to wipe out a crippling National debt of $4 trillion. American voters clearly need More leadership on the Issue of paying their Way out of economic disaster. Then we saw schizophrenia Over How to escape political disaster. In every state where the Issue was on the ballot voters approved limits on the number of years anyone could serve in the . Senate or House. Most people said 12 years is Long enough for anyone to serve in the Congress. Yet we saw these same voters returning to the Congress their old grading incumbents. Voters favor term limits in principle but wont vote out their incumbent because they know the advantages of being represented by someone with the clout of seniority of having a seasoned staff of knowing How to rattle closet skeletons and twist arms and deliver real a a pork to the Home area. Yes we saw that democracy is an exasperating exercise. But we saw anew that it is not fatal. C North America Syndicate Clinton must make up his mind on homosexuals Bill Clinton our about to be president has dug himself a Hole he can to gracefully get out of. He finds himself Between the homosexuals on the one hand and the armed services on the other and he does no to want to irritate either one. During his Campaign Clinton repeatedly unequivocally promised that if he became president he would <05t of Tbs the hint Issue an executive order in the matter. He would end the age old Rule that requires the discharge of homosexuals serving in the armed forces. The subject came up at his news conference on nov. 12. A reporter asked a How quickly Are you going to move on your pledge to allow Gays and lesbians in the military the reporter observed that Clinton is getting pressure to lift the ban in january three Days after taking office on the 20th. Cunt on replied at some length. A first of All a he said a a in a going to move Forward on  then the governor began to Waffle. He will lift the ban a in a Way that is most appropriate for the management of the whole National Security and military interests of the  he will consult with a lot of people a about what our options  Clinton liked that word  he wanted to come up with a an appropriate  what he plans to do a in an appropriate fashion Quot is to put together a group of people and let them advise him about now Jie might Best do this. Then he concluded a but in a not going to change my position on  this is the kind of thing that got the governor his reputation As a Slick  first off he is going to move Forward. Positively he is not going to change his position. But then again. He  consult. He will look at options. He will come up with an appropriate response. The Issue he says evading the Issue is conduct. A has anybody done anything which would disqualify them a James j. Kilpatrick Well one is either for having homosexual san he military or against having homosexuals in the military and the Only Middle ground is a Middle ground that Clinton cannot in principle take. As commander in chief he could decree that no lesbian or homosexual could be discharged because of sexual orientation unless a unless the person was caught in actual homosexual conduct. But that is the policy now. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney acknowledges that several thousand homosexuals Are in service. No one questions that Many of them serve with courage Honor and distinction but they serve so to speak in the closet. They do not flaunt their homosexuality. When commanding officers receive solid evidence of homosexuality or lesbianism they have uniformly enforced the ban. Upward of 15,000 homosexuals have thus been discharged in the past 10 years. The Issue is already working its Way through the Federal court system too. But it is hard to Tell How the supreme court might come Down on the Issue. Two 5-4 cases in 1986 May shed some Light. In one of them the court brusquely upheld a Georgia Law against homosexual sodomy. In the other the court ruled that orthodox jews have no religious Liberty right to Wear their Yar mules while on duty. In some circumstances said the court individual rights must defer to military judgment. Questions of a homosexuals constitutional rights As opposed to the military a need for Good order and High morale May be irrelevant. Gov. Clinton will soon become commander in chief. If he wants avowed homosexuals in the services he will have the Power to swear them in. A Universal Pross Syndicate