European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 06, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday february 6, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 15 what newspapers Are saying at Home the following editorial excerpts Are selected from a Cross Section of newspapers throughout the United states. The editorials Are provided by the associate press and United press International. Examiner san Francisco the reported multimillion Dollar payment by entertainer Michael Jackson to end a lawsuit charging him with sexual molestation of a 13-year-old boy raises the immediate suspicion that Justice has in effect been smothered with Money. The Young plaintiff would be silenced no criminal Case would be pressed arid Jackson would resume his fabulous  it s not that simple. The allegations of child abuse Are too serious to be dismissed with a financial settlement Between the family of the aggrieved youngster and the famous performer who maintains his innocence despite the agreement to pay. The boy has told his Story to authorities. They have the responsibility of continuing the investigation and prosecuting if that action i warranted. Pittsburgh Post Gazette Michael Jackson says he wants to move on and so he will but the Public seems to want to linger. That s because the Singer s multimillion Dollar settlement with a boy who accused him of sexual molestation has left Many of his fans with an unsettling question if he is As innocent As he says he is then Why did he agree to pay All that Money. But that question can be turned around if the boy truly was molested then Why would he or his parents be so eager to Settle. So it is a very unsatisfying end to this whole ordeal for everyone that is except the plaintiff and the defendant. Los Angeles times the marines clash with somalis last monday reveals anew the shape of the chaos that will imperil the East african nation after the United states deadline for withdrawal of its troops. Renewed civil War though not unavoidable is Likely As the clans vie again to Lead what remains of their country. The Plain dealer Cleveland dear diary i wish i never had started  that May Well have been the entry sen. Bob Packwood wrote in his journal for the Day a Federal judge ruled that the legislator mus provide his personal diary to the Senate ethics committee. It was a Good ruling. Packwood s conduct As a Public official should be an open Book. Packwood s conduct through this controversy allegations he sexually harassed More than two dozen women that he has intimidated witnesses and altered portions of the diary and now that he May have  office to help his wife get a Job is an embarrassment to the institution he serves. The Washington Post Sam Lewis Clifton Wharton Les Aspin Philip Heymann one thing that these men Nave in common is that each was pushed out of president Clinton s government by roughly the end of its first year. W e do seriously question the Tacky whispered disparagement that has followed each out of office the unfair scapegoating for administration wide or in some cases merely departmental failures for which their Bosses presumably and miraculously had no responsibility there has been a kind of slug s Trail of Anonymous whispered explanations of How each of these people was just too academic or too disorganized or too slow or too unproductive to do the Job. The president at a minimum should let people he decides to Force out leave with dignity. The underhanded trashing of them by people in the administration threatens his dignity As Well. The Herald Everett Wash. Bill Clinton s for  a president. As a Leader. As an executive who can make intelligent choices about programs. As someone most of the country can relate to. As a person who cares about , As the state of the Union speech showed As a speaker. The next Stop Nour current tour the Janesville wis Gazette president Clinton May be waging a constant War with his Waistline but that has t stopped him from keeping a plate full of challenging issues in front of him. His state of the Union speech marked the end of a Busy first year in which Clinton accomplished Many of his goals. We Don t agree with Clinton on a lot of things. Many of his priorities for 1994 will require a Good Deal of tinkering and moderation before we re prepared to support them. At the same time we have to give credit to Clinton for taking on the bread and butter issues that concern most americans. He s made some bold proposals and he seems willing to dig into political hot potatoes that Many before him have pushed aside. The advocate Baton Rouge la. It s important to understand exactly what the supreme court said and did t say in its unanimous ruling that anti abortion groups Are subject to suits brought under the racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act. All the ruling did was to clarify to lower courts that Rico can be used in cases where the defendant acts out of moral conviction rather than monetary gain. There Are local and state Laws which can be used to prosecute anti abortion activists who Cross the line from speech to mayhem. The proposed clinic Access Law if enacted by Congress will provide additional Protection for women who seek to exercise their Legal right to abortion. But Rico was never meant to be used in such cases and Congress should make whatever changes Are needed to Stop its abuse. The Meridian miss Star the supreme court s ruling that pro life protesters can be sued under the Federal racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act Rico casts a dark Shadow Over that Basic right of americans to peaceful protest. T he court has ruled that Rico can be invoked to sue Over ideologically motivated crimes not just economically motivated crimes. People being sued under Rico can face triple damages. The intent we Are told is to do something about those who take their protests too far and break the Law by committing such crimes As arson and destruction of property. But the potential danger of this ruling to the infringement of the Basic rights of americans goes Way beyond the pro abortion or pro life Arena. Cloves . News journal americans Are facing a Bona fide crisis these Days but it s not the one president Clinton and his administration keep telling us about. Much As they would have us believe that the health care Cost spiral which is slowing and a Gap in health coverage Merit a Radical redesign of an essentially sound system society is crumbling under the weight of the welfare state. Clinton s real work lies in ending our degenerative culture of welfare dependency. Instead he would squander his time and our Money on fixing a healthcare system that in t broken. The Register Herald Beckley . For Oliver North to run As a Washington outsider is almost As hypocritical As if he were to run As a "patriot.". V instead of running for Congress North should be in prison. The Augusta a chronicle College students often tweak the nose of the establishment by welcoming views most american find repugnant. This happened last fall when Khalid Abdul Muhammad the nation of islam s no. 2 Man behind controversial minister Louis Farrakhan spoke at new Jersey s Kean College. Black hatemongers must be treated with the same contempt As White hatemongers. You Don t  Many Kkt leaders being invited to address College audiences much less getting cheered. Herald journal Spartanburg . The internal Revenue service is getting some flak it is that season of the year in t it for conducting an Experiment in making tax forms available i Spanish. The Pilot project which Cost $100,000, is the first time in the service s 131-year-history that it has departed from English. ,. The irs apparently sees its Experiment As paving the Way for easier collection of revenues. At least one congressman Republican Ron Packard of California challenges the project. He thinks it suggests that people Don t really need to learn English to be comfortable and successful Here. If the irs expands its Experiment to All the major languages it May begin to weaken the togetherness we have that is so vital to us. Tribune review Greensburg a. Global warming theorists have this problem. Every time they come up with a prediction of coming catastrophe it s soon shot Down. A Well it s Back to the drawing Board for the alarmists Ever diligent in their search for genuine prospects of climatic doom. T it must be frustrating work. The Sun. Baltimore Robert b. Fiske or. Has Model credentials to head an Independent counsel probe of the tangled Story of the Madison guaranty sail the Whitewater development corp., capital management services and president and mrs. Clinton. Now that Fiske is on the Case it would be a Good idea if members of Congress and other parties interested in Whitewater gave it a rest for a while gave Fiske a Chance to get to the Bottom of it. If he stumbles or fumbles or otherwise performs unsatisfactorily other institutions should and could look anew into the whole Story including especially those areas of concern that involve not crime but ethics. But the time for that is later