Valparaiso University - Beacon / Record Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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16 FEEL LUCKY HThe handgun problem is misuse, not possession, said David Hiducke, a representative of the National Ritie Association tNRAt. Hiducke opposed Kathy Zartman, president of the Committee for Handgun Control, in a lively gun control debate on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in the Great Hall of the Union. Zartman agreed that misuse is a problem. iiin August there were 97 handgun deaths in Cook County, she said. iiWe take it as a part of life, but it doesn't have to be that way. Japan has fewer handgun deaths in one year than Cook County has in a weekend? iISeIf-detense is a legal defense? she said. iiThat concept says nothing about the handgun. There is no such things that the second amendment protects handgun control. Commenting on the second amendment, Hiducke said, HAII citizens bearing arms comprise the militia. I know that 99.997722 percent of handguns are not used for crime. HWe have to separate crime and violence, stated Zartman. HThe handgun problem in America is not primarily a crime problem. Seventy eight percent of the deaths involving handguns were not committed during another felony. iiGun controi laws have no correlation with reducing crime, countered Hiducke. IiHandguns do, in fact, stop as much crime as they cause. Through the two hour debate, Zartman remained standing at her podium while Hiducke alternated between standing to speak and sitting down to shuffle through a large collection of notes. Although Zartman spoke towards the audience, Hiducke continued to raise his voice and began most of his answers by addressing Zartman as HMadam. What Americans want, Madam, they will get. stated Hiduoke, and cited such examples as marijuana, cocaine, and the repeaiing of the prohibition iaw. HI don't believe thereis going to be an absence of handguns. Im sorry. Handguns will not be outiawed. There will aiways be a market. HAnybody can make a handgun, Hiducke continued. iIGive me twenty minutes in any hardware store and I can make one. One of the questions asked was itShouid we just get rid of the Saturday Night Speciai and leave the rest of the firearms as they areT, Saturday Night Specials are small handguns that were named for their use in settling Saturday night arguments. In 1968, importation of Saturday Night Specials were banned, yet the small guns' parts were stiii allowed to be shipped into the country Both Hiducke and Zartman agreed that this law was discriminatory against minorities, due to availability of other, more expensive handguns. No one in Washington can define a Saturday Night Special, said Hiducke. He said that it it was a matter of being a small enough gun to conceal, he owned a gun with a 22-inch barrel that couid be concealed. Zartman said that in some cases the handgun can be more dangerous than a M .16 automatic, because the handgun could be easily hidden. On the subject of implementing gun control, Hiducke said it wouldnit work. iiTaIking about gun control is just a smokescreen to hide the word tcontiscationx he said. iiConfiscation of private property is illegal? iiDefine controi, said Zartman. iiHandgun laws are not overly enforced, they are not enforced enough. Hiducke quickly compared the gun to the ashtray on his table. itThis ashtray is as dangerous as a gun or anything else. One member of the audience picked up on Hiduoke's comparison, and questioned him on ashtray fatality figures. Another person from the back of the room asked, iiCouId you throw from there and kill me? tilt I really wanted to, I could, Hiducke answered. Hiducke's closing statement was directed at Zartman. iii have a right to live my life the way I want to live it, he stated. HThat is the probiem, Madam, you do not recognize my rights. Zartmanis last words were aimed at the audience in a request for action. HWhat really matters is when the bullet flies, the blood flows, and the grief gnaws at the victims when someone is killed unnecessarily, she said. iiThe children and the quarrelling lovers are victims; the families are victims. You are a victim. iiWe have no time to waste, she continued. Hln the time since this debate, 26 more Americans have been shot. m

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re Lu TRIKE IN THE SKY PATCO tthe Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organizationt has been deoertified by the government and many of its members are in serious financial trouble, but the union as a whole is still optimistic about getting their jobs back, according to Larry Phillips, vice- president of PATCOls Great Lakes Region. Phillips spoke at VU on November 4th about the air traffic controllers strike and about what PATCO is doing today. PATCO was formed in 1968, in response to tlatrocious conditions for air traffic controllers. The main issues then, as now, were working conditions such as equipment, retirement and the work week Phillips stressed that the Aug, 3 strike could not be avoided and was the result of years of frustration, including lack of support from Congress and Reagan. Concerning the strike, Phillips said that three main issues were at stake: 1t wages - $10,000 raise across the board; 2t earlier retirement requirements; and 8t a reduced work week, Although che distorted money issue was pushed and pushed to the publictl by the media, Phillips said that this was not the main issue. Hit all we wanted was money, we would have taken that and not had a strike, he said. The important issues, and those issues on which the government refused to negotiate, according to Phillips, were the working conditions. ttOnly one in ten air traffic controllers make it 20 years at age 50 and 25 years at any agef' he said, speaking of the current retirement requirements Phillips also noted that air traffic controllers in 25 countries in the world work less than 35 hours per week. nWe thought our people deserved it, he said When asked it the government's handling of PATCO was an Hobject lesson, Phillips said that there was Hno question abdut it t t , He tReaganl intended to make PATCO an example for other public employees. PATCO was a clear signal to the post office. Phillips noted that after the PATCO strike and its repercussions, the postal workers' union quickly settled its contract despite a threatened strike. The issue which seems to keep the air traffic controllers in the public eye is safety Phillips reported that the air traffic controllers in the Aviation Safety Institute, a private organization, has received twice as many reports of safety violations than it did a year ago. There are conflicting reports, of course, but Phillips cited several examples of llnear-misses including one in Florida where two planes missed one another by only 15 feet. The controller in question was a supervisor of Phillips, who was an air traffic controller for 13 years. He explained that most problems occur in the area of judgement. He also said that although some people may blame the air traffic controllers for putting peoples lives in danger, ttwe did not u'rge people to fly. We took the opposite position. Phillips feels that concern for safety will give the air traffic controllers their jobs back. tlThey'li have to smack a couple of 747's with 300 people on them but 1 .. hopefully its not going to take that, he said, Another problem which may bring the air traffic controllers back to work is a financial one. Phillips stated that the just-released figures on airline profits indicate great losses. According to Phillips, American Airlines is down 41 percent, United is down 54 percent and Delta Airlines profits went down 71 percent. Resort areas are also hurting, said Phillips, citing Las Vegas, in which tourism profits are down 26 percent. In addition to, and as a result of the financial losses, over 25,000 people have been laid ottt ttWelve spent more money on the economic impact than we asked for in the first place, said Phillips and predicted that it can only get worse with winter weather coming take a chance on a couple of craCk-ups, he said, Phillips stated that the union members are ready and willing to get back to work. HJust end the lock-out and we will return to work? he said. it may not be that easy, though. Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis has turned down this otter from controllers. Other problems for the striking controllers include a kind of secondary boycott by private businesses who rely on government contracts. North American Van Lines was one example cited by Phillips. One official at the company reportedly told Phillips: HWelre getting pressure from the government like everybody else. PATCO, however, does not have any documented evidence of this kind of ttboyoott of its members. Phillips also indicated other government action against the air traffic controllers. in addition to various legal actions against controllers, the government may also have pressured the media. The government is proceeding for its pound of flesh and getting it . . . at tremendous cost to the taxpayerf, Phillips reported that WBBM-TV had done two non-biased reports on the air traffic controllers and was planning a third. instead of the third piece, WBBM came out with a ttscathing editorial against PATCO, Phillips said. When contacted by PATCO, someone indicated that they had received a telegram from the FCC reminding them that their license was up for renewal Despite these problems, though, Phillips said that there is Still a lot of unity in the union . . , Of course, some that are losing their houses are not quite so unified as those who are faring better. He also said that the striking controllers and their families are hurting, there's no question about that, but Phillips did not indicate any regret about the strike itself. He said, ttWe had two Choices- to submit to the continued deterioration of our people's health or to strike, to stand up and say we've got to make the issues Clear .. . You reach a point where it you sincerely believe in something you've got to take a stand? W 17