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Whew! Chretien must get Silly History has suddenly thrust Cana- dian. Prime Minister Jean Chretien into the position in which Abraham Lincoln found himself in the United States 135 years ago. Let's hope he has the same charisma, intelligence and allure. Chretien must have had mixed emo- tions as he learned the results of Mon- day's Quebec referendum on provincial separation from Canada. It was good news that Quebec voted to stay in the federation. But the wisp-thin margin of victory showed him clearly that he has his work cut out for him. Canada has economic problems. The dollar has been devalued to the point where paying for foreign goods is all but prohibited. From the standpoint of the northern United States, Canadian tourism is practically a thing of the past. Socially, Canada is no better off, with half of the nation's most influen- cial province believing it would be bet- ter off on its own. Monday's vote did nothing to dispel the separatist inclination. The vote was so close — less than 1 percent — that it almost stands as a challenge to try again. It certainly stands as a challenge to Chretien. He cannot fail to address the separatists' anxieties, or he will surely have to live through another vote very soon, and he'll be extremely fortunate to survive another one. Like Lincoln, his job now is to unify a divided nation. If Quebec is not assuaged, Canada will be split, proba- bly irreparably. Immediate, serious dialogue is called for. This is no time to celebrate, for the skinny vote margin merely will serve to reinvigorate the separatists' angst. Chretien must summon all his understanding and all his per- suasiveness and win over a very stub- born group of secessionists. \These are the times that try men's souls,\ the American patriot Thomas Paine wrote. To paraphrase and apply the sentiment to Chretien, these are the times that try his soul, his resolve and his talent as a peacemaker. Truth can wear different colors Let's consider the fol- lowing chain of events. Sometime after mid- night, two white cops pull a car over for having a dead taillight. In the car are two black men. The cops run a radio- computer background check on the two men. They discover that the driver is wanted for failure to pay child sup- port. They arrest him. The second man owns the car. But he has a suspended license for not paying tickets, and he appears to have been drinking. ___So__tke cops call a tow truck and impound the car. This leaves the owner of the car without transportation. The cops prepare to leave. The car owner pleads for a lift. He is frightened because he is a black man in an all-white neighborhood — a tough, blue-collar neighborhood with a lot of mean young white guys.' But when he asks for a ride to a safer location, one of the cops reportedly says, \--'-- you. You can walk home.\ The copg leave, and the black man is alone on the dark street. — •- - - - About 15 minutes later, he is found lying on the pavement. He is burning. He has been beaten and drenched with lighter fluid and set afire.. He has burns over 90 percent of his body. He dies in a hospital later that morning. Would this create much of a public uproar? De- mands by community and political leaders for a full investigation? Based on past events, yes, there could be quite an outcry. Assuming, of course, that this story is factual. But it isn't entirely true. I changed a few facts. Such as race. In reality, the two cops were black and the two men they stopped were white. And the place where it happened was Ford Heights, a small south Chicago suburb that is almost entirely black. But a man was beaten and burned to death: Richard Will, 32, a racetrack worker who lived in south suburban Chicago Heights. His companion was Cecil McCool, 32, a roofer. It was McCool who said the two cops from Ford Heights refused his former high-school pal's plea for a ride. McCool and Will's relatives brought their ver- sion of the Oct. 18 events to a local newspaper, which carried a lengthy story in Thursday's paper. Bill Braverman, a lawyer for McCool's family said: \They had gone to a bar. On the way back, they were stopped. The police came up with a war- rant for McCool. He said that Will asked three times for a ride to the police station and was told, '-—, no, you walk.' He said Will was trembling, he was so frightened. \Then he was accosted, beaten, and torched.\ Braverman said an autopsy showed that Will had been drinking. But the amount of alcohol in his system was slightly below the legal standard for drunkenness. The police, who appear to have ducked reporters and Will's relatives for a week, now offer a conflic- ting version of the events leading to Will's death. Police Lt. E.K. Haynie says he was one of the two cops who stopped Will and McCool, but he denies refusing a ride.' He said Will didn't ask for one. Instead, he said, Will walked toward a public phone and was making a call when they last saw him on his own two feet. But in only a matter of minutes, that changed. \We were processing McCool when we got callecT to the body. He (Will) was smoldering. It was a smoldering fire, and he was semiconscious. There was no one around him. Some people who live there were the ones who called police.\ Haynie also says that McCool is not telling the truth about how or why the two men were stopped. \McCool is telling a likely story, but it's a lie.\ The policeman says the two men were walking in a \high crime-drug area.\ And when they saw the police car, they hurried to their own car and tried liodftve^aw^j^That'swherrihey^werestoppedi Haynie says that he believes the two men were there to buy drugs. He claims that the place where the car was stopped and Will was last seen was safe, but that Will walked a few blocks back to the drug area. \By the phone, it's OK. He took it upon himself to go to a different drug area. These are individuals who made a decision to do something.\ Attorney Braverman described the police actions as \gross negligence\ and possibly a civil-rights vi- olation. So who is telling the truth? It will take a thorough investigation to answer that question. I would imagine that if the two men were be- lieved to have been trying to buy drugs, that would have been noted in written police reports. And the police should be able to produce such reports. And if that's what the two men were up to, it raises the question of why the police would just leave a guy they suspected of trying to buy drugs on the street. Two young men from the town have been ar- rested in connection with Will's death. But it's obvious that there's more to this case than who did it. People are murdered in this coun- try every hour. Seldom, though, just minutes after they've been rousted by the cops. Tribune Madia ScrvicM Your voices in government -In Waahlngton- Rtp. John McHugh 24th Congressional District Room 416 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-4611 (518) 563-1406 Rap, Garald Solomon 22nd Congressional District 2265 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-5614 (518) 477-2703 San. Alfonso D'Amoto 520 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20610 Phone: (202) 224-6542 San. DanUI P. Moynlhan Room SR-464 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 224-4451 In Albany San. Ronald Stafford 45th Senatorial District Room 502, Capitol Albany, N.Y. 12247 Phone: (518) 455-2811 (518) 561-2430 Aitamblyman Chrli Ortloff 110th Assembly District Room 450 Legislative Office Building Albany, N.Y. 12248 Phone: (518) 455-5943 (518) 562-1986 (518) 483-9930 Aitamblyman Jamas P. King 109th Assembly District Room 722 Legislative Office Building Albany, N.Y. 12248 Phone: (518) 455-5565 (518) 792-4546 NEWS ItEM't SCIENTISTS GROW HUMAN EAR5ON RODENT Reporter's Notebook Democrats let voters down Mitch RoMnquist Staff Writer PLATTSBURGH - I don't often resort to name-calling, but there's one word in particular that describes city Demo- crats better than any other: Kittens. Not all of them, of course. Ward 6 Councilor Daniel Stewart and Ward 5 candidate Shirley O'Connell, who's endorsed by the Dems, were the only two brave enough to defend their records last Thursday at a debate with all the Republican candidates. As for the rest of 'em, I've never seen so much mewling and scurrying. They acted like the vet's was their destination when Republican Mark Dame a week earlier publicly challenged them all to a debate. After the challenge, Mayor Clyde Rabideau said he couldn't make Dame's 7 p.m. debate because he was already attending a debate that day. That other debate was set for 1 p.m., six hours before Dame's. , Then the day before the debate, there came Ward 4 Councilor Bryan LaPier with a letter to Dame outlining any number of reasons why the Dems would unfortunately not be able to attend. Like the fact that debates shouldn't be held in places where alcohol is served, although LaPier didn't seem to care that Rabideau's other debate was set for the Holiday Inn, which has been known to serve up a beer or two. Nor did he mention that the bars at both events would not be serving alcohol to those attending the debates. But there was also some concern among the Dems over Dame's proposed format of giving can- didates three minutes to answer a question and their opponents two minutes to respond. Even though Dame said he would change the format any way the Dems wanted, LaPier said he had not bothered to ask Dame to do exactly that. With that, LaPier said it was unfortunate that the Dems would be unable to attend the only debate in this campaign devoted entirely to ques- tions asked by the general public, and the only debate period for city councilors. So Rabideau, LaPier, Ward 1 Councilor George Rotella, Ward 2 Councilor Jack Stewart and Ward 3 Councilor William Berman never showed. They were safely purring among themselves, well away from public accountability. This column Is the opinion of tha wrltaf and not necessarily of the Preii-Rapubllcan. 4ETTERS TO4MEJEDIT0R Holiday cheer off To the Editor: Ho Ho Ho to vote we go. 'Twas the night before election ^nd speeches were_ended Jor jhe^ office of mayor so hotly^ contend^ ed, by the two candidates very simple to rate, because one had no record and the others was great. The issues were listed with skill and with care, to see who would best fit in the City Hall chair. The mayor in office over the four years just passed, prov- ed that for him it was perfectly cast. The problems that arose in the city each day were expertly handled until they went away. The future was charted with thought and with skill and not just considered run of the mill. So when stockings are hung on the mantle with- care, Clyde's with deeds overflowing and Mark's empty and bare, for a holiday special Santa put a wreath round your girth, saddle your reindeer and make a trip to the earth. Please bring us an early present this year, election results we will stand up and cheer. We must continue our progress, its so easy to and cheer. We must continue our progress, its so easy to decide, let us say au revoir to Mark and bien venu to Clyde. Irving A. Elids Pittsburgh The Press-Republican wel- comes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed (except e-mail) and include the address and telephone number of the author. Letters must not contain more than 300 words. They should be typewritten. Those letters not meeting the criteria will not be published and will be returned. The Press-Repub- lican reserves the right not to publish letters it judges to be inappropriate. By mail: Letters to the Editor Press-Republican P.O. Box 459 Pittsburgh, N.Y. 12901 Bye-mail: PRepub@aol.com By fax: 561-3362 Abuse by press To the Editor: This is about abusing Freedom of the Press. When we see lies, distortions and unrestrained personal at- tacks on public persons in tabloids and smut magazines, we automatically discount that as trash. It's legal, but we know it's not real. a When a newspaper reporter does the same thing*, the reader believes, \he must know some- thing.\ If this guy was just mean and vindictive, downright careless with the truth and engaging in character assassina- tion; the editor wouldn't print that stuff. They practice respon- sible journalism. Mitch Rosenquist published a \tabloid\ article about Jay LePage. I'm not sure why. LePage is not a man people dislike. I've known him as a business competitor who was fair and decent. When I lobbied the Legislature, I found him to be a good listener, compassionate and practical, dedicated to his con- • stituents, a man who .thinks things through. Why the personal attack? Mitch states LePage is \high strung and has high blood pressure.\ I just checked. It's false. Mitch made it up. Poor cynical Mitch mistakes pas- sionate dedication to serving people for \high strung.\ If it were true about high blood pressure,TMrtch~knbws' It's not);, he'd bar LePage from public ser- vice. I've accomplished a great deal in public service in recent years while a cancer patient. Anyone who'd discard a valued public servant because of non- debilitating physical conditions is hopelessly out of it. ' I love the First Amendment. I put up with trash reporters. I'm not asking the Press-Republican to dump Mitch. Not even to muz- zle him. But the Constitution gives me the right and the responsibility to respond to that trash. I'm telling readers I 1 ' think Mitch Rosenquist has developed a cynical attitude which affects the quality and accuracy ofjiis repor- - ting., Take Mitch's article with many grains of salt. Harold Brohinsky Plartsburgh Councilman candidate To th« Editor: I would like to endorse Steve Bouyea for the position of councilman for the Town of Beekmantown. I have known Steve for 10 years and I have worked with him for the past eight years. Steve is a very reliable and honest person. Steve gets along well with people. As councilman, I am sure that Steve would rep- resent all the people in the Town of Beekmantown. C.W.ndallBarbof WestChazy Mora Letters Pages B-5,6 Press-Republican 17OM«rMretSl, PIltBburgh, N.Y. 12901 (USPS 443-240) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2,1995 The Republican 1811, The Press 1894, The Pren-Republlcan 1942 Biehd* I. TlUnUn Publlshei Diniel B, Swift, General Mansger James D. Dynko, Editor Robert J. Grady, Mtnaging Edilot Loii M. Qermont, Newi Edilot Brace Rowland, Business Editor John Downs, Design Editor Robot O. Goeu, Sports Editor Dsvid Psctak, Photo Editor Damiin Ftnelli, Sunday Editor Son T. McNunin, Marketing—Sales Manager Lyman Q. Beilo, Classified Advertising Manager George Rock, lUtti! Advertising Manager Chris Christian, Circulation Manager Catherine A. Duquette, Controller Virgil L. Cross, Frees Foreman Daniel L. Thayer, Production Manager James O. Frenya, Distribution Supervisor Published daily each morning except certain holidays at 170 Margaret Street, Plattsburgh, N.Y. Telephone 561-2300. Second clan postage paid at Plattaburgh, N.Y. 12901. The Press-Republican is published by the Plattaburgh Publishing Company Division or Cutaway Newspapers, Inc. National Advertising Representative: Papert Companies, 400 North Street Paul No. 800, Dallas, Texas 76201-3119, Ana Cod* 214-969-0000. Subscription rates by U.S. Mail 1195.00 one year; 1107,90 six months; $63.95 three months. (Mail ratea not applicable In ereaiWved by carrier or motoi '\ —•-••- out-of-town servicemen ratei'oh request. r motor delivery). Ratea for all other places and special DOONESBURY Garry Trudeau MICHAEL... PLBA6B... WAIT/ LST MBBKPLAIN! Mm IT WAS 4lM5UPPO5B TQBBABBAU FILMAB0UTA CQMA6IRL-~ ABOUTHOW 7HIN670 90 TO YOU WITHOUT TBLLIN6 YOU. I $B&1HAT NOW. I SHJBARIlLMAKB IT UP TO YOU.
