Editorial opinion
Towering' infernos
A catastrophe is waiting to hap
pen. And if you're a typical Penn
State student who frequents State
College bars, you 'could be its
next victim.
However, Monday night’s ac
tion by the Municipal Council may
help to prevent it.
After months of consideration,
the council decided to enforce the
Department of Labor and In
dustry’s occupancy standards for
local bars and restaurants. The
standards would reduce the num
ber of persons now permitted in
most of the bars.
While some may bemoan coun
cil’s move on the grounds that it
limits their opportunities for a cold
For pusher and priest, entrapment abridges ri
The United States Supreme Court has recently handed down
a ruling making entrapment of criminals by law enforcement
officials a legal tactic. The ruling makes a travesty of America’s
oft-boasted civil liberties, and shows the willingness of the
highest court in the country and the supposed protector of
constitutional rights, to compromise and actually negate those
rights by allowing discriminatory and selective law en
forcement techniques to be employed.
Perhaps the saddest aspect of a sad situation is that en
trapment is most often used in those ephemeral cases aptly
called "victimless crimes,” including offenses like
prostitution, illegal traffic in tobacco, and traffic in other
controlled substances.
Heroin, methamphetamine, morphine, and other drugs that
can quickly destroy human lives and make an individual a
threat to other members of society should be suppressed as a
first priority of law enforcement personnel. But suppression
should not go so far as to deny individuals their rights as
American citizens. While murderers go free because of some
slight inconsistency in legal, judicial or enforcement
procedure, drug users are often convicted and incarcerated
after being coaxed into buying and selling drugs supplied by
undercover enforcement officials. Here’s how it works.
Mr. X is looking to buy a quantity of an illegal substance. He
encounters Mr. Z who offers to sell him a pound or two. Mr. X
jumps at the offer. A price is set and the transaction is made.
Now Mr. Z, who is an undercover agent, has grounds to arrest
Mr. X for possession of a controlled substance (or narcotic, or
whatever). But simple possession often results in a fine and
probation rather than imprisonment, and when the agents set
State College
Attention all you imbibers of the
demon rum! (This means you, for all of
you alcoholics who were too busy
getting blown-out to expand your
vocabularies). Through a cruel twist of
fate, the University, Pennsylvania State
Liquor Control Board and the. State
College Municipal Council have com
bined to present you with a problem
tantamount to finding your bottle of
Bacardi Silver drained before halftime of
the Penn State-Army game.
After a student tried to reach im
mortality (but only got as far as the
Mountainview Unit of Centre Community
Hospital), the University cracked down
on dorm partying, and said no more
alcoholic-type parties, for the rest of the
summer. If this ban on getting bombed
in your own room continues. Into Fall
Term, it is going to drive a lot of people
who were previously occupied in the
pursuit of inebriation at dorm parties,
into other places to do their partying.
This means a whole lot more people
are going to be doing their partying in
the bars this fall. It almost sounds as if
the Tavern Owners Association had
planned the thing out, making a CIA-like
pay-off to students so they would chua
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beer or a quick dance, there is
much more to be considered.
More than merely increasing
the comfort and convenience of
those inside, the maximum oc
cupancy limits for bars will un
doubtedly increase their safety.
On any given weekend night, it
may take a good five minutes to
elbow your way to the restroom in
the typical State College ‘watering
hole.’ In the event of a fire, how
long would it take for 300 persons
to fight their way through tables,
chairs and musical equipment to
one tiny exit?
It’s difficult to calculate, but the
answer nonetheless adds up to
disaster. ‘Firetrap’ is an ugly ex-
Jack Daniels Tequila or Grain Punfch and
cause the University to do what it did.
But, not long after this decision, the
Municipal Council voted to enforce strict
occupancy codes in the local bars. This
will severely cut back the number of you
fuzzy-brained, staggering people that
can be crammed into your favorite
establishment, whether it be A, B, C, D,
or E. Instead, you will have to stand
outside (most likely in the usual fall
drizzle that infects this part of the state)
and hope that someone either passes
out and is carried out or throws-up and is
kicked out of trie bar so that you can take
his place. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
And because of the liquor contrdl
board's decision not to declare State
College a resort area (even if Penn State
is the finest drinking school in the East),
don't count on the initiative of private
enterprise to save the day and build more
bars. They can’t because the number of
liquor licenses allotted for this area has
already been issued. And what kind of
(Ar ' V. •
up this type of ploy, their goal is to remove a particular dealer
or pusher from the streets.
So, in comes Mr. Y, another law enforcement agent, who
approaches good old Mr. X and asks if he could, perchance,
buy some of the substance. Mr. X agrees to sell, a price is set,
marked money is passed from Y to X, and the cuffs are on
before he can holler “narc.”
Mr. X is simply-a third party. The drugs are sold to him by
enforcement people and he is approached by a law officer who
asks for the substance. In this case Mr. X, a simple In-
termediary, goes to jail. Who are the real perpetrators of the
crime? In effect, enforcement officials are creating a crime as a
means of prosecuting a particular Individual.
To my knowledge, there have been no cases as yet Involving
marijuana or other “soft” drugs. The law.enforcement people
are correctly concentrating their efforts on removing patently
dangerous drugs from the streets by removing pushers from
circulation. Still, the stage is set, and should they so desire,
enforcement personnel, whether local, state or federal, could
use these tactics against any type of drug as well as against
bootleg cigarettes (those without the tax stamp of the state in
which they are to be sold) lottery tickets, and who knows what
else.
If in fact our Mr. X was dealing heroin or any other
dangerous drug, then it becomes obvious that everyone
Chet Wade
pression - but it’s also a reality
that must be faced. When exits are
poorly-lit, unmarked, blocked or
practically non-exjstant, the
possibility of human lives being
lost becomes overbearing.
It remains to be seen how local
police will enforce the occupancy
regulations. Having law en
forcement officers "bar hopping”
as one councilman put it
would simply be impractical.
But one thing is certain - for
the safety of their patrons, bar
owners must abide by the limits.
Municipal Council has taken the
first step. It is now up to the
proprietors to do the rest.
George Osgood
'dry'town by Fall
bar Is it that can’t serve majors, let alone
minors?
For you hard-core drunks, you have
two alternatives the DT’s or 1 finding a
new watering hole. The DT’s are not the
most thrilling way to spend the day so
most of the confirmed cases will be out
in search of a new oasis.
About the only local establishments in
the student price-range that haven't
already been, taken over by the younger
set are the Tomcat (Red Neck City), the
Post House Tavern (also a lot of sunburn
there too) and the back of the ’My’ (the
floors are very slippery from the
customers drooling.) I hardly think that
the current inhabitants of these places
are going to get up and leave whenever
the students start to move in. Instead,
there are going to be some interesting
conflicts between the townies and the
students.
The only other choice the students will
have (besides -giving up drinking) is to
travel out to the taverns and bars in
Bellefonte and Boalsburg. But anyone
who has ever found his way to places
like the Boalsburg Steakhouse can tell
you that unless you are a country and
western freak, you are going to fit in
there about as well as the Goodyear
So, as the traffic accident toll rises
this winter, maybe the three parties who
had a hand in driving those undesirable
drunken students out of town, will
reconsider and welcome them back with
open arms and a cup of black coffee.
Otherwise, the independent action of
three different groups is going to total
up to some pietty sad days ahead.
Bra, 'brawd,' brawless
TO THE EDITOR: As a footnote to the "Bra Question" raging
among brothers of a particular fraternity, according to Irish
legend the brassiere was used in pre-Christian times in that
country if it did not, in fact, originate there.
Erin, a beautiful princess, wore her breasts bare as was the'
pagan custom in those days. However, she attracted such a
following among the young men of the court that the king
became angry and decreed that henceforth all women must
cover themselves.
Hence the expression “Erin go bra” which in the Gaelic old
spelling has come down to this very day!
* -St
Children of divorce
TO THE EDITOR: Children of Divorce is a new organization for
youngsters and teens who feel they want to share, compare
and resolve traumatic feelings that, result from separation or
divorce of their parents.
I am founding this organization with the help of the
following groups: Youth Service Bureau, Student Assistance
Center, Campus Ministry, Women in Communications Inc.,
Womens’ Resource Center, Voluntary Action Center, school
counselors and professionals.
All adults, students, teens and parents are welcome to
attend a brown bag luncheon at the Informal lounge in
Eisenhower Chapel on Tues. Aug. 31, from 11:30to1:30.
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benefits if he is taken off the streets. Even the pusher is better
off, because he may shake his habit and, pardon the cliche,
start a new life. The problem is that the end does not
necessarily justify the means, and that appears to be the
'reasoning employed by the'Supreme Court justices who ruled
in favor of entrapment.
Entrapment is used in other areas, too. In attempting to curb
prostitution in large cities, law enforcement agencies have
adopted a new tactic made possible by the ruling. In the past
policewomen would dress as prostitutes (How does a
prostitute dress? I don’t know; use your imagination.) and
.iang around likely spots waiting to be propositioned by the
unsuspecting john. That was bad enough. Now the same
policewomen strut their stuff, verbally, soliciting business.
When dear john gives in to lust and temptation, the badge
flashes and the cuffs go on faster than he can holler “screw
job."
The Adam Smith rationale behind this is evidently that if you
can’t deal with the supply, deal with the demand. Efforts to
remove prostitutes from the streets have, in recent years, been
futile. In the first place, there are vast numbers of them in
many metropolitan areas. And if they are busted, they are
usually out of jail the same day they go in. Finally, they knpw
their business and are very careful. Some cities, like Boston,
have virtually ceased enforcing laws against prostitution if the
hookers remain within the confines of a certain area (In
Boston, it’s the^infamous Combat Zone).
So, enforcement officials attack the prostitutes’ customers
so that the girls’ business will fall off and they will be forced
into a more honorable profession (meter maid, for example).
blimp in a phone booth. And if you think
that steer they have standing outside
looks big when you go in, you should
see the proportions it takes on after you
spend some time sucking up the suds.
Its enough to make you stop drinking.
Driving around, half-loaded, on the
goat trails that pass for roads in some
parts of the Centre Region, trying to find
a place to get the other half loaded, is
certainly not going to be any picnic. It Is
hard enough to negotiate some of the
sharp curves and steep hills in the
middle of a sober, sunny afternoon. But,
with the University’s, municipal
council’s and liquor control board's
“blessing,” a large number of students
will find themselves tooling the high
ways in search of the night cap they
could find .before, right in the confines of
State College.
Letters to the Editor
J.D. McAulay
Professor of Education
Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that theirijuslness Is falling '
at all. g
But that’s not the issue. The most unhejjjthy aspect of the V
situation is the entrapment of “innocent”|citizens who have
actually only committed a crime through 2n overbroad legal
detnition and not in any substantive sens® There is truly no', '
victim, except for the John who victimizes himself by accepting 1- *
the offer of the policewoman. Prostitution can admittedly
cause serious problems in a given area, especially when it is -
run by organized crime. It certainly taints the locale In which it''
is carried on. But a more reasonable solution to the problem
must be found.
Americans hold their civil liberties among their most prized ''
possessions. The'Constitution is held in reverence by the vast 4
majority of the' population and its provisions have given the v
groundwork for building the greatest country on earth, a place -1 ,
where all men are ostensibly created equal and freedom is the"
national ideal.
Enough platitudes. I’m sure you get the point. The central ’
issue is that the recent ruling is unfair at best and abridges the
rights guaranteed by the Constitution for every American,,
whether pusher or priest. The problems that the ruling was*
designed to fight clearly are serious and should be dealt with
vigorously by law enforcement agencies. But they should be ~
dealt with in a straightforward manner while maintaining the,
viability of human rights and the dignity of the respective law •
enforcement departments. Although the Supreme Court seems
to feel otherwise, there is no room in American legal affairs ~
and law enforcement techniques for trickery and out and out
entrapment. -
fATtr AIN'T OIG
We’ll brainstorm and choose an advisory board for Children
of Divorce.
' Keystone Foods has offered free donuts for a fund raising
donut eating contest in October.
Ideas so far are: we should have 4 age groups, children
should have one-to-one and group contact; counseling should
be about 10 weeks long, using -trained professionals and
student buddies who have experienced divorce.
Questions will be handled by Herman Stenger at the Youth
Service Bureau, 237-5731.
Talking about bad and good feelings during divorce will help
all ages grow.
JANICE SELINGER
Summer Editor
BOARD OF EDITORS: EDITORIAL EDITOR, Janie Miisala;
NEWS EDITOR, Paula Gochnour; WIRE EDITOR, Laura
Shemick; COPY EDITORS, Debbie Fitch, Mike Joseph;
SPORTS EDITOR, Bob Buday; PHOTO EDITOR, Barry
Wyshinski; WEATHERMAN, Scott Chesner.
Mailing Address: Box 467, State College, Pa. 16801
Office: 126 Carnegie
FOR BOTH OF U* / *
'^^SSHUSy
Lucy Jordan
6th—lndividual and Family Studies
NADINE KINSEY
Business Manager