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- EDrrORIAL -
Police a lessness
On Friday, May 4 about 12:30 p.m.
an incident occured the comer of Fifth
and ain Streets in downtown Benton
Harbor. The event was neither unusual
or e tradinordinary but demonstrates a
probl m e alating out of control.
an employee started out the
door of The Citizen office, h quickly
tepped back.
A youth as running if for his
life p t the office chased by a car
drivin on the . dewalk behind him.
squ de car a sheriffs patrol car and
an officer running on foot were all on the
cha well.
Pushing through the door nd round
ing t�e comer to e what w going on,
th reporter found her If looking
traight into a police pistol, pointed
right at her.
Police officer ilton Agay wa aiming
the gun t the youth who wa between
the officer and the reporter. ot only
a the reporter in the line of fire but
pa sing tra fie on in Street swell.
The youth wa turning, 100 ing
around de perately obviously realizing
h w trapped.
gay slammed the youth up gain t
parked car, held the gun to his head
outing • ov, and I'll blow your
g- - - - - brain out!"
Later, the officer explained to the
reporter he had used the gun because
«I'm not being w ted by any of them.
ot die call on the radio nd I didn't
ow wh t he had."
What had the J 5 year-old youth done?
According to the owner of Fricke's
Appliance store, four blocks a ay the
youth walked in nd ordered "Give me
your money or I'll kill you." The youth
was carrying a bright blue umbrella.
The store manager refused to tum
over the money and started walking
toward the door when the youth broke
nd ran.
The lawle . e of the youth was
matched by that of the officer.
The officer broke department re
gulation which prohibit officers from
pulling their guns unle lives are threat
ened. itn se on the corner of Fifth
nd Main say it was obvious the youth
w s not carrying gun in either hand.
The verbal abu administered by the
officer carne from hi own fear rather
than any actions of the youth.
Benton Harbor offic rs are running
cared from kids who would be called
delinquents - not gangster - if they
lived anywhere else.
What i creating the hysteria over
our youth? _
Benton Harbor city h earned head
lines lately ith the talk of youth gangs.
The city manager vowed publically he
would protect 'hi officers" from the
gangs. Hi remark were sparked by an
incident in which four police depart
ment were called in to break up a
bat wielding mob of youngsters.
Benton Harbor i an 87 0 Black
city with a police force Ie than 25%
Blac . The bulk of its street patrol are
young, inexperienced non-resident white
males who get trained here and move,
on to "better' job in ther communit
ies.
The officers neither know nor, under
stand the community. The community
i going to wake up to a tragedy with
either � dead officer or a dead youth
if it doesn't corne to grips with its police
force.
e suggest me of the Steps to be
taken include:
-The officers pre ntly on the force
need attitudinal training.
-The Police Athletic League should
be expanded to include orne of the
white officers on the police force and
offering a greater range of activitie
uch as ba etball, baseball, etc.
-Begin a police cadet program
modeled 00 successful programs ot er
place.
-Recruit young men and omen
from the community for the police force
and use v lunteer fficers to tu tor the
recr s to pa the dmi ions te t .
-Channel the crime deterrence funds
, to pay persons with the proven ability
to enlist volunteers from the community
for youth work.
ext wee we shaD look at the re-
creation program it relates to the
"gang" problem.
Until the city an control its p lice
force, there is little hop of controlling
the youth.
aEADiRS WRITE
MAY 9 - 15,1984 THE CITIZEN
PAGE SEVEN
B lack voter reg.istration
would end all-white juries
Dear Editor:
ongratulations on your fine rep rt
ing of and focu up n the plight f
Maurice Carter!
Thi brings to mind a po ible mean
to achieve better ju tice for BI ck and
other minorities. Start a drive to register
m re Black voters 0 S to get more of
them on juries. Thi would not only
cut down' on prejudicial rongful n
victions but would discour�ge we k or
unfounded charges being br ught against
Blacks b cause they are easily con
victed like wounded or crippled prey .
Let' get going a huge camp into
regi ter Bl cks! Thi ought to be done
nation ide as well. eedless to y,
the problem is not unique to Berrien
County.
Betty Loomis
50765 Heather Hill Lane
Granger I 46530
Presents views �n Bushert, Jackson.' ..
pear Editor:
Plea publish this letter; althought
I am not intere ted in having my name
in the paper I neverthele s would like
to pre nt my view .
In mo teases ther are two ides to
every story. Regarding your picture and
caption of a house owned by Merlin
Bushert, this i your right. Concerning
my per nal experien e r. Bushert
has been my landlord for year now and
anything that needed repair h been
prom ply taken care of and I hav no
compl ints at all.
A in the ca e of Action' Rental
(or any landlord in that ituation), I
definitely feel rent should be withheld
until these dwellings are brought up to
standard.
In the national political are a, pleas
pre ent both positive and negative articles
bout Jes e Jackson not just positive.
Likewise, please don't only depict Ronald
Reagan in a negative manner.
Concerning Louis F a rrakh an and the
at ion of I lam I believe what Jesus
id is appropriate here: in atthew"
5:43, 44' "Ye have heard it said, "Thou
h It love they neighbor and h t thine
enemy, But I say unto you love your
enemies ble them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray
for them which dispitefully use you
nd persecute you."
Finally thank you for. removing
the (Zodiac Horoscope column from
your paper.
C.L. (Name withheld by request)
Benton Township �
Star shows caught eye {)f Biblical writers
Dear Editor:
For tho e who love the stars, here is an
inspiring quote from the Bible. In
Isaiah Chapter 40 and verse 26 we read:
'Look up into the Heavens! Who created
all these tars? As a shepherd leads his
beep calling each by its pet name and
c unt them to see that none are 10 t
or strayed, 0 God does with star and
planets.'
We are indeed amed by their splendor.
Som times when I write the e star
letter I am sure me of their readers
question ' hy do 0 many of the best
star display occur at uch inconvenient
hours?" As many of the best shows are
at midnight or thereafter.
Just such a, display i happening
pre ently in the high southern sky. I am
refering to veral planets of our solar
sy terri which have graced our uthern
sky this past winter and early spring:
ar ,Saturn and Jupiter.
ev r ha the red planet. Mar been
more beautiful than. it is right now.
As it shines in all its brilliancy a ain t
a velvet black sky each night. It' posit
i n i clo st to the Earth at the' pre nt
time which makes it a glorious ight to
behold. aturally, it can be seen earlier
(and later) as it rises three hour or 0
b fore midnight as it moves slowly
westward.
I prefer to observe it when it et
directly south. You can t miss it as it'
the only red star visible in that area
wi th S turn and the star, Spica farther
west in almost a straight line.
Mars will be coming c10 er to the
Earth each day reaching the nearest, and
apparently the largest in diameter on
May 19. On the l lth of May it pa es
from the morning into the evening sky
and should then be seen by anyone who _
are to ook for it.
Jupiter rise in the southeast ab ut
three hours after these other elestial
bodie. It's intere ting to compare its
magnitude with the other planets s it
exceeds the others in brilJancy. Just
before dawn the string of bright objects
de cends down toward the e t. S if
you have a good southwe tern exposure
you will have an opportunity to e them
just before daylight. .
The moon will be playing bid - nd-
ek with them later this month as it
pa se them one by on . Ther ill b :1
partial eclip of the full m on around
midnight May 14.
y next letter ill be about th
tars north of the eclipti. ainly
Acturus and the orth rn Cro .
Thank you for encouragin m to
continue my star letters.
Margaret Hate ay Z ch e
BABE RUTH L
The B be Ruth Lague BRL)
of Benton Harbor is sp n ring a
Tag Day Sale on twn'wee ends May
) -19 and _5·26 for fund raising.
The BRL ani .hedul d to
begin May 26 a 'cording to Gretchen
iIle pic. t. Dire t r State BRL.
GUE TAG SALE' SET
Gille pi al . id, "The budg t f r
thi year include 52,000 for uniform.
00 for in urance and I. 00 for
quipment.
Gillespie I nntcd out, .. , e ke 'P
approximarclj �OO young men bu y
during the unuucr. c need all the
h lp 'he Cit ' can give.