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Page 2 NORTHWEST HERALD Section B Monday, August 26,1995 Advice Donald Kaul Donald Kaul Is a syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services Lottery craze draws millions of suckers There are few things more powerful than a bad idea whose time has come. Thus, the lottery. When I was a lad, we thought of state-run lotteries as something that nice countries didn't do. They were a bone thrown, most typically, to miserable peasants in poverty-stricken Latin American countries, a shard of hope for the terminally wretched. No longer. This country, the United States of America, has gone ga­ ga over lotteries. For a while there, people in New York stopped talking about their two major preoccupations, real estate and sex, so caught up were they in their $40 million-plus lottery jackpot. Iowa - staid, frumpy Iowa - has launched a state lottery this very week. Politicians in Washington have begun talking about a national lottery to reduce the deficit. The lottery has been put forth as the fiscal equivalent of the Big Rock Candy Mountain, where every day is Saturday night and everybody is well above average. It is voluntary taxation, we are told. It is painless. It prevents tooth decay. Sure. And how was the Easter Bunny the last time you saw him? Stripped of its glitz, the lottery is a shabby, shifty way for a government to evade its responsibility to raise money for public services in a fair and equitable manner. It is a regressive tax, one that falls most heavily on the poor, the ignorant and the foolish. It invites corruption and it seldom raises as much money for its good causes as it promises. Don't misunderstand me; I have nothing against gambling as such. I've been known to wager a bob or two on a game of chance. I don't think it's immoral. I think it's dumb to lose a lot of money gambling, but we all do dumb things from time to time. If someone wants to waste his or her resources in the pursuit of unearned riches, that's his business, or hers. It's a free country. But saying the state should a/fow irrational behavior on the part of its citizens is not the same as saying the state should encourage such behavior, let alone exploit it A government is supposed to try and make its citizens smarter, not take advantage of their stupidity. So far as the lottery being voluntary, I suppose it is in a technical sense. Nobody comes to your door with a gun to force you to buy a ticket. But with the techniques of persuasion available to the modem huckster, voluntary is a relative term. They've made a science out of designing the various lottery games to get maximum participation, to seduce people into thinking they can be winners even though, realistically, they can't. And when the public gets bored with a game and the take goes down, they change it. They advertise, saying things like, "Ya gotta play to win," and "Join the family of lottery winners." That's not government, that a carnival hustler trying to convince you that you can guess which shell the pea is under. The image a lottery evokes, of course, is that of the million-dollar winner, the good, gentle, hard-working clerk or janitor or cleaning lady rescued from a life of genteel poverty. It's an attractive image. Almost all of us have a fantasy of having our lives changed dramatically -- and for the better -- in an instant. But that's not what the lottery is, not really. More typically, it is raggedy people standing In line with 10-dollar bills in giving up food money for a chance at a brass ring that is virtually unreachable. I would be more in favor of state-run prostitution, frankly. Yes, it's a dirty business, but at least its burden would fall most heavily on the well-to-do. I suppose the lottery craze is just another manifestation of this country's growing unwillingness to pay the price -- for anything. We want government services, but we don't want to be taxed for them. We want to reduce our trade deficit, but we want Japan to make all of the necessary sacrifices. We all want to get rich, but we don't want to go through the nasty business of working for it. It is a dangerous state of mind for a nation to find itself in. When I go on like this, friends accuse me of being a bom-again Cotton Mather. What ever happened to democracy? they ask. If the people want lotteries -- and they seem to -- they should have them. Perhaps, but that argument always makes me think of a line from "Huckleberry Finn," uttered by a con men whom Huck takes up with for a brief time during his travels. The mountebank is in the process of bilking a pair of orphans of their inheritance when his partner expresses fear of exposure. He reassures him by saying: "Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain't that a big enough majority in any town?" Or country, for that matter. DEARABBY By Ab iga i l Van Bu ren Exuberant teen becomes highway tragedy DEAR ABBY: Recently my 16-year-old son was a pallbearer at the funeral of his friend, Juan Carlos, also 16. Juan was a fine boy, clean-cut, courteous, an honor student (second in his class of 132) and an altar server of his church. He was an only child -- his mother was 45 and father was 51 when he was born. They loved this boy so much -- we wasn't spoiled and had many friends. Juan was driving a small car, a birthday pre­ sent from his parents. He changed lanes and was speeding to pass a "slow" car. He was kill­ ed in a head-on collision with a truck. He never had a chance. It could have happened to my son, or any other boy who took a chance and drove too fast. Please run your article, "Please, God, I'm only 17." It may save a young life. BEVERLY GRAHAM BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS DEAR BEVERLY: Here it is, with my heart­ felt sympathy to the family of Juan Carter. PLEASE, GOD, I'M ONLY 17 The day I died was an ordinary school day. How I wish I had taken the bus! But I was too cool for the bus. I remember how I wheedled the car out of Mom. "Special favor," I pleaded. "All the kids drive.' When the 2:50 beu rang, I threw all my books in the locker. I was free un­ til 8:40 tomorrow morning! I ran to the lot, excited at the thought of driving a car t matter how the accident happened, off--going too fast Taking crazy I was enjoying my freedom and having fun. The last thing I remember was passing an old lady who seemed to be going awfully slow. I heard a deafening crash and I felt a terrible Jolt Glass and steel flew everywhere. My whole body seemed to be turn­ ing inside out I heard myself scream. Suddenly I awakened; it was very quiet. A police officer was standing over me. Then I saw a doctor. My body was mangled. I was saturated with blood. Pieces of Jagged gi»-- were sticking out all over. Strange that I couldn't feel n«ytt»fa»g Hey, don't pull that sheet over my head! I can't be dead. I'm only 17. I've got a date tonight, I'm supposed to grow up and have a wonderful life. I haven't lived yet I can't be Later I was placed In a drawer. My folks had IO identify me. Why did they have to see me like this? Why did I have to iook at Mom's eyes when she faced the most terrible ordeal of her life? Dad suddenly looked like an old man. He told the man In charge, "Yes, he is my son." The funeral was a weird experience. I saw, my relatives and friends walk toward casket They passed by, (Hie by one, and looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. Some of my buddies were crying. A few of the girls touched my hand and sobbed as they walked away. Please -- somebody -- wake me up! Get me out of here ! I can't bear to see my mom and dad so broken up. My grandparents are so racked with grief they can hardly walk. Ijfy brother and sisters are like zombies. They move like robots. In a daze, everybody! No one can believe this. And I can't believe it, either. Please don't bury me! I'm not dead! I have a lot of living to do! I want to laugh and run again. I want to sing and dance. Please doolt put me in the ground. I promiseif you give me Just one more chance, God, IH be the most careful driver in the whole world. All I want Is one more chance. Please, God, I'm only 171 (Every teen-ager should know the truth about sex, drugs, and how to be happy. For Abby's booklet, send your name and address clearly printed with a check Or money order for $2.50 and a long, stamped (39 cents) self* addressed envelope to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 38923, Hollywood, Calif. 90038.) ' Grade schools try bold approaches to sex By Ann McFeatters Scripps Howard News Service Like crab grass and dandelions and pimples on teen-age faces, con­ troversy over sex education in the schools sprouts regularly and of its own accord. This year, faced with an unflag­ ging -- and alarming -- teen-age pregnancy rate, many school ad­ ministrators are trying bold new approaches. Starting sex education in kinder­ garten, dispensing contraceptives in school clinics, setting up hotlines for teens in trouble and child-parent seminars on sexuality, schools, church groups and volunteer orga­ nizations are trying a variety of ideas to try to stop unwed teen­ agers from having babies. But despite the efforts of dozens of groups over the last few decades to develop sensitive, non-controver- sial, effective programs, the conten­ tious debate over sex education seems sharper than usual. "The materials they have these day are very explicit and very amoral," says a Virginia mother who is fighting sex education. "I am very afraid it will encourage early Tirimentation." me advocates strike back by saying the parents have their heads buried in the sand, arguing that today's young people -- bombarded with endorsements of sex without responsibility -- are in desperate need of accurate information so they can cope with conflicting mes­ sages over their sexuality. Ann Welbourne-Moglia, executive director of the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States, worries that there is too much demeaning of each other's motivation. "I don't use the term 'opposition' because they are ents who are concerned about children. "A lot of teachers say they hope parents won't stand In their way (in teaching sex education) Instead of working with parents. Polls show 85 to 90 percent of parents want their children given good information and don't want their children to have sexual difficulties. But the chal­ lenge is to find ways that meet everyone's needs. And that is difficult" From humble beginnings in the 1960s when sex education propo­ nents were seen to be nearly as sinister as communists, sex educa­ tion has become much more of an accepted part of public school education. In 1982 the Supreme Court OKd requiring sex education in public schools. Only Washington D.C., Maryland and new Jersey have laws on aex education. Millions of other youngsters across the country are exposed chanics of reproduction, to courses which Integrate family life discus­ sions Into a variety of classes. Some are taught by untrained gym or biology teachers, often with embarrassment and little interest. Schools debate how early to start the programs and how much detail should be provided. And, most of ail, they debate whether and how to teach values. A survey released by the Alan Guttmacher Institute in March shows the United States has higher teenage abortion and pregancy rates than any of 32 European countries. One out of ten teenage girls in the United States becomes pregnant. The pregancy rates for 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds are increasing. In Washington D.C., 50 percent of all births are to unmarried teens. A study last year in New York City found almost 7 out of 10 tenth grade girls said they had been pregnant at least once. At least 5,000 girls each year in that city drop out of school ;each year because they are pregnant Still, many schools run into oppos- tkn when they try to revamp their approach to sex education. "Standard sex education today; tends to be morally bankrupt," says* Rev. James Burtchaell, a priest; who has spoken out nationally; against most formal sex education! "It begins with a biological de­ scription of sexual function and fer-1 tility (known in the trade as the; organ concert) and ends with an' indoctrination in contraception,; abortion and venereal disease. Ba­ sic to this pedagogy is the belief! that youngsters will not accept mor-; al ideals and should at least or at most be helped to cut their losses." ; Catholics are divided on the issue. A poll on sex education that ap­ peared in a recent issue of U.S.: Catholic magazine found that 73 percent of its readers who respond-i ed felt the church was to blame for confusion about sex among young people by not providing more sex education. jSaid one' pHest, Rev'; Tobias i Klein, who lives in Burlington, On­ tario, "The most disturbing factor today is the panicky knee-jerk re- SEX ED - Page 4B KGB is everywhere Security is suffocating in USSR By Jack Redden United Press International BAKU, U.S.S.R. -- It was more like the Keystone Cops than James Bond. A dozen secret police in four different cars, careening along the twisting streets to tail a foreign reporter. Men hiding in bushes, cars bris­ tling with aerials, the same face appearing in a dozen unlikely loca­ tions -- subtlety is not a hallmark of the Soviet KGB secret police. "It sounds like a graduating exer­ cise for the latest KGB class," a West European diplomat joked a few days after the security over-kill in the capital of Azerbaijan. The KGB may not instill the same fear it did during the ruthless Sta­ linist era, but it is no less present. Phones are tapped, apartments watched and Soviet citizens interro­ gated after talking with Westerners. Foreigners living in the Soviet Union take police surveillance for granted. Phone calls to Soviet friends are made from telephones on the street and highly personal or sensitive subjects are never dis­ cussed inside the government-as­ signed apartments. One curious Western reporter, al­ most whispering in his living room, said he once asked a security expert to sweep his apartment for electron­ ic listening devices. Result: 16 mi­ crophones found in the walls, most­ ly in the kitchen and bedroom. Control outside of the apartment is made easier by use of specially colored and lettered licence plates on the cars, a device by which the United States has now reciprocated to keep track of Soviet diplomats. The cars of American reporters have yellow plates beginning with the designation "K-004" for the Rus­ sian "korrespondent," American diplomats have red licence plates marked "D-004." Their cars can easily be spotted if they exceed the limit of 25 miles from the center of Moscow, or even if visiting someone in the capital. Anyone buying an airline ticket, Soviet or foreigner, must show iden­ tification papers, giving the authori­ ties firm control over everyone's movement. That is underlined when employees of the only airline, Aero- Qot, personally escort foreigners to and from aircraft at each step. The surveillance continues at ho­ tels, with only a few allowed to receive foreigners. A reporter ar­ riving in the city of Dushanbe, which has at least a score of hotels, was ordered out on the next plane on the grounds there was no room at one. "I thought so," a musician in the southern city of Makhachkala said when told what hotel floor a UPI reporter was on. "Foreigners al­ ways stay on seven, eight or nine." The quality of surveillance seems to vary widely. It would be much harder to spot someone following along the busy streets of Moscow than the narrow turn-of-the-century roads of Baku. But they may also be more professional, since the trailing Volga sedan was once also a feature of a foreigner's life in Moscow. "They must be much better in Moscow," said a veteran Western diplomat. "I have never been con­ scious of being followed." In contrast, he told of visiting another Russian city where he de­ cided to search out some of the deserted Orthodox churches that dot this country. After bundling up and pulling on boots, he headed off with a KGB car following. When he veered off across a field, the police had no choice but to emerge from their car and follow. The diplomat looked back to see his pursuers floundering. "They were wearing shoes and were up to their knees in snow." The purpose of the surveillance Is often as murky as the people doing it. A day after the heavy-banded operation in Baku, no one was fol­ lowing in Makhachkala and the re­ porter could wander freely. There may have been something important and secret underway in Baku that happened to coincide with the visit, or it may just have been the paranoia of a local KGB official. A foreigner will probably never know. "That's the way it is," an actor in Baku said in a restaurant, while an unmarked car with three men wait­ ed outside. "You're over there and we're over here, with the Iron Cur­ tain in between." Of course, it goes deeper than the Cold War. The surveillance extends to Russia's own citizens on a scale unknown in the West and has roots going back long before the term "Iron Curtain" appeared. "The diplomatic corps and West­ erners in general have always been considered by this government, with its Byzantine spirit, and by Russia as a whole, as malevolent and jealous spies," the French Mar­ quis de Custine said- He wrote that in 1839. Macintosh Means Business Whatever Business you are in the powerful and easy to use Macintosh 512 personal computer by Apple can now be combined with the powerful Jazz Software from Lotus. Jazz may be the only software you ever need. Analyze trends, deveiope forecasts, keep track of files and even communicate with other computers. All five programs in Jazz are "on line" and with Hot View can be easily transfered and incorporated. 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