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NORTHWEST HERALD Section B Saturday, September 14. ltftS Page 3 Opinion Gov. Thompson finally signed the new drunken driving bill earli­ er this week. The new law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, calls for an automat­ ic suspension of a drivers license for three months if a driver fails a blood-alcohol test. If the driver re­ fuses to take the> test, a six-month suspension of driving privileges will be invoked. , No driver is to be given a re­ stricted driving permit until at least 30 days of a suspension have been served. This is a beginning. The state is hailing the seat belt laW as the reason why Labor Day weekend, accidents decreased from previous begi years. We feel that the program by the state police in which a drivers were "roadblocked" for spot checks on drunk driving was the biggest reason for the decrease in accidents and fatalities. The new legislation is a step in the right direction. The penalties have been toughened, b,ut not enough. With tougher laws, inno­ vative programs from law enforce­ ment agencies, and cooperation among the branches of the state government, even greater benefits will result. Backstairs at the White House WASHINGTON (UPI) - Presi­ dent Reagan appears to be solidly behind White House chief of staff Donald Regan despite the pot shots hurled Regan's way. There have been a series of press reports that Regan has ruf­ fled feelings with holdover White House aides and has not impressed Republican leaders with his politi­ cal abilities. But some insiders are saying that if Regan bows out, former Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis is waiting in the wings to take his place. Lewis was a "fair-haired boy" with the administration until be became chairman of the GOP Platform Committee at the last Republican National Convention. Then he fell into some disfavor with the White House, which felt he was not in command and had let the platform take directions that did not enhance the party or Reagan's candidacy. President Reagan had a lot of chores Wednesday evening as host at a state dinner honoring Danish Prime Minister Poul Schluter, but he did not forget to keep tabs on the Cincinnati Reds' Pete Rose. During the dinner, aides kept reporting to him on the progress of the game in which Rose had been expected to surpass Ty Cobb's to­ tal hits. By thee end of the dinner, Rea­ gan reported td the crowd that Rose did not get a hit in the game. What are they going to do for an encore? In terms of getting the President and Mrs. Reagan's at­ tention at the state dinner honor­ ing the Danish prime minister were "Miami Vice" team Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas. While other guests hovered by, Johnson had a long tete-a-tete with Reagan and then the first lady. With Mrs. Reagan, the subject was teenage drug abuse, her main interest. Johnson reported that "Miami Vice" is a big favorite in the-White House. Thomas was accompanied by his brother, George, who ap­ peared to be doubling as a body guard. Reagan proved he was back in form after his bout with colon can­ cer. The president and Mrs. Rea- Helen Thomas gan led the way to the dance floor when the Marine Band struck up "Shall We Dance," and they twirled through several other num­ bers before saying good night. Other guests stood by gawking. Unlike his predecessor, Lyndon B. Johson, Reagan does not change partners. He dances only with hs wife, Nancy. LBJ danced with many of the women guests so "they could go home and tell their friends," as he put it. The president told three college ^student interviewers, "Don't be the sucker generation. You are the brightest and the best and make sure that you are hearing the facts, not just somebody's opin­ ions. And, as I say, that goes for me too. Check me out." In the interview, Reagan told the students: "Do you know that in Russia today, the average time spent by a Russian waiting in line to buy things is grater than the time they spend in working at their job?" UPI dutifully checked him out and learned from a White House aide that the average Russian spends about eight hours a week, or the equivalent of one working day, in line for life's necessities, Reagan was not without his store of anecdotes when he. was quizzed by the students. Reminded that White House offi­ cials had requested equal time for Reagan on live Soviet television, the president was asked what he would tell the Soviet citizens if Moscow granted him two minutes of air time. "Well, I don't know whether you can bring it down to two minutes or not," he said. "I remember a speaker once who was to be hired and they asked his fee. A he said, 'a thousand dollars.' And the peo­ ple who were aksing him said, 'Oh, but we only want a five-minute speech.' Reagan said the speaker replied, "That'll be $5,000. It's that much harder to do a five-minute speech than a lengthy one." (Helen Thomas is the White House reporter for United Press International) w mm K ft ;v-v - y&lrl---- • • NORTHWEST HERALD "Everthing has been thought of be­ fore, but the problem is to think of it again." Goethe ROBERT A. SHAW Editor and Publisher LEONARD M. INGRASSIA Executive Editor STEVEN H HUNTER Marketing Director KAREN A. ANDROS Saturday Editor MICHAEL E.MORSCH News Editor/Regional DENNISM MCNAMARA Editorial Page Editor RONALD L.STANLEY Circulation Director V\..AND HERfcfe A/IY NBUNSKTKNTSHE A WRUN6? HER NAME IS 9S-2S..' GeneVa talks coming up It is the eve of the showdown in space, which we have been doing, one point the Soviet Union c It is the eve of the showdown in Geneva, and the talk continues to revolve around a so-called "basic bargain" which is strikingly unsat­ isfactory to the West and, a fortio­ ri, to the United States. Last week­ end Henry Kissinger analyzed the basic bargain and its weaknesses. The strength and focus of his mind were never clearer, and it is worth committing to memory the thrust of that analysis. What is it that would be hailed as a great victory for disarmament in Geneva? A reduction of 10 percent in our nuclear weapons? Twenty? Fifty? But not even a reduction of 75 percent, which is not going to happen, would meaningfully alter the existing invitation to apoca­ lypse for the simple reason that a single launcher, with the advent of MIRV technology, can carry up to 15 deadly weapons and land them with utter precision. This boils down to the need to survive a first- strike capability. As long as the Soviet Union has such a capability, there cannot be security. Now the basic bargain toward which the Soviet Union is orienting us calls for the reduction of launchers by 25 percent (meaning­ less); OK'ing continued research, repeat research, on Star Wars but without testing (meaningless); and a reaffirmation of the ABM treaty (fatal). Under the ABM treaty the Unit­ ed States already has the right to research; is doing so, as is the Soviet Union. Moreover, under the treaty, the United States already has the right to test within earth- as also the Soviet Union. What the ABM treaty deprives us of is the right to test in space. And this we need to do in order to pull Star Wars out of the laboratory. In the William F. Buckley absence of a genuine neutraliza­ tion of the first-strike capability of the Soviet Union, we have no intel­ ligent recourse than to develop our defensive capability. And that calls either for modification of the ABM treaty or for its cancellation. Bear it always in mind that in 1972, when the ABM treaty was signed, explicit statements were made that after five years the treaty could be refined or jettisoned if we had not, during that period, moved successfully toward genuine disar­ mament -- which we have not done. Now the strategy of the Soviet Union, showcased by Gorbachev's Mad Man Muntz salesmanship for the benefit of Western journalists ("Mad Man Muntz is giving away everything in his shop! For practi­ cally nothing! Muntz is Mad, but YOU are the winner!"), is to mount massive pressure on the United States to surrender on the cares about, namely our refined technol­ ogy in the development of a defen­ sive capability. Eliminate the So­ viet Union's first-strike potential and you have eliminated, for the first time since that potential was arrived at, enticements to nuclear war or nuclear blackmail. Henry Kissinger proposes that we move for a ban on MIRVed missiles stretching over^ 10 years, and aiming at 100 launbhers each. And that during that period we go full steam ahead on the develop­ ment of our strategic aeiense ini­ tiative, so that as we build down the missiles, we build up our de­ fensive capability. Deployment should be limited to the defense of our ABM nucleus, plus the defense of population centers. Here Mr. Kissinger makes the sensible point that both we and the Soviet Union stand to gain security from the almost certain acquisition of limit­ ed but devastating nuclear weap­ ons by Third World powers. Such powers (fancy, e.g., Libya under Khadafy) are much likelier than the major powers to use even a small inventory of nuclear weap­ ons in a grand Gotterdartimerung. Major powers have all but com­ mitted suicide in the past, but there is an organic reluctance to do so. And the small power whose nuclear weapons are governed by fanatical impulses are not easily deterred by threats of retaliation. They are best coped with by devel­ oping a technology that Intercepts their missiles before they land and kill a few million people. Reader Forum Constitution Week To the Editor: One hundred and ninety-eight years ago, strong-willed men gath­ ered in Philadelphia to remold and mend a divided land. The Articles of Confederation which had taken effect in 1781 had failed, and the task of creating a new national government was immense. The Daughters of the American Revo­ lution remind you that the week of September 17th through 23rd is Constitution Week and urge you to know and to use the liberties pro­ vided to you by your constitution. Read your constitution. Kishwaukee Trail Chapter NSDAR Sports kudos To The Editor: • Picked up our delivered "Nor­ t h w e s t H e r a l d M c H e n r y Plaindealer" and my husband and 1 were so pleased with the sports sec­ tion coverage in the August 29th edi­ tion. Your staff is to be commended for a very professional and newsworthy sports section. We are avid sport fans, having two grandsons in McHenry sports and many friends' sons and daughters, so we do enjoy reading about the young people in our community. My husband feels sports is the backbone of any newspaper, and yours has certainly not taken a backseat to the "Tribune" or any other major newspaper. Our paper is delivered by 5 a.m. Just one more suggestion--con­ tinue the column by a very talented young man, Chris Juzwick. He wrote a weekly column, but he doesn't do that anymore. His dry sense of humor and Insight into the sports scene is refreshing. Thank your staff for a job well done. * Mrs. W. Abate McHenry Red Cross cares To The Editor: < I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who expressed their concern during my son Fred's resent accident. I would especially like to convey my everlasting gratitude to one per­ son: Polly Easton, the McHenry County Red Cross representative. When 1 was first notified of Fred't „ accident, I didn't know where to turn. Then a friend suggested calling the Red Cross. The Red Cross was so helpful fin­ ding out specific Information on Fred's condition, following up on my itinerary for getting to his bedside, and so many other things that it made an otherwise trying time easier. The Red Cross also helped to get Fred's sister and her husband to Fred's bedside. This was also done through Polly's efforts. Did you know if you want to check on a serviceman's whereabouts, etc., all you have to do is call the Red Cross and give them the ser­ viceman's social security number and the Red Cross can find out for you? Although in volume sometimes what the Red Cross does seems small, as someone who needed and used their services, they seem like mighty BIG people to me. Let's sup­ port their efforts. Remember sometime you may need them as I did and would sure want them to be there. Lorl Oerkfitz Crystal Lake Write us! Silence over a kidnapping Send letters to Reader Forum, The Herald, 7803 Pyott Road, Crystal Lake IL 60014. Letters must be signed and give the author's ad­ dress and telephone number for the editor's reference. We recommend letters of 300 words or less. All let­ ters are subject to editing for clari­ ty and brevity. Their silence is unsurprising but significant: The phalanx of hu­ man-rights groups in the United States that are quick to condemn any infraction by the government of El Salvador is quiet and untrou­ bled by the kidnapping of Presi­ dent Jose Napoleon Duarte's el­ dest daughter. Even more disturbing is the in­ difference of reiigidus groups here which specialize in criticizing the Duarte government. The violent seizure by leftist guerrillas of a Catholic woman and mother of three does not elicit their usual disapproval. The muteness of the Central America "watch" movement tells more about itself than its many pronouncements. (Scrfpps Howard News Service)