Tuesday, November 10, 1998
Thumbs up / thumbs down
Topless law unnecessary on ballot
Thumbs down to a Maine ordinance, which, if it had passed, would
have punished women for displaying their breasts in public.
The proposition was the result of a neighborly dispute; one
woman wanted to mow her lawn topless, and neighbor Mary Thompson
wasn’t too keen on the idea.
Thompson collected 125 signatures to have the initiative placed
on the ballot, but it still did not pass.
Not only would such a proposition restrict a woman’s
freedom.
The fact that such a silly ordinance was even placed on a ballot
smacks of wasted effort and paperwork.
Society’s ridiculous preoccupation with female nudity seems to
have gone too far.
Kids have a say in L.A. city charter
Thumbs up to the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission for
giving high school students in the Los Angeles Unified School
District the opportunity to write the preamble for the next city
charter.
The commission will award five winners a $1,000 savings bond and
four runners-up a $500 savings bond.
This contest involves and empowers students who would otherwise
have little say in the legislative process of their city.
Although the contest is a great idea, the legislators also need
to remember to focus their attention and energies on finishing the
long overdue charter.
Student work promotes voting
Thumbs up to Voice Your Vote, a University of Michigan student
group whose efforts promoted increased voter involvement in the
Nov. 3 election. It hosted political debates and distributed
registration forms with the housing leases of first-year
students.
Political debates enlighten and inform voters, and by providing
registration forms to students, Voice Your Vote made the
registration process even more convenient. The fact that such
efforts came from a student group makes them all the more
admirable.
Photographs to be taken of DUI suspects
Thumbs up to the Los Angeles City Council, which voted last
Tuesday to fingerprint and photograph all suspects arrested for
driving under the influence. The LAPD currently only fingerprints
driving under the influence (DUI) suspects, which does not provide
adequate identification for finding offenders who skip out on their
court dates. This practice may be considered an infringement on the
accused’s rights, but any effort that keeps people who drink and
drive off the streets is commendable. Getting arrested for drunk
driving involves more evidence than many other crimes, due to
requirements like the Intoximeter test. Driving under the influence
is a serious offense that kills many people annually; the courts
and police shouldn’t tolerate those who try to avoid the law.
Thumbs up/Thumbs down represents the majority opinion of the
Daily Bruin Editorial Board. Send comments and suggestions to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.
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© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]