Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.issues From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: issues Fri, Mar 6 1992 Date: Fri, 6 Mar 92 05:54:04 EST Message-ID: 03-06 0000 DECISIONLINE: Issues & Debate USA TODAY Update March 6-8, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network Here are some of the issues and topics being debated across the nation Friday morning in USA TODAY: Kuwait; Scholarships; Neuharth. TODAY'S DEBATE - KUWAIT: USA TODAY'S OPINION: More than 300 women will spend this weekend trapped in their nations' Kuwait embassies because the leaders of Kuwait, their own nations and this one find it expedient to ignore their cries. The women are domestic workers from nations such as the Philippines. They say Kuwaiti employers beat, raped or robbed them. They want their passports back. They want to go home. They exaggerate, says Kuwait; these things didn't happen. Don't meddle. Besides, we'll fly them home ourselves - for $1,463 each in the case of Filipinos. That's $871 more than the usual airfare. Incredibly, the money would go to reimburse Kuwaiti employers for the grave inconvenience all those maids and nannies caused by fleeing. The Philippines says it doesn't have the money. Neither do the maids. No matter, said Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colo.: We'll investigate and, if warranted, fly the women home ourselves. Just one C-130 would transport them all. ... They should just do it. No international laws need be stretched, no precedents set, no alliances strained - just relief given to hundreds of women who lack the means to help themselves. That this disgraceful impasse has dragged on is to the Kuwaitis' discredit. Ending it now would be to their honor. OTHER VIEW: HARRY SCHWARTZ, a Scarsdale, N.Y., writer, and former member of The New York Times editorial board for 29 years: If Asian women in Kuwait are being raped or otherwise mistreated by their employers, that is unfortunate and to be deplored. But why is it the business of the U.S. government and its Air Force, as Rep. Pat Schroeder seems to think? First of all, there are plenty of raped and otherwise abused poor women in the United States. If their cause is so dear to Ms. Schroeder's heart, why doesn't she start trying to rescue some of those unfortunates here, beginning with the many she could find in Washington, D.C., perhaps even on Capitol Hill? VOICES ACROSS THE NATION ON SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MINORITIES: ALAMEDA, Calif., Suzanne Keane, 51, retired property mgr.: Scholarships should be colorblind. I can see a need for scholarships for minorities because they sometimes don't have the same privileges as non-minorities. But I believe scholarships should be based on financial need and scholastic ability and have nothing to do with race. MELBOURNE, Fla., Alan Miller, 42, computer store owner: There shouldn't be. It would be discriminating toward the majority. There's too much danger of the majority becoming the minority. There should be other factors figured into who is deserving of scholarships, not just solely a particular individual's race. NEW YORK, N.Y., Anenoi Brooks, 28, jewelry designer: Economically, minorities in this nation have been traditionally disadvantaged. Scholarships should not be given based solely on the fact that students are minorities, but that they are minority and economically disadvantaged or minority and scholastically superior. SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Koni Sims, 26, financial adviser: Everyone should have access to an education, no matter who they are. There should be guidelines, of course, but the government should help all races. The government should especially try helping minorities, for once, instead of the rich. TOPIC - NEUHARTH: AL NEUHARTH, founder, USA TODAY: So far, the biggest primary-election winners have been Democrats - Paul Tsongas in New Hampshire and Bill Clinton in Georgia. Losers have been the biggest newspapers in those states - the Journal and Constitution in Atlanta, Ga., and The Union Leader in Manchester, N.H. Editors of those newspapers followed the time-honored but dishonorable tradition of telling their readers how to mark their ballots. Voters in both states said "Nuts" to the notion. The message, which many newspapers editors still just don't get, is clear: Readers want to be fully informed about issues and candidates. They welcome debate. But they rebel when we dictate. They resent being told how to vote. Issues & Debate Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM