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 Wed, Apr 1 1992 Date: Wed, 1 Apr 92 05:43:26 EST Message-ID: 04-01 0000 DECISIONLINE: Issues & Debate USA TODAY Update April 1, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network Here are some of the issues and topics being debated across the nation Wednesday morning in USA TODAY: Busing; Reserves. TODAY'S DEBATE - BUSING: USA TODAY'S OPINION: The Supreme Court on Tuesday set a limit on what federal courts should do to desegregate our schools. Courts shouldn't bus students just to achieve racial balance, it said in a DeKalb County, Ga., case. Bus them only to remedy discrimination. The decision makes sense, to black and white parents alike. Most want their kids to go to neighborhood schools. They don't want them stuck on the bus for one or two hours a day. But the high court's decision should not be read as a license for a new wave of segregation. Society's promise of equal opportunity must not be denied. DeKalb County, after all, had denied such opportunity to blacks for more than a century. Only when a federal court stepped in, as courts have done in 400 districts around the USA, did DeKalb change its ways. ... The courts can't combat that kind of personal-choice segregation without angering parents on both sides of our racial divide. What courts must continue to do is ensure that such choices are truly voluntary and that no youngster is denied an equal education because of them. And that means our courts must continue to supervise school districts until any remnants of discrimination are wiped out. OTHER VIEW: D.L. CUDDY, a Raleigh, N.C., writer and educator: The Supreme Court's decision lessening federal courts' supervision of local school districts is welcome; but with the exception of intervention against current discriminatory practices, courts shouldn't impose any educational edicts at all. Though intending to protect minority rights, the courts actually have replaced white-racist segregationists as the new dictators of where blacks can and cannot attend school. But de jure segregation is largely behind us. Where de facto segregation still lingers due to demographics, as in DeKalb County, federal courts should no longer issue harmful racial-balance busing orders as they've done for decades. Such orders have simply replaced segregation with another form of discrimination, as the minority population is usually bused in inverse proportion to the majority to achieve racial balance. ... Minorities should be able to choose which schools to attend. VOICES ACROSS THE NATION ON CUTTING BACK NATIONAL GUARD UNITS: ROCHESTER, N.Y., Katherine Jordan, 64, retired social worker: The U.S. leadership now has to put its money where its mouth is. We've long talked about the peace dividend. We have to learn to do what some other countries have done, and that is gear ourselves to peace. I would be in favor of cutting back the National Guard. BLACKFOOT, Idaho, Ed Jackson, 42, teacher: Additional cuts should be made. The economy is weak. I do not believe at this point in time there is a threat from the other superpowers. Dick Cheney is correct in what he's doing as long as the active-duty people are well trained and have the latest technology. MERRITT ISLAND, Fla., Roxanne Geroux, 40, mortgage loan officer: I'm concerned not only for the reservists but for the full-time military people who will be affected. We need to develop jobs for these people in the military before they lay them off. We can't keep enough Americans in jobs as it is now. BELLINGHAM, Wash., Donna Edwards, 36, waitress: Support is very important, and they need all the help they can get. They need to know that people care. I think it's good when people voice their opinion and let the military know people understand the difficult times they're going through. COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jim Cook, 63, actor: It's a good idea to cut back on those units as long as we're not threatened by other countries. We should keep some of the guard units, but right now I think they're way overstaffed. Since Russia isn't much of a threat anymore, I think we should cut back. 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