Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-06
GOOD QUESTION
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Stur:
The Stars soul-searching
editorials and letters on pre-
vailing and sacrosanct law
lessneSs make the righteously
indignant wonder: whittier
civilization" In theory our
courts are the bulwark of
equal justice for all. But
somehow, through misadven-
ture, the laws indivisible,
protecting purpose has a
dangerous duality-the hand
of Esau but the voice of ia
cob. If civilization is to sur
vive, the voice and the hand
must serve the same master.
God once reminded scoff1ng
mankind that all. is futile
Illustration unless the tongue
and the hand worship at the
same altar. At the Tower Of
Babel, the confusion Of
tongues proved the impotence
Of serving two masters, two
contradictory purposes. Then
Jesus carried this divine
precept one step toward per-
lection. He taught that not
only the voice and the hand
but the secret places Of your
heart must worship and serve
the same master. And in no
uncertain language He COM
manded that this trinity of
hand, mind and soul was to
serve good and not evil. His
truth was to save the world,
not destroy it.
But behold our modern
judicial Tower Of Babell No
longer is it justice to preserve
the good and chastise the
evil. No longer do our courts
believe that the way of the
transgressor should be- hard.
Rather their highest duty
seems to be to the hayward,
to those who hold both the
law Of God and man in utter
contempt. The proven rapist
and the convicted, self-con-
fessed murderer is set free,
and snatched from honest
retribution and, even protect
ing restraint. The recidivist
and the unrepentant criminal
are pardoned IL they but
whisper: When / trans
crossed the law, I was mem
tally ILL" And we, the inno-
cent, helpless victims OF
lawlessness prayerfully ask:
when will the voice and the
hand of the law serve the
same master?"
Thomas E. Mattingly, MD.
\ 4 4 +
I commend The Star for
emphasizing violence in
the Streets" / know several
District policemen who agree
that when there are more
officers on the streets. crime
and violence are minimized.
Let the Commissioners set up
an emergency fund fer the
Police Department to use for
those officers who would be
willing to work overtime,
especially nights. to get
things in hand. And why not
a 10 O'Clock curfew for teen
ayers?
J.V. z.
If I am arrested for car
rying a pistol for self-protec-
ton, I hope my ready con-
feSsion will win for me the
same speedy acquittal
granted yokers and rapists
and other confessed crimi-
nails in local courts recently.
p. w. w.
~ n
How much longer must
District taxpayers endure
violence IN the Streets?
Chief Murray and his men
constitute one of the finest
police aggregations in the
country, but they are unable
to cope with the nightly
crime. More drastic meas
ures are needed. Surely our
lawmakers are not deaf to
the alarming situation the
courts have created. Because
Of the c character Of the
neighborhoods in which they
live, the politicians and law
makers are relatively safe
from brutal attacks. But are
they completely callous to
the plight Of other citizens
who are not so fortunate?
A. III.
49,
One of your letter writers
ridicules Representative Hoff-
mans suggestion that wom-
en- carry police whistles. To
carry q whistle in ones purse,
Of course, would be ridiculous.
What q haul the muggers and
purse-snatchers would makel
They could set UP their own
store to sell the whistles back
to those from whom they
wrestled then. and then
snatch them back the next
nights roundup. Buk q