World News Tonight (ABC) - 1985-02-25

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] Two clicks down the dial. March 4th

[0:07] >> from ABC. This is World News Tonight

[0:10] with Peter Jennings.

[0:11] >> Good evening. All that warm weather

[0:13] across much of the country is a reminder

[0:14] of something. If this were a normal

[0:16] year, by the end of this week, March the

[0:18] 1st, American farmers would have had

[0:20] their financing in hand for spring

[0:22] planting. But a large number do not. And

[0:24] President Reagan said on the weekend,

[0:25] "The American taxpayer must not be asked

[0:28] to bail out every farmer hopelessly in

[0:30] debt." Well, aid for the farmers is now

[0:32] a hot topic in Washington. Farmers and

[0:35] their state legislators have decided now

[0:37] is the time to make their case in

[0:39] person. As ABC's Chris Buri reports, the

[0:42] entire South Dakota state legislature is

[0:45] on its way to Capitol Hill this

[0:47] afternoon. They put aside their partisan

[0:49] differences, packed their bags, and

[0:51] boarded a plane for Washington. The

[0:53] entire South Dakota legislature, 82

[0:56] Republicans and 23 Democrats, is off to

[0:58] lobby for a farm state in trouble.

[1:01] >> I hope that we can get some early

[1:03] relief. Uh, and I'm talking about within

[1:06] the next 2 to 3 weeks to allow these

[1:08] people out here in South Dakota and

[1:10] throughout rural America to plant this

[1:12] year's crop. That's what we're really

[1:14] talking about.

[1:15] >> We aren't going there asking for any

[1:16] handouts or any bailouts. We're asking

[1:18] for only the opportunities that other

[1:20] businesses have had in the area of

[1:22] extended credit backed by government

[1:24] guaranteed procedure.

[1:26] >> Here in South Dakota, farmers in trouble

[1:28] are a minority, but they're a big

[1:29] minority. The state says one in three,

[1:32] 11,000 altogether, are in danger of

[1:34] going under, and 1 in 10 will go

[1:36] bankrupt this year. Rick Whis is caught

[1:38] in the credit crunch. Last week, he sold

[1:41] off some of his livestock and equipment

[1:43] to pay off a loan, but he's still

[1:44] hundreds of thousands of dollars in

[1:46] debt. And the bank won't lend him more

[1:48] money unless the government guarantees

[1:50] the loan.

[1:51] >> There's no way I can put in a crop

[1:52] without finding someone to finance me

[1:54] because uh the bank holds a a lean on

[1:58] all my livestock. Uh you sell something

[2:01] and it's got your name and the bank's

[2:03] name on. Down the road, Rick's younger

[2:05] brother, Dennis, $200,000 in debt at age

[2:08] 24, was forced to sell out completely

[2:10] last week. Their father, Andy, is one of

[2:13] the legislators on his way to

[2:14] Washington. Makes me feel kind of

[2:16] helpless, but I'm still going to do

[2:18] everything I can to put those boys on

[2:21] that farm.

[2:22] >> Late today, a charter jet carrying Andy

[2:24] Whis and the rest of the legislature

[2:26] took off for Washington on a wing and a

[2:28] prayer, hoping to come back with

[2:30] something more. Chris Buri, ABC News,

[2:33] Pier, South Dakota.

[2:35] >> This is Britt Hume. The Constitution

[2:37] calls it petition for red address of

[2:39] grievances. Around here, though, they

[2:41] usually just call it lobbying. Right

[2:43] now, we need some uh short-term money.

[2:45] >> State legislators from all over the farm

[2:47] belt were all over Capitol Hill today,

[2:49] telling members like Senator Andrews of

[2:51] North Dakota here what he already knows,

[2:53] that small farmers are strapped and once

[2:55] more want Washington to help. 10 of the

[2:57] legislators testified at a joint house

[2:59] Senate committee where one of them in

[3:01] emotional tones read a letter to the

[3:03] president from a 15-year-old Iowa farm

[3:05] girl.

[3:06] >> Please lower interest rates. Quit

[3:09] importing meat from other countries. and

[3:11] most of all, save our farm. We need help

[3:15] now.

[3:16] >> Senate Democrats, meanwhile, were busy

[3:18] trying to prove they are the farmer's

[3:19] true friends. They coaxed some extra

[3:21] help out of the administration last week

[3:23] by filibusting the M's attorney general

[3:25] nomination. Today, they drafted an

[3:26] amendment for more farm credit relief,

[3:28] which they hope to attach to an Africa

[3:30] drought relief bill expected to pass the

[3:32] Senate tomorrow. But from the

[3:34] administration today came word to the

[3:36] legislators that further farm credit

[3:38] relief from Congress would not be

[3:39] welcome. It's time to get on with the

[3:41] show and make the program work.

[3:43] >> All of this is a devilish problem for

[3:45] Senate Majority Leader Dole of Kansas,

[3:47] who as a Farm State member is under no

[3:49] less pressure than anybody else, but who

[3:51] is trying to hold the line on spending

[3:53] in the hope he can pass a package of

[3:55] painful spending cuts to bring down the

[3:57] federal deficit.

[3:58] >> Now, we're going to have a lot of debate

[3:59] this week and going to be a lot of

[4:00] rhetoric and a lot of posturing. And

[4:03] when it's all over, I think we're going

[4:04] to be about where we are right now. The

[4:06] Democrats know Dole may be right, but

[4:08] either way, they think he's got a

[4:09] problem. If more Farm Aid passes, the

[4:11] Democrats look good. If it doesn't, the

[4:13] Republicans look bad. Brit Hume, ABC

[4:15] News, on Capitol Hill. Well, as some of

[4:18] the farmers are having a tough time in

[4:19] Washington, the nation's governors don't

[4:21] think they're getting a fair shake from

[4:22] the federal budget either. The governors

[4:24] are in Washington for their annual

[4:25] winter meeting. They do not like Mr.

[4:28] Reagan's figures on money to be turned

[4:30] back to the states, and they are unhappy

[4:32] with the amount being allocated to

[4:33] defense. Here's our White House

[4:35] correspondent, Sam Donaldson.

[4:38] >> The governors went to the White House in

[4:40] the mood to support a budget freeze,

[4:41] which would include their own favorite

[4:43] federal programs. And indeed, the

[4:45] president's note cards contain the key

[4:47] words.

[4:48] >> First, our administration proposes to

[4:50] freeze overall federal program spending

[4:54] at last year's level.

[4:55] >> But the freeze the governor's had in

[4:57] mind is one across the board, a freeze

[4:59] that includes defense and social

[5:01] security increases. Governor Cuomo made

[5:03] the point directly to Mr. Reagan, but

[5:05] the president was having none of that.

[5:07] Instead, the governors were lectured

[5:09] about reducing their own share of the

[5:10] federal pie.

[5:12] >> There's simply no justification, for

[5:14] example, for the federal government,

[5:16] which is running a deficit to be

[5:18] borrowing money to be spent by state and

[5:21] local governments, some of which are now

[5:23] running surpluses.

[5:24] >> Afterward, the Republican vice chairman

[5:26] of the governor's association recounted

[5:28] his reply to that.

[5:30] >> I said, "Mr. President, may I

[5:31] respectfully suggest that the surpluses,

[5:34] as you understand, don't have anything

[5:36] to do with the budget deficit, and it

[5:38] would be better if the members of the

[5:39] administration didn't use those terms.

[5:42] And the Democratic chairman of the

[5:43] association spoke to Mr. Reagan's

[5:45] refusal to freeze defense and social

[5:47] security.

[5:48] >> The biggest concern is that huge areas

[5:50] left off the table because without

[5:52] addressing that part of the table,

[5:54] they're not going to get the deficit

[5:55] down. The other governors pushed their

[5:57] way through a crowd of reporters on the

[5:59] White House lawn to find just the right

[6:00] news camera to carry their own

[6:02] suggestions on budget cutting back to

[6:04] home state voters. Confident their host,

[6:06] himself, a former governor, would

[6:08] understand.

[6:09] >> President says, "Fine, thanks for the

[6:10] contribution."

[6:11] >> Right. Sam Donaldson, ABC News, the

[6:13] White House.

[6:14] >> Two other notes from Washington. The

[6:16] country's 75th attorney general, Edwin

[6:18] Me, was sworn in today, 13 months after

[6:20] he was nominated by President Reagan. No

[6:22] television cameras were allowed inside

[6:24] to record the event. One of the most

[6:26] powerful men in Washington said today

[6:28] that 36 years was enough. The Democratic

[6:30] Senator Russell Long of Louisiana said

[6:32] he will not run for reelection in 1986.

[6:36] Later in this broadcast, arrest tonight

[6:39] in Mexico in connection with the

[6:41] kidnapping of an American drug agent.

[6:43] Our chief correspondent Richard Thrrell

[6:45] looks at the vigilante mood in America

[6:48] and a few small signs of movement

[6:50] towards overall peace in the Middle

[6:52] East.

[6:54] This is World News Tonight brought to

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[8:01] There have been some important arrests

[8:02] tonight in connection with the US drug

[8:04] enforcement agent missing in Mexico.

[8:07] Only yesterday, the DEA administrator

[8:09] accused the Mexican police of aiding the

[8:11] escape of a man believed to have been

[8:13] involved in the kidnapping. Today, among

[8:15] those arrested is the former head of the

[8:17] Mexico City Police. Here's ABC's Gary

[8:20] Shepard.

[8:20] >> Mexican authorities in Tijuana called in

[8:23] reporters today and announced the

[8:24] apprehension of three suspects in

[8:26] connection with the Karina kidnapping.

[8:28] One was said to be a former police and

[8:30] transport chief of Mexico City. Another

[8:32] a former agent for Mexico's top federal

[8:35] security service. All three denied any

[8:38] knowledge of the disappearance of the

[8:39] American Drug Enforcement agent. The

[8:41] arrests were disclosed only one day

[8:43] after an appearance by DEH Francis

[8:46] Mullen on ABC's This Week with David

[8:48] Brinkley. Mullen accused Mexican

[8:50] authorities of allowing one of the prime

[8:52] suspects in the kidnapping to slip

[8:54] through their fingers and leave Mexico.

[8:56] >> I don't know if I would go so far as to

[8:58] say cover up, but uh there may be some

[9:02] complicity at the lower levels of the

[9:04] law enforcement. American drug

[9:06] enforcement officials here and in

[9:07] Washington said tonight they have no new

[9:09] information as to the whereabouts of

[9:11] Enrique Kamarena, who's been missing now

[9:13] for 18 days. The three suspects are

[9:16] being flown to Guadalajara, where the

[9:18] abduction took place, for further

[9:20] questioning. Gary Shepard, ABC News, San

[9:22] Diego.

[9:24] Federal prosecutors are ready to begin

[9:25] an unprecedented attack on the New York

[9:28] mafia. This time, federal investigators

[9:30] in New York believe they have some of

[9:32] the biggest fish in their nets. Here's

[9:33] ABC's Michael Connor.

[9:36] >> In the past year, more than 300 alleged

[9:39] members of New York's organized crime

[9:40] families have been indicted on charges

[9:43] ranging from extortion to murder. But

[9:45] tomorrow could see the biggest bust of

[9:47] all. Law enforcement sources say the

[9:49] Justice Department will announce the

[9:50] indictment of those said to be the

[9:52] bosses of New York's five crime

[9:54] families. Anthony Fat Tony Solerno, boss

[9:57] of the Genevvisi family. Jerry Langella,

[9:59] acting boss of the Columbbo family.

[10:01] Antonio Tony Ducks Coralo of the Lucesy

[10:04] family, Philip Restelli, boss of the

[10:06] Banano family, and Paul Big Paul

[10:08] Castellano of the Gambino family. In New

[10:11] York, Castellano is the boss of bosses.

[10:14] The five and several under bosses are

[10:16] expected to be charged under a broad

[10:18] federal statute for operating a

[10:20] continuing criminal enterprise. In other

[10:22] words, for running the New York mafia.

[10:24] It will be the first time all five mob

[10:26] bosses have been indicted at the same

[10:28] time. US Attorney Rudolph Giuliani would

[10:31] not comment today, but in an interview

[10:33] last week, he said the government

[10:35] finally had a chance at beating the mob.

[10:37] >> This is exactly the right time to

[10:39] redouble the effort against the mafia

[10:42] because we have a chance of crushing

[10:43] them and we should maximize that

[10:45] opportunity.

[10:46] >> These latest charges stem from a New

[10:48] York State investigation which found

[10:50] evidence that the organized crime

[10:51] families had actually formed a

[10:53] commission to discuss and plan a wide

[10:55] range of criminal activities.

[10:57] Investigators say that by striking at

[10:59] that commission, they have their best

[11:00] chance yet of defeating the mob. Michael

[11:03] Connor, ABC News, New York.

[11:05] >> Elsewhere in the country, the weekend's

[11:07] quick weather warm-up has caused some

[11:08] serious early flooding in the Midwest.

[11:10] Fort Wayne, Indiana was ready when the

[11:12] high waters came. This time, only 70

[11:14] people were evacuated. In 1982, 10,000

[11:18] people were forced to get out of the way

[11:20] of the water. The St. Joseph's River in

[11:22] Elcart, Indiana, reached record levels

[11:24] today. Some streets and highways were

[11:26] closed by the snow only a week ago. In

[11:30] tonight's money matters on Wall Street

[11:31] today, the Dow Jones Industrials moved

[11:33] up a bit, about a point and a half in

[11:36] fairly moderate trading. In our next

[11:38] segment, did Pakistan try to get hold of

[11:40] some Americanbuilt triggers for nuclear

[11:43] weapons?

[11:49] Maryanne Sanford makes over 20 critical

[11:51] checks on seat belt systems in GM cars.

[11:55] She's only one of over 1,800 GM people

[11:58] who make more than 6,000 safety

[12:00] inspections on over 6 million GM cars

[12:04] worldwide to build safer cars because

[12:07] it's important to you and to her.

[12:10] >> Okay, guys, buckle up.

[12:11] >> Nobody sweats the details like GM.

[12:16] Hope you like sugar because this box

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[12:22] teaspoons. This has 10 and this 18. And

[12:27] spoonsiz shredded wheat, none. When you

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[12:31] tastes great naturally. So, it goes

[12:34] against our grain to add sugar or even

[12:36] salt. Nabiscoco shredded wheat. Zero

[12:39] added sugar or salt. 100% whole wheat.

[12:43] Nabiscoco.

[12:46] You'd love to buy a new house, but you

[12:48] can't find a buyer for the house you're

[12:50] in. So, you're trapped, locked in,

[12:56] caught in a house you can't sell.

[13:01] That's why you need the seller security

[13:03] plan from erra real estate. If we don't

[13:06] sell your house, we'll buy it. There is

[13:09] a difference in real estate companies.

[13:11] Erra real estate, a part of the

[13:13] commercial credit financial network.

[13:17] >> The State Department late today gave

[13:18] Poland 48 hours to recall its military

[13:21] attache from the United States and the

[13:23] US has also postponed indefinitely talks

[13:25] with Poland on science and technology.

[13:28] That is in reaction to Poland's decision

[13:30] to expel an American military atache.

[13:33] The Polish government says that Colonel

[13:34] Frederick Meyers and his wife were

[13:36] caught taking photographs in a

[13:38] restricted military zone. The New York

[13:41] Times reported this morning that the

[13:42] government of Pakistan had tried for 9

[13:45] months in this country to illegally

[13:47] obtain a device which is used to trigger

[13:49] nuclear weapons. As ABC's Dennis Trout

[13:52] reports from Washington, some people are

[13:53] very angry and others appear to have an

[13:56] excuse.

[13:58] Last June in Houston, federal agents

[14:00] arrested Nazir Akmed Ved, a Pakistani

[14:03] national. They'd caught him with 50

[14:05] cryons, timing devices for nuclear bombs

[14:07] in packing cases. I'm not trying to say

[14:10] that I'm innocent. I did commit a crime.

[14:12] I knew that this needed an export

[14:14] license,

[14:16] but I never knew its usage till I was

[14:18] arrested.

[14:20] So, I was used as a scapegoat. Vid had

[14:22] bought the nuclear triggers from

[14:24] manufacturers in Massachusetts who were

[14:26] so alarmed at the purchase they tipped

[14:27] off federal agents. Ved faced 12 years

[14:30] in prison, but federal prosecutors

[14:32] suddenly didn't about face. They let him

[14:34] off the hook with a lenient plea bargain

[14:36] and virtually no time in jail. He was

[14:38] quickly deported to Pakistan last

[14:40] November. Now, it appears that in

[14:42] settling the case, federal agents

[14:44] neglected or chose to ignore strong

[14:46] evidence linking VI to his government.

[14:49] Critics say the Reagan administration

[14:50] may be more interested in protecting

[14:52] Pakistan than in exposing the truth.

[14:54] >> Well, you can't deny that somebody

[14:56] dropped the ball and whether it was just

[14:58] negligent or whether there was some

[14:59] pattern behind it, I don't know.

[15:01] >> The Justice Department will not respond

[15:03] to charges it mishandled the VID case.

[15:05] The State Department insists it sought

[15:07] energetic prosecution. As for Pakistan,

[15:10] its ambassador to Washington says Ved

[15:12] was not a government agent. The law

[15:14] requires a cut off of US aid to

[15:16] governments trying to develop a nuclear

[15:18] bomb. But much potential for a case

[15:20] against Pakistan on that score

[15:22] disappeared with Mr. Ved. Dennis Trout,

[15:25] ABC News, the State Department.

[15:28] >> One other note about Pakistan. Today,

[15:29] the first national election since

[15:31] President Zia Al- Hook came to power in

[15:33] a 1977 coup. General Zia cast his vote

[15:36] for a national assembly, but his

[15:38] political opponents say the election was

[15:39] a fraud. At least six people have been

[15:42] killed and 40 injured during election

[15:44] day violence. Still overseas, Egyptians

[15:47] President Mubarak today said he may send

[15:49] a personal envoy to Israeli Prime

[15:51] Minister Shimon Perez to talk about ways

[15:54] to further the Middle East peace

[15:55] process. Mubarak has also offered either

[15:58] to host or take part in Middle East

[16:00] peace talks between Israel and a

[16:02] combined Jordanian Palestinian

[16:04] delegation. In Israel, Prime Minister

[16:06] Perez said he read Mubarak's statement

[16:08] with great interest and he promised

[16:10] further study. Now, that may not sound

[16:12] like much in the way of movement, but in

[16:14] the Middle East, where diplomatic

[16:15] advances are measured in millimeters

[16:17] rather than miles, it could be a sign.

[16:20] From Jerusalem, ABC's Bob Zelnik.

[16:23] This is the West Bank, captured by

[16:25] Israel in 1967. Now, the occupied

[16:28] territories have become the stakes in a

[16:30] frenzied game of diplomatic poker in

[16:33] which the area's big leaders are

[16:34] preparing to play their strong cards.

[16:37] October 9th, President Husni Mubarak of

[16:40] Egypt and Jordan's King Hussein meet in

[16:42] Aman, resuming diplomatic relations

[16:44] severed after Egypt's Camp David treaty

[16:46] with Israel. November 22nd, Yasa Arafat

[16:50] convenes the Palestinian National

[16:52] Council in Aman while rejectionist PLO

[16:54] factions backed by Syria stay away.

[16:57] Hussein invites the PLO to follow his

[17:00] lead in bargaining to recover Israeli

[17:02] occupied land. February 11th, President

[17:05] Reagan entertains Saudi King Fad, the

[17:08] first among several Arab leaders who

[17:09] will be asking the White House to press

[17:11] Israel into greater flexibility.

[17:14] February 13th, Arafat and Hussein

[17:16] announce accord. The PLO delegating part

[17:19] of its negotiating authority to Jordan.

[17:22] Arafat also accepting the land for peace

[17:24] formula embodied in UN Security Council

[17:27] resolution 242.

[17:29] Noting Hussein's refusal to negotiate

[17:31] directly and Arafat's continued

[17:34] reluctance even to accept Israel's

[17:36] existence, Prime Minister Shimon Perez

[17:38] first reaction is cautious. Something

[17:41] was done in order to form an Arab camp.

[17:46] Not enough was done

[17:48] to really suggest a real opportunity to

[17:52] solve the conflict.

[17:53] >> But Hussein interviewed this past

[17:55] weekend by ABC News insisted his accord

[17:58] with Arafat provides a narrow opening

[18:00] for peace.

[18:01] >> If this chance is lost, uh I believe

[18:04] that the chance for peace is lost in our

[18:06] area. February 24th, yesterday.

[18:09] Returning to the Camp David formula,

[18:11] Mubarak tells the New York Times he

[18:14] favors a team of Jordanians and moderate

[18:16] Palestinians, not necessarily members of

[18:18] the PLO, to negotiate directly with

[18:21] Israel.

[18:22] >> We should encourage this so as to start

[18:24] negotiations

[18:26] to reach some kind of solution for the

[18:28] problem of the Middle East.

[18:29] >> Perez calls the proposal an important

[18:32] step forward. Other Israelis are even

[18:34] more enthusiastic. It's a very

[18:36] straightforward positive statement from

[18:38] President Mubarak and I do hope that the

[18:42] reaction of the Israeli government will

[18:43] be similar. King Hussein triggered all

[18:46] this recent activity by closing ranks

[18:48] with Cairo and playing host to Yasa

[18:50] Arafat's PLO. Now the ball is back in

[18:53] his court. If Hussein wants to talk,

[18:56] Israel is ready. Bob Zelnik, ABC News,

[18:59] Jerusalem.

[19:00] In our next segment, another status

[19:02] report on our series on crime in

[19:04] America.

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[19:30] >> Your place or mine, it's up to you.

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[20:18] you. Within hours, an Etna task force

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[20:24] around the country assigned to the

[20:26] hardest hit, paying a thousand claims a

[20:28] day and more. Going the extra mile to

[20:32] put the people, the companies, the

[20:34] schools back in business.

[20:36] >> Ednner, we're glad we met you.

[20:40] And Mr. Opener, time for your conference

[20:42] call.

[20:42] >> Get me Jackson and Poria and find

[20:44] problem.

[20:44] >> Today, small businesses need phone

[20:46] systems that do more than handle calls.

[20:49] So, ITT created SYSTEM 3100.

[20:52] >> PROBABLY.

[20:53] >> HIS CALLS WERE FORWARDED. I'll page him.

[20:54] >> The ITT system 3100 is a digital

[20:57] communication system that can do big

[20:59] things for small business, even handle

[21:01] data.

[21:02] >> Mr. Oaker, it's the boss.

[21:05] >> Yes, dear. Yes, dear. No, dear.

[21:10] The US attorney in New York said today

[21:12] there will be no federal charges in the

[21:14] shooting of four young men by the subway

[21:15] gunman Bernard Gats. There was no basis,

[21:17] said the US attorney for believing that

[21:20] Gats had violated federal civil rights

[21:22] laws. That means in essence, Gats will

[21:24] not face any further criminal charges.

[21:27] Mr. Gets has become something of a

[21:28] celebrated figure in recent weeks and

[21:30] his behavior raises the question, is

[21:32] what he did any real answer to crime?

[21:36] with another status report on crime in

[21:38] America. Here's our chief correspondent,

[21:40] Richard Thrrell.

[21:46] When it comes to the problem of crime on

[21:48] our streets and subways, we're all

[21:50] experts of sorts. And as we've seen, not

[21:53] all of us are inclined to turn the other

[21:55] cheek.

[21:56] >> I hit one cheek, then the other will

[21:58] forget it because then it get pretty

[21:59] black and blue.

[22:01] >> We are certain about the problem, less

[22:03] so about the remedy. It's frustrating.

[22:06] It's frustrating and don't really know

[22:08] what to do about it and I don't have any

[22:11] solutions.

[22:12] >> It may frustrate you to know that the

[22:14] experts don't have any surefire

[22:16] solutions to the crime problem either.

[22:18] Most of them though would agree with

[22:20] what follows.

[22:21] >> By and large, the young men who commit

[22:23] more than half our violent crime share

[22:26] the same poor and violent backgrounds.

[22:28] In the words of Kenneth Clark, the

[22:30] sociologist, muggers come from mugged

[22:33] families, mugged schools, and mugged

[22:35] neighborhoods. Therefore, while it's

[22:37] true that violent criminals are black

[22:39] and Hispanic out of all proportion, it's

[22:41] equally true that so are their victims.

[22:45] And not all those young hoodlams are

[22:47] beyond salvage. We met Carlos Parkin,

[22:50] once a gang leader, now grown up and

[22:52] trying to salvage other bad kids.

[22:55] >> I let them tell me, "Hey, what's your

[22:57] problem right now?" you know what are

[22:59] you doing in life to help yourself

[23:01] >> and as a wise juvenile judge reminded us

[23:04] that's better than the alternative

[23:06] >> sure we can kill the kid and then what

[23:08] you going to do about the next kid uh

[23:10] that's going to come along but the next

[23:12] kid

[23:13] >> of course we keep breeding them the

[23:14] situations from which they come are

[23:16] breeding grounds for these kinds of kids

[23:18] so we got to deal with the situation

[23:19] from which to come

[23:21] >> yet Washington is spending less and less

[23:23] money to help cure those situations and

[23:26] what of crime victims More attention is

[23:28] being paid to them and that's healthy.

[23:30] Like the mother of a kidnapped child in

[23:32] Tucson, victims want to take action.

[23:35] >> You're not going to let them defeat you.

[23:38] You're going to fight back.

[23:40] >> Victim's rights groups are doing that

[23:42] all over the country. It's fast becoming

[23:44] a political movement. And there are

[23:46] those who think victim's rights is

[23:48] moving in the wrong direction.

[23:50] There's a tendency to use victims as a

[23:53] way of reestablishing law and order

[23:56] approaches to crime. Despite their

[23:57] persistent failure in the past, there is

[24:00] this sense that the only thing we can do

[24:01] for victims is to try to get tough with

[24:04] a criminal.

[24:06] >> And it's troubling to realize that what

[24:08] some people mean by getting tough with

[24:10] criminals is not justice or retribution,

[24:13] but simple revenge.

[24:14] >> Feel it was way too easy. Too quick, too

[24:17] easy. He didn't suffer no pain. My

[24:20] daughter had you.

[24:21] >> People think crime is getting worse and

[24:23] worse and nobody's doing anything about

[24:26] it.

[24:26] >> I feel that I am being intimidated

[24:30] almost on a daily basis and every night.

[24:33] That is your property and that is your

[24:35] life that's at stake.

[24:37] >> In fact, the federal government is

[24:39] trying to do something about it. Last

[24:41] fall, the president signed a big new

[24:43] crime bill to get tougher on criminals

[24:45] and give more help to police and crime

[24:47] victims. back up.

[24:49] >> Most important, the crime rate is

[24:51] dropping. The FBI's major crime index is

[24:54] down 13% since 1981. Not so much because

[24:57] of anything we've done, but because of

[24:59] demographics. There are fewer young

[25:02] criminals among us. To really stop

[25:04] crime, to make capture and punishment

[25:06] truly swift and sure, would require a

[25:09] vast amount of money and some tinkering

[25:11] with the Bill of Rights, sacrifices most

[25:13] Americans are not willing to make.

[25:16] It will not do to make a role model of

[25:18] Burnhard Gats, the so-called subway

[25:20] vigilante who's lately been paraded

[25:22] around by special interest groups to

[25:24] express his folk wisdom about the crime

[25:26] problem.

[25:27] >> The people will have to want fundamental

[25:30] change and the political leadership will

[25:32] have to show the guts to do that

[25:34] fundamental change.

[25:35] >> Even Gats has admitted that when he shot

[25:37] his young antagonists on that subway

[25:39] car, he became a monster, univilized

[25:42] like the criminals that threaten us.

[25:46] Mahatma Gandhi was once asked what he

[25:49] thought of civilization. He said he

[25:51] thought it would be a good idea despite

[25:53] the temptations we conserve that idea

[25:56] and ourselves best by treating the

[25:58] univilized among us in a civilized way.

[26:02] Richard Thrrell, ABC News, New York.

[26:05] We'll be back in just a moment.

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[27:09] Thanks a lot, City Bank. You had to make

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[27:39] >> Tonight on Night Line, when an entire

[27:41] state legislature prepares to assault

[27:43] Congress, the situation is obviously

[27:45] desperate. The issues, how many farmers

[27:47] are going under.

[27:50] Finally, from here this evening, how to

[27:52] make it a very good day for a very sick

[27:54] child. His name is Chad Conigra, and he

[27:57] comes from Dayton, Ohio. He has bone

[27:59] cancer, and he told a Dayton

[28:01] organization that tries to arrange such

[28:03] things that he would like to meet the

[28:05] president. He did

[28:06] >> homework.

[28:08] >> This is Chad. Chad, hello there. Hear a

[28:11] lot about you and I'm very pleased and

[28:14] honored to meet you. Brave young man.

[28:17] >> Thank you, Mr.

[28:18] >> And they traded jelly beans. Chad's

[28:21] parents would obviously like a lot more

[28:23] for him, but it was a very special

[28:25] moment and for his sister as well.

[28:27] That's our report on World News Tonight.

[28:29] I'm Peter Jennings. For everyone at ABC

[28:30] News, good night.

[28:34] Monday, the judge is back on the bench,

[28:36] but this con is back for blood. Hart

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[29:01] I'm going to follow you