Santa Maria Times from Santa Maria, California • 4

4 Friday, July IS, 1913. Santa Maria, Times rnnrn UvJLI Walt Rosebrock Publisher Don Brown Executive Editor Editorial Well, how does it feel? I PfcEFERTOBE WjS? fcvl increased patrols along the Mexican-Guatemalan border. Also, Mexico's refugee commission is changing emphasis from coordinating aid to refugees to closer monitoring of their activities. Mexican Minister Manuel Bartlee Diaz has recommended that visas be granted only to "persons who can prove they bring resources to the Mexican econony." Visas should not be issued, he said, to persons who "might use them as a possible way of resolving the social problems they suffer in their countries." Mexico, never sympathetic to U.S. Immigration problems, now has problems of its own.

Mexico is trying to item the influx of Central American refugees into that country, arguing that they Lake jobs away from Mexicans and add to social pressures. It's ironic that the Mexican government, which does nothing to discourage its own citizens from illegally entering the United States, now is closing its own southern border to illegal aliens. In truth, our southern borders are an escape valve for Mexico, relieving social and financial pressure on the government. Mexico's new measures against Central American refugees include stricter rules for issuing visas and tafres are beaming over the earliest 1984 primary Berry's World Ethiopians are winning 'war' on illiteracy ber election to vote on the proposal. The thinking is that since special elections generally result in only light voter turnouts, the GOP will muster enough votes to throw out the Democratic districting.

So the Democrats are countering with the threat to turn the election into a Democratic presidential primary in which case the heavy Democratic turnout would easily defeat the GOP redistrlcting measure. State Democrats say they're sorry If their plan causes problems for the national party, but it's their best bet to defeat the GOP effort. All Involved are now waiting to see what Deukmejian will do. MOST OBSERVERS believe that the most entertaining and most expensive Senate race next year will take place in North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Jesse Helms is running for re-election.

Helms, the darling of conservatives, already has amassed a multimillion-dollar war chest to finance his re-election bid. No one has stepped forward to challenge Helms, but almost everyone involved in the state's politics believes that Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt will be Helms' opponent. Recently, Hunt was in Washington for a fundraiser that was being held, said supporters, "in case" the popular governor enters the race. Two thousand top Democrats including Ted Kennedy, Tip O'Neill and several of the Democratic presidential hopefuls dropped in at the Capitol Hill "bluegrass barbecue." The fundraiser added about 1100,000 to Hunt's war chest, which now reportedly totals more than $1 million.

Hunt refused to say whether he'd be a candidate. "It's too early to make any kind of an announcement," he said. "I'll decide in December." However, he said this with a smile. In one recent North Carolina poll, which matched Hunt against Helms, Hunt won easily with almost 55 percent to Helm's 34 percent. Still, all observers think the race will be very tight and veryvery expensive.

By Robert Wagman WASHINGTON (NEA) We reported earlier that the Democratic Party is having a hard time setting up its primary calendar for 1984. The party tried to Instill order in next year's primary season by ruling that all primaries and caucuses would have to take place between March IS and June 12, except for Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's primary which, for historical reasons, were set for Feb. 27 and March 6. Vermont had wanted to hold a non-binding straw poll on March then Maine wanted to move its caucuses to March 4 which led New Hampshire to vow that it would move its primary up at least a week. Finally, Iowa countered by threatening to move its caucuses up to a week before the New Hampshire primary, no matter when that primary was scheduled.

Now, when the Democratic National Committee finally seems to have the situation under control, another state is roiling the waters: California Democrats are threatening to radically change the way they elect delegates to the national convention. Traditionally, California's convention delegates are selected in a June primary but. Instead, the state's Democrats are threatening to place the names of Democratic presidential hopefuls on December's statewide initiative ballot If this goes through, California will have elected its delegates three months prior to the starting dates set up by party rules. Moreover, Democrats in both New Hampshire and Iowa are on record as demanding to be first; if California wins, we might see the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary take place in November. The debate in California has much more to do with statewide politics than with wanting to bold the first primary.

An initiative has been proposed to change new congressional ami state legislative boundaries that now favor Democrats; George Deukmejian, California's Republican governor, scheduled a special Decem jl 6.M(j (j 1983 by NEA lot "He's setting up a gossip and trivia service for vhe neighborhood. ur very favorite despot Jan. 16, Marcos promulgated by executive decree a National Security Code and a Public Order Code which perpetuated his dictatorial power. During the past year alone, the Marcos goverment's repressive actions have included: The arrest of more than 40 Catholic priests, nuns and lay workers as part of a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the church. The arrest and detention of 68 labor union leaden accused of plotting a wave of strikes, assassinations and bombings to culminate in the overthrow of Marcos.

The arrest of 10 journalists accused of subversion and conspiracy to overthrow the goverment, accompanied by the forced closing of an English-language newspaper often critical of the Marcos regime. Fifty members of the House of Representatives, organized by Rep. Tony P. Hall, D-Ohio, earlier this year wrote a letter to Marcos protesting that the action against the journalists was "indicative of an overall policy to suppress and intimidate those who express opposition to your government." In a luncheon toast to Marcos during a recent stop in Manila, Shultz characterized the relationship between the two countries as "very special" and praised the Philippines' president for his outstanding leadership. President Reagan hasn't made the pilgrimage yet but he did the next best thing, serving as a gracious host in 1982 when Marcos made his first visit to this country in 17 years.

After Marcos imposed martial law throughout the Philippines in September 1972, thousands of government critics were committed to prisons and detention camps. Hundreds of others simply disappeared. Due process of law was suspended and political freedoms were severely restricted. Torture and execution of political dissidents became commonplace. That reign of terror technically came to an end when martial law was lifted on Jan.

17, 1981. But on By Robert Walters WASHINGTON (NEA) Philippines President Ferdinand E. Marcos presides over one of the world's more repressive regimes, but that doesn't deter this country's most senior officials from parading through Manila to praise him lavishly. Vice President George Bush made the trip in 1981 to pay homage to the United States' favorite despot. "We love your adherence to democratic principles and democratic processes," Bush gushed in a display of rhetorical extravagance which even Marcos 's apologists should have found embarrassing.

Former Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. and Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger were only slightly less effusive during their visits to Manila and now Secretary of State George P. Shultz has joined the parade.

By Charles Mitchell "XbDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (UPI) Almay Araia smiles shyly as she leads a class of baby-carrying peasant women through a multiplication table. Her face hardens as she declares: "I am 18 and I am a soldier in the war against illiteracy." Ethiopia's campaign to wipe out illiteracy, begun in 1979, is one of the major success stories on the African continent. The campaign has slashed illiteracy in the sixth poorest country in the world from a staggering 93 percent when the monarchy was overthrown in 1974 to 46.6 percent now. "When we launched the campaign we estimated that about 1.3 million people would sign up in its first year," said Gudedeta Mammo, who heads the adult literacy campaign for the education ministry. "We ended up with 6.2 million people registered.

We had to change our strategy." In the first year alone, 34,559 reading centers were established. Under Emperor Haile Selaisse, the monarchy ran a literacy campaign of sorts. At its peak In 1962, 13,280 people all city dwellers and affluent were enrolled. At the time of the 1974 revolution it was teaching fewer than 7,500 people. Mass enrollments In the new campaign broadened it from carefully bringing literacy to the cities to mobilzating an army of students, teachers, volunteers and, diplomats say non-volunteers and an epic march into the countryside to teach reading, writing and revolution.

"When we started the peasants thought the govern ment was neglecting them, just like the old regime, so we had to include everyone," Mammo said. More than 60,000 fighters in "the war" went into the country, and many are still there. Dressed in drab gray uniforms, a bright yellow identification badge, red umbrellas and blue sneakers, they march under the slogan: "Every place a school, every literate a From the rugged moutalns of Eritrea to party offices of Addis Ababa, it seems schools and reading classes are everywhere. In Addis Ababa, a reading class is held In a well-stocked library of Communist literature: Lenin'i collected works, "Communism in North Korea" and "The Karl Marx Reader." At Nazerath, 100 miles away on a farming cooperative, a reading class goes on under the shade of a massive tree, using a flat-bottomed cooking pan as a blackboard. "We cannot supply all classes with material, so people become innovative," said Mammo.

Despite the government's obsession with literacy, It contributes only 29.8 percent of the campaign's annual budget of $12.5 million. The program is mostly funded by private contributions. "It Is the local contributions of time and money that enable us to continue this campaign," Mammo said. "There is a spirit of community sharing that is unique to this campaign." The program not only teaches basic reading skills but also simple arithmetic to enable herders to count their flocks and help urban dwellers avoid rip-offs. Another accent is on revolutionary politics, bad-mouthing the monarchy while teaching practical skills.

"The old system was simply too academic to be of any worth to the peasants," Mammo said. Basic readers contain elementary lessons in hygiene, baby care and nursing, nutrition, cooking, crop planting and even soldering, depending on the make-up of the class. Just over 50 percent of those taking twice-yearly examinations for a national literacy certificate pass Of the 13,457,900 Ethiopians tested so far, 7,450,668 passed. Those who pass can go on to an additional 120-hour course spread over six months. Those who fail go Into remedial classes held five days a week, two hours per day for nine months.

"Most adults continue with the program up to grade six," Mammo said. For remote areas where there are no teachers, 11 radio stations carry seven-hour-a-day programs to teach basic skills. They and Addis Ababa's one television station cover 90 percent of the country. "Being literate means very much here," Mammo said. "Even a common laborer with a certificate gets preference In the Job market.

It Is like the American high school diploma for job In the strictly controlled social environment of Socialist Ethiopia there are stiff penalties for Ignoring the drive. "Factory managers may be fired If they do not provide for classes," Mammo said. "They must be sure their workers can read and write." LoSGgd'o ft ftE O'Hare taken to task Lioness Clubs thanked To the Editor: I would like to make a public thank you to the Lioness Clubs of Santa Maria and Orcutt and also Easter Seals for fund-raising efforts to aid in the purchase of expensive medical equipment for a patient of Visiting Nurses. It was a special pleasure to work with Carol Gates. Her patience and persistence are to be commended.

Our community is certainly bettered with these organizations in operation. Kim Scott, R.N. Staff Nurse Visiting Nurse Service of Northern Santa Barbara County Madalyn O'Hare continues to disarm and rob us of our divinely bestowed rights as citizens of our great country, under God. America. Now is the time for Christians to write their letter to the Federal Communications Commission, 1019 Washington, DC, 20054.

Reference Petition No. 2493. Tell them how you feel about the above issue and that you protest any human effort to remove from radio or television any programs designed to show faith in God or a supreme being. Be sure to put the petition number on the outside of the envelope before mailing your letter. The commission needs one million letters signed in order to defeat Madalyn O'Hare.

What America needs right now is a good old-fashioned exorcism, and it wouldn't be hard to locate the devil himself the atheist. George Lorentzen Nipomo To the Editor: This is an open letter to American Christians living in the Santa Maria area and to American Christians who read the Santa Maria Times. It has come to my attention that Madalyn Murry O'Hare, an atheist, has been granted a federal hearing in Washington, C. on the subject of religion and the airwaves, by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Her petition with 27,000 signatures, is to back her stand.

The petition, R.M. 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel on the airwaves of our great country, America. Many people and shut-ins, as well as those recuperating from hospitalization or illness, depend on radio and television to fulfill their worship needs. Many people watch Christian television that they can enjoy and also receive spiritual blessing. Our public servants 814 State St.

Santa Barbara, Calif. 93101 (805) 963-1708 OTHERS Senator Gary K. Hart (D) State Capitol, Room 2057 Sacramento, Calif. 95814 (916)445-5405 Assemblyman Jack O'Connell (D) State Capitol, Room 4158 Sacramento, Calif. 95814 (916)445-8292 i Assemblywoman Cathie Wright (R) State Capitol, Room 4117 Sacramento, Calif.

95814 (916)445-7676 U.S. SENATE Senator Alan Cranston (D) 247 Russell Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Senator Pete Wilson (R) 613 Russell Building Washington, D.C. 20510 S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Congressman Robert J.

Lagomarslno (R) 2332 Rayburn Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (Santa Barbara office) STATE LEGISLATURE Senator Ken Maddy (R) State Capitol, Room 5087 Sacramento, Calif. 95814 (916) 445-9600 Assemblyman Eric Seastrand (R) State Capitol, Room 5136 Sacramento, Calif. 95814 (916)445-7795.