xt7t7659gv62 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7t7659gv62/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1975-07-15 Earlier Titles: Idea of University of Kentucky, The State College Cadet newspapers  English   Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The Kentucky Kernel  The Kentucky Kernel, July 15, 1975 text The Kentucky Kernel, July 15, 1975 1975 1975-07-15 2020 true xt7t7659gv62 section xt7t7659gv62 b at: It; P icTuE/c's

Joanne Liflle backers hold rally

By STEVE BALLINGER
Kernel Staff Writer

A rally to raise support for accused
murderer Joanne Little was held
yesterday to coincide with the beginning of
her trial in Raleigh, NC.

Staged at Douglas Park, the public
meeting was attended by about 300 people.
It was sponsored by the Lexington
Socialist Feminist Union, the Student
(‘oalition Against Racism and the Rape
(‘risis Center.

Little faces a mandatory death penalty if
convicted of the first—degree murder of
(.‘larence Alligood, 62, her jailer at the
Beaufort (‘ounty Jail in Washington. NC.

ller defense. is expected to argue that
Little. a 21-year-old black, acted in self
defense to protect herself from sexual
assault by the white prison guard.

Support rallies were conducted
simultaneously across the country to in‘
torm people about the case and to raise
money for Little's defense.

"Lots of people are realizing how this
case affects them individually.” said
(‘arolyn Daugherty of the Lexington
Socialist Feminist L'nion «LSFLY t. “It‘s an
example of how women are oppressed in
this country."

w. vau No. 7 K

Tuesday. July 15. 1975

  

Ruth (‘oleman began the rally with a
description of how Little had been forced
to protect herself. Alligood‘s body was
found naked from the waist down, his hand
clutching an ice pick he had allegedly
intended to rape her with, said Coleman.

Little was the only woman in the jail
whose guards were all white males. She
had no privacy and was constantly ob-
served by a television monitor, Coleman
said.

“Joanne Little was born to go to prison,"
said Janine t‘ataldo, a member of LSF‘U.
“Society dictates how women should act.
Women who don‘t conform are ‘bad girls,’
And the only place for bad girls is either
jail or a mental institution," she said.

(‘ataldo likened Joanne Little‘s im-
prisonment to thtat of jailed grand jury
witness Jill Raymond. In both cases. she
said. women were jailed because they
resisted oppression.

'I‘he Lexington Rape (‘risis (‘enter was
represented by Betty Rudnick, professor
of nursing at the University. “Joanne
Little did whatw e would like every woman
to do if she is attacked,“ said Rudnick.

Rudnick urged women to do whatever
they could if attacked. “Don‘t be helpless

 

Terry Winburn. a UK physical plant employe.
trims a tree in Botanical Gardens. A co-worker
said Winburn was trimming the tree "for
practice.“

Out on a limb

EN TUCKY

21’

an independent student newspaper

anymore, fight back,“ she said.

Rudnick said that popular miscon-
ceptions about rape would be taken ad-
vantage of by the prosecution in the
Joanne Little trial.

The prosecution would try to discredit
the defendant by attempting to prove that
she had lured Alligood into her cell to get
favors while in jail.

"I suppose that‘s the reason she asked
him to bring his ice pick in.“ added
Rudnick skeptically.

“Rape is the only crime in which the
criminal puts the victim on trial." said
Rudnick. “Not only has the crime been an
instrument used to oppress women. but the
la ws against it have been used to persecute
black men in the south.

"Rape laws have traditionally been
associated with Jim Crow laws. There is a
myth that most rapes are committed by
black men against white women," she
said. “In fact, very few rapes are in-
terracial ones.“

Mark Manning. speaking for the Student
(‘oalition Against Racism. charged that
the North (‘arolina judicial system is one
of the most brutal and barbaric in the
country. He cited the mandatory death

Continued on page 4

    

 

Ruth Coleman, the opening speaker
in the rally to support Joanne Little,
described conditions in the North
Carolina jail where Little was a
prisoner.

2] University of Kentucky

Lexington. Ky. 40506

 

 

Gay Coalition accuses
police of harassment

By SUSAN JONES
Managing Editor

Police are frequently “harassing, en-
trapping and arresting gay people on
trumped-up charges” on two blocks in
downtown Lexington, several members of
the Lexington Gay Coalition said.

According to a letter the Coalition is
planning to send to Urban County Council-
woman Pam Miller, approximately 30
people have been arrested since June 29 on
charges of “public lewdness. loitering and
soliciting.“

“These arrests seem to mark a sudden
increase in the harassment of the Lexing-
ton gay population," the letter states.

Coalition representatives asked Miller to
act as a liason between the group and
police.

“I‘m going to stick up for them," Miller
said. “I want to facilitate communication
with the police. but if there‘s stuff like
soliciting going on then there’s not much I
can do about that."

Four of those arrested were charged
with lewdness or indecent proposition and
their cases were heard July 10 in Fayette
County Quarterly Court. The cases were
thrown out of court on the basis of a motion
presented by State Representative Wil—
liam KentontD-Lex). attorney for one of
those arrested.

“1 presented a motion to the court which
cited a number of Supreme Court cases.
and my client‘s case was thrown out of
court.“ Kenton said. The charge was found
to be vague and in violation of the 14th

Amendment to the US. Constitution,
Kenton said.

The loitering cases have not as yet been
heard.

Metro police Det. William Steward said
he had recently been involved in several
plainclothes arrests for loitering on the
downtown blocks bounded by Walnut,
Short. Esplanade and Main Streets.

“We have had complaints from citizens.
businessmen and policemen in the area for
loitering,“ Steward said. “I imagine the
arrests will continue as I have told several
of the people involved."

Steward refused to comment on many of
the arrests because he said “it wouldn’t be
fair to those persons whose trials are still
pending." He did say he was involved in
one case where “there were persons in a
car picked up for loitering."

One of those arrested said Steward had
“entrapped" him. “He(Steward) told me
he was from Henderson, had no job and no
money," the Coalition member said.
“When I offered him a place to stay he
arrested me for soliciting. He used the
same story on another of those arrested
who had given Steward $15 because
Steward said he had no money.“

Ken Plotnik. a Coalition member. telt
the whole point of the police actions was to
harass gay people.

“The people are released on their own
recognizance." Plotnik said. “Theytthe
police I are not out to get anyone convicted.
They know the charges are vague. They
are no fools. The point is to harass."

(‘ontinued on page i

  

 
 

Editorials

   

 

 

 

’Dragnet’ spreads to gay community

It seems that every so often—whether moved by some higher
calling or, more realistically, political expediency—the police
department goes off on a wild tangent, purging our society of
various and sundry “unsavory elements."

Whether it’s a drug bust or, as in this case, arrests of gay people
for “loitering", the pattern is always the same.The police depart-
ment, perhaps in response to bad publicity or demands of higher-
ups in Lexington politics, starts cracking down on a practice that
has been going on for years. Such practices are usually of
questionable legality in the eyes of the law and convictions are
usually hard to get.

However, the point is not conviction, but harassment. Making an
example out of a few persons so that others will become fearful.

In this case two blocks in downtown Lexington bounded by Short.
Esplanade, Main and Walnut Streets have become the focal point
forthe police department‘s excursions. For years the area has been
known as the “cruising block“ for gay people in Lexington. Sud-
denly, as if the ”problem” had just arisen, the blocks have been
subject toa police dragnet. Since June 29 approximately 30 people
have been arrested in the area for such obviously trurmed-up
charges as loitering, public lewdness and soliciting.

One arresting officer, William Steward, has been accused of
trapping his victims by two of those arrested. Steward, in plain-
clothes and saying he is down and out. appears to pounce on his
victims when offered a place to stay or money for food. according
to those involved.

The police department has very little to do in making the laws
which oppress the lives of gay people. But selective enforcement of
these laws reflects directly on the ethics of the department—as do
questionable methods of enforcement such as misrepresentation
to the point of entrapment.

 

‘, M “w-.. " a..- wwwww’"
We”

 

 

 

Kentucky
lags behind

 

in lowering

 

drinking age

A footnote to many a College career is
the occasional brush with the law to
avoid getting caught purchasing
alcoholic beverages. Fake lD’s and cat—
and-n‘ouse games with local law en-
forcement authorities are a fact of life
for many students under 21 in this
state.

The Kentudty law prohibiting the sale
of liquor to persons under 21 is a
ground for consternation among minors
and retailers alike. The sad fact is by
the time the majority of people are old
enoughto do anything about it, they no
longer remember the embarassrnent of
being cardat and the inability to obtain
their favorite spirits.

The likelihood of lowering Kentucky's
drinking age is virtually nil. When the
state lowered the voting age to 18 back
in the 50’s the issue was raised but
squelched almost as quickly as it was

brought up. The Kentucky Youth
Lobby, an energetic but politically
impotent group of high school
students, considered bringing the issue
before the legislature in 1974 but found
their meager efforts focused in other
directions.

Even the legislation setting up a local
liquor option for fourth class cities
barely nede it in 1972, passing the
state senate by only one vote. So the
odds of a bill being proposed in the
General Assembly to lower the drinking
age are slim. Its chances for passage
would be negligible, especially in the
house which is dominated by con-
servative rural representatives.

A natioral trend towards lowering
drinking ages has gained a lot of
momentum in recent years. Half the 50
states have done so since 1970: 19
states to age 18, five to 19 and one

(Delaware) to 20. Eighteen states still
try to make young adults wait until
they’re 21 aid in six states minors can
buy 3.2 beer at 18.

Problem drinking should not be
overtooked in discussing sale of
alcohol. One can’t ignore the grim
reality of a half million grade school
and teenage alcoholics. But the root
cause of problem drinking is not the
availability of alcohol. For instance,
alcoholism is relatively rare in Europe
where age restrictions are almost
unheard of.

Minors can only hope that Kentucky
legislators will overcome the Bible Belt
lobby, powerful though it may be, and
conform drinking laws to today’s
standards. Until then we, or our friends,
will bestuck with getting kicked out of
bars, trading lD's and standing on
tippy-toe at sales counters.

 

 

E ditor -in-Chief

 

4?

”\A.-