Editorials
Thursday, November 5, 1998

Irradiation ban defeat
was a vote for reason

BIG Island voters gave a victory to rationality and a defeat for hysteria with their rejection of a proposed ban on food irradiation. This should be a big plus for agriculture, particularly exports of fruits to the mainland and Japan.

Opponents of irradiation mounted a petition drive and succeeded in placing the proposed ban on the ballot. It was narrowly defeated by 450 votes.

Irradiation make papayas and exotic fruits more marketable by killing fruit fly larvae without affecting the fruit's taste or appearance. Fruit infected with the larvae are not accepted for export. Currently exported papayas are treated with heat, but this affects the quality of the fruit.

In addition to killing the larvae, irradiation retards spoilage. This is important for health reasons and is the main reason why the process has been endorsed for use on many foods, including meat. In addition to fruit, the Big Island irradiator might be used to retard spoilage in vegetables and flowers.

Opponents of irradiation made baseless claims that the process makes food unhealthy -- despite its endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the World Health Organization and other respected institutions. They also claimed that the Big Island's vulnerability to earthquakes and tsunamis made it dangerous to use irradiators' nuclear materials.

But as Mayor Stephen Yamashiro pointed out, the irradiator would be housed in a concrete building with 6-foot-thick walls and every precaution would be taken to ensure safety.

Fortunately the scare tactics of irradiation's opponents -- including comparing it with nuclear energy and even nuclear weapons -- didn't work. For once it appears that a good idea for improving the economy will not be wrecked by anti-development hysteria.

‘The Body’ Ventura

MINNESOTA voters have rocked the conventional wisdom of political pundits by snubbing polished, pin-striped candidates in favor of a blunt-speaking former professional wrestler with the self-selected moniker of Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Thrown to the mat were Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Hubert Humphrey III, as Ventura delivered the mother of all wake-up calls.

Born James George Voros 47 years ago, Ventura says he chose his last name from a California map and his first name because he liked the sound of it in embarking on his wrestling career. In his campaign, Ventura also mentioned his previous service as a Navy SEAL in Asia, after which he rode with the Mongols, a California motorcycle club. After leaving the ring, he became a TV wrestling commentator and settled into suburban life in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Annoyed about a storm sewer project's destruction of a wetland, Ventura ran for mayor of the town in 1990, but his four-year term was inconsequential because the city council limited his power. Afterward he became a radio talk-show host.

He decided to run for governor when the legislature refused to "give back" a large state budget surplus. He vowed to "fool everyone in this race" with his moderate-to-liberal brand of policies that he explains as libertarianism. But voters may have been captivated by Ventura's style as much as his substance.

The bald, mustachioed candidate appeared at a posh business luncheon in camouflage and in a TV debate in golf shirt, jacket and running shoes, saying he was on his way to a football game of a team he helped coach. When asked how he would deal with stubborn legislators, Ventura flexed his impressive biceps.

Minnesota's legislature is likely to keep Ventura in check but the next four years will be interesting. This is truly the case of voters proclaiming that they are fed up with politics as usual and won't take it anymore.

Barred from trial

MALAYSIA'S image as a democracy took a battering when the finance minister was arrested on apparently trumped-up charges after clashing with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

On the first day of the trial of the former minister, Anwar Ibrahim, that image was further damaged when the judge refused to grant observer status to international human rights groups. In addition, bailiffs prevented a U.S. Embassy representative from attending the trial, although he stood second in line waiting outside the courthouse.

Judge Augustine Paul ruled that it would be a "big insult" to the court to grant special observer status to the human rights groups, including Amnesty International, and the local Bar Council. But the real insult is to the principle of open trials, essential to democracy. The implication is that Malaysia has something to hide -- and it probably does.

The human rights groups that were denied observer status were critical of Anwar's arrest. Even Presidents B.J. Habibie of Indonesia and Joseph Estrada of the Philippines protested.

Anwar was indicted in September on five counts of corruption and five of sodomy. He denied all the charges. He appeared in court in September with a black eye, which he said he had suffered during a beating while in police custody.

Anwar's real crime may have been disagreeing with his former boss, Mahathir, on economic policy. Mahathir resorted to scapegoating foreign currency traders for the flight of capital from Malaysia last year and imposed restrictions on currency transactions over Anwar's opposition.

If Anwar is convicted without adequate evidence and with international observers barred from the courtroom, it will be a black mark against Malaysia.

---

Published by Liberty Newspapers Limited Partnership

Rupert E. Phillips, CEO

John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher

David Shapiro, Managing Editor

Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor

Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors

A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor