-------------------------------------------------------------------

After 11 years, man has "LSD" tattoo removed from forehead - free (The
Associated Press says that thanks to a White Bird counselor, a dermatologist
and a PeaceHealth hospital policy of community service, Curtis Surpless of
Eugene is getting rid of the tattoo he received at the age of 16. Surpless
started using hallucinogenic mushrooms when he was 9 and is currently in
rehab, but the tattoo drew tons of unwanted attention and derision. Cops
searched him. Workers at McDonald's and Greyhound refused to serve him. Even
a Eugene Mission employee checked with a superior before helping him when he
arrived in March.)

Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Sat, Apr 10 1999
Source: The Associated Press (OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Associated Press
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Author: no byline

After 11 years, man has "LSD" tattoo removed from forehead - free

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- What's left of his tattoo is covered by protective
cream and nonstick gauze. And the bandage is covered by the striped stocking
cap that Curtis Surpless has long pulled down to cover the mistake he made
as a 16-year-old.

The letters LSD, 1 1/4 -inches high, are tattooed across his forehead.

Thanks to a White Bird counselor, a dermatologist and a PeaceHealth hospital
policy of community service, Surpless has a chance to shed a label that has
marked his life for 11 years.

"I don't like looking in mirrors," Surpless said, "because I don't want to
see it."

But other people do, and they judge him for it.

So Hershel Bloom, the White Bird counselor, contacted Dr. Jay Park, a
dermatologist at PeaceHealth. Park had done his residency at Stanford
University and removed tattoos from Bay Area gang members who wanted to
leave the gang life.

He doesn't know if Surpless will get his life on track once his tattoo is
removed but is certain the young man has no chance if it remains.

"It's an extreme case," Park before beginning the surgery Thursday.

As best Surpless can recall, he started with hallucinogenic mushrooms when
he was 9 and graduated to LSD.

"Curtis is a good person with good energy, and he has a lot going for him,"
Bloom said. "We're in the midst of a long, difficult process."

Surpless participates in Chrysalis, a drug treatment program next-door to
White Bird, a cooperative that supplies free and low-cost health services.
He's in the early drug-free phase at Chrysalis.

Surpless had tried to get rid of the tattoo before but had no money and
couldn't find a doctor willing to do it for free.

The tattoo was a bad idea, Surpless said.

It drew tons of unwanted attention and derision. Cops searched him. Workers
at McDonald's and Greyhound refused to serve him. Even a Eugene Mission
employee checked with a superior before helping him when he arrived in March.

He earns his keep at the mission through night cleanup and likes passing out
towels as the men head to the shower, entertaining them with tunes by The
Doors and Buddy Holly.

Lynn Antis, operations manager at the Eugene Mission, has seen Surpless
struggle socially.

"Because," Antis said, "there's only a certain element of people who are
willing to hang around him. I think getting that tattoo that label, that
stigma, that thing that repulses employers and other people off his head
will open a lot of doors."

Park, the dermatologist, explained the laser procedure: A laser shoots
concentrated light that passes through the top layer of the skin. The energy
shatters the ink granules into particles small enough for his white blood
cells to chew up. Surpless' body will work at removing the ink particles
over several weeks, lightening the marks.

The tattoo was low-quality and will require three to five short treatments,
spaced at least a month apart.

"I don't have any unrealistic fantasies that we'll treat one tattoo and his
life will start anew," Park said. "It's a chance, a start, a break maybe
significant, maybe not; but it can set him in the right direction."

Will it?

"Believe me, it will," Surpless said Thursday, walking from the PeaceHealth
downtown clinic, the first zapping behind him. He bounded up the steps at
White Bird.

He then stopped at Bloom's office to retrieve the black satchel neatly
filled with his clothes and papers. He proudly pulled out a form from Lane
Community College congratulating him that he'd been accepted for the summer
term.

And if anyone thinks he's a flake taking advantage of a generous doctor?

"Give me a break," Surpless said in a rush of words. "I've been traveling
with this stupid thing on my head for 11 years."

(c) 1999 Oregon Live LLC

Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Federalizing Crime (A staff editorial in the Houston Chronicle praises the
American Bar Association's recent report on the trend in Washington, D.C., to
federalize local crime problems. While 95 percent of all crime is prosecuted
by the states and only 5 percent or less by the federal government,
federalization has led to an unhealthy concentration of policing power at the
federal level, clogged the dockets of federal courts and created disparate
sentences for similarly accused defendants. Congress and President Clinton
should stop the inappropriate federalization of criminal activities and let
states combat local crime.)

Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 10:39:45 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US TX: Editorial: Federalizing Crime
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: GALAN@prodigy.net (G. A ROBISON)
Pubdate: Sat, 10 Apr 1999
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 1999 Houston Chronicle
Contact: viewpoints@chron.com
Website: http://www.chron.com/
Forum: http://www.chron.com/content/hcitalk/index.html

FEDERALIZING CRIME

Disrupting Balance Between Federal And State Systems

The American criminal justice system throughout history has recognized
the wisdom of leaving general police powers with the states. Our
forefathers did not want -- indeed, were fearful of -- one great,
centralized police authority.

Overall, the principle that states have primary responsibility to
combat criminal activity has worked well for the public's safety and
the administration of justice.

But during the last quarter of a century or so, a pervasive trend has
gathered force in Washington, D.C., -- the federalization of local
crime. Many crimes that were once dealt with as state crimes have been
deemed federal crimes. Federal criminal laws now overlap many state
criminal laws, often carrying broadly different terms of sentencing.

There are distinct federal crimes, of course, crimes that involve
interstate commerce or flight, crimes committed on federal property or
against federal employees and violations of civil rights laws.

But Congress has gone too far in bowing to pressure to make local
crimes, covered by state criminal laws, into federal crimes.

The American Bar Association has studied the federalization of the
crime and is concerned that the trend is not only dangerous to the
constitutional balance between the federal and state systems, but also
damaging to successful prosecution.

The ABA's Criminal Justice Section found that crimes are made federal
offences without demand by law enforcement officials. It also found no
persuasive evidence that federalizing crime makes American streets any
safer or has any appreciable effect on the volume of violent crimes.

The fact is that 95 percent of all crime is prosecuted by the states.
Only 5 percent or less is prosecuted by the federal government.

Federalization has led to an unhealthy concentration of policing power
at the federal level, clogged the dockets of federal courts and
created the potential of disparate sentences on similarly accused
defendants, depending on whether they are selected for state or
federal prosecution, the ABA found.

Clearly, there are crimes that only the federal government can
address. Federal resources should be focused on those crimes.

The nation does not need overlapping and redundant sets of criminal
laws or enforcement authorities. Congress and President Clinton should
stop the inappropriate federalization of criminal activities and let
states combat local crime.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

[End]