It seems evident the editors of The Northern Star have personal biases which are allowed to affect their judgment concerning what is published on the editorial page. An example of this is the Feb. 10 editorial concerning Pat Robertson’s candidacy for President. This editorial demonstrates bias against citizens who are religiously outspoken and also desire to run for public office, especially if they are right-of-center.

Just because our Founding Fathers wisely included in our Constitution a proscription to Congress against laws establishing religion, it does not follow that clergy, former clergy (i.e., Pat Robertson), or any religious persons were intended to be deprived of their equal rights as citizens. The prohibition is addressed to Congress, not religious Americans. It seems there is confusion here between the church as a religious institution and a candidate who merely embraces a particular sect’s teachings. Neither candidate subscribes to making his particular religious convictions the law of the land.

Your editorial blasted Pat Robertson, but neglected to mention the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s candidacy. Yet, Jackson has been running for President much longer, having received ten times as many votes in this year’s Iowa primary as he did in 1984. Does this oversight imply the editors believe it is OK for clergy with left-of-center policy goals to seek public office, but not those with right-of-center goals?

Both Robertson and Jackson are plausible candidates and as citizens have the right to run. Should we deny someone the privilege of serving as President simply because he has honed his leadership skills in a religious setting? Should a regime that has had an actor and a peanut farmer as its leaders be so picky? Both candidates have demonstrated leadership abilities and built grass-roots bases of support on which they run.

Business and religious and charitable organizations require great political savvy to manage. Operation PUSH, the Rainbow Coalition, the Christian Broadcasting Network, CBN University and their ancillary services and charitable operations are achievements demonstrating these candidates’ capabilities.

I believe The Northern Star would better serve NIU by refraining from publishing editorials which blindly strike out from the editors’ biases, but I acknowledge its right to do so. A real service, though, would be to publish the candidates’ policy positions, enabling readers to choose a candidate based on something other than editorial rhetoric.

Michael J. Murvihill

junior, political science