BY HARRY RING

Unless, of course, it's necessary - In the wake of revelations that the U.S. Army School's anti-guerrilla curriculum for Latin American security forces included the fine art of torture and murder, Defense Secretary William Perry vowed to make sure "this can never happen again."

Talk about obscenity - For generations, New Mexico Chicanos have fought to reclaim their land, grazing rights and water rights. Now they've got cable mogul Ted Turner to contend with. He just bought the 903-square-mile Vermejo Park Ranch from Pennzoil. The huge property is being used as an exclusive hunting and fishing resort. (Summer trout fishing, $300 a day; a week of guided elk and deer archery hunting, $13,000.).

P.S. - The Atlanta reader who sent us the Turner clipping added an indignant note: "Also they announced the Olympic Stadium, which will become the new Braves stadium, will be named the Ted Turner Stadium instead of after Hank Aaron, the baseball legend and Atlanta native who is widely believed to be deserving of the honor."

It figures - Last week we reported on Erica Taylor, the high schooler who was suspended for possessing a Midol tablet. But what we wrote was based on a news report which neglected to mention Kimberly Smartt, the classmate who gave her the Midol. She got an even stiffer suspension (lifted under threat of a lawsuit). Officials said Smartt got the heavier penalty for "distributing drugs," not because she's Black.

Some harvesting work might help - In Germany, a Cologne district court ordered a man to pay $2,400 to a farmer he insulted. Returning from harvesting beets, the farmer had found the man's car blocking his way and asked him to move it. The man responded, "You dirty farmer, brush your teeth before you talk to me!"

Don't heave on this one - "There's just one way to fire someone: with love and support and deep, deep regret. You much try as much as possible to make the act itself a caring confrontation." - James Autry, author of Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership.

From Stalin's joke book -Russian security chief Alexander Lebed, the Chechnya "peacemaker," was asked by the German magazine, Der Spiegel, if there weren't "always enough volunteers to kill for their country." Responded Lebed: "For us, voluntary means the following. When our farmers were supposed to join collectives - voluntarily of course - it meant: Who wants to join, joins; who doesn't want to join, we'll take away his cow."

All in posh areas? - Eighteen years ago, the feds banned lead-based paint as hazardous. A recent study of 26 playgrounds in 13 cities found that 16 playgrounds in 11 cities were coated with dangerous-level lead-based paint.

Being poor is risky - "Child accidental deaths have fallen significantly since 1981 among affluent families but have barely improved among the poorest..., researchers say. Poor housing...has increased the chance of fire deaths and cheap cars...increase the chance of traffic deaths." - The British Guardian.  
 
 
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