8A Thursday, December 5, 1996 UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN U.S.execution rate rose to 56 last year 3,054 remained on death row The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Fifty-six men were executed last year, the largest number in 38 years, and an additional 3,054 inmates waited on death row at year's end, the Justice Department reported yesterday. The department's Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that the executions occurred in 16 states and were the most since 1957, when 65 were executed. All the 1995 inmates had been convicted of murder. By comparison, during the 1930s, annual execution totals always exceeded 120 and sometimes approached 200. Since the Supreme Court upheld revised death penalty laws in 1976, 313 people have been executed. Previous capital punishment laws were ruled unconstitutional in 1972. The prisoners executed last year had been on death row for an average of 11 years and two months about a year longer than the 31 inmates executed in 1994. By comparison, the 18 inmates executed in 1985 had been on death row an average of five years and 11 months. The time between conviction and execution has increased since capital punishment was restored. The average wait during 1977 to 1983 was four years and three months. The growing length of time condemned inmates postpone execution by appealing convictions was cited by Congress and President Clinton when they enacted legislation earlier this year imposing unprecedented limits on the prisoner appeals. As of Dec. 31, 1995, 2,998 men and 48 women were on state death rows and eight men under federal death sentence. All had committed murder. Twelve states and the District of Columbia have no death penalty. More than a third of the death row inmates were in three states: California, 420; Texas, 404; and Florida, 362. Texas executed the largest number of prisoners, 19, followed by Missouri, six, and Virginia and Illinois, five each. Among death row inmates whose criminal histories were available, two-thirds had a prior felony conviction, and 8 percent had a prior homicide conviction. Forty-nine of the executions were by lethal injection, seven by electrocution. Mandela to sign new constitution The Associated Press JOHANNESBURG, South Africa —South Africa gave final approval to a new constitution yesterday, marking the end of a democratization process that began as President Nelson Mandela languished in prison. Nearly six years after Mandela's release and after tough negotiations and political violence, the Constitutional Court certified the document that will extinguish any legal legacy of apartheid. "For me personally, it brings the satisfaction of witnessing the irony of the summation of a democratization process which commenced under the most restrictive conditions, in prison," Mandela said. Considered one of the most liberal constitutions in the world, the 150-page document, which took two years to negotiate, outlaws capital punishment, protects gay and lesbian rights and includes a Bill of Rights that guarantees equal rights for all. The new document will gradually replace an interim constitution, taking full effect in 1999. The charter drafted by an elected Constitutional Assembly had been rejected by the nation's highest court earlier this year, forcing the assembly to rework some sections. But yesterday, the 11-judge panel certified it unanimously. "These are the fruits of negotiation and a constitution-making process that was unique in the world." Mandela said. In rejecting the first version of the charter on Sept. 6, the Constitutional Court cited mostly minor, technical problems, but also ruled that it failed to give sufficient power to provincial governments. That issue had caused the Zulu national Inkatha Freedom Party to walk out of the Constitutional Assembly, composed of Parliament members elected in the nation's first all-race vote in 1994. But Inkatha secretary-general Ziba Jiyane said yesterday that his party would abide by the new constitution. "We will live by the country's constitution even as we seek all legal means to try to change aspects of it that we don't agree with." Ivane said. Other parties, including the white-led National Party that ruled under apartheid, said the only way an ethnically diverse country like South Africa could survive was by preventing too much central control and protecting minority rights. National Party secretary-general Roel Feyer said that although it was not a perfect document, provision was made for annual review by Parliament with a view to improvements. Inkatha and Mandela's African National Congress have been fierce rivals for years, with thousands of their supporters dying in political violence in the traditional Zulu homeland of KwaZulu-Natal province. Mandela is scheduled to sign the new constitution into law on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, in the Black township of Sharpeville, south of Johannesburg. Mohamed Valli Moosa, Mandela's constitutional affairs minister, said Sharpeville was chosen because a 1960 police massacre of 69 Black protesters there had marked a new era in the struggle for liberation. He also noted that Sharpeville was part of the town of Vereeniging, where a peace treaty ending the Anglo-Boer war in 1902 set up the borders of present-day South Africa. BOSTON — Routinely giving a heart-slowing medicine to surgery patients with bad hearts appears to cut their chances for death in half and could save as many as 300,000 lives a year, researchers sav. About 30 million Americans undergo surgery each year, and heart attacks are a common complication in the months afterward, especially for the 3 million people who have underlying coronary artery disease. Heart-slowing drug helps recovery rate The Associated Press Doctors at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center theorized that they could cut this risk by protecting the heart from the physical stress of an operation. To test the idea, they gave a medicine called a beta blocker, one of the most widely prescribed heart drugs, to surgery patients with suspected heart disease. After two years, 10 percent of the patients receiving the drug had died, compared with 21 percent of those who did not. The lead researcher said the findings were so clear that doctors should make this drug a routine part of treatment. Other doctors were more cautious. They were worried that because of the study's relatively small size — 200 people — the apparent benefit could have been a matter of chance. "This really has potentially great importance," said Jay Cohn, M.D., of the University of Minnesota. "However, it is too small a trial to change practice based on this single study." FREE: 3 MINI CINNAMON ROLLS WITHANY PURCHASE 10% OFF ANY PURCHASE (with the exception of any decorated cakes.) OPEN 24 HOURS 7 Days a week Munchers Bakery One coupon per visit Hillcrest Shopping Center - Across from Royal Crest Lanes Coupon expires 12/8/96 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS NKWA (African Dance Group) presents "Friendship from Africa through Dance" Also Featuring: - Inspirational Gospel Voices - Inspirational Gospel Voices * Music Therapy Student Association * "NGOMA" presented by a class from the Anthropology Department and the African and African American Studies Department Saturday, December 7, 1996 7 p.m. @ Swarthout Recital Hall Ticket prices: $2 w/KUID, $4 General Public, 12& under (free) Tickets are available at SUA and Murphy Hall Box Office Co-Sponsored by Student Senate "This class is designed as a Human Sexuality in Everyday Life with Dr. Dennis Dailey KU Students - $30.00 ($35 after jan. 8) Non-Students - $40.00 ($45 after jan. 8) Registration 10am to 4pm at ECM Center Spring Semester '96 - No Credit Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm beginning Jan.15 (10 sessions) at the ECM Center For More Information Call 843-4933 Sponsored by Ecumenical Christian Ministries at KJ (Freshwater, United Church of Christ, Church of the Brethren, Danamontians), Lutheran Ministry (ELCA), Canterbury Castle (Bishop) condensed version of the class I teach in the Fall semester. This is a special opportunity for students to examine issues of sexuality and relationship as a part of their University experience. I appreciate the willingness of ECM, Canterbury (ELCA), Lutheran and other groups to sponsor this opportunity for any KU student who might be interested and have not taken my regular class because they are leaving the University this May or just haven't been able to fit it into their regular schedules." —Dennis Dalley, Professor of Social Welfare, K11 Everything. Complete multimedia computer customized for students Campus 2-Station® features: * Powerful Intel® processor * Large capacity hard drive * Plenty of memory on today's hottest hardware. - Desktop Systems include Microsoft* Natural* Keyboard > Microsoft Mouse Processor Pentium Pentium Pentium Pentium 100 MHz 133 MHz 186 MHz 200 MHz Hard drive 1.2GB 1.6GB 2.1GB 2.1GB Monitor 1.5GB 1.5GB 1.5GB 1.5GB (13.7*7) viewable (13.7*7) viewable (13.7*7) viewable Price $1899 $1999 $2299 $2499 with LAN card $1799 $2099 $2399 $2699 - Loaded with Microsoft software for study and fun - Microsoft Office for windows 95 with Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Access, Schedule+, Encarta 96 Encyclopedia, Microsoft Internet Assistants - Microsoft Windows 95 with Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 - Microsoft Plus! - Games for Windows 95 - Norton AntiVirus and more Experience Campus Z-Station. Ask about Microsoft Programmer's Dream Pack http://www.zds.com education@zds.com 1-800-811-3452 HERFF JONES Jayhawk Bookstore 843-3826 Sales Rep. Jim Gwinn will be in the store Dec. 5 - 7 • 10:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.