Word: benignity
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Last week the court, which has restricted a number of affirmative-action programs lately, surprised civil rights advocates by approving the FCC rules in a 5-to-4 decision. "Benign race-conscious measures mandated by Congress" are permissible, the majority ruled, if "they serve important governmental objectives." Regardless of the professed policies, the voice of minorities remains barely a whisper; they still hold only 3.5% of the licenses...
Even with the effort to limit the demands upon his time, there were fears that Mandela would be overtaxed. His crowded American itinerary would test the stamina of a presidential campaigner, much less a frail-looking 71-year-old recovering from surgery to remove a benign cyst from his bladder. Mandela's arrival in New York from Montreal had to be delayed by two hours to give him more time to rest...
Fulghum's sons live in the neighborhood, and in order to stay in shape, two generations frequently go jogging in a nearby park. En route, readers hail the shaggy, benign figure, and he is often asked for advice. He rarely breaks step as he shouts his inarguable credo: "Life is so . . . unique! Trees, people, dogs, cats, comedy, love . . . don't miss it!" The springy, affirmative footsteps clatter like laughter as they echo down the path. The Rev. Feelgood is off in pursuit of another elusive truth...
...officials claim that it is better to maintain good relations with Iraq than to isolate it -- the same argument Bush has used to justify continued sales of high-tech equipment to China. But Iraq is far more unpredictable and threatening. Through benign neglect or conscious effort, Washington is helping to make it possible for Saddam Hussein to pursue his own vision of the power balance in the Middle East -- a vision distinctly counter to U.S. interests...
...succeed, it may not outweigh the divisive forces that are now so evident. Politics, after all, is not just a rational accounting of assets and liabilities. All too often, the national aspirations that drive politics take on a wholly irrational character. Even if the central government applies massive and benign economic leverage by offering all sorts of inducements to the republics to stay, it may not deter them from trying to secede...