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Show THE ZEFHYRDECEMBER 1991 SUWA appealed the permit that, possible court action. PAGE 5 and awaited a decision from the Department of Interior, and after If it was up to the Chamber of Commerce, feat appeal would have been "resisted" with all the government' s might with a flurry of resolutions, legal briefs, depositions and costs, and a potential oil strike would be on indefinite hold, awaiting hearings and courtrooms. But be oil industry did not "resist" They worked with SUWA, hiring an independent archeological firm to monitor their work, and be environmental group dropped their appeal. The exploration can now go on, possibly leading to tax revenues, and cultural resources will be protected. There will be conflicts between conservation and development But there can be compromises, deals and agreements when be major players can get together. Let's hope the ideological bent of be county commission and groups like be Chamber of Commerce don't prevent the residents of Moab from being among bose players. Cheerful in All Weathers Never Shirked a Task Splendid Behavior that's friendly dave Magic Johnson, one of be most recognizable individuals in be nation, has contracted the HIV virus, which causes AID& We at home will be able to watch him slowly, or rapidly, lose his strength, become subject to a myriad of infections. He will probably develop skin lesions and melanomas, disfiguring his hands, legs, and face. Eventually, he will grow extremely weak, and will have difficulty walking, standing up, feeding himself and going to be bathroom. Then he will die, probably under heavy sedation or in indescribable agony. The HIV virus is incurable and preventable. The two largest groups of AIDS victims are intravenous drug users who contract the virus by sharing contaminated needles, and male homosexuals, who transmit the disease through sexual intimacy. But a growing segment of the victim population, a segment bat experts fear will get bigger and bigger, are those who engage in heterosexual activity. Among gay men be incidence of recent infection is shrinking, because gay activists and leaders have recognized bat safe sex campaigns can be carried to those who won't cease sexual behavior, and bey have done so, launching major efforts to educate on the need to use condoms and reduce promiscuous affairs. Will the same lessons be learned by heterosexuals? Not in the Grand County schools bey won't In a local educational system that has had its share of unmarried pregnancies, there is no education whatsoever on the use of condoms. None. No even half-wa- y responsible parent would encourage the use of alcohol by their children. Yet be reality of teenage drinking is recognized, and in many localities, including Moab, that reality is being dealt wib in mature, sensible ways. There are places across the country where, if your youngsters, your children , have been drinking, bey can call you or the parent of a friend and get a ride home from wherever bey may be. And the teenagers can make that call knowing it has been agreed to, in advance and in writing, that bey will not be questioned and grilled about where bey were, who they were wib, why they were downing be beers or bourbon. Parents across the country have come to realize bat keeping their children out of a speeding automobile while impaired is more important than blaming them for doing something wrong, or dumb, or in ober words, for acting like teenagers. Even here in Moab, when high school graduation rolls around, be reality of teen drinking is taken into account, and social events that everybody recognizes involve alcohol are organized and tolerated by parents because bey realize if it isn't in a controlled situation, it will be out on the road. Are bose parents condoning teenage drinking? Should bey instead close their eyes to what ,is going on and substitute a lecture on why teenagers.should abstain from drinking? They don't think so. They believe they are helping their children live to an age where they can more fully understand the consequences of their actions. But when it comes to sexual education, specifically the function and use of condoms, the subject is not even whispered as part of the curriculum. Because to some it is morally and religiously objectionable, premarital sex is not openly and honestly recognized. Talking about condoms is tantamount to tolerating sexual activity among teenagers, and therefore is unacceptable. That will probably change when one, or two or mare Moab teenagers test positive for the HIV virus. And maybe it will change before it comes to that Because an ounce of prevention is worth much, much more than truckloads of moralizing about abstinence. Ask Magic Johnson. Merry Christinas From Dave Melody Wendy Sandy (and customers with counter privileges) CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM THE RIM CREW 94 W. 1st No. |