SUMMER 2004 The West View Page 9 This opinion section is an open forum for community issues. Editorial columns and opinion articles are strictly the opinion of the author. Letters of an indecent or demeaning nature will not be published. Letters will be edited for style and space. From the Editor This past spring, I had the opportunity to attend classes taught by University of Utah professors through the Westside Leadership Institute. One particular class made a strong impression on me. It was a class in which the instructor asked us to think about a pressing problem or situation in our community. Then we were asked to describe to the group what our neighborhood would look like if, magically, one day the problem were solved. What we heard next was a wide array of hopeful situations from individuals in the community who all dream of a better place. These are dreams that some residents of struggling neighborhoods don’t dare to dream, because they can’t see past the status quo. Some people, after witnessing or experiencing bad things in their neighborhoods, become cynical and pessimistic or simply move away. They do not have a hopeful vision for the future of the neighborhood. Perhaps they feel powerless to change their situation for the better or feel that they do not have time to care, or maybe they don’t believe that their dreams could ever come true. On the contrary, it was incredibly refreshing and encouraging for me to be a part of this large, diverse group of residents who all care deeply about their community and who believe that they (along with other community leaders, residents and groups) can make a positive difference. They have taken it upon themselves to initiate change, because they realize that government and nonprofits can’t do everything; they must share the responsibility. I’d like to thank the people at Neighborhood Housing Services, University / Neighborhood Partners, and Weed and Seed for creating the Westside Leadership Institute and making these classes accessible to all west side residents. Speaking of community improvement, THE WEST View is tak- _ Gay Marriage Erodes Our Nation: S Christian Foundation Tam wot in response to Chuck Schamel’s letter to the editor, “Gay Marriage Does No Harm,” (The West View, Spring 2004). My disagreement. with Mr. Schamel’s claim is validated by many surveys, some of which are found at the website of The Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society (http://www.profam.org), which reveal that children thrive better in heterosexual marriagehomes. In homes with unmarried or homosexual parents, the lack of commitment tends to be much greater. If people aren’t bound by traditional marriage, why should they be responsible to anyone but themselves? Marriage is defined in the Bible as between a man and “his wife’’(Genesis 2:24), and appropriately noted as a “legal union” in the proposed Utah state constitutional amendment. Included in the proposed amendment is, “No other domestic status, however denominated, between persons is valid or recognized or may be authorized, marriage.” Remember, our founding fathers built our Constitution on the bedrock of Christian principles, of which homosexuality is not a part. Are we not obligated as citizens of this great nation to uphold the foundation that made it great? This November, do yourself and others a favor by voting “yes” to define marriage as “only” between a man and a woman. sanctioned - Dale J. Neilson Fairpark or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect as a ~What’s the Big Deal? I’ve read many letters to the editor and heard discussions in many different venues about how the constitution must be amended to deny homosexual couples the right to marry. I accept that a constitutional amendment would be the only way to make such a denial survive review by the Supreme Court - after all, without an amend- treated equally and fairly. What could possibly make homosexual marriage so frightening that we are considering modifying this document, for the first time, to say that one particular group of people will be treated differently from everyone else? Could somebody please explain how it would be harmful to me or to my monogamous, ment, such a denial could hardly withstand rig- heterosexual marriage if somebody else used the -orous argument as to its constitutionality — but, I involved in the paper. We are in the process of creating an adviso- © _ still do not understand. ry and editorial board, and would like to extend an invitation for all The US constitution is arguably the single who are interested to attend a meeting on Friday, August 27 from most important document in the world. It is 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Day-Riverside Library located at 1575 specifically set up to ensure that everyone is West 1000 North in Rose Park. At this meeting, we will discuss what types of articles people would like to read in the paper and come up with a more effective distribution plan. We value your opinion and want your input about the content and direction of THE WEST VIEW. It’s also a great way to make new connections and meet enthusiastic, creative people. Please call us at 355-9572 if you have an interest in making decisions about your community newspaper. Hope to see you there. word “married” to describe a different relationship? ing some positive steps forward in our efforts to get more residents - Chuck Schamel Salt Lake City Trying to Make Sense out of Senseless Teen Violence - Charlotte Fife Jepperson we don’t look to the future and think of the consequences our actions will bring. When we were kids, we learned that the longer we ignored the repercussions of our actions, the farther away they seemed. We dove deeper and deeper into things that we felt were worth fighting for, the things our friends thought were worth fighting for. We didn’t care who was hurt, as long as we proved ourselves to our enemies as well as our friends. We didn’t think before we spoke, and we didn’t think before we acted. Sometimes I think it was just easier that way. I think that today, for many kids, hurting others has become a rite of passage. It seems to be the only thing kids feel capable of doing to prove themselves to others. Hitting someone is much easier than being the best player ways to gain recognition. Getting in trouble is easy. Acing a test is not. I recall many fights in middle and high school, and most of the time the people fighting looked pretty scared. It didn’t seem like they were fighting for something they believed in, more like they were fighting something to believe in. Once a circle had formed around them and everyone was watching, waiting to see who was the strongest, the meanest, the people in the fight had exactly what they were looking for - recognition, attention. I knew that when I hit someone, I would get suspended. But I’d been suspended before. It wasn’t that bad. I was fighting because I felt invisible. I wanted people to know who I was, even if I was just the girl who fought at lunch. In the process of all of this “soul searching,” my poor hair went from the ratty bob I’d had since elementary school, to long and straight, to pink and spiky, to on the team, or the smartest kid blonde and trendy in less than After my friend was shot and killed on his front porch, I started to think about why my peers and I ignore consequences, why ‘THE WEST VIEW Fall 2004 Issue Submission Deadline: Wednesday, September 8 We welcome your stories, photos, opinions, and event announcements. Please notify us If you know of something in the community that _ deserves coverage. | Emailusat editor@thewestview. Org | or call (801)355-9572° two years. I watched my friends “in class. Recognition is somego their own ways. Some joined thing that all kids need to feel the cheerleading squad, some valued and- safe. _ Important, joined gangs, some joined the When a child is made to believe that they are not notably intelli-_ math club, and others. started having children. I. think that my gent, good-looking, — talented, peers and I had to find places to etc., they begin to look for other hide to feel safe, whether it was in a football uniform, a chess club meeting, an AP class. We all found our own ways to live our lives, to survive. Eventually, I learned that I could be myself and still stay safe. I didn’t have to call someone a name when they accidentally bumped me in the hall, and I didn’t have to fight the ones who yelled at me when I bumped them. We made mistakes - we continue to — but somehow we survived the fear of all the terrible things we saw in the hallways, as well as the terrible things we did in the hallways. But, I wonder if we lived our lives as happily and as freely as we could have. I hope that someday we can start evaluating ourselves and our actions more deeply, to start making our own lives better and our hearts stronger. Perhaps if we learn about the things that cause us to feel insignificant or unsafe, we can avoid them, learn to bet- ter tolerate them, and get on with our own lives. And maybe someday, kids on the West Side won’t feel like they need to hurt people to stay safe, they’ll just be safe. _- Terra Riley .» Rose Park