(KaDmwIMBIBt Free Press - Wednesday, Sept. 1G. 1987 - Page 2 freedom Constitution realized promise of hard-wo- n Two hundred years ago this Thursday, 41 of the 55 men who framed the Constitution of the United States met for a final time to complete the work they had started four months before. After one final resolution to adjust the proportion of voters per Representatives was approved, all but three of these Founding Fathers put their names on the document which would "form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare , 1 and secure the blessings of liberty." With their signatures in place, the great work of creating the framework for our government was complete, although it would be 10 tortuous months before the document was ratified by the required nine states, and three years before all the states had ratified (the last, Rhode Island, ratified in 1790), and still longer until the Bill of Rights was added ( in 1791 ) . Because the Constitution as we now know it came about as a result of a process, rather than an event, it is hard to pinpoint a specific date to celebrate what called "the miracle at George Washington Philadelphia." But certainly Sept. 17 stands as a monumental date when the final draft was read (to men who knew the words by heart) and approved. Our nation will celebrate the date accordingly. In addition to Constitutional Balls and other events, President Reagan will lead the school children of the nation in the Pledge of Allegiance Thursday morning. Then, at 2 p.m. MDT, for 200 seconds, bells will ring across the land to commemorate the birth of our present form of government. Schools, city governments and others will join in this celebration of the founding of the document Chief Justice Warren E. Burger calls "a grant of power from the people to a government they created." The Constitution of the United State's was a first, and introduced a new concept of government. It is a concept News program fell short of enlightenment Iisl Friday night Channel 4 at-- I cm plod a most difficult task - to present a balanced picture of one of (he most complex and perplexing situations ever experienced in north -- I'tah the editor's column County. The case deals with child sexual aliuse. and up to 40 adult residents of I.ehi have been implicated at some point in an investigation by the Utah County Attorney and. later, by the Utah Attorney General. The accused are stalwart mem-ler- s of the Lehi community. They have held responsible positions in the LDS Church. Included are parents and grandparents of the children who claim they have been abused. These individuals are accused, in part, of operating a child pornography ring - and more. On their face, the charges appear ridiculous, unbelievable, laughable. But they are terribly serious. One man. Alan Hadfield, has been charged with five counts of child sexual abuse and is scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 13. If he is found guilty, he will go to prison. And the Attorney although General's office has not charged any of the other adults, representatives for the office say they might -leaving the accused individuals in a state of uncertainty and emotional turmoil. They fear they will never have an opportunity to face their -- accusers. Their accusers are just kids -from fi to 11 years old. And that's why Channel 4 couldn't tell both sides of this particular story. Tackling the Lehi child sex abuse story head on is a task many reporters might consider impossible, especially a month before the case comes to trial. That's because only one side of the story - By MARC HADDOCK the accused adults' version - is accessible. Those individuals want to be heard, to the point that they asked Channel 4 to do the story that aired last Friday. And that's not hard to understand. After all, they have been accused of carrying out some acts most insidious of the imaginable, and have had no chance to state their case. But in the Channel 4 program, the other side of the story came from the wrong source. Because it is not a therapist who is making the accusations, but children who say they have been abused. Nevertheless, the adults who appeared on the television program have accused therapist Barbara Snow of coaching the children in the terminology of child sexual abuse so they can make credible witnesses in court. That approach pits adults against adults, and makes good television news, I guess. But it misses a crucial point in this particular legal battle. In this case, the other side of the story will come from children who be interviewed on television, and from the Utah Attorney General's office who won't, and shouldn't, discuss specifics of the case or the evidence on television. There is simply no way to tell that side of the story except in court, where the children will be witnesses, be where the evidence will presented, and where the therapist's techniques can be scrutinized and evaluated. Telling both sides of this story before the first trial is a task many reporters might consider . impossible. And Channel 4's presentation showed why. In the first place, Channel 4 didn't present any of the evidence or testimony that will be used in court, mainly because they couldn't (the trial hasn't taken place yet) and also because their program focused on the people who feel they have been implicated but not charged in the case. And while the television station claimed in its advertising to have uncovered this "startling and complex" story, in fact the station's t. coverage has been very can't after-the-fac- No reporter from Channel 4 attended Alan Hadfield's preliminary hearing, and neither Phil Riesen or A Sheila Hamilton has heard, first hand, the testimony of the children involved - the real other side of the story. They did read the transcripts of the proceedings. But all of that information was wisely kept out of Friday's program. Channel 4 did the story at the request of the people who appear on camera as members of the accused, according to Hamilton, and it is their side of the controversy that gets the most attention in the story. The fact that those people contacted the station should be mentioned in such a program, to help viewers evaluate the source of the information. It was not. Finally, in identifying themselves, the people who consider themselves to be among the accused may not have helped their cause. Although those people felt like everyone in town knew who was involved, in fact everyone did not know. But they do now. Previously unidentified suspects can now be easily recognized. And many of their neighbors in Lehi probably do not care. Many are tired of the entire subject and would prefer to dwell on other things. Those things don't necessarily include crop prices and church gossip. Sure, Lehi is a small town, but it is also located between two of the most populated areas of the than state. Rather being geographically isolated. Lehi is pretty well plugged into what's happening in the world. Channel 4, however, felt more comfortable portraying the typical Lehi resident as a hayseed - a easy stereotype, but not an accurate one. "In Lehi, they don't know who is telling the truth," read the promotional ad for Channel 4's program. In Lehi, they still don't, but they have a better idea of what is being said. 4 Channel may have helped confirm and clarify local rumors, but the program certainly didn't answer the basic question of who is ' lying and who is not. That will still have to be decided in court, where both sides can really tell their story, and a judge or jury can determine which is true. which has endured for 200 years, and which will continue to endure as long as we remember its importance, and the importance of the freedoms the Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantees. School children should not be the only ones to study the Constitution during this time of remembrance, and we should not take for granted the rights it guarantees us. As Burger has written : "Our Constitution produced the first government of its branches, kind in all history with separate, of on exercise the and balances checks creating to made work and was It produced government power. by men who knew that the value of a horse depended on putting it in harness. It has worked for nearly two centuries and has been the model for millions of other Inpeople who love freedom. The Declaration of the of this the freedom; was promise dependence Constitution is what we did it with. "That is' why we have something to celebrate." co-equ- al It's not what you say but how it's said The English language is used and also abused. But in the long run, it is not what you say, but how you say it. For example, a friend of mine who lived in Carbon County, was a dear old lady who emigrated from Wales many years ago, but still retained her Welsh accent and occasionally got her words mixed up. She was one of those persons who was as honest as the day is long and was unhappy with anyone who was not honest. On one of my visits with her she told me of one of her townspeople who had performed an act that she considered dishonest.' She was quite angry with him. "One of these days," she said, "I am going to kick him on his backside and I won't go behind his back to do it." So the way you say something is very important. For instance, you tell a woman: "When I look at your face, darling, time stands still." That means one thing. But if you say it this way - "Your face is enough to stop a clock" - that means something else. And on the other hand, ladies, when you tell a man he looks like one ofthe Gods of ancient time, it's one thing, but if you say to him, "You sure look ancient," it's quite another. We are told to be specific in what we say. On the night of a revival meeting the evangelist was going strong. The subject was eternal damnation. With all the eloquence at his command he urged the congregation to flee from the wrath Lehi has more to talk about than crop prices, ward you better Is Lehi a town in torment? My goodness. I mean, I think KTVX overstated the facts with the title of it's recent documentary. I'm not terrified and I live here, too. And I'm sorry but I didn't like their patronizing attitude about my friends is this town. They said we didn't have much to talk about besides the price of crops and ward news. Heck, Phil and Sheila, we do talk about other things in Lehi. In fact, none of my friends have mentioned the cost of hay or wheat lately, and I play bridge with the wives of dry believe it ummmmf didn't even Iran-Contr- -- By BETTY FOWLER counselors. We analyzed Dallas' downfall as a national football power, and we debated Lehi's chances in football, but we didn't talk about the price of hay or beef. We even discussed the Selby execution (intelligently, I think), and we talked about the education crises. We considered whether Gary Hart should still run for president (and decided he shouldn't). I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we didn't discuss any ward news. (I Fashion is tunny. If things tend to be out ill fashion in this trendy world, just wait a few years. When my granddaughters pranced out of their bedrooms all ready for the first day of school. I chuckled to myself. They looked just like their mother did when she went 1 Miller Ski) 2v fi By TOM GRIFFITHS to come. "Oh, my . VA HOME AUCTION COMES TO SALT LAKE CITY 101 SINGLE-FAMIL- Auction" In Utah HOMES In "VA's First Home HOMES IN LINDON: 403-40North 400 East HOMES IN LEHI: 834-83North 500 West HOMES IN AMERICAN FORK: 1040 North 20 East AND 98 MORE THROUGHOUT AREA lump on this offer while it lasts: Get $200 in FREE Polaris clothing or accessories when you buy a new Polaris snowmobile before October 15, 1987. Take your choice of Polaris jackets, boots, helmets or the latest sled accessories to put more fun in your trail riding! Saturday, September 19 Come in to your Polaris dealer today Right now every new snowmobile comes with a $200 offer! But you will have to get moving. POLHRIS my lW 756-502- 7 I'm iil,im lrnliislii"s Im 264-840- 0 Call For Free Brochure Today we're built. Duff Shelley, 260 E. Main, American Fork Brookline Farms, 11445 N. Frontage Rd., Lehi 1:00 pm Registration -1- 1:00 a.m. Salt Palace Assembly Hall, 100 South West Temple, Salt Lake City HOTLINE (801) Vttarant Adminiatration LARRY LATHAM AUCTIONEERS til car 768-887- 3 Rienm 0 iivfl CooptuMg front ut u. p8oomom4 uthim facMnm md matt no wrr mty or ouararm, or lo IM connnM Buym mould mm morough inapacwi ol proponm prior 10 amMpM (.wry g friends," he exclaimed. "On that last day, there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." An elderly lady stood up and said tremulously, "I ain't got any teeth." "Sister," shouted the evangelist, "teeth will be provided." A German industrialist by the name of Schmidt came to the United States on a business trip. One thing he missed was the old German beer. Back in his home country he loved to spend an evening in the tavern, holding a foamy stein and joining in a community songfest that is a daily event there. Mr. Schmidt is a strong advocate of moderation and he is continually preaching to that effect, especially to his young son, who like all German boys usually goes with his father to drink beer and take part in the songs. One evening while sitting in a tavern accompanied by his young son, he moralized on the danger of excessive partaking of beer. "You must always drink your beer very moderately," said Mr. Schmidt to his young son, Fritz. "One glass, two glasses, three glasses, no more. inOtherwise become you toxicated." "But father," said young Fritz. "How does one know when he is intoxicated?" "It is simple," said Schmidt, wiping the foam from his lips. "See those two fellows sitting way over in the end of the tavern. Well, if you should look in that direction and suddenly see four men, then you know you are intoxicated." Young Fritz fixed his eyes upon the table in the corner of the room and then quickly exclaimed, "But father, there is only one man sitting at the table." The good old English language, what would we do without it? No Minimum Opening Bid. or Cashier's Check required to buy (per properly). !'P.00 All Homes Open 10am 5pm Sept. 5 & 6 & Sept. 12 & 13. Brokers Welcome. Call for details. You Do Not Need to be a Veteran. Nothing beats the Frontage Road next to . ACCESSORIES! Color Country ccnw ijTtjmmm 100 Northground 1200 West Orem -- GETS200 IN FREE POLARIS CLOTHING AND Yes, We are moving our yard next door. Come down & check out our Yard Moving Prices! 83 knee-lengt- sweat shirts. I'm gonna buy one for sure - to match my purple knee lengths. All you have to do is call on a PTA worker, or go to the high school -and you kind buy a neat, warm, purple or white sweat shirt with big block letters LHS on front. Well, LHS is better than some of those sayings, like: "Baby under construction." "I think everyone should be entitled to my opinion." "Please don't sqeeze the Charmin, squeeze me instead." "I'm with Stupid." "Life is a beach, and I'm a bum." "If a mother's place is in the home, why am I always in the car?" "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping." "Kid for rent . . cheap!" And, of course, "The Utah Press Association: We do it weekly!" GET A JUMP ON WINTER YARD SALE 224-26- to school in the fifties. You know: saddle oxfords, skinny sweaters and long skirts. And anklets. Please don't forget the anklets. Fact is: The girls' other grandma made the colossal mistake of giving h sox for their them birthdays. The girls laughed and laughed. "Grandma is so out of it," they said. "Doesn't she know anklets - not knee lengths are in style. We wouldn't be caught dead in knee lengths." So much for my bargains of last winter! I guess I'll have to wear all s I bought on sale for the my granddaughters. Hummmmm, they don't feel half bad. Kinda cute too. I especially like the polka-do- t ones, and I absolutely love the purple ones! First thing ya know, I'll be wearing dresses so I can show off my knee lengths. They tell me the PTA is selling knee-length- farmers. In fact, the subject of farming come up. Neither did any ward news surface. We told the latest jokes, and we talked about our children, exchanged recipes, and a even discussed the hearings, but not one word was said about crops. Slightly insulting commentary wasn't it? Most of my friends are college graduates, some are authors, some are doctors and lawyers, and not once have I heard crops mentioned. We did discuss UP&L's latest play to attain federal power, and we talked about Judge Bork and his chances of being named a supreme court justice, but we didn't talk about crops or the bishop and his don't know if there is any ward news.) We enjoyed ourselves at church and at a neighborhood We even compared the virtues of our different cars. Oh yes - we did discuss the crop of peaches and pears and how that related to our canning schedule, but we didn't dwell on that subject. There's a lot to talk about in Lehi, just like there is in Salt Lake City. Crop prices and ward news really isn't very high on the list. browsinq ttMo a xmci m ma mmm taut)