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Show A "One learns in life to keep silent and draw one's own Cornelia Otis Skinner, American actress confusions." and author (1901-1979- ). 12 if Thursday, October 13, 1994 The Daily Herald police just can't seem tq stop public stonings A few more horror stories about the e morons who try to murder strangers by flinging rocks at cars on the Chicago Skyway: Last Sunday afternoon, Ralph of La Porte, Ind., was driving to a birthday party with his friend Linda.; 'This flying object, a stone about the; size of a bird, hit my windshield just, to the left of my face. Smashed the gla$s and there were splinters everywhere, in my face, my hair, my ' teerj-ag- Rod-rie,j4- 'I'They embedded in my hands and face. I was lucky I wear glasses or they would have gone in my eye. ".'If that had happened, I'd have been blinded. Then I would have probably slammed on the brakes. That would have been tragic because there was a bus loaded with kids behind me. If I braked, the bus driver might have gone out of control and we might have had kids' bodies all over the place. my; "We stopped and Linda phoned 911. It was a wasted call. They said that if we didn't see who threw the rock, maybe it was just debris that fell off a truck. That was ridiculous, so they told us to call a number to make a report. "Why bother? When we reported it to somebody at the tollbooth, he was disgusted. He said there were as many as four incidents in one shift. He said a baby missed being killed by an inch or two. But the police don't do anything. Well, when there are dead people all cy over the road, mavbe they'll wake up." Mike Zelek, 33, of Bartlett, 111.: "About a mile before I got to the I saw this kid about 15 come out from behind a light pole and throw something. "It was a rock the size of a softball. Lucky for me, his aim wasn't good and the rock smashed the outside mirror on the passenger's side. "I told the tollbooth attendant what happened and he said he'd report it. But he didn't even take my name. " toll-boot- h, Doug Johnson, 47, of Highland throwPark, 111., saw three bricks. ing "One of ihem hit the door of my car. Put a big gash in it. Better the door than my head, though. I stopped at the and that woman never even picked up the phone. I said: 'Hey, aren't you going to call the police?' So she picked up the phone and said mayteen-age- rs toll-boo- th be two words and hung up. I waited about 20 minutes for the police, but '' they didn't come, so I gave up. Gary Baierl, 26, a graduate student at Northwestern University in Evans-to111., was in his two-sesports car a loud he heard with his wife when n, at sound. "I thought it was something shootI just kept going because stopand ing, ping didn't seem like a good idea. ' 'Then my wife noticed a deep mark on the back window behind her head. I X MBOHRESOH. BETTER By The Philadelphia Inquirer i X i Syndicated Columnist That's where it must have hit and made the noise. If it had gone through, it would have killed my wife. "I pulled off and called the police and gave them my name and phone number. But nobody ever called back. , It makes you feel defenseless and pow- erless." Defenseless and powerless quite accurate. That's exactly the way it is. When I wrote an earlier column about people being injured and almost killed, Chicago police vowed to pay close attention. Now they say they have been paying close attention, but the sad reality is that they haven't been able to do much. The teen-ag- e lice are simply too alert and nimble and they scamper away before the police can use the off ramps, park their cars, jump out and get to them. Yes, the police say the design of the toll road makes it almost impossible for them to catch the deadly little monsters. When we called the Skyway offices, an employee asked that his name not be used. Then he said: "This is a terrible problem. I told people here just this morning that it is only a matter of time before someone is killed. "When that happens, we'll have more cops around than we know what to do with. "We get reports of this every day. It's getting worse and worse and there's nothing we can do. People drive up with broken windshields and tell us what happened, but we can't do anything about it. We are so frustrated. "Please, can't you do something about it?" Well, I'm flattered that he asked, but, no. Since I'm not the police chief, the mayor, or even an alderman, there isn't much I can do. In our lawless society, we're on our own. I suppose I could suggest that some public-spirite- d citizens take it upon themselves to patrol near the Chicago Skyway, and if they see any of these teen-ag- e vermin, jump out and fling them onto the highway. But that wouldn't be wise because you would be arrested as a heartless fiend, the useless little thug's useless parents would sue you, and if they didn't, the ACLU would. So let us wait until someone is killed or maimed. Then I can write that I told you so. And won't that make the survivors feel good? voters' distrust? trade pact called GATT in a special session after the election. The sour taste left by federal lawmakers Apparently, in the minds of millions of who headed home last weekend is strong Americans, these accomplishments were enough to suggest that Congress can't do offset by what happened on the issue that anything right. Americans may say exactly this year's debate: health-car- e dominated that by massacring incumbents at the polls four weeks away. In reality. Congress' reform. The drive to provide health covertwo-yerecord under President Clinton is age to all Americans died from savage sound bites by special interests and politia mixture of major successes and failures, cal opportunists. In the process, Republiand both political parties share responsinot only killed the best chance for cans bility for not getting more done. reform in a comprehensive health-car- e With little help from the opposition partalso to caricaor more, generation they got y!, Democrats in Congress passed a major as Democrats ture types deficit-cuttin- g package last year and a in health-car- e if as the trend current comprehensive crime bill this year. The were affordable. fojrmer has the deficit shrinking and the spending One important initiative that failed at the the jobless rate just economy growing of hands the Democrats was last year's dropped below 6 percent. The latter rePenny-Kasic- h Plan, which was called Drat, flected a bipartisan conseneven conian though it would have cut the sus for combining "conservative" poliby about 1 percent. Another only budget cies, such as more cops and prisons, with failure of Democratic leadership was wel"liberal" stuff, such as recreational prowhich Mr. Clinton pushed fare reform grams in inner cities. Pitifully, Republia candidate but left on the back burner as cans tried to block it because they didn't for two years. One of the biggest flops want Clinton Democrats to "steal" the came near the end of this year's session from them. issue of crime-fightin- g when Republicans blocked campaign-financin- g Congress had other successes, but not reform and new limits on lobby on issues that get the average citizen isU. piimped up. Two that never would have Looking at Congress' record, Ross Perhappened under President Bush were unot urged voters to put Republicans in conpaid family leave for workers and educatrol of the House and Senate. The better tional funding for volunteers who do comwould be for voters to zero in on course And service. munity despite heavy Democratic opposition, this Congress also hidebound oartisans of both parties so that expanded trade by passing NAFTA last the next Congress would include more workhorses and fewer thowhorses. And y ear r and it's expected to pass the global leave i slightly tweeter taste for the citizens they are representing. ar CffOitE ( Mike Royko Homes need moms Edward Gibbon listed the destruction of the family as the first cause of the fall of the Roman empire. Here we go again. The Federal Government takes great pride and credit for creating jobs. I believe that all the Federal Governent can create is poverty. In 1 950 when this country had the highest standard of living in the world, only 30 percent of the population worked. Taxes took five percent of a father's pay, and he got to take home for the family's use the other 95 percent. Most mothers were at home raising responsible children in a stable society. Marriage gave women the blessing of not having to work outside the home. Today this country has the 18th highest standard of living in the world, and we are in rapid decline (free fall?). Today, 50 percent of the population works. Are we better off? Look at all the extra "jobs" we have. Taxes take 50 percent of a father's and mother's pay. And 70 percent of the married women in this state are "forced" out of the home to flip hamburgers. Children are growing up with no mother in the home. How can anyone be surprised that we have exploding juvenile crime and violence. An apostle said that maybe die solution to our juvenile problems was nothing more complicated than hot bread and jam and a mom waiting when a child gets home from school. I agree. How long will we allow a massively-destructieconomic poland fatally-flawe- d icy to destroy our families and our nation? If taxes are raised further, will we pull our older children out of school and put them to work? It would "create" more jobs. Aren't more jobs good? President Benson advised women not to work outside the home. President Hunter that advice. We look at the just people of ancient Israel as fools because they ignored the prophets and created their own destruction. Here we go again. Steven Mac Arthur Springville ve ed Will polls show i j i 3, clothes. f Give Oliver a chanco At a "Meet the Candidates" gathering, I heard Indeperdcnt Party candidate, Craig Oliver, tell the audience the benefits of electing a true Independent to the United States Senate. What he said made sense to me. With the makeup of the next Senate projected to be evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, one Independent Senator's vote could be the deciding vote on all party line issues. Both Republicans and Democrats would want Utah's input on virtually every matter. This state's national political influence would be second to none. Orrin Hatch says we should keep him in the Senate forever because of his tremendous influence and prestige. But that influence seems small when compared to Utah having the deciding vote in what we all know will be an extremely partisan Senate. This is one voter willing to give Mr. Oliver a chance. I think it would be very beneficial for Utah if we had that kind of influence. With the style that the U.S. Senate is famous for, if Oliver played his cards right, great things could be accomplished for our state. Charles Baxter 1 Salt Lake City deal-maki- Cover candidates As election day approaches, my main concern is not voting registration or if my party will win, but in obtaining enough information on each political candidate to make an informed and sound decision while in the voting booth. I have been living in Utah about two years, voted in the 1992 general elections and intend to do the same next month. However, despite campaign efforts, I am in the dark on the views and intents of Utah political candidates. Sadly enough, I cannot even associate names with political parties for most candidates. This afternoon I read a most informative booklet called the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet. This pamphlet discussed in detail the proposed amendments and initiatives to be voted on Nov. 8. Where is the pamphlet made expressly for informing die public on which candidates are running, for which office, and what these persons stand for? Am I to rely solely on T.V. commercials and public hearsay? Or am I to drive many miles to the office headquarters of each candidate to obtain information? As the largest newspaper of this area, I believe you would be doing your readers a great service by printing information on all candidates prior to next month's elections. Voting is a right and a privilege. Our decisions should not be made lightly the future of Utah depends on it. I'd hate to think Utah voters might resort to an approach as a result of misinformation, or worse, no information. Kristen R.Johnson Orem Film ban applaudod May I respond to a letter by Kathryn J. Abajian which appeared in your Oct. 6 Herald concerning BYU's decision not to show Schindler's List. In my estimation, mere has been all too much hoopla about this film, including the assertion mat the terrible lessons of the holocaust will be forgotten if people don't see it. I keep wondering how much of this is Holly-- ; , wood promotion. The holocaust was real,, satanic and terrible, but do we need to be , . shocked by watching these atrocities. After hearing all the reviews, I persuaded . myself that it was my civic duty to see the - . film. I left the theater when the level of , , ; violence became more than I anticipated. I do not condemn those who remained or i , those throughout the world who may have j : gained something from the film. . There are so many sordid realities in our -- , society, but is it necessary for the film indus- , try to constantly remind us of them by pro- ducing films that are increasingly character-- , ized by sex and violence. I think not. Some years ago Schindler's List would c not have been accepted or perhaps even produced. But after becoming desensitized ' and jaded by so many violent movies, the , public was in a position to receive this pro-- , duction, and its promotion, as a film to see if , future holocausts are to be averted. t , On balance, I believe Schindler's List did ? , more harm than good by opening the flood- - ; gates to even more violent and sexually , r explicit films as long as someone some-- ;. where might benefit from them. ; Most of my professional life has been -spent as the executive officer of a university accrediting agency . I'm proud of the diversi- -' ty which exists among public and private ,, colleges and universities. Very few would . , take die position of BYU in denying to show r . this film on campus. I applaud BYU's deci--r, -1 0IVS11. Any student who feels cheated can see it' in all of its uncut glory in a local theater, or i rent the video. It is most refreshing to see a major private university take a stand which t has little to do with what Ms. Abajian calls ,1 v "academic rigor and intellectual chal-- r ', knge." She will make sure her three chil-- ,. dren see the film regardless of the night- - ,1 mares it may produce. I will try in other ways to help my grandchildren understand j., this and other of society's evils. Kay J. Andersen..". -: -- ( -- . Provoi". Lottors policy ? The Daily Herald welcomes letters to the' editor. Address letters to Letters to die Edi--to- r, POBox 717, Provo, Utah, 84603. Let- -' ters must be signed and include the writer's ' full name, address and a daytime phone 1 -' ! number for verification. Letters should be typed, double spaced, and less than 400 words in length. The most common reasons for not pub- -' lishing letters are: too long, unsigned, illegi- -' ble, obscene or libelous. Sometimes letters which arc too long for ' the letters to the editor column are chosen to ' appear as guest opinion pieces. . long-sough- li Doonesbury BY GARRY TRUDEAU 16ULS6. soumivvou BIT OF AN THINKOF MICHA&r EMPTiSOn, r ?T I mm. mLl THINK lOUM&T CAN WtARIT.THEf SHAXBMCM- - 0NTHBKACH. HeVJU5TMWW INFKMTEXAS sonecajuR8- M68NTUB... HZI.YALLI UH...W 7H5 OCANV VOURl&T, THINS. Hi,' V-t- I h . 1 . |