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Show THE MOST ILL INFORMED PROTEST EVER Joshua James' 3 if ifige BY LORNA LARSON t did not seem to matter to the protesters from the Utah Eagle Forum that Planned Parenthood's stated vision is to "(create) a community where every child is a wanted child, where people make informed and responsible health decisions and where everyone has access to affordable, quality reproductive health care and the right to choose. ,, The Eagle Forum is a conservative national organization that believes strongly in family values and that the founding fathers always intending that religion to be a part of government, according to their website. Their beliefs are similar to Libertarians in that they are against nearly all governmental involvement and support the free market and major tax cuts. The Eagle Forum's chapters across the country were holding what they called a prayer vigil for the unborn victims of Planned Parenthood. There were 15 adults, some of them senior citizens — and even some children — picketing the Orem Planned Parenthood facility. Unlike the typical somber nighttime religious ceremony of a prayer vigil, Monday's gathering was just picketing for religious reasons. This event comes not too long after seven sting operations across the nation were performed by a pro-life group called Live Action. Video from the one of the stings showed Virginia Planned Parenthood employees telling actors they thought were pimps how to get away with sexual human trafficking of minors and illegal immigrants. Those employees are said to be aberrations, were immediately fired and new training has begun for all Planned Parenthood employees, according to a response from planned parenthoodthe organization. Planned Parenthoods across the nation were also picketed on January 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Despite the health care provided to some 43,000 uninsured people a year in the form of pap smears, birth control, counseling on family planning as well as screenings for things like diabetes, STDs and cervical and breast cancer, Planned Parenthood is seen as the group to target because they provide the most abortions nationally. The funny thing is that the Orem facility does not even perform abortions. Salt Lake City has the only Planned Parenthood facility in Utah that conducts them. The main issue is the tax money given to the group; however, only private money is used to provide that service. It would have only taken a phone call to the Orem Planned Parenthood office to clarify that. With the recent vote to repeal healthcare reform, what other option do uninsured women have to even get a regular pap smear if funding is cut from this organization? The questions is, what other group is "committed to providing accurate information to individuals of all ages concerning the emotional and physical aspects of human sexual behavior and reproduction; providing affordable, high quality reproductive health care services; and protecting and advocating for the rights of individuals to understand and manage their own reproductive lives"? I BY CHRIS DREW PHOTO BY JAKE BUNTJER elour Live Music Gallery was filled to capacity on Feb. 4 with a throng of music lovers heavily anticipating the night's main entertainment: Joshua James and The Southern Boys. "I saw their last ten shows," said Henry Camarillo, a student at BYU. "I come for their unique sound and environment." As James took stage, the room fell silent in anticipation. Starting with his soft, intimate voice and guitar in hand, he was shortly accompanied by his guitarist, Evan. By the chorus of the first song, keyboardist Joe and special guest bassist Kyle Henderson were producing a sound that would be comparable to a mix of Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith and Tom Petty. This threeman band held everything except a drummer, as a drum set is broken apart for each of the three to play in addition to their own set instrument. "Evan and I came up with this type of set up because it was harder to play and travel with more people. We couldn't afford five players. So we broke the dynamics of the band into three. I dig the simplicity," James said. "Kyle played with us a year ago and [we] thought it would be a good experience to have him play with us tonight." Kyle Henderson said he learned to play the bass with Joshua during that last year. "It's not about how you play. It's about passion, music and playing with friends. I don't care about anything but playing with friends. It's all about the shared experience. Human experience is where it's at." Joshua James' music captivated the audience with its elements of rock country with folk rock harmony. "I love it. He's really good; relaxing instead of like a lot of other bands," says Carlos Gomar, a fan from the University of Utah. "The way he incorporates his religious views and stories are interesting to listen to. I could die after listening to this music." "Josh writes really good songs — always a heartfelt experience," said Kyle Henderson. "Tonight, there was a good crowd and a good atmosphere. There's a lot of times people aren't into grooving. Tonight, I could feel everyone feeling it, which always makes the show better." V |