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Show a 'pinion Page A2 September 2, 2005 The Summit County Bee Tell Me About It TH' &DST PART ABOUT LABOR PAY WEEKEND IS HOW LONG IT LASTS/ TIME FOR ANALYSIS BY LEON SIMISTER "Worn out." That's the term most of this nation's columnists are using as they describe their assessment of the reason America's current president and administration are using for the "got-old-fasf' Iraqi engagement. Those of us who have had loved ones involved in this (and/or the Afghanistan exercise) are probably a little more. . . um. . . 'techy' about Iraq's not-soquick *come-uppance.' Questions from the public are becoming more numerous and much more sharply uttered as the costs to America are rising much, much too quickly. Faster, in fact, than the average ' ; . . I-have-a-loved-ooc-over-there^;>' citizen likes to idmit. It isn't just the trauma experienced because of all those hocroristic terrorism brutaliti^^ibither. Although the daily death toll for both military and ciyilrao pirticipants is horrible, I think most everyone is also acutely-aware and extremely edgy about the massive $$$ costs of this military engagement. It's getting incrementally more difficult for us average citizens to accept responsibility through governmental 'apjinding (while with crossed-fingers politically-selected suppliers and contractors are profiteering)^ but the daily, horrendously rising costs in human lives are mind-boggling. . . with no apparent end in sight. Few citizens who were not originally thinking about the disgusting rise in cost of, well, gasoline, for example - and other products here at home - are now increasing in number as they try to cope with the 'weapons of mass destruction,' excuse. We're toying with the possibility that it was a (egad!) political decision to. . .uh, for, um. . .who knows what? . . . Maybe, even, its purpose (heaven forbid!) was for control of the black gold for which many of our chummy Asian friends (so-called) have become so suddenly pricey about. Lots and lots of our American citizenry have been feeling the bite, economically, and are now not only questioning our U.S. leadershipping abilities, but are speaking out in ever-increasing numbers about the wisdom in overstaying our (never was - but our money was) welcome in the Muslim countries. In all fairness to our current governmental system as it now exists, we should be aware (and be willing to admit) that many high-level decisions about topics not revealed to us as the general public could not be further postponed. So, determining that - with diplomacy apparently not working - an immediate invasion became the only other option in order to prevent more damage. And, as Shakespeare would have said, ". , . the die was cast." The only soothing ointment for us, the general public, is that it's well to bear in mind that hind-sight is not now, nor has it ever been a tool that was ever used before crucial, immediate decisions were made. I'm inclined to think (hindsight, again) that war methods may not be the best strategy to use in an attempt to democratize all nations on this globe. Yes, democracy truly has been a wonderfully enjoyable instrument for our American nation's existence, simply because it has worked for us. But, maybe it's time to question if engaging in war as an attempt to introduce its politics of democracy to other nations whose customs - world's apart from democracy's principles - is maybe not all that hot of an idea. It is becoming, daily, apparent that terrorism possibly cannot be stamped out by the mere process of engaging in horrendous damage to other countries and their people. And it certainly holds no fear for the terrorists who have successfully mastered the art of self-destruction. If fear cannot be placed in their hearts by killing them, then the art of war becomes nothing more than a dull tool. Anyone who looks forward to - and totally believes in his or her own 'eternization upon death' is not going to be deterred, persuaded, nor threatened into any behavior other than that belief in which they have been completely emersed throughout millenniums of teaching. It appears to yours truly ('nuther hind-sight) that rather than risking the lives of our youth, and spending ourselves into the vast and bottomless sinkhole of war-debt, we'd bebetter off to buddy-up to nations like" these, and to help them finance a campaign of a better-way-of-life technique. You know, sort of a teach by example kind of philosophy. (Hmmm. . . Like we do with Saudi Arabia?) Hopefully, (and ultimately, much less cost in human lives) sooner or later, people in other countries would opt toridthemselves of their own tyrants. Admittedly, religious tyranny (as evidenced by the performances of fanatical suicidebombers) is not an easy thing with which to cope. Thought for the day: "Throwing money at them always gets their attention - and it's easier to replace than human lives." -Yours truly. (1 just made that up). s PIACE I was able to escape for a few days over the. weekend to a favorite camp-site near Afton, Wyo. and boy! Was it ever a neatretreatfor me. Sitting by a campfire with family and looking at the stars through the pine trees and NO PHONES or every day stress factors was so very nice. Makes it easier to return to reality! I received an interesting errjail lately talking about the cost of "stars" and how it was impossible for the author to view the actors/actresses in a positive light when they command such large amounts of currency to corrupt not only themselves, but often an entire crowd of the nation's population. In that light I was thinking about heroes that are "out there" for us to truly look up to. With the devastation hurricane Katrina bought with her I couldn't help but think about the unsung "heroes" doing acts of kindness, both large and small. One of the stories that I found endearing was the fact that when the towers fell on 9-1-1 the state of Louisiana sent New York Firefighters a new fire truck. They now had an opportunity to extend some of that love and concern back to the state and did so by sending a specialized team of volunteers to help in any way they were needed. Utah State Governor Jon M, Huntsman, Jr. announced, Utah would soon be welcoming some of the homeless for "days, months or however long the need is there." "Utahns have a strong volunteer spirit and a willingness to pitch in and help when there is tragedy. Though we are geographically far away, there are still many things we can and should try to do to help out fellow countrymen who are facing widespread devastation." Red Cross Volunteers left their homes to help set up aid stations, Utal) Rational Guard members were on the alert to help, hygiene kits, water, clothing, monetary donations. . . the list goes on and one. One human being helping another in need. Although there just has to be those who take advantage of horrible situations such as looters and scam artists literally trying to "cash" in on the tragedy, in the long run most Americans are more than ready and willing to help out. The big question? Will any other countries offer aid to help us as the United States has always done? I just heard on the news that several have come forward to do just that, and I admit I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps these occurrences taking place around the world are happening for a reason - to make us stand up and take notice of those less fortunate. Wouldn't it be nice if "someone" could just shake out the world like a rug and start over in peace? Nice concept but very unlikely. Rich or poor, the one thing we can do is to remember those suffering from the tragedy in their prayers. So okay, I know that isn't the popular concept anymore, but I believe it is the right one. There are so many everyday heroes in our lives for us to emulate. I recently viewed a photo of a Marine in uniform with one prosthetic arm with his other around a World War II Vet. Our soldiers are true heroes as they placed their lives on the line for our freedom. We have paramedics, firemen, good neighbors, teachers, friends all accomplishing great deeds for little or no pay and yet life is made so much better because of their efforts. Moving right along, I walked through the new North Summit Middle School today. Although there is still a lot left to do, I was very impressed with the amount of work accomplished in the time since my last "walk-through." Another event that impressed me was watching the football team work together to carry in supplies to help the school get ready for opening day next week. I enjoy watching our youth working on worthwhile projects, such as helping in the community especially when they seemed to be having fun while doing it. Teachers were on scene checking things out and they seemed to be more than satisfied with their new "digs." Once again I truly hope the students will appreciate what they have because it is pretty awesome. Thought for the week "Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing the God will."Ben Stein. See ya next time. .o.ev<V School Buses Eight Times Safer Than Cars As the new school year approaches, the Summit County Safe Kids Coalition reminds parents that school buses are eight times safer than other vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rate of crash-related fatalities on school buses is 0.2 per million vehicle miles traveled, compared to 1.5 for cars. "School buses are, by far, the safest way for kids of all ages to get to and from school," says Geri Essen, Summit County Safe Kids coordinator. "School buses are designed with safety features no other vehicles have. The padded, high-backed seats on school buses are close together to create protective compartments, like egg cartons." Children are not likely to be ejected from a school bus in a crash if they are seated properly - upright and facing forward. To parents who ask why most school buses do not have seat belts, Essen says, "The purpose of seat belts is to prevent ejection, which is usually fatal and almost always cat- astrophic. There is not a significant risk of ejection from a large school bus." In a 2002 report on school bus safety, NHTSA found that seat belts on large buses "appear to have little, if any, benefit in reducing seriousto-fata! injuries in severe frontal crashes." Small school buses (under 10,000 pounds) are equipped with lap belts as well as compartmental seating and are especially useful for preschool children who ride in car seats. "More children are killed and injured crossing the street at bus stops than riding on a school bus," says Essen. 'Teach your children about the 10-foot danger zone around the school bus, where the driver can't see children on the ground." Young children should take eight giant steps away from the bus to be sure the bus driver can see them. Older kids who must cross the street in front of the bus should look to the bus driver for an "OK" sign before crossing. Summit County Safe Kids Coalition also reminds drivers to '. • . / • The Summit County Bee welcomes Letters To The Editor on any subject. They must adhere to the following guidelines: They must be received to the Coalville Office, P.O. Box 7, Coalville, UT 84017 or the Kamas Office, P.O. Box 225, Kamas, UT 84036, no later than Monday noon to be considered for that week's issue of the paper coming out on Friday. The letters must be hand signed with full address and telephone number of the person writing the letter. No letter will be published under an assumed name. Name may be withheld on request at the discretion of the managing editor or publisher of The. Summit County Bee. They must not contain libelous or slandering material. Writers are limited to one Pi letter in two weeks. ' Please try to hold the length of Letters to the Editor to approximately 300 words. The editor's of the Summit County Bee reserve the right to edit and/or condense Letters to the Editor. Preference will be given to short, typewritten (double spaced) letters permitting the use of the writer's name. All letters subject to condensation if they are too long for the space available. No political endorsement letters will be published as Letters To The Editor. The views expressed in guest editorials or Letters To The Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editors or publisher or express the viewpoint of this newspaper. obey state laws that prohibit passing a stopped school bus or approaching within a certain distance. "School buses are special vehicles - in any other vehicle, it is essential that every passenger and the driver be buckled up all the time when the vehicle is moving," says Essen. "Kids need to be in a car seat or booster seat until they are approximately 8 years old and 5 feet tall, and they're 37 percent safer in the back seat than in front." The NHTSA 2002 report is available at www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov. For more information about child passenger safety in school buses and private vehicles, visit www.safekids.org. Summit County Safe Kids Coalition works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. Summit County Safe Kids Coalition is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. For more information on the Safe Kids organization, visit www.safekids.org. Got a News Tip? Call 336-5501 J^ummlt PUBUSHERS Dick & Sue Buys General Manager Paul McFee Managing Editor Laurie Wynn Editor Pamela Robbins L^ountu uL5ee ^5taPP Advertising Sales Graphic Design Letters To The Editor Policy TH'WORSE PART ABOUT LABOR PAY WEEKEND IS HOW LONG IT LASTS! Columnists Leon Sinister Jan Patterson Bee Office Sharon Pace Business Manager Joe Wynn Pagination/Layout June Muir Annette Motley Melanie Townley Tony Teig Terry Rider Annette Motley Dan Chfpman Natalie Crow Promotions Joanne Archbold Production & Press Jay Provost Dan Carlile Randi Carlile Jennie Ferreria Donna Harrison Daren North Ken Hastings Kari McFee Stuffing Crew Heber Office Barbara Chrisiensen Kari McFee Jason Fage Kelsey Coy Karen North Cody Crittenden Erin Wynn Britta Nystul Chauncy Carlile The Summit County Bee (UPSP 525-640) is published weekly for $18 per year in Summit County, Senior Citizen Discount, $15 in county; $27 out-ot-county by Wave Publishing Inc., 165 South, 100 West, Heber City, UT 84032. Periodicals Postage Paid at Coalville, UT 84017- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Summit County Bee, P.O. Box 7, Coalville, UT 84017- The entire contents of this news paper is Copyright© 2004 The Summit County Bee • and/or Wave Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 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