OCR Text |
Show Review Editorials MREVEW : REVIEW. March 17. 1966 Whats Behind AntirSmut ? matter: see three questions in the 1. How bad is it? 2. What are the objectives? 3. Whats the best method to achieve the objectives? anti-obscen- We ity pretty bad. Filth has always been with u - and unfortunately always will be. And the effort to fight it with law is not new. Recently it has reached ugly proportions, and even the most calloused should be shocked. We deplore those tawdry publications that appeal to the lowest denominator of taste. We find shocking those movies that seek out audiences not on entertainment value but on a blatant appeal to sex. That thousands could live by producing this rot is pitiful. That thousands of people - including some in this community where we pride ourselves on a heritage of dignity and decency - would help it survive by buying it is disturbing, 2. The objectives? To renew standards of dignity and i quality and good taste. The companion objective is to remove It's 1. the filth. 3. How? The immediate temptation is by law . We find serious drawbacks to this approach. We believe in some cases it represents a tempting solution which sloughs off the real responsibility, and provides a negative rather than positive approach. We doubt that ordinances would truly work. First there are constitutional questions - not black and white to be sure - but serious implications that should breed doubt about any form of censorship. Second there is the question of judgement. While todays fighters against obscenity may well have only hard core pornography in mind - tomorrows authorities may well turn their attention to less blatant materials. The third doubt concerns effectiveness. By imposing censorship we invite an underground trade - virtually imanti-obscen- ity possible to control. Under these circumstances a youngster who never gave a rackful of obscene magazines a second glance may well become fascinated. By asking legal authorities to act in this matter we are turning our own responsibilities over to them - we continually find that we cannot ask the government or the schools to become substitute parents. The teaching of values musijbe our own personal, responsibility., f solid Adolescents have a natural curiosity about sex, they have a need to know about it. , If we as adults permit their only education to come from the collective iporance of their contemporaries - if we fail to provide them with honest information at home or in the school - what in the world can we expect? There is a knowledge vacuum that must be filled. If we dont fill it decently, sensible and honestly the seductive literature will. The problem is a complex one - there are no easy answers... that includes the law. As an alternative we might suggest a well conducted - thoughtfully prepared program of sex education in our schools. To bolster this effort we suggest the establishment of a code or standard of decency. Standards could be established by an association of parents. Merchants and theaters, if they desire, could indicate their willingness to adhere to the code, and parents could make their buying decisions on the basis of a demonstration of that willingness. This is not economic boycott as much as it is a positive approach. As a community we have a tough job ahead of us in this area. We believe we should seriously question whether an ordinance can really help us accomplish this job - or if it will create more problems than it will cure. Only the positive, dogged, persistant approach can tackle this one. Political Comment by Norman Rosenblatt All file wrangling between Democrats during the past year will provideRepub-Uca- ns with good fodder for the coming . campaign. We fear though that it wiU mean an unfortunate result for the voters. The campaign will turn cm personalities rather than issues - on both sides. Issues will arise - but they will receive little relative attention in a campaign that might be sensational but probably of little significance - and eventually a little dull. How long can the public maintain an interest in squabbling. The state races for legislative seats will be different. There is little doubt that in Salt Lake and Weber Counties Republicans will try to squeeze all the juice they can out of County Democratic politics - but eventually the public, and Republican opponents, will ask what that has to do with matters in the State house. In the past legislative campaigns have received little attention. We doubt that in the 64 campaigns a large number of people could Remember who was running for Senate and House seats in their own districts. the Review ran a Series of political town meetings during the 1964 campaign, several hundred people came to hear Ernest Wilkinson and Frank Moss throw barbs - but at meetings with state legislative candidates less than a dozen bothered to come. But local issues in Salt Lake County are of greater concern now - and should get 'a thorough hearing during the camincluding these: paigns 1. The form of government itself. The metropolitan government amendment will come up for vote. But in giving it consideration candidates for county government should give some consideration to what kind of government the county ought to have. double taxation The old issue will also be an issue in city elections - it ought to be squarely faced in the county. If some solid results came out of Marv Jensons proposals for a county manager government by election time the fact could make a difference in the approach candidates take to their appeal to the voters. 2. Flood control. to what degree Questions here should the county commission consider the position of the creek residents? What are the priority flood control proHow should the program be jects? financed, and at what speed should it proceed? S. The County budget. The candidate that comes up with specific proposals to reduce it will get some considerable attention. This is a When city-cou- tough request without stepping on toes. 4. Air pollution. It gets worse daily - or at least seems past commissions have made little moves to cure it. 5. Consolidation of specific efforts in government - such as She riff --police, board of health, roads and streets and others. 6. Specific efforts to improve the countys tax base. There are others, but these are basic. A candidate who does his homework well rai them might just put himself in good stead with the voters when the razzle-dazz- le of bickering about the past wears out. The first candidate for the county commission on the Republican side has announced.. ..L. J. Elton. Only problem, GOP party regulars have, they've never heard of him. Mr. Elton says hell have more to say about his candidacy as the race proceeds. rest any insinuation. We commend the First Presidency on wisdom. its courage and fountain Published every Thursday by Great Western News, Inc. Circulation Manager-Ma- Advertising Production-Leig- e Degn h Stark 487-74- 01 Entered as second class matter at the Post Office at Salt Lake City, Utah under the act of March 9, 1878 r Stephen Rosenblatt and Managing Editor -- Norman Rosenblatt Editorial Staff: eanie Kempe Gene Townsend Jim Baldwin Advertising Manager- - Wilfred Gee j Subscription $5.20 per year Member: Utah State Press Association American Newspaper ity : own for a letter last week signed by last years city commission aspirant, student Byron Cannon Anderson increases the speculation. Under a letterhead Citizens for Honest Government. (address 123 D Street) Mr. Anderson says We are fed up with the antics and corruption of politicians and officeholders, and finishes up We will sponsor and run honest candidates who are patriotic So far no announced candidates from the group. the one hatched in laws.,...including Provo. em all, you know! Theyre agin I was gettin primed for a series of forays on dens of iniquity in the Provo when the local City Schools system federal district court stepped in and made it a neutral field. Can you imagine, letting though Provo Schools teach about the bloody Battle of Thermopylae? And the gruesome, disgusting antics of the Romans all that and the Christian martyrs stuff would have to go under the new ordinance. I would demand the erasure of Charlemagne, and of Roland. The Headless Horseman ickyl Brings upheaval to my childhood in retrospect! I was gonna raid the local Then TV studios at news time and rip out oh, all that tape about Viet Nam that stuff is really obscene. and Lost And there goes Batman and in Space segments of filth Li'l Orphan Annie - nothing more depraved than the violence and kilim -it on.... Annie puts her seal of Vomitus unless its Dick Tracy go-to- Magnum! You think this is all a joke? Read itl Read that ordinance! Not suitable for young persons, (young is under 18). It means: Describing Letters u;, To The Editor. -- Drink Up A ... Gentlemen Do I i f belief Contrary to the narrow-mind- ed expressed in some letters to the editors recently, it is entirely possible to have and even enjoy a social drink or two with friends in congenial surroimdings without lightning striking or immediately turning i tied as evU or an alcoholic simply because I enjoy a social drink and I dislike intensely being forced to buy and carry a large bottle. My sympathy lies entirely with Will Lucas. When will Utah grow up and stop being so hypocritical? into an alcoholic. I resent being classi- - Gay Hoefer no more of that juicy the Mountain reactin about a lad shot in the head and left lying in a gutter over on 2nd South - some poor dolt who was mad because a white medic was giving his girl friend dope. The ordinance goes on: ....describing or portraying behavior, nudity or depravity in such a manner as to be likely to incite or encourage delinquency cm the part of young perBy the Scarlet Letter," just how vague can you get? Did the community leaders of Provo really believe that the apparently unconstitutional will go unchallenged eternally in Utah County? , , , , , m , Well, it might have if some eager folk hadnt begun dreaming up the same hallucinations for Layton and for Salt Lake County Attention! Utah Chapter, American Civil Liberties Union! Trust you have a copy of the challenged ordinance! Trust youre ready to beat a path to the U. S. Supreme Court, if necessary! THE MORNING AFTER Its Honest Starvation Money, But Earned With No Sweat Because of a sick husband now dead .....because she wasnt old enough when What kind of a kick in the teeth would you think it was if your daughter got sos she worked at it pregnant wouldnt have to go on welfare because he died to ever get on Social Security herself.. ...because her heart wont let because our society believes in lots of kids, and her children have her work she's 18. If you re a workin stiff now . or the widow of one, that Social Security check is .but its honest money. poverty-thin.- ... It's been earned. Its arf honest as the take from shares in public utility stock .....as honest as the windfall from an insurance policy. A Social Security check for one widow under 60 and her teen-agdaughter.... a check to cover poverty scale for the doesn't lave much daughter alone goin for It, except that its an envelope full of This widow has no more She has tears and a longing for a chance to forget what today is....what tomorrow brings. She has beads of sweat on her like clear, tiny glass marbles brow ......and it was cold in there. She hasnt got much heart left in her. The slam of a door could rip the life right out of her literally.... her hearts that bad. She lives in an old, decrepit structure. A single, small gas heating unit, designed to take the chill off a Mediterranean night in one small room, is the only heat she has for four rooms and a basement. The husband died seven years ago for 16 years before that he was sick. When he died, the daughter brought in the only income that Social Security check for one dependent. The daughter would turn 18 while she was still in high school. When she turned 18 the Social Security check would stop. The mother cant work. All the girl can think of is finishing school and in our country staying off welfare welfare is a shameful concept no matter how you get on it. Sov the daughter got pregnant.. .she had herself a shotgun wedding. Now, the Social Security check is the daughter has gone the gone furniture in an unfurnished apartment is almost gone and (fortunately) file ar old heart gone. For three years this mother has hovered a single centimeter above starvation. For threeyears, shes foundered in shame. She cant work. The daughter now is 20. Shes left the state and her femily of four has barely enough for its own needs. Theres a son in California... ..with a wife and eight children. There's another with a husband daughter in New Mexico and eight kids. them ......this lonely mother barely exists a poverty Imposed upon her by a welfare check for $84 per month. She pays $50 rant for file too-bi- g, unfurnished apartment. underheated, Another $10 goes for heat and light. That leaves $24 per month for food, clothing, entertainment. There's no telephone, so she cant take at home employment that might involved telephone calls.... and maybe thats her fault. One of the children came home for a visit.. ..there was an emergency and the visiting child ran up a $34 bill....then went away without paying for it..,the sins of the children are visited upon the mother. eked out of The bill has been paid but they wont restore the poverty telephone without a $50 deposit. ed Forget itl high-ceilin- ged So there's $24 cash.,.2 lbs. expanded as her heart pounded. want a handout, she cried, but what can I do? IndeedI 1 shouldnt be alone, she went on. 1 need clothes, but theres no way I can get them. ion that dont Shes 58....still a woman.... still aware of herself, but: summer and winter... the same clothes... .summer clothes. Because poverty has its own rations, 1 have to eat the wrong food and it puts weight on the wrong places. Sometimes she cant make it to the end of the month. Sometimes, you can tell the way she talks, she wishes she didnt need to. - - Know why that is? to preserve the dignity of the Court Its in all its chilly splendor! While slithering along the slick floors, just outside the chambers of the high someone state court the other day dares to toss a dart right at the dignity Hope Marv Jensons imagination hasnt run rampant with the proposed new name wouldnt for the old Roads and Bridges DepartSomeone said - and I believe it, not for one minute - someone ment a political pot o gold thats been said- - thatona of them justices behind that with us for oh, such a long time. Marv wants the name changed to Salt big wall of marble was among. the who took advantage of the Lake County Highway Department. advice of our attorney general. This could, you know, have evil connoCan you feature such a thing? A tations. state supreme court justice who filed Let's hope that Marv doesnt have in his income tax early? mind developing a County Highway DeYou know - inside them Supreme partment along the same wasteful lines Court chambers, the wood is dark as the State Highway Department, with the bench is high, and close, and over- its service to special interests and all. On the other hand, it might be a good whelming. Its solemn and its awesome. i....and outside it looks like the marble idea, if Marv will do for the new County -steps should go down instead of up Highway Department what the Little down into a musty vault behind marble Hoover Commission proposes be done arches. for the State agency. of wel- fare butter, 2 lbs. of welfare beans.... 10 lbs. of welfare flour....two small cans erf meat.. ..a small package of rice.... a package of powdered milk.. ..and no clothes.. ..and nothing to cover the holes in the furniture. Tm not used to poverty, she cried and her tears were big and bright and clear.. ..like the beads of perspirat1 Ever notice how much marble they got stacked around the walls outside the Utah State Supreme Court bailiwick? Each of the several law enforcement agencies in Salt Lake Valley could go to school on the Reserve Officer training program that's been implemented by South Salt Lake Police Chief N. D. Hayward. Salt Lake City police have the most professional training program in the area and its misplaced pride or something short of best judgement for other departments to turn their backs on the open invitation of Chief Knudson to come mi in. Bountiful police department started migrating its rookies several years ago to benefit from the offer. , Juddy Nielsen, who for a year has been try in hard to create a professional duplicate of the city training unit, has. failed to approach that objective.....and he should acknowledge as much. Juddy, Murray's new police chief and the Midvale department could do their constituents a service by taking advantage of the only complete and separate police training program developed to meet Salt Lake Valley problems. Chief Hayward, no doubt aware that Reserves receive the same training as professionals do in Salt Lake City, is reaping the ripe harvest of professionals and is to be commended. Rejection of 80 of Reserve Corps applicants....no matter how badly theyre because they dont meet the needed qualifications hes set for his professionals also demonstrates that Chief Hayward is serious about his new job. of that court Because......' in Theres something contemptuous about the manner in which the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Department and the Salt Lake County Deputy Sheriffs Merit Board cooperate to avoid the intent of the law in regard to the promotion of deputies. The Merit Board has been in operation for lo! who remembers how many years since Sept. 1, 1961 and not a single sergeant, not a single lieutenant, not a single captain cm the department got where he is by the prescribed route of competitive examinations. Sheriff Juddy Nielsen finds it expedient to make acting promotions rather than to urge the delinquent Merit Board off its dime. Only last week, the deserving George Pazell was promoted to acting lieutenant seems everyone in the brass sec tion is an acting something or other. The merit law is ignored - flagrantly -and not only in the area of promotional examinations. The Merit Board has neglected to do some of the things it was charged with doing the moment it was activated. In all, the negligence is that of the 3- man Merit Board but that negligence extends to a sheriff who would rather have the political power to promote, than to comply with the clear intent of the state merit law. We wonder when the infant Deputy Sheriffs Mutual Aid Assn., which Juddy so vigorously opposed, will represent its membership, hire a lawyer, and force the Merit Board and the Sheriff to apply the Merit Law of Utah and Salt Lake County? Anyone who thinks that the state merit law has taken politics out of the ranks of the Salt Lake County Sheriffs administration should take a deeper look. or portraying brutality, criminal violence Dig dat! No more details of police brutality...no more gooey yarns about how they die before a firing squad at the Point erf sons. 58-ye- Offices at 2245 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 Phone: their ST?) Cheers and a few beers to the members of the Utah Library Association for their stand on any deny it, but rumors right-wi- ng forces of of final decisions. J local elections. self-respe- ct. In the Wednesday issue of the Deseret News on page one a Notice to Church Members exDlains that letters have been received by Church officials inviting them to a dinner honoring John Birch Society founder Robert Welch. The statement reads in part, the Church is not involved in this dinner in any way and furthermore, that the Church has no connection with the John Birch Society whatever. The matter could have bear left with no mention by the church. Instead the First Presidency decided to make this bold forthright statement which should permanently lay to officials and the & Gradually emerging as a bright political flame in the Republican party is city Commissioner James L. Barker. He denies political aspirations, stating that he wants to do a good job during this term then get back to his law practice. Politics is like many another habit, once youre hooked its hard to shake. When hes finished in city hall Mr. Barker will have to keep his door locked to keep the supporters away if he keeps going in the fashion hes going now. GOP It seems a place for lilies smell of hyacinth. Its a place of dignity and J Political speculation of the week Grover Giles, now in his early seventies - is talking about running again as Further speculation County Attorney. is that if he does he might not go un- opposed in the primary. persist that hard core might run candidates By Jim Baldwin ,$ to. and self-respe- ct. So Much For Mr. Welch: DOUBLE TAKE ISSUES ARE THERE, WHOLL HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS THEM: Charity seldom lasts for a month at a time! Only $5 for the last two weeks....Its always that way, she said. ....and the fat in the wrong places vanishes....and she lives into another month, and another $84 check....$60 of it to the landlord and the utility companies. Reminds me of a bumper sticker Tm helping the Poverty Program I work! J im Baldwin. 1 Many Moods Of Will Lucas First of all let me say.. ..Hold the largest independent airforce in the enPress. That Canadian sho-jis called tire world. I have over one thousand off. Our contact in Canada, CFCN Radio spirited members in my Sopwith Camel and Television in Calgary phoned me and Corps. All of us are dedicated to said they had reconsidered the entire the irradication of the infamous tyranproposition and they werent particularly nical Red Baron. The only necessary sold an the proposal. requirement in joining the SOPWITH Camel Corps is that your body is' And furthermore, there was some warm. ..occasionally. If you would care to question about the stipulation that ex- be inducted into my airforce simply send me a card in care of KALL Radio, would tend to benechange of fit both our countries Olympic bids for Salt Like.. .And you will be sent your Draft Card.. A greetings from our noble 1972. SOoooo, the first Intercontinental exchange of free natural products (snow) leader, Snoopy. has been cancelled. ob snow-flak- es I would like to add, however, that at the particular time of the phone call, Calgary had no snow on the ground and Banff had 37 inches of snow and the temperature was 15 degrees above zero... While at the same time we had almost 100 inches of snow at our ski resorts and the temperature downtown was 45 degrees. Our statistics didnt help the happy exchange either. So Canada has flaked out co the flak bit k this free time cm my hands have managed to form the third With, all now, I With reference to that oriented letter to the Editor that appeared in the Review concerning my needs last week....I dont feel any reply could be justified to such a piece of parsimonious published pap.,. However, I should like to compliment Mr. Wayne Hughs on his astute observations concerning my private life. He was right. I do write on restroom walls. Ahd the Heinous five letter words I have written are.. .WAYNE HUGHS.. .WAYNE pre-pube- rty HUGHS.. WAYNE HUGHS.. Wayne Hughs. WAYne...hughs. - y |