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Show Page 4 Signpost Nov. 9, 1973 jJ by TlANSEN WHAT'S X HIM? JUST V- 4LseJ 'Walk in my shoes ' says OPD policeman by An Ogden Policeman (Editor's note: The writer's name is withheld from this editorial at his request.) "Walk a mile in my shoes" especially before "casting the first stone." I am a full time student at Weber, carrying 17 credit hours and maintaining a 3.5 grade point average. I am also married with two children to support. I work a part-time job in order to keep food on my table because my full-time job as an Ogden Policeman doesn't allow me this privilege. I felt a need to reply to the one-sided article that appeared in the Nov. 2 issue of the Signpost regarding the OPD. Mike Dabling used the typical method of giving a compliment before kicking someone in the teeth, namely the OPD. Throughout his article he made mention of "public support." Unfortunately the way most people show their support is by placing a bumper sticker on their car that says "Support Your Local Police. " Support without action What the police really need is active support from the public. It takes two minutes to pick up the phone and call the mayor or a councilman and express support for something. How many have done this? "Faith without works is dead" so also "support without action is useless." We wish we did have the (active) public support that Mike Dabling kept referring to in his article. Some people may not be aware of the fact that policemen are not allowed to strike or become politically involved for higher wages. They cannot even express their own views publicly without threat of of losing their job. Why aren't we allowed the "freedom of speech" protection the First Amendment offers the rest of the citizens? For oer two months we have been trying to meet with the City Manager in order to negotiate our salaries. He would not even talk to our representatives. He offered us a plan in which, for example, I would receive $2.10 a week raise. This is the first raise in 2V2 years and would be the last raise for another VA years. Just try and live on a salary that increases only $2.10 a week in four years. Sudden involvement After the weekend of tickets we found that hundreds of citizens "suddenly" decided to become involved, the City Manager "suddenly" decided he would meet with us and several other things "suddenly" started to happen. I feel regretful indeed that a society places such restrictions on its public servants that leaves them no alternative mode of action other than that which was taken. It is probably true that what transpired that fateful weekend has lost some of the public's support. I also feel that it made the public aware that we were backed into a corner and were forced to fight back. It is unfortunate that these things have to happen in order for a policeman to feed his family ; but if it comes to a choice between public support "like we have seen in the past" and feeding my family, I have little choice but to choose a way that takes care of my family. It's time fo give up some of our luxuries by Bonnie Cantwell Editor-in-Chief President Nixon suggests to us now that in the midst of the energy crisis aggrevated by Arab countries cutting off part of our oil supply, we should relax clean air regulations and Congress should push through the Alaska pipeline bill with no more haggling. This generation of Americans is one that has had anything it wanted at its fingertips. Americans can buy anything they want at any time of the day and they don't even have to have the money to purchase it. The only things they can't have are things that aren't yet invented. Now it's time to realize that some things won't be with us forever. Our power sources are rapidly becoming inadequate for not only the population increase, but for the increased use of power per person. . Lower temperatures Nixon says we should lower the temperature in our houses thereby saving power. He says we should not drive faster than 50 miles per hour. Nixon is wrong. It's not time to relax the clean air regulations. It is not time to hurry and build a pipeline to Alaska. It's time that Americans did without. We do not need to drive slower; we need to drive less. We do not need to lower the heat in our houses ; we need to wash dishes by hand, open cans without the electric can opener, carve the roast beef with a manual knife, brush our teeth with a toothbrush and not a machine. There is one way to cut down on power consumption in America --rationing. If people were only allowed a limited amount of electricity, they would use it for only the most important appliance. If Americans had a limited amount of gasoline for their cars they would only drive when it was necessary. Relaxing the clean air regulations and building a pipeline to Alaska is not the answer to the power shortage. The whole thing is self-defeating. Nixon has a lot of audacity to suggest lowering temperatures in homes when news sources report that Nixon himself turns his air conditioning up as high as it will go in the summer so he can light a fire and work beside the blaze. Give up luxuries Americans should not be cajoled by politicians who say we can still have everything we want. It's time that Americans really looked at the' situation and gave up some of those luxuries that are draining the country and the world of a limited amount of power. The Signpost urges students to give up some of their electric appliances. It's fine to turn the heat down in our homes, but it is a lot better to quit driving to the grocery store which is only three blocks away. We cannot have everything we want forever. It's time to cut back, time to evaluate the present in terms of the future . It's time for a change in attitudes. We need to look with disgust instead of with envy upon the Lincoln Continental owner. We need to value a mass transit system instead of private cars for everyone. Nixon says you need to turn your heat down in your house. We say we all need to do without all those things we really don't need anyway . 'Signpost1 encourages students to express opinions and ideas The Signpost welcomes student contributions to the editorial page as well as to the rest of the newspaper. Students are encouraged to write editorials on a subject which might be of interest to the studentbody. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use their , voice to express opinions and ideas. The Signpost expecially encourages students with opinions differing from those expressed in the Signpost to write and express opposing ideas. All editorials should be typewritten double-spaced on a 60-space line. They must be signed with the writer's name, and not with "a student" or similar signatures. The Signpost will withhold the writer's name if he can show reason why his name should not be printed. Letters to the editor should also be typewritten double-spaced on a 60-space line. Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer's name and must not be longer than 250 words. All letters and editorials become the property of theSignpost. The newspaper will not print any material which is distasteful or factually incorrect. Material may be submitted to the Signpost office, U.B. 267. Published twice weekly by the Associated Students of Weber State College during fall, winter and spring quarters. Entered as second class mail at the Ogden, Utah, Post Office. Mailing address: Weber State College, 3750 Harrison Blvd., Ogden, Utah 84403. The opinions expressed on the editorial page of the Signpost do not necessarily represent those of the studentbody or the administration. Bonnie Cantwell Editor-in-Chief Wil Grey Managing Editor David Jones Business Manager Dave Midget News Editor Ira Hatch News Editor Debra Malan Features Editor Randy Hollis Sports Editor Mike Dabling Photo Editor |