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Show L Tuesday, July 7, 2009 EDITORIAL [r f I 1 f ^ l WHIM Stflrr..l^nr.Hin 1 HE SIGNPOST **• _ 3 * Signpost Viewpoint MORAL GROUND REPUBUCAN OfEELOOK A word of caution here: Summer fun and safety all in one This time of year is a great opportunity for families and friends to be outdoors. It should also be a time of year for family and friends to be responsibly aware of increasing outdoor related accidents. The month of June was a devastating month for deaths, both nationally and locally. Aside from a sling of celebrity deaths, were a string of Utah accident-related deaths. In a tragic Motocross accident during the middle of June at Rocky Mountain Raceway, an eight-year-old boy died after clearing a jump and hitting a wooden wall during a race. Days later, a 14-month-old boy from Box Elder County died after ingesting or inhaling paint thinner. According to reports, family members were using the chemicals to clean brushes. The child bumped the open can of paint thinnerfromthe table, causing the can to fall on the boy and ingest some of the liquid that covered him. The next day a five-year-old girl from Arizona was shot and killed during her birthday party while visiting her grandparent's home in Iron County. The child and her friend reportedly found a .22 caliber rifle left unattended under the bed and somehow the girl was shot and killed accidentally. On the coattails of this accident, a 7-year-old boy from Uintah County died after his father accidentally buried the boy alive under nearly two feet of dirt. A few boys were playing on a dirt pile. Nearby the father of the boy was using a bulldozer to move dirt around for construction of a "On average, every new home, reports say initially all three boys were covered with dirt, year in Utah more but the older two were able to dig themselves out. than 1,300 Utahns Injury is the leading cause of death for all Utah children die as a result of and adults ages 1-44, and kills an injury, the VIPP 3.5 people every day, according to statistics from the Utah states." Department of Health Violence & Injury Prevention Program [VIPP]. During the same week in June, another 7-year-old boy from Draper died after the AXVhe was riding ran into a dump truck that was driving on a dirt road. The boy and his 12-year-old sister were wearing helmets, but were ptjierwise unattended as they rode together on a dirt road near the family's property. According to Utah law, "a person under eight years of age may not operate and an owner may not give another person who is under eight years of age permission to operate an off-highway vehicle on any public land, trail, street, or highway of this state." Over the 4th of July holiday weekend, a 17-year-old boy with a rare genetic disease, which left him in wheelchair most of his life, drowned after falling out of a raft during a ride over a second dass-3 rapid. The boy was wearing a life jacket, however his illness limited his mobility and balance. The recent plethora of outdoor related accidents does not mean incidents are necessarily on the rise, according to VIP?, but rather an understanding that thistimeof year shows and increase in outdoor-related accidents. On average, every year in Utah more than 1,300 Utahns die as a result of an injury, the VIPP states. Locally, in late June, a Plain City parent backed up and ran over her 1-year-old child as she was leaving the driveway and didn't see her toddler walking behind the truck. Thankfully the child is expected to make a full recovery. The Signpost means no disrespect to those families or friends mentioned who have lost lqved ones during the past few months, rather we hope to use these fatal examples of accidents as an opportunity to express concern for the importance of added awareness of those around you during these summer months. , Accidents will always happen and hindsight is always perfect, however, where does a parent draw the line between over-parenting their child and allowing their child thefreedomto explore and learn? We at The Signpost feel .these devastating and tragic events could be prevented as parents and friends practice the simple steps of attending to a child with more caution and added awareness of those around you during this fun, yet accident-prone time pf year. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Editor-in-chief Managing Editor News Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Business Editor Features Editor A&E Editor Adviser Ad Manager; Office Manager Frances Kelsey Gina Barker Cimaron Neugebauer Matthew Maynes Bryan Butterfield Kaylyn Bernard Matthew Winters Jonah Napoli i Allison Hess Shelley Hart Georgia Edwards 626-7121 626-7614 626-7655 626-7983 626-6358 626-7624 626-7621 626-7105 626-7499 626-6359 626-7974 -The Signpost is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during fall and spring semesters. Subscription is $18 a semester.. First newspaper copy free, each additional copy $0.50. -The Signpost if a student publication, written, edited, and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced arc not necessarily endorsed by the university. Vie Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. -Utters must include name, address, telephone number, relationship to staff, and the writer's signature. -The Signpost reserves the right (o edit for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter, tetters should not exceed 350 word*. Bring letters to the editorial office in the Student Union 401. or mail to: Ihe Signpost, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah 84408-2110. Altn:Jesska Schreifels. E-mail thesignpost@weber.edu A bit of common sense: That funny little Palin girl up and quit Gina Barker Signpost columnist Only months ago Sarah Palin was the VP candidate of the Republican Party and hailed as the answer to Democrats and Obama by her supporters. Even in the McCain team's defeat, her potential as a presidential candidate in the 2012 elections lingered as a serious threat. Where is she now? Well, she's no longer governor of Alaska...or at least she won't be for SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS long; she announced her intentions Sarah Ralin announces her resignation to a crowd on Friday. to step down on Friday, just before to sue the media and any bloggers Independence Day. Her official last negative press. day is July 26th, where her Lt. Gov. . Palin's spokeswoman, Meg who speculated her reasoning for Sean Parnell will assume command. Stapleton, was in New York at the stepping down. I'm sure all the Alaskans who voted time Palin stepped down. In a So these potential lawsuits that her into office appreciated that move. painful and confusing interview with Palin and her attorney are threatening So you might be asking yourself, Anderson Cooper on CNN, Stapleton are in response to reporters and what happened? There are no real had a rough time explaining Palin's bloggers reporting that there are answers yet explaining why she actions when she couldn't give any rumors on why Palin is stepping stepped down 18 months ahead of reasoning behind Palin's motives yet down as governor three and a half years before the next presidential schedule. Palin has yet to indicate still attempted to justify them. But I guess run. Reporting that rumors exist is whether she will the reason Palin not the same thing as saying they are continue her "She doesn't want is stepping true. political career by preparing the office, she just down, from what Sorry Sarah, but you live in a platform for I gathered in America. We have free press here. a presidential likes running for that interview, Either own up to why you quit or deal run or if she's is that Palin is a with the media scrutiny, those are just done with office. She doesn't leader because the options. Whether she resigned politics all want (can't actually) in basketball a for "personal reasons," an FBI together. But leader will pass investigation against her, or future the news media accomplish anything, a ball to another political goals, she needs to make it tried to fill in player and that's clear why she did what she did and the gaps by she just wants to talk okay. And Palin is why she did it in the most abrupt doing what they helping America manner possible. do best: trying about it" by leading On the popular political blog to uncover why - Alaska Girl, Americans by Wonkette.com, a comment left by she decided to Wonkette.com stepping down a reader summed up Palin's actions step down as as governor. For quite nicely. So much so, that governor. And the record, that Wonkette declared it as the comment is the amount of sense Palin and her of the afternoon, and I have to agree that speculation has sent Palin off people are making right now.. .none! there is some good insight. the deep end. Several tweets from Over the Fourth, she tweeted her Alaska Girl wrote, "She didn't finish her TWitter account pushed back at the media, telling her supporters way into an even more permanent her term as mayor, stepping down to to hang in there and ignore the state of insanity when threatening run for Lt. Governor. She didn't finish her term on the petroleum board ethics panel; she resigned in protest and then ran for Governor. She doesn't want the office, she just likes running for office. She doesn't want TH€ U f l (can't actually) accomplish anything, she just wants to talk about it* Does the U.S. need to reform it's True? Possible. health care system? Even fellow GOP members couldn't make heads or tails of Palin's decision, and outspoken criticism from Huckabee and Rove described her venture as "risky" political behavior. She departed as governor leaving an even greater segmented GOE no thanks to her oddball behavior. I can't help but think this impromptu resignation will label Mrs. Palin as a big, fat Quitter. And "quitter" just doesn't quitefitwell with "future president." In the end though, Sarah Palin's political suicide just doesn't bother me too much, or at all. Goodbye Sarah. Hope to see you never. ; Source: http://www.wsusignpost.com Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. |