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Show Monday, September 14, 2009 HE SIGNPOST EDITORIAL Signpost Viewpoint AfRLINES RATCHET UP PREVENTION OP SW\N£ FLU 6009 NeWS/ TH£ DOCTOR PASSENGER weTHOOGHi MIGHT HAVF5WINE FLU 5AYS HE DOESN'T. H t t L RETURN TO H IS SEAT AT OV« N6XT STOP / Verbal garbage American civility is an elusive ideal *, . , SOURCE: AP Exchange Sen. Joe Wilson shouts "You lie!" during President Obama's healthcare speech. Vanishingfromthe lives of many Americans is a sincere effort to be respectful of those with whom they do not agree. As more Americans fail to pursue civility in their public and private conversations, the nation will be crippled at a time when it needs to be united to meet the challenges that fill the horizon. The nation is saturated with evidence that being polite is no longer the "in" thing to do. One piece of evidence came Wednesday night when, after Obama promised that proposed healthcare reform would not provide coverage for illegal immigrants, South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson shouted, "You lie." Let's step back and observe the consequences of that single act and then determine if we want to be part of the change or part of the problem. There have already been immense personal consequences for Wilson. Awebsite launched by his constituents dubs Wilson a "heckler" and asks for campaign donations for his political opponent. Within hours after his outburst, his political challenger, Rob Miller, had raised more than $50,000 for his election campaign, a number that has risen substantially since. Wilson's voice has lost legitimacy in the house. Sen. Arlen Spector, D-Pa., said via Twitter that Wilson should be reprimanded or even censured. But it's not only Democrats that have expressed their disapproval; Republicans have done likewise. The reaction Wilson has received should serve to keep other congressmen in check as they remember they are accountable to a higher standard. Wilson is entitled to his beliefs on healthcare reform, but his expression of those beliefs was poor. However, it is not this single act or any like it that should concern Americans. Instead they should be concerned with the standard of civility in which he operated as he accused his president of lying. His act was denounced by fellow congressmen/constituents, and journalists, but in forums outside Congress, it would have likely gone unnoticed. The place of any verbal attack should not matter when assessing if it has a place in society. The attitude that allows such attacks to multiply is being adopted by too many politicians, national commentators and citizens. This attitude pollutes every forum in which it is given life. It can pollute Congress, the White House, newsrooms, restaurants, street corners and even the homes of America. It erodes personal integrity and credibility It creates wide chasms over which legitimate ideas cannot cross. These chasms are formed between individuals who may carry ideas that could change the nation for the commongood. Whenever personal insult becomes part of the conversation, that conversation has lost all potential to benefit its contributors. It is possible to meet the challenges of the 21st century while preserving and enhancing the government that has guarded thefreedomof Americans. But America must wake up and grow up. A high standard of conversation must again be valued by the majority of Americans. It is only in unity and mutual respect that the country will befitto meet the worldwide economic, political, social and environmental challenges of the 21st century. _ .. , Comment on this column at wsusignpost.com. rin f^i WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY 1 HE SIGNPOST Editor-in-chief Managing Editor News Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Features Editor A&E Editor Adviser - * ; > Ad Manager Office Manager Frances Kelsey Gina Barker Right Again Just when you thought it Was safe to get back in the water... Michael Farr • Signpost columnist • - • • - • . It seems that all you hear about these days is reform - healthcare reform to be precise. Healthcare reform, though, goes hand in hand with something else. I'm sure you've all heard of Tort Reform and if we get something done on this front, then we may just kill two birds with one stone. * I'm truly surprised that nothing has been done about this. After all, experts onboth sides, left and right, agree that defensive medicine drastically increases the cost of healthcare. You see, that's because doctors are forced to use defensive medicine (ordering all kinds of procedures and tests) to avoid being sued out of house and home on fantastic charges. Estimates of the savings of Tort Reform range from the conservative estimate of $65 billion to the more hopeful estimate of $200 billion. You may have noticed, my friends, that those are not small numbers. Actually those are really big numbers. Even on the small end of the range, that is big. Considering the huge possibilities here, it's surprising Matthew Maynes 626-7983 Bryan Butterfield 626-6358 ShayLynne Clark Jonah Napoli Allison Hess Shelley Hart Georgia Edwards 626-7621 626-7105 626-8526 626-6359 626-7974 In response to: Yn response tori "Organ donation incentive for college "TOP FIVE: Best program..! just would like to know what Weber State plans to do with the money if we were-to win. ;^-Jack ^ p o s t e d 9/11/09 @ 1:30 p.m. Comment on this column at; wsusignpost.com. it has to be started first. * •;;s funniest) pick up the best pick up line is to just open your mouth! I have seen so many times ' when opportunities have. been lost because people were just too scared to just say hi. The conversation will usually lead itself, but posted 9/11/09 @ 8:27 a.m. Wow. Hahahahaha. I ' hadn't heard most of those. I don't know what I would : do if someone said one to x$ ine. Freak out maybe? haha. i Archibald \ posted 9/11/09 @ 10:49 a.m.-' Online comments are editedfor libel and language only, all other aspects arc the orginal form in wjaich the authors : .Ji' % .wrote them. -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 $030. -The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited, and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost welcomes letteato the editor. Letters must include name, address, telephone number, relationship to staff, and the writer's signature. -The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Bring letters to the editorial office in the Student Union 401, or mail to: The Signpost, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah 84408-2110. AttruFrances Kelsey. E-mail thesignpost@weber.edu and other Democrats with huge contributions. Guess which industry lobbyists contributed the most to the Democratic Party in the 2006 election year? You may have seen where I'm going with this. Yes, the legal industry, and they paid out $34 million. Numerous individual Democrats currently in power have received substantial campaign contributions from other trial lawyers and bars. Not to mention that so very many of the members of our Congress, House and^wBftate, on both sides, were lawyers or legal professionals of some variety,**** The president and Congress are in the pocket of those special interests. They are bought and paid for and now it's time for them to deliver. It doesn't matter what; they say; look at what they do. If logic were the motivation here, Tort, Reform would be in the works, but logic is not the motivator. ;' I would love to see some serious Tort Reform and through that, the drastic lowering of health care costs. If that doesn't fix our health care issue, then I'd certainly be open to. hearing some of the same ideas for. reform1 that are out there. Let's not get steamrolled into Obamacare.That's not going to help anyone. ; |nUne:cpmnientsi^i 626-7121 626-7614 Cimaron Neugebauer 626-7655 nothing has been done. Especially when you consider that, depending on the poll,-anywhere from 70 to 80 percent of Americans agree we need to do something. So why is Congress not getting the hint? Why is President Obama going off on doctors, saying they get $30,000 to $50,000 from an amputation below the knee? Such a surgery only costs $1,500 according to Dr. Richard Rafal, a doctor from New York, and another American doctor, Dr. Rich Peairs, s^d4ie/only«i£eeiveai>$8ii2• for such a surgery. So, to quote Rep. Jo.e Wilson, 'VYjau.liel!!**.^,^^,-. Why does Obama want to ration health care? Why dpes Obama want to put panels of bureaucrats and lawyers in power over the physicians? We all know government committees can make hard decisions fast, and that their members have all studied or practiced medicine for nearly a decade at least, so that makes sense, I'suppose. In all seriousness, though, why are the president and Congress completely' ignoring this? Even though our president says things like, "I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are," that is, in fact, exactly what he is doing. He is pandering specifically to the group that supported him . • \:-'\dJ*,i*:v'i^'' • .# ' "• M-r^ lEITTNG THE STANDARD : HIGHER for CAMPUS NEWS , . / • |