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Show A13 WtdnesdJY, March 9, 2005 pitai Public Forum Letters to the Editor What is your opinion? The Vernal Express welcomes letters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions on contents, if not libelous, vindictive vin-dictive and in good taste. The letters need to be a reasonable length, two typewritten double spaced pages. Letters must be submitted exclusively to the Vernal Express and bear the writer's writ-er's full name, signature, phone number and address. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing express-ing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in the forum. Letters may be mailed to P.O. Box 1000, Vernal, Utah 84078, faxed at 789-8690 or through email at editorvernal.com. The name or names of the persons submitting letters must appear on all published letters. All letters let-ters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily necessar-ily the opinion of the Vernal Express Editor. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, CHILDREN I IklDPB Twri VP ADC r-kC ACC CUTtf II n 1 NEVER SWITCH TELEVISION! Dog chaining Dear Editor, In his letter ("Cruelty to dogs," March 2 Express), Michael McHale made some good points. Many local dogs are indeed working farm and ranch animals; dogs should be treated with love and kindness; and people do need to keep their animals on their own property, both for the safety of the animal and the welfare of the community. com-munity. However, Mr. McHale implies that chaining or penning a dog is necessary to keep it from running loose. A fenced yard works, too, and is a much better means of confining an animal intended as a pet, which, after all, many dogs are. I personally don't have a problem with a working work-ing dog that is chained during its "off-duty" time; if it really is out herding cows or sheep (or, for that matter, hunting, tracking lost people, pulling pull-ing a sled, etc.) regularly, getting good exercise and enjoying interaction with its master, then it's doing what it was bred to do and probably has a happy and fulfilling life. But what about the non-working dog that is simply a pet, which, incidentally, the dictionary defines as "a domesticated animal kept to fondle and play with"? Why do so many dogs acquired for that purpose also live on chains, with no more attention given to them than a bowl of food and water? Too many people seem to get dogs without much thought for the realities and responsibilities of dog ownership. That irresistibly irresist-ibly cute puppy will grow up in a few months; will they still want to "fondle and play with" it then, or will it end up out back on a chain? Can they take the time to train and exercise it properly prop-erly or will it end up on a chain? Do they really mean to make it part of the family or will it end up on a chain? Or, to put it another way, if all they're going to do is put it out on a chain, why even have a dog? That's what many of us don't understand and would like to see changed. We're not trying to value dogs above people, but simply to value them as the intelligent, loving beings that they are. Linda West Vernal Dog care Dear Editor, On February 16, my 7-year-old was attacked by a large dog in our front yard. The attack resulted result-ed in three long, deep gouges, with each gouge requiring multiple layers of multiple stitches. Had my 7-year-old been human, rather than canine, his attacker most likely would have been euthanized. The fact that my 7-year-old is a dog spared his attacker's life. Despite the attack on Skipper, I continue to advocate for the un-chaining and un-penning of dogs. Contrary to the suggestion in a letter that appeared in last week's Express, I do NOT advocate that un-chained and un penned dogs be allowed to roam free. That is not the position of animal advocates, nor is it a position that has ever appeared in any article that the Express has printed. Those of us who advocate for more humane treatment of dogs (and cats, for that matter) mat-ter) simply acknowledge that they have genetic needs that are not met when they are required to eat, sleep and defecate in a confined space. As was noted in last week's letter, all dogs are descended from wolves. Wolves are pack animals. ani-mals. Pack animals are social animals. A dog who spends endless hours, days, weeks, months and years deprived of any social contact becomes as emotionally damaged as a child who is confined con-fined to an attic or basement. That's not my opinion: it is the opinion of the Humane Society of the United States, formed after years of studying study-ing the effects of chaining and penning on dogs. To suggest that people bring their dogs in out of the cold and that they provide their dogs with mental stimulation, exercise and emotional support is not to give dogs a status equal to or greater than the status of humans. It is to recognize rec-ognize that dogs have particular needs and it is to suggest that, if a person is not committed to providing a dog with the care and attention that it needs as a dog, the person should consider not getting a dog. Working dogs get plenty of exercise and mental men-tal stimulation when they are working their sheep or cattle. The same can not be said of the dogs (and there are too many of them in the Vernal area and too many of them are sporting or working dogs, such as Setters, Huskies and Labs) who are tethered on a chain or confined to a pen, day in and day out; who are never exercised; who are never petted; and who receive no companionship, compan-ionship, no mental stimulation and no support These are dogs that are treated like abandoned cars. Abandoned cars don't have emotional needs; dogs do and dogs deserve to be treated better bet-ter than an old Chevy. "Not a sparrow falls but that God doesn't weep" is a Biblical verse that is dear to many animal advocates' hearts. When we see a chained or penned dog, we weep for the dog, for humankind human-kind and for the Creator of us all who knows that, as His children, we can and should do better. Sand v Hansen No Phone Call Dear Editor, When I saw the three young men from Neola on television, it looked so insincere it was a disgrace. dis-grace. I'll bet they had their fingers crossed the whole time. Which story are we to believe, wrong turn or turned around because they didn't get expenses, which anyone who works on rigs knows sub-pay is not paid until you do the work and get a paycheck. One of the young men (not boys who need a baby-sitter) did not show up because of the twisted situation. I know how worried their families were and I was glad they returned safe, but they needed more than a slap on the hands, they should own up to their actions. They should apologize to the Law Enforcement in Texas and Duchesne County for their time spent and especially to the Harris family. They said they didn't know anyone was looking for them; didn't the motel have a television or their car have a radio? On the way home they got lost a little bit (quote). I could drive straight through to the ocean in 48 hours getting lost a little bit. One of the grandmothers said when they pulled up that it was like the world was lifted off her shoulders, which I'm sure it was but while you were being relieved, the world was crashing down on the Harris family. His wife, brother and sister-in-law were making a grueling straight through trip along with their own family members to Texas, all because of no phone call. When a man takes the time to backtrack, search and finally call the police-because he has lost sight of someone and then for his honest efforts he is detained, questioned, ques-tioned, and told he is to take a lie detector test. I feel the young men should at least say they are sorry with some emotion and regret for their actions. Good luck with your future employers guys, not everyone will sweep this under the rug. The information the family gave Channel ,4 made it sound like Mr. Harris along with Pioneer Drilling were new to the area. Mr. Harris has been a Vernal resident all of his life and is well respected and a very caring family man. He has every right to feel some resentment for all of this. 'Careless actions started the ball rolling, fmgers were pointed and talk showed how an innocent man can get caught up in a bad situation when things are not handled in the right manner. As I said, one phone call could have prevented all of this. Judy C. Peterson Lauri Murray Jensen AHA CPR Dear Editor, I am writing this letter in concern of the misleading mis-leading facts stated by Virginia Harrington in her story entitled, "It's time to acknowledge women's heart 'disease." I am an instructor for the American Heart Association. Nowhere in our teaching guidelines or in the AHA curriculum does it state to teach people to use a "straight stick" to put under a women's arm pit so you can find the nipple line. For her to have made that statement without taking a CPR course is misleading mis-leading to others. The guidelines have always been the same. If she would have listened carefully care-fully to the instructor, I am sure she would have heard the statement of the reference point being changed to make it easier and quicker to find hand placement. Using the nipple line is faster because some people don't know the xiphoid. The anatomy of people is all the same whether you are 20 or 80, or if you are a man or a woman, your nipple line is still the same. People joke about it changing as you age or as she stated some women having larger breast sizes, and I am sure that this was the case with that instructor. I am sure that this is not what was taught to be "AHA guidelines" and for her to say that the new change "doesn't work for women in need of CPR" is also false. I encourage her to take an actual CPR class so she can learn all of the science behind the changes and not just a brief seminar. I'm sure she did not mean to belittle AHA but I was offended by the statements that were made in the aspect that we have tried very hard to teach many people CPR so if the need arises they will know what to do. I have had the opportunity to see it put into effect and the reward of saving someone's life, and for her to state that "AHA has designed a CPR process that makes it difficult to save women in cardiac arrest" is so wrong. I know what she means about heart diseases in women being on the rise. Heart attacks have been the number one cause of death in women for some time. That's why I feel it is so important for women to learn the signs of a heart attack and for the layperson to take a full blown CPR class so that they know what to do when someone is in cardiac arrest I feel that her comments were out of place. Sherri Russell American Heart Association Instructor CPR Reply Dear Editor, The column in your paper that is titled "Gin's Gems" had some very serious errors in information informa-tion that was printed in the March 2 edition. I was in the same meeting as "Gin" listening to the CPR information that was being presented. The changes that the American Heart Association or AHA made in the past few years are the first that really accomplished the simplification of CPR in the field. The instructor was very clear about how to find the "nipple line" on female patients. ZOO Gin's Gems New Vmli mme to UH By Virginia Harrington Express Writer 42nd Street closed on Broadway Jan. 5 of this year. It opened in 1980 at the Kennedy Center and moved to the Ford Center May 2, 2001. It is the second longest running musical in the nation; only Chorus Line had a longer run. The musical musi-cal is performed somewhere in the world every week of every year. Now it's coming to Vernal with an outstanding cast and crew of Uintah High School students. UHS has long been noted for its musical and acting talent. Each year the community wonders won-ders if they will be able to keep it going, and each spring those great kids prove they can. The students have a lot of help from Kevin Dickson who directs the plays, from Reed Hansen who does the musical directing, from Tanya Wheeler who does the choreography and from Cliff Wheeler who helps with the sets. They also have great musicians to back them up, talented tal-ented costume designers and amazing makeup artists. But it's the students themselves who are on stage, in the spotlight, overcoming nerves, building build-ing confidence and entertaining the crowds. They give up their free time, putting in long hours of rehearsal to give their maximum to the performance. 42nd Street is a do not miss opportunity for residents of the Uintah Basin. It opens March 11 and runs for two weeks. Get your tickets now or you will find them sold out. Carla Cleavinger, pianist for the plays for many years, says this is the best of the best. I believe her; she hasn't led me wrong yet. 42nd Street won two Tony awards, two Astair Awards, a Drama Desk award jand two Outer Critic awards during its long run on Broadway. The play, the cast, the crew and the adults who direct them at UHS all deserve the award of a full house. I have my tickets and will definitely not miss the Uintah High School production of 42nd Street. See you there. Yes, there was in this class, as with every class, joking about how the best way to accomplish this landmark should take place. After all of the jokes had stopped, the instructor was very clear that the base of the breast does not change. It is always attached in the same place regardless of enhancement, size, age, or musculature. He advised that the center of the chest between the breast or "nipple line" is where chest compressions compres-sions should be done. There was never any mention men-tion of finding a stick before doing CPR. In the past folks have needed to remember which finger to use to find the xiphoid process at the base of the sternum. Then they had to remember how many fingers above that to place their hands for performing chest compressions. The "nipple line" that AHA teaches resolves all of that and makes it much more simple to do. We want folks to learn how to do CPR and be willing to do it in the field, to allow EMS the few minutes it takes to get to a scene. The way AHA teaches CPR simplifies the process so people are more willing to do this in cardiac arrest situations. What is disappointing about this whole article arti-cle is that someone who missed the information that was given, decided to write an article about it without investigating the subject further. Especially something that is so important in saving lives. I would hope in the future if there is confusion, that the effort will be put forth to find the correct information before standing on a soapbox and misleading people. I have been involved in EMS for over 16 years, and I can tell you first hand that CPR truly makes a difference in cardiac arrest victims. If you don't believe me just ask one of the folks who have a loved one that is still with them because someone some-one started CPR when they went down. Everyone that is able should learn how to do it and be certified. certi-fied. It is a short class and can be accomplished in one evening. The more people we have certified certi-fied in CPR, the more we can help the folks in our community. Dave Basinger, Paramedic Vernal CPR instruction Dear Editor, I would like to address the article in last week's paper about how the AHA had made changes to its guidelines that this individual feels is only for the benefit of men. As an American Heart Association Instructor some of the information infor-mation in this article was incorrect I have never seen any one teach or even discuss placing any item under a woman's arm pit to locate hand placement I would like to show Ms. Harrington that a 14 year-olds hand placement following the previous previ-ous method of location is different than that of their fathers and that their mothers will be different differ-ent from both of theirs. This is because, as we all know, that each individual's hands are not going to be the same size. However, using the new landmark land-mark as a faster and easier way of locating hand placement will benefit any person needing CPR. It has been my experience that using this technique tech-nique on a male or female of larger stature whether wheth-er 40 or 80 will not change the placement. Due to the fact that when a person is lying on their back that the breasts do not lay towards the feet but will lay in a more anatomical position and the location is not difficult to find. The changes that have made by the AGA are not changes that are random. These changes come from a large study group that spend countless hours on research and practical applications so that the world will have the most recent information. "Approximately every five years the American Heart Association updates the guidelines for CPR and Emergerncy cardiovascular care. This update is critical to ensure that the AHA CPR courses contain the best information and recommendations recom-mendations supported by the newest and very best science. The organizations that have taken on these efforts are The Evidence Evaluation Conference and the International Guidelines Conference last held in February 2000. Many AHA and International leaders had pursued a long-term goal of incorporating resuscitation science into development of international guidelines. guide-lines. Fifty percent of the scientists, experts, planners, teachers and participants involved in the conferences were from outside the United States, affiliated with resuscitation councils throughout the world. At all stages of planning, coordination, and implementation. As a result the International Guidelines 2000 are the first to incorporate a consensus on the science by experts from not only a variety of disciplines but also a variety of countries, cultures and citizens." (AHA Guidelines 2000 Instructor Manual). I would like to say that the comments made last week are not correct and that the AHA is very concerned with all ages and genders when they make the new recommendations for the benefit ben-efit of those who need CPR. This is a life saving intervention and does save lives, both male and female. To say that these changes are for men only and that women won't benefit from this is very wrong. I would encourage Ms. Harrington, as well as anyone who is interested in learning CPR and the benefits that come from it to contact either the American Heart Association or Red Cross to get the correct information and enter into a class and learn all the new techniques and the science behind them. Boyd Russell AHA Instructor . |