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Show 12 SPRINGVILLE HERALD Thursday, June 29,2006 Put the "Independence" back in Independence Day Michael S. Berliner Jefferson and Washington Washing-ton fought a war for the principle of independence, meaning the moral right of an individual to live his own life as he sees fit. America's cities and towns will soon fill with parades, fireworks, and barbecues. They will be celebrating celebrat-ing the Fourth of July, the 230th birthday of America. But one hopes that the speeches will contain fewer few-er bromides and more attention at-tention to exactly what is being celebrated. The Fourth of July is Independence Day, but America's leaders and intellectuals in-tellectuals have been trying try-ing to move us further and further away from the meaning of Independence Day, away from the philosophy phi-losophy that created this country. ' What we hear from politicians, poli-ticians, intellectuals, and the media is that independence indepen-dence is passe, that we've reached a new age of "interdependence." "in-terdependence." We hear demands for mandatory "volunteering" to serve others, for sacrifice to the nation. We hear demands from trust-busters that successful suc-cessful companies be punished pun-ished for being "greedy" and not serving society, 'But this is not the message mes-sage of America. It is the direct opposite of why America became a beacon bea-con of hope for the truly oppressed throughout the world. They have come here to escape poverty aijd dictatorship; dicta-torship; they have come here to live their own lives, where they aren't owned by the state, the community commu-nity or the tribe. "Independence Day" is a critically important title. It signifies the fundamental fundamen-tal meaning of this nation, not just of the holiday. The American Revolution remains unique in human history: a revolution-and a nation-founded on a moral principle, the principle of individual rights. Jefferson at Philadelphia and Washington Wash-ington at, Valley Forge, pledged their "lives, fortunes, for-tunes, and sacred honor." For what? Not for mere separation from England, not-like most rebels-for the "freedom" to set up their own tyranny. In fact, Britain's tyranny over the colonists was mild compared com-pared to what most current cur-rent governments do to their citizens. Jefferson and Washington Washing-ton fought a war for the principle of independence, meaning the moral right of an individual to live his own life as he sees fit. Independence was proclaimed pro-claimed in the Declaration of Independence as the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." What are these rights? The right to life means that every individual has a right to his own independent indepen-dent life, that one's life belongs be-longs to oneself, not to others oth-ers to use as they see fit. The right to liberty means the right to freedom free-dom of action, to act on one's own judgment, the right not to have a gun pointed at one's head and be forced to do what someone some-one else commands. And the right to the pursuit pur-suit of happiness means that an individual may properly pursue his own happiness, e.g., his own career, ca-reer, friends, hobbies, and not exist as a mere tool to serve the goals of others. The Founding Fathers did not proclaim a right to the attainment of happiness, hap-piness, knowing full well that such a policy would carry with it the obligation obliga-tion of others to make one happy and result in the enslavement en-slavement of all to all. The Declaration of Inde- r DOLLARS - DOLLARS I Looking for a close convenient place to turn your scrap into cash. We buy all types of Metals, Steel, Autos, Appliances, Aluminum, Aluminum Cans, Copper, Brass, Radiators, Stainless, Batteries. We offer Competitive Prices, Fast Friendly Service, and a True Commitment to our Customers, Stop by and Give Us Airy! 1 y x. .2 MOB RECYCLING 550 North Geneva Road Orem C (BP 1 ) 225-DDOT) r 4. pendence was a declaration declara-tion against servitude, not just servitude to the Crown but servitude to anyone. (That some signers still owned slaves does not negate the fact that they, established the philosophy that doomed slavery.) Political independence is not a primary. It rests on a more fundamental type of independence: the independence indepen-dence of the human mind. It is the ability of a human being to think for himself and guide his own life that makes political independence indepen-dence possible and necessary. neces-sary. The government as envisaged en-visaged by the Founding Fathers existed to protect the freedom to think and to .act on one's thinking. If human beings were unable un-able to reason, to think for themselves, there would be no autonomy or independence indepen-dence for a government to protect. It is this independence that defines the American Revolution and the American Ameri-can spirit. To the Founding Fathers, there was no authority higher than the individual mind, not King George, not God, not society. Reason, Rea-son, wrote Ethan Allen, is "the only oracle of man," and Thomas Jefferson advised us to "fix reason firmly in her seat and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence ex-istence of a God." That is the meaning of independence: in-dependence: trust in your own judgment, in reason; do not sacrifice your mind to the state, the church, the race, the nation or your neighbors. Independence is the '.Aim , i 1 r , wsSSTS-s? aft - v mm f ... . ' ; T,.,li iilili' f I 7. 8000 . 0 t.a StP 4 95 1 & .-.SZ&viil&t Bi " f i V ii F- xr -V. MKSW M if.' f - ;M.'iS.:.A: .v;,;.---iffP- COUNTRY LEGENDS ej-fju I? Copies Plus Printing. Inc. foundation of America. Independence In-dependence is what should be celebrated on Independence Indepen-dence Day. That is the legacy our Founding Fathers left us. It is a legacy We should keep, not because it is a legacy, but because it is right and just. It has made America the freest and most pros perous country in history. Michael S. Berliner is co-chairman co-chairman of the board of directors of the Ayn Rand Institute in Irvine,. Calif. Yhe Institute promotes Objectivism, the philosophy philoso-phy of Ayn Rand-author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead." i Ai,. .'j , He Pet Dish , Dr. Harold Davis D.V.M. Si; MT. WEST ANIMAL HOSPITAL, SPRINGVILLE ':iNM When caring for your pet's teeth the Cardinal Rule is: don,1 feed your dog or cat sweets; sugar clings to the teeth and supports bacteria growth, which eventually can lead to tooth and gum disease. Crunchy food helps clean his teeth, and it also massages mas-sages and strengthens the gums. Your dog's teeth also will benefit' from chewing on hard, dry biscuits, rubber toys made for pets and rawhide-type treats. You should examine your pet's mouth once a week. If possible, start the examinations as soon as your puppy or kitten is a few weeks old. That will accustom your pet to the routine so he'll be easier to handle when he's grown. Periodontal Disease, inflammation or.infection of the gums is what makes pet dental care critical. Periodontal Disease is by far the most common cause of tooth loss in pets. Periodontal Disease may begin when tartar or hardened hard-ened plaque starts to form on the teeth. You'll probably notice some of this dark orange or brownish deposit near the gum line often on the outside of the animal's upper molars, when your pet is a year or two old. Gums that are swollen, infected, reddened and tender also indicate in-dicate your pet may have Periodontal Disease. Unlike people, pets aren't cavity prone. Tough tooth enamel, plus alkaline saliva, make cavities in dogs and cats rare. If a cavity does appear, it will look like a black spot, usually near the gum line or on top of the tooth. Get in the habit of cleaning your pet's teeth when you examine them each week. If plaque stays on your pet's teeth for longer than a week, then deposit may harden and become difficult to remove. Cleaning your pets teeth can be a simple process. Here is how you do it: Wrap moist gauze or a washcloth wash-cloth around your finger. Dip your finger in a mixture that's half salt and half baking soda, and then wipe each tooth on both sides from the gum to the crown. (Take care that your pet doesn't swallow much of the cleaning clean-ing solution.) Massage the gums as you go with clean gauze dipped in water. Be especially gentle the first few times you clean your pets teeth, and most importantly, lavish praise on your pet as you clean. For an adult pet that's used to the routine, you can try applying the soda mixture mix-ture with a child's soft toothbrush.- Another option is using a solution of hydrogen peroxide perox-ide and water (mix approximately one teaspoonful peroxide per-oxide with one half cup of water) which is even more effective in destroying oral bacteria. The bubbly hydrogen hydro-gen peroxide solution works to remove food particles from between your pet's teeth. But this foaming action may upset your pet and even cause him to vomit. Most toothpastes for people foam too, and they ARE NOT recommended for dogs and cats. To remove stubborn food particles, use your finger or a toothpick, or try a water toothpick or water pistol. Keep on the lookout for other signs of trouble as welL With few exceptions, persistent bad breath means that your pet has some form of oral or Periodontal Disease anything from swollen gums to abscessed teeth (not always al-ways visible to the pet owner). If your pet paws at his jaw, continually tilts or shakes his head, growls while eating, or refuses food altogether, altogeth-er, it could signal that a tooth is chipped, broken, loose, abscessed or aching from advanced decay. There are different dental problems at different ages: a pup or kitten, 3 to 5-months-old begins to lose his deciduous de-ciduous or baby teeth and permanent teeth come in. Sometimes baby teeth don't fall out, and a veterinarian veterinar-ian usually will pull the baby tooth to make room for its permanent replacement. If the teeth are allowed to double up they can interfere with your-pet's normal bite or make chewing difficult. At middle age, there's increased threat of Periodontal Disease. This causes the destruction of the bone, gums and membranes that surround the teeth. Usually cats and small dogs fed completely on soft diets and table scraps are especially prone to develop this disease. At Mountain West Animal Hospital we have a new, Ultrasonic Teeth Cleaner for our pets. Animals should be periodically checked for teeth problems. Pacific Horizon CREDIT UNION ! 96 E. Center Springville 489-3603 r f - n CD. FOR ONE YEAR Stop by or call today for more Information! WiAI,lKH,--!.J Ckkdu -Unions lender |