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Show o ttitaw Page 2 Orcm-Gcncva Tlmca Wednesday, May 22, 1991 pinion Orem Graduation Prayer With the end of the school year just a week away, seniors at Orem High School and Mountain View High School are looking forward to graduation exercises scheduled for Thursday, May 30. Because of the large number of graduates at both schools, their graduation exercises will both be held at the Marriott Center on BYU campus.' Mountain View High School's ceremonies will be held at 2:00 p.m., and Orem High School's ceremonies will be held at 5:00 p.m. And as a result of a ruling by U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Greene, both schools will be allowed to have prayers that are non-denominational and voluntary. Up until the ruling handed down May 15, 1991, there was some doubt that prayers would be allowed at graduation ceremonies in Alpine School District. A lawsuit had been filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, asking for a preliminary injunction to outlaw prayers this spring. In ruling against the ACLU motion Judge Thomas wrote: 'It should be recognized that high school students are not "babes in arms' and that in fact they are mature enough to understand that a school does not endorse or promote a religion by permitting non-denominational prayers." SUPREME COURT RULING DUE In the ACLU lawsuit Alpine and Granite school districts were named as part of an effort to ban as unconstitutional prayers in Utah's 40 school districts. Arguments on this lawsuit have been postponed while the federal court in Utah waits for a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on a similar case in Rhode Island. In his ruling Judge Thomas said the plaintiffs-two seniors and two teachers at Orem High School- had not convinced him they would suffer if prayers were permitted before the lawsuit comes to trial. The Alpine School District Attorney argued that seniors should be allowed to decide whether invocations and benedictions are offered at their graduation, under free-speech guarantees. The response fromUCLU Utah Executive Director Michele Parish was that she was "sickened" by the ruling because "the court has permitted this kind of practice to continue without any restraints." ''IftteE. Weeks T It was impossible to see as much of Australia as we would have liked to have done, but five days is hardly long enough to see the many sights and places in that extraordinary country. Leaving Australia behind, we flew over the Tasman Sea to Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. Viewing the harbor, we could see why Auckland is known as the City of Sails, for sailboats were docked by the hundreds all around the harbor. Harbor cruises are one of the most popular tourist attractions, and a myriad of them are offered for exploring the historic island retreats of Kawau and Great Barrier Bar-rier out in the great Hauraki Gulf. Auckland-the largest city in New Zealand, and now a major tourist destination-was bought by the British from the Maoris in 1840 for $56. Some blankets, clothing, tomahawks, tobacco, cooking pots, sugar and flour were thrown in for good measure. In those days a visitor would have seen little more than a few tents and huts dotted among a sea of ferns. The first Lieutenant-Governor General, Captain William Hobson, named the City Auckland Auck-land as a tribute to the Earl of Auckland, then Viceroy of India. It remained the Capital of New Zealand until 1865 when the Government relocated in Wellington Wel-lington which was considered a more suitable site. POPULATION ONE MILLION Today, Auckland houses close to a million people and is the leading lead-ing commercial center in the country. But perhaps its biggest drawing card is its unique geography, geog-raphy, offering some of the best scenery in the world. Bridging two harbors, the Waitemata and the Manukua, Auckland is situated on 60 extinct volcanic cones which form a network of beautiful parks and reserves. Our tour of the War Memorial Museum in Auckland was memorable. It provides a colorful showcase of the Maori culture, as well as exhibits reflecting many facets of New Zealand's history. GLOW-WORM CAVES Leaving Auckland behind, we next traveled through the lush-green lush-green farmlands of the Waikato Valley to Waitomo and the glowworm glow-worm caves. There is the home of those tiny blue worms whose light fills caves with an eerie glow. Orem-Qeneva limes USPS 411-700 Published each Wednesday for $10.00 per year by the Orem-Geneva Orem-Geneva Times, 546 South State Street, Orem, Utah 84058. Second Class postage paid at Orem, Utah 84057 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the OremGeneva Times, P.O. Box 65, Orem, Utah 84059 Gliding in a small boat into the caves, we could see the tiny creatures, crea-tures, clinging to the ceilings of the caves, emitting star-like phosphorescence in the dark. Trailing from each one was a sticky thread which flying insects would encounter and find themselves them-selves soon on the menu of the worm. Next, we traveled to Rotorua, an ancestral home of the Maori people. This medium-sized city attracts tourists from all over the world to its thermal reserve at Whakarewarewa, where we witnessed wit-nessed boiling mud pools, 60-foot-high geysers, and numerous vents spouting steam. Reminiscent Reminis-cent of our own Yellowstone park, this phenomenon on the other side of the world was every bit as remarkable as Yellowstone. ANCIENT MAORI VILLAGE And built right next to the thermal reserve is a re-creation of an ancient Maori village, peopled by a number of nearby Maori residents resi-dents who are also members of the LDS Church. That evening, we were treated to another spectacular tradition of the South Pacific-the "Hangi." This Maori tradition is the equivalent to the Hawaiian luau with delicious dishes of native meats, fruits and vegetables being served in the traditional manner. Following the Hangi, we were treated to a whole host of memorable dances, songs and war chants, depicting the culture of these truly wonderful and unique uni-que people. OLD WITH NEW Next, we traveled to Hamilton, Hamil-ton, the commercial center of Waikato which just became a city in 1945. Hamilton combines the old with the new, as it has a university, teachers' training college, col-lege, LDS college and temple, and three agricultural center. At the LDS temple, I was surprised to find as director of the Information Center, Calvin Rudd, who with his wife are serving serv-ing a mission there, I have known Cal for nearly 60 years, but I did not know he was in New Zealand. Winding up our memorable time in New Zealand, we took our - coach back to Auckland where we would board our flight for Nadi, Fyi. One of these days, I hope to go back to new Zealand and rent a mini-van to really see that wonderful country that has so much to offer.. .almost as much1 to' offer as I will find at home Under Timpanogos Green. LONG-STANDING PRAYER DEBATE The issue of prayer in schools is one that has sparked a long-standing debate locally, as well as nationally. Advocates and opponents have been articulate and vocal in expressing their views through the media, and it appears that the matter may be resolved, one way or another, following the expected ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on a Rhode Island case in the fall. Meanwhile, it has been a long time since an issue has caused such a debate in Utah and throughout the nation. Emotions run high when such a sensitive matter as prayer is made the subject of discussion in nearly every gathering. Sincere people who may agree on many other things find themselves on opposite sides of the fence, as far as prayer in the schools is discussed. One woman says: "I object to prayers in schools, school graduations and other public meetings. I am not an atheist I am a member of a church and my religious beliefs are very important to me. I strongly suspect you might find my method of prayer offensive. However, it is based on religious beliefs that are as important to me as yours are to you." . PRESENTED A PETITION An Orem High School senior wanted to keep prayer at Orem High's graduation exercises last year. She presented a petition signed by 200 of her classmates, asking the Alpine School Board to "consider the feelings of the majority." She claimed the removal of prayer would "discredit the Pledge of Allegiance's 'One Nation Under God" and contradict the motto In God We Trust.'" Responding to her petition, one man asked "Who's going to consider con-sider the feelinp of the minority? Being in the majority (Christian) doesn't justify trampling the rights of a minority (atheists)." An Orem mother wrote: "At a time when nations seem to be swaying to compromise and good will, I find it strange that we have to fight among ourselves over such a precious issue as freedom and rights. What those who would go prayerless don't seem to understand, Guest Editorial Alpine Board of Education took stance on prayer issue By Michael L. Robinson Public Information Officer Alpine School District i It has been a year now since the Alpine District received a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the District's 80 year practice of allowing student prayers at graduation ceremonies. The letter was intimidating and blatantly arrogant. It assumed that the district was in open violation of constitutional law and precedent and assured Superintendent Baugh that the ACLU would become the watchdog for any such activities and "prevent andor arrest" such horrid atrocities from happening. The letter also demanded that the district submit policies and plans regarding graduation prayer to the ACLU. Remember to drive safely during Memorial Day holiday The Utah Safety Council estimates es-timates that five Utahns may die in traffic accidents this Memorial Day weekend. In 1990, six persons per-sons were killed during this holiday period. The holiday officially offi-cially begins at 6:00 pm Friday, May 24, and ends at 11:59 pm on Monday, May 27. Memorial day weekend marks the beginning of the "101 critical days of summer." More motor vehicle accidents happen during this time than at any other time during the year. Approximately 39 percent ofaU fatalities occur during the months of June, July and August. Excessive speed is the number one factor associated with traffic deaths. ' Robert Parenti, Director of the Utah Safety Council, offers motorists the following safe driving driv-ing tips: Allow plenty of travel time, an d do not speed, even if you are behind schedule. It's better to "arrive "ar-rive alive" than not at all. Do not drink and drive. If you plan on drinking alcoholic beverages, use the "Designated Driver" program, where one person per-son in the group refrains from drinking and assumes the responsibility for driving the others home safely. Wear your safety belt, even ' for short trips, and fasten children into approved child safety seats. A Buckle Up American! Week In recognition of Buckle up America! Week, May 20-27, Utah City-County Health Department today strongly encouraged en-couraged all motorist to use safety belts on every trip in a motor vehicle. According to Clark Swenson, Buckle up America! Week is a national campaign highlighting the lifesaving potential poten-tial of safety seats and air bags. "Many people just don't realize real-ize how your chances of serious injury or death are reduced significantly sig-nificantly if you wear safety belts. More than 20,000 lives have been saved by seat belts use alone from 1983 through 1989," Clark said. "In 1982, before any state had a seat belt use law, America buckled up at an 11 percent rate. Use of safety belts has more than quadrupled since then in response to increased law enforcement enfor-cement efforts and public information infor-mation campaigns. As encouraging encourag-ing as these results are, it's not enough! People are still being killed on our highways because they didn't take the three seconds Issue Provokes crash at only 30 mph will hurl an unbelted passenger forward with a force equal to that of falling out of a third-story window. Have your vehicle inspected and tuned before any long trips. The mechanic should pay special attention to the brakes, tires and cooling system. Use the "two-second" rule to judge safe following distances. Count the seconds from the time the vehicle in front of you passes a stationary object to the time you pass. It is less than two seconds, you are too close. During bad weather, slow irour speed, turn on your head-ights head-ights and increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. To fight fatigue on long trips, stop every 90 minutes for rest, eat light meals, exercise, and rotate drivers. If you travel alone and feel sleepy, stop and get rest. The Council encourages everyone to have a safe holiday and to return to work injury free. If you would like more infonna-tion, infonna-tion, please do not hesitate to contact con-tact the Utah safety council at 801-533-5851 or outside Salt Lake metro area at 800-933-5943. The Utah Safety Council is a private, nonprofit, public service ser-vice organization dedicated to reducing the number of accidents and the resulting injuries. needed to buckle up. That s inexcusable!" inex-cusable!" Clark also stressed the importance impor-tance of using safety belts even if your car is equipped with an air bag. "Many people don't realize that air bags are only effective in a front-end collision. You still must wear a safety belt in case of a rear-end, side impact, or a rollover crash. For the best possible protection, protec-tion, use tne 'winning combination of safety belts and ait wage. In addition, Clark reminded parents of young children to protect them in a child s afety seat that is installed and used correctly. correct-ly. "Child restraints are credited with saving about 238 lives in 1989 alone. That a a good record, but it can be improved with everyone's participation." Clark stated that this week's safety belt awareness activities will coincide with the Memorial Day weekend, the holiday that, traditionally signals the begin-i ningofthe summer travel season. ! is that to many, prayer is a real source of strength to them. Whether heavenly help is fictitious or real is inconsequential. What is important impor-tant is, that to the believer, prayer adds direction, motivation and peace to their lives." ; , PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT In 1989 Sen. Orrin G. Hatach introduced a proposed constitutional almendment that would allow a period of short prayer or meditation in public schools. TT . , . , . "The First Amendment protects religious liberty, Hatch i said in sponsoring the measure. "In my opinion, the framers intended the children to pray in schools. This has been so throughout most of our country's history." Obviously, there will never be a unanimity of opinion as to whether or not prayer should be allowed at high school graduation exercises. In a recent poll of 600 respondents conducted by the Salt Lake Tribune, 79 percent of all those responding said prayer should be allowed, while 18 percent said prayer should not be allowed. Ninety-one percent of IDS respondents said prayer should be allowed, while 6 percent said prayer should not be allowed. Thus, it appears that some members of the dominant religion in Utah differ as to whether or not prayers should be allowed at high school graduation gradua-tion exercises. SPIRIT OF CONCILIATION In a spirit of conciliation we suggest that a new approach be taken to the problem by substituting the following: "As a prelude to this (graduation, sports activity, school play) let us join in a moment of silence where each may pray or reflect on a topic of their choice." Such a practice may never completely satisfy those who fiercely espouse public prayer, but it should not offend those who reject it, either. But more importantly, it may remove a real source of conflict from the schools and allow them to get their attention back on the critical task of educating our children. The Alpine Board of Education responded quietly but forcefully to the bullying tactics of the ACLU. The response said simply: "The Alpine District Board of Education fully intends to allow this tradition to continue, and to defend in court its right to do so." It was a courageous decision: one which may cost the district thousands of dollars in needed revenues, one that could erode some patron support, one which left the Alpine Board of Education standing alone among other districts in the State. But on May 15th, in the federal court of Judge Thomas Greene, -the Alpine Board of Education was vindicated. In denying the plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction, Judge Greene did more than allow graduation prayers to continue until the Supreme Court gives a definitive answer to the question. His decision sent a clear message to the ACLU (which has spent this past year giving glib statements to the press questioning the sanity of anyone who would , challenge its all-knowing interpretation of the law) that there is still I due process, that legal interpretation cannot be presumed, that special spe-cial interest groups are also subject to judicial review, and most importantly, that the question of graduation prayer has not been answered. In short, the judge's decision justifies the Alpine Board of Education's stance on the issue. The practice wasn't as the ACLU claimed, a clear violation of the Constitution. However, the most important question does not concern itself with prayer-but with governance and due process. The Alpine Board of Education was elected to represent the patrons of this district and to protect the educational birthright of its students. And for this cause, it must now and always respond primarily primari-ly to local citizens and to the laws of the land-the ACLU represents neither. Had the district buckled under to the threats of this bully of a Political Action Front (as almost everyone else did), it would have betrayed a sacred trust. The Alpine Board of Education took the proper stance on the prayer issue: local autonomy must be protected, reason must overcome over-come intimidation, due process must be followed-and it must remain that way as long as cats have kittens. Letters to the Editor Brady Bill still debatable Dear Editor: In recent weeks, a great deal has been written about the Brady bill in the national press. Unfortunately, Unfor-tunately, much that has been written and said about the bill is untrue. While every American feels very sorry for all the pain and suffering that Jim Brady has had to endure, the bill named after him must still be debated openly and honestly. , ..; A few weeks ago, Con- Sessman Charles E. Schumer -NY), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime and criminal Justice, held hearings on the Brady bill. Unfortunately, opponents of the bill, including Congressmen and expert witnesses, were barred from those hearings. Apparently, Ap-parently, Congressman Schumer has about as much respect for the First Amendment as he has shown for the Second. Among those not allowed to testify was Jacquie Miller, one of the victims in the highly publicized "assault weapon" shooting at the Standard Gravure printing plant in Louisville, Louis-ville, Kentucky. Like James Brady, Jacquie was severely wounded and is confined con-fined to a wheelchair. But unlike Brady, she was not allowed to testify as a pro-gun witness. You Debate proper see, Jacquie was armed and, had she not stopped to render assistance assis-tance to a victim of the shooting, was within seconds of ending Westbecker's mad shooting spree with her own .38 revolver. Along with this letter is the. testimony Jacquie was not allowed al-lowed to give at those hearings. I think it would be a service to your readers if you would include her testimony or the Brady bill TrueFalse quiz, also enclosed, in your next article on gun control. I am pro-gun and support the right to keep and bear .arms. The Brady bill is not a harmless waiting wait-ing period, but a permit-to-purchase law. It would change gun ownership from a right to a privilege that could be granted or denied at the whim of a police chief. Whether you are pMr anti-gun, wouldn't you agree with the public's right to know this information? in-formation? If you need further information, informa-tion, I would recommend that you contact Gun Owners of America (703)321-8585. They are a Washington, D.C.-based pro-gun lobby group that can provide some balance to anti-gun groups like Handgun Control that wrote the Brady bill. Sarah Brady is Chairman of Handgun Control, Inc. i . Sincerely, Bliss W. Tew A i A - - n i, -1 - " ' ,. . ,,-,,..,.. i. ... |