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Show Wednesday, February 6, 1991 The Daily Utah Chronicle - Page Four Editorial Halverson's problems prove ethics are a must The question of ethics for government officials raised its head in the chambers of the Utah House of Representatives recently, because Rep. after being caught Dionne Halverson, with stolen merchandise, pled no contest to charges of shoplifting last December. Her case was a simple one: She took approximately $200 worm of clothing from a local merchant, and was caught. Because the items she took were on sale, she was only charged with a class A misdemeanor. If the clothing had been regular price at the time of her dirty deed, it would have constituted larceny, which is a much more serious offense. Democratic party leaders urged her to resign, but she decided to remain in the House. An ethics committee investigated the case and recommended Halverson resign from her office. However, the House failed to gain the two thirds majority required to expel her by two is no place in government for thieves. Elected as votes. One representative, who was unable to officials should be at least as attend the original voting session, asked the full average citizens are expected to be. Another House reconsider expulsion and to take another example of ethics for elected officials is the case law-abidi- ng of Marion Barry, former mayor of Washington vote. When it became obvious that more than two D.C. Barry was convicted on drug charges, thirds of the members were intending to vote for which effectively ended his political career. He her dismissal, Halverson, in an emotional raised claims that his crimes did not affect his speech Friday, resigned from office to avoid ability to serve in government, and also that he was a victim of racial prejudice. The courts the embarrassment of expulsion. While Halverson's actions were easily found differently though, and made a clear condemned legally, the case questioned what statement that drug users have no place ethical standard of conduct should be applied governing any segment of our nation. Neither Halverson or Barry ever denied their to elected officials. Some claimed that Halverson was treated unfairly, that her actions guilt, but instead raised other issues in an did not merit the attention they received, and attempt to cloud the facts. However, one fact was seen clearly above the rest: Those who that her gender was used against her. fact. sad The basis claims have in no These engage in criminal activity have absolutely no truth is that Halverson is a thief, and that there place in government at any level. State's dedication to bill pro-lif- e superficial Utahns not only continually pat themselves on their backs for their steadfast commitment to tight-kn- Jennifer families and it Gully children, they even support a constitutionally questionable n law that will Chronicle Editorial Editor anti-abortio- protect the lives of fetuses. Extolling the virtues of motherhood, parenthood and childhood, and glibly citing the statistics that 60 to 70 percent of the state's 4,500 annual abortions would be eliminated, our paternalistic legislators showed no hesitancy in passing an anti-aborti- bill that positively glowed with light, love, and happiness. After all, who could vote against a bill that not only would bring more smiling, cuddly babies into the world and completely return women to a subservient position, but that was wholeheartedly endorsed by the Letters NOW's actions hurt those they claim to help Editor: Last week the Utah Chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW) asked for a national boycott of Utah tourism and a reconsideration of Salt Lake City as the United States pick for the 1998 Winter Olympics. Supposedly this action was to punish the Utah legislature and governor for their passage of the new abortion law. I was shocked and am outraged the Utah Chapter of NOW would stoop to such tactics. NOW is supposed to be a representative and supporter of women and their rights. If this action is successful, NOW would not only be hurting their supporters, but also the rery are suppose to be Eeople they A large majority of Utah's revenue comes from taxes received from tourists visiting Utah and spending money in our businesses. If this money is gone the first place the government will cut back is social services. Welfare, education, and medical services are always the first to be cut and the vast majority of these recipients are single mothers. If Salt Lake City gets the Winter Olympics bid, the state will receive over a hundred million dollars to be spent towards our sagging education system and revive the state's economy. If we do not get the Olympics, we will be out several million dollars. NOW's efforts to get their beliefs across should be through education and legislation. And yes, it is their privilege and right to challenge any legislation they see as unconstitutional in the courts of the United States. They should not stoop to attempts at economic terrorism, while at the same time hurting the ones they should be helping. The point of the matter is not whether you are for or against abortion, but the way you go about expressing your beliefs. I was somewhat supportive of the National Organization of Women, but now I am dead set against it. Curtis G. Hare Senior psychology The question is when it becomes a human Editor: When calling of the pro-choi- engage in name as pro-lif- e anti-wome- n, are only angered and the pro-lif- e become more entrenched in their agree with opinions. The the that women have pro-life- pro-choice- rs rs rights but disagree as to whether the have rights. (It is difficult to choose a neutral word here. If I say If I say fetus, I am baby, I am pro-lifAll the talk about women's rights falls on deaf ears because the disagreement is pre-bo- rn e. pro-choic- s' about rights. The question is when does human life begin. Rep. Dave Jones, Lake, alluded to this when talking about the soul entering the body. I am not LDS and would not phrase the question that way, but everyone knows what we are talking about. And this question is a matter of life It is also a and death to the which in everyone can argue question no one can prove but their opinion the answer. So, when do we decide become human and that the pre-born- ce pro-choi- ce D-S- pre-bor- pre-bor- n n. have the fundamental right to life? At birth? At conception? In between? And what if we choose wrong? If we set the time too early, we have extended the right to life to something not yet human and denied the right of choice to the woman. If we set the time too late, we have denied a fundamental right to a human being Which and murdered the error is worse? pre-bor- n. Stan Niles Graduate student chemistry Mormon Church? So, our acutely conscious legislators, dedicated to pursuing the highest moral ideals, passed a bill that will increase the number of children in the state. Yet, while telling women they should take responsibility for their decision to have sex, the legislators didn't make any effort to take responsibility tor the ramifications of their actions by increasing funding for social services, sexual education, or available birth control. It would be much easier to swallow the legislators' long-wind- ed justifications for passing the anti-abortio- bill (the n )rotection of innocent children's ives) if they also advocated pre- natal care for the increased number of unwilling mothers and post-natcare for the increased number of children in the state. al However, the myopic legislators had no sooner placed their votes to ensure their spots in heaven before they had moved on to the next set of issues pressing the state. The and disparity inconsistency of our elected officials' values never fails to absolutely floor me. They can ramble on and on for nrini ml agricultural resources through water projects is important, but unless the legislature can appropriate the amount of money the Department of Human Services needs, welfare grants will be cut 3.5 percent on April 1 and again on July 1 because the of caseloads is number increasing. Not including the increased number of children in the state without abortions, the number of caseloads for the Aid to Families Children with Dependent 4.18 will increase program percent next year. Approximately 25 percent of the program's funding comes from state revenue. Given that legislators aren't willing to adequately fund the state's social services now, it is a sure bet they won't be clamoring to increase funding to absorb the increased needs in the future. Indeed, existing conditions already reveal a great deal of legislative apathy toward the state's children. Last year, 82,000 of Utah's 634,550 children lived in poverty; about 600 of them lived in the Salt Lake Family Shelter for the homeless. the Unless current deterioration rate of children's standard of living is arrested, one in four Utah children will be living in poverty by the year 2002, one in sue will lack health insurance, one in five will risk becoming a teen parent and one in seven will drop out of school. If the legislature is truly dedicated to protecting children and their right to life, their activism to achieve these ideals should continue past their moralistic and didactic stance on abortion. Unless legislators show a marked improvement in their hours about their duties to' monetary commitment to social preserve life and protect children, services, their advocation of yet they drag their feet, protest and scream about scraping together $480,000 for the state's welfare grants. And then, at the same time, they maintain that finding $12 million for the state's water projects can be found by "fine tuning" the budget. Developing the state's comprehensive sexual education, and the increased availability of contraception, their attempts to improve the state and make it a better place for children is nothing more than selfish lip service aimed at achieving constituent support and lasting life. ever- |
