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Show Free Press - Wednesday, November 5, 1997 - 3 Page Opinion Thanks for the Sabbath School, thanks for the memories Thanks to all the candidates Winners are being proclaimed throughout the state this morning in the aftermath of yesterday's municipal elections. Yet the residents of Utah's cities and towns owe a debt of gratitude to all who ran, not just those who were named as mayors and city council members when the ballots were counted. These municipal elections are the backbone of our representative democracy, which allows the people to have a direct voice in how their government will be run and who will run it. Elections don't work without choice. Whether a voter feels as if he or she is voting for the best person for the job or the lesser of two evils, the fact is that without men and women willing to put their names on the ballot and their egos on the line, we would have no choice at all. Each candidate dedicates time to the election. Most campaign with the idea of winning the seat and using their ideas and energy to promote their community. Each one, winner or loser, has thus publicly stated a willingness to dedicate the next four (or in some cases, two) years of his or her life to make the town better, safer, and more prepared for the challenges of the future. Each one knows she or he faces the possibility of rejection. Whether it is true or not, for the candidate the loss might feel like he or she has been judged by his or her peers and has been found wanting. Anyone who has lost a public election will tell you the loss stings. Yet many come back year after year, putting their convictions to the ultimate test of public acceptance. Often those who persevere eventually win. Usually they earn our respect for their tenacity, even when they don't. In fact, every man and woman who appeared on yesterday's ballots deserves our respect and gratitude. Without them, the election would have been a meaningless exercise in an candidate, such as is often seen in countries tightly controlled by their governments, despite having the words "democracy" or "republic" in their official names. With them, we had an election. Not every city had an easy election season. Acrimony was evident in many of our communities throughout the process. Sometimes these hard feelings spilled over into the campaigning. On the whole, however, there has been little of the mudslinging that seems to accompany national politicking. For the most part, candidates have focused on issues rather than personalities, and on facts rather than innuendo. Those who won will receive the dubious honor of being "sworn in, and then sworn at" as they begin or continue their terms of public serrubber-stampin- g already-approve- d vice. But don't forget those who did not win. They performed one of the most valuable services of all by submitting their talents and ideas to the public forum. They may not have won the election, but none of them are losers. As I played the opening song in church Sunday, my mind went back 30 years to a scene that took place in Cottonwood Mall. In a strange fit of largesse, my parents went into Hart Bros. Music to look at electric organs for possible purchase at some point, given that I had shown an interest in music. As the salesman came over to the trio of us, my mother insisted that I play something on the model that he was showing us. I didn't require much encouragement, only a book that had some printed music with which I was familiar. Not knowing if I was capable of playing just any piece of music the salesman happened to produce, mother suggested that I just play a simple hymn. The man brought out a hymnal and I played, much to the delight of who apparently were passers-by- , rather amused at the sight of this d child playing the organ while standing up, being too little to be able to sit on the bench and reach the foot pedals. and any Perhaps those shoppers comments that my mother might have overheard were the most powerful sales tool the salesman could have hoped for. It would be interesting to note how the selection of that model was chosen. My father would have chosen the one with the lowest price, the salesman would have opted for the one with the highest price, I would have picked the one with the most bells and whistles and my mother, planning my 'impromptu' performance in advance, likely picked the one that was closest to the entrance to the store. Somewhere along the line we did pick out an organ to purchase and the rest, they say, is history. seven-year-ol- y. v.,;.r.?..y.-r.:- Today, however, I can't help but think of those events whenever I hear that song. It is not a common hymn, and probably not one that an ordinary seven year old would start with, but somehow that is the hymn that triggers an historical memory for me. Last week, I went to an optometrist to have my eyes checked, a process that was long overdue. When I looked through the little machine that such a professional uses to determine which prescription to issue, I also recalled that first dreaded visit to the eye doctor, dreaded because I knew that glasses were forthcoming. I was in the sixth grade and was having trouble seeing the board. I did everything in my power to deny that needed glasses, and instead. I would under request a seat near the front the guise of being an eager student or 1 would make a timely trip to the pencil sharpener to clarify what words I could not read from a seat in the rear. My teacher, Lisle Russon, must have caught on at some point because eventually I found myself at some optometrist's office in Cottonwood Mall. (Remember, there weren't many mall choices back then.) The reason the mall is such a focal point is that when my glasses were finished and I returned to the store to pick them up, I was quite shocked by what I saw, and I don't mean just the hideous look of the glasses themselves. I put the glasses on and looked out of the office across the mall hall and saw "National Shirt Company" in huge, red letters. Either I was totally 1 oblivious to the writing or my eyes were really bad, but these big letters fairly jumped out at me and took me by surprise. My new lenses didn't create quite the impression that I had the first time, but it was definitely time to upgrade my prescription, and it was fun to relive that memory. A couple of weeks ago. I was talking with a gentleman from Emery County who was explaining to me about his several years of bringing children to Snow College. It made me think of my parents who literally followed me to Southern Utah State College the very day I left. Granted, they had been invited to attend the president's reception for new freshmen and their parents, but I thought I had left the nest. In fact, I was a little surprised to find myself crying as I told them goodbye, and even more surprised that it took until about Santaquin for the waterworks to complete shut off, but once I hit Juab County, I was excited to be on my own. When these parents of mine, who must have had their own struggles with the separation, showed up at my door not more than two hours after I arrived myself, I was dumbfounded. Perhaps, though, the method to their madness was based on love and I think of them fondly whenever I think about anyone's child going off to college. My own experience, and that of other friends who have had children leave the nest, probably won't matter a hill of beans when my own children go out on their own, and then I'll have a new perspective and new set of emotions I'll have to deal with. Even then, as always, each event is likely to trigger a memory from the past, one that is etched on our minds forever. Jiang comes to Washington; Taiwan comes to Salt Lake City Thanks to the thoughtfulness of a good friend, my wife and I were recently invited to lunch with two foreign dignitaries from the Republic of China (Taiwan). Amy Liu (her English name) and "Jim" Tien were visiting Salt Lake City from their home office in San Francisco. Amy is the director of Taiwan's Economic and Cultural Office and Jim is the press officer. The day before our lunch they had visited Temple Square and were very impressed with the "Mormon" tour hosted by a sister missionary who spoke fluent Mandarin Chinese. Before we go any further, a brief historical political lesson is in order. In the 1940s, the Marxist takeover forced many Chinese nationalists to flee the mainland for this island in the China Sea (formerly Formosa). After many years of martial law it has evolved (primarily in the last decade) into the Republic of China. Tiny Taiwan (about one eighth the size of Utah) is home to 22 million Chinese. It is a free republic and is technically still at war with the People's Republic of (mainland) China, home to approximately 2 billion people. Mainland China and Taiwan, according to mysifriend, are like the elephant and the mouse; the elephant is still pr6ttimid about the mouse. At present, Taiwan is not recognized by the U.N. as independent from mainland China, so they are courting the American press to gain U.S. awareness and sympathy to help defend themselves against any aggression from Communist China. Taiwan is only about 50 miles off the coast of a very short hop, only secChina onds, for jet warplanes. Support and protection by the U.S. could be critical. For now, the United States is maintaining both sides. On one hand, since Richard Nixon's visit to Beijing in 1972, no U.S. President has recognized the independence of Taiwan, but on the other hand, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan show no sign of slowing and U.S. military and economic ties in Taipei remain as strong as ever. I asked Amy if she thought things would soon change in Hong Kong. She said they believe China will leave their newest acquisition alone, for now, ("one government, two systems") because of its economic benefit and because they want to show the world that a communist government can rule a free republic; in other words, that they could also rule Taiwan, but Taiwan does not want to be under communist rule. This is especially true of the generation born in Taiwan since the 40s. Amy and Jim also explained that it is very difficult for Chinese to obtain the necessary papers to move through Hong Kong. For the most part, they are trapped in one system while the other feeds the hand that holds them. Trade between China and Taiwan is quite extensive, but is handled through a third party principally Hong Kong. China's President Jiang Zemin visited Washington hoping to distance himself from the echoes of the human rights tragedy of Tiananmen Square. High on their list of hopes is the cessation of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the assurance that Taiwan's official or de facto independence will never be taken seriously. In this fragile political standoff, it is the economic considerations that seem to have the greatest hope of forestalling the eruption of actual war. However, the analysts always seem to underestimate another power. As China plays its cards for economic benefits, what will they give up and in terms of human rights specifically religious freedom? I find it interesting that we have an LDS temple in Hong Kong and also in Taiwan. 1 also find it. interesting that as Jeing visited Washington, Amy and Jim visited the Mormon mecca of Salt Lake Citv. As of" the end of 1995. the LDS Church in Taiwan bad 22,000 members, 4 stakes, 2 missions, and has had a temple in Taipei since 1984. Will this somehow become another doorway to the billions of God's children living in Marxist China? Latter-daSaints will want to watch what happens with economic and religious freedom in Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan. In the meantime, at their request, LDS missionaries will be visiting Amy and Jim in San Francisco. y Reader's Forum Commission answered public outcry and denied the petition for annexation in a 2 vote. That action may seem simple and even procedural, yet it represented courage and integrity among those commissioners who were willing to put aside pressures and political interests and act for the good of the people in the area, and what was shown to be the good of Lehi City. Planning commissioners are surely under pressure to supply continued and increasing housing in this attractive area of our popular state, and they also receive pressure from developers who would like to see those homes raised on their property. One person in attendance at the meeting commended the commissioners for doing an outstanding job of building and adhering to a master plan as a blueprint for a successful community. I echo his opinion and also extend thanks to a commission which has taken extra time to study different planning approaches for community development and which evaluates successes and failures of the past in order to improve the future. Their actions on Thursday evening showed knowledge that some ground is more suited for development than other ground, and an understanding that people can be contributing members of a large Lehi community even if they live outside the legal boundaries. Most importantly, the actions of the Planning Commission gave us a peek at what true representational government is like. I hope that this example of good government will become contagious and long lasting, and that city councils and other representative bodies all over our county will follow the example which the Lehi City Planning Commission has set by actually responding to the people. I believe that the commissioners should be commended for their service and sincere interest Thanks to Shelton Editor: A hearty thanks to Steve Shelton for directing the Lehi City Men's Softball League. The umpires, scorekeepers and field maintenance personnel made it a great season. The ball fields have improved over last year and the team fees are still very reasonable. It's great to live in a town like Lehi that has such fine facilities and neighborly, sportsman-lik- e players. Warren Grant Representational government Editor: Government everywhere is corrupt. Or at least that is the opinion of most everyone to whom I have spoken. Controversy engulfs public officials at every level, from the financing ethics of our president to the questionable behavior of city officials from towns in northern Utah County. People lose hope when they find that officials represent people with money and power more often than they represent the public. Yet I believe there is hope. I attended a public hearing before the Lehi City Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 23, which gave me hope. The hearing was held concerning a proposed annexation of a huge spread of ground roughly between the Mill Pond and Utah Lake and almost reaching American Fork. People addressing the planning commission that evening were overwhelmingly opposed to the annexation petition, which would require changing the city's master plan. Their reasons for opposition ranged from agricultural preservation to environmental concerns and included the suitability of the The Planning for development. ground Published weekly by & A 309-50- member Brett Publisher 9 0 Aewlaliflews of NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION Managing Editor 59 West Main American Fork, Utah 84003 Bezzant Marc Haddock City Editor Hard to call Lehi my home town Editor: I am writing this letter three days before the election. I have no idea what the results will be, Rjss Daly price S24 ' Monday. 5 News Monday Missionaries Monday Weddings Monday. 2 pm. 10 am per year Community Letters to Postmaster: send address change to 59 West Main. American Fork. Utah 84003 noon Tuesday, Display Advertising Obituaries Calendar the Editor but I dn kii:!v that Richard Worthen and Ken Greenwood are both good men. They will represent Lehi well. Why I'm writing this is because at this time it's hard to call Lehi my home town. I have had the heartfelt opportunity of seeing first hand the things ruthless, thoughtless people are passing around in this election to hurt individuals. They are not only passing around things that hurt people in this election they are passing around names of innocent bystanders things that are confidential. If you have had a ticket the last 20 years in Lehi, no matter what it was for. beware. Your name could be out there. These are copies of original court documents with names, incidents, etc. And what is even more disgusting is that some of these people have cleaned up their have made mistakes lives, so I'm sure it could be devastating to them and their families if they knew what was going on. There was also a false synopsis as a cover sheet at the front of this document I'm sure for those people they felt were too "stupid" to read a law document and understand it, but having the document behind made it look truly researched. I have ideas where these documents originated. Only certain people would have access to them, or take the time to research. You know, I know why I like animals a lot better than people at times they may eat each other out of hunger, but they are not capable of destroying each other's souls as humans can and do willfully. Good luck and may God bless the new Lehi you are going to need it. City officials Chris Roten All letters must include the author's name (printed AND signed) and a te'ephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, punctuation, taste and len :'h Letters are welcome on any topic. We welcome letters to the editor. Deadlines Second class postage paid at American Fork, Utah Subscription ,..i Editor: This letter is being submitted on Monday morning so at this time we do not know the outcome of the election. Since I wasn't allowed to respond to the remarks made at the city council meeting last week, we would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight. We would like the citizens of Lehi to know that we never accused any city official of taking money under the table. It is unfortunate that they misinterpreted our remarks as such. We neer even thought of such a thing and were surprised that they did. We were only doing what we felt was best for Lehi to try to keep it a pleasant place to live. We feel everyone has a right to their opinion. It was certainly never our intention to slander or force our views on anyone. Regardless of the outcome we only wanted the citizens to have the right to vote on the direction we take for our city in the future and we respect their decision. We commend this paper for their fairness to everyone on this matter. We thank them for printing our views even though they were contrary to theirs. Dean and Donna Lott Classitied Advertising Circulation News 8750-466- Setting the record straight Telephone Numbers Advertising ISSN No. U.S.P.S. No. in the community, and that government should be encouraged to do the same everywhere. Thomas K. Barlow 4-- Monday. Monday. 10 Tuesday, pm, 2pm 2pm 11 a.m. a.m. How By Mail P.O. Box 7. American Fork, UT 84003 In Person 59 W. Main. American Fork POjpg jCOEY A C H US By Fax 756-527- 4 By newtahaol.com |