OCR Text |
Show Lehl Free Press New Utah! - Wednesday, August 26, 1998 - Page 2 Opinion mm Locking our fellow human beings in the closet l More local news than ever Our faithful readers should notice some changes in today's issues of New Utah! It is the culmination of a long process which began years ago when the communities we serve started growing at phenomenal rates. We soon realized that there were many weeks we simply couldn't find room for all the stories we needed to run in the paper. Backlogs of important stories began piling up. Many hours have been spent trying to find a workable solution to the problems created by north Utah County's population boom. You hold in your hands the first copy of what we think will allow us to bring you more local news than any other source, just as our new motto boasts. First, we have added two new editions, a Lone Peak and a Lindon edition. These four-pag- e secjtions will be wrapped around our traditional newspaper for a given area. That means for the first time we will be able to give comprehensive news coverage to the communities of Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills and Lindon in their own four-pag- e section. We think that will be a big improvement for the people who live in these communities. An added benefit will be the freeing up of valuable news space in the American Fork Citizen and Pleasant Grove Review. That means more local news for these communities as well. Second, we have hired new correspondents and hope to see increased coverage of local schools from elementary to high school, as well as better coverage of community events. Better school coverage will provide an important service to all our readers, and especially to newer residents. We feel strongly that reading the community newspaper goes with feeling a sense of ownership in the community. Third, we are standardizing sports coverage in all of our papers, which will allow us to give attention to all the high schools, and to all the sports. That means the Lindon edition will feature sports and news from Tim- panogos High School. Pleasant Grove High news will appear in the Pleasant Grove Review New Utah! The Lone Peak edition will obviously carry sports coverage from Lone Peak High School. It is no coincidence that we are launching these new editions the same week school opens. High schools do more than educate; they play an important, unifying role in community life. The opening of Lone Peak High was one of the motivating factors behind this change in our news operations. Of course, we plan to do more than simply focus on educational news. By adding more pages, we plan to give you more news of all kinds each week than we've ever been able to deliver before. This will be news written by people who live in and understand your home town. It will be news about you. We hope you enjoy our efforts to make good on that slogan you see on our front page each week: "More local news than any other source!" hand-in-han- d . When Ellen stepped "out of the closet," I accepted it. Not that I agree with the fact that she did it on television during prime time, but I can accept the fact that there are people who make that particular decision. When Ellen kept hammering out the point, though, she became tedious, to say the least, and I no longer respected her character as such, especially when it was being done on television during prime time. Week after week we had to hear about her orientation, and what should be a private, personal matter became merely a forum for pushing a certain agenda. Remember when East High School was placed on the map because a group of students created a controversial club on campus regarding sexual orientation. Again, whether or not the choice is morally right is beside the point; what should be a private, personal matter is being turned into a political arena. When in the course of human events, the rights of one person or a group of similar people are usurped,. I believe that person or group has a legitimate grievance. After all, wasn't that the basis for the founding of our country? But when a person or group of people attempts to make their rights superior to the rights of others, particularly the rights of society as a whole, then we run the risk of chaos. Should homosexuals be protected from hate crimes? Yes, just like everyone else should be protected from anyone who attempts to harm another. The L.A riots a few years ago were a good example of that. Rodney King was brutally beaten by police officers, then truck driver Reginald Denny was beaten in retaliation by people of the same race as King. I believe that both of those crimes were wrong. Should homosexuals be allowed to marry? This one is a little tougher, because then the issue of orientation becomes a public matter. And if one state were to allow a couple to be married, then virtually every state would have to recognize the same. I don't believe that any one state has the constitutional right to make a decision of that magnitude. Should homosexuals be extended the same rights as married couples? While I am opposed to the legal recognition of same-se- x marriages, I do believe that a person has the right to extend his or her "benefits" to anyone he or she chooses. In precisely the same manner as one would fill out the "In case of emergency, notify ..." section of the personnel information, one should be able to designate the recipient of health and life insurance benefits, legal contracts such as mortgages and loans, and even tax breaks the traditional married heterosexual couple enjoys. By the same token, an unmarried man or woman should be able to name as a beneficiary his unmarried brother or sister, or an unmarried son or daughter living at home, perhaps even another relative not living at home. If an employee is paying his or her share of the premium, why should an employer require that a second covered individual be a legally married spouse? I'm not saying that an employer should be forced to cover anyone and everyone an employee chooses to claim, but if the employee is paying his or her share of the premium, I don't believe it is any of the employer's business who is the recipient of that benefit. Should a homosexual be allowed to change? Recent issues of USA Today, Newsweek and US News & World Report have criticized the efforts of a couple of groups to help people turn from homosexual lifestyles. Groups of people who choose to live in that alternative lifestyle say that those who attempt to change are deceiving themselves and that they are only masking their real lives. They seem to make the statement without taking into consideration the feelings of the changed people themselves. The articles focused on a man and a woman who have married and then had a child, despite the fact that both adults once considered themselves gay. They were able to change, they say, through their religious beliefs. The man, once a male prostitute and drag queen, is the author of a book about his transformation; his wife, featured in full-paadvertisements in national publications, says she is "living proof that the Truth can set you free." This change in behavior is probably not easy, and the thoughts and temptations may actually never go away. But I admire anyone who takes that step and rises to that challenge, and it angers me that others mock their efforts. Just as we should be tolerant of those who choose to live in the alternative lifestyle, we should be accepting of those who shun the mainstream psychiatric community's viewpoint and choose to follow a higher power than themselves. For President Hinckley latter days are nothing but high adventure This year my Education Week experience consisted of two evening classes, both taught by Jeffrey Marsh. For Latter-da- y Saints who want a greater appreciation of their church, he comes highly recommended. Among many other things, he drew some interesting parallels between President Brigham Young (or "Brother Brigham" as he was called) and cur- rent church president, Gordon B. Hinckley. For example, Brigham Young once wrote, for fun: "To live with saints in heaven is bliss and glory; to live with saints on earth is another story." At one of President Hinckley's many press conferences, several reporters quoted from his prepared statement rather than from what he actually said. Someone asked about the Southern Baptist Convention. President Hinckley emphasized that they would be welcome with open arms, but the line he chose not to read said, "We may even have some people we want to give them." At one point when President Hinckley was being interviewed by TV News Personality, Mike Wallace, for "60 Minutes," they were with a mission president. Wallace asked the mission president: "So how do you get 180 young men to leave their homes and serve missions?" To which Sister Hinckley spoke up and said, "180 missionaries? We have 50,000! Put that in your piano and play it!" Brigham Young was a temple builder and was asked by Joseph Smith to formalize the ceremonies. Can anyone doubt that President Hinckley is a temple builder? He was also instrumental in using film and translating the ceremonies into many different languages. Brigham Young built the Tabernacle. We don't yet have a name for the new meeting place so Bro. Marsh has dubbed it the "Meganacle." It will be the largest indoor (non-spormeeting facility in the country and will have t) prospeakers wired to each seat grammed to receive any of 32 different languages. The same pioneer trail Brigham Young used to take the church into obscurity and isolation was used by President Hinckley to begin to take the church out of obscurity. In the October 1991 general conference, President Hinckley gave a marvelous address, quoting Brigham Young's famous plea that the subject and text for that 1856 conference was their brethren and sisters who were stranded and scattered on the plains between Missouri and Utah". Most were pulling handcarts. "Our mission in life," said President Hinckley, "as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be a mission of saving." In 1892 Count Leo Tolstoy, famous Russian author and statesman, in conversation with Andrew D. White, United States foreign minister to Russia, said," I wish you would tell me about your American religion." "We have no state church in America," replied Dr. White. "I know that, but what about your American religion?" Dr. White explained to Tolstoy that in America each person is free to belong to the particular church in which he is interested. Tolstoy impatiently replied:. "I know all of this, but I want to know about the American religion.... The church to which I refer originated in America and is commonly known as the Mormon Church. What can you tell me of the teachings of the Mormons?" Dr. White said, "I know very little concerning them." Then Count Leo Tolstoy rebuked the ambassador. "Dr. White, I am greatly surprised and disappointed that a man of your great learning and position should be so ignorant on this important subject. Their principles teach the people not only of heaven and its attendant glories, but how to live so that their social and economic Monday night was a blast from the past We went to hear some old time Rock Roll. And boy, did we. and Sharon, my wife, is a die hard Bobby Vee fan. When the man sang Everyday, he got my attention. When he sang It Doesn't Really Matter Anymore, I was hooked. When he brought us to our feet with That'll be the Day, I became devot- Monday night's "A Peek at the Past" concert at the McKay Events Center at UVSC was a delight for the ear and the eye. It was also long. Almost ed. lf hours of music interrupted by two intermis- sions. But more than that, it was a surprise. After all, who would expect Johnny Tillotson (Poetry in Motion) to open his set with a cover of Chuck Berry's Johnny Be Good? Not me. But, you see, I had never been to one of these concerts before where they group several oldies acts together, so I was unclear on the concept. These guys don't just sing their own songs. Monday night they covered a broad spectrum of the music from the early days of Rock and Roll. The old guys wore us out with some early Rock and Roll that had everybody on his or her feet, except for a few folks in the crowd who never learned to love the music. They may be past their prime as far as making hit records, but they knew their stage craft fine. And by the time Tillotson, The Shirrells and Bobby Vee were done, many in the audience just were simply too tired to listen to The Association, which was the headline act for the night. Oh, we got the standards. Tillotson even sang some of his crossover country songs Heartache by the Numbers, It Keeps Right On A and nobody much cared. But they Hurtin' knew what we wanted to hear, so though neither Tillotson or Vee has a reputation for the more energetic music of the early 60s, both showed they could sing more than ballads. most-playe- Tillotson sang I'm All Shook Up, Blue Suede Shoes, and Great Balls of Fire with as much energy as you could ask for. After the Shirrells revised the girl groups, Bobby Vee came out and, in addition to his own songs, got the crowd rocking with Iko Iko, Chuck Berry's Little Jeanie. And when he sang the Buddy Holly songs, he had my attention for the rest of the night. Holly is just about my favorite singer of all time. Vee explained that he was a living in Fargo, North Dakota, in February of 1959. Feb. 3, when Buddy Holly's airplane crashed, was the date immortalized by Don McLean as "The Day the Music Died" in American Pie. Holly and his companions, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson were on their way to Moorhead, Minn., for a concert when the plane went down. It was winter and time was short, so Vee was called in to replace Holly in the Moorhead concert performance. The appearance launched his career and he had his first hit record the next year with Devil or Angel. Published weekly by NewUtah! (ISSN No. (U.S.P.S. No. 8750-4669- A ) 309-500- ) Telephone Numbers Advertising Tlie iVwtaliiVws member o! NATIONAL & News Display Brett Publisher Managing Editor ASSOCIATION 59 West Main American Fork, Utah 84003 Marc City Editor price S24 Bezzant Haddock Russ Daly ' per year Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork, Utah POSTMASTER: lend addreii change to Wnt Main. American Fork, Utah 84003 59 Advertising News Missionaries Weddings ' '. . Tuesday, noon Monday, 5 p.m. Monday. 2 p.m. Monday. 2 p.m. Monday, 2 p.m. Calendar .Monday. 10 a.m. Letters to the Editor . .Monday. 10 a.m. Obituaries .Tuesday. 11 a.m, Community ......... limitless," Tolstoy continued, "There have been great movements started in the past but they have died or been modified before they reached maturity. If Mormonism is able to endure, unmodified, until it reaches the third and fourth generation, it is destined to become the greatest power the world has ever known." (as quoted by Elder David B. Haight in the Ensign, May - 1980, p. 11) The church is now well into the sixth and seventh generation. In this great mission of saving as Elder Maxwell says, "All the easy things have been done; from now on it's high adventure!" Reader's Forum A raise is a raise Editor: In the recent debate between County Commissioner Grover and Dan Grey, Grover obviously shows no respect for the intelligence of the Utah County electorate. He tries to deflect the fact that he and the other two commissioners gave themselves a hefty salary increase to the tune of $10,000 in one fell swoop (a 20 percent increase). He gives us a lot of mumbo jumbo about part-time and pay. I have lived in this county for over 50 years and I have never seen anything but Commissioners A, B and C on the ballot. There is no provisions for increments of pay for time spent on the job. That is a contrivance of the current commissioners (and commissioners past), a smoke screen of terminology to try and hide the fact that they raised their own salaries from $50,000 to $60,000 with little more than the stroke of a pen. Mr. Grover, if you do not have the integrity to stand up and admit the increase, perhaps you should step aside. You're on the path to Billy-bo- y politics and I know the voters in Utah County don't approve of that. e vs. part-tim- e Furthermore, if the question of is even an issue with you in compensating county commissioners, perhaps we need an auditor who will keep close tabs on you and your cohorts. Otherwise, who is going to say whether you are You? That's a lot of nonsense, isn't it? or part-time- ? The fact is, the voters elected you to do a job. If they feel you have.done a job that justifies a $10,000 increase from $50,000 to $60,000 plus a year, they will reelect you. However, if they feel you have simply feathered your nest at their expense, you might be out of a job come Election e, full-tim- three-quarters-ti- full-tim- full-tim- e, three-quarters-ti- Day, Nov. 3. Gene Faux Springville We welcome letters to the editor. Deadlines Classified Advertising Circulation Subscription NEWSPAPER Rock and Roll has never gotten better than this, as far as I'm concerned. I felt sorry for The Association, who boast the d second record in history with Never My Love. Apparently quite a few people had heard enough, as they filtered out of the Events Center and into the night. Too bad for them. The early Rock and Roll was great, but the songs that ended the evening were those which defined my generation. By the time we came of age, The Beatles had come and Dylan had made new rules about what Rock and Roll could and couldn't do. The tight harmonies of Windy couldn't match the energy of the previous three hours, however, and I think we were a poor audience because we were already worn out and thoroughly entertained. Still, it was a great end to the evening. You hear about these old acts coming around and you wonder how they can draw a crowd after so many years. But Monday night I learned. With the right tunes, a singer can evoke the spirit of those simpler times when everything was black and white, especially on television, and when the mark of a good record was it had a good beat and was easy to dance to. And Monday night was a great visit to the past. relations with each other are placed on a sound basis. If the people follow the teachings of this church, nothing can stop their progress it will be letters must include the author's name signed) and a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, punctuation, taste and length. Letters are welcome on any topic. All (printed AND HOW TO REACH US By Mail P.O. Box 7, American Fork, UT 84003 In Person 59 W. Main, American Fork By Fax 756-527- 4 By editor newutah.com |