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Show Lehi Free Press New Utah! Wednesday, October 21, 1998 Page 2 Opinion A time for nostalgia, a time to move on Vote against Proposition 5 In addition to the standard slate of candidates, Utah voters will be asked to cast a yes or no vote on six ballot propositions in this year's general rent Utah Constitution was written in 1896, ajid is no longer necessary to procure equal treatment for women. Those rights are guaranteed by the election on Nov. 3. Equal Protection clause of the United Some of these are housekeeping States Constitution, as well as by sevissues, updating the Utah Constitueral other statutes in Utah law. Howtion to make it more practical and ever, the law that would be repealed applicable to modern conditions. Othby the passage of Proposition 2 could ers require careful thought and conviolate the Equal Protection clause by sideration by the Utah electorate. giving women greater rights than Here is a list of this year's slate of men. The archaic language is not necpropositions, and how we think essary and problematical. Utahns Utahns should vote on them. should vote FOR Proposition 2. Proposition 5: By far the most Proposition 3: This housekeeping controversial of this year's ballot resissue clarifies which lands granted to olutions, Proposition 5 would require the state of Utah by Congress are s vote in order to adopt by a school and institutional trust lands, initiative a state law allowing or proand reinforces the fact that the lands hibiting the taking of wildlife. Propoare to be used to benefit Utah's nents of the ballot initiative claim it is schools. It clears up broad language the only way to preserve Utah's existhas resulted in which ing wildlife management system, the lossunintentionally of of some this public school which they say is under attack from as well as other public trust land, from environmentalist groups outside land, over the years. Approving this of Utah. But Proposition 5 approaches this proposition will clear up the discrepancies which have cost Utah schools problem not by addressing the issues, but by changing the rules for voter millions of dollars over the years. By initiatives, that involving wildlife removing the confusion of the original will avoid management,' while leaving all other Constitutional language, it initiative issues on a majority vote losses of trust land in the future as basis. It tinkers with the Constitution well as eliminate costly lawsuits in a way that basically ensures that brought about by the current ambiguwildlife management cannot be ous language. Utahns should vote changed by voter initiative. This is FOR Proposition 3. what the supporters of the proposal Proposition 4: This proposition would eliminate the voting rights of want. convicted felons in Utah. This is not a But such a position robs the majority of voters of their rights to have a simple housekeeping issue, but a vote say in this important issue on the to bring Utah iri line with most other same footing as they have to speak states in the nation. Utah is one of out on all other issues. And that's only four states that permit convicted felons to vote. Passage of Proposition wrong. No one wants outside interests 4 would take away that right while a telling Utah residents how to manage convicted felon is in prison, and the state's wildlife. But Proposition 5 restores the right to a felon who is sets a poor precedent and would granted parole, sentenced to probaestablish a format for making public tion or completes his jail term. policy decisions that favors the status Voting is a privilege, a right which quo even if a majority of Utahns want should belong to men and women who change. That's just not the American are willing to live in accordance with way. It also demonstrates an the laws of the land. A natural conseappalling lack of trust in the good quence of criminal behavior should be judgment of Utah's electorate. the loss of this basic American right. A vote against Proposition 5 is a That is why 46 states prohibit felons vote to preserve the voting rights of who from voting, as do are in the majority. Utahns should vote the federal prison courts for those who vioAGAINST Proposition 5. late federal law. Those who are Proposition 1: A housekeeping unwilling to live by the law should item, this resolution firms up eligibility have no role in voting on those who requirements for individuals who seek will make the law until they have the office of state senator or state repfor their crimes. Voters should paid resentative. The Utah Constitution vote FOR Proposition 4. currently requires that a candidate be Proposition 6: This resolution, a state resident for three years and a which would allow the Utah Legislaresident of the legislative district in to ture authorize state courts to act as which he or she is running for six months. The proposition would simply tax courts, resolves issues created by a recent Utah Court decision which specify that these time periods be consecutive and immediately prior to the pointed out a weakness in the Utah individual's running for office. It Constitution that does not allow the ensures that our elected officials live in Legislature to authorize a district court to conduct an original indepenand are acquainted with the geographdent proceeding on a State Tax Comical locations they represent. Utahns mission decision. Proposition 6 would should vote FOR Proposition 1. a tax house2: that, and Another change Proposition keeping item, this resolution would court in Utah to provide a more place to appeal tax repeal marital property provisions that could be interpreted to favor the assessments. That's a tough concept property rights of married women to vote against. Utah voters should vote FOR Proposition 6. over men. The language in the cur two-third- taxpay- er-favorable Natsukashii. Roughly translated from Japanese as nostalgic, that's what I experienced last week when a mission companion came to town in connection with his work. I hadn't seen him for 17 years, when I traveled to Mesa, Ariz., to participate in his wedding; it has even been a year since I talked to him on the phone. When you spend four months working as closely together as missionaries do, one can develop a friendship (or conversely, a real dislike) for another person, one that can last beyond just the two years of service. Of the many different companions I had and believe me, some of them I consider two were really different of them in that category. To celebrate the visit of the one, I invited the other one and his family to join us for dinner. I reveled in the opportunity not only to act as the host for this soiree, but also for the chance to make Japanese food, cuisine if you will, and to reminisce about some of our experiences and recollections from what now seems like another life. The experiences flowed easily, and despite each of us having unique stories to share, there was a sense of commonality. My two companions and I regaled each other with tales of our own antics and those of others we all knew. We described the towns where we served and the apartments where we lived, and inquired about missionaries and members the others might know. Like the proverbial third wheel, however, the one companion's wife quickly tired of our spirited talk, for she was not familiar with the places or the people about which we were talk- - ing. Our honored guest apologized to her for our collective rudeness in monopolizing the conversation and changed the subject to something more universal. We moved in sync with him and turned to the new topic of discussion. After just one sentence, however, we somehow compared the hew subject to something from our mission days, and the people and places of Japan again became the focus. When my own wife joined us not long after that, the topic more easily changed to general subjects, particularly that of families and our lives today, as opposed to the missionary life of nearly 20 years ago. Of course, with the two wives discussing families, the discussion was also destined for mundane but perhaps unpleasant facets of child rearing. In talking about our youngest child, my wife graphically described the current status of his cold just at the exact moment that our guest of honor extracted a chopstickful of bean sprouts, which in their simmered state could be compared to the appearance of the byproducts of our son's cold. That was probably the moment that we were able to break the natsukashii cycle and start talking about subjects where all of us could participate. Since we all have teenage children, the topic of the adolescent struggle seemed appropriate enough, and soon we were comparing our children's activities and attitudes in the hope that we might be able to learn wisdom Everything of lasting worth from the experience of others. We were even so lucky to get the children to go to the park to play for a while so that we might enjoy some peace and quiet, and so that we could talk about them if necessary. They returned all too soon, our conversation coming to a standstill when the first one walked through the door, just as the other woman had started to recount an exasperating experience with her daughter. Kids being kids, i.e., selectively deaf to their parents' voices, we were able to continue our conversation about them even while they were in the next room. Of course, kids being kids, they either (A) heard the parts we were hoping they would specifically NOT hear or (B) heard only snippets of the conversation and filled in the blanks with their own assumptions about what we might have been saying about them. And in processing that information, they will either (A) use the information, real or assumed, in planning their future courses of action in dealing with us, or (B) become belligerent, which can actually be amusing if the youth has made incorrect assumptions. So, just like following our Japanese cuisine with New York style cheesecake, we had the best of both worlds, being able to feel natsukashii about former experiences and to share the wisdom (?) of our parental knowledge, such as it is. The mission life that we once experienced is over, but returned for a brief moment of joy, while the lives that we lead now, with the responsibility of rearing our families, was made stronger by the bridge of friendship between us. anything real Several years ago I read several of the popular books about what has since become known as "Near Death Experiences" or NDE's for short. Such spirit-worl- d experiences were well known in LDS culture long before George Ritchie wrote Return from Tomorrow, followed by Raymond Moody's collection of Life after Life sonages... "I discovered a light appearing in my experiences and so forth. No matter what ,one believes aboVit' Ooom (increasing) tfhtil the room' was. these experiences,' there little douBt, 'lighter ttSffafnooSa ay. .3 with so marry witness'e's,fthai they often become powerful catalysts for change. and brilliant... glorietii beyond descripPerspectives and priorities on life are tion, and his countenance truly like lightning." usually rearranged sometimes drasti"I saw the light in the room begin to cally. And the most common element of so many of these experiences is THE gather immediately around (him)... LIGHT. when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conTHE LIGHT may draw near death duit open right up into heaven, and he experiencers through a kind of tunnel ascended till he entirely disappeared..." or they may be propelled upward to a (JSH 1:16, 25,30-3- 2 and 43) THE LIGHT is real; in fact, probably pinpoint of light in space until it grows so bright that it completely engulfs everything we know of as real is light. them. Though manifestations differ, the Alma describes the analogy of planting a seed that grows into a tree that is common theme is that they are inexsweet, pure and "white above all that is orably drawn to THE LIGHT. Also common among NDE's is their white." And when the seed sprouts to inability to describe THE LIGHT. expand our mind and enlighten our understanding, he says, "0 then, is not Beyond unearthly brilliance and colors, this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it THE LIGHT is also described as a living person, enlightening is light..." (Alma 32:42 and 34-3Of course the Doctrine and the senses while penetrating the mind and heart with unspeakable joy, peace, Covenants physics course teaches that the light of Christ is the power that crelove and knowledge. I have always been fascinated by ates and sustains the sun, moon and stars, fills the immensity of space, is in Joseph Smith's descriptions: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over all things and gives life to all things (see my head, above the brightness of the D&C 88:5-13- ). The Doctrine and Covenants philososun..." "I had actually seen a light, and in phy course teaches that we are elethe midst of that light I saw two Per ments or beings of light and that we is light must use our agency to receive the light, grow in the light and bring up our children in light and truth (see D&C 93:9, 29-4- 0 and D&C 50:24). I have returned several times to a quote in Brent and Wendy Top's book, Beyond Death's Door (Pg. 39) that teaches that only in the last half of the 20th century have physicists discovered that beyond electrons, neutrons, and tiniest or most basic protonsi.the, ;' qf'inatfer are described as wdvopai line uucun ui wavcieijLU& of electiromagnetism, or light: These ' pieces of light serve as the fundamental building blocks' for everything. What this theory tells us is that everything we consider to be real actually breaks down into simple light, in all of its various wavelengths." Little wonder then, that on the first day of creation, "...God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Gen. 1:2 and Moses 2:3) The sun, moon and stars were not created until the fourth day. The tree of life in the Garden of Eden and as described by Lehi, Alma and others could also be described as a tree of light, "white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen" (see 1 Nephi 8:11-12- ). I suppose partaking of the sacrament could also be likened to partaking of the fruit of the tree as much in remembrance of a glorious resurrection as of crucifixion. THE LIGHT of all that is real ts requires believing truth, receiving truth, searching and praying for truth, as well as living and teaching truth to our children. The thought of which can only inspire me to open the scriptures and proceed accordingly. Reader's Forum Vote against Proposition 5 Editor: I am a retired Army officer, long time hunter, and a resident of neighboring Idaho. Many of us here are closely watching Proposition 5 on your November ballot with concern. Our apprehension stems from the fact that the leader of a group of hunting extremists in our state has stated that if Proposition 5 passes in Utah, they will try to have a similar measure in front of Idaho voters in 2000. It is true that there have been several measures on state ballots across the nation in recent years which have sought to promote "fair chase" in hunting and to restrict certain methods of take which most people, hunters and a find particularly objectionable spring bear hunt which orphans cubs, for example, a practice which Utah wisely does not permit. It is also true that many of these measures non-hunter- s, cli Sr.ee $wss Published weekly by NewUtah! (ISSN No. (U.S.P.S. No. 309-500- Publisher T Managing Editor ) Marc member of J" NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION Jj M jr 59 West Main American Fork, Utah 84003 Subscription Haddock RussDaly price S24 per year Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork, Utah POSTMASTER: tend address change to 59 West Main. American Fork. Utah 84003 change Halloween Editor: Shadowing the beauty of October is the mis- chief of Halloween. Originally Halloween was a holy day, a blessed day to worship and remembrance. It was a time set aside to show reverence for saints whose contributions and sacrifices had been exemplary. Deadlines .Tuesday, noon Monday. 5 p.m. News Monday. 2 p.m. Missionaries Monday: 2 p.m. Weddings Monday. 2 p.m. Display Brett Bezzant City Editor A Let's Classified Advertising 4 Circulation News Hie of America), to disenfranchise the majority of Utahns and to obviate the primary principle of democracy - one person, one vote, and the majority, ( a simple majority) carries the day. A sound thrashing of Proposition 5 at the hands' of enlightened Utahns will spare your neighbors to the north the same battle two years down the road. Lynn V. Fritchman Boise Telephone Numbers Advertising T 1521-685- have passed, but they have all been carefully crafted to address a single issue. There never has been, and never will be, any citizens' initiative to seek to ban hunting for the simple reason that most Americans, including the writer, support ethical hunting and such an initiative wouldn't stand a prayer of passage. I have followed these issues closely and, without exception, opponents of these measures have used the identical scare tactics being used in Utah to promote Proposition 5 - "they'll try to ban all hunting; take away Thanksgiving turkeys; no more farm animals; no more medical research; eastern elitists," etc. Rubbish! Rubbish squared!! Can anyone seriously imagine a measure on the ballot which would seek to ban deer hunting? It would be laughed out of town! What the good people of Utah are seeing is a blatant, carefully orchestrated attempt by a minority of Utah citizens (largely bankrolled by an out of state organization, the Wildlife Legislative Fund Advertising Community Calendar Letters to the Editor Obituaries . . .Monday. 10 a m. Monday. 10 am. Tuesday. 1 1 a.m. Saints who stood for uprightness and principle were given admiration and esteem. Precious burial sites were honored. Halloween, a "once holy day," has been polluted. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we right here in American Fork reclaimed this day for the light of the world? We have embraced forms of darkness and then wonder why children would fall into Satan worship. Turn up the lights, chase out the screams and mocking of that which is sacred! We have better things to do with ouf time here on earth. May the sky be filled with light radiated from our temples and holy places. May we cease to project artificial lights which dance through tile October sky, beckoning darkness where we could enjoy radiant light. All Saints Day. Halloween Judy Price We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must include the author's name (printed AND signed) and a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, punctuation, taste and length. 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