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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle OPINION Shawn Parker Bailey, Opinion Editor: editorchronicle.utah.edu Thursday, December 3, 1998 Chronicle Editorial r kI. i' . r The Daily J. w 1 Letters Section Is Truly an Open Forum Give This 1 WWuJAKo? y jhe Christmas season is l a time for giving. We JL hear it every year. Give to others. Be generous. Think about how important it is to share whatever wealth you J $&&$. jkB Editor: don't know if I should be pleased or disgusted with the I Chronicle. I think confused might be a better word. I have noticed that the Chronicle, for some reason unknown to me, likes to publish letters to the editor that rip on itself. I know that many people, if they were publishers, would probably take advantage of their freedom of the press and write anything and everything they want. They would disregard harsh responses. They would publish only happy, conforming news. They would only publish articles with their perspective. However, I find that the Chronicle is very open to other's views. They even go as far as to publish countless articles that put down staff writers, editors, and the publication in general. I was not coerced or bribed to write this letter, I sincerely appreciate the fact that people arc have. It almost gets tiresome. But there's a reason we hear so much about giving during the holidays. , The fact is, some people would have nothing to celebrate without help from those who can give. Many like to gripe about how poor we are and how little money we have to spend on ourselves. And it's thoroughly true. College students' don't have the resources most people have to go out and buy gifts, especially for people we've never met. But consider a family of recent immigrants who have come to this country to work for a better life. Perhaps the family members haven't had time to work enough to save up for Christmas. Without some help, Christmas will be just another day for them. Or think about a family down on its luck. Perhaps the breadwinner lost a job or is disabled. . Maybe It's a single-pare- ? ; fami- nt and that parent is doing all he or she can just to put bread on the table. ly, ? The fact is, many of this nation's poor people are children. Christmas is a very important time of year for them. For many of us, the biggest disappointment of childhood Christmases came when we didn't get as huge a pile of electronic gadgets, stuffed animals and fashion attire as the kids down the block. For others, disappointment means going to school the first day after the break in the same ll old pair of pants and the same worn jacket they wore before Christmas came. It's easy to give. The University of Utah is sponsoring an "angel tree" in the front lobby of the union building. Most of the kids represented on the tree aren't asking for much: a game, a toy, an article of clothing. And if money is a problem, you can always go in with a group of friends to buy the gift. There are'also gifts, like warmth toward another person you don't normally get along with, or special attention to one who is alone. Friendship can be a powerful too-sma- non-tangib- le gift. This holiday season, find a way to brighten someone's life. ; Does Campus Security Value the First Amendment? I am an American first-wh- o happens to be Asian. Secondly, I am not a kid, I am a professional photojour-nalis- t. Yet after the post-gam- e fight that after the Utah vs..BYU game, happened Campus Security and University Police Sergeant Lynn Mitchell perceived me as an "Oriental kid who was upset." The only valid part of the description is that I was upset. But I became upset only when my First Amendment rights were blocked and forcibly stopped by Campus Security. Campus Security employee Brenda Davis grabbed my camera as I shot a photo of two Campus Security officers harassing my colleague Kyle Green. What happened at the game is now for the newspaper attorneys to pursue. I still want to pose questions to the Campus Security. Do you love this country and what the Constitution stands for? Or do you believe in the philosophy you shouted as you tried to remove me, saying, "The First Amendment doesn't mean anything here!" Campus Security, the reason I value my Constitutional rights so much is because my parents fled Vietnam, a country with limited freedom. They left with only a few valuables and two babies. I was so ill that they thought I would not survive the trip. My family and I were passengers along with three hundred others crammed on a wooden boat for two weeks. These boats were made to carry less than half the number of people who were on board. There was only enough rice to eat once a day. My father ate sparingly in order to feed my mother and sister. My mother barely ate enough to breast feed an ill, hungry baby boy. Many told my parents to give up on me and save themselves. The only thing parents could do for a dead baby was wrap its tiny body in - 5 Letters to the Editor i Holiday Season Utah Chronicle Danny La Chronicle Senior Editor "Campus Security, do you want your children and future generations to enjoy the freedom you take for granted?" cloth and give it a burial by sea. Despite rough seas, my family made it to Malaysia where we spent two months in a refugee camp. We were fortunate to have the Scott family in Utah sponsor us in order to come to the United States. We arrived at Salt Lake International airport during a snowy winter. My parents carried with them two children, a small cardboard suitcase, and sandals on their feet. Campus Security, would you have the courage to attempt what my parents did for freedom? My parents risked life and limb to give me the freedom that was taken away from me after the game on Saturday. I love this country and what the Constitution stands for. It doesn't take a education to learn to university-leve- l love America. The founding fathers created the First Amendment to guarantee America a strong free press, press that can open minded (although I disagree with much of what is written). know you will be understanding I if I, and others, write to you with some of my "crazy Utah views" in future letters. So congratulations, d Chronicle staff, for being (at least in letting others function as a government watchdog-- to keep it from telling us too powerfully how we should live and what we can and cannot do. If we as citizens don't defend the First Amendment and the Constitution, all the lives lost in the American Revolution mean nothing. I will honor those who laid down their lives in war for this country for as long as I can lift a camera. Campus Security, do the American patriots who died mean anything to open-minde- express their views) and for not taking advantage of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Blake Niederhauser Senior, Biology You Call you? Campus Security, do you want your children and future generations to enjoy the freedom you take for granted? My parents gave me a great gift when I was eight years old. They became United States citizens; that included my sister and me. I made a promise that today, twelve years later, is stronger than ever. UNITED STATES OATH OF ALLEGIANCE: "I HEREBY declare, on oath, that I That Front Page News? Editor: applaud your stated commitment to journalistic integrity and I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion: So help me God." Campus Security, I pledge my alle- giance to the United States of America; where do you pledge yours? the first amendment as contained in Monday's opinion section. I, too, believe that freedom of the press is of paramount importance in our society. However, as of late, I question the value of the Chronicle as a news medium and the "service" it provides to its readers. The Chronicle's news coverage this week has, to say the least, been laughable. For those who don't know, newspapers traditionally place their most noteworthy and important stories on the front page, above the fold and below the banner. Assuming the Chronicle adheres to this practice, the Chronicle's edi- tors deemed dead birds on campus to be Monday's top news story. Further, Tuesday's top story dealt with an intoxicated fraternity member being denied admittance to his orgas nization's banquet. It would appear that the Chronicle is taking incidents that might belong in its popular "police blotter" col- alumni-award- Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion or the Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board. Editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author. "Letters to the Editor" is an open forum for the community of the individual or group because University of Utah. Letters of an indecent or libelous nature, or those which demean or threaten any of race, sexual orientation or religion will not be considered. Letters must be brief. Letters will be edited for style and space. letters to editorOchron-icle.utah.edAuthor's name and phone number must be submitted with every letter for verification purposes. or drop them off at Union 240. u scc news, page 6 |