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Show DAILY THE I' THE CHRONICLE'S 2 fl f if i: . used to sell chocolate with trading cards of animals inside. hundreds of microorganisms, plants or insects on a daily basis. It may be harder to love black The cards depicted cuddly panda bears or majestic Siberian tigers, and the purpose was to increase awareness of the animal's plight One card that would probably not have been that popular was Cryptobiotic soil moldy "stuff," but it's necessary for those who want to truly help the Although it just looks like crusty black dirt, Cryptobiotic soil is just as crucial and just as fragile as any Caribbean monk seal or Carolina northern flying squirrel. The organism, consisting of algae, lichens, fungi and Cyanobac-teriprevents soil erosion, fixes nitrogen and retains water for surrounding plants. All it takes to destroy it is one hiker who has wandered off the trail. While the crushed organism can rcgrow within five years, it isn't environmentally useful for another 250 years. There are other vital, endangered organisms which are easily overlooked. For example, some plants prefer to grow in areas near hiking trails. If one hiker steps off the trail, however, the plants are killed. While the chances of killing a Siberian tiger are not that great, the average person may be threatening a, high-traff- ic is, i i VIEW .f Pay Attention to ere You Step They CHRONICLE UTAH I v. ..... ' V"'M environment As the naturalist and author Aldo Leopold pointed out, each and every organism on earth is part of a larger, carefully constructed system. Cutting one link in that system however unglamorous and insignificant it may seem izzzzJ h - m 7 " ' n 1 r t : P l - ft fir affects everyone and everything. Consumed with their personal lives and recent political events, many people shrug off environmental issues and say they don't America's hottest new reality affect them. But that's short-terthinking. In the end, preserving even the smallest organism in the environment will ensure a healthy ecosystem for our posterity and our posterity's posterity. All it takes is being aware of the effect your actions may have. Students can even take it a step further by joinirig a environmental group like Terra Finna or signing the petitions to get recycling on campus which are currently circulating. It's time to look around, read warning signs and take action. Most importantly, it's time to care. LETTER m EDITOR Legislature's Action Won't Be Last Word Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board. Editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author. The forum created on the Opinion Page is one based on vigorous debate, while at the same time demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because of race, ethnic background, gender, appearance or sexual entation will be edited or will not be published. TO THE TV. ori- Editor: I am writing in response to John Morley's recent column on Utah's redistricting process in The Daily Utah Chronicle. Like John, I am disappointed in the outcome of what most Utahns see as an unfair, blatantly partisan exercise. From newspaper editorials to resolutions adopted by local elected officials to public citizens who spoke at numerous meetings held by the legislative redistricting committee statewide, Utahns saw the Republican plan as not fair and bad for voters. I understand the tendency to try to assign blame and to commiserate over perceived losses. But if that is the only action we take, we are missing the point and what I believe is an important opportunity as well. Ten years ago, Republicans engaged in a similarly unfair attempt to redraw boundaries in a way that would consolidate their hold on power. They created what they hoped was a Republican 2nd District for then Democratic incumbent Wayne Owens. Because another Democrat Bill Orton held the 3rd congressional district seat, they weren't able to ruse as they successfully promote the "rural-urban- " had hoped. Since 1991, both'Republicans and Democrats have held the 2nd District seat. Partisan leaders control how the maps are drawn. But party leaders don't elect officeholders; people do. Utah is known as a state of independent-minde- d citizens, who vote for the person, as as not. often the not party see ACTION, page 11 True Community Based on Equality and Diversity first place. ANNE NICKSICH Mostly, justifications fall back on antiquated portions of the Bible that state homosexuality is against the will of God. Other arguments include such ideas as it is a choice to be gay, or one can hide their sexuality if they want to, and therefore don't need legal pro- Chronicle Opinion Columnist one of the most diverse in the world. It encompasses every type of person in the is America human species. Our Constitution, which we all seem to so highly revere, is meant to apply to all people on American land but unfortunately, this is not occurring. It is the new millennium, the year 2001, and, in most states, gay people can still be legally discriminated against and arc blatantly denied the fundamental rights of freedom and Many other "groups" arc still terribly discriminated against, but gay people arc the last to still be oppressed by sanctions. America is quite advanced in many respects when it comes to public policy, but it falls painfully short when it chooses to openly deny the rights and benefits of its beloved Constitution to all of its citizens. It trips over its own feet when it allows persons al prejudice to impede the fundamental of its members. There are many arguments for why homosexuality should not be a group classification, let alone a status that needs protection, as well as arguments that it is sinful in the family-buildin- g. state-proscrib- free-dom- tection or "special rights." These arguments are misguided. They are incorrect not only because they arc improvable, emotional arguments, but also because they are vicious statements that kill. Gay kids are more than twice as likely to commit suicide as their heterosexual counterparts, and depression has a high occurrence among gay people. Hate crimes committed against gay people arc also high. You may think you know no one gay, or may have presupposed moral prohibitions about homosexuality, so why should you care? What does this matter to you? It matters in a cosmic sense, because if you believe in the Golden Rule, you should treat others as you want to be treated, and no one wants to be oppressed. In our own bumbling ways, we are all just seeking out some happiness in a confusing life. It matters in a global sense because we can't be hypocrites to our Constitution. We cannot pick and choose to whom its privileges will apply. Equality for gay people should matter to you because you will know someone gay, and they very well may be your son or your daughter, your brother, sister, even your You should care mother or your father. CHRONICLE OPINION EDITOR because anybody you could meet at any time could be gay, and you would otherwise have no problem with this person if it were not for the knowledge of their sexuality and an illogical and misconstrued concept of what it means to be gay. What it means to be gay cannot be summed up in words or even in concepts. What it is not, however, is a sin, or unnatural, or pedophilia, or dangerous to children. The only thing dangerous to children is for them to be told by their parents or respected lead- - Simply put, it is not the right of the majority to tyrannize the minority. ers that they are evil and ought to be changed, or don't deserve to live. Oct. n is National Coming Out Day. It is a particular day to actualize oneself and affirm sexuality in a positive way to families or friends. If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer, embrace who you arc. Affirm that you are a worthy person, capable of transcending a label of sexuality to be a valid member of the human community. If you are part of the family of a queer person, embrace them because they are of you and are the same sons, daughters, sisters or brothers they have always been. If you are a friend, support your gay LAURA D. WEISS LETTERSCHRONICLE.UTAH.EDU friends, because it is our human interactions that make live worth living. d A opinion column will probably not change anybody's mind if they are dead-sagainst this concept of homosexuality. Perhaps the first thing that needs to change then, is the paternalism involved in legislat900-wor- et ing sexuality. It is not necessary for heterosexuals to make laws regarding homosexuality. Exis- tence cannot be denied. Like it or not, agree with it or not, queer people will always exist be it nature or nurture, people are what they are. In fact, if part of the problem with the idea of homosexuality is that gay people don't marry and have kids, then legalizing gay marriage and adoption would allow gay people to do what heterosexual people demand of them. All the laws in the world will neither eradicate homosexuality nor improve the heterosexual condition. Simply put, it is not the right of the majority to tyrannize the minority. Legislating oppressive morality obtains no one's goals. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." To deny freedom and equality to gay people is to deny justice. To knowingly and willfully deny justice is to threaten the very foundation of our nation. Oppression and hate gain nothing. They see COMMUNITY, page 581-704- 1 11 |