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Show Ikt fmliit intwtss, t to hmamdu tod pvwsk, junta tut tkiiiiibl KateSif t &tw ifcwail-- i "S-'.- ftttrntit and J to i& tidai EDi TOR: DONALD tsl etU'rVi. fUet W. MEYERS WEDNESDAY, THE DAILY HERALD (www.HsriThHaiicom) 4 n. p JANUARY 22, 20C3 ft II i ! i - li i kj Li I "Tff Israeli Prime Minister If Ariel Sharon wins this month's election, the first thing he should do is write a note to Pales --iinice thank-yo- u tinian leader Yasser Arafat Just when a financial scandal and possible cover-u- p was sending Sharon poll numbers southward, Arafat's Cabinet stepped forward with an urgent request ' Please stop slaughtering innocent Israeli citizens, they asked Palestinian terrorists, in the weeks just before the Jan. 28 election. How thoughtful. Presumably, the Palestinians figured that any more such attacks like the two earlier in the month that killed 22 people in Tel Aviv could help revive Sharon's staggering campaign by pushing Israeli voters to the right Sharon seized on the remark immediately, and accused Arafat of trying to swing ' the election to the liberal Labor Party. The Palestinians' call for a halt to suicide bombings was interpreted by many Israelis as temporary, creating the imprest" sion that after the election fresh attacks would be permissible. 1 ( Michelle Malke Beari-counti- ng on racial lines hitting the skids Bush has spoken. rresident I Giving 20 bonus points to public college ana university applicants just for being black, Hispanic or Native American is "divisive, unfair and impossible to square with the Constitution." This is a vital step forward and away from the Clintonian social engineering regime, which consistently sided with the racial bonus U point-giver- ' s. But Bush's announcement is only a tiny step in the right direc-- , tion. In 2001, this administration backed the federal government's payment of cash bonuses to high- Letters way construction firms that accept bids from companies owned by members of certain minority groups. And in his remarks on the University of Michigan case now before the Supreme Court, Bush voiced continuing support for the fantasy that government-engineere- d racial diversity can and should be achieved "without using quotas" or other unconstitutional means. As Clinton-Gore-Ren- . racial-preferen- guarantees state university admission to the top 20 percent of students in every Florida high school senior class. That percentage that, ahem, quota was engineered to ensure no net loss in minority enrollment in the state university system The vast majority of Americans of all races and ethnicities reject in public life. Voters in California and Washington state did just that when they passed ballot initiatives banning government racial preferences in . , ;1996 and 1998. Nevertheless, the president his brother) continue to Ispum one of the conservative movement's greatest, modern-da- y ;rivil rights heroes, the man behind those ballot measures: Ward Con-nerly. The victory against racial preferences in Washington, which I witnessed firsthand, was stunning. Connerly, founder of the American .Civil Rights Institute and a Cali-;fornia university regent, helped ! ;Initiative 200 overcome slimy, opposition from the 'business, civil rights and media ;deep-pocket- ' .'elite. ' - Connerlys latest crusade has similar wide appeal. The Racial ;Privacy Initiative would bar Calie fornia officials from requiring to check off their race when ;they apply for a job, register for school or have a child. Such intrusive government for the purpose of d bonuses, to awarding luse President Bush's words, is ;"divisive, unfair and impossible to square with the Constitution." The time for Connerly's prescription is ' at hand: To prevent the government from boxing Americans in, throw away the boxes. ; . peo-,pl- bean-countin- g race-base- ; Michelle Mcdkin is a columnist with Creators Syndicate. She can be reached via at malkincomcast.net Uzto The latest poll numbers show" Sharon's lead is firming." In a way, Arafat was returning a favor. You may remember when Arafat was under siege a few ' months ago. Reformers had called for new leadership, and hopes were raised that the corrupt and incompetent Palestinian leader could be shoved aside for a new generation of reform-- ! minded leaders. But then', in response to suicide bombings, Sharon had ordered tanks and bulldozers to demolish what was left' of Arafat's Ramallah headquarters. Arafat defiantly vowed never to be forced out The Palestinians rallied around him, and the reformers retreated. In years past, a big attack,' such as the Tel Aviv bombings earlier this month, would have " ' generated support for the hawkish' Sharon. Not this time. Nor did it seem to do the opposite.1' Since Sharon had promised to - , I hate to keep picking on the Nebo School Board, but its words and actions continue to invite criti-dam, and, to quote an old it "MASH" episode r, would be impolite not to accept the invitation. The board's recent attempt to . placate the public by stating that "we want parental involvement ... we've been encouraging that" is about as humorous as its arbitrary decision to ban the trip to the art exhibits in Las Vegas in the first place. Now that a group of enlightened parents are organizing and conducting a quality education- -' "' al experience for their children, the board wants to jump on the proverbial bandwagon in an effort to save face. As a matter of fact, Nebo parents were involved initially 45 of them signed permission slips to . allow their kids to enjoy a tremen-- , dous event accompanied by a , responsible, dedicated and profes- -. prohibited in both state and sional teacher, and a group of national Constitutions. These legal equally competent chaperones. documents espouse American prinThe board slapped them down. ciples, which you have sworn to What kind of encouragement is as a representative of the uphold that? The board should quit while PeOple.. , ., ' its behind. Stan Burnett ,. ; r Each time it speaks its predica.Orem , ment becomes more laughable. To School the Nebo Board, cut your TrcfHc ycsi losses and allow this group of parents and students to We would like to acknowledge these world-clas- s exhibits in peace the fine work and achievement in finally. getting the stop signs placed at an Kevin Burdett east and west intersection on State Orem Rodd 147-14We believe this is a positive action taken by those "responsible for public safety. Rghting p!sdg3 : f We would like to express our ' " The Daily Herald quotes Sea and appreciation to Allen Chris Buttars ("Atheists set to fight gratitude Childs, for glistening to the concerns Pledge," Jan 17): Tm totally of all the people living in and amazed that anyone in this country ' around the West Mountain area would be opposed to having our ' We believe this is a positive ' ' American kids say the Pledge of action acciwill and ' prevent further Allegiance. Like it or not, this is a dents, and help make this road a Christian country." safer road for the traveling public. I do not doubt Mr. Buttars' sinRoger and Darhne Anderson cere respect and love for the recita- ? Payson tion of the Pledge of Allegiance. He : obviously views it as an important : To ritual, a ritual that specifically rein-- 1 forces and honors his religious f In all fairness to everybody, let ' belief that the United States is us not fluoridate our drinking founded on the principles of Chriswater, and let everyone choose their ' ' own way to fluoridate. tianity. As a person of faith, I appreciate the power of ritual in personal In response to Adam Woolleys and communal worship. , analysis that table salt is poisonHowever, by proposing legisla-ous, he is absolutely correct and so tion that requires public school stu is sugar, white flour and animal fat dents to participate m this ritual That's why it is extremely impor- -' '' Buttars would use the people's gov- ' tant what we put into our mouths' ernment to promote his particular ' In response to Rebekah Martin-dale- s' religion (Christianity). Like it or story of how a city became iD from drinking water that was not not Mr. Buttars, this is explicitly , This editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune. one-line- ' " . . 5 , , thank 1. . each hlscwn . IWNOrPfVZUSef lnwi iii IliilwfUww ill iiWih-l- mauHs.- fluoridated, it proves that this issue is purely emotional Let us all choose our poison. ' Adele Bliss Orem torted reasoning,; The radical environment leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the concerned dtizenry. Yours and mine.) i Rather the dtizenry, you and me infused with fear and bhndsided by environmental intimidation, and I have reworded a speech from coerced, will offer up our being Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" to fit rights unto the environmentalist j the typical actions taken by the leader and gladly so. How do I radical extreme environmentalist's know this? By your repeated, ; against Utah's silent citizenry. silent apathetic Beware of the radical extreme " attitude. For this is how I planned ' environmentalist leader who bangs my strategy. I am one of Utah's ' the drums of the environmental active radical environmental lead' war in order to whip us common ers. everyday dtizenry into a Martin Luther King Jr. clarifies fervor, for environmental-isthe above. When he wrote, "History d is indeed a sword. will have to record that the greatest ' It emboldens the blood with tragedy of this period of social tranextreme environmentalism, just as sition is not the strident clamor of it narrows the mind of the common the bad people (meaning the radical citizenry. Meaning you and me, and environmentalists) but rather, the when the drums of the environ- appalling silence of the good peomentalist war have reached a fever ple." Meaning you and ma Paul L Young pitch and blood boils with hate, our mind becomes closed with their dis St George ; ; someone-else-do-- it . , m : double-edge- : -- Y vo '. By Garry Trudeau I ' same for Sharon's opponent, the dovish Labor Party candidate Amram Mitzna. The Palestinian call for restraint likely will not be heeded. Even though Israelis debate' how much Arafat controls terrorism, it's clear that he doesn't control all of the groups now active in suicide attacks in Israel. Election or not they're continuing the only campaign they know the campaign of death. stop the attacks, such a pronouncement by the Palestinians might have reminded Israelis how his hard-lin- e policies have failed to guarantee security. ' Instead, the attacks intensified the feeling among many Israelis that there is no solution to the current fighting, and that Sharon is handling the mess as well as anyone. In one newspaper poll, for instance, only 26 percent of those responding said Sharon had a solution; 64 per- -' cent said he did not Interesting- -' ly, the numbers were nearly the zziz for criL'cisni Letters Policy The Dally Herald welcomes your letters to the editor. 7 ' .Please remember to Include your full name, address and phone number where you can be reached. Only your name and the city in which you live will be published. All other Information 'iWill be kept confidential. Anonymous letters will be discarded. Letters must contain 250 or fewer words, approximately one page, typed and double spaced. Vbuf letter will be better read if It concerns one central theme or Idea. .."'AIJ, letters will be edited for length, accuracy and clarity, ' '''The Heraid encourages community disoussion of issues In a responsible manner. ' Please send your letters to: . Editor, The Dally Herald y, P.O. Box 717 ' 1555 NjFwedom Blvd. Provo, UT 84603 The fax number is 344-298Letters Ifiay also be faxed or The V address is:'jdhnews8heraldextra.com. If you hate questions, call Opinions Page Editor Donald Mallard Fillmore W. Meyers at 344-254- By Bruce Tinsley i AstueLmzxxj, miunns HomhmmtsTo$AYAMir J LASTSPRINGS THIS ' s ; Doonesbury OKAY&XBOUTOF View - In years past, a big attack, such as the Tel Aviv bombbs earlier this month, would have generated support for the hawkish Sharon. 1 Not this! time. Nor did it seem to do the opposite. Since Sharon had promised to stop the attacks, such a pronouncement by the Palestinians miht have reminded Israelis how his hard-lin-e policies have failed to guarantee security. the Editor o examples of model programs, Bush cited public university admissions plans in his home state of Texas and his brother Jeb's state of Florida. As Tve noted before, Ws "10 percent" and Jeb's "20 percent plans are the same old, tired policies disguised under the slipcover of "compassionate conservatism." Jeb's Tal- ented 20" program, for example, to Another VAC r Mil ill. -- CP? VAlVC-Inl- r A Q |