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Show DAILY Tuesday, March 6. 2007 HERALD A5 Editorials EDITORIAL BOARD Craig Dennis, President & Publisher Randy Wright, Executive Editor Donald W. Meyers, Editorial page editor IN OUR VIEW Online safety via education Bos vBmxm&Hjim. RETOS i of the Internet and the steps they can take to make their families safe online. It also highlighted industry and government efit has proven forts. NetSafe Utah offers classes effective rethrough the University of Utah in which parents can become more search and communications tool, it also opens the door computer savvy. to a world of sleaze This is a far better and crime, from sexual Unfortunately, approach than atpredators to online tempting to legislate one man's bullies and pornogra-pherInternet content. An online predator could filth is be operating beyond Utahns have special another man's the reach of the law, reasons to be concerned about Internet often in another constitutionally country. And there safety. The state leads s are First Amendment the nation with protected of households issues with the regulation of online conexpression. having computers and half of those machines tent. Unfortunately, one man s filth is hooked up to the There's BY RESEARCH no question Internet is safest place THE 5WTCNS STROM AEESTRW IM ANCESTORS THTOWS i r;!' BETWEEN ,K AND EMILY s. two-third- another man's Some people think the solution lies in legislation, such as the federal laws that require Internet filters on library and school computers, or the local legislative efforts to create a database of offensive Internet sites. Those approaches, while have logistical as well as constitutional flaws. But one group is taking a more practical approach. NetSaf e Utah is a partnership funded by the state's Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice that includes the Utah Education Network, the University of Utah's College of Education, the state Office or Education and other groups. It's method of making the Internet safer is through education, specifically teaching parents about online perils and showing them what to do to protect their own children. NetSafe Utah recently put on a television program showing parents some of the common dangers consti- tutionally protected expression. Educating parents, and in turn children, is the more effective way to deal with the problems. Parents, not bureaucrats, are in the best position to know what is appropriate for their children to see online, and can pick the best means to screen undesirable material Families who know what to look for can best avoid online pitfalls and are in a better position to alert police to online predators before someone gets hurt. Unlike regulation, teaching about the Internet can bring parents closer to their kids as they sit down and discuss safety rules. It could even lead to families exploring cyberspace together and taking advantage of the benefits of the Information Age. LETTERS Parents and teachers must maintain communication As child and adolescent psychiatrists, we call on Gov. Huntsman to veto House Bill 202, "The Medical Recommendation for Children Act." This bill will prevent teachers from communicating with parents when their child is exhibiting signs of an ' emotional disturbance. children. Today, the amount of time that children spend with their teachers often matches or exceeds that of their parents. This gives teachers a unique perspective to identify troubling behavior. When behavior interferes with learning or friendships, teachers should be encouraged to voice their concerns to The Taliban bombing: A grisly reminder Even the most starry-eye- would have dismissing the significance of this week's suicide bombing just outside the gates of a U.S. military base in Afghanistan that Vice President Cheney was visiting. It was a ferocious calling card from the resurgent Taliban, the extremist Islamic group that brutally led Afghanistan and provided safe haven for before the United States ousted that regime in 2001. At least, the hope was that they were ousted and out of the way for good. But the bombing outside the Bagram air base provides more evidence that the Taliban and are rebuilding themselves in the remote tribal areas of Pakistan and increasingly able to cause havoc in nearby Afghanistan. Add that insurgency to the continuing violence in Iraq and it is clear President Bush needs to use all the tools he has to bring stability to those two nations. Americans car. be thankful that, finally, he seems to be doing that. Americans, regardless of their political affiliation or policy beliefs, also can be thankful that the vice president was not hurt. Cur sorrow should be directed to the families of the 23 people killed in the bombing, including two US citizens. Cheney was in Pakistan on a to discuss with critical mission President Pervez Musharraf how are usthe Taliban and ing North and South Waziristan, other tribal areas, and urban centers such as Quetta as bases for reorganizing and launching attacks in Afghanistan, according to reports from government-owne- d media in Pakistan. President Bush has described the Pakistani border with Af ghanistan as "wilder than the Wild West." This week, Bush said that Musharraf needed to take m 1 cp am-- u i parents. Child and adolescent psychiatrists do not practice in a vacuum. We rely on parentteacher collaboration to extend our reach. Children deserve a strong team behind them. We call on Huntsman to preserve the basis of this team: its ability to communicate. For the benefit of children, please veto this bill. I Dr. Thomas F. Anders, Washington D.C.; Dr. David Corwin, stronger action against and the Taliban or risk having the Democratic-controlle- d Congress cut U.S. aid to Pakistan. Bush and Cheney are right to exert more pressure on Musharraf. Since the 911 attacks, Washington has given Pakistan considerable financial and material support for being an ally in the battle against terrorism without getting much in return. leader Osama bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Mohammed Omar are both believed to be operating freely in the lawless areas near the Afghanistan border. It isn't an easy task for Musharraf to operate in the tribal territory and buck the powerful Pakistani intelligence service, which has been a strong supporter of the Salt Lake City; Dr. Douglas Gray, Salt Lake City; Dr. Keri Herrmann, Orem Special children should have the help of a special school Everyone is talking about the No Child Left Behind Act, but they seem to have forgotten some important children: the handicapped. Yes, they may have slower development, but they deserve to learn just as all children do. There used to be a school for handicapped children, but the school district decided that it didn't want to keep paying for the space, so they took these kids and put them into "normal" schools. Why? Even "normal" kids are ruthlessly teased; how is it going to be for these children? special-need- s The school district needs to realize that No Child Left Behind should mean no child, no matter what's wrong with him or her. All children deserve to be Taliban But he hasn't made even a sustained, convincing effort. With the Taliban reportedly planning a spring offensive in Afghanistan, it is time for Musharraf to try harder. Still, President Bush didn't need to paint Democrats as loose cannons. Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are finally being diligent overseers by trying to condition a chunk of the $785 million in aid to Pakistan that Bush has proposed in his new budget, on Islamabad's making every last effort to' crack down on and the Taliban. Surely Bush agrees that those hundreds of millions of dollars entitle the United States to see the Pakistani government do more. Bush's new openness toward using nonmilitary approaches to improve the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq also was reflected in Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's announcement Tuesday that the United States would participate in a regional conference called by Iraq to discuss security. triwrjnAw i 1 nm tnsm WCHBOVOU win might 7 OUTW M Trolley Square photo was Provo offensive and unnecessary Shunning some commercials While I can appreciate the point of view expressed in the Feb. 16 editorial, I was offended by the photo, too. We live in a time where photos of murder victims are not uncommon; but in this particular case, the victim wasn't just an anonymous body. We know the name of this person. We have seen her grieving family on the local news every day since the event, and the public did not need to see this photo. The story had enough I have made a promise to myself that I will change the channel on my TV or radio whenever I see an advertisement for Energy Solutions or Parents for Choice in Education. Both groups have really deep pockets to spend on really strong advertising to promote really bad causes. I Val Jon Walker, Pleasant Grove emotional impact without it. Tina Allred, Nephi How to comment Changes to the Constitution lie in hands of 'the people' 5-- Post-196- MALLARD FILLMORE 1 nai3l srsli I S3K4 a I I! i, Terns . Alii as construed by its authors, must be referred to "the people." The court is not the people, nor is it empowered to enact legislation. Mild tsk tsks regarding judicial activism fail to address the blatant illegal behavior of the court itself. I Frank Gardiner, Please, I'm begging: Reopen the school for the disabled children no child left behind. I Amanda Holmes, Provo George Washington's farewell address states: "The Constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon alL" Our judicial system has broken Washington's directive. Behaviors that were defined as being constitutional for 200 years, have suddenly been declared unconstitutional (sometimes in a 4 vote). But if the parties who wrote the original document endorsed a behavior or action, that behavior cannot posprotected. sibly be construed as being unconstiWhy are we choosing to ignore tutional. One cannot suggest that the these handicapped children? Constitution means what its authors Lets Oakridge and give did not intend it to mean. these handicapped kids a real chance at learning, not where they're going jurists have taken it upon to be stuck with kids that don't under- themselves to insert their personal stand what's wrong with them, and opinions of right and wrong, rather than relying upon existing law or the as a result, will choose to tease them. intent of the Constitution's authors. Some kids would tease anyone in an attempt to show how "tough" they are. Changes to the original Constitution, Garry Trudeau D00NESBURY HOMELESS... Partnership between parents and teachers must be supported, not hindered; therefore, we call for an immediate veto to this damaging legislation. We cannot overemphasize the wisdom of teachers, nor can we downplay their importance in the daily lives of I For more information about NetSafe Utah, go to www. netsafeutah.org. MEDIA VOICES From the Philadelphia Inquirer, March 1, 2007 cm 700,000 rn if SV Jtr- - ". Sr f 'W. letters to dhlettersheraldextra.com 5 Fax to 344-298- Mail to P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603. I Letters must include the author's full name, address and daytime phone number. I We prefer shorter letters, 100 to 200 words. Letters may be edited for length. I Writers are encouraged to include their occupation and other personal information. I Because of the volume of letters, we cannot acknowledge unpublished letters. I Letters become the property of the Daily Herald. Bruce Tinsley II TUG KwuKie 0 AV A fl joe |