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Show DAILY A6 Thursday, Mardt 29. 2007 HERALD EDITORIALS EDITORIAL BOARD Craig Dennis, President & Publisher Randy Wright, Executive Editor Donald W. Meyers, Editorial page editor IN OUR VIEW THIS MM This Moroni is protected o some, the recent angel Moroni coffee flap is a reminder of Mormon Elder Paul H. Dunn's warning about there being too d Mormons runmany ning around. A Taylorsville coffee shop, Just Add Coffee, was asked by the IDS Church to stop using an image of in its the angel Moroni on promotional campaign. The image was a modified photograph of a golden Moroni sculpture atop an LDS temple. The angel's trumpet was bent upward, and a hand from heaven was pouring coffee into the bell from a giant coffee pot. The church warned the coffee shop, which is known for its irreverent line of clothing, that the image was a registered trademark and asked it to stop selling the shirts. d The shirts took a swipe at the LDS Church's code suggesting that members should not drink coffee, though not everyone would laugh. Moroni is a key figure in the church's scripture and is taken seriously by many devout members. He is recorded as the last prophet to contribute to the Book of Mormon and as the heavenly messenger who delivered messages from God to Joseph Smith. Of course, this is not the first time Moroni has been depicted in a humorous vein. Far from it. Virtually all of Utah's political cartoonists have taken a jab at the golden trumpeter it at one time or another. Many good Mormons have joined in. Elder J. Golden Kimball, a president of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy in the last century known for damning and helling in church meetings, along with other more salty language, once joked that if Moroni ever blew his trumpet he would spray pigeon feces (he used a different word) all over the Hotel Utah and other buildings on the east side of Main Street. Because Moroni is so well known in these parts, many would argue that the church's intellectual property office, Intellectual Reserve Inc., might need to lighten up and get a sense of humor. The angel, after all, is in the public domain, along with the entire text of the Book of Mormon, and he's fair long-face- good-nature- BUT image. In other words, if the Taylorsville coffee shop had drawn its own version of Moroni, there would have been no infringement. But you cannot legally make commercial use of an image that belongs to someone else. Somehow we doubt that modified photographs of Moroni's graven image are likely ever to reach such proportions that the church's trademark interest would be compromised but you never know. We understand why the church asserted its rights in this case. If a trademark is allowed to be used without permission, it loses its value and original meaning. It can become a generic term for things of widely varying quality. Our language is already littered with trademarks that were not adequately defended, including aspirin, escalator, kerosene and trampoline. Companies zealously watch their trademarks and issue warnings to those who abuse them. Fewer people use the term "Xerox" as a synonym for photocopying than might otherwise use it if Xerox Corp.'s trademark lawyers had not been vigilant. Same goes for Band-Ai- The LDS Church uses Moroni images in a variety of ways. The image once adorned the covers of The Book of Mormon and is used on some of the awards the church gives to its youth. Moroni can also be seen on neckties and other articles of clothing approved by the church. The image is sometimes displayed on the tombstones of LDS military dead. Just Add Coffee's use of the Moroni photo was amusing, but it was inappropriate. While the church is mature enough to take a little satire in stride, it shouldn't have to take shots from people using its own images. Let the critics make their own art. D00NESBURY focmr I wtmausct- - tVtMFlOMSHUA9 HWWfiP TKJ9TT MIL, THAT MAKtf Mt AH6RY.' LETTERS Selfish lawsuit parades as a violation of religious rights NEWS ITEM AWAX MUSEUM 1 1 mt: , IS SCHEDULED T00PENINWftSHlHGI0N.DC ! Lawson's reasons for suing the Utah Attorney General and the Department of Agriculture. Granted, the LDS Church has encouraged its members to be and have things like gardens and food storage, but there are other ways to fulfill that. What about the actual church guideline of being subject to rulers and to obey, honor and sustain the law? By not allowing Utah to take care of the problem of the Japanese beetle infestation, no one will be able to have i gardens or trees, including Lawson. He is being incredibly selfish about the situation; and in the future, he should leave the church out of his requests. Dlayne Swensen, uirtrrvr 1 Orem Hooray for 'Blue Bucket Day'; recycling is fun and easy I encourage all residents of American Fork to embrace the use of blue recycling garbage cans. I told Connie to call for one as soon as they were offered a year or two ago, and the results nave been a good experience. The truck comes around every second Friday (which we call "Blue Bucket Day") and removes paper products, aluminum cans and plastic items. It's cool. Garbage day is a grudged necessity, but Blue Bucket Day actually brings a sense of trying to do something good. Even if you simply put your old newspapers in the bucket, you'll nearly fill it every two weeks; and, you'll save a tree or two every couple of months. Not bad! If you have young kids, teach them to do the sorting. It's their generation that will need it anyway. If you don't think you'll have enough recyclable material to justify a container, why not share one with a neighbor? Give Blue Bucket Day a try. We did. It's fun and "the right thing to do," all at the same time. I R. Scott Ormond, American Fork Irrational rants in stories won't fix immigration ' j FEATURING IMMITWIONS OF gAL LEftPERSl : j r ; here; breaking the law is bad; they are bad; I pay taxes, too." Such preposterous and thoughtless remarks only polarize people and cause them to not look for suitable solutions, but rather, to defend their irrational reasons for maintaining the beliefs they already have. School uniforms are wrong I honestly don't understand why some students must wear school uniforms. I know that certain schools are worried about students wearing immodest clothing, but students should still be clothing. tJeffHoopes, able to wear It bothers me when I see movies Provo and television programs with students New Daily Herald comics test wearing school uniforms. It makes them all look the same; it's not right, readers' sense of humor and moreover, it's unfair. The students that have to wear school uniforms are usually those who attend charter schools or private schools, right? But these same students' parents already spend a lot of field trips and money on tuition, much less having the added expense of school uniforms. To top it off, the uniforms aren't- even attractive. If students have to buy uniforms, they might as well be cute, or at least brightly colored. I have no doubt that most parents list, too. (and even some students) will disagree Let us have, at least, some quality with me, but I hope they consider my back in the newspaper. thoughts on the matter. I Jewel Bartholomew, Ponder what I've written, and mayOrem be you'll agree with me, too. School uniforms are pointless I Kashua Campbell, Smokers should have rights Lehi Smoking in public places should be Thank you, Ron Shaw, for your letter titled "Herald's poor comics choices are no laughing matter." You are right on target. Each day, I look forward to reading the comics. It starts my day with a bit d of humor. Imagine my disappointment to discover that the comics selections are changing; I find no humor in that. e Herald, please give us some comics, as suggested by Mr. Shaw and add Mrs. Worth to the much-neede- tried-and4ru- optional. I understand that have rights not to smell it; however, what about the rights of the smokers? I was a smoker for 13 years. Now, Illegal immigration is a complex, I understand why people hate smoke, legal moral and political issue. These people are human beings with but it isn't for me (or you) to decide if no real chance for success in their own someone should smoke or not. If people want to smoke and kill countries, the "tired and weak," lookthemselves, then so be it. ing for opportunity and a chance to prosper. My only problem is that the children shouldn't have to be around smoke. However, they break the laws of another country (our country), and of- But, since children aren't allowed in ten add to its problem of crime and its bars, why make it so a smoker doesn't need to provide social services. have the choice? There are extremely good arguSince I have quit smoking, I hate the ments on both sides of the issue. Unsmell of cigarettes. But if I dont want to smell it, then I wont go into a fortunately, these arguments don't appear in the Daily Herald. people are smoking. Let smokers keep their rights and Instead, one after another, we hear or intelligent arguleave them alone. ments that basically amount to "get I Amanda Holmes, them out; they broke the law to come Provo place-wher- MALLARD FILLMORE I I . I am absolutely appalled by Tim Garry Trudeau SEXUAL TRAUMA HCANfSHC ami TA NOW and traditions. Trademarks are zealously guarded by their owners to preserve a public message or second-guessin- HAITINO LET U5 the church. The statue in the picture is protected as intellectual property, and it is trademarkable. A trademark is shorthand not only for an organization's name but for its values Lim-baug- TO V DEATH? OF SILENCE... The SOVOUNO. NOT MUCH HUMS It's just that the particular angel depicted on the shirts belongs to best-sellin- ABuscv WE game for humor. From the New York Daily News, paign, she wrote of her illness in g a March 26, 2007 book and became a symbol of cancer survival. announcement by Now, she will be an object lesson in dealing with Stage 4, metapresidential hopeful Edwards that his wife, static cancer. And her progress will surely be of intense interest Elizabeth, has suffered an incurable recurrence of breast cancer to the 2 million American women who have been treated for breast thrust an intensely personal medical and family matter onto the cancer, to the 178,000 likely to be public stage. The couple handled it diagnosed and the 41,000 expected to die from it this year alone. with aplomb. Rather crassly, some on the ReTogether, they said that Edwards would continue to campublican right, such as Rush paign, with his wife declaring, "I'm leaped to speculating about whether a sympathy vote would absolutely ready for this. I mean, I don't look sickly, I don't feel boost Edwards's campaign. Others sickly. And I'm as ready as any engaged in "Wouldn't you think this is a time person can be for that." Good for her. Good for them. when they would want to be home Millions of Americans fight together savoring every moment cancer every day, forging on to that they've got?" asked a Boston the best of their abilities. While the University journalism professor death toll is still far too high, many who had covered the couple for sufferers are benefiting from the Los Angeles Times in 2004 and who ventured that by suspending therapies that were unimaginable just a decade ago. That his campaign, Edwards "could have Elizabeth Edwards is determined looked like a hero." Ugh. to become one in the midst of a Doctors say a relapse of the kind suffered by Elizabeth Edwards fits presidential campaign speaks volumes about how far the country a typical pattern, and that the mahas come in a short time. lignant cells in her rib also, perWhen first lady Betty Ford are terminal, haps, in her lung but not unbeatable. She may have openly discussed her mastectomy in 1974, she gave millions of as little as five years but could surwomen the courage to talk about vive as long as 20. With each step their own battles with the deadly in her treatment, her doctors will disease, replacing speculation with learn more about managing her information and fear with fact. disease and so will innumerable Elizabeth Edwards has charted a cancer patients. She will have to similar course. Diagnosed at the undergo therapies for the rest of end of the 2004 presidential cam her life, perhaps as first lady. I SHOMT OBSERVE A MOMENT Elizabeth's brave face IPUNNO. RECRUITING, TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT MEDIA VOICES VUASKIN6 ABOUT THt HIT N6 ABOUT soiecNt e How to comment letters to dhlettersheraldextra.com Fax to 344-29- Mail to P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603. I Letters must include the author's full name, address and daytime phone number. I Writers are encouraged to include their occupation and other personal information. t Because of the volume of letters, we cannot acknowledge unpublished letters. t Letters become the property of the Daily Herald. Bruce Tinsley 0M...scm. WtBNOT 6CHH6T0 V cmiHe A&KUT i of o. wm-c- oi 9m$ p&Gw oar of pvz pan a |
