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Show "He are dedicated to the public interest, to fairness and accuracy, to innovation and growth, and to the restless pursuit of excellence." Puliter OP mission statement EDITOR: DONALD W MEYERS Old LEIIIds Dsu For many Americans, , This gesture accomplishes nothing good I'm not talking about the digital readouts in a dashboard or cellphone. I'm referring to the digital response that every behind the wheel t reverts to when displaying displeasure for the drivers around him or her: The middle digit, you know, the bird. That featherless fowl, or foul, depending upon how you look at it, that when summoned, seems to diminish the human spirit for both sender and receiver. It is a response that is second nature for far too many and when it rears its ugly head; it pops out faster than a newly Nean-derth- al installed air bag. So what's my point, you ask? Just a minor one, that it is a supremely degrading gesture, a hurtful gesture, one that for many is hard to ignore, an "in your face, what are you going to do about it" gesture, a catalyst that spawns the kind of road rage that nightmares are made of. d this tradition all around the I have witnessed time-honore- globe. It is revered, sanctified and rished by anyone who lacks country began on a small island off the coast of New Jersey. The immigration center at Ellis Island processed millions of immigrants coming to the United States. The manifests from the ships that delivered them there have been, until recently, a relatively untapped vein of genealogical data. That changed last week with an Internet database created by the Ellis Island Foundation and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints. The database, accessible at makes finding an ancestor who came to America between 1892 and 1924 fairly easy. As anyone who's done genealogical research before knows, the records from Ellis Island contain valuable information. They show when an immigrant LETTERS TO THE EDITOR sife MONDAY. APRIL 23. 2001 PSulS HERALD EDITORIAL their family's history in this Lan don Shields AG THE DAILY HERALD (www.HarkTheHerald.com) 4 SPARE ME IONS arrived in this country, what ship he or she came on and where it sailed from. But the ship manifests were handwritten, sometimes in a variety of languages, and were not formatted for quick searches. The Ellis Island Foundation decided 11 years ago to create a data center at its museum where people could access this information. It raised $22.5 million for the project. But The Church of Jesus Christ provided the volunteers to go through the microfilmed record and bring order out of chaos. While the foundation digitized the manifests, 12,000 church members pored over the microfilmed documents and pulled information out to create a workable database. Genealogists are already familiar with the church's efforts to maintain family . GDOT Genealogists are already familiar with the church's efforts to maintain family records. The church's own genealogical Web site is one of the largest on the Internet, and its collection of records stored in Cottonwood Canyon is considered an international treasure. records. The church's own genealogical Web site is one of the largest on the Internet, and its collection of records stored in Cottonwood Canyon is considered an international treasure. While church members collect genealogical data to perform vicarious ordinances for departed ancestors, it makes those records available to anyone, regardless of religion, who wants to find out where they came from. The church recently with released information on American slaves, providing their descendants with tools that "Roots" author Alex Haley could only imagine. CD-RO- And now there is a new tool in that quest for all of us to find out who we really are, to see the people who paved the way for us to be where we are today. To the volunteers who labored over the records, and the Ellis Island Foundation, you have the undying gratitude of millions whose ancestors first set foot on American soil at Ellis Island. Members of The Daily Herald editorial board are Publisher Kirk Parkinson, Managing Editor Mike Fitzgerald, Opinions Page Editor Donald W. Meyers, Community Editor Sharon Gholdston, Provo resident Jason Durtschi and Springville resident Patty Roberts. (V(fUrtM-jM4- (JjWrajK I CoeteyNonServto Stereotype of homeless not accurate chu wisdom and forethought. I think it's been around since the Cretaceous Period. I'm not sure. The point is, it is a very destructive and aggressive driving maneuver that is involved in the early stages of traffic altercations, among other kinds of disputes. It is a nonverbal assault in these "stressed out" times, a preamble to car chases, police reports and emergency rooms. Many of us are able to rise above the innocent flick of a finger but many of us are not. When ignored, it still rubs us the wrong way and cuts a little deeper than we'd like to admit. If for one moment you think this concern is unwarranted, read the horror stories from Reader's Digest, police reports, newspapers and magazines across the country, watch the news, watch the drivers around you and even yourself. It's an epidemic. The last time I checked, no state or country includes these kinds of hand signals in their drivers' manuals. Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ... finger? Spare me. Life is challenging enough. I salute (with all digits outstretched) all those who refrain from deploying this overexposed expression when someone has cut you off or almost run you off the road. You understand that adding unleaded fuel to the fire is not in your best interest. London Shields has roots in Provo and is a regular contributor to The Daily Herald. His column appears Mondays. He can be reached via at ldstennisaol.com Doonesbury A stereotype regarding homeless individuals exists in many facets of society. In movies and on television, homeless people are portrayed in a number of negative ways. I have seen homeless people depicted as crooked, evil, scary, lazy, worthless, and the list goes on. In society, homeless individu- als are also often classified as worthless or lazy, hence the name "bums." The fact is, this stereotype is as unfair and inaccurate as one that portrays all women as stupid housewives. Habitat for Humanity is one community organization that looks past the stereotype and helps homeless people get into decent homes. Habitat volunteers team up with homeless families to build the simple Habitat homes. In fact, these homeless people are nowhere near lazy as they contribute 350 to 500 hours of "sweat equity" to their homes. Habitat does more then provide a decent place to live but also gives homeless families a renewed sense of worth and hope. Habitat families gain knowledge of useful construction skills, which can be used in the upkeep of their home and also toward getting jobs. I am a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Utah County and I want to make it clear that there are individuals, here in Utah County, that need your help. It is due time to abolish the stereotype that weighs over homeless people. It will take both a change in attitude and a helping hand to show the homeless individuals in Utah County that you care. Bettijo B. Hirschi Provo Dishonesty in 'realism' The glamorization of t) families (not plays a type of al two-paren- psuedo-happines- s. dis- Of course, people sometimes find themselves in these roles through no fault of their own, and that is life . sometimes. However, if the media fixes in on these family styles as the "in" thing, people who otherwise would have chosen a traditional family style may just decide against it. They see the allure of not having to face up' to responsibility from shows that portray singles living together fooling around. They show how easy it is to be a single parent, when it is anything but. Networks say they do this because people say they want something that reflects their lives, reflects society. Principles of forgiveness, respect, compassion and honesty, when extended, are more likely to promote greater health and happiness in life than discord and but the media continues to focus on the latter. The television show "7th Heaven" is successful. It portrays a traditional family going through situations that reflect people's lives. Why don't we have more shows like it? If networks are going to accurately portray society's values, then why don't they show consequences? We don't see pregnant teens laughing when they learn they are pregnant. We don't see al put-down- s, By Garry Trudeau I promiscuous adults laughing when they learn they have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. Beer commercials never show drunk drivers swerving all over the road killing the innocent. Until the networks show consequences, are they really being honest? Scott VanSon Provo Discourteous society I have decided that courtesy is dead in Utah. I have personally visited many states of this great nation, and honestly, people were more courteous in New York City than here. Case in point: I went to McDonald's recently. I was in the h line when my car stalled as the other cars were pulling forward. I was attempting to restart my car (it took about 20 seconds) when a car from behind me and three other cars pulled around us and got in line in front of me. It was a woman in an expensive SUV. What really got me was the "Families are Forever" license plate frame. Another incident (all in one day): I was holding the door open son when a for my woman from the outside grabbed drive-throug- Mallard Fillmore (actually jerked) the door away from me, almost making me fall, and shoved past me. As I was leaving, I saw the perfect bumper sticker that they should require all drivers in Utah to have. It said "Mean people have little mean people." Truer words were never spoken, for children learn from our example and please tell me what people in Utah are teaching their children, for it is not courtesy. Elizabeth Lendall Orem ! LETTERS POLICY The Daily Herald welcomes your letters to the editor. 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 will be kept confidential. Anonymous letters will be discarded. Letters must contain 250 or fewer words, approximately one page, typed and double spaced. Your letter will be better read if it concerns one central theme or idea. All letters will be edited for length, accuracy and clarity. The Herald encourages community discussion of issues in a responsible manner. Please send your letters to: Editor, The Dally Herald P.O. Box 717 1555 N. Freedom Blvd. Provo, UT. 84603 Letters may also be faxed or The fax number is The address is: Ldeanheraldextra.com. If you have questions, call Opinions Page Editor Donald W. Meyers at 344-298- 344-254- By Bruce Tinsley |