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Show lir Page A6 Iime8-3lnhrpni&c- Thursday, March 9, 2000 nt OURTOWW Community Comments W 9 H; Aielirrils -- THE FBI WILL BE HERE AT? AM fOHCRROVO TO fWVESTl GATE by Sam Taylor ALLEGATIONS Of RACISM N dnmnar We voted Tuesday in Utah's first "Western States Presidential Pnmary" election Authorized by the legislature last year, the plan was go gather a number of western states into an early pnmary election mode in the hope that major candidates for office would make appearances here Oniy Colorado joined Utah in the effort So the grand plan will result only in a token message to state delegates from tne two states who are sorely outnumbered at national political party conventions The fact that we voted on Tuesday resulted from plans to be attending meetings in St George for three days beginning Thursday Friday is actually Utah's big day at the polls, so we voted absentee Predictions are that only about 20 of Utahs voters will present themselves at polling places this Friday be surprised if even that many show up Our Tuesday vole, however, was symbolic, since that was the day that voters in eleven statessome of which are pretty large actually chose their candidates tor president who now face off for the November showdown After Super Tuesday, presidential races are pretty much set in concrete Party politics after that time usually amount to coronation activities Republican candidates need a total of 1,034 votps to win at convention time Democrats need 2.168 Winners Tuesday had picked up half of what they need Utahs Republican delegation of 29 people and a somewhat larger delegation of Democrats arent going to make much difterence in the final outcome. gets down Anyway, by the time convention to Utah, a state which votes among the last because of its alphabetical standing, the final outcome will be ment sjt - imcs-3Jnicpctth- cnt (UPS) 6309 2000) Entered as Second class Matter at the Post Office at Moab, Utah under the Act of March 3, 1897. Second class postage paid at Moab, Utah 84532. Official City and County Newspaper. Published each Thursday at: 35 East Center Street, Moab, Grand County, Utah 84532 address: editorOmoabtimes.com P.O. Box 129, Moab, UT 84532 Postmaster: Send changes of address to: The Times-lndepende- or FAX Tom Taylor Ron Flanders Mary Wnght Dorothy Anderson ATIONAL T-- Jose Churampi V Distribution Seeking Hornet far Pet of the W&ak" Outdoors: " YOUR SUPPLY STORE i Varieties of Grass Seed Hot Hats Jiffy Pots Flower Seeds Yard Decor Sets Seed Poiatoes Wed Blocks VegetableS&x r j 9-- a Sunday, - AGAINST THFCtTY, C0MCCRNIH6 S oN UME s by Ollie Harris . JIl I have always liked dogs. We haven't had a dog since Thor, the Staffordshire bull terner We probably wont, either. Barbara doesnt share my fondness for dog3 and it isnt worth it to bother her about it. If I were to get a dog, though, it would probably be some sort of terrier. Terriers are strong, agile, generally fearless, and make wonderful hiking companions. They are dogs of the earth and as such have no problem scrambling over the roughest terrain. Thor, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was just such a dog. His breed was the original pit bull, bred for the entertainment of coal miners in the English district of Staffordshire. Their weekend wasnt a success without a few bloody dogfights to complement the equally bloody prize fights among the miners. I immediately thought of Thor when I read the newspaper headline, Blanding may consider banning pit bulls in city. The mayor was quoted as saying, I cant think of any other animals that are bred to be mean. This was a surprise to me so I referred t j the breed standard of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. In matters of temperament it says, Some members of the breed retain a strong antipathy toward other dogs, but generally they are wonderful family pets and exceptionally fond of children. Hmmm, no reference there to being bred to be mean. Next, I checked out the breed standard for the American Pit Bull Terrier, the first breed to be recognized by the United Keanel Club in 1898. Its temperament is described as Friendly, but a fearless adversary to anyone who threatens its master or property. Unfriendliness to strangers isnt a defect, although it is unusual. I decided to take a look at the American Staffordshire Terrier, another pit bull" breed. It is described as being an ideal family dog, unparalleled as a pet, companion and natural watchdog. AmStaffs are exception bare-knuck- IWMIii Sat. i? jo - i Terner s 11 ' " ' J ' So, are there any breeds of dogs that are admittedly bred to be mean?" Lets take a look at this Test of Temperament" for the Fila Brasileiro which is compulsory for all individuals (after 12 months) in order to obtain a registered championship title. As you read this test of temperament it might help to know that the male Fila Brasileiro grows around 30 inches tall and 140 to 180 pounds. This trial includes 1.) Attack with a stick. The dog is supposed to attack in front of the handler, without being coached, and the exhibitor or handler will remain in his or her position. It is forbidden to touch or beat the animal. 2.) Shooting test. There will be fired blanks at a distance of 5 meters (16.5 feet) from the dog. The dog should express atand 3.) tention, show During all performance in the ring the judge will analyze the behavior and temperament of the specimen, e. paying attention to its expression. During the temperament test the following should be observed: A.) the dislike of the animal to strangers, B.) the courage, determination and bravery of each individual. There are numerous other breeds whose temperament is variously described as aloof with strangers," fiercely loyal guard," or, strangers should be properly introduced. The point of this is, I suppose, to question legislation. I have never been bitten by a pit bull, unless you count the rough and tumble play with Thor. The last dog to bite me was an Australian shepherd. No one would consider that a mean" breed. If a community truly needs to protect itself from vicious dogs then it ought to consider a broader, vicious dog ore, breed-specif- ic dinance. A breed-specifi- c with ignorance. ordinance is nonsense fortified Writers on the Range 2 If you'd like to be a sponsor for the Humane Society, call Karen e, High Country News Sponsored by: Footprints Computer guys who truly support the Humane Society of Moab Valley at the Post Office. Adoption Day March 1 1 thfrom Come meet the pets tn person! 9-1- short-coate- d ally tolerant with children, medium-sizand clean about the home." Pete, the pup in the Our Staffordshire Gang" comedies, was a registered American : ' Dogs mi unt at 259 7922. Growing West sows fields of Columbines by Louise Wagenknecht graduated from high school in 1967 in a small logging town in northern California. Only one of my classmates had hia own car. We had no cell phones, pagers, video games, computers, VCRs or DVDs. We hadnt yet smoked pot, snorted coke, dropped acid, cooked meth or heard of crack, speed or angel dust. We drank beer and whatever hard liquor we could find, smoked cigarettes, and on summer nights drove on dark logging roads to landings where we shot at beer bottles with .22 rifles and necked in the backs of pickup trucks. We all owned guns. We were full of million-year-ol- d hormones, that told us to breed and bunt and raise hell and use tools to build things that went boom. Three of my classmates died violent deaths in our senior yean one car wreck, two suicides. There were only 42 in our class. We died, but we didnt kill each other. When you go to a high school with iess than 200 kids, you are cautious about insults; your victims cousin may sit behind you in geometry class. If we had thoughts of murder, we I repressed them. We had alternatives. We didn't have to stay in high school, for one thing. Girls get married and had a baby five or six months later, probably with a boy who didnt like high school either. He could set chokers in the woods, pull green chain at t Vine lawsuit . Idle Thoughts from Mt. Waas " e, 1 S Main Mon. Opcn to? Crystal Approx. 6 yr. old purebred male Samoyed. Neu-- ( loves kids, active tered wshots. and friendly. Has no fenced yard! Needs love and attention, patience and training. Shopping Center 259-573- op drugs, Guns, amo then. Violence Approx, one yr. old, female calico shorthair. Playful. Loves to be rubbed on her ears & neck. Shy around strangers. GARDEN Onion J HUMANE SOCIETY of MOAB VALLEY Moab 4 435-259-77- NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION and UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION Samuel J. and Adrien F. Taylor Editors and Publishers Associate Editor Zane Taylor. Production Manager News Writer Circulation Mgr., l Maps Kelly Ericson, Steve Cooper, Jed Taylor. Backshop Systems Manager Ken Davey. ...Advertising Representative Contributing Writer Mail Room Supervisor Green River Correspondent Betty Bailey. Ron Drake Castle Valley columnist Flanders.. Franklin Seal APPolWniENTV f attorney TH PLAINTIFF N I The National Park Service is taking some heat from T. , sjt believe that County Council Member Susanne Mayberry is on the right track in her desire for an audit at Allen Mem rial Hospital. Like Council Member would like to see the critics of the Ken Ballantyne, current hospital operation be a little more specific. An audit would give us that specificity, if it were done by specialists. If it costs some money, so be it. Weve spent county tax dollars on a whole lot of other things that benefit only a portion of our taxpayers. A healthy local hospital benefits us all. If a good audit proved that the operation is fiscally sick but operationally sound, it would at least still the voices of criticism. I Sena EDUCATION you I hit with this big "Western States" pipedream. can think of a lot of places that money could have done some real good. But at least we did our bit, even if we did vote for a loser. We never miss an election. Upr P Vi to listen to us. But as for the current criticism of the National Park Service, Im on the side of the NPS. The Bridge belonged to the Native Americans long before it became a ward of the federal agency. In fact, it was Native to the natural Americans who led the first white-eye- s wonder. history So what did we get for the $600,000 it is costing Utah to hold this big Western Primary?" Texas Gov, stop at the Provo George W Bush plans a two-hoenters he the coronation drive as airport Thursday for his ultimate party endorsement at the national GOP convention Alan Keyes, Republican candidate who got a whopping total of 7 delegates Tuesday out of a total of 532 selected, also plans a Utah stop here if he doesn't pull out later this week. Vice President Gore, apparently, is too busy to make a stop here, at least before our big day Friday. I think Utah taxpayers have taken a Member I WITHTHE BOARD been a sacred place to the Navajo Indians who revere and woiship it To walk beneath it, they believe, is not a thing that should be done. And in bowing to Navajo requests, the NPS has found itself in a bind By favoring one religious belief, cntx;s say, they are being legally unfair to others. Walking under Rainbow Bridge is no big deal. I've done it several times in the past, without knowing that it was taboo with the Native Americans. Actually, Rainbow Bridge can best be viewed from some distance away, not underneath it. My reasons for walking under had to do with an obscure cleft in the sandstone chunks at the base of the bridge, and just upstream, where there is an inscription left by the famous author, Zane Grey, who was one of its earliest visitors. Most people who visit there, I'm sure, don't even know the inscription exists. The late Cal Black showed it to Adrien and me years ago on a great trip there by slow boat from Bullfrog The thing that made the trip so great, aside from seeing the inscription, was the slow boat, which had blown a major gasket on the way to Bridge Canyon. Instead of getting back to Bullfrog at 2 p m. as we had planned, we didn't make it until late evening. It created a great opportunity for us to debate and discuss our favorite subject, western politics, a debate which lasted for hours, much to the chagrin of a handful of other passengers forced roll-calli- 435-259-75- HAVE AH Apparently, they are discouraging, and m some instances not allowing, visitors to the huge natural bridge to walk underneath it The bridge has always I II Ijc them at religious activists at Rainbow Bridge National Monu- the mill, join the Marines, or just wait to be drafted. In the Western suburbia of 2000, there is no alternative to high school. Without a diploma, you can do nothing, have nothing, be nothing. Shotgun marriages are no more, welfare is phased out, and the Marines can afford to demand that diploma and be picky about prescription drug use - as Columbine killer Eric Harris found out. In a high school with 2,00G kids, you can trip a nerd and chances are none of his buddies are even around. You dont have any classes with him. He certainly isnt on your football team. Go ahead and trip him. But do it once too often, and he may get a gun and kill you and a dozen of your closest friends. He knows how to build pipe bombs. We fear their energy and their strength and their minds that leap over ours; we give them money to buy a fantasy world so we can concentrate on our own. We dont need them anymore, to help on the farm or in the shop or the store, and we are afraid they know it. We confine them in a splendid misery, and cry out in bewilderment when a few of them armed with expensive toys grow slowly insane, and begin to kill themselves and others. And still we build another Columbine, every day Louise Wagenknecht is a contributor to Writers on the Range," a service of High Country News (www.hcn.org). She lives in Leadore, Idaho. fpnr |