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Show 4 't i,r I f i f I'l uJI r : 4 1.1 f, i Hu ,c If .(.cf ?7, V81 OWE jo do tiy I .nry IV, hi What kids today are thankful Tin lurhvy talks i 11 fly ROSANNflUMOWr Davis Halt of lief Die Thanksgiving rssay decorating the bulletin board outside linralm .Snow's third (trade dais at Huntington Klrntenlary displayed a facet of those kids I'd hardly a inflected. All those serious thought about religion, family, country, possessions and turkey dinner couldn't have come from those gigly girls and rowdy boys. And yet they did. I was astonished to see they were all thankful for a warm house arid clothes to keep them warm. These are the same kids who leave the door open for the snow to blow in and go outside without a coat in 30 degree weather. Ierliaps the true blessing Is In being affluent enough to take o Tom Turkey, M.Jnh, spooks to members of the Equil R iqtifs Tor Turkeys Committee during a recent visit to I mery County, Today's Emery County Progress features 10 questions lor Tom Turkey, Manti, Utah. ECP You and others of your kind have recently gone public with an Equal Rights For Turkeys Campaign. What prompted this? T.T. Obviously hundreds of years of supression by Americans, who for some reason, have tabbed turkeys as the bird best suited tor an annual mass slaughter, is our mam complaint. We feel we're being unfairly plucked here. ECP Are we to believe then that your campaign isn't necessarily against Thanksgiving but geared toward eliminating the turkey as the focal point? T.T. That's true. We think it's great to give thanks for all you've got, but don't expect us to be thankful for being your main dish Thanksgiving Day. If you want thanks from us, put a pot roast on your Thanksgiving table. ECP What would you suggest be used for the "big meal" if not turkey? T.T. We're pushing for brine shrimp, at least in Utah. There's something that ought to be acceptable. We've done research and find that brine shrimp can be stuffed with bread crumbs and onions for a darn good dressing. And left over brine shrimp is pretty tasty on sandwiches. Besides, brine shrimp are ugly and ought to die. ECP Most folklorists believe that's why turkeys were because of your obvious ugliness. Also, chosen originally it's rumored turkeys are dumb as well. How do you react to these theories? T.T. say nuts to that. If we're so ugly, why did they name a country after us? How about the Turkey Trot or Wild Turkey whiskey? Someone has found beauty in your beast. And dumb? Give me a break. We only act dumb so you guys will keep that Turkey Chow coming our way. ECP Something always wondered about is how you feel about having your name used in a derogatory sense. That is, someone or something is often labeled as a "turkey" when it's a dud. Does that bother you guys? T.T. At first, yea. But we've got our own jargon for duds and poop heads. We call them "humans." When we go to a movie we don't like, we tell our friend turkeys, "Don't go to that film. It was a real human." ECP Assuming that the American public refuses to change tradition and switch to something other than turkey for Thanksgiving, are there some suggestions you could give which might make things a bit easier for you? T.T. We realize that it will be difficult to cut turkey entirely out of the holiday season, but some things could be changed to make it less degrading. Stuffing has got to go. Have you any idea how humiliating it is to be stuffed like that? We'd also like to see some changes in turkey leftovers. Isn't it enough that you tear at us throughout Thanksgiving Day? Is it also necessary to pick at us until Christmas as well? Leave us somedignity. ECP You seem to be pretty well entrenched in Sanpete County. Is there any effort to expand the turkey kingdom into Emery County? have to be careful here. don't want to appear T.T. negative by saying something like, "There are already enough turkeys in Emery County," or "Sanpete County is the only home for turkeys." Instead, I'll answer by saying we don't want people to see us as wanton land barons, gobbling up land on a whim. We'll get to Emery County, but we'll do it methodically. In fact, we're planning on construction soon of a condo unit on Cleveland Reservoir as part of a 12 year phase-iprogram to migrate into Castle Country. But it'll take time. You can't expect us to leave Sanpete County cold turkey. ECP What other plans does your organization have? T. T. We're pushing for turkey recognition in terms of Scouting (We want a Turkey award similar to the Eagle award); money (We want turkey emblems on $3 bills); professional sports (We want the next pro baseball franchise to have us as mascots, i.e. The Washington D.C. Turkeys); history (We want a T urkey Hall of Fame); and the ecosystem (We want to be named to the endangered species list- strictly off limits to anyone seeking to kill us). We're also planning to contribute heavily to the American Vegetarian Society. ECP If leftalone, can turkeys be happy? T.T. Abosultely. We've got our exercise yards, and scratching in the dirt is OK. But our ultimate goal is to humans, dogs, coyotes, have comradery with all species and chickens ECP Any final comments? T.T. Yea Have a happy Thanksgiving. I I I I - coat for granted, that it not be such a treasure theyd never go without it, or leave it on the school bus or forget to take it home after school. And a flick of the thermostat quickly restores warmth to a home chilled by a thoughtlrisiliilJ He need never worry about gathering In coal and kindling to build a fire fur warmth that never quite reat firs the corners of the rooms, I remember a conversation among friends. Hath of us were confessing Ifiat we all went barefoot and never put on shoes except to go out, An older friend stopjied our laughter with the comment that she had seldom liad shoes as a child, that she had walked home through the mud barefoot to protect her school shoes when she was lucky enough to have a pair. "I now wear shoes all the time except to bed. I can't stand to be barefoot. not only for Gratitude shoes, but that they were so plentiful we could choose not to wear them. Nearly all of Mrs. Snow's students were thankful for Thanksgiving dinner. Ive cleaned up after enough kids at o know that Thanksgiving about the excited too they're holiday and playing with their cousins to eat much Thanksgiving dinner. Die true blessing Is io know the scrap will he cleared away with only a few grumbling about waste, and another meal placed before them in about four hour and another in the morning and two more after that in a pattern that will continue for as long as they con iiiutglne. My third grader was profoundly disturbed as we watched the footage of the countless adults, starving children and babies of Ethiopia. Diere is in all of us a sense of justice that cries out against our plenty In the face of such want and desperation. Dicres a sense of helplessness that is only somewhat assuaged by the small contributions we can make through help organizations. Yet to recognize our good fortune, to feel gratitude alleviates some of the for guilt. And freedom Dtuse third graders wne ail grateful that the pilgrims came to America so they could he frre. Tliey weir free to go to the church of their choice (or stay home If they could talk Mom into it), free to go to school and pursue the dream of their choice, free to (day without fear of oppression. Who could be more free tlian a Child? They don't worry about taxes and deficits or summit conferences ami nuclear arms proliferation, elections come and go without their participation and tliey remain free. For the freedom of those children, to preserve their hofie and opportunities, we adults worry about tlio.se tilings. Although we grow cynical with age and wonder if one is truly free in a nation governed by bureaucracy and regulations beyond our control, our children and the child in each of us, tells us yes, we arc free and this is the greatest gift of all. The work behind the fruitful results to obtain that first harvest Is not only amazing, but could be By RUTH WARNER Staff writer Thanksgiving is a time to we have reflect on the gifts that received throughout the year, but have you ever thought of what it has taken to receive a bountiful harvest? a gift from God, Harvest through the farmer, is one of the oldest phenomenons which has been occurring sincethe creation of earth and its occupants. From the first day, until the present time, the harvest is the oldest, continuous annual event. Neanderthal, an early race of man from the Paleolithic era, is referred to by modern-dageologists as a hunter and gatherer. Traveling from place to place, he gathered in the products that the earth provided until he saw the advantages of staying in one location. He also became the producer of inventions, fashioning tools from the rocks he cleared out of his fields. A hoe was carefully shaped, and then the wheel, considered to be mans greatest invention, came into being. Man was launched on his career as a farmer, making it the oldest profession. y Considering what the Neanderthal had to go through construed as miraculous. That first human being had neither machinery nor the know-howhen it came to planting. After all, he had never planted before, yet he knew enough to push a ripened seed into the dirt, water and nurture it to maturity. Considering the length of gerw mination time some seeds require, its a wonder that he didn't become discouraged and return to his gathering way of life. For centuries, man continued to work hand in hand with God, Mohammed, or Buddha depending on his particular religious culture. This was a period of development, not only in the seeds he planted, but in man himself. He found that he required not only food for his body, but the warmth of a roof over his head. After moving into caves, he began raising large families, adding farm hands to reap the gifts. He also discovered that he could tame certain wild beasts, raising his own meat, and in some cases the milk. Even as late as the fifteenth century, farming was quite different from that which we are acquainted with today. It was a individual endeavor with man producing only enough to feed and clothe his immediate family. There were no large farms or ranches which produced tons of vegetables and meat, nor were there markets, from which the average housewife could purchase food for her family. With the discovery of America, agriculture came into its own. People moved into the cities, seeking work in factories. Those who remained on the land soon found themselves meat, producing vegetables, milk and fruits to ship to nearby cities for strangers to consume. The south became the vegetable garden for the industrialized north. With the ever-mounti- need for food, the push to the wide open spaces and fertile soil of the great west began. had Larger yields become the important issue of the day, bringing into light still more new inventions of farm machinery. Man learned to harness the horse and oxen, making his chores more e- fficient and easier. The farmer of the 18th century was producing more than his predecessor but still on a trial and error basis. However, with each mistake he learned a bit more, making the next harvest more abundant. As our nation grew, so did the farms and ranches which were popping up all over the western horizon. Cattle and sheep roamed the vast of mountains, the leaving valleys, golden with wheat, ready for reaping. ranges in the 20th century, and farming has evolved into a highly sophisticated profession. The farmer is plummeted into a world of genetic engineering, from which he gains still larger and better crops and animals. We should be thankful for the plight of the farmer and rancher. He has struggled through centuries of blight, drought and pestilence, having only himself to depend on with the help of his God. We should not forget the centuries of dedicated and sometimes thankless efforts of this faceless person. He arises before first light, toiling through the hot summers sun, seeing to his stock in a frigid blizzard, producing food for people whom he will never meet or come into contact with. Man has brought farming a long way since his cousin, Now ranching Neanderthal, who planted that first seed in the virgin earth, nurturing it to maturity; reaping the first harvest gift of Thanksgiving. a forum Wilderness comments To the editor, In theory, wilderness tells us all these good things we can do. In actual practice, I feel, it will penalize the majority of the population. blue collar The fanner, workers, the man who runs his own business, has, maybe, one day a week to take the family out in the desert and hills. The older person, the young, the handicapped are also people who enjoy getting out but would be severly restricted trying to walk these distances, and not everyone has a horse. Remember you have to get there first and then have the strength, water and time to do all this hunting, fishing, hiking, bird watching and spelunking. Maybe air quality and integral vista are not a consideration now, but how about down the line. They will rear their ugly heads again. be acceptable, but what the BLM and the wilderness ad- vocates want is ridiculous. Look see at a BLM map of Utah and what this does to this side of the state from above East Carbon City down to the Navajo Reservation and the Arizona border and east into Grand and San Juan counties. Another case of people who do Grazing? What is the time limit on use? grandfather Primitive development? Who decides? In an area where 2,083,306 not live or work in an area, acres out of 2,842,880 acres are telling those who do, how they controlled by the BLM and should live, how they will work, where they can go, how they can 444,405 are recommended WSA, that puts it right on each towns get there and what they can do doorstep. With the Forest when they do get there. A small group of people who Service on one side and the BLM on the other, we are sitting in a could care less about the narrow corridor. Did you know residents or how this condition will effect our in the only 228,850 acres in Emery as long as they have are owned? future, County privately A little bit of wilderness may their special playground. well-bein- g THANKSGIVING DAY in is big Thanksgiving Washington. Theres lots of turkeys there. In the House and in the Senate, and darn near every where. Busy cooking up new taxes. For you and I to pay. Then they will gloat and praise each other, come Thanksgiving Day. All through the main dinner, even pumpkin pie, They will dream of deficit spending clear up above the sky. But back here in reality, dear brother, you and I We'll have a small bowl of beans and have no pumpkin pie. Well talk about high taxes that Well pay, and pay, until we die. Vaughn Reed This type of person will not look at any development and think what a good job has been done making it fit in as well as possible and enjoy this accomplishment along with the scenery. My suggestion is to leave it multiple use. What is truly wilderness will stay that way. The general public is not a herd of pigs that go out to root, snort and destroy. The greatest impact by humans is when a lot of people are confined to a little area. Education, as in the litter and fire campaigns, was and is very effective. Besides, isnt there something very odd when one group can shut down a half of a state? Bonnie P. Keele Ferron ASC has nominees A slate of nominees for the Emery County ASC Committee election has been announced by Mervin Duncan, chairperson. The candidates, who were nominated by petition, are J. FrandSen, Castle Dale; Von A1 T. and Christensen, Cleveland; Norman Fillmore, Huntington. The ASC Committee election is now underway. Farmers received a ballot in the mail with instructions on how to vote for the candidate Ballots must of their choice. be post- marked by DEc. 2, 1985 or they may be voted in person at the county ASCS office in Castle Dale. Eligible voters who did not receive a ballot may also pick one up at the county office. Participation in ASC elections is open to all farmers regardless of race, religion, sex, color, or national origin. i |