OCR Text |
Show Editorial The Forum Traffic Terror Part Michael Whisenant Forum staff writer Salt Lake Valley is a community with a strong religious background and a socially conditioned mind set for community involvement. So why are many socially upstanding individuals opposed to buildline in our ing a light-racommunity? Obviously light-rais a positive alternative to il Upstanding individuals in our community would care. They know better. The is actually a social light-ramovement constructed by Democrats to force normal, white commuters to associate with the scum of society. The trains will become havens for the Satanist, the rapist, the thieves and all Whiait, il il the current commuter congestion along the Wasatch Front. Arguments are scattered across the board ranging from cost, to the devastating effect of Main Street closure on the July 24, Pioneer Day Parade route. The $312 million needed to build a light-rasystem from Sandy to Salt Lake City is relatively minor considering the 2.5 billion that state legislature is currently trying to fund for transportation con-- 1 struction along the Wasatch Front. The light-rasystem will devour only a small 12.5 percent of the proposed transportation budget. Imagine live rail lines running throughout the valley without five years of construcand no gas tax tion on increase. Who would care about the price of gasoline il Imagine five rail lines the running throughout valley without five years on of construction 1-- 15 and no gas tax increase." il manner of social misfits. The youth of our community would be sucked into an atmosphere where drugs and violence are the norm. Well friends, think about it no longer. We are a group of community minded individuwhen public transportation als unwilling to let our lives was faster, safer, cheaper, be overrun by the hellions cleaner and more convenient and deviants currently strugthan owning a car? gling in the back alleys with 1-- 15 Mfate 1 ! Gov. Mike Leavitt takes the interests of the upstanding commuters to heart. There is no way he is going to spend to build a home for street scum. He will fight his way to bigger and better freeways. The cost is not important when it comes to the safety of you and your family. Every upstanding individual in our community should be able to drive their own personal automobile to work everytax-dolla- rs day. Los Angeles can pose as a model for the future of the Salt Lake Valley. Decades ago, they too focused billions 01 dollars for the expansion of freeway systems. Today, Los Angeles is a polluted war zone filled with traffic congestion and a new rail system. Los Angeles missed the boat the first time around but they have since come to their senses and started to clear the path for the 21st century traveler. Utahns in control seem to think that temporary solutions are good enough if they can steer the cost into the next generation along with the the Avoiding problems. inevitable can only worsen the sting. Taking action today in order to solve the problems of tomorrow is the best alternative to the traffic problems of Salt Lake Valley, to The Forums newest weekly column, Mkstmtoster Wisdom, lor advice on life, loxe, anything! Just drop your letters off in the A&tC. office in Shaw or in The Forum office to Comerse 201 ! Westminster College JHe Forum Production Manager Carrie Price BusinessAd Manager Emily Kellett Editor Heather King Arts & Entertainment Editor Tim Haran Copv Editor Faculty Advisor Holly Millerberg Photo Editor Jared Barnard Brad Ericson Writing Staff Jennifer N. Anderson Tiffany Barber Jared Barnard Mandie Caraway Forum staff writer I out a home. Paige Bradford Rick Branham Kristin E. Briggs Mandie E. Caraway Terry Davis Jo Fairclough Amy Hodson Emily Kellett Daisy Lee Kat LeFevre Brody Macey Jenni Mecham Lin Sorenson Susan Stacey Michael Whisenant Zachary Young March 12 1997 It's in Snowing UtaH? Scum New itlhhe Screwing Out of sl Wednesday Nothing could be more beautiful than Utah during the winter. The landscape is covered with glistening snow. There is sparkling, white leauty as far as the eye can see. Icicles that look like oriceless crystals, hang from he trees and rooftops. Bundled children with rosy cheeks frolic through the snow, laughing and creating intriguing snow creatures" for all to enjoy. What possible evil coula disturb this magical wonderland of beauty? Try driving through this hell. Much to my displeasure, I happen to be one of thea lucky students who have commute to Westminster. As a result, I have spent more time during my last three years of college driving through snowstorms then I would wish on my worst enemy. However, driroads is ving on snow-lade- n not what bothers me. What really scares me, is driving on d roads with other Utah drivers. In all my 21 years, I have never seen more brilliance than what is displayed by Utah drivers during a snowstorm. Watch out Einstein, because here comes the Beehive State. There are a few people who are new to this area and theyre not yet prepared for our weather. But what about those who have lived here all of their lives? Whats their excuse? Every Utah resident knows there will be snow during the winter. We have all driven in it before and we should know what to expect. In some areas of the world, people might even learn from their experiences with snow and become better drivers. With this in mind, it is hard for me to understand why the ice-ridd- en half-an-ho- ur , snow-covere- Photo Staff Jared Barnard Jenn Cobb David Neisler Sean Selin Howe Quan Utah public panics at the first snowfall every single ear. Oh no, a snowflake. I etter slow down to a complete stop on the freeway. It is beyond me how people can forget how to operate a vehicle in the snow when the short. so is summer the first Whatever the reason, snowfall always reeks havoc over our peaceful little state. I have grown to expect it. This does not explain why on March 3, 1997 (the first day back from spring break) the entire state of Utah had a relapse. This day will be forever ingrained, in my memory. Since it is March, this was obviously not the first snowfall of the year. Despite this small detail, it took me almost two hours to get to school. No one would expect there to be a major snowstorm in March? This, however; is no excuse for the obscene behavior I witnessed that morning. The snow had just begun to fall. It was only a light drizzle, so I couldnt imagine what the hold up could be. The way people were driving think a blizzard had youdblown in from the North just Pole. Because people refused to drive, I couldnt get off the freeway before the real snow hit. This was the beginning of my decline into the lower depths of the infer: no. All of the sudden, as if it was declared from on high, everyone, without fail, forgot everything they had learned in drivers education. People were slamming on their brakes without warning and for no apparent reason (which we all know you should NEVER do on a busy See Snow in Utah page 4 The Forum is published every Wednesday. The editorial staff encourages letters from students (please include your major), faculty and all other readers. Address all letters to: The Forum, Westminster College, 1840 So. 1300 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84105. ' Submissions must be received two weeks prior to publication. Due to limited space. The Forums editors reserve the right to edit all submissions. Views expressed on the editorial or opinion pages are those of the writers, and are not to be considered those of The Forum, Associated Students of Westminster College, the administration, faculty or subscriptions are $20 a year. 3 . staff.-Mai- l , |