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Show AA2 The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION Sunday, February16, 1997 NBA Long Reader Memories Correct Long-Lasting Marriage Story Valentine’s Day week. A sampling of last READER ADVOCATE week's brickbats: A Sait Lake City woman took issue with The Tribune's motto, “Utah's inde- pendentvoicesince 1871.” I don't see[the paper] as being inde- pendent. You're just as pro-Republican and pro-MormonChurch as the Deseret News. Your editorials are so conservative — with that [syndicated columnist] Cal Thomas in almost every day The Tribune isinterchangeable with the Deseret Ne Howcan you call yourself independent? SHINIKA SYKES Last Monday. The Salt Lake Tribune publishedafront-pagestory about a cou- ple whose marital bliss 81 vears lasted nearly Under the headline “Love at First Sight Lasts 80 Y the Associated Press story, with a Sacramento, Calif. dateline, told how 100-year-old George Couron andhis 97. r-old wife Gaynel met, married and are still in love — 14 children, 43 grandchildren, 75 greatandchildrenandat least 30 great-greatandchildren later A picture, showing George holding his wife's hand and giving hera kiss on the accompaniedthestory < erfect preludeto Valentine's Da However, it was thefollowing paragraph that got my phone ringing The couple, who celebrate their 81st anniversary on April 10, has the nation’s longest-lasting marriage, according to Worldwide Marriage Encounter, a group offering programs to improve communication between spouses sen. Not so,” said Utahn Rebecca Peter- “Peter and Celestia Peterson were marriedfor almost 82 years. There was a big story about them in Life magazine They lived in Fairview [Utah] all of their lives, When I asked how I might contact the Petersons, the caller said the coupleis now deceased, I explained how I read the AP account of the “nation’s longest-lasting couple” as astatement about living couples She wasn't happy with my response @A man whoidentified himself as a Jack Mormon” didn’t like Monday's editorial cartoon by Mark Pett. The cartoon took asatirical look at Brigham Young University’s new hiring policy and sug- gested that such notables as Albert Einstein, Mohandas Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Jimmy Carter would berejected I am sick and tired of you /The Trib: une} picking on BYU. Whydoyou put (expletive) like that in the paper? It stoops pretty darn low. Stoppicking on A Payson womanaccused the paper Youonly [print] letters from liberals It's interesting to listen to people take TheTribune to task for perceived biases What theyreally on 1 up doingis showing their own andattacking the newspaper for not mirroring their personal biases. Having to listento individuals rather attack than offer who would constructive criticism or suggestions is the hardest part of this job. We need to remember that there is a difference between criticiz- ing andattacking. Then there was the motherofall ques- tions: Three individuals, hopefully with I consideredthe issue closed Then I received another call about the cubs, is smoking acigar. Petersons later that evening. and another ] Tuesday. These callers the Sacramento couple wanted Tribune readers Utah couple shared 81 years together and “that was that I contacted Ethel Peterson Sorensen the couple’s granddaughter, wholives in Sanpete County. This is what I learned: Peter PetersonandCelestia Melissa Terry were married Dec. 11, 1878. Both were born in 1860 in North Bend (Sanpete County), nowcalled Fairview, to be 100 years old Bothlived Their 80th wedding anniversary was a big celebration. Life magazine [1958] did Hogle Zoo's polar bear, with two young No sharp-eyed readershere. It’s a fish A few weeks ago, I mentioned in this column the old saw in journalism that criticizing reporters for doingtheir job is an exercise in “attacking the messen- This promptedareader toinquire about theorigin of that phrase. From what I was ableto learn, rhetoric about “attacking orkilling” the messen- gers has been aroundfor longtime. Early Greek leaders weresaid to haveatradition of cutting off the head of anyone ing e news, especially following defea’ In fact ine earliest reference may be a story about their long marriage. and that in The Iliad, the legendary Greek they received a letter from then-Presi dent Dwight D. Eisenhower dealt with events nearthe end ofthe Tro- The Petersons lived to see their 81st anniversaryin 1959. But Peter died Oct 27, 1960, a few months short of their 82nd annivers; Celestia died in 1961 I understand why callers want to set the ecord straight. It’s a big deal when anyone lives to be 100 years of age — andfor a couple to ce epic poem ascribed to Homer, which From martial to biases. A few qT ne readers whocalled melast week were clearly not in the blissful mood of WhatAlternative Technology? The continuous harangue over the incineration of chemical agents is particularly bothersome. There is much talk about “alternative technology.” One of those is chemical reaction As a former employeeat the Chemical Agent/Munition Disposal Systems (CAMDS) facility at Tooele Army Depot, I knowthat this was the first method ex- aminedandit creates several problems but we mortals hear only news, and know nothingat all. The Reader Advocate’s phone number Almost everyone working at CAMDS lives in the general vicinity and has a family there too. None of us wished to CHICAGO TRIBUNE SERVICE elected leaders turn their backs to the It took years andcost millions to prove this technology worked and would take additional years to prove other technologies at similar costs to the taxpayer. cept the data and would complain at the vironmental protection office personnel opedthat the system works and have approved continuing destruction. CHARLES H. WARNECKE Retired DeputyDirector for CAMDS Salt LakeCity WASHINGTON — Last week Washington heldits saddest funeral since Jack Kennedy died. A young policeofficer, a quality guy who loved his job, a Marine reservist who had fought in Desert Storm. was killed in the lineof du It’s how hedied that many in this city cannot get past. Young Brian Gibson wasn't gunned down ‘during a drug raid or “confronting a barricadesituation’ or following a high speed chase” or “in a shootout with robbery suspects’ or against someother familiar “News at 11 to exercise their right to protect them- How come we don't hear a peep when it's where the national capital makesits home’ The Democrats have controlled this city the way the Popecontrols the Vatican. They have held the keys to the mayor's office since the first days of home rule and thedistrict's three presi dential electoral votes as if by divine right Congress whenever the topic of"the District” rears its head is a mildly-audible It's not my job! That line may have worked once but stoppedat a redlight, is not thefirst tar. get of the assassins. Heis the seventhlaw When the investigators asked the sus pect in the killing of Officer Brian Gibson to explain what happened, he saidthat he cides to kill him, He does. was too drunk to know he was shooting into apolice car. Instead of wasting time asking this since 1994: Somebody spots a cop. DeSincethese are crimesagainst the state, there needs to be some accounting. Politi cal accounting hopeless menace what he thought he was doing with his gunthat put @ more promising night, we should question to this Let's start at the top. Monday's funeral for Officer Gibson was carried on local city’s top politician: Withal! the fine talk Television here. Tt was about American democracy teachingthe a big event People lined the procession route nd packed the church, People from the mayor to the police chief to the men who : A provisions” is at best misleading, Youtry to leave the impression that a majorityof Utahns want “tighter concealed-carry provisions,” but I donotbelieve this to be the case, In any event, how would you know? world how to live, why not spend some leadership making Washington into acity at least as safe as the rest of the country 4 education needs. Did you take a poll in The Tribune tations. Even cutba unnecessary losses. Faculty, staff and student morale is declining, voluntary service to the community will likely suffer, and many students and faculty will leave Utah. During the funding cutbacks to educa- tion in the late 1980s, four of my faculty and research colleagues resigned and left Utah. It took nearly eight years to rebuild collaborative teaching and research teams. It is short-sighted to make many of us do this again T have turned downfiveoffers to teach at other universities outside of Utah over the past 17 years becauseI feel a special bond to my students and current faculty who remain in Utah for long. As former President Art Smith said, “Please donot tarnish the treasures that we have in U especially when they take many years to develop DALEA. LUND University of Utah want anyof them well. We don't need or THOMAS L. HURD Park City Web Reader The Salt Lake Tribune is a good exam look like in format and content. It is for the viewer. I’m always at tracted to the online edition on a daily basis and I've learned more about Utah and Mormons because of your publica- version of the recently released recommendationsof the Judicial Conduct Commission task force that studied the confidentiality of proceedings that respond to complaints of judicial misconduct. As a member of the 5-2 majority that issued the task force's report, | amcompelledto Thearticle discussedat length the two- person minority report, but gavelittle You have one of the best religion sec: tions online. It is balanced and fair ke p up the good work HASAN HAKEEM Waukegan, Ill Waddoups was and always continues to represent his constituents. I can't say whoSen. BobSteinerrepresents. KENNETH L. LOVEDAY Taylorsville Faulty Farming The Feb. 7 Tribunewas a studyin par- adoxes. The lead story in the Business section reported Utah as the leading en- trepreneurialhotspot in the nation. This was attributed to Utah’s well-educated and highly skilled work force. This was followed bya story wherein Parker-Hannifin’s general manager said “thestate neededto work on developing the exper- tise of its work force” because employers in the state cannot meet their employ- ment needs. The front-page story concerns theproposals bythe state legislators to cut educational funding to help cover the costs of the reconstruction of I-15. It seems the legislators want to sell our seed corn (education) to buy a new tractor (I-15) You don’t need the tractor if you don't have the corn. If we don’t continue to develop Utah’s work force through education andtraining, we can let 1-15 revert to a gravel road LARRY SIEBERS complaints and provide complainants and thepublic with far more information than is available under the current sys- tem. Thearticle, on the other hand, is slanted with such hot-button descriptions as “secret proceedings” and “anonymous summaries” to characterize the recom: mendations and implies that the report serves to hide judicial misconduct, No unbiased reader of the majority report could reasonably draw such aninference The Tribunearticle quotes extensively she had appeared personally before the from the minority report, but it does not quote a single word from the recommendation of the task force majority. This is not the place to set forth the detailed discussion and explanation that accompanied the majority's conclusions Tribunereporter — presumably reflect ing the views of her employer, The Trib: and recommended changes on this difficult issue. Suffice it to say that the task force majority report represented a care person majority. The reason: McCann was not playing the role of a neutral newspaper reporter inthis affair. Rather, sk force to present the perspectiveof a marks, as well as others who appeared before it I don't object to McCann's or The Tri bune’s pursuit of their individual views on this subject, but it does not serve the pubic readership when an advocacy posi tion masquerades as news article. Indeed, the task force at lengthto find a balance tion. Regulate andcontrolthe criminals, not the law-abiding citizen who has met his obligation underthe law. And forthe editorial board's information, Sen. Mike Tribune Report on Judicial Conduct Task Force Biased Under the byline of Sheila R. McCann The Tribune, Jan. 22, printed a one-sided The task force considered her re- ple of what an online newspaper should the law-abiding citizen, but by and for the Salt LakeCity space to the recommendations of thefive- fended” camp as or private business?I submit to youthat a criminals. of one or two you include Sen. BobSteiner's bill (Sen. ate Bill 27) you can put mein the “of- fended by Sen. Mike Waddoups’ bills; if Please obey this law. Must law-abiding citizens bearbitraryvictimsof criminals because they happen to be on or near school years can result in long-termpainful and respond to McCann's biased version of the report's recommendations. alive” Identification. Can The Tribuneeditorial board or any other entity tell me how many peoplecarry concealed weapons without benefit of a permit? It's the criminal who doesn't standing national and international repu- newsroom? What you really said is that a majority of those who have already made up their minds on this matter are of- not after the assassinations started enforcement official killed in this fashion essential I do not know of a been proven guilty of misconduct with a licensed weapon. Your statement that “the majority of Utahns who want tighter concealed-carry president Gibson was killed because of the office he held: Metropolitan Police officer for who was killed when his car out by experience. single case where a permit holder has If this were Bosnia or Haiti or North- but Utah is fortunate to haveinstitutions of higher education and faculty with out- selves, and its wisdom had been borne Washington has shownitself as resistant Yet, the only discernable response fromthepresident and the Democrats in Gibson, the Legislature's actionstoallowcitizens murder rates drop in other big cities ern Ireland, wouldn't we hear some joint communique” or some other diplomatic mumbo-jumbo emanating fromthe White House? costly roads, | will not want to be among those “Restrict Concealed thanthe year before. backdrop No. Hewas simply assassinated, Likea theDistrict of Columbia. Leave Gun Laws Alone In your editorial sities. Our own self-respect is at stakeif our colleagues at the University of Utah, but if we are forced to make sacrifices for Weapons” (Tribune, Feb. 10), you make two statements that are not grounded in reality. There was nothing “foolish” in wide. of our population is willing to pay for ping-pongball in a basketball court full thedetectors at a level to find one green of white ones. Also, the detectors are looking for parts of the agent compound they'd reached some new level of horror. So whereis President Clinton in all this? Last year in this city there were 399 to the fall-off in mayhemas it is reces sion-proof to economicslowdownnation- to be stalwartpillars of the community. They have to subject themselves to regulatory bureaucracies that havegiven thema pretty formidable set of requirements to get that concealedcarry permit. These requirements can be investigated at the Bureau of Criminal both roads and high-quality education opportunities at our colleges and univer could see in thefaces of the peoplethat In fact, these people are those who go are an affront to those working there False alarms are one result of setting served with Gibson, were all crying. You nuary, the numberof murders I urge legislators to support funding s trustworthy and law-abid- ing, out of their way grounds, anyschool grounds, in a church ments that “the Armydoesn't care about us,” Higher Education Will Wither fend themselves? The individuals who en them: society that does this is not run by andfor These same skeptics still would not ac- Sinc Salt Lake City for the average law-abiding citizen to de- for higher educationin Utah andnot sac- cost and delay. Thankfully, the state en- has kept apace with the ‘96 clip. While Box 867. a legal, safe and well-regulated method have concealed-carrypermitshave proy- rifice its future simply to cover the costs of improving our roads. If adequatelyinformed, I am confident that the majority 7-2015. Write to the Reader Advo- murders. That was 10 percent higher P.O. Utah84110. Our fax numberis (801) 237 2316. Don’t Cripple Self-Defense Sincewhen is it unfortunate to provide to assure safety. These state- harmourselves or our families. We do our best have been convinced by the data devel- CHRIS MATTHEWS @ Pleasetype anddouble space. ing also proved that the furnace stack emissions were effectively the same as would be expected from a home natural gas furnace. , The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. E-mail: reader.advocate@sltrib.com Washington Should Be as Safe As Any Other American City kept confidential Keepit short. Conciseletters develop. ing a single themeare more likely to be published Tribune, paint. It is better to respond to false alarms than to take a chance to miss a real alarm by setting alarm levels higher. inside on everything, knoweverything nameandthecity in which youlive are nology.” During the 12 years I was directly involved with testing, no agent So, incineration is an “alternative techever released from a furnacestack. Tes and can beset off by parts of other compounds, such as paving materials or tenants "or you aregoddesses Forum, pleaseinclude your full name, sig- nature, address and daytime telephone numbers. Information other than your Mi Letters are condensed andedited M Because of the volume of mail received, not all submissions arepublished Mail to Public Forum, TheSalt Lake of Olympian ‘Enlighten me now O° Muses, Where to Write When submitting letters to the Public For every pound of Sarin so destroyed, five pounds of hazardous waste are created which must go to a hazardous waste andfill to create a problemin the future. jan War. The part that is particularly germaneto journalists is as follows: ate 80-plus years to- gether is indeed speciial Letters from The Tribune's readers southernpartof thestate.) tongue in cheek, wanted to knowif Wednesday's front-page photograph of about them on didn't care that was alive. They to know that a THE PUBLIC FORUM in Salt Lake. I never see letters from people in this part. (For the record, this year alone, The Tribune has published eight letters from individuals in the but we agreed that there may be couples. no longer living, who hadlong marriages : DONTTAKE IT PERSONALLY WALTER... A LOTOF PEOPLE GET/A CASE OF THE BLAHS THIS TIME OF YEAR.” BYU of not publishing herletter to the Public Forum because of its conservative tone and because shelives in Southern Utah majority toiled of theinterests of the public's right to information and the protectionof the integrity of thejudiciary. Theresultant recommendations, if adopted, will significantly modify the current treatment of judicial-conduct ful consideration of the sometimes com: peting needs for: policing the judiciary protecting the judicial system and sitting judges from unfoundedcharges, provid- ing complainants andthepublicwith ade- quate information to determine that the system is working effectively, andallow ing a reasonable evaluation period under the recent higher levels of Judicial Con duct Commission staffing and funding It is regrettable that The Tribune's readers did not get a balanced reporting on these issues. GARYG. SACKETT Salt Lake City , ia |