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Show Page A14 TheKaltLakeTribune OPINION SATURDAY,MAY27, 2000 OUR VIEW The Salt Lake Tribune’s Editorial Position Don’t Disbar Clinton Here wego again. . after a fashion. President Clinton may be disbarred for lying underoath abouthis relationship with Monica Lewinsky. ly his defenders are raising some eth the familiar arguments they used in his impeachment while detractors are making equally familiar claims aboutthe gravity ofhis conduct. A committee of the Arkansas Supreme Court has broughtdeja vu to the American people via its recommenda- tion that Clinton be disbarred for “serious misconduct” for lying during the Paula Jones sexual harassmentcase. Asidefrom the mostardentpartisans, most people probably agree that the president's conduct with Lewinsky and the convoluted word games he and his attorneys employed to pooh-pooh it or weaseloutofit all together was tawdry, but just as the Senate foundit difficult to give him the bum’s rushoutof the White House overit, the Arkansas Supreme Court, if disbarment proceedings reach it, should go with something lighter. Mostlawyers,at least in these parts, get disbarred because they cheator steal their clients’ resources, or do something else that is hurtful to their clients. Stretching or tweaking the truth, practices the presidenthas proved to be quite adept at, might garnera fine or maybe even a suspension, but usually nota disunlikely to open a law office or join one after he leaves the White House. Besides, as cynics happily would note, lawyers are trained and expected to do some of this. President Clinton already has been chastised considerably over the oathbreaking in the Lewinskyaffair. Congress has impeached him andthis will never go away,regardless of anyeffort of his or his partisans to paint it as some sort of political payback or meanspirited conservative attack ona popular standard-bearer of the left. Moreover, US. District Judge Susan Webber Wrighthasfined him $90,000 for giving false testimonyin the Jones case. All the pursuit of the most drastic punishment — disbarment — will do is give the American public a repeat performance of 1998. No one needs a second screening ofthat. Car-Seat Clinics certified to provide the service, whichis cueofparents baffled by the complexities of children’s car seats. DaimlerChrysler and Ford, take a bow. A study earlier this year confirmed that manyUtahparents fail to place their children in safety seats or seat belts available by appointment and takes between 20 and 30 minutes. For information, log on to Fitforakid.com or call 1-877-FIT-4-A-KID. Ford has announced an effort to make parents aware of the need to place chil- tically reduce child injuries and deaths during wrecks. Since May 1, Utah law has allowed officers to stop and cite drivers if anyone under age 16 either is not wearinga seatbeltor is not placed in asafety seat. But even conscientious parents who buckle their kids into car seats religiously often make mistakes in the way theyinstall the seats or adjust the straps to fit their children. One national study showed that about90 percentofcar seats are not properlyinstalled. dren between the ages of 4 and 8 in booster seats rather than placing them in adult seat belts alone. Children generally outgrow convertible child safety seats whenthey reach about 40 pounds. When they are between 40 and 80 pounds, and until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, they should be placed in a belt-positioning booster seat, according to the National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration. Over the next 12 months, Ford will give away 500,000 booster seats to lowincomepeople.In addition, the company will provide coupons for another 500,000 booster seats with the purchase of a new To help parents use car seats properly, somehospitals and public health departments offer free inspections of carseat installations by certified felt cians. Now two car manufacturers Carmakers can be criticized for not awakening to this safety issue earlier joined theeffort. and doing more to provide a universal DaimlerChrysler launched its “Fit for a Kid” program in February. It enables parents to take any car, not just a Ford vehicle. Ford also is studying how to providefree inspection stations. anchoring system for car seats. Such a system,called LATCH,is finally becoming standard equipment in most new Chrysler product, to a dealership for a free car-seat inspection. At least a cars this year. Nevertheless, the new efforts of these Chrysler two companiesdeservea pat on the back. dealerships in ANOTHERVIEW From the Los Angeles Times Ease Up on Cuba Momentum is building in Congress to ease Washington’s longtime economic isolation of Cuba and resumetrade in food and medicine. This is a welcome trend. For humanitarian reasons, food and medicine should never have been subject to trade sanctions. As a practical matter,the policy of slapping unilateral embargoes on countries outof favor with Washington has been largely discredited. Alas, congressional recognition ofthe futility of such embargoes is not the motive for allowing thesale ofU.S. food and medicine in Cuba. Rather it is U.S. farmers’need for the Cuban market. Demand lastyear for U.S. produce withered in Asia, and E CONFISCATION! barment. Even for an attorney who is Two carmakersare riding to the res- whenthey are riding in a car. That’s not good news, because safety devices dras- REGULATION? THATS THE FIRST STEP 10 “AMENDMENT TC: A WELL- REGULATED MILITIA BEING NECESSARY 10... “ measure awaiting action by the full House.A similar measure easily passed the Senate last year. For American farmers,food exports to Cuba represent a potential $1 billion-a-year business. Another reason whythepartial lifting of the Cuba trade embargo has a better chance ofpassing this year has to do with the dwindling clout of the Cuban American communityin the wakeof the Elian Gonzalez affair. The community's defiance of U.S. authorities in its refusal to release the 6-year-old boy spurred indignation among many Americans, a sentimentclearly reflected in Congress, Congress has takenseveral bold steps recently on the trade front, and for thatit deserves credit. Most important, the House passed a measure Wednesday to grant China permanenttrade privileges. And last week, after three years of struggle, it enacted a law to open U.S. markets, free of tariffs, to imports from the world’s poorestcountries. Thetimefor a new policy on Cuba is at hand. Motives aside, Congress is on a proving this year, but farmers are not outofthe woods. It comes as no surprise, then, that the strongest support for easing the Cuba sanctions comes from farm state legislaDakota Sen. Tom good path. Easing the ban on food and lican, sponsor of a boycott-loosening medicine exports would be an important step. The Nethercutt measure should become law. THE PUBLIC FORUM Lettersfrom The Tribune’s readers Uncouth Behavior Let me begin by thanking the Utah Grizzlies for a great season. The residents of the state are lucky to have sucha talented bunch of athletes playing great hockey for them. Accordingly, the Griz- zlies deserve supporters with someclass. The behaviorofthe fans at Game 5 (May3) at the E Center was an absolute embarrassmentto the Grizzlies and Utah. And to think the Olympicswill take place here ina coupleofyears. I loathe the thought of our citizenry hitting players after the game with full containersofsoda, beer andothertrash. To make matters worse,as fans exited the stands they verbally abused several Houston players whosat out the game. Would we have wanted the Grizzlies to put up with this kind of abuse had they been victorious in Houston? Try on the other shoe, Utah. I wish to make,on behalfofall the kids wholove the game and the adults who support it as well, a heartfelt apology to the Houston Aeros, the City of Houston and the Utah Grizzlies. Contrary to the fans, the Grizzlies had enough class to stay on the ice during this mayhem and to each ofthe Aeros andtheirstaff. YouthHockeyCoach Salt Lake City History Repeated Whatif I told you I’m starting a magazinefor white people,or,I'm going to have a major award ceremonyfor whites only? I bet you've already marked me as racist. There's probably a groupof protesters on their way right now. Now I'll remind you that there is a magazinefor black people and every year thére is a televised award ceremony for only black music artists. Now there’s no problem,right?It’s black rights, but what about white rights? Who is protecting them? No,I'm not trying to say white people should have their own magazines orceremonies. Nobody should. Amazing people like Martin Luther King Jr. fought and died against segregation, for equal rights. Here we are today, over 30 years later and it is happening again. KELLI ROLLINS Salt Lake City Q Astonishing Complaint I couldn't help but nod my head in Where to Write @ When submitting letters to the Public Forum,please include your full name, signature, address and daytime telephone numbers. Information other than your nameandthecity in which you live are kept confidential. @ Keep it short. Concise letters developing a single theme are more . likely to be published. @ Please type and doublespace. @ Letters are condensed andedited. @ Because of the volume of mail received, not all are published. @ Mail to Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110 @ Our fax numberis (801) 257-8950. Gay Nature I would like to respond to Mike Haley’s op-ed column on homosexuals in the Boy Scouts, (Tribune, April 30). In particular I would like to respond to his assertions that homosexuals are pedophiles, that they engage in promiscuous sex and are incapable of knowing real love, and that theyare notgood role models. First, I must make thedistinction between homosexuals and pedophiles. Homosexuality means that you are attracted to someoneof the same sex; pedophilia is to children. and pedophiles are notthe same thing. There are heterosexuals and homosexuals that are pedophiles.In fact, of the people that I know that have been abused sexually as children, all of them have been molested by heterosexual males. Statistically it is more often white, male heterosexuals who sexually abuse children. Should we then ban all male heterosexuals from being Scountmasters? Or should we judge each personby his or her own merit? Boring Excuse Secondly, anyone who is sexually I sure wish Utah Jazz Coach Jerry abused is likely to have problems dealing with their sexuality and the expression Sloan would find something more original or creative to say prior to a game or thereof. Just because Mr. Haley admitafter a game the Jazz lose. For years now tedly lived a sexually promiscuous and his stock response andover-used clicheis, degrading lifestyle during his 12 years asa gay man does not makethis inherent in “IT wonder who's going to show uptoday” eee or “our guys didn’t come to play homosexual lifestyle. It is instead the way he chose to live it, whatever the reasons. There are people who have fulfilling, reA wise man once said, “A great team, whetherin sports, business, politics or in warding and monogamous relationships any competitive setting is merely the as well as those who do not, across the lengthened shadowof its leader.” Maybe sexual spectrum. Fulfilling, loving it’s Sloan and his coaching staff who are healthy and meaningful relationships are the ones who, on occasion, “don’t show not exclusive to heterosexuals. Tt sounds like what Mr. Haley is most up”in the Jazz organization’s repeated, futile attempts to win an NBA afraid of is the very thing that he says was denied to him as a youth — knowledge that championship. Afterall, they are the ones,especially « there are choices in the way you chose to the head coach, who are mainly responsi- live your life. The gay “agenda” is to ble for firing up the team anddevising a present positive role models — to show daily winning strategy and promoting a that indeed there are choices in how you live your life: You don’t have to resort to winning attitude, In my opinion,it’s not fairfor him to always blameand put down empty relationships and promiscuous enthe players after each defeat. And if he counters if you are gay. You don’t have to have to kill yourself because you think still insists on using that phrase over and over, ad nauseam,he oughtto change it to there is no way to be gay and still be a more accurately reflect the true cause of productive, loving and acceptable person. To show gay youth that they can lead the problem by saying instead, “I guess moral, fulfilling lives — and yes, even exwe didn’t show upto play today.” perience real love. If more gay youth had the good fortune of having role models THOMASW. LADAYNE Payson Q Supply and Demand I'm Happy to explain to Paul Simonson, (Forum, April 27) why refined gasoline from locally produced oil is set at imported prices, Simply put, the petroleum market is a world market. That is, if prices increase in one region, suppliers will ship oil from areas where prices are lower. This tends to equalize prices the TheSalt LakeTribune * UTAH’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1871 PAST PUBLISHERS PUBLISHER John F. Fitzpatrick (1924-1960) Dominic Welch John W. Gallivan (1960-1983) EDITOR James E. Shelledy Jerry O'Brien (1983-1994) KEARNS-TRIBUNE CORPORATION, 143 8. MAIN ST, SALT LAKE.CITY, s411t ee. \ Hot Flash she ieee St tee Ae Seeuse of intentionally set fires and ‘the “let burn” that nearly wiped out Yellowstone Park and similar areas, gies wiicle naw wanton tae pels “There goes the neighborhood!” T.G. “BUD” MAHAS Salt Lake City ) |
