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TheSaltLakeTribune OPINION A10 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER27, 2001 OUR VIEW ea Wee Numbers Games appear to be more concerned with Thetori¢ than whatis actually best for Were membersof the Legislature to listen carefully, they would learn that the rulelimitingfoster families rhildrenis not evenset in stone. ators are outraged thattheDivision ofChild and Family for the limit are based onlegitimate Membersof the Utah. Legislature Services trys to limit the number of foster children a family can sponsor Are they outraged because suchlim: its harm the foster children? Unfor tunately, no. The outrage stems from a perceived insult to Utah's tradi. tionally super-sized families and an aversionto government intervention in familysize. Thedebate would seemsilly were it not for the potential effects onfoster children, Those w ho deal with foster fully explain to lawmakers y would also hear thatthe reasons piactices designed to place neglected kids in the best possible yhome environments. c While large families can be a sourceofcomfort andjc wmakers need to look beyond the cases where that is so and recognize the special needs of foster kids. The national trend towards limitingthesizeoffos ter famil based on more than a desire to condemn Utahns for its prodigous procreationhabits. Legislators should listen to the ex- apis important for the goodof the children Sadly, some lawmakers perts inthefield anderrontheside of thefosterchildren. The message Utah, ignore the data and turn the discus: sion into an opportunity to spout e philosophy. While this type of verbal sparring is not newto family is not that large families less caring. The message is that te is awareofthe extra needsof the Legislature, the effected constituents arethose with the influence andthe mostto lose: fosterchildren. most advantageous placementfor the goodof each c sends generallylimiting its foster children and encourages the ae OF THE TWIN TERRORS Cry of Pain The family of Gage Wayment apa ievously hurting nching affair. ‘ayment was the2-year-old to death in the mounar whenheleft the truck . Paul Wayment, left himin while he was out volunteers fr scouting for deer. A e Eee was subsequently conv’ ‘ted of negli- gent homicidein connectionwithhis son’s death. Paul Wayment took his ownlife on the same¢ y he wasto sentence. begin serving a 30-de of young On the anniv appearance, familyfiled million dollar claim against fourcounties, asserting negligence in Atfirst blush, it is easy to come down hard on the Waymentfamily. ‘The lawsuit is nonsensical and, with its demandfor more than $2 million conjunction with the two Wayment y deaths, and mayrepresent just another attempt to disguise a as victimhoodand tousethecou! a vehicleto achieveit. Indeed, the claims prompt thoughts of gross ingratitude. The claims revile a humangesture, indi- THE PUBLIC FORUM kinfolk of most people who find themselves theobjects of such efforts are grateful that they were made; re- gardless of the outcome. At the same time, however, it would be unfair and even cruel to astigate the Wayment family action. While this lawsuitis not helpful andcasts the family in an ungrateful light, it perhaps can best be understood as acry of anguish. Perhaps there are things the au- thorities and rescue workers could have donebetter. Learning those les- sons would be the best outcome of such suit. Within this claim, however,lies a lingering grief. An unassuaged hurt remains, perhaps even quickened by the anniversary date, andthefiling can be seen as a way of lashing out against a communitythat some family membersfeel was not supportive. The incident generated wide- spread news coverage and someofit, along with some public reaction, was not charitable. Someofit focused on blame fixing, of demonizing Paul Waymentas being moreinterested in hunting thaninthe welfareof his son. These Wayment claims will not heal the family's grief or help give themthe strength to live with it, or viduals coming together in community to aid one or moreothers. This has been the normfor centuries, indeed millennia. Somesearch orrescueefforts are and Paul Wayment. Regardlessof the outcome ofthis cryofpain, the family successful. Some are not. The pertinent fact is that they are made and the will slowly have to learn that for itself. provide any newmeaning or purpose to the tragedies that claimed Gage Missing Contributor We WelcomeLetters Regularreaders of The Public Fo- @ Whensubmittingletters to the rum (and yes, éven the Forum's editors) will be sad to know that a regu- Public Forum, please include your full name, signature, address and daytime telephone numbers. Informa- lar contributor, BlossomDavisofSalt Lake City, died recently of cancer. She wouldwrite “the Trib” whenever she felt an injustice had been done; whenevershefelt a story had been misrepresented; whenever she wanted to make hervoice heard on behalf of the medically underserved children or homeless families for whom she worked so:hard. She was strong in her beliefs and had an un- wavering moral core. Forher, there was no gray area; either something (or someone) was right or wrong. Even with all the turmoil and changesshe'd seen in her 84 years, shestill believed in the innate good of people to do the right thing. As a pediatrie nurse at Shriners Hospital, her was felt by the manychildren who loved her unequivocally.-I hope the readers of The Public Forumwill miss her far-ranging opinions. But know as the 56-year-old recipient of her periodic “care packages” filled with homemade peanut butter cookies, jams and baking powder biscuits, she'll be missed even more. ROBERT DAVIS Santa Rosa Calif. a Give Bell a Break ANOTHER VIEW California Dreamin’ Welcome to .L.A., Mr. Vice, uh, Chairman. Former Vice President, former presidential candids formerSen., former Rep. Al Gi one of the newest succ seekers in Southern Cal. vice presidents parking a political career temporarily in lucrative private business; Richard Nixon, Dan Quayle and Walter Mondale in modern times accepted substantial private paychecks while schmoozing just became vice chairman of Metro- politan West Financial Inc., a 10- clients, writing books, speaking, fund-raising and biding their politi- year-old, privately held investment cal time. Nixon was theonly loser to firmhere. Actually, Gore Won't live in Los "s keeping his Washinge. And he’s keeping his sa teacher at Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University and as UCLA research professor on family issues. Andthere's the book he’s writing with Tipper. And his continued speaking and political fund-raising for Democratic candidates including, who knows, maybe himself again someday. Metropolitan West did not reveal the salary it'll pay for the Tennessean’s temp work. Surely not chump change. He brings a vast arrayofaf- fluent U.S. and foreign political contacts to the firm, where he, in turn, will make affluent contacts andfind himself getting paid to visit the state with the mostelectoral votes. Gore didn’t invent the strategy of winlater. Gore's pals, off the record not for attribution butplease useit, quickly explained that this new line of work shouldn't preclude future political efforts. While it adds a private-sector check to his government resume,the new work also keeps Gore's options open, providing ample time for stops in such noted finance meccas as lowa and New Hampshire where theearly care andfeeding ofpolitical investors is time-consuming. Overt presidential campaigning has been postponed by the terrorist attacks and ensuing war. But a year ago today they were fighting over chads and dimples in Florida, And that meansless than 24 months until the job interviews start for the 2004 election. The Los Angeles Times TheSalt LakeTribune UTAH’S INDEPENDENTVOICESINCE 1871 PAST PUBLISHERS PUBLISHER Dominic Welch John F. Fitzpatrick (1924-1960) EDITOR John W.Gallivan (1960-1983) EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Jerry O’Brien (1983-1994) RandyC. Frisch JamesE, Shelledy ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 143 8, MAIN ST, SALT LAKE CITY , 84111 Regarding “Cop Facés Charges in Elk Killing”(Tribune, Nov.6): If convicted, Jim Bell will face up to five years in prison on each count. We have moronsinthis state who molest women and kids every day who face less time. I don’t knowBell, but from what I read he's a pretty decent officer witha good record.I also don’t knowall the particulars about the cover-up, but I think had I been in the sameposition asa highlyrated officer ofthe law and made the same mistake, I probably would hayetried to cover my butt. It’s time the Utah Wildlife Board review their laws and penalties and get real and give Jim Bell a break. ROBERT BARNTHOUSE Salt Lake City Discriminatory Experience Recently, I was showing a friend visiting from London the sights of Salt Lake City when we were denied entrance to one of the city’s private clubs because of my friend’s dreadlocks. I stood in the entrance of the club stunned and embarrassed while the manager told us that the owner didn’t like the hairstyle, ‘To get the full picture ofour incredulity you have to know that myguest is a gorgeous, sophisticated brunette sporting neatly kept, waist-length locks. She is.also a highly-placed executive with a multinational corporation (ironically one of the major Olympic sponsors) earning in excess of six figures, and sheis white! Myfriend was very angry at this shoddy treatment and she told me thatin all of hertravels, for business and pleasure, that she has never had anyonerefuse herentrance orservice because ofher coiffeur, I warn international visitors to beware — not only is there discrimination in Salt Lake City against minorities, but also against hairstyles! DEE SWAYZE Park City tion other than your name and the city in which you live are kept confidential, ™@ Keepit short. Concise letters developing a single theme are more likely.to be published. @ Please type and double space. *™ Letters are~ condensed and edited. @ Because of the volume of mail received,’ not all submissions are published. @ Mail to Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune,P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110 @ Ourfax numberis (801) 257-8950. Our e-mail addressis letters@ Litigation Therapy The lawsuit brought by the Wayment family alleging that searchers’ negligence, in essence, led to or contributed to the death ofboth Gage and Paul Wayment is. disheartening. While the entire series of events is tragic andI feel deeply for the Wayments’losses, this lawsuit reconfirms in my mind whatwehave become asa society —a “let’s look at who we can point a finger at and blame (sue) them” mentality. I'm quite certain every single person involved in the search for Gage wasdesperateto find the youngboy. I encourage the Way- ments to reconsider their action so that when afiotherlittle boy orgirl is missing searchers won't hesitate be- cause they might unsuccessful. be sued if BRIAN EVANS sltrib.com. Logan Avarice and Fecundity I managed,just barely, to contain mydisbelief when I read the following statementof Utah wildlife biolo- gist Fred Montague, “. . the rising population, while frightening, is not the problem.” This statement was madeata recent a conferencein Salt Lake City called “Wasatch 2050 — Looking Beyond”(“Planning Ahead for Utah's Environmental: Health,” Tribune, Nov. 8). The conference’s principal messages were howto provide water, en- ergy and transportation for the estimated 5 million people expected along the Wasatch Front by 2050 while maintaining the current quality of life. It concluded thatthis will require Utahns to rethink their consumer andreproductive habits. How can someonewhois, presumably, well versed in population dynamics make such a statement? It defies logic. Each affliction mentioned in the article — traffic congestion, air pollution, rising energy prices and loss of open spaces and wildlife habitat — is directly the result of two things: first, too many people, and second, excessive consumption, Where's the mystery in that? Andthis biologist says “rising populationis not the problem” — go figure. The even more frightening scenario is looking further into’ the future, say 2100. What will our quality of life along the WasatchFrontbe like with 8 or 9 million over-consuming people? We had better begin taking our fertility and consumptionseriously now or “quality of life” will havean entirely different meaning — ‘a meaningI don’t think weare going to like. STEVEN PURHONEN Salt Lake City Landscape Interchanges Recently, the 1-15 overpass at Orem's University Parkway exit was completed andit looks great! I would suggest that Salt Lake County take some lessons from Utah County on landscapingits new overpasses. I am specifically referring to the 106th South dnd Bangerter Highway over- passes. They are pretty neat, butall of the weeds that are growing around them make them look really bad. Since the I-15 reconstruction project was completed $32 million under budget, maybe a few thousand dollars could be allocated to landscape these new overpasses, CADE PRESTON Orem Relative Ethics A yearago, a few of myfriends and I (no rocket scientists amongst us) predicted that Tom Welch and Dave Johnson would be vindicated of the charges in the Olympic scandal. And yes, there was never any question in our minds that Gov. Mike Leavitt and formerSalt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini andothers in the Olympic hierarchy were well aware of what was goitig on to securethe bid. Westill can’t figure out what the difference is between how the bid was secured and whatlobbyists do day in and dayout in trying to win over our state and national lawmakers to their clients’ projects or interests. In each case there is certainly a matter of ethics involved but both unfortunately are legal and the way business is conducted.I guess the ultimate questionis whenis a bribe really a bribe? STAN JACOBSON Salt Lake City IgnorantDisciples I've been reading with some amusementthe crying out of people in Utah whofeel they are in the minority on social, political and religious issues.’ And like their opponents whose battle cry is the ever pedantic “if you don’! like it you can leave,” these oppressed moral minorities beat their chests proclaiming “maybe if they (the moral majority) were in the minority, they'd feel differently.” Such a commentis mostflawed in its assumption that those in the majority would everbe in the minority. After all, the current majority on these issues have proven time and again that they have no minds. or souls capableofindependentthought. They are quite content to follow blindly the words of their “leaders,” no matter how ignorant, misinformed, or morally reprehensible they may be, in lieu of actually thinking for themselves, And, unfortunately, there are always more “stepfords” than there are those willing to think and exercise their conscience, No wonder the founding fathers foughtso diligently for a republic that would, in theory, preventa tyranny of the majority. : WALLY GREENWELL Salt Lake City |
