| OCR Text |
Show The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION AA4 Sunday, February 17, 2002 PopulationIs the Issue, Not Abortion BY DAVID ALAN HART In a Jan. 6 editorial, “Attack on Large Families Is Part of a Pro-Abortion Campaign,” Au tumnFoster Cook gets lost in the minutia of population is sues andin her ownbias about the power of free enterprise She starts by trying to compare one United another and “more re Thefirst is Bangkok, Thailand. I was there in the early 1990s. It is the most crowded city I have ever visited. There are some wonderful attractions, but I wil! neverreturn because of the Once someone reviews the basic information, then the real question is what kind of world do they want? This is where values comeinto the equation. I want a world wherea largepart of the world population has a reasonable quality of life.For me, this means life that includes access to the basics: food, clean water, etc., and an environment that is healthy for humans as well as otherlife on Earth. jam of human population. My wife and | refer to it as “the largest it’s internal population growth. Its cities as large as Sidney reading these kinds of reports those of us who enjoy it can four forces that control human Paul Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb. All of the data and argu have quality outdoor experiences, some of them being in population: war, disease, starvation and political policies. places that are wild and uncrowded. I want a world where humans support other kinds of life on Earth in their natural environment, with a minimum contention, mostwill not argue about the big numbersin the of conflict with man. | want a world whereall life on Earth is present: population, growth rates, food production, re- 1 value a world where the source consumption, energy production, ete. Once someonereviews the basicinformation, then thereal question is what kind of world do they want? This is where values come into the equation. I wantaworld wherea large part of the world population has a reasonable quality oflife. For me, this means alife that in cludes access to the basics: food, clean water, etc., and an environmentthatis healthyfor humansaswell as otherlife on Earth. This quality oflife will not belike that of the United States because it consists of about 6 percent of the world’s population and consumes between 25 percent and 45 percent of its resources, depending on the particular resource in question. I value a less con sumptive, more efficient world where moreis not necessarily better. I want a world where valued, not just human life. population is stable and the quality of life goes up, not the quantityof life. The question for methenis howtoget tosuch a world and what would be the approximate sustainable world population? Now we come back to the abortion issue that Cook addresses in her article. Most of the pro-choice people, in: cluding myself, that I know see abortion as a necessary but frustrating option in many cir- cumstances. But, abortion is only a small part of the larger questions I want to address: Howdowe reach stable world population and what would that population be? I think most people believe that our human population cannot continue to increase forever and still have what most of us would call a “high quality of life,” including a healthy environment. Howwill populationstabilize? There are Today we see a mix of these forces at work in the world. Ina world that I value, the first three would be diminished markedly but that can only happen if the fourth, political down to the smallest villages haveacharm that hasa lot todo with a slow, thoughtful population growth. week! But,let's avoid the numbers game and examine what a “high quality life” would look in myvalue system. For me,I could give a vari- The third exampie is the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. I have a permit ety of examples that show that the Earth is overpopulated al- to run theriver in the summer ready, but I will give only three. While many mayquiver in awe at the Supreme Court's lat est edicts on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it mustbe said: Thehighest court has stripped the ADA ofits growth including, but not clothes, kickedit into an open sewer whereit now huddles in its filth, with its arms desper- ately crossed before its chest, its hands cupped overits genitals, shivering like the bastard child the judiciarytook it to be whenit first laid eyes on it, fresh-faced, dressed in new clothes and full of youthful idealism. The sad thing is that was probably the plan along. And how wasthis done? The good oldtried-and-true method that all anal, out-of-touch and technically constipated minds use ing simple, universal principles into elements, especially improved aceess to family planning, increase. ‘The second part of the question is whatis the sustainable world population? Again, the answer comes down to values.I difficult to get because of the large number of people wanting to run them. Population is not the only factor that affects these three examples but, in each case,it is a primary issue. In her last paragraph Cook argues that we should pay more attention to helping improve the standard of living of people in deveioping countries instead helping them limit their population growth.In myvalue system we haveto do both to get toa world that has the “high quality of life” I wouldliketo see. David Alan Hart lives in Salt Lake City. Minter Now TuruFesruary28! DURING OUR WINTER SALE, YOU'LL FIND SPECIAL SAVINGS THROUHOUT OUR AH-INSPIRING STORE. Visit nowto preview new andexciting collections sureto stimulate your have seen numbers ranging from 4 billion to 12 billion. Since 4 billion is well below the present population estimates of about 6.2 billion, things could imagination. Save on get very bad if we discover that dining, bedroom, the world cannot sustain our presentlarger population!It is also a concern that the world population is increasing at entertainmentcenters and more. Marlborough Entertainment Centers and | HomeTheatre about 1.5 million people per 35% If the Supreme Court's reaprotected IN STOCK OR SPECIAL ORDERS used to determine who could be against discrimi- nation because of the darkness of their skin, it would have decided the following: Only persons with the perfect hue of skin, somewhere between completely black and completely white, will be deserving ofpro- tection under Consequently, the law. persons to See COURT,Page AAS mentopportunities because of a real or perceived mental or physicalinfirmity. Instead of advancing this universal principle, the courts havespent their mental capital trying to determine who, in their lofty opinion, is “sufficiently disabled” to deserve TICKETS "hootorsALAS The world Tey be focused on the Olympics, but vour downtown IHCclinics arestill ocused on sere protection under the ADA as a “protected person.” In so doing, they havecreated a “protected” class of phantoms. LASER EYE SURGERY AT A PRIC nee West have become extremely creased access to family planning, increased standard ofliving, etc. Abortionisa part of the mix that will diminish as other principle was that otherwise cause of his skin color, no matter its shade, that same person should not be denied employ- mits to run most rivers in the political power for women, in- soning under the ADA was denied employment because of bigotry and ignorance. So, just as a person whois qualified for a job should not be denied employment opportunities be- Canyon scarce, but also per- oe limited to, better health care for women and newborns, more irrational, mind-numbing, complexidiocies. The ADA’s simpleuniversal able-minded and-bodied workers, who had mental and physical infirmities, should not be waiting list. Not orly is the re- source of running the Grand policies, comes much more into play. This includes a whole mix of policies that have been shown to slow population Supreme Court Strips the ADA BY LOREN LAMBERT the tralia, which has takenpainsto limit immigration and control ulation since 1971 when I read stantive discussion does. While future projections may be in in population growth exploded. The second example is Aus- ons report with ments one way ortheother are nottheissue. It all comes down to values, as almost any sub lot world!” Since I visited there several people have told me me that Bangkok was once one of the most beautiful cities in the world in the 1950s before its arguesthat one is le.” | have been and other materials about pop- parking after waiting 11 years for my name to reach the top of the CAN AFFORD? Ou focus hasn’t changed even though the Olympic Believeit! Gameshave cometo town. Each ofour IHCclinicsin the downtown Salt Lake area are staffed and ready to focus on S.A SURGEONANDSATISFIED LASER VISION PATIENT MYSELF, | SEE THE MANY BENEFITS LASER VISION correction can bring to patients and howit can literally changelives. Having performed over 15,000 laser refractive procedures, | canoffer extensive patient experience combined you and your health care needs, just the same as always. ‘When you are _-— UDS Hospital Campus Clinics Aveawes Internal Medicine Chidester Urology 10th Avenue Orthopedic Specialty Group Patton Place Surgery with the latest advancements in laser technology and equipment. Weare also very experienced in the treatment ofover/under correctionnsfor formerRKpatients. Our introductory offer was such a success, we're wens 7 bearing on the quality of care andservice we provide. Both "890 direct route using 700 East or 900 South Temple # East, as indicated on the accompa- IHC Health Center ryner Clinic nying maps. We'll 300 South look forward to IHC Health Center Solt Lake Clinic (no hidden tees) Call now to take advantage ofthis specialoffer. Laser Vision Specialists available 9 am - 5 pm (M-F). us, be sure to ° take the most SI Cardiovascular & Thonacte Sungery continuing the momentum withthis special pricing until April 30, 2002. You have my commitmentthatprice has no the staff of Coal Harbour and | welcome the opportunity to serve youatourclinic. planningtovisit Ne 400 South seeing you as we a provide the TOLL FREE 1.866.682.4900 world-class health 9 006 weg 00L Zz loffer valid for all surgeries performed before April 30, 2002) Coal Harbour Eye Centre care service you've come to expect. Suite 2788 - 1177 West Hastings Street, Vancouver,British Columbia Call TOLL FREE 1.866.682.4900 In Vancouver,call 604. 682.4900 Visit our website at www.CoalHarbourEyeCentre.com Price includes pre-aperatve ar a rea nt ance gy Pre-operative evmtong atFarha oecat. ay how oe pcewanna who caepeter Chace a He own expense Tw (2 ght stay day betore mxgery. and a 24 . te ‘Service i voto candatePayment a Vien or Matercard (abject to 2.5% surcharge), coh, certified check, money order J Inc THC PHYSICIAN GROUP surgery). A $200.00 CDN ef 4 4h af Intermountain Health th Con > - |
