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Show 4A Emery County Progress, Castle Dale, Utah Tuesday, August 29, 2000 OMMENTARY CONFUSED Terrorists right in my back yard by JAMES L. DAVIS There are terrorists among us. They ereep silently among the shadows, through the nights of Emery County. My dog is their leader. I didn't want to admit it at first. I covered the surety of that fact beneath of heavy blanket of my own denial. looked into my dogs brown eyes, watched him wag his tail and tried to convince myself that my dog is not bad. He is a good dog. But I can hide from the truth no longer.... My dog is evil. It 1 We have women and minorities at our convention, too ... but we didnt have to hire them from a temp service like the Republicans did! allowed his freedom only under supervision. That is but one ploy I tried to use to convince myself that my dog is good. But how many evil rulers have continued their reign of terror from behind bars? It does not matter that he cannot get free. His army is vast and his foot soldiers come to him for instructions in the deep of the night. I have seen this with my own eyes. My suspicions first began to arise w hen I started going bag of through a food week. in one My dog dog is fairly big. Hes part Border Collie and part Great Dane I think, or perhaps giraffe, I can't be sure. But regardless, hes not big enough to eat that much food 20-pou- by himself. So I started watching him, and sure enough, I saw his foot soldiers arrive in the night. By the light of a nearly full moon I watched him and his minions break Alpo together and plot the overthrow of the free by ROGER POND O.K., Ill admit it: Im just a pawn for Corporate America; or Corporate Japan. Im not sure which. I drive a made in America Japanese car, eat at try. Most of my income comes from corporations or folks who work for corporations. I even wear Nike shoes. What am I supposed to do, go barefoot!? A lot of people do, of course, and some of them may work for Nike; but that's a whole different story. Corporate bashing has taken a new Ive tried to talk to my dog, tried to tell him to be a good dog. By the light of the day he tries, I see that he tries. But in the night the evil in him takes over and he continues to instruct his army in the destruction of Emery County, one garbage can and yard at a time. So I plead with you all to keep your dogs away from my dog. Keep them safe and awnv from his evil Influence. For the sake of all of Emery County. Fbr the sake of the world. Oregon alum and the biggest donor in the school's history. News reports say Knight has donated $50 million to his alma mater during the past 10 years. He was expected to give another $30 million to help with an $S0 million sladium renovation. Knight says the U. of 0. can kiss and I can't say that money good-bythat I blame him. the university apparently decided he was just e, insulted like everybody else. Why is this important to folks in other parts of the country? I think its a lesson in remembering our friends, whether theyre big friends or little friends. (Its hard to overlook someone who has given you $50 million.) Ive worked for universities and for corporations, and I cant say one is more pure than the other. Universities tend to be more altruistic, but I found corporations more honest. Corporations plan to make money, and they readily admit it. Universities often won't admit to anything. If the U. of 0. was a corporation its CEO would have called Knight and said. I'm sorry. Phil, but Im going to have to stab you in the back. I'll try not to twist the knife." The university's president didn't call. He said his travel schedule Dull. Boring. How many of you would describe your life that way? If you have to wait for an appointment, do you ever start to talk with someone near you? If you do, do you have a conversation on more than one topic? This idea reminds me of my mother and my oldest brother. After he graduated from high school he asked her to sit down sometimes and talk w ith him. He w anted to learn how to cany on a conversation. To get the kind of work he wanted, he decided he needed to know how to do this. So he practiced asking questions to draw out the other's interests and to listen to the other talk about them. He learned how to introduce an Interest of his own and bo aware whether the other could relate to that topic. He learned how to say he disagreed with the other and not to put that person down. This meant he had to think about things he saw. or heard, or read. It could not be gossip, or usually, trivia. He learned to reflect on the meaning of his life experiences. This way what he said would have some importance and show his inner capabilities. If you do not carry on conversations like this now. it is possible to begin to do so. The effort required and the results can make you fix'! much better about yourself. Find someone who is willing to learn and practice along with you. If it is someone who has very different tastes in topics, that can help each of you learn to really listen in an interested way or disagree amicably. Reading in new subjects can widen your range of topics. Fhmilies can make a game of this lc tween members and w hen guests come. The final touch Is to begin using this new skill whenever you get a chance. Remember, the main thing is to ask good questions (not prying); to really care about the other and what they say. to listen carefully. In this areu at least, life can begin to be much more lively and interesting. t! . . r Letters to the editor should focus on -public issues rather than private personalities or entities. All submissions must be verified prior to publication. The Emery County Progress reserves the right to edit letters not only to satisfy space constraints, but potential liability Listening is first step in learning to live well by PAULA WELLNITZ prevented him for talking to Knight personally. The U. of 0. vice president said he advised the president not to call, because it might look like the university could be compromised. Im reminded of the commodity groups that donate to universities for agricultural research. Quite often theyre told, We'll take your money, ' but that doesnt mean you can tell us r ' what to do. The farmers go home wondering, Whv do we torture ourselves like this?" University of Oregon administrators now' say they hope Knight will continue to be a friend, even if he doesnt give another dime. It seems kind of late for that. What are the students learning from all this? I hope theyre learning how to grow up and get a job. I do trust they aren't expecting one from Mr. Knight, though. another alum and deserved to be HOME MADE dont have any concrete that my dog is front door. This has special significance because Phil Knight, chairman and cofounder of Nike, is a University of McDonalds, and use General Electric light bulbs. evidence planning to take over the world, or that the dogs who come to him in the night are his soldiers. They speak their own language of whines, short barks and whimpers, along with many sniffs and other forms of dog communication which 1 wont go into here. But the results can be seen in the morning, and the results are a testament to the fact that I am right in my theory. And weve all seen these terrorist actions with our own eyes, seen them and perhaps been afraid to accept the terrifying truth: The tipped over garbage cans, the trampled upon gardens, the terrorized cats and half eaten shoos, the dog land mines strategically placed outside your turn with the announcement that the University of Oregon is joining the Workers Rights Consortium, a watchdog group for workers rights in foreign apparel factories. About 130 other schools have joined the competing Fair Labor Association, which is more palatable to the apparel indus- world. I corporate America A pawn of concerns. Administration Kevin Ashby Editorial Publisher Linda Thnyn ... Office Manager Darla Lee Circulation Advertising OmcE Jenni Fasselin Patsy Stoddard Sylvia Nelson Display Classified Sylvia Nelson . Classified. Legal j Patsy Stoddard .... Receptionist Receptionist Subscription Rate: 50 cent per copy; 122 per year delivered by carrier in Carbon and F.mery count tee. 127 in Utah, 130 out of Utah per year by mail. Office Hours; Monday B 00 to 10 00 a tn ; cloned Tueadav, VVedneaday - Friday 9 00 a m. to 5 00 p m. at 190 Fast Main, Caatle Dale. Utah. Claaatfleda Deadline; Monday at 10 00 a m. for Tueaday't publication. Telephone; (4351 38 3 2431, Far (435) progreaaiaetv net. Publication No: (USDS iaaued once a week at Caatle Dale, Utah. Prnodiral poetage paid at Caatle Dale. Utah. Pnatmaater: Send change of add rear to p() IV n 689, Caatle Dale, UT 84513. All nght rererved by the Fmery CountT Frogrean All in property of Emery lountv Progreaa No part herein may he reproduced without pnor written conaent 381-543- 0747-2129- i James L. Davis Editor Patsy Stoddard . Staff reporter Ryan Peacock Sports writer Betty Bailey Correspondent |