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Show Thursday. Jan Opinions: Letters toThe Editor From whence shall comethe challenge? e apparentpotential for a deterrent against the military might of the Russian forces is squarely upon the shoulders of this nation and her allies. Our will for peace has been demonstrated to the world’s peoples; has it been taken by the Soviets that we are becomesoft and lack the will for war? Is this indeed the momentfor that interpretation and assessmentto be determined? The American will is the aggregate of the will of the individual citizen of this nation; is peace and our high standard of life become so precious that intimidation and human enslavement are a considered re by the peoplesof these United States. It is thefeeling of this writer, that we mustyet hold fast for the causes of peace and good will, but thatit is now apprent that we have an adversary who does not share our. point of view! Our energies and our will for the state of tomorrow must combine to meet this latest testing by our te It is not the first major testing! The Cuban missile crisis of the sixties is not so far removed as to be forgotten. It is hard to believe that the peoples of this earth have failed to notice that the great experimentin communistic and marxist doctrine has been unsuccessful to the point that its advocates must resort to that ancient dogma ‘‘that might makesright” and shall thus enforce her ideology uponall of us. The honest in heart remain hopeful; and faith and hope and prayersare yetvalid instrumentsin this eternalbattle with the forces of darkness who comprehend not the light. We are not lost until we quit! Jennings Fish RFDNo. 1 Box 338 Spanish Fork Lawmakers Ignore People Editor, Herald: Onceagain the State Legislature has reviewed tax reduction proposals. As before,the legislators are caught in polemics over where to reduce taxes. It appears that the Senate Majority Party is four-square opposed to sales tax reduction and is in complete support of property tax reduction. I suggest iat property reduction (unlike the property tax rebate program)will largely benefit landed property ownersonly. This seems to mean affront to those with low incomes who must rent. It also smacks of archaic landed political privilege and other vestigial aristocratic discrimination and oppressin. All must eat. Food is a universal consumerpurchase. A tax on food is most burdensome to those who spend a greater proportion of their income on essential food comodities. I think it is propitious for the poor andlow incomecitizeasof our state to cease support for candidates who merely use that support to gain seats in the legislature, allowing them toestablish laws which benefit themselves and others fortunate enough to own land.In our society, as in all societies of the past, land ownership is the privilege of the few. To those of you whobelieve you own land, I suggest you reconsider your indel ess to the real owner — the lien holder. Most people in our state would stand to save more moneyfrom a reduction, rescission of the sales tax on food, than from any reduction of the property tax. Only those owning a great deal of land in valuable, high tax industrial, commercial and residential areas would benefit more from a reduction of property tax than from a rescission of the food tax. ators in our state are not sensitive to the needsof the people, so the people must become moreinvolved in state andlocalpolitics to see that decent men are elected, men who are concerned about the welfareof all the people of Utah. Yourstruly, Jonnie R. Wilkinson 750 N. 800 Provo Move Olympic GamesSite Editor, Herald: It is imperative the Olympic ames to be held in Moscoweither moved to another country orelse cancelled. The athletes have spent years training and will suffer, but that should not stop the principle of doing whatis right and necessary. The world must not stand by and nothing. The Soviet Unionis on the verge of repeating the scene of military ag- gression from the 1930s. The attack on Afghanistan must not continue withoutprotest. To allow the games in Russiawill condonethe slaughter of an innocent country. Itis time all nations join in voicing their disgust with Russian intervention. Sincerely yours, Edward A. Seebol 1100 Angels St. Key West, Fla. ° GoVeRNMENT ECONoMisrs’ ° OFFICE PooL THE RECESSION WILL ARRIVE: 1979 1980 198! quarer Kahu ‘Schur Bi 2nd \glckw Bun. 3rd ULLMAN \/gclar 1980 THE HERALD. Provo. Utah—Page 39 What the Herald thinks, what the columnists say and what our readers think Atk The Herald Comments Russians Show Colors Editor, Herald Whata difference a day makes! Singular events often have far reaching effects and such seems to the case as was the recent deciSion of the high command of the Soviet Union As tanks and planes and copters moved across the mountainous land of Afghanistan and into the capital city of Kabui, the work received a glimpse of the deeper nature of the Russian bear. Tass, the apparently credulous News agancy of Moscow, sent out the sedative message (quoting from the newly installed president of Afghanistan): the Soviets are here with their troops at our request to prevent any imperialistic interference in our internal affairs; thus condemning President Carter's assessmentof action! _ (Shades of Adolf as he also intimidated the nationsof the earth as he poised his military might along the borders of Czechoslavakia.) The same agency registered another messageto the world: complaining that India had provided inSufficient security to the Afghan embassy in that nation; perhaps a subtle warning as to things yet to come. Brezhnev waves the white flag of Salt II and his government carries out clandestine affairs among the nations of at least two continents and then; — a milif expedition into Afghanistan, even into the borders of Pakistan the gateway to the warm waters of Indian Ocean. Theancient dream, dating back to the Czars, — a year around port is at the threshold of success. The inevitable confrontation has arisen: can the peace-keeping powers of the U.N. match upthe appetite of a hungry bear? Armed only with world public opinion and the low caliber firepower of political and economic sanctions; we shall soon see for ourselves! 24. Wille 4th Gita \@huw dhl. Soviets Reveal True Selves If the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan left anyone who still believes in detente, the arrest and exile of dissident Russian physicist and humanrights champion Andrei Sakharov should have dispelled any lingering hope that ine Russians will do anything they say they will do. Initial reports say Sakharov was arrested, stripped of all the honors he accumulated during and since his development of the hydrogen bombin the 1950s and then rushedoff to Gorky, an industrial city 250 miles east of Moscow which is closed to foreign visitors. Some commentators are bemoaning the death of detente — that purported new era of understanding and cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union. It seems difficult now to mourn the death of something that never really existed. The Soviet Union is an unfeeling, uncaring, unthinking, inhuman, selfperpetuating machine which owes fealty only to the first rule of any bureaucracy. Its mission in its existence is to keep existing and to gain power andinfluence. The Russians showed time and again before the fantasy of detente began that they are more than willing to make any commitment if they can see a way to further their interests by preying on the good faith of any nation willing to take them at their word. Theyare willing to forget that commitmentjust as quickly’if that facile shift of allegiances better serves their longterm interest of gaining more powerandinfluence in the world. It is difficult, to be sure, te draw any positive inferences from the brutal invasion and subjugation of an independent nation or the official persecution of a brilliant scientist whose only crime was assertion of his and others’ full rights as humanbeings. But the United States can take solace -in this: The fantasy of detente is over. Just as manyblacks prefer to live in the-South where racial discrimination is out in the open where they can c with it rather than hidden by some Northem liberals’ flimsy veils of tolerance and acceptance, all Americans can take comfortin at least knowing that although the Cold War never really thawed, at least it’s out in the open now. We know where we stand, and we know what we'll have to do. Although the fact is odious, at least we recognize it as a fact and are through nurturing a wishful fantasy. Paul Harvey We Could Tap Befter Heroes There will be a postage stamp honoring entertainer W.C. Fields. Tt will show the comicin his distinctive top hat performing a juggl- out such wordsata rally — you then have a much better chanceof getting her to throw a brick through a window.” Francis Watson Jr., analyzing the underground media, explains that ing act. \ dave A (we) Dem (we) It will be issued Jan. 29 whichis the 100th anniversary ofhis birth. It will first be issued in Beverly Hills, Calif., in ceremonies sponsored by the American Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences in a ceremony at the Academy theater. | QoMté17MILE I’m having trouble believing what I just said. Are wereally that hard up for heroes? “the use of four-letter vulgarisms is intended purposely to influence the culture toward greater permissiveness.”” Having cursed religion it’s much easier to curse patriotism. Does this suggest that Paul Harvey imagines that putting W.C. Fields on a postage stamp represents a sinister conspiracy to subvert and demean American institutions? I can’t provethat. WhatI am certain ofis that there is something terribly sad about a country so bankrupt that there are no longer worthy recipients for its highest honors. If I wanted purposely to dilute the historic image of the United States so that I might diminishits institutions and turn it into something which it is not I well mightstart by putting pictures of clowns on its postage stamps. I maybe letting this disturb me morethanit should. Already I have heard from some very nice, very Becauseif I can get Americans to sit still for that precedent,theywill then be unable to protest my next move — when I might chooseto put the likenesses of anti-American Also, I understand the U.S. Postal Service commitmentis irreversible so why bother to wax indignant. sincere, utterly un-subversive peo- ple who say, “But W.C.Fields is a hero!”” I've watched with approvalas our postal service honored Albert Einstein and Will Rogers and commemorated BunkerHill and the 68 Olympics. revolutionaries on stamps. When the so-called Symbionese Liberation Army was manipulating the kidnap Patty Hearst, its published objective was to profane the ‘middle-class ethic.” I watched with acquiescence as the postal service used stamps to promote football and pottery art. Butif W.C. Fieldsis next can Dolly Parton be far behind? The militants explained,” “If you can get a nice, middle-class girl to use language like that — to scream Herald in Washington Taiwan a Forgotten Victim By LEE RODERICK Herald Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — Suppose for just a minute: The United Statesis given an ultimatumthatit can participate in the Moscow Olympics this summeronly if it changes its name,its athletes carry someflag otherthan Old Glory,andit adopts a new national anthem in place of “The Star Spangled Banner.”” Would America participate under such circumstances? Ofcoursenot. Nor would any otherself-respecting country, including the Republic of China on Taiwan which has just been ousted from the Olympic Games under those conditions. The United States, with excellent reason, is considering boycotting the Olympic Gamesin Moscowfollowing Russia's brutal aggressionin Afghanistan. Such a prospect horrifies the International Olympic Committee whichinsists politics have no place in athletics. Yet the IOC, madeup of 89 individuals around the world, has had the gall to indict the United States for its lack of ‘Olympic spirit'’ while using a meatcleaver on Taiwan. The IOCtookits formalaction ata meeting last October in Nagoya, Japan, Shamefully, the follow-up to that meeting included a mail-in vote by members(approvingthe decision 62-17) after circulation of a U.S. State Departmentletter noting the federal government has withdrawn recognition of the Republic of China, includingits flag, anthem and name. No one needs reminding of the reality of Communist China — the People’s Republic of China — with its nearly one billion souls. Clearly the PRC should participate in an athletic contest claiming to represent virtually the entire world. But thatisn't the point, although the IOC has doneits level best to confuse the issue. The point is that Taiwanhas represented Chinain the Olympic Gamesever since 1952 — whenthe PRC withdrew,refusing to participate if Taiwan did. Communist China should indeed participate in the Olympics — but Taiwan should be allowed to continue participating as well, Article 8 of the 10C’s own rules clearly states that recognition of a National Olympic Committee ‘does not imply political recognition.” Despite such bothersomerules, the IOC's president, Lord Killanin, reportedly greeted the PRC's Olympic entrance and Taiwan's ouster as a ‘personal triumph.” With the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid just weeks away, two representatives of Taiwan's Olym- ic Committee met with me in Vashington to suggest what the United States could do about the 10C’s decision if it iad a will to do 80. The two men were Michael Lee, secretarygeneral of the committee, and Thomas Hsueh, a private businessman and captain of Taiwan's 1976 yachting team which was ousted from the Montreal Olympics at the last minute. “After we were excluded from the Montreal Olympics, there was talk that the United States might resign from the Olympics as well in rotest,’’ recalled Hsueh. ‘But President Ford said no, America should participate anyway. When that happened, Jimmy Carter, who was then running for president, immediately said it was a matter of principle and that the United States. should pull out if the Republic of China wasexcluded.” Hsueh, whose companyis a major boat manufacturer says he would probably participate in Moscowas a memberof Taiwan's yachting team if his country is allowed to compete. “Carter is a very principled man His political recognition of the People's Republic of China shouldn't have a bearing on his attitude in sports.”’ Beforecities can be host for the games, they arerequired to promise that they will not discriminate against invited teams. Lee and Hsuehinsist that, despite the IOC's tuling, Lake Placid, N.Y., itself could overrule the committee and insist onletting Taiwan participate on items other than the unreasonable ones laid down by the committee. The games are taking place in NewYork, by the with the help of $60 million in taxpayer money, so American citizens have a financial as well as a moral investmentin them. Evenin 1936, the yearof the most famous politicized Olympics in history — Munic:. — IOC head Avery Brundage said the following: “We are a sports group when welet politics, racial questions or social disputes creep into our actions, we're in for trouble.” It is easy to take exceptionto that Tule of thumb when it applies to a Hitler's Germany or a Brezhnev's Russia. Butit is extremelydifficult to see the justification for excluding a peaceful countrylike Taiwanfrom the Olympicsjust to appease its big brother. If the Olympic Spirit means anything, it should mean that this [Be imination be reversed immediately. |