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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS Opinion Letter Continued from Page 4 attacked on September 11th. Our current President, Bush is given the power to curb terrorism. The first objective is to attack Afghanistan which apparently harbored radical Muslims. Today emerges as we currently kill off the last futile resistance in Iraq. But we have been warned the fight will be long. Even now President Bush has ordered American troops into the Philippines against their unchecked Muslims. Our problem is not fundamentalist Muslims, but rather our own failure to abide by fundamental American rules. America can not unilaterally favor one religious or ethnic group over another. We will be rebuilding Iraq with our money, and demand a democratic government. Likewise, we should demand with our money the same of Israel; everyone has the right to live there and vote. The answer to the historical question above is never. Roosevelt was the President. In the good old days, only the Con- gress had the right to declare war. John Holley Kanab Why not go to a human circus? Dear Editor: I read in the paper rumbling sounds the human ear cannot hear that travel over miles. Elephants are aware of the death of their relatives and they grieve just like we do. They do not deserve to be dragged around, even in the heat of the summer, and made to do silly tricks for our entertainment. It is particularly offensive to me to teach children that its okay to mindlessly exploit animals for our fun and profit. I think it would be wonderful if we only attend circuses like the Cirque de Soleil that have no animal acts at all. After all, human circus entertainers have a choice to be just that. The animals do not. Catherine Ives Kanab HowUide of me! Dear Editor: I want to apologize to the nice gentleman who came into the newspaper office on Wednesday, April 2, 2003 to inform me that my tire on my van was going flat. I was having a very personal stressful day (which is no excuse for rudeness) and I thought oh no what happened to my van. If I seemed ungrateful when you came into the office inquiring whose van was out front, and I said Oh no, what happened to it? I sincerely apologize. I appreciate that you took the time out to come in and inform me of my tire going flat. Again, thank you for being so that the kind and thoughtful. No excuse for rudeness, Sharlotte Brewer circus is coming to Kanab. Unfortunately this circus has at least one elephant and maybe more. It is also advertising an endangered species show. I shudder to think what that might mean. In my opinion most animals are not suitable for carting around the countryside for the entertainment of people. Its too stressful for them. Entertaining may not be too bad for certain species of animals like dogs and horses if they are well cared for. Sometimes, unfortunately, that, is a big if. Elephants are veiy large heavy animals that are easily stressed. One expert I asked about elephants in entertainment said that a circus is not an ideal life for an elephant. Having to travel in trucks and usually chained down when they are not working is not a great life for elephants who are extremely intelligent and sensitive creatures. Elephants either belong in the wild or in sanctuaries or in certified zoos with captive breeding programs where they can lead a more normal life. In the wild elephants travel in family groups and are very attached to each other. Scientists are only now beginning to .understand how they communicate - with low 5 WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 2003 Rep. Noel responds Dear Editor: In the 42 S UN article entitled, Noel most gifted legislator, you reported that In his first session Noel took $885 in meals and Jazz tickets from... (lists the various entities that provided the gifts). Going unreported was the fact that during the entire 45 day session I attended only one Jazz game on (229) with my son and two daughters. coaches to obtain Jazz tickets for them. I acquired 10 tickets for our coaches and our senior players but the timing didnt work out for them to be able to use them. The meals reported in the SUN article as received during the session, refers to one meal that was hosted by the University of Utah Hospital Foundation at a law office in St. George weeks before the session even started. The purpose ofthe meeting was to request funding for the impression of impropriety on my part (ref. dubious distinction). I am available to answer questions and support the statements made in this letter with written documentation. Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Sincerely, Utah State Representative Mike Noel P.S. Being a State Legislator is a serious time commitment that tends to shortchange your family. As stated in the Trib article t, U by other legislators, a Jazz game the state owned, of U Nursing School to help re- is great opportunity to spend duce the critical nursing short- some time with your family. age in Utah. When I reviewed On trust the lobbyist report with $190 I wife for to a attributed my and chicken pasta dinner, the host Dear Editor: I want to express an opinion about said that the actual cost of the incident in a recent commission an meal was less than half of the meeting. A citizen attempted to reported cost. Under current law ask questions very important to the meal should not have been him. The Commissioners atreported at all on the gift list of the four legislators in atten- tempted to give him that oppordance. I was told the report tunity and by a fluke, the person the questions were concerning would be corrected. in attendance as well. was The SUN publisher told me Letters to the editor were writthe information for the article ten and there were feelings hurt came from a March 27 SL Tribune piece by Dan Harrie, who all around. What really hapin fact called me several times pened? First of all, I have never for clarification while preparing worked with a Commissioner yet the article. The Trib reported that I didnt like and respect and that they were doing all that the Beaver High School think could to make our county boys basketball team was a pri- they mean I always better (doesnt mary beneficiaryof the Jazz agreed with them). Second, the tickets, and included some but citizen that in came, opinion, my not all of my clarifying stateis a very respectable and good ments on the matter. with honest questions. Unfortunately they still attrib- person the situation did not lend Third, uted gift numbers to me that are to problem solving and frusitself hot reportable under present law tration was experienced by ev(stated in the article) and were not similarly reported for the eryone. Is anyone at fault? No! The other 103 legislators. (Harrie, it fault I believe lies in the probseems, doesnt like the report- lems that we have experienced ing system). As noted in the Tribune article, during the session I spent many hours with numerous constituents from District 73 including the disabled and their advocates, Boy Scouts, Public and Higher Education Administrators, Farm Bureau members and staff, Mayors, County Commissioners, City Council members, FFA groups, Hospital Administrators, Health and Human Services Representatives, non-profi- in the last few years in our community. There have been issues thathavebeen very heated. Peoples feelings have been hurt, but most of all the trust of one another and giving each other the benefit of the doubt, is not there. During this time we have expressed opinions good, bad and sometimes downright rude in our newspaper. Someone responds back and the fight is on. Also, we have an editor that takes the responsibility to be the community conscience very seriously and will purposely do editorials to make us think and to place our priorities. If you think the editorial was wonderful, horrible, right on target, or totally off the mark, then the editorial was just right! But through the whole affair there are many sides to every problem and everyones opinion is just as valid as the next persons, and weve been allowed to express them free of charge in the paper. We (me included), have taken for granted the Southern Utah News. The publishers Dixie and Dennis Brunner are probably the most decorated and most people in this town. I have had experience with many news reporters over the years and I trust Dixie implicitly to be fair, to listen to both sides and to do her best to make us think. The SUN is part of the fabric of our community. By honoring our youth in their activities, our service men in action, our news as it unfolds and allowing us our opinions, they have quietly upheld the voice of the entire community. under-appreciat- Thank you, Karla Johnson Kane County Clerk and friend The article also failed to note Child Care Advocates, that I invited the Beaver High Childrens Health Insurance basketball team and coaches and another Beaver baseball coach and players to the Capitol where they learned about state government, had their picture taken with Governor Leavitt and Legislative leaders and were then nine of the Jazz tickets attributed to me in the report. To date five lobbyist reports have been amended to reflect this error as these tickets should never have counted to me in the first place since none of the players or coaches are members of my immediate family. During the session I also worked with advocates and newspaper editors, to name a few. I made myself available to as many people as I could during the session (no J azz tickets, gifts, or meals involved). I personally answered over 1400 and responded to over 200 letters and phone calls from constituents.' In summary, ifthe current reporting laws were followed, I would have lost the title of most gifted and in fact would have been well down the list. The SUN, unfortunately, chose not to report any of this informathe Kanab High basketball tion, leaving your readers with .v, ;.i, .i,' i ViVi ils re-gift- ed - . . .i 4 f !,J f , , " ed r j f J I 0 |