| OCR Text |
Show Joan Brk AMA Report On Smoking Easy to Bury Chicago Tribune the sunshine, a pretty girl is Outside handing out free cigarette samples. In the city room, a talented colleague is smoking his 32nd r cigarette of the day In the news. President Carter is telling tobacco workers the government should have a to research program make the smoking of tobacco even more safe than it is texiay." None of them wants to know whats in the mas- sive, new report on "Tobacco and Health Miss Beck just issued by the AmeriMedical can Association. Compiled over 14 years by 844 researchers in the United States and other countries at a cost of $15 million, the txiok is simply bad news couched in the dry style of scientific research No One Wants to Hear to hear how tobacco smoking wants Nobody contributes to heart disease, cancer, emphysema, stroke, ulcers and other serious ailments Certainly, not someone w'hose job depends on the addiction of others to tobacco. Or who relies on cigarettes to get through a tough day. Or who wont risk offending political supporters by being honest. Or who loves someone at great risk who wont stop smoking. It's easier not to know about the AMA report than to look for a new livelihood to appease the conscience. It's easier not to have to break a years-lonhabit, to find something else to do with hands and mouth, to forego the satisfaction of defining personal space with smoke. It's easier to tell voters what they want to hear, to push for billions of dollars for medical care, and to pretend there is no relationship. It's easier not to know than to ache with worry over a beloved smoker. in half-ove- Utah Schooling Is Mandatory, Full Compliance Is Uncertain Two notorious events, massively dissimilar, yet both involving the welfare of youngsters, have prompted the question: How and when can parents prevent their ' children from attending school? Utah's laws are definite on the .subject. Obtaining compliance, however, is not a simple matter. As the tragedy which overcame the Immanuel David family is probed for implications, people wonder out loud how the children could be kept in Salt Lake City motel rooms without being required to at least attend a local school. Many miles away, in ; Summit County, John Singer is defy-- , ing authorities who say his children are not being taught adequately in their farm home. Singers supporters claim parents should be permitted to leach their owrn children at home. However, in both instances parental preference is at odds with the law. Utah statute requires that all . f , ! .children residing in the state, of .. school age, must be receiving educa- tion or training consistent with miniumum standards established by the state. Local public education districts are responsible for obtaining full compliance. At the district level, then, exceptions to regular, mandatory attendance at the public schools can be granted. Parochial and similar education 'programs are the most familiar 'exceptions. Where approved, they normally meet or exceed state minimum requirements for basic instruction. It is possible for parents to obtain permission from district officials to instruct children at home.1 fact, such a dispensation was initially granted Mr. Singer. Still, however, state minimum standards must be met. Essentially, that requirement is what the Singers are In now challenging. Theres no indication Immanuel David sought permission to educate his children outside Salt Lake City schools. If not, he violated the law Had the David situation been reported to Salt Lake City School District officials, an investigation would have ensued and either the children would have been obliged to enroll in a formal school or arrangements made for their education at home, subject to minimum state standards. The difficulty, of course, is knowing about and locating children kept from school. Mobile families, such as the Davids, can elude officials as long as no one else divulges their whereabouts. Even when tracked down, parents indifferent to their the children attending school drop-ou- t rate alone attests to this can thoroughly frustrate a school districts best efforts. At the core of issues raised by the David and Singer episodes is the comumunity attitude. If most people adamantly believe children should be in school, regardless of parental wishes, the problem will largely solve itself. But if the general feeling is that the parents position is paramount as far as schooling is concerned, man- datory attendance remains a proper concept hobbled with unsure , Rash Without Strawberries Considering the outrage of the charge, the guilty woman took verdict and sentence with reasonable calm. Which is probably better than law enforcement and the judicial , , system deserved. The celebrated strawberry shop-- . lift case ended with a light punishment, as it should, accomplishing, if anything, the notification that not evpry grocer appreciates customers sampling the fresh produce. Jacqueline Datcher was remarkably philosophic about the entire episode. Miss Datcher was arrested last February in a Maryland supermarket and accused of eating two strawberries from the fruit display without Orbiting Paragraphs : have been hit bv Even counterfeiter inflation Tht v complain there's no lotit m printing fiv e dollar bills There is a new mov le alxcut Andi ew Young's Second vear a1' our I' ambassador '.laws 2 - Vnollter ; iw k i 'A' first purchasing either. At 59 cents a pint, the strawberry loss computed out to about two cents for the store. Miss Datcher, on the other hand, stood to suffer as much as an prison term, plus a $500 fine, if found guilty. A jury last June rendered just such a verdict. And, finally putting the matter in perspective. Judge Howard S. Chasanow sentenced the woman to a half days clean-uwork in a Maryland state park. His understandable leniency was tarnished somewhat when he added a probation period. Nonetheless, Miss Datcher pronounced herself satisfied, relieved and grateful she wont have to do any jail time. A fortunate outcome not just for the hapless shopper, but the judiciary as well. Normally, in todays relentlessly litigious atmosphere. this is the sort of case, involving two cents worth of purloined strawberries, likely to bo appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court. th p six-mont- h The Public Forum Tribune Readers Opinions being mere men, it's just beneath the surface, as it is with us unalliod gentiles. May some God Equal Kiglit' For Mm Editor, Tribune What is the matter with our courts and judges? Women are fighting for when what they want is their equal rights half right out of the middle of everything If a woman gets tired of a marriage and is going out drinking and living immorally, why would the courts grant her custody of a child when the father does not drink, is a family man. and is morally clean' He did not want a divorce, just wanted his home and family with a chance to teach his children right from wrong and then the court says move and he has nothing. The judge says Forum Hub1!. Public Forum letters must be submitted exclusively to The Tribune and bear writer's full name, signature and address. Names must he printed on political letters but may be withheld for good reasons on others. Writers are limited to one letter every 10 days. Preference will be given to short, typewritten double spaced) letters permitting use of the writer's true name. All letters are subject to condensation. Mail to the Public Forum, The Salt Lake Trih, ie. Box 867, Salt Lake City, I'tah. xtl ill and give in her wrong-doinsupport an her money for the child he should be lathering I want equal rights for men My heart cries out for good men and I would give them equal rights if I could A woman should be a partner, equal in every way, not a spoiled, vain creature. I am a mother and am proud to be a woman. I have always felt equal to any man Heaven is found at home with equal rights and shared responsibilities, caring and loving for children and each other Judge both alike, a man. a woman, each should be equal m responsibility and when either one breaks rules, the other partner should not pay over and over again whether it be the man or the woman e God-give- RUTH R RANDS Beneath th Surface F.d.tnr, Tribune The slaughter and suicide of the Immanuel David family should come as no great shock It is the logical extension and conclusion of fanaticism based on the infallibility of prophets, preachers, politicians and popes The whole spectrum of human history is littered and heaped with millions of corpses of people who died violently in the name of a God. seer or fence post. More have died in the name of some gentle andor wrathful God. than from all the pestilence and plagues that mankind has faced while living on this well-carve- earth It is little wonder that thinking men and women, who are aware of the past, look with weariness at new religions that pop up like after a summer ram Any one of these "new religions could bring on the next holocaust that will sweep away the innocent as well as the fanatical believers The Mormon Church cannot be blamed for the insanity of a few followers, however, the leadens of the church should look long and at their own fallibility It won't be hard to find. it U.S. Trade Questionable Leverage on Soviets From The Wall Street Journal is alxiut to The Caller admim-natiorelease results of a review it has been conducting for wall over a vear now' on the subject of national poncy towards the traesfei if technology It is safe to say that the issui could use a little ( 'allocation In the wake of recent Soviet trial- - of political dissidents fm instance the president denied Sjx ry Hand an emrt In ease to stop a computer to the Soviet pies-- , agon v Ta-- s and put all ml Itchnologv sales to the So.ieN on a hst of exports icquintg special goviiiiment approval IUesser Industries now nl laiiine an ml drilling equipment sale to the I Sl( t ailed the President's ml decision "sheci nliocv Sperry greeted the administration'.- - concerns with a "Bah humbug' n pv k 1 i spei of c Ids-ific- rt stems through a weapon!, St Pe Department licensing svstem other ate on a liatcgic products and information s ommcxlitv control li- -t admmi-teie- d bv the Coinmerc e Department in consul tation with other agencies And if the produc I a common list we maintain with most N T countries and Japan there is still mote lt atmii to try to got some unified pop, v -- I c on-u- These slight differences ,if opinien on the subject of technolog) transfers were about par for (he course One reason the administration has been finding it so hard to make jxiluy on the issue is that since World War II. 1' S government attitudes towards high teehnologv exports have reflected two part!) contrail" tory goals to spread I S products and know-hoas widely as possible, for maximum tod and maximum profit, but to leep being able to use $nfrioiiril.Vfftytijuc (Jie.se goods and skills against I' S interests This complexity has been mitrored in the Ipystifyingly elaborate setup we have for Jpakmg decisions on these matters The 'efesxr Department pretty much controls the pleasiu W it h the oinmg of detente, the stem wo dsigned its diir.l t ole ot promoting - well as icstiainmg I S exports to the Eastern blue, an with.n a tew year- - people began tochaige that theend result was incohcic nee In 1974 the a- I De'erise Department asked its Detense Sc lom e Boa id for a rejxut on the exjxcrt of f'S teehnologv In early '.976 the hoard's .avert emerged, calling for a significant c hange m the criteria used to make these decisions On the one hand, the rejiort said the list of controlled products was too long and ils administration too (umlcersome to business On the other, not enough attention went to maintaining our lead time in die al au as of design ;md produc turn know l,.,w The leqxjil las begun to have effect I ffort- - arc going on in the government to cut dclavs and to focus on critical (ethnological jucm esses A presidential review memorandum has prepared to confirm the change in appioach As the climate of It S relations with the Soviets has gotten worse, transactions like computer anti oil drilling eejuipment sales seemed to the Carter administration to le Ix-c- showing I'S dis e But m s both these raised as many they cttled There is the question wo want to prevent amply c'1 ni'it thi I'.Pening export s to the Soviets or whether we want to Use high-tehnolugy - ir-- ti aments of broader exis'it- foreigr l.ic t question-a- s "f whethei c .v-c- -- V c a- pel" v conii'ii'.s There is the question ul bet her w iihholdn.g ot granting our trade1 can teally succeed a' giving us leverage over Soviet tieh.iv Mr I hell is the issue of whethei Sov o( dev clopnii lit o! c rt am resume CS - like ml tan xissiblv lx1 something we should cm out age There is also a broad question o how to deal with ,i state tradaig nation American w I ues to hcgui n.ciui.i! businesses naturally' have tended to place a good deal of faith in the beneficence of maikit proc esses in these matters But even we. who wiM match faith in lice entei prise with anyone, wonder whether it extends to state trading deals, with competi lion foreclosed in the buying nation We wonder whether American comp.uue-- . can get a fair price from a state trading company large enough In pi ac tiee market manipulation These are problems that are not going to lx settled bv any one jxilic y statement (hough the waning of detente makes it necessary to face them again If the forthcoming policy state merit can bring greater coherence to the narrower problem of equipment and teeh oologies th.it have military uses, it will lie a gcxxl first step in the necessary rethinking he with us all. JACK LEITHOFF g Don't Rim-- HE II Editor, Tribune The draft environmental statement on the nations roadless areas in the national forest system, known as Rare II, is the cornerstone for further statewide planning The Forest Service is asking for our views on this statement and to pick the alternative we would like to see used, for alternative A, no action, to alternative J, wilderness area I was amazed on a recent trip to Richfield and Cedar City, to see the uninformed and dogmatic attitude of some people in Southern Utah on this issue. The word "wilderness sets a mental block and anything associated with it is no good for the local people. The Forest Serv ice has sponsored a series of "open houses" at its district offices to explain to the public the alternatives under consideration for their public lands. The one held from June 26 to 30 was attended by no one at the Richfield District Office. The next open houses" are scheduled for Sept 14. 15 and 16 in the district offices. This is the democratic principle of representative government In the past, public hearings have been dominated by certain people who yell, interrupt. harass and do not permit the other side to tell its views Apparently these people were unable to put their ideas or thoughts into w riting or logical presentations Give the Forest Service a chance to represent the people Pick an alternative and let them know Don't let someone else do your talking. L. J. HOSKINS Easier to Bury And it's also easier to bury the AMA report in the back pages of a newspaper as tired, old news no one wants to hear. And to headline on the front page the good news story out of Washington that if may be possible to smoke a limited number of certain brands of cigarettes with particularly low levels of tar, nicotine and other toxic substances without too much danger. But there the AMA report is Handsomely bound. Beautifully printed. Full of deadly data. Section by section cancer, cardiovascular system, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, 365 pages reproduction, respiratory system of bad news. Scientific abstracts by the hundreds spell out how bad the news really is. Tests on animals and humans, on the unborn, the adolescent, the Majrit Interest Editor, Tribune: In response to the letter written by Becki Fitt on July 23. I find her not really caring or understanding others with different points of view than herself. The press always has and always will report to the people through television, radio, and newspapers exactly what the people are interested in and what they want to hear. In an area where the far majority of the people are Mormons it is only natural that the press will report to those Mormons one of the their church things which interests them Ever visited Rome? I am sure it is a big deal when the Vatican or pope says or does anything Salt Lake just happens to be the headquarters of the Mormon Church and also a predominantly Mormon area Just don't be so selfish, think about others and what they want to hear Ms Fitt is not the only one living in the world other people just happen to be different Minorities should always be very much respected and protected Rut should not alway s rule over a very substantial majority Think about it JACK DALE DUFFY Nrjllrctful Utah Editor, Tribune My husband and have just returned from an automobile trip to Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Canada There are rest stops with lavatory facilities every 50 to 100 miles across every one of these states Each is very well cared for with running water and toilet tissue When we reached our home state of Utah there wa- - a distinct lac k of rest stops We have view areas but only three rest stops on Interstate 15 Service stations maintain their lest rooms, not for the tourists, but for their customers We spend many thousands of dollars each year advertising the beauties of Utah and neglect this important comfort and safet.v foatuie Ixd s clean up our art' 1 RUTH P AVERY More Than Profit Editor. Tribune I'm sure that many citizens ot Sal! Lake City believe that a planning and onuig ixiard should he concerned with the "general good" of the community. It was I. J disapixnnling to read board merntx-OKs for comment "Board Skyway Wagner's Mails." The Tribune, July 29. that "Profit is " what it's all about in this country . r . While few jxxiplo would question the profit motive in business, a planning and zonmg Ixcard should review other considerations, such as esthetics and equity. After all. there is no reason to believe that this is the onlv profitable" skyway possible on the Main Sticxt Mall, and who knows what else can lx thought profitable that would deface the downtown area Hopefully, the city commissioners will take a broader view of our town's development. A city is more than a profit making community. JOHN M1CHELTREE We may run out of rats before we exhaust all the substances to test as possible cancer causes." smoke. aging and the inhalers of second-hanStudies of molecules, cells, tissues, organ systems, lifestyles, death rates. Research involving metabolism, physiology, toxicology, pharmacology, epidemiology. The conclusion is inescapable. Smoking hurts It hurts smokers by giving them nasty illnesses and premature death. It hurts those w ho love and lose smokers, and it costs the nation uncountable billions of dollars in extra medical care, lost labor, pollution and litter. What isnt dear is what to do about it. We aren't naive enough to think that prohibition banning cigarettes as a proven carcinogen would work It wouldn't. Regulation and legislation wont even stop smokers from elevator ride. smoking for a Won't Help Preaching won't help. Nagging won't help. Warnings on cigarette packs havent helped. Cutting cigarette advertising off television may have had some small effect. But smoking is still on the increase, totally. And smokers are organizing to fight back on even such timid steps as designating some sections of planes, restaurants and public buildings as nonsmoking areas. The only thing that does work is for individuals themselves to decide to save their own lives, to free themselves from risking death to improve a tobacco company's bottom line Millions of smokers have done just that and increased their life expectancy and the quality of their lives enormously. But now, exquisitely timed to follow the grim summation of the AMA research comes the cautious, still suggestion that maybe it might !x safe to smoke a limited number of certain cigarettes, although no one will know for sure d for years And thats all the excuse well need to bury the AMA report for good, isn't it? (Copyright) Senator Soaper Jcxiy Powell denies reports that White House staffers use marijuana. In an unrelated development, the Rose Garden has been renamed the Weed Patch. China now has the Gang of Eight." The "Gang of Four had themselves cloned. |
