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Show The Public Forum Tribune The Salt Laky Tribune Sunday, May 22, 1983 A17 Readers Opinions pen soon, I predict working men, thousands, Audience Reaction iu the streets armed A Tale of Two States," with apologies to Dickens. In the St. Louis Post Dispatch last February, that newspaper commented upon a lady by the end of next year. you. I just want to point out the kind of men were talking Im not trying to frighten about and that I am. I dont want to see this country collapse, member of the Missouri State Legislature weve supported the weight of the largest who had set up a filming of what she considbureaucracy in the world for decades. Now ered objectionable cable TV programming it's time those desk jockeys did something for her fellow members of the legislature for us. Her intent: to seek passage of a cable TV law DARRELL M. DEWEASE in Missouri, aimed at preventing the good citizens from viewing what she considered to be objectionable material. I think she insisted she was protecting the children of Missouri. Hurray for the State Legislature! Their of the governors cable TV veto is Fortunately, those who saw the film clips over-rid- e refused to support her legislation. Why? to be commended and admired. Well, there was no question that they were Until two weeks ago my personal philosoffended by the material shown but, accord- ophy was to I have chosen ing to the paper, they were more offended by not to have cable TV in my home. Furtherthe thought of imposing their values on oth- more, a person cannot obtain cable TV in his ers and by the infringement on the right and or her home unless it is personally requested responsibility of Missouris citizens to and paid for. So, those people who do not choose for themselves. want their children exposed to the violence, material An article in the April 22 Salt Lake Trisex, horror or language of bune concerned the showing of film clips to simply do not have to request and pay to our dauntless Utah legislators with the same have cable TV. intent. One would assume the material Doesnt that sound right? Im sorry to say shown was equally objectionable; however, thats wrong. in this instance the Utah viewers were not Two weeks ago my grade school youngonly aghast at what they had seen, but withster was invited to attend a birthday party of out delay and with much beating of breast a classmate. Come to find out, the parents of and self righteous fervor, hastened to pro- that birthday child let the children view an tect Utahs citizenry from the imagined evils movie as part of the party activities. in their own minds. A citizenry which, inciI was not only surprised that some parents dentally, by a two to one margin in a recent want their own youngsters exposed to that poll, supported the governors veto. stuff but I am disgusted to realize that they Did anyone point out to our fearless morwant to expose other children as well. alists that a present show of paintings in the It is evident that some adults want to use loge gallery at Pioneer Memorial Theatre their freedom for garbage to pollute chilfeatures naked men and women? And did dren. Since they do not have red marks imyou hear that down in southern Utah there on their foreheads, we cannot readiprinted was a woman who put a spell on a child ly identify them in order to avoid them. and. . . Therefore, I say hurrah to the LegislaJACK B. TYKAL ture. And, if some consenting adults must be legislated against in order to control those who are irresponsible, thats too bad. But, thats the way life is. The few irresponsible people always seem to ruin it for the majority. The officers and members of the veterans organizations comprising the United I would guess that some of those adults Veterans Council of Salt Lake City and Counwho complain the loudest against controlty wish to extend their thanks and gratitude ling cable TV are the very ones who are to the Disabled American Veterans Departintent on polluting our children. ment of Utah for their $600 donation to purRICHARD L. TOYN chase grave marker flags for Memorial Day, Roy Children Polluters well-meani- Flag Help 1983. it now is, the three-daholiday we have at Memorial Day causes the loss of As y Forum Rules Public Forum letters must be submitted exclusively to The Tribune and bear writers full name, signature and address. Names must be 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 writers true name. All letters are subject to condensation. Mail to the Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84110. t : r" 1 many hundreds of flags, and it takes a regular replacement so we have enough grave marker flags for the graves of our deceased veterans on Memorial Day. The council also wishes at this time to thank the Salt Lake City Council for their $600 donation for the Salt Lake City Ceme-tarie- s. Twenty years ago these grave marker flags were obtained at the cost of $18.50 per gross, but with inflation they have risen to $57.90 per gross. HAROLD T. BECKSTEAD Chairman United Veterans Council Workers Lament I dont remember the logic of why I became a carpenter. I had a sense of shapes, a talent My apprenticeship went quickly, Old Ed leaving me the gifts of his life, like many old boys after him, the ability to see a build-- : ing and its parts before they exist The union years and after framer, layout man, leadman, job foreman, contractor, estimator, carpenter. Concrete, wood, aluminum, steel, insulation; the years of sharpening my skills and my chisels. Old Man Dixon, in Denver, told me that it takes nine years to make a carpenter and 12 to make a good one. Patience. The boom years are over. I sit now, the fear and frustration eating at the center of me. Out of work. These, late thirties, my best years, slipping away on the tides of boredom. Like most of the men in my trade, Ive worked about half of the last three years. This year, I draw unemployment for the first time. Ive always wondered how the world saw us, the loud, men with muscles instead of desk sores. Many looked down on us, like uneducated laborers. There are more degrees on most construction sites than in most offices. I have two. Many people respect us, for the beauty in our buildings; though most of that has been taken away by Americas mindless drive for more production. Most fear us; the men who walk 3V4 inches of wood or 8 inches of steel, the way the desk jockey climbs his escalator. The poverty of unemployment is the lesser of my problems. Over the years I have completed four homes for people who couldnt afford to build and not asked for money, there wasnt any. Its frustration that sends a man to the bank with a gun and then home to blow his brains out Its frustration that beats a wife or girlfriend. Its frustration that triples a mans usual alcohol intake. All these things, and more, I have watched in good men from the trades. We dont need more unemployment money. We dont need welfare. We need work. Work at any cost, but real work. You cant expect a man who has been physically active for 15 or 20 years to sit on his backside for Well, I, for one, long. Reagan says dont want to be retrained. I have a good trade and 18 years invested into it We need real work programs and some sort of Incentive for the private sector to begin building again, like 10 percent construction loans (or lower). If this doesnt hap- beer-drinki- n. h Leroy, when you get a moment, go check the there . Washington Post Service WASHINGTON It wa3 characteristic of Douglas A. Fraser that he stepped down last week from the presidency of the United Auto Workers a job he loved rather than ask for a waiver from the unions normal tirement age. re- Fra- sers membership Scapegoating sit-do- witch-burnin- ar Affordable Flying ever-sweet- er give-back- T Way xt Was Here are briefs from The Salt Lake Tri- and 25 years ago. May 22, 1883 The news from Guaymas of rich placer gold discoveries in Lower California will be likely to cause a stampede from Arizona and Sonora in that direction, and may have its influence in this State, where the adventurers are not all yet dead. The reported discovery is located fourteen miles inland from Angel Guardia Bay, or rather straits, in the Peninsula. On old maps this place is called Angeles and is an island in the Gulf of California, situated on the thirteenth parallel of latitude, about 130 miles south of the mouth of Colorado River and about 200 miles north of Guaymas. The only road leading to it is the water way of the gulf. 100, 50 f May 22, 1933 ROME Premier Mussolinis pact, designed to give Europe a minimum of ten years peace, was informally agreed upon today by France, England, Germany and Italy. four-pow- er May 22, 1958 If the day of the ultimate horror ever comes, American doctors must be ready to patch up the wounded survivors and help carry on. Acting on their own initiative they should now to perfect plans for mass handling of casualties in event of nuclear attack. They cant wait for edicts from civil defense leaders or blueprints from Washington. start discipline in the union and the party he cher- the first labor man to serve as a member of the board of directors of one of the Big Three is a bittersweet auto companies, Chrysler distinction. He accepted it only as a recognition of the unions contract concessions that helped keep the company alive.. ished. or But Fraser never fooled himself He was He a else. realist supreme anyone backed Ted Kennedy against the odds, but told him bluntly when the fight was over and it was time to heal party wounds. He also told Jimmy Carter what events proved to be true: that his temporizing policies had driven millions of workers into Ronald Reagans arms. Any Democrat who comes to the presidency in the next few years would be crazy not to enlist Frasers energy, empathy, brains, candor and guts in a central role in his administration. But for now, Fraser will be taking up teaching duties at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. Those are lucky students. (Copyright) I never heard Fraser express any bitterness about the cards he was dealt. He could get angry, but only about the injustice he saw being inflicted on other people, far less able to protect themselves. Key Questions bune of . . Fraser To Teach; Lucky Students nt 110 on that bigun over ngs David S. Broder would have been happy to keep him, but he has never asked special privileges for himself and he was not about to start now. That inbred sense of is only one of the qualities that set this remarkable Scotsman apart from most of the powerful figures in American labor, indusAssume the window of vulnerability of try and politics who were his peers in these the United States to be such that by a first last years men for whom the perks of strike the Soviets could render us incapable privilege are as natural as the air they of retaliation, or even destroy us: Question 1. breathe. How would doing so benefit them? Doug Fraser lived in a modest center-cit- y Assume the converse: the Soviets to be apartment and flew coach. When I similarly vulnerable: Question 2. How would bumped into him one day at OHare Airport, it benefit us to nuclear bomb them? he was using his time between planes to do some telephone lobbying with senators conAfter answering those two, consider sidering the Chrysler bailout bill But he question 3. Why the dangerous and expensive wasnt operating from the insulated grannuclear buildup? ALLEN CROCKETT deur of the Admirals Club, with a platoon of aides assuring him privacy. He was making his calls from a pay phone himself right in the middle of the concourse. Add brains, charm, humor and gritty inIf Gov. Matheson has as much power as tegrity, and you can understand why his reForum writer Bill Jacobson (May 12) attritirement from the UAW leaves so large a butes to him, he surely has my vote. Ive gap in the fabric of the nations leadership. heard various explanations for the unusual In a valedictory interview with labor weather, such as nuclear testing and man John Herling, Fraser recalled that he writer has offended God. Mr. Jacobson accuses the went to work as a laborer for Chrysler in governor with his cloud seeding of bringing December of 1936, six years after his father Uie wrathful weather down on us, as well as the family from Glasgow to Detroit brought omthe whole mountainside at Thistle. Such seeking employment. ' i nipotence. Fraser was hired just as the Does Mr. Jacobson also hold the Guv restrikes were beginning, was disciplined for sponsible for Californias coastline washing his union and was laid off for 11 into the Pacific Ocean? For Missouri towns months in activity 1938. You know," he said, Im the For flattened by tornados? Mississippi I lived during that period. Dont River about to change its course? For the really glad where you come from. Thats cruforget continents other weather chaotic pounding cial. besides our own? Or does each locality have Fraser never forgot Though he occupied with around who own its plays culprit a leadership role in the union bureaucracy Mother Nature? for 30 years, he did not allow himself as so In seeming seriousness, Mr. Jacobson to fall many other aging union chiefs did demands a thorough investigation. With onto the far side of the generation gap, out of very little more paranoia, we could suspect touch with the social and political values of a witless Democratic conspiracy, a commuthe men and women in the plants. Fraser nist plot and enjoy a good kept in touch. g or a genuine genocide comEven when those members seemed to be chambers. plete with gas values which Frasers liberalism When the going gets a little rough, arent rejecting he did not allow himself the easy cherished, we tough enough or civilized enough yet to rationalization of saying they had grown to the without sacrificing scapegoats cope selfish or soft In 1968, he anguished as much angry gods? as anyone in Solidarity House about the deM.L SATTERFIELD fection of thousands of blue-collfamilies Park City to George Wallace. But he listened to their gripes about what they perceived as the raw deal they were getting from big government, big business and even their big union. They havent left us, Fraser said then. Weve We enjoy Andy Rooneys tongue-in-chee- k ramblings, but lest folks take his column on lost touch with them. And, in the end, he rich peoples airports seriously: our old but helped bring most of them back to the Demosturdy aircraft cost less than a good used car cratic Party and Hubert Humphrey. and costs no more to operate. Weve landed Fraser was part of Walter Reuthers at 89 different airports coast to coast withfounding generation of the UAW. But by the out being treated to any undue luxury such time he came to the presidency of the union in 1977, its glory days were past. The auto as Andy relates. Anyone who wants to fly can afford it industry was in decline, and, with it, the with just a bit of sacrifices in some other UAW membership. Instead of negotating contracts, it fell to him to nebudget area and what airports lack in luxury s. Instead of enjoying a and food services is more than offset by the gotiate chummy relationship with a political ally in friendliness of those who provide services and most always have a courtesy car in the White House, he faced a standoffish Jimmy Carter and a hostile Ronald Reagan. which you can drive to lunch. The role for which he is best known as HAL AND LEA SCHULTZ X o-ri- He never wavered in his commitment to his original ideals of social justice, racial equality and economic opportunity. He never backed off from a fight, no matter what the odds, so long as the issue was clear. H he was intolerant of anything, it was politicians and union leaders who gave only lip service to their professed goals. He never wearied of trying to instill his own sense of mission and Joseph Kraft Other Republicans Have White House Yen Los Angeles Times Syndicate At a diplomatic dinner the other night, Mike Deaver, the White House aide closest to Ronald Reagan, told my wife the president would announce in September hir decision to run again. My wife naturally told me. I naturally WASHINGTON wondered why Deaver was so keen to put the story about. I mention that incident to show that the matter of a second term has two lives. One, which is not the theme of this commentary, is whether or not the president actually stands for reelection. The other, which is the main subject for today, is his strong interest in cultivating the belief that he is sure to run in 1984. Control over a united Republican Party is the big stake. Four other Republicans, with powerful positions in the party and the Congress, are keenly interested in the White House. They would at least review their playbooks, and maybe even go directly into action, if it looked as though Reagan were standing down. Vice President George Bush is the best known of the lot. His chances for the nomination are, of course, absolutely dependent upon fidelity to Reagan. It is hard to see him striking out on his own. But as a loyal associate, he has been able to do the president great service in winning the support of liberal Republicans in the Congress on crucial issues. One clear case was the vote in favor of the arms control negotiator, Ken Adel-maAs a contender for the presidency in competition with other Republicans, Bushs capacity to hold the party together would be importantly diminished. His stock would fall. n. Congressman Jack Kemp of Buffalo is one of the reasons why. Mr. Kemp is a dynamic campaigner, especially with the right wing of the party, which pushed Reagan to the fore. With Reagan out of the picture, Kemp would surge, thus drawing Bush to the right with him. Sen. Robert Dole of Kansas could then step forward as Mr. Responsible. Hes a man of formidable abilities, who went through a midlife crisis and came out the better for it. He proved his mettle last year by pushing through, just before election time and over the opposition of the administration, a tax increase. With Reagan bowing out, Dole would be in strong position as chairman of the Finance Committee to move again on taxes. This time he could emerge as the hero who beat the deficits. Finally, there is perhaps the most appealing of all Republican aspirants, Sen. Howard Baker. The majority leader has set his eyes on the White House for 1988, and has Indicated he will leave his present job in 1984 to campaign for the presidency. While still loyally serving the administration, be is already beginning to move around the country. With Reagan out, Baker would be traveling more and worrying less about the presidents program in the Senate. Last week, for I example, he might well have driven through the Senate a budget proposal that Reagan would have found abhorrent The importance of these leaders in Reagans own calculations is verified by the moves he has made that give the impression he will run again. The most obvious is the designation of Elizabeth Dole as secretary of transportation. That choice not only looks like a bid for the support of women in 1984. The logic is particularly powerful in the eyes of Mrs. Doles husband. He happens to be the senator from Kansas. A gesture of a similar kind was the declaration by the president, in Texas a fortnight ago, that if he ran again he would not break up a winning combination. By itself, that nod serves to keep George Bush in his place. Then there is the most important signal of candidacy so far the designation of Paul Laxalt as Republican national chairman. The senator from Nevada is a serious political figure, not interested in managing the withering away of a presidency. He has clout among Republican senators, especially those on the right. So he puts both Kemp and Baker on hold. What emerges from all this is a paradox common in most bargaining situations, and not unfamiliar in politics. Actions are being deliberately undertaken to influence expectations. Bluffing, ambiguity and the making of myths play large roles. But the signals designed to cultivate one impression are wholly consistent with its opposite. The final outcome is intrinsically unknowable. No one can be sure Reagan will run until he declares. Expectations, of course, influence outcomes. Having prepared the world to think he will run, Reagan himself is under that much more pressure to make good on what The more so, look likes a as backing away will leave a divided Republican Party without a single leader clearly capable of beating the Democrats. But the Democrats have expectations, too, and they are not easily psyched out of the game. Many Democrats, of course, go up and down in their judgments. But John Glenn, the one with perhaps the best chance to beat the president, believes Reagan wont run. (Copyright) I hope we can survive the Social Security rescue. 1 |