Show - — nT'itiim “ The Salt Lake Tribune Dining on Cat? Matter of Culture Chicago Tribune Service In a society as ethnically and racially diverse as oars there are bound to be occasional cultural misunderstandings As an example consider the recent case of the man the cat and the cop y in Tulsa An policeman was sitting home one day when he got a phone call from a neighbor who said she saw something strange — a man walking down the street carrying a cat by its neck The cat appeared to be unhappy The cop hopped in his car and drove a couple of blocks Sure enough there was a man — later identified as one Huy Van Nguyen — with a plump cat But now he was carrying the cat by his hind legs Since this isn't the way cats are usually handled the policeman became suspicious So he stopped his car and ran up to the man and asked: "Is that your pet?” "Yes” the man said continuing to wife is afraid to let our cat out by itself Why aren't there laws to prevent this sort of thing" The answer to that is if you make laws forbidding the eating of cats some vegetarians will demand that there be laws preventing the consumption of lambs ducks rabbits and other little crea- tures off-dut- If you think about it what animal cat go you let me go” He released the cat which streaked away bounding over a high fence After handcuffing Mr Nguyen the policeman asked: “What were you doing with that cat?” Mr Nguyen calmly answered: “I was going to eat that cat” the policeman said: Horrified “You were going to eat a cat?” “Yes" Mr Nguyen replied “1 was going to eat that cat” Well even in Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl days folks didn’t eat their house pets So the cop took Mr Nguyen to the station At first they weren't sure what charges to place against him It is against the law to steal a cat but since the cat had escaped they had no evidence that it was stolen And a glance through the law books showed that it is an Oklahoma crime to work an animal to death but there’s nothing to prevent anyone from dining on a cat So Mr Nguyen was finally charged with assault — trying to hit the cop with a cat — and resisting arrest Apparently this incident created a bit of a stir in Tulsa A woman phoned me from there and said: “What is this country coming to when we have people eating cats? I hope you expose this” And a man sent me news stories about it with a note that said: “My walk The cop had his doubts especially the cat was twisting around to bite and claw the man’s hand It wasn’t clear what law the man was violating but the cop was sure he was doing something wrong That’s the way cops think So he decided to question the man further But before he got very far the man became agitated and swung the angry cat at the cop like a club The policeman managed to duck the cat and grab the man and they fell to the pavement where they wrestled a bit The policeman eventually prevailed He pinned the man down while the cat its paw still in the man's grip clawed and bit the man’s head said: “I let Finally the since cat-hold- is nicer than a lamb? Has a lamb ever bitten or clawed a human? Yet we eat them by the mi’lions Or cute little ducks? As you eat a duck do you ever think of Donald? And people not only eat deer without regard for Bambi’s memory they go out and shoot them for the fun of it In contrast if the average little cat was the size of a deer it might gobble up its owner or at least a few of the neighbor's children Mr Nguyen was just doing w'hat conies naturally He is from a part of the world where people think there is nothing unusual about eating cats dogs and anything else that isn’t quick enough to escape And in recent years many Asians have brought this taste with them A few years ago there were so many dogs and cats being stewed or sauteed in California that the state legislature considered passing a law against the eating of house pets But nervous politicians with large Asian voting blocs said this would discriminate against their constituents and the bill was defeated I’m sure the story of Mr Nguyen and the cat will upset many cat lovers But they should remember that eventually all immigrant groups become assimilated and take to our ways Another generation or so and the Nguyens won’t even consider eating a cat They'll become true Americans and eat something like a veal chop C’m here you cute little calfie and get on my plate Jackson Robertson Hold Right Keys North America Syndicate WASHINGTON — As you await the results of the New Hampshire primaries and brace yourself for perhaps another shock ponder these points about this crazy political game: The man who finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses the Rev Jesse Jackson is certain to be a thriving candidate on March 8 — Super Tuesday — when 20 states in and around the South express their preferences for the presidential nomination The men who finished first and second — Rep Richard Gephardt of Missouri and Sen Paul Simon of Illinois — could be “dead” or hanging on for their political lives at best The Republican who finished second in Iowa — the Rev Pat Robertson — is certain to remain viable until Super Tuesday The man who finished first — Sen Bob Dole of Kansas — could be at a moment of crisis struggling desperately to overcome the Southern advantages of Vice President George Bush who saw Super Tuesday become something of a mirage when he came in a poor third in Iowa My point is that the two men who are certain to still be making waves on March 8 are two preachers Jack-so- n and Robertson who have special political lives of their own Jackson and Robertson are from different planets ideologically Their percepy tions and desires regarding America could hardly be more 21st-centur- 1 in conflict But both these preachers are going to dog the rest of the presidential field right to the convention floors in Atlanta and New Orleans Don’t make the mistake of assuming that it is “religion” or some egregious affront to the “separation of church and state” that sustains Robertson and Jackson Both these men are politicians far more than they are ministers Jackson obviously has a constituency of black Americans who see him as a messiah offering the racial justice that they have found beyond their reach But this omnipresent minister showed in Iowa that he attracts even more whites who like his cries in behalf of farmers laboring people a healthy environment They like his views on foreign policy war and peace Jackson is likely to be the big winner on Super Tuesday meaning that he and his delegates are going to be powerful forces in the Atlanta convention Robertson stunned the GOP by getting 25 percent of the caucus votes in Iowa He clearly has a constituency of conservative evangelicals of people who think he can do what Ronald Reagan has failed to do: outlaw abortions put prayer back into the public schools wipe out drug abuse abolish crime stop teenage girls from having sex and babies and make America "moral” again We ll find out Tuesday whether Robertson's “invisible army" remains invisible in New Hampshire or whether he can again grasp anything close to the percentage of ballots he got in Iowa Robertson faces other tests and opportunities before Super Tuesday notably in Minnesota and South Carolina Then on March 8 we will get an unmistakable message as to how much of a force he will be in the convention in New Orleans Gephardt or Simon could get mortally wounded Tuesday Bob Dole could see the laurels of Iowa wilt in the New Hampshire snow Even Bush could see his frontrunner status slide away like an empty toboggan going down a mountainside But Jackson will be in Atlanta trying to hold the Democratic Party to a of liberal endeavors Robertson will be in New Orleans trying to bind the GOP to the new conservatism that won Reagan eight years in the White House The two preachers will be largely responsible for the fact that come next November’s election American voters will have a clear choice ji truck-transporte- d Cord Meyer Eduardo dos Santos’ Angolan Marxist government In these significant military victories Chmgunji is quick to point out that American supplied Stinger missiles and antitank rockets played a critical role m neutralizing the Angolan government s huge advantage in Soviet planes and tanks Any hesitation by Congress in continuing to make these effective weapons available to UNITA could in fact do the guerrillas irreparable damage On the diplomatic front Savimbi’s proposal in November that black African states mediate between the MPLA government and UNITA has succeeded beyond all expectations A very active diplomatic intervention by the presidents of Nigeria Kenya and Zambia has brought increasing pressure to bear on President dos Santos' divided Angolan regime In clear and unambiguous terms the three influential black presidents are telling the MPLA leadership that the time has come to reach a national reconciliation agreement with UNITA and to send home to Havana the 40000 Cuban troops that President Fidel Castro has brought in to help the MPLA forces win the civil war This indigenous African demand for the withdrawal of Cuban troops and Soviet military advisors has touched a sensitive nerve in the MPLA party There is widespread resentment among MPLA troops against the racist behavior and special privileges of their communist allies A growing faction of the MPLA leadership supports a deal with as the only way to end the war and get the Cuban carpetbaggers out But the hard core of communist militants in the MPLA still have enough influence to prevail on this 1 A15 16 1988 The Public Forum fc ' L Tribune Readers’ Opinion He’s Special Until my son Fred House was killed in Marion I had never looked much beyond the confines of my own family Then at the mortuary where friends and strangers lined up for hours in the cold to greet us 1 realized there is a caring community that can impact others’ lives Thank you Utah and the many many others friends neighbors officials and those who never knew us personally for all you’ve done I was astonished and overwhelmed with the outpouring of love for my son and for us as a family Twenty-thre- e years ago my husband was drowned w'hile trying to save a man’s life My daughter mentioned this in a story about Fred and added that all she remembered was the man my husband tried to save was an Indian The man survived but we never saw him again Then at Fred’s viewing a man never met an Indian gave Fred's widow Anne and me rugs in remembrance of what my husband had tried to do Thanks to the uncounted police officers who honored my son who today put their lives in jeopardy to keep our country a safe place Thanks to Fred's karate students who will always have a place to stay at my husband Lyle Winder’s and my home during special training sessions conducted in California I have six children To me each one is the most important my favorite These are my feelings about Freddie I know he was a strong man a peace officer an undercover agent a dog handler a loving husband father brother and friend But I will always see him as my boy Much thanks and appreciation to all who extended measures of comfort in our grief WANDA HOUSE-WINDEAzusa Calif 1 Wildfire Spreads would like to clear up some misrepresentations of my decision to support continued aid to the Contras that may have resulted from a recent letter in your editorial section from Pastor George Lower Support for the Contras is not support for terrorism as Pastor Lower alleges rather it is a fight against communism With the House defeat of the president’s request for $36 million I am afraid we have given up the fight The president’s request was a modest compromise that would give the peace process ample time to work yet send a clear message to the Sandinistas that the United States would live up to its promises if the process failed Out of the president’s request 90 percent was for humani I tarian aid to the Contras Only 10 percent was set aside for military purposes and then only if Congress not the president certified that the Sandinistas were not living up to the promises made in the Guatemala Peace Accords I had hoped Congress had learned its lesson from our involvement in Korea and Vietnam South Korea is a shining example of democracy because we have committed our troops to protecting its borders Granted the price nas been high but few argue that the payoff has been worth it In Vietnam or the other hand we pulled away from our commitment and communism spread like wildfire to the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia Now that Congress has pulled away from our commitment in Central America I fear for Nicaragua's neighbors Wildfire catches quickly HOWARD C NIELSON Member of Congress Forum Rules Public Forum letters must be submitted exclusively to The Tribune and bear writer’s full name signature and address Names must be printed on political letters but may be withheld for good reason 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 Tribune PO Box 887 Salt Lake City Utah 84110 Ready to Help Recently certain Forum letters have focused upon issues of our tort law system including malpractice liissues ability and insurance-relateOthers have addressed the domestic relations issues of child custody Lawyers in Utah are sensitive to these concerns and to the need for a balance of all points of view The Utah State Bar has called upon the Legislature and the governor to create a special task force on tort and insurance industry reform Task force members would include leaders from legislative business legal medical insurance academic and consumer organizations to blend the greatest expertise and understanding possible The work of this task force could guide future reforms and legislative effort without the disruptive and volatile battling over piecemeal attempts to address these highly complex areas The area of domestic relations law makes up more than 40 percent of the caseload in our district courts d The issue of child custody is usually the most difficult and emotionally-chargeissue in all divorce proceedings Experienced judges lawyers and therapists agree that few divorced couples are able to sustain the level of cooperation essential to successful joint custody arrangements It is paramount for the court to seek and approve custody arrangements which best protect the of the child health and Judges take into account many factors in making custody awards and should not be legislatively handcuffed in this most delicate and comprocess plex decision-makinAll the resources of the Utah State Bar and its members are available to lawmakers m their attempts to create the most widely acceptable solution to these and other difficult situations STEPHEN F HUTCHINSON Executive Director Utah State Bar d well-bein- g g Questionable Quote The medical community has established AIDS is a fragile virus transmitted sexually andor by direct introduction into the blood stream We are assured that AIDS is not a virus that is casually communicated Therefore one has to ponder why Sen Jack Bangerter wants to paint people with AIDS red and put them on a desert island To ensure their unemployment? To ridicule them? To punish them? To banish them to a leper colony? Or to isolate them from the “healthy" people with whom he was planning to have unsafe sex? The most charitable assumption is that Mr Bangerter hasn't bothered to read the newspaper recently FRAN PRUYN Painted Problems Congratulations to Sen Jack Ban- gerter for finally coming up with The issue as Assistant Secretary of State Chester Crocker found during his recent negotiations in Luanda The MPLA officials and their Cuban advisors accepted the fact that a Cuban troop withdrawal would have to be complete when it eventually occurred but there was no agreement on any timetable for departure and Havana has insisted on a prior cutoff of all U S assistance to UNITA and a departure of South African troops from Namibia Meanwhile there have been meetings behind the scenes in European capitals between UNITA leaders and members of the moderate MPLA faction that favors a p aceful settlement and national recrnciliation The advice of the MPLA moderates is for UNITA to keep maximum military and diplomtie pressure on the Angolan government in Luanda and to persuade it to accept the mediation offer of the three African presidents According to Reagan officials a recent high-levSoviet visitor to uanda also seemed to favor national reconciliation and after the failure of his billion dollar offensive General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev may be ready to cut his losses Finally as Savimbi has pointed out the formation of a national unity government in Angola is the key to persuading the south African government to pull its troops out of Namibia and to allow free elections Once the threatening Cuban presence has been removed from Namibia's border the South Africans would have neither reason nor justification for staying on Savimbi as a member of an Angolan coalition government has made it clear he would join with other African leaders to insure Namibian independence Morgan Silver Dollar Collector’s Set that had sold for $25000 is now available for the special low price Senator Soaper A small town is a place where the closest thing to a mass-transsystem is two kids on a bike How do you expect an athlete to learn anything in college when the letters he wins are all the same? Some people feel insulted by the idea that mankind evolved from lower life forms a theory that lower life forms also might find degrading it 5-pi- ece ofjust $9800 per set! 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24 Hours a day— 7 days a lOOKDfRBV 94 7022 week M ML Please print your name and address clearly Specify how many Morgan Silver Dollar Sets you wish to order ah set is just $98 ix plus $7 SO postage and handling PL asc include your phone number so we may nclose a check confirm your correct address monev order or Credit ( ard number and expua lion fate We acwept VjSlLrf-VisAmen canlxpress Diners Club Discover and Choice (New Y: rk State residents please add sales tax ) I UK Nl MISM MIC II L Dept SC-67- 1 West $th Smvt New ork N Y IIH ml (1 |