Salt Lake Tribune | 1986-01-24 | Page 15

The Sail Lake Tribune, Friday, January 24, 1986 A15 Nation Sick With Chicago Bear Fever Forgets Super Boivl Is Just a Game Chicago Tribune Service side than While I was waiting in the line for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in the Fantasyland section of Disney World, I noticed that the woman ahead of me was wearing a sweat shirt with the entire Bear roster printed on the back. W'hen I asked her if she was from Chicago, she drawled: "No, I'm from Memphis, but I just love the Bears. That Refrigerator is soooo cute. I Cute as a bug, I said. She asked where was from, and when I told her, she ex- citedly asked: "Oh, tell me, is that just a gap or is Fridge missing one of his front teeth?" I confessed that I had never been privileged to peer into William Perrys mouth, so I couldn't say for sure. She gushed on. And that McMahon. He is such a baaaad boy. He reminds me of my oldest, Bobby here. She patted the head of Bobby, a gawky lad with glazed eyes and a runny nose. "Bobbys always up to mischief with his bicycle. Yes, I told her, it was a remarkable likeness. Before she could tell me that her other child, who looked like a biter, reminded her of Gary Feneik, the line ended and we parted. She waved and said: Stick with the monsters of the Midwest. Then there was the fishing guide down near the Everglades. There are only two things I want to discuss with a Florida fishing guide during the hours we share a small boat. One is fish and the other is dope smuggling. The fish werent biting. And he said: Yeah, once I turned down $30,000 to make three marijuana runs in one night. More money than I ever saw in my life, but I got into guiding because I dont like inside work, and theres nothing more in Seat-Be- a prison laundry, so I chickened Then, knowing I was from Chicago, he said: "Whyd they call it the '46 defense? I told him that I believed it had been named in honor of the circumference of William Perry's neck. "Well, they're really sumpn, he said, and spent the next hour telling me why they were really sump'n. And the waitress in the little seafood joint. She didn't know a draw play from a drawstring. But she knew the words to I do not deny the safety and prudence of using a seat belt. I do oppose the infringement on my right to choose to utilize a seat belt or not, under threat of citation and fines. The seat-belaw is not fair or prudent. It is selective and directed to only a segment of lt societys drivers and passengers. The seat-belaw is not directed to the benefit of the general public. My right to choose to use or not use my seat belt does not endanger or benefit the law is unconstigeneral public. The seat-betutional because it strips me of a right endowed by my Creator. lt lt BEN H. HAMBLETON the Super Bowl Shuffle and sang them y between my conch chowder and ;ed mullet. So, for the rest of the trip, I said I was from Fort W'ayne, Ind., and was spared any more Bearmania, or whatever the national craze for the Bears is being called. off-ke- This is an odd phenomenon. First it was the Cubs who, until the tragedy in Murphy Stadium, became Americas darlings. And now the Bears. Sure, the Bears are a talented and colorful team, and they'll win with ease next Sunday. You can bet the kids tuition on it. But there have been other fine and colorful teams that didnt become national sensations. Im But I not sure why this has happened. have a theory. As I take my daily walk around the neighborhood with my two leashed dogs, I've noticed the dogs running loose belong to the same people who dont shovel their side- walks. Curious isnt it? L. MUNSON Letter Was Bull In his Jan. 8 column, Ernest Linford quotes Steve Johnson of High Country News at great length in still another environmentalist propaganda diatribe against ranchers. Mr. Johnson's statement contains so many distortions of reality that I would like to comment on a few points. Mr. Johnson states, It now takes an average of 168 acres to keep one cow alive for a year on national forest and BLM land in the West and that this is nine times the acreage for the nation as a required per cow-yea- r whole. He conveniently ignores several elementary facts. First, much BLM land in the West receives an average of only 6 inches to 12 inches of precipitation annually, with annual evaporative rates in excess of 50 inches. Rainfall in much of the eastern part of the country averages 40 to 60 inches annually with lower evaporation rates and longer growing seasons. Second, private ownership of land allows much more intensive management, including irrigation and fertilization. In the Southeast, these factors make it possible to develop carrying capacities as high as one acre r even without irrigation. per Third, if Mr. Johnsons figure of 168 acres cow-yea- diet-wear- y d Out of curiosity, I looked up the front page of an old Chicago Tribune from the first Monday in December 1940. The headline across the fr. nt p,.ge said there was a big shase-ii- o r. the Italian air e. The oiher top stories that morning concerned Europes war, our economy, and other such matters. Tucked among these stories was a little box, about 3 inches wide and 4 inches long, containing about 30 words of news It said that the day befoie, the Chicago Bears had .on the World Championship of football by beating the Washington Redskins, 73 to 0. For further details, turn to the sports section. Editors had their heads screwed on right in those days. Oh, yes, it also said that each of the winning players received a little more than $900. I mentioned this to Sid Luckman, who quarterbacked that team, and he said: fo-t- locker room and told us that he was going to make it up to us. How did he do that? "He gave us each a $200 bonus." And the coaches had their heads screwed on right, too. Yes, it was about $930. And the next year, when we beat the Giants for the championship, the gate was so bad we each got about $300. That upset George Halas so much that after the game he came in to the The Public Forum Tribune Readers Opinions is correct for BLM and nationper cow-yea- r al forest lands, it is proof these lands are lightly stocked and not, as he ridiculously puts it, that this amount of acreage is necessary to keep one cow alive for a year. ED GOMER Retired wildlife and range biologist Best and Worst of Times The past five years I have driven a taxi in Salt Lake City. I have watched the population of homeless men, women and children increase dramatically. I have seen many inhumane acts, but what I witnessed the other night left me physically ill and horrified. While driving to pick up a passenger I g heard a scream, and as I drove near the source of the sound I saw two men huddled around a smoldering fire in the process of killing a live dog with their bare hands. The animal was sending death screams into the bitter, cold night air. The stench of brutality and death filled my senses. I was at night Well, Doggies! The rest of the country pities us. We have been without a championship for so long that it seems unfair. And because Americans have a keen sense of justice, except when they've done something wrong themselves, they want us to win so things will be set right. Either that or a nation has turned its hungry eyes toward a kid with a missing tooth. Whatever the reason, it's bordering on mass hysteria. Not only among the fans, but in the news business. I've never heard sports broadcasters babble more madly, or seen headlines shriek more jubilantly. It is, after all, only a game. There's nothing more at stake than possession of a gaudy trophy and the threat of a 20 percent increase in the suicide rate of Chicago. Law Unfair lt Cow out. return to Zimbabwe because of past military experience. However, former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith, a man who subjected the country's majority to second-class citizenship for years, is free and even remains a legislator. Might Erasmus fears arise from any demonstrated attitude of his toward blacks before majority rule? Would revenge by those he may have subjugated be the catalyst behind his feared persecution? Erasmus goes to great lengths to remain in Utah, a state noted for its small black population, while rejecting options to live elsewhere. Perhaps he finds having to return to Zimbabwe and treat as equals people who for decades were forced to show deference to the white baas distasteful. if forced to MICHAEL H. KNORR blood-curdlin- horrified! Obviously, these men were hungry. I didnt stay long enough to see the conclusion of their act. Only blocks away people were arriving in chauffeur-drive- n vehicles to dine and dance in luxurious hotels and restaurants, oblivious to the hunger, cold, thirst and death of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of less fortunate people. This is a disgrace: homeless, hungry people scavenging the streets and garbage cans for scraps of food. The image Utahns portray to the outside world as helpful, kind, sharing, giving people is only an image. The truth is that the have-not- s struggle to find food while the haves lavish themselves in luxury. Pretending it does not exist, will not right the wrongs. CALVIN HUNTER Holladay Black and White Issue Questions arise regarding the true motives behind Zimbabwean Lucas Erasmus attempts to keep his family in Utah. Erasmus claims he would be persecuted 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 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 writers true name. All letters are subject to condensation. Mail to the Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Lighten Up, Utah! am amazed at the antiquated traffic control system in this metropolitan area. I have traveled in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas during the past nine months and every town, even as small as Shiprock, N.M., has desigwhich move traffic nated lights much more efficiently and with some protection for those wishing to make the turn. Making a left turn in this area becomes an illegal act because you can only make the as opposing turn when the light is red traffic will not allow one to turn left on a green light. Recently, the light at 3900 South I left-tur- and Highland Drive, which was very efficient, has been changed back to a lane is a parkbasis and the left-turn ing lot. If there were no other answer, it would be understandable, but there is a solution and should one be involved in an accident caused by a lack of traffic control, shouldnt the city or county have some responsibility for contributory negligence? Many of our traffic problems are ones that don't exist in neighboring states. Why is Utah so slow to change and keep up to date? R E. BEER Thanks, But . . . As an active PTA member and worker for many years, I was pleased to read the cover-pag- e article on the PTA in the Jan. 5 Lifestyle section. The article was an appropriate way of saying "thank you to our many volunteers. However, I feel it was inappropriate that in featuring the accomplishments of the Utah chapter no mention was made of our state PTA president, Lenora Plothow, who spends at least 40 to 60 hours a week carrying out her PTA responsibilities. The spokesperson of the Utah Congress of Parents and Teachers is Lenora Plothow and the courtesy of representing the organization should be given to her, unless she chooses to pass that responsibility on to someone else. We appreciate the positive exposure the article gave to our organization, but also hope Tlte Tribune will be more aware and sensitive of our organizational structure in the future. CAROL VOORHEES Utah State PTA Board of Directors Dog of a Law n Utah is one of only six states where the law mandates shelters release pets to research institutions upon demand. Ceasing the use of pets would not cripple the progress of medical technology. Only percent of the animals used in biomedical 1 ; research are pets. The National Institutes of Health (which funds approximately 80 percent of all medical research projects) testified before Congress that pets are not. a. good or desirable research animal. The, NIH ceased use of all pets because of their unknown medical and genetic backgrounds, resulting in uncontrolled, unreliable medical data. When research institutions enter shelters they select animals that are healthy, social-- , ized and precisely the pets that are the most adoptable and most likely to be placed in a home. It turns out to be a first-serv- e situation, the public versus the research institutions. Whether a person supports or condones the use of animals in biomedical research is not the issue. The concern is for the protecd tion of pets. A simple change in thq, current law will give our shelters the option to sell or not to sell. If the public really wants their pets sold! for experimentation the research institu-.- ; tions would do well in setting up their own shelters. The public shelters are sanctuaries for pets, not warehouses for cheap, subsidized animals for research institutions. ALANA HESS Farmington first-com- e, one-wor- Driving Concerns Craig S. Lawrence (Forum, Jan. 11) should put himself in the position of someone new to an area, or someone who lives in a different area of the city. Suppose he is traveling on a major street with two lanes in each direction. He is trying to find a street and knows he will have to turn left when he finds the street. If he drives the speed limit on this major street, he will not be able to see the street sign until he has passed it. If he drives in the right lane, he will not be able to see the street sign until he has passed it. If he drives in the right lane, he will not be able to turn left when he finds the street. If Utah expects drivers to adhere to the' Left Lane Passing Law, then the street signs had better all be replaced with larger ones than can be read from more than two feet away. i meantime, maybe it would be in everyone's best interests if drivers would be more considerate of others instead of trying to go as fast as possible all the time. MARY ANNE REFSDAL In the , ' -- t Israel Tires of Being Chosen People of Worlds Press News America Syndicate JERUSALEM The story goes that after yet another of those outbreaks of violence in czarist Russia known as pogroms, an elderly rabbi lifted his face to the heavens and exclaimed: Dear God, I don't want to seem ungrateful that we are your chosen people, but please, could you choose someone else for a change?" Last week, at a conference of journalists in Jerusalem, Chaim Herzog, the president of Israel, seemed to be addressing much the same plea to the gods of the media. anti-Jewis- h have here in Israel today," said Herzog, pointing to an astonishng and fact, "the largest foreign press corp in the world, with the exception of Washington. There are permanent staffs of hundreds of people who have to provide copy. By the very nature of things they seek sensations, and the net result is distortion of the image of Israel in the media abroad." We little-know- n Herzog went on to observe that Israel's "problem is complicated by the fact that we are an open democracy and the only place in area where the media can opour strife-torerate freely." In consequence, "a local instance of stone throwing at passing vehicles is highlighted as a bloody battle," vthereas a major war between Iran and Iraq, which hasalready accounted for about a million casu- alties, does not merit the lead headlines in the evening broadcasts or on the front pages." Particularizing this bizarre contrast even further, Herzog added: "More people were killed in the battle for Khorramshar on the than were killed on both sides in all the Arab-Israwars together. Yet who in the world has heard of that battle? Shatt-el-Ara- en Kahanes activities very intensive coverage. As for the foreign press corp stationed in Israel, it has for reasons of its own made Kahane a household name everywhere in the b Although Herzog did not say so openly, the Israeli press itself has contributed to the distortions he was complaining about. Indeed, foreign correspondents in Israel often are following the lead of their Israeli colleagues when they blow up the problems and deficiencies of that country out of all proportion either to their intrinsic or their relative seriousness. Take, for example, the phenomenon of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who advocates the expulsion of all Arabs from the state of Israel. Kahane received very few votes in the last election, and since then the entire Israeli establishment, from right to left, and including Herzog himself, has urited in denouncing his racist fulminations against the Arabs as beyond the pale of legitimate political debate. Nevertheless, for various reasons ranging from partisan politics to sociological and religious conflicts, the Israeli press has giv National Public Radio, at the same conference Herzog was addressing. When I asked an editor before leaving Washington what kind of stories he was interested in my doing while in Israel," Schorr told the conference, "his instant response was, Israeli censorship. Thai's a fascinating story.' world. Thus the first question thrown at Herzog during a recent visit to Holland was about "the danger to democracy" allegedly posed by Kahane. Herzogs reply was "that while everybody seemed to know about Kahane and pointed, therefore, an accusing finger at Israeli society, the Dutch, who have a similar electoral system to that which exists in Israel, have a Nazi in their Parliament and yet nobody in the world outside of Holland is aware of this fact." Another example of the way overexposure leads to distorted impressions of Israeli society was inadvertently provided by American reporter Daniel Schorr, now of Schorr agreed it would be a fascinating story because, he said, Americans find it hard to understand the predicament of a democratic state which finds it necessary to put limits on freedom in order to preserve its freedom." Even describing it in these sympathetic terms, however, and in spite of Schorr's intentions, to do a story on censorship in Israel must inevitably feed the idea that an essential democratic right is in danger there. This idea is false. The only restrictions on freedom of the press in Israel concern military security. For the rest, Israel is a country in which anyone, including Arabs living in the occupied territories, can call the prime minister a Nazi if he so desires. In addition to being false, the idea that democracy is in danger in Israel is itself a danger to Israel. The polls consistently have shown most Americans sympathize with Israel mainly because they see it as a fellow democratic stale. Hence to cast doubt on Is rael's democratic character is to eat away at the very foundation of American support for . that militarily besieged and politically isolated country. As it happens, Israel - the real Israel, not the Israel generally portrayed in the meis exactly what most Americans think dia it is: the only democratic state in the Middle East and one of the few on the face of the earth. Yet even if Israel were as bad as the press it gets so often suggests, it would still have the same right to exist as any other nation on the face of the earth. It is this right that is implicitly chat lenged by the obsessive and disproportionate " attention paid to Israel by the media. Such relentless surveillance implies the Jewish state is on probation, and that it is required to earn its continued survival by living up to standards that all other nations, and notably its Arab enemies, feel free to violate either" as a matter of course or whenever it suits their convenience. No wonder (haim Herzog was moved to ask in effect that the media choose someone-els- e for a change." Among the reasons for tardy snow re- moval is the plow driver, who has to wait around the corner until your driveway has been shoveled "