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Show Page 2 The UTAH INDEPENDENT May 12, 1972 ii Th ODM lnd.pnd.nt Dedicated To ITJ h7 UcCr. The Constitution, Liberty, Morality, and Truth "Free men can vote themselves into slavery, but slaves cannot vote themselves free." ' "AlP iivE J r( To USSR from JfK L6J NlXfl J. Reese Hunter ?r TRAPE A-- O , , llllllltlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Editors Outlook The Most Important Election In spite of all the ballyhoo that goes with the general election, the most important election will be held at the Mass Meetings Monday evening, May 15th. As an individual, you have more influence at the Mass Meeting elections than any other election. It is there that the delegates are elected who will subsequently go to the county and state conventions to choose the candidates we will all be voting on in the primary election. After the conventions you only have the choice offered you by the party. It is important that politically conservative candidates have delegates chosen at the mass meetings who will support them at the conventions. Some people think that if there are only two candidates running for an office from their party that they will automatically be running in the primary election. This causes them to hold off their political activity until the primaries. The fallacy of that reasoning is that the rules of the game are different. For example, if only two candidates are running and one of them receives a majority of 70vr or higher at the convention, that candidate automatically becomes the partys nominee and does not have to run against anyone in the primary election. It is important that we elect political conservatives, or constitutionalists , if we are ever to get our government back to a sane and sound footing. There is no time like the present to begin. Commissioners Take a Stand on Fluoridation Seven mayors in Salt Lake County met May 9th at a special breakfast meeting to discuss the fluoridation problem. They agreed to get the monkey off their backs by seeking to put fluoridation to a vote of the people again. In typical politician fashion, our elected officials refused to take a public stand for or against fluoridation. County Commissioner William E. Dunn (presently a candidate for secretary' of state) reportedly said: board of health wants a public hearing , it's the one to set the time and place. He indicated he would hare no part in turning the question into a political issue. If the Commissioner Philip R. Blomquist said indignantly: Its criminal for the board of health to transfer its responsibilities to the politicians. Ralph Y. McClure, also a county commissioner and felt the board of health should candidate for make its own decision on whether to have a public hearing on fluoridation and later outline its feelings on fluoridation to the county commission. re-electi- on, Independent The Utah Independent is published by the Utah Independent each Friday at 1399 South 7th East, Suite 9, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105. Yearly subscription rate is $4.00 per year by surface mail in the United States. Send change of address forms and correspondence to 2459 Major Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 Utah's Largest and Fastest-Growin- g Subscription Weekly The Utah Independent asks: WHY WILL NOT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TAKE A STAND ON FLUORIDATION? They say they do not want to make fluoridation a political issue. Like it or not, it involves politics and is a political issue. What the commissioners really mean is that, though they want the power to govern, they dont want to take a stand or make a decision on what may be a political We need fewer politicians of this type and more men with statesmen-lik- e qualities who will truly repiesent the people who elected them to office. The commissioners should speak out against fluoridation on several grounds: scientific, and individual rights. because tax money must be It is spent for the equipment and its maintenance. Scientifically, those who are against fluoridating water supplies can match ton for ton, or even exceed, evidence presented by those who are for it. At least a reasonable doubt exists when there is so much evidence to the contrary. The right to be medicated or not to be medicated should rest with the individual. It is one thing to treat water for purity and another to treat people for dental caries or any other illness. The people have spoken against fluoridation in the past both in a direct vote and indirectly through their legislature. They dont want to have to foot the bill again for another election on this matter. It will only be turned down again after squandering the taxpayers money for an election. In spite of this, our elected officials are found to be trembling and in doubt when asked to take a stand on something about which the people have spoken firmly. Commissioner Blomquist reportedly said: As far as Vm concerned, anyone on the board of health who wont shoulder the responsibility of considering a public health matter but would refer to it a political body in an election year should resign. hot-potat- o. political-economi- political-econom- c, ic -- - The attitude of the Utah Independent regarding that statement is that any politician who seeks the confidence and vote of the people is under strict obligation to speak out and let us know where he stands. If they will not do this then it is they who should resign or not seek public office. Commissioner McClure is seeking another seat on the county commission. Mr. Dunn is trying to reach the second highest office in the state, namely, secretary of state. Can we repose confidence in men who try to shift responsibility and who will not take a stand on issues as important as this? Contrary to what Commissioners Dunn and Blomquist have expressed, it is extremely important that they speak out at election time so the voters will know what they are voting for. So far, their words tell us they want to hide their position on this. Do they feel their true position would be unpopular if it were known? It is reprehensible to take no stand while asking for the peoples vote. This gives the voters the uncomfortable feeling that the candidates arc trying to deceive them. y Health We didn't elect the Consolidated Board, commissioners, but we did elect you. Why not let us know what we have elected? City-Count- Readers ufflook Dentist Favors Fluoridation For a number of years have some of held degree sympathy with your causes, and those of the John Birch Society, with which you obviously have some affiliaI tion. Your political candidates of recent years have received my careful scrutiny, especially as I have listened to them personally. Two things have bothered me, however. First is that you always seem to be against things. In some cases this is no doubt justified. But there must be something around which you can be FOR and not AGAINST. Perhaps this sort of thing is what the Apostle Paul referred to as strikers (I Tim. 3:3). Secondly the issue of your paper received today which headlined the Fluoridation question was one of the most specious pieces of journalism I have ever seen. For the passively interested the article by David O. Woodbury might be accepted at face value. However, for one who has made a very serious and conscientious study of the question his article is obviously full of untrue and distorted statements. His assumption that a vast number of national and interna tional health organizations have been duped into endorsing fluoridated drinking water is difficult to accept. His historical accounting is inaccurate. Fluori- dation studies began at least as early as 1910, with several studies done during the 1930s; not, as he states, in 1939. The communities he mentions as initial study sites were wrong. First controlled studies were in Evanston and Morton Grove, Illinois, not in New York as he states. His interpretation of the data were completely wrong and false. Literally hundreds of studies have verified the effectiveness and safety of fluoridated water supplies. In my own practice I use fluoride topically and by prescription. My own children have received fluoridation (water or Continued On Page 3 |