Show : vvr:-- : I ' : Wednesday October 8 2003 A4 The Herald Journal The President’s Hand Democracy requires level of knowledge Christian Science Monitor D democracy can't function well if citizens don't have a basic understanding of how their government works A recent report by the nonpartisan Albert Shanker Institute found that many states give history and civics courses short shrift emphasizing reading and math instead The results are plain: In the most recent National Assessment of Education Progress (2001) only 17 percent of eighth-grade- rs scored at the proficient or advanced level in US history Fewer than half knew the Supreme Court ruled on a law’s constitutionality A knew what the Promere one-thigressive Era was Most didn’t even know whom the US fought in World War II Y whetlier that lack worth It’s asking of civics education is a factor in the declining voter turnout among young people (32 percent in 2000 compared with 41 percent in 1992) Might it V also account for soldiers’ families complaining about long tours of duty rd 'm Vj V TT - V and about sending National Guard troops to Iraq? Could such complain- ing reflect a society losing its civic j values because schools aren’t teach-- ! ing them? Applicants for US citizenship must demonstrate a knowledge of t federal government’s organization the way laws are made the concept of separation of powers the princi- pies of the Declaration of Independence and die Constitution and die content of the Bill of Rights among other facts related to governance Surely children born in the US and educated in American schools should ' be able to display the same level of knowledge To its credit Congress is trying to boost interest in this area It recently conference hosted a to help the idea gain momentum The bill Senate passed a last summer a similar measure has yet to pass the House The legislation r aims to ensure that schools better : educate students on government Such knowledge can only help spur greater interest in governance and a more active citizenry on civics-educati- 0 ’ checkcoupon We look forward to sharing the magic of live Herald Journal’s bjas is showing perfor--man- ce at the Ellen Eccles Theatre" ‘K v To the editor: V : Lisette Miles I would like to heartily endorse ' CacheValley Mr Joe Maynard’s letter to the editor Center for the Arts - published in the Friday Oct 3 edi-tio- n of the newspaper Mr Maynard hit the nail mi the head when he observed the obvious liberal bias "X t your newspaper constantly displays ' ' It would seem to me that To the editor your news- Ye who has no sin may cast the r paper is almost on a crusade to ' first stone I would like people to ' the ' V change thinking of good people j " know and you know who you are v’ in Cache Valley who tend to be con- - ' you do not know what is going on servatives Isn’t there a middle have no right to judge God is ground somewhere that doesn’t v You ’offend one side or the other? Some- - T my judged You talk iabout disrespect to my husband Who died in an ATV one must be buying into your views ' ' accident and you are the ones disrebut I know it certainly isn’t me and specting my husband by doing these like Mr Maynard if there were a to us I will not be sorry for things good alternative to the HJ for local on with my life It is time 'moving news I would also like to know all move on with yours Do not you about it interfere with mine My children will always be better off as long as they Nola D Collier do not have everyone else interferLogan ing Like you know what it is I should be doing It is not up to everyone else It is up to me Good- friends bye my v!"’ '1'' ' I'- 7 civics-educati- Nobody’s business but my own - Theater coupon not that prohibitive To the editor: I'm responding to the letter that appeared in the Sunday Oct 5 issue criticizing the time restriction on redeeming the $ 1 2S0 Ellen Eccles Theatre rebate checkcoupon offered ' to Logan city residents We designed this offer to be redeemed starting two weeks prior through the day before the show a time period when most of our patrons purchase their tickets For example some of the best seats in the house are still available for Ballet West’s production of “Giselle” on Oct 8 and 9 and for the nationally touring Broadway production of “Seussical The Musical” on Oct 20 Of course some shoWs sell faster than others and there may be some shows that sell out before the rebate period starts But with more than 20 shows to choose from Logan city residents have many options to redeem their full-leng- th so-call-ed Tavia Pickett Smithfield Score one for taking responsibility To the editor Trip to the emergency room to have ankle set: $700 Replace broken goal post at high school football field: $1000 Adults and children taking responsibility for their own actions: PRICELESS! I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all the police officers who have dedicated their lives to making sure that my children do not have to attend school in fear as other high schools across the nation do Thank you Officer JohnsonMay you have a rapid and complete recovery! Kelley Anne Chambers Smithfield ' '' cmitnt rFH Smithfield loses man of integrity By John Stewart "'L ' vvi i Webb whose graduation exercises will be held at noon Thursday in Smithfield was and is one of the best men I have ever known He was a devoted family man a leading educator devout 7' church man and civic leader I became well acquainted with him when I was president of 9 4 die Cache Mayors’ Asso-datio- n and he was mayor of Smithfield He too was an v officer of the 'association ‘ and very sup-ibur efforts 'on behalf of all in portive Cache Valley citizens including our fight for fair treatment at the IHC Logan Hospital Ken was a great man of high integrity Eighteen years ago this month tiiree pipebombs exploded in Salt Lake City killing two people and wounding a third Those killed were Kathleen Sheets and Steve Christensen the latter a : son of Mac Christensen owner of ' the Mr Mac clothing stems including the one in Logan Wounded was Mark Hofmann a former USU student and a professional forger now saving a life sentence in Utah State Prison for the murder of his friend Steve and Mrs Sheets Today Mac Christensen is financing the LDS mission of one of Mark Hofmann’s sons What a splendid example of true charity “Did I Miss Anything Important?” is the title of a recent book of humor-ous memoir by my dear friend Roy Paul Nelson emeritus professor of journalism at the University of Ore- gon Below the title is his art sketch that explains it: A college girl who had been absent from his class is asking her professor that question No doubt thousands of teachers have been stung by such a brainless query Roy Paul uid I traveled through graduate school together at Oregon half a century ago He' then joined the School of Journalism faculty r there and I returned to my journalism-teachinat USU His friendship was the best thing that happened to me at Oregon and it has continued warmly since Roy Paul is a versatile genius not only an excellent writer and teacher but also a cartoonist and a musician He has authored and illus--7 trated numerous books and magazine and newspaper articles He was a close friend of the late Charles Schulz author of the popular comic strip “Peanuts” and “easily the best comic strip artist who ever ' lived” in Roy Paul’s opinion and that ' in Cache County or due to a higher state tax on gas in Utah? Or perhaps : a combination of those two factors? It is also several cents higher here than in Weber County It appears that we are being badly ripped off in Cache ' so-call-ed - Letters polic Herald Journal WIKSWTK WOPPIH& J N&MMST EMtU-- The Opinion page is intended to acquaint readers with a variety of viewpoints on mattara of public importance and provide mentoen of the community with a forum tor toeir view Personal columns cartoons and letters from tl 01 mb wfitore mo Ia opmont Moors iotibci ho creators Edtorials under the hearing 'Our views of toe Herald Journal represent1 the 1 s irl 1 w Viqpwa Mwiwi of mo oononai dookc OOfcR Typewritten and double-space- d No more than 450 words In length Addressed and include daytime phone number tor purposes of verification Signed by the author tndviduals are KmHed to one pubtished letter within any 30-da-y period Address tenets to hjlettarOhjnewscom Quest commentaries are also welcome and are run at the editor's dteerstion DARRELL EHRUCKdty edHor CINDY YURTHYeaturee edtor BRUCE SMiTHpubKshor CHARLES McCOLLUMmanaging edHor iweixowyowx" art mm Cfciy to 6egathered out of a multitude of toques that through ary l$nd of authoritative selection — )uigt LeamrdXand American jurist I X I i i The Herald Journal welcomes totters to the editor Potantialyebeious or offensive letters w not be pubWied however and the edHor reserves toe right to edtt all letters to conform to the length and style requirements of the newspaper Letters should be: jl conclusions -- ‘ rKFOR uwr r County:v How many more times wiUthe v ' Forest Service and the Park Service of many others Roy Paul’ memoir ' book is filled with good humor repeat their blunders on controlled burnings? Recently in the enhanced by his cartoons Let me Uinta National Freest several thou- share a brief sampling with you: sand acres of trees and other vegetaHere’s onefor USU presidents tion were burned in what was past and present to ponder O Meredith Wilson when president of : intended to be a bum of only 600 ' acres of brush “Unexpected winds University of Oregon confided came up and blew corners outside “You need two qualities to be a uni- ' versity president gray hair to make : the intended burn area” was the residents 7 offered the But excuse of hemorlook and distinguished you area say that the wind pattern is such rhoids to make you look concerned” And here is one Aggie football coach r ' that each afternoon a wind conies up Mick Dennehy might relate to When and tiie Forest Service people should be aware of that They also report tiie University of Southern California that the Freest Service refused the lost badly to Notre Dame Coach J John McKay told his players “Those offer of help from nearby fire depart ments' who need showers may take them” You may recall that several years In his book Roy Paul tells of a recent caper he and a friend indulged ago the Park Service made tins same “controlled burning” blunder in Yelin to get Albertsons to use an apos-lowstone resulting in the destruction trophe in its name on its storefronts of thousands of acres of trees and the as it did on its letterheads etc They disastrous loss of hundreds of deer formed a mock American Apostro' elk and other game animals and phe Association and wrote letters to ' 'birds Albertsons urging compliance Newspapers television and other We were saddened to learn of the media picked up on their campaign “attack” on Roy Horn at tiie tiger Albertsons to decided drop Finally Siegfried and Roy Illusionist Show” all use of the apostrophe from its letat the Mirage in Las Vegas My son terheads and other documents rather and I have enjoyed that show Greg the storethan redoing name on its twice In our first visit we were fronts assigned seats in the pit surrounded thei lions and tigers ami elephant by Americans are being victimized by It’s a fantastic show Hopefully it can the petroleum industry Congress be resumed after Rdy Horn recovers several weeks ago promised to It will be interesting to hear launch an investigation of the continSiegfried’s comments on the Larry uing outrageous prices for gas King live Show this evening Instead of taking any decisive action Having witnessed (he close affecon it lawmakers decided to vote ' tion that exists between Roy Horn themselves another wage increase and the animals he trains Greg and I You would think that with the bilbelieve that the tiger was not making lions of dollars our country has spent an attack on Mr Horn but rather was and continues to spend on Iraq that ' trying to save him from what it perthe least we could expect in return is ceived was a danger to his life It did reasonably priced gas imported from not attempt to kill him but only to there carry him off stage away from the Cache Valley citizens are victims noise and flashing lights of a double whammy in this regard ' Did you know that as of a few days John Stewart is a longtime River ago gas prices in Logan are 28 cents Heights resident He is among a numa gallon higher than they are in Afton ber of Cache Valley freelance writers and elsewhere in Star Valley 26 whose columns appear in The Herald cents a gallon higher than they are Journal as part of an effort to expose near Lava Hot Springs 18 cents readers to a variety of community voichigher than in Teton Valley and eight es He is not an employee of the newscents higher than in Preston? Is this at paper He can be reached by due to collusion among gas dealers johnstewart84321 Oyahoocom Non Sequitur NLL TUI6 STUff CMIVfc ecirsce TgyiTOyA’y'r'' J (1S72-196- |