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Show PAGE 29 THE ZEPHYRDECEMBER 1994 major. I see the image of Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan standing together shaking hands. I read about unemployment figures being the lowest in decades. I see a president who is finally willing to deal with the big problems, the ones that were And I see all these so deftly swept under the rug by his predecessors. accomplishments being obscured by the feet that he has "caved in" to the Republicans. Subject to Change In what way has this horrible act been accomplished? Has he introduced a plan to eliminate all capital gains tax? Has he ordered his spouse to stop thinking? Has he declared war on any countries lately? No? Then what? He has stated that a moment of silence in school is acceptable. That about covers it. A group known as People for the American Way reacted in horror to the statement, saying the president is not "standing for the constitutional rights of all schoolchildren." Certainly no one should be forced to pray, nor should they be forced to listen to anyone else do so. I quote from the Holy Bible (Matthew 7:5,6). "When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray. ..that they may be seen of men. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to the Father in secret." My possibly flawed interpretation of this passage is that your prayers are between you and your deity or deities. If they include an audience other than that, they cease to be prayers and become performances. On the other hand, while religion has no place in public schools; if it helps a student to be able to pause for a moment and silently pray, that should be an option. To take that option away is an infringement on his right to worship as he chooses. The way I see it, a moment of silence infringes only on a person's right to make noise, which is a right I find mentioned nowhere in the Constitution. Nowhere in taking a moment of silence should it be implied that prayer is the only option for filling that moment. On the contrary, a student could take this moment to mentally go over an upcoming test, catch a quick nap, evaluate the fit of the jeans on the guy sitting in front of her, or yes, maybe even send a silent prayer to whatever it is that she worships. I don't see any of these activities impacting anyone. Except maybe the jeans who may feel uncomfortable being viewed as the object guy in the nice-fittiof his classmate's evaluations. At any rate, with all the bizarre and frightening activities occurring in our schools, it would almost seem that we could find something else on which to concentrate. Like what it is that is lacking in our children's lives that makes them turn to find it necessary to keep guns in their lockers. Or why gangs. Or why a graduating senior can program a computer to blow up the eastern half of North America if only he could find it on a map. Maybe we could require all adults to take a silent moment every day to think about some of these things. Of course, we couldn't force them to think during that moment. And if we could, they might think meaningless and ultimately futile thoughts like: By what upheaval in universal harmony did a man named for a small, amphibious salamander ever get to a position of such power? And how do I go about hiring Jim Hansen to speak to my son's preschool class about the adverse effects of violence? And exactly how many sticks of dynamite are required to take out a tram? Idle questions with no deep answers. But even idle qestions are better than none at all. It's a start. By Cherie Gilmore There is an ancient folk tale of three people who are lost in the desert. This is not a Moabian type desert there are no motels in this desert, It is a vast, endless sea of lifeless sand. These people have been wandering for weeks. The last of their water ran out days ago and they are considering drawing straws to see which one will be tonight's dinner. They are wandering in circles, trying to find something with which to fashion the straws when, from over yonder dune, there appears a man. He pulls from his pack fresh, juicy oranges and gorp with lots of M&Ms mixed in. He gives them the last of his water and offers to lead them out of the desert. After lengthy argument over what his motives are for helping them, and after continued assurances from him that he wants no money in exchange, they agree to let him lead them to a safer place. The route he chooses is difficult. It includes an almost perpendicular cliff and a seemingly endless dune that drags their feet back two steps for every one they make. When at last they reach the top of the dune and look over the other side, they see an enormous, tree-line- d lake, deep and cool, with fish leaping and shimmering in and completely safe for the sun. No livestock know of its existence; it is giardia-fre- e drinking. The fish are plentiful and free of mercury. The trees that line it turn out to be fruit trees. Two of the wanderers nm down die incline, peeling off the last of their shredded clothing and preparing to dive in. At the last moment, they realize that their entry into the pristine waters could upset the delicate balance of its ecosystem, so' they instead gently dip their Sierra cups into the lake and pour its cooling waters over their parched bodies. Life is good. Meanwhile, at the top of the dune, the third traveller turns to the guide and says. This is it? You dragged me over cliffs and gave me blistered feet to bring me to this?" The guide, somewhat taken aback, assures him that in addition to the fish and fruit trees, deer also abound and he will even show the travellers how to make bows and arrows. The traveller, with a look of utter disgust, replies, "What good are fruit and fish and wild game when I can't get a decent cup of coffee?" With the possible exception of the M&Ms, every detail of this story is absolute truth according to the legends of a tribe whose name escapes me. The two travellers stayed on the shores of the lake, where they raised two children who went on to become the first settlers on a small island in the south Pacific. The third traveller escaped from his hated wilderness and went on to have many, many children, most of whose descendants now dwell in various cities in the eastern United States. Where they sit, waiting for President Clinton to make a really huge blunder. Like wearing the wrong colour jogging shorts. It's a good thing they are there. Otherwise we who are less observant might be tempted to look only at his more obvious successes. Perhaps it's just that time of year and I'm feeling especially charitable. Or maybe all those hours spent shovelling all that snow have contributed to an excess of endorphins in my system. Whatever the reason, I find myself, especially during this n madness, looking at President Clinton's successes. And they seem pretty - - ng ten-year-o- lds - BBSS . I'd like to thank all the citizens of Grand County for the opportunity to have served you for these last two years. It has been a great honor and a privilege. I'd also like to wish the new Council the best of luck as they tackle the great challenges facing our county. Sincerely, John Hartley post-electio- Pwuutee Beat S&fate Circle A Ranch bed & breakfast; quiet accommodations with hot tub. Walking distance to town. Large lot with room for expansion. Price: $168,500. Call Ludean Walker (H) Janie Tuft (H) MOTIVATED SELLER WILL LOOK AT ALL OFFERS on this thriving restaurant. One of a kind business includes building and real estate. Price: $200,000. Call Ludean Fully equipped farm just below Swasey's Rapids on Green River with mile of river frontage. Excellent take out directly across from Gunnison Butte. Cabin and water rights included. Price: $200,000 Call Janie PICTURE VIEW OF CASTLE ROCK from this contemporary stucco home on Lot 377 in Castle Valley. Price: $132,500 with owner financing available. Call Ludean PRICE IS RIGHT! on this family home of 3 bedrooms, 1 12 baths, sunroom, large comer lot with mature trees. Price: $105,000 Call Dave Nice stucco home of 1196 sq. ft., 3 bedroom, 1 12 baths, hardwood floors, large lot Price: $85,000 Call Ludean 259-50- 26 Office: FAX: 259-82- 17 801-259-26- 50 259-269- 9 Look REALTOR for the palm trees at 47 E. Center St. 2: Ludean 94-09-0- 259-836- 0 Dave Bierschied (H) 94-08-1- 2: 94-09-- 18: 94-06-1- 3: 94-07-2- 6: 94-07-1- 1: |