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Show SPRING 2003 The West View This opinion section is an open forum for community issues. Editorial columns and opinion articles are strictly the opinion of the author. Letters of an indecent or demeaning nature will not be published. Letters will be edited for style and space. Page 9 —__ Iraq - If We Break Sculptures at New Pioneer Precinct Will Reflect Community Dynamics It, We Buy It by Edie Trimmer In his letter, published in the Salt Lake Tribune (Forum, February 25, 2003), Jacob Franklin repeats the argument that ‘The Salt Lake City Police Department’s - new Pioneer Precinct is under construction and will be completed this summer. The new station is located on 700 South near the — Jordan River at the former Salt Lake that there’s a thick black line between Community College’s Riverside campus. the two and you have to be on one side To complement the new. precinct, four or the other. sculptures, commissioned by the Salt Lake I will agree that there is a line berween City Arts Council and the Salt Lake City Saddam and Bush. It may be as thick as Police Department, will be erected. The three © Mr. Franklin claims, but the important dimension of this line is its width. It is - interior sculptures will be in low relief, constructed of bronze and various kinds of wood. so wide, that it requires quite a long The exterior sculpture, which will be located journey for many people to reach either near the Jordan River Parkway trail, will be side. I agree that Saddam is an unsavory made from stainless steel. character. I definitely do not stand on his The artist chosen for the project is Dan side of the line. However, I also find Gerhardt. Sean Porter will assist him-in creatmyself very far from Mr. Bush’s side. ing the work from wood and metal. _ As far as I’m concerned; the “pottery Gerhardt chose a design composed of tristore” adage is appropriate. If we break angles, circles, and squares, because these it, we’ve bought it. Regardless of how pathetic the current administration of shapes are -common to all cultures; all societies have played with these: shapes in their Iraq may be, if we destroy that adminisunique art. tration, we take on a large moral obligaHe has taken inspiration from Mayan, tion to help replace it. Bush has spoken Aztec and Egyptian calendars, Tibetan about how great it would be to see Iraq ‘become a democracy in the heart of the “you’re either for President Bush, or you’re for Saddam Hussein”. He claims Buddhist mandalas, Hopi pottery, Navajo sand painting, and African sculptures. All of | these cultures seek order, beauty and harmo- ny in the universe through their art. Each culture has a unique vision, just as Gerhardt seeks to have these sculptures reflect his own - vision as an individual artist. Gerhardt is trying to understand how law enforcement and community work together to create order and safety in connection with the many. different aspects of a neighborhood, like those of the West Side. He process of many voices coming together to create a neighborhood that acts in harmony. His sculptures reflect a transition from diverse opinions or chaos (triangles) through community and law enforcement (circles) to a stable, safe community (squares), As a resident, I can also see in his design the beautiful but chaotic forces of nature, rep- resented by the Jordan River, giving way to our homes within wonderful, diverse neighborhoods. _ The creative process is also one of hard work and deep friendships. Sean Porter will see Art Middle East, but eliminating Hussein is only the first step on a very long, hard road. Pushing Iraq onto that road and 1 YouthCity assuming that they’ll arrive at the other end without help is comparable to a skydiving instructor pushing his student out. the door, throwing his parachute out after him, and congratulating himself on a job well done. If we really expect Iraq to emerge as a democracy, the work and time required to make that happen is staggering to contemplate. Committing to that job without the support of the world community to put it bluntly, stupid. - is, by Chuck Schamel, Salt Lake City The Mayor's Youth prootam 4 Cool After-School Program _ with classes In: Art Dance Technology Sports Avoid Payday Loan Trap You’re a low-income person. At the end of the month, you find yourself with too much month at the end of your loan must be paid in full. That means the _ money. All you need is a small loan. You ‘want just enough to pay the gas bill. Who are you going to turn to? Banks don’t. make small loans anymore. You're not eligible for a credit card; you don’t make enough money. A payday loan company? ues to happen, the interest keeps adding Ah-hah! That’s it! Payday loan companies | can be a debt has to be rolled over if you can’t pay it in full and on time, and if that continup. You took out the loan so you could pay your bills, and now you can’t pay this bill. You could end up in debt bondage. Perhaps, the lender only wants to make an honest buck. But, maybe, like so many real - boon to a low-income person. But, be _ other well-off people, he hasn’t a clue as to how hard it is for less well-off people to pay their bills. So, he uses coercive careful and remember, a loan is not a gift; tactics. As punishment, the lender may you have to pay it back with interest. I’m not saying that all payday loan compa- | attempt to cash the check, knowing it will bounce. This results in a late fee, nies are loan sharks, but some of them twice, from the bank and from the lender. ale. =. | , Or, he may file civil charges, which will Several studies have been done on paygive him triple damages. Or, he may day loan companies. In “Show Me the threaten a criminal hot-check lawsuit, or Money”, A Survey of Payday Lenders take possession of the borrower’s car or and Review of Payday Lender Lobbying home. The debt this creates causes some in State Legislatures, families severe crisis. it was reported that some of them Iam not opposed to all payday 3 charge as much as 390-871% interest on | $100- $400 loans. They do it by rolling Just the bad apples. over the original loan. The short time by Leon Johnson, Poplar Grove, SEC limit (until the next payday) doesn’t make it easy to repay the loan, and the | Registering now for Spring classes at: _ Central City Recreational Center (5th - 8th grades) Contact Ken Perko at 538-2062 Northwest Multipurpose Center (6th - 8th grades) Contact Kay Cameron at 596-0072 Glendale Middle School (7th - 8th grades) . Contact Kathleen Kachocki at 974-8324 SALT LAKE CETY 4g will use bronze, steel and various woods to show this SALT LAKE COUNTY page 2 |
