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Show ™ SUMMER UTAH CHRONICLE C> PINION www.dailyutahchronicle.com Page 5 Wednesday, June 1, 2005 Employees pay for their parking spaces Editor: In response to Alicia Greenleigh's column ("Episode III: Revenge of the Parking Siths," May 25), I have a few comments. While I share the author's detestation of Commuter Services, I take major exception to the complaints about staff parking. First, Greenleigh states that the faculty to student ratio is 30-to-i. While this statistic seems about right, the actual figures are 10.5-to1. It took five seconds of intense research and complex mathematics on the U's Web site to arrive at these figures. Greenleigh also seems to forget the other 12,500 full- and part-time employees (excluding students and faculty) who work at the U. Add in faculty, and the number climbs to 15.350. The employee to student ratio is actually 1.88-to-i. Interestingly, if one adds up the . U and E permits and divides them by the number of A permits, one arrives at a ratio of 1.88-to-i. The ratios are exactly the same! The point is that the parking situation is not nearly as off-kilter as Greenleigh would have us believe. If she had done a little research, she would know that too. I almost forgot. Those 15,350 U employees all pay $192 per year for then- A passes just to compete for 3,300 parking spots. Or they can buy reserved spaces for between $800 and $I,IOO per year. We pay this just so we can come to work and support our families. I don't know many other jobs that force their employees to pay to come to work! That's why we get to park closer—we pay more than you do! Greenleigh, I support any effort to get Commuter Services to change its stripes, but hi the future get your, facts straight. It is highly offensive to the 12,500 non-faculty staffers that come to workL.eve..ry day tp maJ$e this campus operate, and have to pay to do so, to be overlooked and begrudged. Keep your anger focused where it belongs: Commuter Services. THE CHRONICLE'S VIEW ' it.' i -t- 'i • Put your death to good use O n Friday the U expressed gratitude to people who donated their bodies to science after death. A memorial service was held at the Salt Lake Cemetery so representatives from the U could explain how bodies donated to the U are used to train doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other professionals. Despite advances in technology, nothing is more useful in studying the human body than actually having bodies to work with. It seems wasteful that so many people just want to be buried in the ground after death when they could be of so much help to future generations. There are many people who adhere to a religion that discourages cremation or organ donations. Many others find comfort in knowing that their loved one's body actually lies under the gravestone. But most people probably never think about what actually happens to their physical body after they die. Families and friends are usually content with just a viewing, funeral and gravestone. The U can arrange for the body to be taken away after a funeral so families can still hold all the normal ceremonies and rituals. The decision to donate one's body after death is noble, selfless and benefits many people. It's been said that the decision to donate softened the pain and grief felt at the death of their loved one because the sacrifice will benefit the living. As many people as possible should learn about and consider donating their bodies after death so future generations of health care professionals can be trained. The least that students could do to show their appreciation would be to respect the body. Many people hear stories about how uncomfortable students become in anatomy labs, and how they make jokes with the bodies to lighten their spirits. It is understandable that some students rely on humor to soothe their discomfort, but donated bodies deserve to be treated like precious gifts. Stories about students misusing the bodies discourages potential donors from making the decision that could help so many. Just as members of the local community should look into body donations as part of their end-of-life plans, U students should learn about the individuals and families who make this decision so they can appreciate the sacrifice. Donors and students may both be uncomfortable with the idea of labs storing human bodies, but thousands—maybe even millions—of people benefit from the work done in those labs. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board. Editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author. The forum created on the Opinion Page is one based on vigorous debute, while at the same time demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because of race, ethnic background, religion, creed, gender, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. Online Poll How many wedding invitations have you received this summer? p 26 percent, 'I 16 votes 1-2 percent, 13 votes 3-4 23 percent, 14 votes 5-7 .." . .i 11 percent, 7 votes 8-11 My Uncle Vernon Just nailed the mail-flap shut and sent me to my cupboard. ;; 7 percent, 4 votes •' 11 percent, 7 votes I I To vote, visit www.dailyutahchronicle.com CHill Staff, Student The unseen effects of abortion Science, not politics, should be the basis for deciding abortion's legality P olitics and science shouldn't Studies have shown that abortion mix. Michael Crichton said, can more than double the likelihood "Auschwitz exists because of ' of breast cancer. politicized science." Abortion is anWomen who have had an abortion other tragic ground where politics prior to age 18 and do not have a and science have clashed. family history of breast cancer have Abortion is a medical procedure a nine-times greater likelihood of that involves many health risks. In getting breast cancer than women the course of making and keeping with similar family histories and no abortion legal, however, politicians previous abortions. and even scientists Jiave ignored According to the Journal of these medical risks and inadequate- American Physicians and Surgeons, ly informed the public about them. in 1996, 5,000 cases of breast cancer A reason cited for the decision in were linked to abortion. Roe v. Wade was that the medicine It is estimated that by 2036,25,000 of the time had made abortions safe cases of breast cancer will be linked to perform. to abortion. Epidemiological studies in the Dr. Joel Brind, a professor of biollast decade, however, have revealed ogy and endocrinology, argues that, major health risks associated with "abortion can explain the entire abortion. rise in breast cancer since the midWhat happens when a mother's 1980s." right to choose conflicts with her By 1998, female breast cancer right to be healthy? incidents increased more than 40 Ed Stevenson percent. The modern American woman has a 12.5 percent lifetime risk of getting breast cancer. And breast cancer isn't the only health factor associated with abortion. Mothers with an abortion history are more likely to deliver subsequent babies prematurely. Premature births are more likely to have major birth defects, such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation. A woman who has had one induced abortion risks delivering a later baby prematurely 1.6 times more than a woman who has never had an abortion. After three induced abortions, that risk increases to 3 to 5.5 times more likely. More than four abortions increase the risk of premature birth nine times. The median damage award for medical negligence at childbirth, often involving children with birth defects, is more than $2 million. Who is responsible for birth defects caused by a mother's abortion history—especially if those risks were not disclosed to her? Many women are not told about these risks when contemplating an abortion. Abortion-rights organizations have used political tactics to discount and quiet the research that has been published so that such findings will not influence health policy. What is medical research for if it doesn't lead to adjustments in f medical delivery and the laws that govern it? If the decision of Roe v. Wade was based on scientific opinion, then its plausible overturn should be based on new scientific evidence. Abortion is a decision that needs to be made by the individual mother after consultation with the father, the physician, family members and various counselors, carefully discussing the many short and long-term consequences of various options. Politicians, police, judges and bureaucrats should have no say in the matter. letters@ chronicle.utah.edu The fight for civil rights rages on We should learn from Malcolm X's teachings and put them into practice M alcolm X, one of the greatest heroes of the 20th century, was born 80 years ago last month. Malcolm was a freedom fighter for black people all over the world. Most of us know about the life and mission of Malcolm X. Therefore, rather than focus on biographical details, we should focus on what we can do today to honor and preserve the legacy of Malcolm X. In describing the importance of freedom, Malcolm said, "When a person places the proper value on freedom, there is nothing under the sun that he will not do to acquire that freedom." Malcolm's lifelong determination was the achievement of human rights for his people by "any means necessary." His position let the white world know that they could no longer ignore and oppress black people. It was time to stand up and take back the rights that God granted to all humanity. Having grown up in extreme poverty, Malcolm knew firsthand the injustice of the United States. When describing how to combat the problems faced by oppressed people, he said, "I, for one, believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them and the basic causes that produce it, they'll create their own program, and then you will get action." massive incarcerations? If we are serious about putting an end to the social ills that plague our society, then we ought to do as Malcolm said and look to the causes—rather than the effects—of those problems. Another problem endemic in our Jay Richards country is poverty—yet we do not ask ourselves why the poor are poor. We must first see the causes of For 400 years, the black people in problems and then seek ways to this country have been the victims change them. of violence and oppression. For 300 Why does the United States imof those years, black people were prison more people than any other stolen from their native lands and industrialized nation in the world? . brought here to work as slaves. There are 2.1 million people in this If the United States is going to be country currently living in prison. serious about its responsibility toSix thousand of them are in Utah. ward its past victims, then affirmaWhat are the reasons behind the tive action programs should be ex- panded. There is a reason why black poverty is twice that of whites, and that reason needs to be rectified. Uncle Sam choked the lives out of millions of black men and women, and owes a huge debt to them. Slaves built this country. That debt should be repaid. The most important thing we can do to honor the life of Malcolm X is to put his teachings into practice. Our country should not run away from the crimes of our past. We should rectify them and move on so we can all live in a world where we are free from hate, bigotry and oppression as Malcolm dreamed it would become. Godspeed, brother Malcolm. letters@chronicle.utah.edu |