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Show 4 Wednesday January 23, 2013 OPINION www.dailyutahchronicle.corn United States undervalues veterans omething's missing from the news: coverage of military suicides. Our soldiers and veterans are increasingly forgotten by our society, and as citizens we have a duty to help them. "The 349 suicides among active-duty troops last year were up from 301 the year before and exceeded the Pentagon's own internal projection of 325," according to the Associated Press' most recent study. These numbers represent the fates of real people. They had hopes and dreams, as well as family and friends who cared about them. Moreover, this statistic only acounts for active-duty troops. The numbers among veterans are even more shocking. "The VA estimates that an average of 18 veterans per day commit suicide, or one out of five suicides in the U.S.," said Jan Kemp, head of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs' suicide prevention program. What's more, once veterans finish their service, we don't help them reintegrate into society after being in a theater of war for several years. Shamefully, our approach is based on the idea that our commitment to our troops ends once war does. Oftentimes, veterans have a difficult time finding work, partly because our job-training programs are not adequate. In the field, many veterans, such as mechanics and emergency medics, learn great skills. In some cases, they have to spend hundreds of dollars and S PATRICK BONER Opinion Columnist months of training for something they already learned. We need to connect veterans with employers who are in search of such valuable skills. When an emergency medic from Afghanistan can't work in an emergency room simply because he does not have the necessary certification, we as a nation have let him down, and it's time for a change. This is a national problem we must deal with. It must occupy the forefront of our minds. We cannot sit idly by and let the government solve this, either — though we must call on our leaders to act. We must take this matter into our own hands — into the hands of our local communities — and help these soldiers. One the easiest ways of doing this is showing soldiers and veterans we appreciate them. They made the decision to serve our country. We might not agree with the war in Iraq or U.S. policy regarding the Middle East, but we can still support our troops. They are not the ones making the decisions about warfare. The arena government and army officials make the decisions ((k-THE sow ER, DtPRESSE ► 1 r ■ and our soldiers follow them willingly and bravely. Every one of us needs to find some way to help our soldiers and veterans. We need to show them we appreciate all that they have done. Look into volunteering at the VA hospital on campus. It's an organization always in need of help. If you cannot do this, there are still SALLY YOO/The Daily Utah Chronicle ways to help. Every time you see a soldier or meet a veteran on campus, simply thank him or her. Even simple acts of gratitude go a long way. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Armstrong punishment Idle No More gives too harsh for his crime First Nations people or Lance Armstrong, "Livestrong" became "Liestrong" after he admitted to taking several performance-enhancing drugs such as Erythropoietin, testosterone and blood transfusions during his seven Tour de France victories. However, his punishment does not match his crime. The consequences are too harsh. Armstrong will be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from further biking competitions for life. He has resigned from his Livestrong cancer charity and lost all endorsements, Nike included. Armstrong is also being sued to return the $u million prize money from the Tours, and could serve up to five years in prison on counts of perjury. Being barred from further competition was inevitable, but that's where the punishment should have ended. Armstrong's guilt and penance are beyond the necessary retribution. Public confession alone is a sufficient consequence, as shame has now ruined his reputation. To begin with, Armstrong's body is his own. He should be able to do whatever he wants to himself. The consequences of steroids are substantial, and in no way am I condoning the use of performance-enhancing drugs — but the side effects are no secret. Athletes who take steroids will later have health repercussions. Gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, liver and artery damage and heightened aggressive behavior are some of the more prevalent adverse affects in males. Athletes know this — and they take steroids anyway. F COURTNEY TANNER Opinion Columnist Nevertheless, the use of steroids should be a personal choice. If an athlete is willing to put his or her body through these risks, then let him or her. The apt comparison is fast food. Excessive intake of fast food leads to obesity, sexual dysfunction, liver and artery damage and depression, which are all similar side effects to steroid usage — yet the consumption of fast food is a staple of most American diets. In fact, many of the cows that later become hamburgers are injected with anabolic steroids to ensure quick growth. So where do we draw the line for athletes' bodies? "The reaction from the fans and bike organizations is unjust and goes against what the sport of biking is all about," said Sevon Taroian, president of the U's bike club, Trollin' Rollers. "The sport is all about having fun regardless of skill level. Even in competition I do not believe they have the right to tell players what they can and cannot do to their body." Furthermore, Armstrong is not the first to use steroids, and he won't be the last. In fact, many cyclists used them while Armstrong did. There are many athletes still partici- pating in professional sports who have not owned up like Armstrong has. His admission is commendable. "All the fault and all the blame here falls on me," Armstrong said in a confession to Oprah Winfrey. "I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times. I made my decisions. They are my mistakes, and I am sitting here today to acknowledge that and to say I'm sorry for that." In 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It spread to his brain, lungs and abdomen. Doctors were not hopeful for his survival. Some estimated he had a 40 percent chance to live after surgery. But in 1997, Armstrong was pronounced cancer-free. He won his first Tour de France title in 1999. That's a lot to overcome, and he did what was necessary to persevere. Armstrong founded a cancer foundation — Livestrong. He has many supporters and fans who cherished him. Many hopefully still do. Tarnishing his reputation is cruel. It hurts not only him, but also everyone who believes in him. Millions of people will be devastated. "He has faced some tough times in his life and that's what makes him such [an] inspiration to others," Taroian said. Armstrong made a mistake, but that's all it was — the ultimate human flaw to which we all fall victim to one degree or another. He should be respected for his honesty, rather than condemned for his actions. Confession is enough punishment. letters@chronicle.utah.edu OF COURSE EVERJONE ELSE WAS DOING IT, MR. ARMSTRONG, BUT iOU'RE THE MOST FAMOUS! RORY PENMAN/The Daily Utah Chronicle a say regarding land or more than Soo years, colonial powers have brutally oppressed indigenous people all throughout the world. The United States is among these oppressive powers. Now is the time for what the First Nations people know as the "spark of the seventh fire," or a grassroots movement called Idle No More. In December, four women from Saskatchewan, Canada — Jessica Gordon, Sheelah Mclean, Sylvia McAdams and Nina Wilsonfeld — were discussing the lack of concern for the environment the Canadian government displayed. Their concerns revolved around a law that would take control of the majority of Canadian waterways away from the First Nations tribes, which had maintained the water's purity for centuries. Overnight it brought First Nations tribe leaders from dozens of districts together in unity. First Nations Chief Theresa Spence went on a hunger strike for 32 days protesting the law, which galvanized the movement on a global scale. The Idle No More movement set sail after the Canadian House of Commons passed Bill C-45, which was then signed into law by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It is a bill that is illegal on its face, for the law poses catastrophic threat to lakes, rivers and streams by opening them to corporate oil and mining companies that plan to poison the tar sands by drilling and excavating diamonds from them. Moreover, it violates the Colonial British North America Act of 1867; solidified land rights; The Indian Act Treaties of 1951; waterway rights, which are binding; and the Canadian Constitution Act Section 35, which orders any and all colonial governing powers to consult and affirm with native people before passing any laws that might affect them. Harper has close ties to the big gas and oil companies and rubs elbows with U.S. Congress members who are attempting to force the nefarious Keystone Pipeline expansion from Alberta, Canada, across the Midwest. Such actions are not only deadly to wild land ecology, but deleterious to the drinking water utilized by rural and urban cities. Greedy corporate suits do not possess the wisdom the First Nations people do — nature is the ultimate decision maker when it comes to survival. Idle No More isn't just about waterways and ecology — it shines of First Nations' rebirth. It signals a reclamation of land and nature, and a desperate but vital push to preserve F ROSE JONES Opinion Columnist fresh drinking water for our future generations. Aboriginal lives and traditions have been stashed away in reservations, slums and slave labor camps for colonial avarice. Native people's rights are based in respect for the natural environment. These people will be idle no more. Few countries have not been affected by European settlers or U.S. military occupation. Every colonized country has an intrinsic connection to Idle No More and the indigenous people from every country share concern for the destruction of their natural resources. This movement needs no central leadership because it has a life of its own — a life that is growing exponentially. Idle No More uprisings and protests are spreading across Alaska, where colonizers are killing the salmon progression. In New Zealand and Australia, colonialism is destroying coral reefs. South America is losing its vital rain forests and the magnificent Amazon because of corporate colonization. Latino, Mexican, Aztec, Incan and Mayan first nations are flooding their countries with Idle No More events. There are huge rallies, flash mobs and circle dances in Columbia, Chile, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Philippines, Cairo, Bagdad, Palestine and the South Pacific. It is also beginning in Islamabad and Kabul and other remote Middle East locations. Aboriginals and their supporters are filling shopping malls across the United States and are even stirring conversation in Utah. That is why the colonial powers are butting heads with Idle No More. It is why little is broadcast about it in American corporate media, and publications that do acknowledge it are negative. The Huffington Post reported that Idle No More is dividing and conflicting, and that its proponents make claims with no justification. But Idle No More is growing despite American corporate influence. It is bigger and stronger and has truth on its side. letters@ chronicle.utah.edu |
