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Show FRIDAY, MARCH 4 , 2 0 0 4 UT A H ^ S T A T E S M A N 15 SYRIA From Page 10 again demanding "the spring, bolstered by an interimmediate withdrawal of all national observer presence." Syrian military and intelli- The unlikely but potent U.S.French alliance can bring extraordinary pressure to bear on Damascus if it chooses: The freezing of a European Union economic agreement and U.N. sanctions are among the available tools. The West can also support monitors or peacekeepers in Lebanon to fill any gap left by a Syrian withdrawal. The potential payoff is a big one: another free election in the Arab world this spring, an independent Lebanon and, just possibly, a change in Syria. The o l d , corrupt order in Beirut, as in Baghdad, is crumbling. Whether Mr. Assad survives its passing may depend on whether he adapts in time. gency over to the Iraqi government; the next day Syria's chosen prime minister in Lebanon resigned. Mr. Assad, meanwhile, gave an interview to an Italian newspaper declaring that Syrian troops could not withdraw from Lebanon, as required by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, in the absence of peace with Israel. His defenders appealed to the dictator-dominated Arab League to interpose itself between the United Nations and Damascus, so as to fashion an "Arab solution" - that is, one that essentially preserves the status quo. The Bush administration and the French government rightly sense an opportunity to brush off these maneuvers and side with the mobilized people of Lebanon. On Tuesday the two governments issued a statement The potential payoff is a big one: another free election in the Arab world this spring, an independent Lebanon and, just possibly, a change in Syria. gence forces from Lebanon" as well as "free and fair parliamentary elections this "Son, when I proposed to your Mom, she said yes before I even finished asking!" "Honey, when your Dad proposed, he could hardley speak! He stuttered so bad, I finally just said yes!" You'll have stories of your own to tell your kids about how you proposed to the woman you're going to love forever. Come see us for that part of the story that she'll show with each telling. C^tcyCx DIAMONDS JEWELRY 575 East 1400 North, Suite #130 • Logan • 753-3050 University Village Shopping Center, next to Lee's Marketplace This editorial appeared in Thursday's Washington Post. A Wee QGreeH JOBS From Page 13 after the last truck had been washed, gassed up and parked on the line. I'm sure they were deliberately being generous and had discovered a way of putting extra money into the pockets of a struggling college student. It was a good summer, not just because of the money, but because I had a chance to spend time daily with men who had never gone to college but who were excited for me that I was getting the opportunity to do so. Every morning in the break room, as the drivers came in for their assignments and the laborers gathered for coffee and mapped out their day, I would listen to their jokes, their lies and their "woman problems" at the same time that they were encouraging me to "get that education, boy." Thinking back on my early work experiences, including & FINE the first full year of employment after graduation at my hometown newspaper (the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), much of what I received was a lot more valuable than the salary. My Social Security statement shows that I made $7,800 during my first year as a reporter. But the friends I made, the lessons I learned and the skills I honed during those 12 months were priceless. I shall never forget the people who offered support throughout the years, but especially those wno early on saw in me some things I didn't see in myself at the time. Last year the family of one of the Gifford-Hill drivers who befriended me more than three decades ago was surprised when I showed up the night before his funeral. The wife knew me, but his adult children had no idea that their father had played an important role in my life. It was funny - and moving - that as I looked over my Social Security statement, I could pick practically any employment year and remember invaluable relationships that to this day mean a lot more than the •money. While the chart in the statement showing my estimated monthly income upon retirement is interesting and offers some financial assurances, I realize that real security lies not in the dollars that have been stored up in the system. It is in those devoted family members and lasting friends who have stored up a lot of love for you over the years. That kind of security can't be bought. Bob Ray Sanders is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Readers may write to him at bobray@startelegram.com. CHANGE I • Include*UpTfl S qU 10/30Oil,fflMn-CtmthUfa,TopOfl I I Flute, CtakB«K*,KoMt Air f f a , Tin Pnmura I I W» coupon onlr-ltoltMMfunjfcintf OH, tSfUm Mi BRAKE SPECIAL 49 AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS 2000 N 55 E North Logan (435) 755-9997 •m /'rant dhc or war drum, moot cant amf llfihi truck*. I Mi*/ valid with any vihrr uffrr. /ixplrvx f/4/03 - [LUCKY LEPRECHAUNWILDCARD] WE DO IT ALL! Engine Performance/Repair * Computer Diagnostics • Braket • CV Axles • Emissions • Safety inspection I * Transmissions • A/C • Clutches • Attomaton • Used Car Evaluations • Cooling Systems 00 HO OFF Any B#rvfC9r mcoiwoty.HoiYWwMmyoBmotto.tifiimMa PRIVATE PROPERTY From Page 12 pretation is the crux of this issue. If the Court decides that the Constitution allows for the taking of property because there is a perceived (it is abstract and theoretical because there are many unseen factors that influence the viability of such endeavors) public benefits then where do these takings end? Where will the limit be placed on what constitutes a public benefit? Several government authorities have already hinted at taking intellectual property in the name of the public good. In D.C., legislators are considering declaring a health care emergency and confiscating patents held by drug companies (ironic that Pfizer would be on the losing end of this property theft, what goes around comes around), compensating them, and giving the patents to a small company willing to produce a generic version at minimal cost to the public. Like taking the private property of citizens for an unknown short-term public benefit, this will be detrimental to all of society. Do you think drug companies are going to continue to develop new drugs that cure disease if they are just going to have the patent stolen by the people in the name of public benefit? All incentives go out the window. I guess there goes some future cure to cancer and AIDS. Even more important is the question of where does it end. Why not confiscate the services of physicians under the medical emergency? Compensate them for their time in medical school and make them serve the public benefit. There are numerous examples of what can be confiscated for the public benefit, the term itself is abstract and encompasses everything that free markets provide. Confiscating personal homes and making them available for the poor to move in, all the food grown by farmers and ranchers, taken and given to the public free, are all logical steps under this type of thinking. The problem is that government officials and Americans have forgotten these goods provided to us are provided at a cost and are only produced because there might be a profit in the end. They cannot just be taken and given to another without society undergoing severe negative effects. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the City of New London as the Connecticut State Supreme Court d i d , then they will have failed America and betrayed out heritage of freedom. Private property will become a right of the past like so many rights the Court has sold down the river in the name of humanity and intellectual progress. Such a decision will unravel the very fabric that built and still holds our great nation together. fared Scott Westbroek is a senior majoring in law and Constitutional studies. Comments can be sent to jwestbroek@cc. usu. edu. The Last Home Stand for Men's Basketball Utah State vs. VS. Idaho Friday, Mar. 4 7:05 p.m. Gymnastics Utah State vs. California VS. Monday, Mar. 7 6:45 p.m. Senior Night Game Sponsor: Don't miss the Big West Tournament Atumni Pre-game Party Friday, Mar. 11 3-5 p.m. Anaheim Hilton Hotel For More Information Call 797-2055 Game Sponsor: Big West Tournament Tickets Available! 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