OCR Text |
Show Southern Utah Pro-MX Group Heads for Washington D. C. Not everyone is against MX, and a group of southern Utahns set out to prove it Wednesday in Milford, with a Pro-MX Rally at the Milford High school gym, drawing a big crowd of supporters from as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada and Salt Lake City. The group, spearheaded by the Milford Business Association, is planning a trip to Washington, D.C. April 10, to show their support of MX. A chartered plane, paid for out of their own pocket, will carry approximately 100 supporters to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressional leaders, the Utah and Nevada delegations, top Air Force personnel and possibly Secretary of Defense Weinberger and President Reagan. "We don't have confirmation from Sec. Weinberger and the President yet," Keith Long, chief organizer, said, "but we hope they will see us. We are tired of hearing a vocal minority espouse that MX is no good, too expensive, and that no one living in the deployment area wants it. "We believe just the opposite," Long said. "MostAmericans sup- port a strong national defense, and MX is just a part of what must be done to achieve military parity with Russia, and deter a nuclear war. We also support the President's proposed buildup of conventional forces, and his firm stance in El Salvador, and the rest of the world." John Maxey, president of the Milford Business Association said, "We plan to organize as the Utah-Nevada Citizens for MX, to offset the antl-MX group. This very vocal minority, led by Ed Firmage, of the University of Utah, has been very outspoken and pretends to represent a majority of Utah and Nevada. "This just isn't so," Maxey said, "and we intend to be heard. There is strong support for MX throughout the deployment area and we intend to prove it. While there are many who don't care one way or another, we believe that there are many more who support the MX deployment than oppose it. That's what the Utah-Nevada Citizens for MX will prove." Milford, along with Coyote Springs, Nev. is favored by the Air Force as locations for major Air Force bases if the MX is deployed in the Great Basin. MX consists of 200 missiles with 10 warheads each, deployed in a race track system of deployment. The 200 missiles would be shuttled around 4,600 shelters in the Great Basin. Tickets for the Washington, D.C. trip are on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations are $300 and should be received by April 1 by sending to UTAH-NEVADA CITIZENS FOR MX, co John Maxey, Box 846, Milford, Utah 84751. |