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Show Comment Thursday, February 12, 1981 Page A-- 3 Politicians And Press Naturally Conflict H By EDWIN FEULNER J ft "Every President, when he first enters the tyhite House, promises an 'open He swears he likes reporters, 'Vill cooperate with them, will treat them as 0,,rst-clas- s citizens," Timothy Crouse ob-rv- es in The Boys on the Bus. " "V'The charade goes on for a few weeks or lonths, or even a couple of years. All the cephile the Presidednt is struggling to suppress Hitn overwhelming conviction that the press is spying to undermine his administration, if not 'e Republic. . . Then, sooner or later he tjlows." festj Perhaps the only exception to this rule was ! filliam Henry Harrison. He died one month Eter his inauguration. )ecn Presidential news management has been i f4n American dilemma ever since the birth of lizes, ngtt; the Republic. George Washington wanted a State Department clerk fired because he edited an newspaper. John Adams and his supporters in 1798 pushed through Congress the Alien and Sedition Acts. Thomas Jefferson promptly pardoned all those con-victed under the act when he took office in 1801, but later remarked that a few good prosecutions might restore the integrity of the press. Woodrow Wilson once considered a federal news agency to make sure the public got the "real facts." Harry Truman main-tained that in a national emergency he had the right to seize the nation's newspapers. John Kennedy suggested that The New York Times' Saigon correspondent be replaced after he consistently sent dispatches at great critical and pessimistic variance from the reports he was getting from his own people. George Reedy, a former Special Assistant to Lyndon Johnson, ascribed this long-standing antagonism between the President and the press to a fundamental dichotomy of interests that exists between newspapermen and politicians. "Politicians, as a class, are dedicated to changing the world. With very few ex-ceptions, they have in their minds some bright and shining ideal which is so obviously superior to what exists that it seems to be reality, with the actual world around them merely some kind of aberration," Reedy observed. "Newspapermen, on the other hand, are held, to some degree, to the facts. . . . it is still their principal mission to present the world as it is. The two points of view are fundamentally incompatible." And this condition leads Reedy to the conclusion that "no amount of manipulation can ever produce newspapers that are satisfactory to political leaders, or politicians who are satisfactory to newspapermen (unless George Orwell's nightmare, in which politicians had the capacity not only to produce newspapers but to rewrite the newspapers of the past, comes to fruition)." Reedy's remarks should be instructive to conservatives, who perhaps harbored hopes that President Reagan's landslide victory signaled a four-ye- ar honeymoon between this President and the press. Unfortunately, that's just so much wishful thinking. It's important that we accept gracefully the "bad reviews" that are bound to come, and recognize the inevitability of it all. To expect anything less would be to create a dream world that has never existed in the past, and likely never will. tyuA Steven Cadi M ) The sweetest gift. A gift of Russell Stover Candies is always in good taste. Remember someone special today with the finest quality chocolates. Russell Stover Candies has many assort-ments for gift giving. rai882 1UU 1982 JP Yippee! This Wagon Train means real value for you, andyour favorite cowboy. Hltch up to the solid craftsmanship of Wagon Train from Stanley Fumtture. Kr3 Imaginalions ride with the western styling of hardwood solids, simulated wood eftecls. and Wagon Train. 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SEAFOOD CHICKEN, ETC. A FEW OF OUR OTHER SELECTIONS atHe sSoT llu S5 DINNER DINNER SHRIMP jjjjj IrTT$1.99 $2.99 $3.99 .99 MENU SERVED TO ANYONE - ANYTIME CLOSED SUNDAYS FROM FRIDAY & SATURDAY 1 T 9 30 iiwjjWPI SPANISH FORK ' ffT" , PR0V0 985 North jf 'IflO, A ifiVlTv 1460 North Main Street n'j'fU1 'iff IHl1)'' State Street hone 798-288- 5 J'' Phone 377-712- 8 Jets' . LETTERS ft to mt ESPSTOM Send letters to Box 7, American Fork 84003 Hatch Sponsors Blood Bill Legislation pending before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee is designed to assure safe, sufficient supplies of blood and blood products at reasonable cost to hospital patients and accident victims, according to the bill's chief sponsor, Sen. Orrin Hatch. Hatch is chairman of the committee. The Blood Assurance Act of 1981, S. 140, would establish through a private entity a national ex-change program with all blood suppliers par-ticipating and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) overseeing its implementation; would phase-ou- t over a period of three years fees for of blood; and would provide federal government support for public education and awareness of blood and blood needs. "Assuring all Americans adequate blood resources is a significant and important health issue. It is clearly preferable that the existing blood organizations meet this goal without federal legislation," Hatch said. "However, the proposal incorporated in the Blood Assurance Act is more a federal prod than an in-tervention. On that basis, I am prepared to have this bill, and other proposals, considered by the Com-mittee on Labor and Human Resources if current private initiatives fail. "Beginning next month the major organizations involved in blood activities in this country will enter into a th implementation stage of a national blood resources sharing agreement. I am hopeful the continued cooperation of all parties to this agreement may solve some of the fundamental problems that have plagued the blood industry over the last few years. "It is my intention to follow the progress made under the new sharing agreement and eventually to seek comment from across the nation as to the impact of this program," Hatch said. Johnson Passed Test )ear Editor, I tMuch has been said lately about the resignation of I Hand Priday from the Alpine School District J ard of Education and the responsibility of the our remaining board members to appoint a suc- - essor. I hope the board members will remember the ecent school board election and will appoint the nan who defeated two other candidates in the dmary and garnered 47 percent of the vote in the ;eneral election. Reese Johnson has shown his willingness to serve tie public by investing his own time and money in a ublic election. It would be unfair to appoint omeone else who was not willing to make this I would question the dedication of a erson who was willing to be appointed, but not rilling to face a public election. I have spoken to my school board representative, laniel Fugal, and asked him to support Reese ohnson. I encourage other citizens to contact their epresentative on the school board and express leir opinions concerning an honest and fair JE Sincerely, OQ Dawayne Cordner Pleasant Grove Lauds Freedom of Press jar Editor: I've been excited about the appeal am the Review for feedback, par-jjpati-and suggestions from fders and especially applaud the JJilvuf tile editors to try to" get 'away ' ra' interpretive reporting and esent primary source material, iwever, I'm probably typical of est of the readers who like the idea io, but are slow to respond, feel idequate in writing ability and n't have much time to work on it. 'e decided to go ahead and do the st I can anyway, because one of the eatest freedoms we have is a free ess, the right to have a fair, un-ise- d interpretation of the news, and ' opportunity to have our ideas and inions heard. I've been alarmed at ne things I've seen and read of how inted and unfair reporting have en the deciding factor in elections, , Jgrams and policies (right here in ppy Valley). Are we abdicating s great freedom by our neglect and athy? !'ve heard that more and more local pers are being bought up and ltrolled by big eastern news syn-ate- s who use managed news and ?ss reports to indoctrinate the Jple. I know that the first thing ee who want to take over and itrol a people with totalitarian itrol, do is to try to control the rmation they receive. h long as local citizens have an opportunity to hear the issues and fair discussion on them, we will, I'm certain be able to make the right choices and retain our important freedoms. . I . would encourage all., to. take advantage of this great op-portunity and help keep our local home town paper the voice of the people. I'm sure we all have the faith and believe as our great President Abraham Lincoln (whose birthday we remember on Feb. 12), "Let the American people, know the facts and the country will be saved." He also tells us the necessary formula for saving our country. "We have been the recipient of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in num-bers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown; but we have forgotten God - intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too nt to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. "It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness." (A Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, March 30, 1863). Thelma Thomas Pleasant Grove dfice furniture- - scoj batteries 6UiND0J M l 1980 L A. Tlms Synd Three Items which the U.S.D.A. does not allow into hot dogs. Editorial Recreation officials, swim team parents, and the city of Pleasant Grove have been desirous for many years to cover the city swimming pool so that it could be used year-roun- d. The problem has been getting financing. No funds are available from the city budget to pay for such an undertaking. Councilman Frank Mills has brought company representatives in to give estimates on the cost to cover the pool with a "bubble" type which is being used more and more throughout the area for pools. Still no funds were available for even this method of making the pool usable twelve months of the year. Swim-tea- m parents have been raising money over the years for swim team activities and are anxious to help to get the pool covered. A committee headed by Heber Baker has been organized to make a community effort to see that the project is ac-- , complished. The city swimming pool is one of the most popular places for recreation in the summertime. There is no reason why it couldn't be used in the winter months as well. The Pleasant Grove High School swim team needs a place to practice so that they can adequately compete with other schools. In addition, the city swim team, one of the best in the Utah Valley Swim League, needs to practice year-roun- d as do the teams from the other communities who have indoor swimming pools. Pleasant Grove swimmers begin the summer league season at a severe disadvantage since they cannot begin to practice until the pool opens in late May or early June. Swimming instructors have pushed for indoor facilities to be made available to these deserving youth. The community has an excellent opportunity now to rally round Mr. Baker and his committee as well as the swim team parents' organization to see that a project of this magnitude is realized. Organizations and clubs, school groups, church groups, businessmen and individuals can contribute to the cause and this dream can become reality. If other communities can do it, so can Pleasant Grove. Right? |