The Daily Spectrum from Saint George, Utah • 4

Page A4 The Spectrum Thursday. April 4, 1996 Supreme Court can't duck right-to-die issue Assisted suicide, however, may be too hot an issue for that. 'The court is likely to be very fractured, and may benefit from waiting to see what kind of consensus emerges," Cheh said. Justice Antonin Scalia hinted this week he has no desire to debate the right to die. Scalia, one of the court's most conservative members, told a college audience in Virginia the existence and boundaries of any such right should come from state or federal law.

or a constitutional amendment. Kamisar agrees with Cheh's assessment of a split court. "I can't believe there are five votes to uphold a right to assisted suicide," he said, "but I'm not as confident about that as I was a month ago." Richard Carelli is a writer for The Associated Press. Opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of The Spectrum and managed to avoid any such confrontation for 14 more years. Just last year, the justices turned down a challenge by Dr.

Jack Kevorkian to Michigan's ban on assisted suicide. But sweeping rulings in which federal courts invoke the Constitution to invalidate state laws are a powerful lure for Supreme Court review. If the court tackles the issue, its decision likely would be announced sometime in 1997. "I thought the chance of gaining Supreme Court review was good after the 9th Circuit ruling." Sherry said, "and now I don't see how they can pass up either one of these cases." The two appeals court rulings do not really conflict with each other removing one possible argument in favor of Supreme Court review. In the absence of a definite conflict and sometimes in spite of one the justices let an issue percolate in lower courts, hoping a consensus will build.

laws, a step he must take within 90 days if he chooses not to seek review by the entire 2nd Circuit court. The nation's highest court in 1990 first recognized the constitutional right to die. It ruled that a terminally ill person may refuse life-sustaining medical treatment. The justices have not ventured back into that thicket of medical and legal ethics, and state legislatures have reacted to the 1990 decision with a patchwork of laws. No state law allows doctor-assisted suicide.

"The 1990 ruling really was a conservative one," said Kamisar. who opposes assisted suicide. "It's a long way from saying someone has a right to refuse medical treatment, bringing about a natural death, to saying someone has a right to speed up the natural course of things." The court in 1976 refused to get embroiled in the famous right-to-die New Jersey case of Karen Ann Quinlan. Court of Appeals struck down a Washington state law by saying the constitutional right to privacy encompasses a terminally ill person's decision get a doctor's help in choosing exactly how and when to die. And Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals struck down two New York laws imposing the same ban. The 2nd Circuit court did not base its ruling on the right to privacy, however. Instead, it said allowing some terminally ill people to disconnect life-support systems while forbidding others to end their lives with medication amounts to irrational and unlawful discrimination. Noting that the two rulings bind 12 states, Kamisar said, 'The rest of the country is left in disarray. Most states ban doctor-assisted suicide, but what are they to think now?" New York Attorney General Dennis Vacco said he is prepared to ask the Supreme Court to reinstate his state's A Supreme Court seemingly reluctant to clarify the scope of Americans' right to die may feel compelled to answef a question speeding its way: Can states ban doctor-assisted suicide? "The court can't duck this," said Suzanna Sherry, a University of Minnesota law professor.

University of Michigan law professor Yale Kamisar agreed. "We've had two bombshells within 30 days, more action in this area of the law than we've had in the previous 20 years. I think the justices have to take a look at all this." But Mary Cheh, a George Washington University law professor, suggested otherwise. "If history is any guide, they'll take their time," she said. "If they can avoid this, they will." Two federal appeals courts have sent shock waves through the medical and legal communities by striking down state bans on doctor-assisted suicide.

On March 6, the 9th U.S. Circuit 1 World ngnis reserved jr y' I 1996 by King Features Syndicate. Washington is 'Hole in One' capital of country Washington has just had its worst winter in a century. The good news about this is that we are once again the pothole capital of the world, a title we lost to Buffalo, N.Y., in 1983. What does it take to win the "Hole in One" Cup? Bad weather, rock salt and a "can-do" mayor.

Although the American people are always complaining about what goes on inside the Capital jBeltway, we are still envied for our pothojes. Many of them are so large that an aircraft can disappear into one and never be -heard of again. 1 During the Cold War the Soviets always suspected ST A (C Uteres crowc w. cw TuePAtf-v It I llM lemttit lyww He wxd mnmi. i mum iiimi in 1 By King Features Syndicate, Inc.

IZIIZ1 that our potholes were missile sites and accused us of violating the SALT agreement. After we permitted them to irrrrniir nrrf I inspect our roads, w-'tmm hpr atfripH that thp FROM THE READERS' POINT OF VIEW tragedies of homosexuals is that they have "no" future, that is, "no" children! If you have no children, how can a genetic trait be passed on? Cattlemen, horse, dog and cat breeders, etc. have been practicing genetic selection for centuries. If there is a desirable trait, they see that strain is reproduced. If there is an undesirable trait, that blood line is not allowed to reproduce.

Homosexuality, by its very nature, is selective breeding in practice, that is, the genes of the two individuals involved are not passed on since there can be no offspring of such a union. Since this selective non-breeding has been going on throughout all of mankind's recorded history those genes should have been eliminated long ago. Whatever may be the actual cause of homosexuality, it certainly would not appear to be genetics! Albert V. Burns Spanish Fork, Utah uivj i i in. only threat the potholes posed was to motorists in the District of Columbia.

When word was leaked that Washington had regained the "Hole in One" title, some taxpayers asked, "When the city is supposed to be practicing fiscal restraint, why is it constructing new potholes?" The answer to this is our potholes do not cost one cent. They are created free by out-of-town heavy trucks, buses and automobiles. The drivers donated their services. Some even dug the holes all night long in the freezing cold. Our beloved mayor, Marion Barry, gets credit for not only ensuring that the city was well supplied with holes but for insisting that they be distributed all over town.

By the way, there is no charge for hitting a pothole except what it costs to repair your vehicle. The mayor feels that the holes are a good investment because they encourage tourism. Visitors from all over the country come here and then go back home to try to replicate the holes which is impossible. The custodian of Washington potholes, who makes sure that they are never filled, is Timothy Maybank. He told me, "Our Founding Fathers were familiar with potholes and knew that the country could not survive without them.

They used the ones in Philadelphia as a model while drawing up plans for the streets in D.C. When the capital was moved here, horses and wagons from Wilmington, were purposely imported to create the holes, and many from that period still exist. Some are even designated as national monuments." To honor the occasion, each spring Washington holds a National Pothole Day when eight-wheelers from all over the United States descend on the city. There are prizes for the widest hole, the longest one and the grand trophy for the "Pothole of the Year." The day is sponsored by the vehicle body and repair industry, which offers to tow away, without charge, any conveyance that's had its underside damaged beyond repair. There are other cities and towns Queens.

N.Y.. comes to mind that maintain they have even larger potholes than Washington. I have been to Queens and I have ridden its rutted streets from LaGuardia Airport to New York City. Its potholes are sand and pebbles compared to ours on Constitution Avenue. As I write this, hundreds of vehicles are being swallowed up by Washington roads.

Are we upset over this? Hardly. Every morning we wake up and say. Thank you. Mayor Barry. Just point our wheels in the right direction.

We either sink or swim with you." Art Buchwald is a syndicated columnist. The opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of The Spectrum Ignoring applicants to military academies was a slap in Southern Utah's face by Sen. Bennett I have before me Senator Robert Bennett's announcement of his recommendations for the United States military academies. I found it very interesting, and quite frankly, it "stinks!" The only conclusion I could come to, having found eleven nominees from Brighton is: 1 That you must hail from that area. 2.

There is a lot of potential campaign donors in that area. 3. That Southern Utah has no outstanding, upstanding, worthwhile students in their schools! 4. That you don't need votes from Southern Utah. 5.

That you did not notify Southwestern area residents that nominations were being solicited for these honors. As almost all communications from your office pass through our hands, I believe that if such a notice had been received in our office, we would have published it and passed it on to interested parties. You have disappointed me. As secretary for an award winning newspaper. The Southern Utah News, we have attempted to include Senator Bennett's messages, doings, etc.

in our newspaper on a regular basis. But to have Bennett completely ignore our end of the state as if we don't exist, is a slap in the face. Having been around government offices for much of my career. I realize a secretary may not pass a letter on to the senator. His popularity here is just not what it has been.

Ruth D. Koontz Kanab, Utah Snow Canyon State Park has changed from backyard playground it once was How things have changed! Once a lovely, serene area, where we could take our visiting grandchildren and play on the sand dunes to enjoy a few peaceful hours of relaxation. Snow Canyon State Park is now a beehive of activity which has the oversight of armed state park rangers and a surly officious campground attendant, who seem totally fed up with answering questions and dealing with people in a friendly and helpful manner. Why have the sand dunes been placed "off limits" to our children except as fee paying campground guests? It was this question, probably asked already too many times today, which inspired the attendant at the campground entrance to order me to move my car (which I had purposely parked to be out of the way) and respond, "You don't have to come here you know!" (She never took the opportunity to answer my question.) What will be next, trail and climbing fees? What happens to the non-fee paying Kins children who are neighbors of the park and used to going there to simply play in "mother nature's" sand? Will they or their parents be fined or incarcerated? Why do we need state park "rangers" cruising around armed with "radar" and 9 mm's watching for an opportunity to cite someone. What has happened to the friendly campground hosts? Why not summon the county or state patrol if needed? This natural wonder is blighted with the presence of confrontational "enforcers" and signs totally out of character with the beauty of the place.

Another freedom lost? Maynard Sorensen Ivlns, Utah Homosexual genetic heredity: No kind of natural selection at work The recent controversy over homosexual clubs in our high schools, and even a "teachers" homosexualstraight alliance, has brought the subject of homosexuality squarely into the arena of public awareness once again. Many homosexuals and their supporters, some of whom are well-intentioned while others have decidedly evil purposes in supporting the homosexual movement, have recently been stating as fact the "premise" that homosexuality is innate in the individual, i.e.. that it is caused by one or more specific genes. Now. I am not the most brilliant person in the world, but that assertion causes a tremendous question in my "little grey cells." If homosexuality is, indeed, genetic in origin, "how" is it transmitted to the next generation? One of the greatest "There are kids using these dogs.

They are terrorizing parts of our neighborhood. People are scared." Councilman William Lightfoot concerning 90-day emergency legislation passed by the District of Columbia's city council that would force owners of pit bulls and rottweilers in the nation's capital to put a muzzle on their animals or face stiff penalties. "We're not getting fresh air in and we're not pumping out old air. Melissa J. Spillenkothen, assistant secretary for administration, as Transportation Department officials in Washington, responding to workers' complaints of headaches and sore throats, declared their headquarters a "sick building" and recommended relocating workers temporarily as the ventilation system is overhauled.

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