The Daily Spectrum from Saint George, Utah • 6

Visit us on the Internet www.thespectrum.com Wednesday, September 27, 2006 The Spectrum Daily News A6 Getting Your Opinion Published Mail to 275 E. St. George St. George, UT 84770 Fax to (435) 674-6265 For e-mail, see Instructions below. Letters E-mail: opinlonsthespectrum.com We welcome your comments on editorials, columns, other topics in The Spectrum or any subjects Important to you.

Only submissions that include name, address and day and evening phone numbers, and that are verified by The Spectrum, can be considered for publication. Letters must be 200 or fewer words. All submissions may be edited for length, accuracy and clarity. Letters are limited to one published per writer every 30 days. All submissions to The Spectrum Daily News, Including letters to the editor, editorial columns, articles and vents, may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.

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Please remember to be civil. The Writers Group This group of 20 writers is comprised of local residents. They write once every four weeks. Editorial Board Donnie Welch, president and publisher Todd Seifert, editor Jennifer Weaver, editorial page editor Steve Kiggins, Cedar City bureau chief Gloria Bertram, employee representative Sally Musemeche, community representative Contact Editorial Page Editor Jennifer Weaver: (435) 674-6202, jeweaverthespectrum.com The Spectrum Daily News The Spectrum Daily News will protect First Amendment rights, enhance the free flow of information and provide information necessary to the informed practice of citizenship. rail service a boon portation of iron ore mined by Palladon Ventures, which is in the process of preparing the ComstockMountain Lion mines for commercial operation.

The projects can't succeed without rail service and Cedars rail service won't flourish without these undertakings. What comes first, the chicken or the egg? could apply here, as well as the argument that Cedar City may be placing all its eggs in one basket However, what is apparent is that visionary city officials and business leaders are looking for a sound investment that will yield economic advantages. They are wisely trying to create a niche for the municipality that will benefit its residents for the long run. Is it a gamble? Sure it is, especially when Union Pacific has been unpredictable in the past. That's why it's imperative to look at bolstering the economy in as many ways as possible in addition to planning for more affordable housing and related domestic transportation issues that will come with any form of new growth.

There is never one solution that is a cure-all, but making every effort to find remedies that work is worth while. Cedar's past leaders whipped up the right concoction for their time. Today's leaders are trying to do the same. That's a chance worth taking. Sometimes moving forward means looking back.

That's what Cedar City officials have done by to be like their predecessors 85 years ago with their forward thinking about rail service. early 1920s, the city took from its budget and paid for right-of-way of the Union Pacific's rail spur from Lund to Cedar freight line proved most and expanded over the years budding economy that had with added commerce from tourism and the shipping such as iron ore. late 70s and early 80s, closure the mines and Union Pacific's led to the threat in 1994 of rail spur being removed from Recruitment of manufacturers utilize the freight line saved line has remained an source of high-end profitability for years. upon the city's heritage influenced industrial developers, cooperation with the city, to a goal of turning 6,500 rails that frequent the Festival 45,000 cars annually from Pacific's Salt Lake City-to-Los route. This projection from Quantum Development's of Port 15 Utah, an 800-acre industrial park, and the trans LDS Church; or Warren Jeff Fundamentalist Church as representing His; and God's views? Confusing.

It is hard to imagine how an all seeing, all knowing God; who sees the end from the beginning, would have gotten it wrong. lithe LDS changed commandments from God for political correctness, what does that say about church values? Donald Reinert Hurricane under fire in Iraq Cedar's In Our View The Issue: Cedar City looks toward bolstering its rail service. Our Opinion: Capital ventures won't thrive without rail service and rail service won't flourish without the industrial undertakings, so taking what worked in the past and turning it out for the future is a chance worth taking. Courage Sometimes I mull for quite a while over what topic I should write about. Other times topics just jump up and smack me upside the head.

This is one of those times. Thanks to reporters fixated on every scrap of bad news, we hear little about the day-to-day dedication of our military members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. This doesn't make much sense to me. There are such great stories to cover, you'd think they'd be scrambling to get them. I guess it's just not stylish to dwell on heroism.

Well, today I'm dwelling. On the night of Dec. 5, 2005, a convoy of military and contract vehicles was returning to the large U.S. base outside the city of Balad. The troops escorting the convoy in up-armored and well-armed Humvees (known as "gun were just about to return inside the base.

Suddenly, they were taking fire from insurgents. By itself, this wasn't notable since this kind of action takes place daily in the Sunni triangle, but the troops manning these gun trucks weren't Army soldiers, but U.S. Air Force airmen. Not often mentioned, USAF personnel in Iraq are taking on ground combat roles traditionally performed by the Army or Marines. Airman First Class O'Hara, manning a .50 caliber machine-gun mounted on one of the Humvees, later recounted "I saw all these tracers and Exercise As the election draws near, the rhetoric gets louder and more shrill.

The Administration and members of the ruling party are bound and determined to make the central issue of the campaign terror. On the opposite side, the minority party stresses the war in Iraq. It seems to me that more heat than light is being shed on these subjects. It is easier to call names and challenge the integrity of the opposition than it is to put forth positive thoughts. Unfortunately, I believe the situation will only get worse instead of better.

For example, in a recent column, one of this group's writers choosing of about In the $5,000 the 21 -mile City. This valuable with the grown increased of products In the of cutbacks Cedars use entirely. to it, but the untapped Reflecting is what in formulate cars a year City into the Union Angeles comes construction Fees make hunting a rich man's privilege Hunting and fee policies of the Department of Wildlife Resources do little to favor hunters or wildlife. Instead, they adversely impact the resource and make hunting a rich man's privilege. This time, the department leadership will have us buy a small game license to be eligible to draw for big game tags, even if we do not wish to hunt small game.

A person wishing to hunt only elk, deer or other big game would first have to buy a $26 small game licence and pay a $10 "handling fee" to be eligible to draw a tag. If that person is successful in the draw they will still have a big game licence to buy. If they are unsuccessful in the draw they will have paid $26 for a small game licence they didn't want and a $10 "handling fee." More likely than not this new "scheme" (like the "dedicated" hunter program) will increase pressure on wildlife; this time, small game will get hammered by putting a lot of draw applicants in the field-hunters that would not otherwise have been there. Is it time we started talking to our legislators? LaVoyTolbert Loa Confused about LDS Church practices Joseph Smith was the origi nal prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who supposedly got his directions directly from God. Joseph Smith and the church practiced polygamy and discrimination toward blacks, during his lifetime, and at God's direction.

Did Joseph get bad directions from God? Did God change his mind? Did the LDS Church change its views for political expediency? Confusing. If Joseph got this wrong, what else did he get wrong? If Joseph came back today, would he recognize the current that Republicans are primarily to blame is being dishonest. Congress is not dysfunctional only because the Republicans overcame the majority of Democrats that voted not to protect our borders first Democrats were in their majority to vote for the McCain-Kennedy Bill in the Senate when they were unsuc cessful. They now want to avoid passing any immigration reform and try to make the Republicans look respon sible. Sensenbrenner is right, the Pence-Hutchinson Bill is another path to citizenship with one speed bump.

Navarratte likes to make you believe the Border Patrol does not believe a fence will work, which is absolutely untrue. It is true they will try to go around, but a fence will confine most into single areas where they can be put under control. The 11 mile fence in San Diego is 100 percent successful. Democrats and Republicans are equally guilty of being slow to go after employer sanctions. If you want 65 million new citizens here in the next 15 years, most depending on free social services, with an average 10th grade education and a substantial increase in crime, then vote Democratic.

Bruce Addis St. George Asay cartoons are racist and offensive Please give us a break from the incredibly racist and offensive political cartoons by Asay! The implication in Sunday's cartoon was that Muslims (drawn the same way as Jihadists by Asay) are murderers and peace activists are idiots. That would be the same as me blaming the fundamentalist Christians in the current United States administration for killing thousands of innocent Muslims in Iraq! Dorothy M. Uherka Cedar City I What's on your mind? We want to hear from you. Many issues cross the minds of Southern Utahns every day.

For more diverse opinions on a wide range of topics, visit southernutah blog.com Read the comments and then share with the world what YOU think! TheSpectrum imMwm mm fl'U I Tad Trueblood World Affairs turned my turret more to the left and started laying down suppressive fire so the rest of us and the convoy could get out of the kill zone." That's standard operating procedure in an ambush. Get the attackers' heads down and get your vehicles out of danger. Sometimes, it doesn't work out as neatly as the handbook says. One of the contract vehicles, manned by two civilians, took a hard hit and was soon engulfed in flames. That's when another young airman, the driver of one of the gun trucks, drove pell-mell to put the gun truck between the incoming hostile fire and the stricken vehicle.

The driver, also a trained combat life-saver, jumped out of the gun truck to pull the two men from the burning wreck (while still under fire). The driver later described the scene: "He's been hit in the shoulder, and it's a clean entry wound, clean exit wound. We provide security, the truck catches on fire. We tried to put it out to no avail. I did first aid) from there on out, and applied pressure to the wound." Here's the other wrinkle.

civic duty Ira Whitlock referred to Ned Lamont who won the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate from Connecticut as "Red Ned." Why was this necessary? Is it because Mr. Lamont opposes the war and, thus, is less than credible? One can certainly disagree with the views of another person without challenging that person's integrity or patriotism. We, who are in the center, or even Tiff A Economist's view on gas prices in Utah The response I give my students concerning gas prices in Utah may be helpful. Lack of competition: Small number of producers control the supply (oligopoly): Compare railroads in the 1800s, American automobiles before imports, the telephone service. Refineries can shut down without fear of competitors taking market.

Brisk business in Utah doesn't grant price increases to other industries because they have competition. It is true everyday gas prices are based on the price of crude to the refiners some months earlier. Because refiners all over the country have the same purchasing practice, this doesn't justify higher Utah prices. What can be done? Obtain from state and federal incumbents and candidates for office a firm plan to rectify the petroleum issue. Encourage citizen and government oversight for and transparency of the petroleum industry including even local distribution systems.

M. Thomas Boley, M.S., Salt Lake Community College, adjunct professor, Holladay Democrats voted not to protect borders Ruben Navarratte's recent article on immigration is 80 percent hype. To insinuate merry way. Studies have shown that Americans know more TV sitcom characters than their Congressman or members of the Supreme Court We talk about being a democracy, but what good is it if we refuse to take part? Whatever your views are, I strongly encourage you to vote. Get informed on the issues and then act in accordance with those views.

Too many are willing to vote a certain way because that is the way their parents or others they respect vote or not vote at all. What a waste of our God given abilities. It's time to wake up! Ira II hillock is a resident of St George. Both these brave airmen, along with two others involved in the action that day, were young women. Airman Nicole O'Hara, deployed from Langley AFB in' Virginia, was the gunner.

Staff Sgt. Charnetta McDonald and Senior Airman Candi Laury, both assigned to Patrick AFB, Florida, were also in the ambushed convoy. In a post-firefight interview, Sgt McDonald sounded every inch the combat veteran. "I can sit and explain all day long how important everybody's job is over here, but to fully understand, they'd actually have to be here." Airman Laury added, "WTien you come home and everyone's safe, every day is your best day that's why we wear these uniforms." And that brave drivercombat life-saver? Airman First Class Charity Trueblood, from the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron at Malmstrom AFB in Montana, was awarded the Bronze Star for valor that night. The citation states that her "selfless acts during hostile actions saved the lives of 39 personnel." She's not a direct relation that I'm aware of but I'm glad to share a last name with her, and proud our country produces young heroes like her.

Tad Trueblood has more than 20 years of experience as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and as an analyst in the national security community. He is a Santa Clara resident. and take left, have a Constitutional right to express our views as do those on the right of the political spectrum. Call me a bleeding heart I wear the badge proudly.

As an example of how I believe we should comport ourselves, for the past 15 years I have taught an American Government class at the Institute for Continued Learning, a part of the continuing education program of Dixie State College. At almost every session we discuss controversial subjects. There are only two rules: Treat each other with respect and; When disagreeing with part in democracy the message, attack the message and not the messenger. Believe me, we have very lively debates, but when we leave the class we depart as friends and look forward to the next debate. The president has stated on numerous occasions that one of the reasons we are fighting in Iraq is to bring democracy to that part of the world.

He talks of the importance of the Iraqis being able to vote and how they treasure that right I wonder if we, as Americans, really understand how important this right and others we have are. It is easy to complain about things we do not like and then go on our.