Reporter Katherine Bonnin
Dillon Delegation
News Story
2/8/06
Advocacy- active support; especially the act of pleading or arguing for something. Of all the ways someone can participate in their government advocacy is probably one of the most important. By convincing peers and policy-makers that certain reforms in the government are crucial for economic, social, and political development, you can spark a change in your community, and make people care about and participate in the process that shapes our society.
As a youth, we are the ones who will eventually decide the future fate of this country. If anyone thinks that we have to wait until it is our turn to decide what happens to our country then they are in for a surprise! We have the power to change the way this country and state operates, all we have to do is take our ideas and concerns and run with them. We have already started to create a new society with the things we have done lately and the respect that we demand.
Youth Legislature gives the perfect opportunity to develop the skills needed to advocate the problems that concern us the most. Right now is the best time to follow through with our ideas. Why can’t our bills become laws? If you are concerned about your bill, get someone to help you write a real one when you get home. It wasn’t long ago we were seen and not heard and now we want both, so join in or move over.
Keeping Your Nose to the Grind
Hannah L. Honey
Darby
Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived a beautiful girl with her evil stepmother and two ugly stepsisters. Along came the beautiful girl's fairy godmother who dressed up the beautiful girl for an elegant dance so she could meet a charming prince. The beautiful girl was having a splendid time at the dance when a charming young prince sidled behind her and began to roughly "grind" upon her. Does this fit your image of a fairytale? Then why should it fit the glass slipper that is Youth Legislature?
The dictionary defines "grind" as "to sharpen, polish, or shape by friction, to reduce to fine particles as by crushing or friction." Sounds like fun doesn't it? This year when your birthmother asks you what you did at the dance you could always say "Oh not much just got sharpened, polished and shaped by friction a few times, it was great." I bet she'll be flabbergasted.
Last year an enjoyable banquet quickly turned into a macabre affair as the first strains of "Dancing Queen" weaned our undercover reporter away from the polling booth. Our undercover reporter was less than a minute arrived on the dance floor when a mastodon of a man was on her like grippe on a grippe-infested Finnishman. For the men who will never experience what "grinding," "freakdancing," or "loose caboosing" feels like, imagine this: you're a narrow doorway to a bakery and a 300 pound woman wants her bearclaw. She moves her body vertically and horizontally in no particular rhythm, with no care for the doorway's comfort and when she's finished she doesn't stick around or even bother to look at the doorway the next morning in the Senate. Furthermore, this is "model government," can you imagine Conrad Burns "loose caboosing" with Hilary Clinton at the annual Senator's Ball? That doesn't exactly sound like a fairytale does it?
Now "grinding" may be the vogue, or even the "cosmopolitan" thing to some seventeen year-old-girls, but it's time for people to learn to dance through life by a maxim: if Elle {insert girl's name here} doesn't give a good vibe body naturally to an attempted grind, don't get mad, just move along. I apologize if this hard for some readers to digest.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be an anti-hussy, I'm just asking for the men and three women who decide to "grind" this year to be considerate of their grindees. So, in closing, well groomed patrons of this great organization, please be careful this year with the glass slipper that is Youth Legislature.
Note: Calvin Murphy has provided his support for this editorial. See you at the dance!
Lily McLaughlin
Gardiner
Editorial
Injustices to the Unborn
Abortion has been a highly controversial topic for over 30 years. But there is nothing to support the court’s decision on abortion. Often, abortions result in difficulties in child bearing or even infertility, not to mention emotional instability. It gives women the opportunity to be irresponsible in their actions. It does not matter if they conceive an unwanted child; abortion is just a quick fix to relieve them of their obligations… their children. As an alternative to abortion, thousands of couples are desperate to adopt children, especially infants. Why not go through the pregnancy and give the unwanted child up for adoption and avoid years of guilt and pain? Roe vs. Wade does not give women the right to choose, they had that before. No, Roe vs. Wade gives them the right to kill their own children.
Hair pieces and government?!?!
Yes, you did read that correctly. The Gardiner Youth and Government program is very proud to have started a new party entitled the Toupee Party that was established last year by Steven Olig and Trevor Anderson. Many of you might not know much about the party platform. One of the great characteristics of the party is that it does not vote on party lines like the Republicans and Democrats. It is for people who hate parties. In theory, each member of Congress should vote according to the views of their constituents, the people they are representing. From each area in the state, there are many views and by having 535 members in Congress, our government is able to work as a democracy where everybody’s voice is heard. If people vote along party lines, then only two voices are heard. The toupee party is trying to change this, by not telling their members how to vote. The members of the Toupee party are also tending to be socially conservative and economically liberal. They believe that the Montana Legislature should focus their attention on fixing problems that they are capable of curing. Montana doesn’t make a huge difference in a lot of nation wide problems such as abortion and gay rights. The Toupee party thinks Montana should spend a large portion of their money on education where they can really make an impact. For the reasons listed above, it is apparent that the party has great ideals and views. They are looking ahead in Montana’s future, which is something everyone can agree on.
By: Erica Wallen, Gardiner Delegation
Weston Lewis, Reporter
Gardiner
Don’t Be A Sheep
Picture this: you are in committee or on the floor of the House or Senate and some “jerk” says something that you think is preposterous. Your first reaction is probably to make as quick a rebuttal as you possibly can. Well that’s wrong. I want you to just stop and let those words sink in for at least three seconds before you try to stomp the speaker into the ground. That way you actually have something intelligent and well thought out when you next open your mouth rather than the emotional garble we are all accustomed to. Let’s all recognize the fact that each of us is not the center of the universe and other people might, just maybe, know what they are talking about. So… how about we listen to one another and have a great session here at YIG this year.
Lindsey Parsons
Editorial
Jefferson High School
Trading public land has Lincoln and the Bitterroot in an uproar. The proposed deal would have landowner, J.R. Miller Ranches, substitute his 1,458 acres of land owned in the surrounding Lincoln area, for 800 acres of government owned land surrounding his ranch in the Bitterroot Valley. Talk of the swap taking place enraged the hunters of the Bitterroot, as well as recreational snowmobilers statewide.
Substituting prime elk hunting land for a larger amount of snowmobiling land would be a good trade for the government, but possessing such land that is priceless is immoral. Nobody is allowed to steal land from its inhabitants. The people in Lincoln who wish to acquire the land solely for financial gains to their community want it for the wrong reasons. If Lincoln residents happen to increase the public land then that would be a gain, but if they didn’t obtain the land, they wouldn’t be losing precious land that has been used and passed down from generation to generation.
Keeping the land with it’s current and rightful owners is the right thing to do. If the land in the Bitterroot remains in the hands of the government nobody will be robbed. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is the legal thing to do. It is against the law for the government to buy or sell land for less than its appraised value. Also, the land in Lincoln is of lesser value than the land in the Bitterroot. Anyway considered, it is a loss to Montanans.
Capital Punishment
By Chrissy Simons
Medicine Lake
Can capital punishment be termed as “cruel and unusual” punishment? To this I say no it cannot. If it is cruel and unusual, why would the guilty party commit a crime similar to this, with the only difference being that a criminal does it without any warrant? Capital punishment is a form of just punishment for those who have taken somebody else’s life.
I’m not saying that capital punishment is right in all instances. In fact, I believe that it should be used quite sparingly but remain reinstated. Capital punishment should be used only when fitting the crime. A man found guilty of stealing should not be sentenced to death, but a person that has committed several murders and found guilty of all should not be allowed to live. A serial murderer will, if given the chance, kill again if ever. Prison is not a safe way to keep dangerous people away from the public. There are several known breakouts of prisoners weekly. Even if a prisoner remains in penitentiary, that does not assure the public safety from said prisoner. A prisoner can accomplish anything from inside the walls of even a high-security prison.
With today’s advancements in technology and forensic sciences, it is very rare that an innocent be found placed on Death Row, but albeit, not impossible. I believe it is better to let an innocent die, than a guilty live, if being tried for something that might possibly land someone on Death Row. I may be a bit biased, but that is my feeling. Would you feel safe at night knowing there is a potential mass murderer on the loose in your neighborhood? Would you feel safe letting your children out to play? Safe to take your dog for a walk? Can you truthfully admit that while a person is deemed innocent in front of the courts that you would not continue to wonder if he is guilty, that the courts may have made a mistake and he truly is guilty of the crime for which he was proven innocent? A guilty person is just as likely to be proven innocent as an innocent person proven guilty. Both situations are highly improbable and unlikely, but equally possible.
I am in full support of capital punishment and would like to increase support for it.
School Spirit Editorial
Dylan Wiebe, Jefferson High School
School spirit at Jefferson High School and possibly today's society is at an all time low. The student section at sporting events is shrinking by the year, and the separation between the athletes and the non-athletes at school is becoming more common. School spirit is not about the "RAH! RAH! RAH!" of the crowd; it is more about the student body coming together as individuals to make school a better place for everyone. Athletes need to break the stereotype of jocks and reach out to the rest of the students and people of the community. The most important object that needs to be done is everyone need to become closer and be less divided, not necessarily best friends with one another but at least have respect for each other. People need to get to know each other beyond the stereotypical image and get to know them as human beings and encourage one another to be the best they can be.
Students are not going to cheer at a sporting event where they don't feel comfortable. The school should be a safe environment for all students, not just physically but mentally. To get respect you must give respect. Respect is given by treating someone equally, and maybe it would help if the athletes were to start to give a damn about choir, band, speech and drama, and other non-sport activities. Try it sometime, watch what would happen if half of the athletic population were to go watch a band concert. Then look into the student section at a basketball game and see how many new faces show up because they appreciated the support. It is a domino effect give respect to get respect.
Sometimes people make it seem like the athletes owe them way too much, they over exaggerate tremendously. It is almost to the point where if an athlete isn't sucking up to them then they don't like the athlete. Maybe if everyone took the time to sit down at a different lunch table, or talk to different kids after or before school, things would be better at school, school functions, and around the community. People would be able to see how much in common everyone has, and just how fascinating other people are.
That's what high school is all about, growing up. Here is a roadmap from a journalism student standpoint, if you want to get everyone to work together to improve the school and community relations.
1. Athletes need to support all programs - Go to a speech and drama meet and show support to peers.
2. Teachers need to support all programs - Stop saying that other schools are better, you work here, your attitude will affect kids' attitudes.
3. Eat at different lunch tables everyday - Get to know other people, eat lunch with a different table everyday.
4. Talk to different people - Before school, talk to a group that you usually don't talk to.
5. Send out invitations to adults and students in community - Send invitations to ask adults and students to come participate at sporting events or at academic events.
6. Parents get over thinking that coaches play favorites with what side of the hill a student is from. - Grade school is over, it's now high school, Jefferson High School, and the best athletes play regardless of zip codes.
7. Encourage success in the classroom and every activity - Success breeds success
8. Encourage pride, encourage attendance - Tell people how great Jefferson High School, but before you can say it you have to believe it.
9. Take pride in your school - Don't allow harassment in the halls, don't allow students to steal, set a positive example at school. Don't turn your back on those things. People will what you do; they can't do what you think.
10. Live life by the Golden Rule - "Do unto OTHERS as you would have them do unto YOU.
School spirit at any function needs to start with the participants; from there it goes to the coaches and faculty, then to the student body and community. If the participants show pride in their school, themselves, and peers it would give the rest of the school and community something to appreciate and cause them to feel the same way. The domino effect, pride spreads from one person to another person. From pride comes a better environment for all, and that is what school spirit is all about. Don't let the stereotypical "RAH! RAH! RAH!" fool you. It is about bringing everyone together to support each other in fulfilling our dreams and goals.
The Pitch That Changed Lives
By: Nicki Haydal
At the 2006 Youth and Government Convention in Helena a bill will be introduced to ban the use of aluminum bats from organized baseball. Why you ask, is this bill important?
Three years ago in July, an eighteen year old pitcher from Miles City was killed after being struck by a line drive from an aluminum bat.
No one knew that an entire community would be changed forever by the death of Brandon Patch. As Brandon stepped out on the field that day he prepared himself for a routine game. Unbeknownst to Brandon, the players, his friends, and family, that the next time he took the mound it would be in a casket on the day of his funeral.
Brandon was pitching a 3-3 game in the fifth inning against the Helena Senators with one out. He pitched a fast ball hoping to chalk up another out. The expected strike did not come. Instead of the single metallic “ping” of the metal bat, there was a “ping” and a “crack.” The ball was caught at first base as Brandon simultaneously fell to the ground. The ball had rocketed off the bat hitting Brandon in the head. Moments after his father and coaches rushed to the mound, Brandon’s body began convulsing; he was bleeding from the ears and vomiting up blood.
Brandon died five hours later.
His funeral was at the local baseball field. 1400 people came to remember Brandon, including The Helena Senators who made the decision to leave at 3a.m. to make it in time to pay their respects to Brandon and his family. As the scoreboard was set to the moment he was struck, the Mavericks announcer introduced the lineups, first Helena and then Miles City. He ended with the final player, “And on the hill….No. 11, Brandon Patch,” as 8 pallbearers brought his casket to the front of the pitcher’s mound.
One of the last people to speak at Brandon’s funeral was his uncle, Ron Patch. “I always knew one pitch could make the difference,” he said. “I never knew one pitch could make the difference in so many lives.”
Brandon’s family became devoted to speaking out against the dangers of aluminum bats. They learned that young men are able to propel a baseball off that bat at the rate of speed that exceeds the infielder’s reaction time. They hope that people not only in Montana, but nationwide will realize the risks of using aluminum bats, and for Brandon and the other young men killed they will do something about it.
Montana Healthcare Problems:
Bush Slashes Healthcare Funding
By Sevina Vander Esch
Everyone with a heart beat and expanding lungs deserves healthcare, no matter what the situation. The whole purpose of life is self-preservation. No one wants to live an unhealthy life. They just want to live comfortably in their own life.
In the case where there is a need for full-time nurses in schools, children who do not feel well will not necessarily be able to see a nurse to provide and help them. This is mostly to blame on school funding and budget cuts for the reduction of nursing hours in the schools. Schools would be better off if they would just invest some money into school nursing.
Another issue is not every Montanan can afford healthcare. With the cost of basic procedures on the rise, even just a regular checkup is too expensive for some. We are one of the most technologically advanced nations of the world, and yet our people cannot afford to take care of themselves.
The Bush administration's proposed budget would eliminate $33 million from the Indian Health Service budget. With slashing the prices to the Indian health, the Billings clinic serves 6,000 to 7,000 patients each year and is the largest of the five urban Indian health centers in Montana. With this cut, the Montana clinics would lose $4 million.
This proposal is not necessarily the best idea that President Bush has had. It will change many people’s lives, for the worst and maybe the better.
Can You Hear Me Now?
By Lena Viall
The day I turned 15, I received a present that has affected my life perhaps more than any other present I have ever received—a cell phone.
I received the phone mainly because I was now old enough to get my drivers’ license, and living 15 miles out of town made the trip all the more dangerous. The phone was my safety line--assurance that if I got into trouble on the highway I would be able to get help.
And the phone has served its purpose. The few times when I have had trouble on the road help was only a phone call away. However, easily a quarter of my commute has little or no cell service at all. Fortunately I have never encountered problems in these trouble spots, but you have to ask yourself: What if?
What if I were to have an accident somewhere I didn’t have service? In a state as vast as Montana, the risk of having an accident and then lying there for hours until you are found is huge. Automobile accidents are the leading cause of injury related deaths in this country, with 42,636 people dying nation-wide in 2004. My question is: How many of these deaths could have been prevented had the victim been able to call?
In our world of high-tech wireless technology it seems absurd that some places in the U.S. are still without adequate coverage. With all the money we pour into our service providers you would think that they could afford to at least make sure that there was cell phone service along our highways.
We can buckle up, stop drinking, obey the speed limit; but the sad fact is that accidents do happen. And when they do, I would simply like the peace of mind knowing that I am not alone on the open road.
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