NEWS

November 14, 2010
Roses & Thistles: Thistles wilt with the advance of winter

A thistle to prosecutors in the Polk County Attorney's Office for moving to revoke the First Amendment rights of two Iowans - before reconsidering the idea. County prosecutors asked a judge to permanently bar Christine Gaunt of Grinnell and Elton Davis from the Federal Building in Des Moines because the pair had become a nuisance, what with their anti-war protests and all.

Gaunt, for example, has apparently obstructed the work of the government by lying down as if dead, her body outlined in chalk. Prosecutors, who have grown tired of having limp bodies carted away, proposed a permanent ban. The government should allow such protests, and arrest/remove those who are disruptive to others. But a permanent ban from the entire building? That would go too far. Wisely, the county withdrew its request.

A rose to 13 Iowa State Penitentiary inmates who were awarded high school equivalency diplomas last week. A rose, too, to prison officials and others who make it possible for inmates to learn behind bars. As state Sen. Gene Fraise told a Burlington Hawk Eye reporter: "I know these people are going to eventually leave, and this is one way to help them get their feet on the ground." Indeed, penance is only one purpose of prisons. Another major purpose is reforming criminals, and one way to do that is by giving offenders the tools they will need to lead productive lives once they return to society.

A thistle to the owners of Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown for insisting on using an unsafe cooking method. Don and Sandy Short have waged a fierce campaign for a unique exception to state health regulations for their eatery, going so far as getting the Iowa Senate to create an exemption just for them (rejected by the House).

Last week, the state health department confirmed earlier rulings that the practice violates health rules - not to mention the Food and Drug Administration's and the Maid-Rite chain's own standards - to cook and store loose meat in the same container. Still, they fight on. A subtext of this food fight is the state's regulatory principles: Some legislators (and a certain governor elect) think state inspectors are too hard on businesses. Well, if it comes down to a matter of life, health and safety, the inspectors are right to be tough.

A rose to Mother Nature for favoring Iowa with a delightfully warm, sunny and dry fall. Alas, that was changing as this was written, and the climatologists predict those abnormal days are probably over for this year. So, observe a moment of silence as the skies grow dark, the thermometer plunges and the raindrops splatter against your umbrella that was blown inside out. Give thanks for the past several weeks where dry leaves crunched under foot and the world seemed just right under a gorgeous blue sky. Next: Get out the snow shovels!

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