Victim Support
In the new age of alternative facts, there might still be hope for Utah's truth-seekers. A state judge has refused to dismiss a Salt Lake Tribune lawsuit seeking emails from the BYU police force. For women, this is particularly important. The lawsuit seeks the emails regarding how police treated women who claimed they were sexually assaulted. Yes, BYU is a private institution, but the judge noted that it doesn't make any sense to allow them to exercise police power but not be subject to the accountability afforded by the Government Records Access Management Act. BYU stopped honor-code investigations of rape victims last year after an outcry and petition sought safety for victims of assault. The Daily Herald reported on support for a new Title IX director and victim advocate. It's a start.
Chaffetz' Vendetta
"Dear Mr. Chaffetz," The Herald Journal editorial begins. The editorial board was none too happy with his continuing vendetta against Hillary Clinton, even after her electoral demise and Donald Trump's rising conflicts of interest. Chaffetz told them that accountability was one of the four critical issues for the nation's movement forward. The Herald was just baffled by the whole turnaround on the ethics office followed by Chaffetz's investigation of its director. Then, to add fuel to the fire, Chaffetz posted on Facebook a photo of himself shaking Clinton's hand and saying he was "so pleased she is not president" and "the investigation continues," garnering more than 2,000 shares and comments.
Assisted Suicide
Hand it to the Deseret News to run a lengthy feature explaining the vagaries of assisted suicide. As America embarks on an era in which "life" may be defined as almost anything, the effort to ease the departure of some people might be at risk. The question, of course, is whether it is possible to draw the line between kindness and selfishness, or perhaps simply economic convenience. This year is the fourth effort in Utah to legalize assisted suicide, and even though it would be on very narrow terms, the life-is-life forces seem to have the floor. Religious groups, including Mormons and Catholics, are having none of it. But public opinion, liberalized laws in Europe and even the U.S. Supreme Court could change the landscape. Maybe not this year.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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