David Sanger Speaks About Iraq

In a speech given Friday at Weber State University to an audience of about 70 people, David Sanger talks about what it is like to cover war and things that President Bush has kept from the American public.

Sanger, a seasoned journalist who has covered the president for the New York Times for the last seven years, has seen many things going on in Washington that much of the American public doesn’t know about and many mistakes that the United States government has made during President Bush’s term. Some of things the government has asked him not to publish. In the end, the newspaper can decide to print it or not. The government can’t say what to print or not.

Sanger said governments can make errors because they are made up of human beings. This is not said to excuse all of the mistakes that the government made. Sanger went on to say that the government was able to get around proper legislation in order to start the war on terror in Iraq.

The government has made many other mistakes during and leading up to the recent wars. Sanger said, the government has made many presumptions that have proven to be false. It was believed by Bush that if the United States was able to establish a democratic government in Iraq that it would spread throughout the Middle East said Sanger.

The conflict in Afghanistan put a false sense of security in the minds of government officials. Things were settled in Afghanistan so quickly that the United Sates thought things would go equally as quick in Iraq.

Afghanistan was called “the good war” by many, said Sanger. But, “it is at risk to go bad.” With things in Iraq going so poorly it is making things that happened in Afghanistan worth nothing. All of the accomplishments made in Afghanistan are starting to disappear. The United States is focusing so much on Iraq that Afghanistan is being forgotten, and they are going back to their old ways. Iraq was supposed to be an 18-month long war. The fact that we are going on well over four years now is making Afghanistan seem like it was useless.

Other mistakes have been made by the government, including not worrying about Iran during the Iraqi war. According to Sanger, Bush and his administration thought that things in Iran would not proceed due to what they saw in Iraq. “They were wrong.” said Sanger. They thought that Iraq would become the example to the rest of the middle east and they wouldn’t have to worry about Iran or any other middle eastern countries.

The Bush administration denies secret prisons have been set up throughout the world. The current administration thought it could keep it a secret from the American public, but it has become harder and harder with more time spent in Iraq. Sanger said that this is just another example of mistakes that Bush has made. All of these things would be unknown without the press.

The press is a very important part of the United States. “Only the press could have shown what is going on,” ,in Iraq Sanger said. “The government never would have said anything.” The press is given the rights to publish what it wants to disclose any of these secrets by the Constitution. The war has been a difficult case for the press to cover.

“Hard cases make bad law, but they make good journalism.”

This is the type of attitude that Sanger expressed throughout his speech. Sanger is one of many journalists in the country that help the American public realize the truth about what is going on in Iraq. He takes this duty very seriously. It is a responsibility that he feels must not be taken lightly. The American public has the right to know what is going on in the war in Iraq.

Steps Program in Davis County

The Steps program at the Vista Center in Farmington is set up to help post-high school students with disabilities live a better life, but the teachers are also rewarded for their service.

Steps is set up to help its students prepare to enter the work force and learn how to do everyday activities that most of us take for granted.

Tasks such as doing laundry, ordering food in a restaurant, cooking and riding the bus are some of the activities that Steps teachers help their students learn.

This is a very rewarding system for the students, but the teachers are among those being rewarded the most.

“I get the opportunity to work with truly unique and outstanding individuals.” said Scott Francis, a teacher involved in the Steps program. “These students have taught me things about myself I could have never discovered anywhere else.” Things about life that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. The students make life so simple. They show the teachers not to make life too complicated.

Seeing the students’ progression and seeing them finally click after teaching them for so long is the most rewarding part of the program for Stephanie Baham, another teacher. Baham decided to get involved with this type of work when she was 10 years old and has really seen the rewards of her decision.

The decision that Steps teachers have made to help others is a noble one. The teachers are helping disabled young adults learn how to do things that will help them throughout their lives. It is a decision that makes the teachers happy as well.

Cameron Halversen describes his experience with the program as “phenomenal.”

Steps students have been experiencing success in the program for many years and in turn are doing some of their own teaching. They are helping the teachers learn as well. It is a situation that is positive in both ways.

Ethan Baham, Davis County Search and Rescue

Being a member of the Davis County Search and Rescue team involves many rigorous and physically trying activities, including finding people who have gotten lost in the mountains, fallen from a high cliff, and saving people who have gotten into a difficult situation.

The Davis Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer group that is always looking for new members. Ethan Baham is one of the newest volunteers who has been accepted by the team of about 35 members.

Baham started the process of applying for the team by filling out an interest form. He then met with the Davis Search and Rescue board, who voted him in as a member. He then filled out a 15-page application and a background check was done. Everything checked out okay, so he was accepted as a member of the team.

Baham is 23 years old and lives in Kaysville. He is a student at Weber State University and currently works for a local doctor’s office. He was recently married. His wife is very supportive in his efforts on the search and rescue team. Baham has his hands full with many responsibilities.

A training process that takes about three months follows your acceptance by the DCSAR board. Baham has completed his training and has been a member for about nine months. When his year mark comes up, Baham will be officially voted on by the board. “It is a learn-as-you-go process,” Baham said. On-the-job training is how the members of the team learn what to do. The more calls Baham gets sent out on, the more experience he gains.

Team members carry a pager and are beeped every time there is a call. If members are available they are expected to respond to the call. They are expected to respond to as many calls as possible.

“The team expects 75 percent attendance,” Baham said.

Members then go to the site of the rescue and do all they can to save the person.

Many skills are required to be a member of DCSAR. Every member must be in good shape and able to carry a heavy pack while hiking or running. Repelling and medical skills are helpful but not necessary. Each member must be willing to give his time, money and effort to the team at all times.

Baham has learned many things from being a member of DCSAR. “Search and rescue can be demanding, but is also very rewarding,” Baham said.

He describes it as a great experience to be able to help people and also get training.

“I love it,” Baham said.

Baham has discovered much about his own life and the tragic things that happen in the world. It is an important job and takes generous members to volunteer their time to help others.

Boozer Among League’s Best Forwards

Carlos Boozer has started off the season the way he finished it last season. He is among the league’s best forwards. Boozer is in the top five in scoring among forwards in the league. This is a great accomplishment for Boozer considering who the other forwards he is beating out are. He is beating out NBA stars such as Tim Duncan, Kevin Garrnett, and Dirk Nowitzki. This is a pretty amazing accomplishment for Carlos Boozer. He has established himself as one of the premier stars in the league. Last year Boozer was elected to the all-star team. He has come a long way since his injury ridden seasons in 2005 and 2006. Boozer is also among the leagues best in scoring. He is ranked seventh overall in scoring and fourth among forwards.

Boozer is also among the top rebounding forwards in the league. Boozer ranks ninth overall and fouth among forwards in this category. He is averaging in double figures in both rebounding and scoring. This is what contributes to his six double doubles in seven games this season. He is the current league leader in double doubles. This is a huge thing for the Utah Jazz. Boozer is the team leader in scoring and rebounding. It is no wonder that he was named Utah Jazz co-captain during the off-season. (Deron Williams being the other.)

Boozer’s efficiency rating is second in the league, only to Kevin Garnett. Boozer has established himself as one of the leagues elite players over the past two seasons. He is well on his way to another all-star selection this season if he continues with the great numbers and stays healthy. Any team would be lucky to have an outstanding player like Carlos Boozer.

Years ago Jazz fans were getting very frustrated with Boozer’s high salary sitting on the bench with injuries. Fans were complaining that Boozer wasn’t worth what the Jazz were paying him because he was always injured. All I have to say is Boozer was definitely worth the wait. Yeah, fans had to go through a few seasons of injuries but now everybody is excited about what Boozer is doing. He has made up for the time that he lost in those injury plagued seasons. Boozer is one of the main forces driving the Jazz and his contributions to the team will continue on into the team’s future. Don’t be surprised to see Boozer playing in the NBA All-Star game in February. With the season he is having he will be there.

Kirilenko in Utah

        Many of you have been curious as to what I think about the situation with Andrei Kirilenko and the Utah Jazz. I think that the situation is beginning to be resolved. Over the off season there was a lot of contention between Kirilenko and the Utah Jazz and Jerry Sloan. Kirilenko was not satisfied with the role that he had played in the 2006-2007 season with the Jazz. He felt that he was not getting enough minutes, enough shots or enough opportunities for the team. The Jazz, on the other hand felt that he was playing a very important role for the team and that he was getting enough playing time for him to accomplish what the Jazz wanted him to. It was a very difficult situation for both sides. The disagreement got so heated that Kirilenko demanded to be traded. It is something that is common in professional sports. A problem that is continuing to get worse and worse. I do think, however, that the situation between Kirilenko and the Utah Jazz is getting better.

Both Kirilenko and Jerry Sloan have said that the disagreement has been resolved. Granted, something like this can’t disappear overnight. There will be feelings between the two for a while. I don’t think that these feelings are getting in the way of Kirilenko’s performance so far this season. According to NBA.com Kirilenko is averaging just over ten points, six reabounds, five assists and two and a half blocks per game. These are very very good numbers. Most teams in the NBA would love to have someone that put up these types of numbers. Another important number is that Kirilenko is averaging 37 minutes per game. I think that this shows that Jerry Sloan has confidence that Kirilenko is giving his all each game. He wouldn’t put him out on the floor for that long if he didn’t feel that way. I also think that Kirilenko is satisfied with this amount of playing time. These stats are only through the first four games of the season, so we’ll see if these numbers continue to be so good as the season goes on.

Kirilenko’s numbers have been good, but it shows that he is not the star of the team anymore. He is a complementary player to Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. Those two are the stars of the team. Kirilenko is going to have to realize that his role is to fill in the gaps for the team. To do the little things that help them win. If Kirilenko can accept this role, which he has so far this season, the Jazz will have another successful season. If Andrei Kirilenko wants a championship he will be that role player that the Jazz need. Sloan has done his part by giving Kirilenko the playing time and Kirilenko has done his part by putting up good numbers. This is the reason why I think the problems are being resolved. There is no evidence thus far this season to prove otherwise.

Students are busy.

I am a student at Weber State University, I work part time and my wife is pregnant with our first child. We just bought a new house and are trying to move forward with our lives. It is a very busy time in my life.

I am currently taking fifteen credit hours. This means that I almost always have a test coming up that I have to study for, plus the regular homework such as writing this blog. This takes up a great deal of time, effort and planning. The question is do I think that there is too much to do for school? The answer to that question is no. I know that that may surprise most of you that are reading this so let me explain. It is my own choice to take fifteen credit hours per semester. I do this in order to be able to finish my schooling a little quicker than I would otherwise. Each class is about as difficult as I expected. Some are even easier than I expected. All of this homework that I am doing for my classes is helping me learn things that I never knew before. Blogging is one of these new things.

I had heard of blogs before but never really knew anything about them. Obviously this is helping me learn new things. This is the purpose of school. We go to school to learn. These are some of the reasons that I think there is not too much work, but just enough.

This does make it difficult to find time for other things that I have to do and take care of. Working part-time, like most students at Weber State, keeps you very busy. You not only have to worry about school, but also being successful in your job. It is a stressful situation trying to find time between the two. Having those two things would make me busy enough, but I also have another aspect of my life which is the most important. My wife is the most important thing in my life. We are expecting out first baby. This is a stressful situation. Watching my wife be so sick and so tired everyday is hard. It makes me feel helpless. Going to doctors appointments and taking care of her adds more things to keep me busy. Having a new house to take care of is also difficult.

Students are busy people, but I think it justs adds to your life experience and makes you a more rounded person. I love my life.

Utah Jazz 2006-07 Season

Last year the Utah Jazz overcame a slump that they had fallen into in the previous seasons. There were many factors that contributed to their performance last season. One factor is that the Jazz had a healthy Carlos Boozer for the majority of the season. Carlos Boozer was elected to the All-Star team and among the league leaders in rebounds and double doubles. Boozer added a presence to this Utah team that was not had in previous seasons when he spent most of his time on the sidelines with injuries. Boozer was not alone in the paint though. Mehmet Okur had a standout season as well. Okur was among the elite centers in the league using his defense and his outside shooting to power him to his first All-Star selection. Okur was the man the Jazz went to late in the fourth quarter when they needed a clutch three-pointer. He rarely let his team and his fans down. Deron Williams was the man that led the team out there on the court. The young second year player was among the leagues best in passing. He added a spark to the team that hasn’t been there since John Stockton was at the helm. Three superstars were not all the Jazz had last season. A very deep bench contributed to their huge season. Guys like Matt Harpring and rookie Paul Millsap led the Utah charge off the bench. Millsap being the first Jazz man to be elected to the All-Rookie team in years had a big season and has a bright future before him. These guys and a lot of other factors are what propelled the Jazz to the Western Conference finals in 2007. Hopefully we will see more winning in the season to come.