To the editor:
Remember when the professor in "My Fair Lady" asked "Why can't a woman be more like a man?" Well, my question is: Why can't a handicapped person be more like a horse - or at least get some of the same consideration?I consulted my trusty American Heritage dictionary for the definition of handicap and it listed three meanings. 1. A race or competition in which advantages or compensations are given different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. 2. A disadvantage or a deficiency, esp. a physical or mental disability that prevents or restricts normal achievement. 3. A hindrance.
Well, the horses won to the tune of a couple million dollars. Was it because they bring in money and might have gone elsewhere? Does the state of Utah feel that horse flesh is worth more than human flesh? And while they have compassion for this human group, they have already warned that they aren't going to get what they need.
That brings us to the third definition, "a hindrance," or impediment. Under this heading comes the governor who is on his way out and has last-minute favors to see carried out, the legislators who are busy banning candy cigarettes and can't keep the real ones out of the public places, and last of all, the public that is sympathetic but doesn't act because they aren't directly affected.
Aiida Omer
West Jordan