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Fifty-six University of Utah medical students signed a letter to medical school professor Richard Farnsworth concerning his signature on a hotly disputed amicus brief before the Supreme Court that contends legalizing same-sex marriage would cause 900,000 more abortions in the next three decades.
"As medical students at one of the finest research institutions in the United States and the center of medical progress and education in the state of Utah," the letter said, " … we seek to begin a dialogue to better understand the claims you and others made."
Farnsworth, an adjunct professor of pediatrics at the U., was one of 100 "scholars" who signed the brief written by attorney Gene Schaerr, who represented the Beehive State in a losing battle to defend its ban on same-sex marriage. The document supports state bans on same-sex marriage in another case before the nation's high court.
Last week, 100 faculty members at Utah Valley University wrote a similar letter, expressing dismay that their school's president, Matthew Holland, also signed the brief.
The medical students' letter asked Farnsworth to explain why he is qualified to weigh in on the brief; whether he believes the legalization of same-sex marriage will directly cause 900,000 abortions and why; whether he feels comfortable working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender colleagues and patients; and what responsibility he feels to his students and patients when faced with LGBT concerns.
"We felt this [the abortion argument] was strange science to be promoting," said Matthew Petersen, who began the drive that obtained signatures from more than half the first-year medical students.
Petersen said the students did not want to appear confrontational and noted their concerns have been treated with respect by the school administration. But they question having one of their faculty, whose job is to teach them sound medical science, signing a brief that makes such a claim.
Kathy Wilets, associate director of public affairs for University of Utah Health Care, issued a statement that included the following:
"The university recognizes the right of its faculty to express their individual opinions, and in signing the brief, Dr. Farnsworth was expressing his personal views and not those of the University of Utah."
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Big Brother is watching • State liquor store employees say the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control administration treats them as though they are thieves who cannot be trusted.
DABC's former policy was that if liquor containers were damaged, the employees could buy an item no longer fit for display for $3.
Now, store managers must keep the damaged goods in a storage room, and DABC executives periodically come and oversee the booze being poured down the drain, directly into the sewer.
Bosses apparently worry that the workers would deliberately damage containers so they could buy the liquor at the discount.
DABC spokeswoman Vickie Ashby said that during the time when the agency was audited, "it made sense to eliminate potential areas of abuse, including the practice of discounting unsalable product."
As for getting ducks drunk, Ashby said small amounts of alcohol in the sewer are not harmful. Large amounts, she said, are diluted with water or taken to the dump.
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A woman, a dog and tequila • A woman approaching a state liquor store in Bountiful recently stopped just before she entered the north door. She paused, then went around to the south door and entered.
She asked a clerk: Why do you have an entrance just for dogs?
The sign on the south door said: "Service pets only."
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Separated at birth • State Sen. Jim Dabakis was shopping with his little dog, Chowawa, at Smith's Marketplace in Salt Lake City on Saturday, when a woman approached him to tell the former Utah Democratic chairman what a fan she was.
She told Dabakis he was the only politician she trusts and added that she was shocked that he did his own shopping.
Dabakis smiled and thanked her.
Then she said: "Gov. Herbert, I am proud to have met you."
Dabakis then invited the woman and her dog to "drop by the mansion sometime."