One of my favorite lines is what seniors say, one way or another, The older I get that more I dont care about what I say, or its consequences, because I have earned the right to say it.

In newspapering, I have found older folks provide some of the most honest, endearing and incisive quotes. When we are younger, we tend to be more careful and guarded as to what we say, lest it brings consequences to our work status, social position or standing in our families and with our friends. It is primarily peer pressure and unwritten rules of social conduct that keep us reticent and proper.

If I could say what I really think .. goes the line. About four years from retirement, I look forward to the freedom away from media work to TRULY speak my mind. I have the potential to be a curmudgeon.

Every so often, obscure incidents somewhere serve as indicators of what is happening in our society. I first heard about this on radio Tuesday morning and then found the story online. In Camden, N.J., the Camden-Rockport Middle School apparently had imposed a ban on intentional flatulence.

Seems eighth-grade boys are taking it to new heights and making a game of seeing who can expel the loudest and grossest flatus. According to www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message500034/pg1, the Fire Cracker school newsletter reports that students face detention if they engage in such a sport. It started out as a funny joke and eventually turned into a game, the newsletter said. This is the first rule at CRMS that prevents the use of natural bodily functions. Students are told to essentially to be anal-retentive and resist the urge.

Writing about the issue, Holly Anderson interviewed a group of seventh-graders at the school who talked about what the eighth-graders were doing. They would do it in science class and other places, said Jordan Tyler. Its a natural occurrence, and we all do it 16 times a day.

Anderson found school officials not eager to discuss the new ban.

Will, or has, the contest moved to other schools? What motivates kids to engage in such activity? Bans on such behavior raise a range of issues: How far should authorities in group settings go to outlawing things that may offend: Coughing, bad breath, body odors, hiccups, vomiting, jewelry, clothing, or seemingly involuntary air emissions?

Where are the limits? If one, two or three moments of expelling air are natural, is the sound or the foul odor the real problem?

When we outlaw behaviors, we immediately create outlaws.

Before schools institute bans on such actions, they should first work with students on thoughtful reasoning. It seems they could disarm the kids by discussing why such behaviors are disruptive for learning and why getting along together in a group is important. Incentives to behave could be offered.

As it is, I can just see intentional flatulence become more common by risk-taking kids in American schools. And the media will make an even bigger stink of it. School policies will have to be written, then city ordinances, state laws and federal legislation. The law will say every citizen must head to the restroom whenever feeling the onset of a flatus.

As it has been so often stated, civilization is just a slow process of learning to be kind.

May we never lose the freedom to function as human beings. May what is happening at that New Jersey school not be one more example of our headlong rush to a police state.

What religious faith does things in a more orderly way than Mormons? A week ago, members of the 13-million member worldwide church were mourning the death of their beloved leader, Gordon B. Hinckley.

The 97-year-old president and prophet for 13 years was eulogized on Saturday at the huge church Conference Center in Salt Lake City and buried later in the day. By Monday morning, the church hierarchy had made its decisions in a clear-cut manner, and Thomas S. Monson was the 16^th president, with Henry B. Eyring, 74, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 67, named as his first and second counselors in the First Presidency, respectively.

We dont know what kinds of discussions went on among the 14 apostles (the two from the First Presidency of Hinckley and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) as they met to determine succession. With Monson being sustained as president, it was up to him, through prayer, to choose his counselors not any lobbying or advice from others, were told.

So, two of the newer apostles were chosen counselors rather than the next two most senior apostles, Boyd Packer, 83, and L. Tom Perry, 85, who had joined the Quorum of the Twelve in 1970 and 1974 respectively.

Eyring was named an apostle in 1995 and Uchtdorf chosen in 2004. Uchtdorf, born in Czechoslovakia, a native of Germany and a onetime senior vice president of Lufthansa, the German airline, serves to underscore that the church is worldwide and has been drawing non-Americans more and more into the top hierarchy.

Eyring who has a doctorate from Harvard University, served as the president of the churchs Ricks College, now Brigham Young UniversityIdaho, in 1971-77. He already had experience in the First Presidency. Last October, Eyring joined the triumvirate upon the passing last August of Second Counselor James Faust at 87.

Church members now awaitword as towhat authority will bethe next to be sustained to the Council of the Twelve in wake of the death of Hinckley and the reorganization of the hierarchy.

Tradition certainly was followed in filling the prophet-president position. Since Brigham Young succeeded church founder Joseph Smith, the longest sustained apostle of the church has been tapped to be president. Thus, Monson was chosen. He has been in that church role since 1963 more than 44 years. When chosen at a mere 36 to the Quorum of the Twelve, he must have wondered whether he would ever be the prophet, though we constantly aretold that apostles don’t aspire to the lofty post, but accept it if the rare time comes.

It came at age 80 for Monson. He told reporters Monday that his health was good and he planned to do active traveling for the church. He may not match Hinckleys propensity for world travel nor his proclivity for building temples across the globe to bring the temple rites closer to members. There were 49 temples when Hinckley succeeded President Howard Hunter in 1995. There were120 temples in place at his death, with more in construction.

I testify that his work in which were engaged is the Lords work, Monson told the press. Ive felt his sustaining influence.

And, now, the Saints go marching on in their mission and missionary work, not missing a step in the transition.