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FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2006
4A
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Stem cell research vetoed
Wednesday, President Bush made
the first veto of his presidency
when he turned down the bill
removing restrictions on federal funding
of embryonic stem cell research.
While this may have been a “no-brain
er” to the common man/Bible-belters
- one we can’t say we don’t fully agree
with - it should have been a long, hard
decision to reach.
On one side, proponents argue the
research has the potential to revolution
ize medicine and save millions of lives.
They say it could lead to cures for
Parkinson’s
disease,
Alzheimer’s,
spinal cord
injuries and
more.
On the other
hand, Oppo
nents against
the research
argue their
position is
rooted in “respect for human life.” Their
point of contention is that destroying the
embryos during the process of extracting
stem cells is in fact taking “life.”
And, for Bush and the Republican party
in particular, vetoing the bill was said to
hold the risk of political fallout, as most
Democrats championed the bill.
In fact, Sen. Charles Schumer of New
York is quoted by the Associated Press as
saying: “Whether it’s this year, or with
a new Senate and a new House and the
next president, this will become the law
of the United States.”
Regardless of where you stand on the
bill/veto, the fact remains: the issue - at
least for now - has been laid to rest.
In the meantime, our hope, our prayer,
is that scientists/researchers will contin
ue to butn the midnight oil and maybe
- with a lot of skill, a little luck and by
the grace of God - discover a cure for
the aforementioned so that it doesn’t
become an issue again.
Taxes, alcohol on backburner
Tuesday, the Centerville City Council
decided to put the two issues they
have been in the limelight/hot seat
over during the past weeks - property
tax exemptions and Sunday alcohol sales
- on the backburner until 2007.
While most people’s first reaction might
be: “Why didn’t they do this ‘before’ suf
fering the slings and arrows delivered via
town meetings,” no doubt healthy debate
provided all with plenty of information
to mull over during the coming months.
And, softietimes it’s best to step back
from a situation to get a whole new per
spective, Unyway.
“It is not merely for today, but for all time to come that
we should perpetuate for our children’s children this
great and free government, which we have enjoyed all
our lives. I beg you to remember this, not merely for my
sake, but for yours. I happen to occupy temporarily this
big White House. I am a living witness that any one of
your children may look to come here as my father’s child
has. It is in order that each one of you may have, through
this free government which we have enjoyed, an open
field and a fair chance for your industry, enterprise and
intelligence: that you may all have equal privileges in the
race of life, with all its desirable human aspirations. It is
for this the struggle should be maintained, that we may
not lose our birthright. The nation is worth fighting for,
to secure such an inestimable jewel.”
- Abraham Lincoln
Send your Letters to the Editor to:
The Houston Home Journal
P.O. Box 1910 • Perry, Ga 31069 or
Email: hhj@evansnewspapers.com
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Regardless of where
you stand on the bill/
veto, the fact remains
the issue - at least for
now - has been laid to
rest.
We will miss David and Marlene
Marlene Foreman
Thomas was fiesty,
funny and smart.
Wife of John and sibling
to Johnnie Foreman, Jr.,
and Faye Foreman Harper,
Marlene got sick on July 4
at her home in Milledgeviile
and died of a heart attack
the next day. Her 1960 Perry
High School classmates -
including Janice and I - and
her other friends, will miss
Marlene. We will miss her
very much.
David Pierce epitomized
a ‘southern gentleman’.
I served on the Trustees’
Committee at the Perry
United Methodist Church of
which David was Chairman.
David ran a good meeting -
just like he did an outstand
ing job as Chief Magistrate
Court Judge for Houston
County. David was sick for
about two weeks before
he died last week, leaving
wife, Susan, and daughter,
Meredith.
David was 61 when he
died. Marlene was 63. Two
good people, gone too soon.
Proves what you know when
you get my age: life is short,
really short. We should try
to make every day count.
Rev. Jenny Jackson-Adams
said it best in her sermon,
last Sunday: “even when it’s
long, it’s short”. Amen.
* * *
Hopefully, by the time you
read this, we will have got-
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Why I passed up the Olympics for a picnic
It was a typically hot,
steamy summer day in
Middle Georgia, and
one I will never forget.
The occasion was a parade
and picnic for the citizen
soldiers of Georgia’s 48th
Brigade Combat Team and
their families, courtesy of
the good people of Dublin
and Laurens County. It was
America at its very best.
I was asked to participate
in the festivities. I consid
ered it so much of an honor
that I passed up the oppor
tunity to be at the opening
of the Olympic Museum at
the Atlanta History Center.
I gave four years of my life
to the planning of the 1996
Centennial Olympic Games.
I almost gave up my life in
Iraq. That tends to put one’s
priorities in order.
It was the first time I had
seen the troops of the 48th
BCT since I was embedded
with them last October in
one of the most dangerous
plots of real estate on earth
the Triangle of Death,
south of Baghdad.
Not so very long ago, they
were dealing with the perils
of war. Today, they were at
the Dublin Farmers Market
munching on hot dogs, ham
burgers and ice cream with
family, friends and admirers.
But their Iraqi experiences
were clearly still on their
minds.
Sgt. James Smith of Dublin
says that on his first day at
Larry Walker Bh- 19
pB-... |
Columnist
lwalker@whgb-law.com
ten some significant rain.
It’s been awful, the drought
and heat, hasn’t it? Reminds
me of 1954. Do any of you
remember ‘54? It went 11
weeks in Houston County
without rain. When it finally
rained, people in Perry went
out of their businesses and
stood in the rain. This made
quite an impression on me
- a 12 year old. 1953 and
1954 put lots of people out
of farming.
In a way, it was better,
then. People had hopes
that it would rain. Today,
with sophisticated weather
reporting, we know that no
rain is in sight. No hope. In
a more significant way, it
was worse. No irrigation and
no air conditioning in 1954.
Can you imagine living in
this heat without air condi
tioning? Some of you can.
When I hear ‘em say, “I
don’t believe I have ever
seen it this dry before,” my
answer is always, “It was
this dry in 1954”.. Like I
Dick Yarlmmsk
Camp Stryker, his unit was
mortared by the enemy. The
next morning, he awoke to
find a scorpion in his bud
dy’s cot. Sgt. Smith realized
early on that this tour of
duty wasn’t going to be a*
fun experience. A physical
therapist at Fairview Park
Hospital in Dublin, Smith
had just gotten married
when called to active duty.
His life was turned upside
down. “Now,” he says, “I
just want to get on with my
life.”
Specialist Latasha
Simmons sat with her
daughter, Yazman Floyd, in
her lap. “My daughter was
18 months old iwhen I left
and three when I returned,”
she says. “That was hard
on me.” Simmons is glad
to be home, but admits she
misses her comrades in Iraq.
“We were like family to each
other there.”
Sgt. Gary Sellers of Macon
sported a Combat Action
Badge, as did many other
said, ‘54 made a big impres
sion on this 12 year old.
* * *
People, all along, want to
know what I’m reading. I’m
flattered that they care -
if they really do. Well, I’ve
reverted to form. Two old,
out of print books, about
Georgia politics. First, was
Bert Lance’s book, “Truth
of the Matter”. First time,
I had ever read this book.
Excellent. Made me realize
what a good man Bert Lance
is and how badly we need
folks like him in politics,
today.
Then, on the recom
mendation of my friend,
Connell Stafford, I re-read
Sam Caldwell’s book, “The
Caldwell Conspiracy”. The
book was probably written
by Mr. Caldwell while he was
in prison and is certainly
written from his biased per
spective. Still, his writings
of Georgia politics from the
soldiers at the picnic. I men
tioned to Sgt. Sellers that I,
too, was awarded a Combat
Action Badge after being hit
by a roadside bomb while out
on patrol with the troops.
“How many times were you
hit?” I asked. Sellers said
quietly, “I have no idea. If
you can remember the num
ber of times you were hit by
an IED, you weren’t on the
battlefield much.” Touche.
Death was not far from the
soldiers’ minds, even on this
festive occasion. All of them
lost good friends in Iraq.
“That is something that
will always be with us,” said
Staff Sgt. Jeffery Ruff of
Sparta. So will the stultify
ing poverty they witnessed.
They asked me to remind
you how good you have it.
Sgt. Steve Willis of Dublin
says he still is getting used
to being able to get in a
car and drive anywhere he
chooses. Remember that
the next time you are sit
ting in traffic. Sgt. Michael
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Herman Talmadge, Garland
Byrd, Mr. Jim Gillis days,
to the Joe Frank Harris,
Tom Perdue days is fasci
nating. Especially is this
so for someone who knew
(knows) most of the folks
about which he wrote and
remembers Sam Caldwell
when he was Georgia’s Labor
Commissioner. Again, if you
like Georgia politics, I high
ly commend both books to
you. You can probably ‘go on
line’ and order both. Better
yet, go down to Janie’s book
store on Carroll Street in
Perry and get her to get the
book(s) for you. She’s good
at this and can probably use
the business.
* * *
I recently read in the
“Houston Daily Journal”
(when did it become ‘Daily’
rather than ‘Home’?) that
Houston County has nine
industrial prospects consid
ering locating in the county.
Really? Pretty amazing when
you consider we haven’t had
that many in the past nine
years.
Fact is, other than the
Perdue Farms expansion, I
can’t remember any major
new plant developments
for quite some time. I hope
it’s true and pans out as
announced (or alluded to).
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Kinda’ like the DOT fin
ishing Houston Lake Road
‘sometime soon’!
Washington, a Georgia
Power employee from Burke
County, said, “The experi
ence in Iraq changed my life.
Today, I see people blinded
by what they want and not
appreciative of what they
have.”
I wish every whiny, self
indulgent American could
have had the opportunity
to sit down with the troops
at the picnic as I was able
to do.
You would discover that
there are still people around
willing to “ask not what my
country can do for me, but
what I can do for my coun
try.”
My host, Dußose Porter,
editor of the Dublin Courier-
Herald and minority lead
er in the Georgia House of
Representatives, summed it
up best: “These are ordinary
Georgians who were called
on to do some extraordinary
things, and they did.” Amen
to that.
I hope my friend, Billy
Payne, will understand why
I skipped the Olympic fes
tivities and opted instead
to spend the day at a pic
nic and parade in Dublin,
Georgia, with a group of
Great Americans. I suspect
he would approve.
You can reach
Dick Yarbrough at
yarb24oo@bellsouth.net
PO. Box 725373, Atlanta,
Georgia 31139, or Web site:
www.dickyarbrough.com.