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4A ♦ FRIDAY, AUGUST2S, 2006 Houston JBatlg %ourrntl OPINION Daniel F. Evans Editor and Publisher Julie B. Evans Vice President Don Moncrief Foy S. Evans Managing Editor Editor Emeritus A symbol of freedom Whenever you’re out and about driving, it’s a safe bet you’re going to pass by at least one church. It’s almost even money it will be two or more. Now we’re not here to say you should be in one of those churches on Sunday, although there’s plenty of evidence to suggest it would do us all a world of good. It might be one of our concerns, but it’s also not any of our business. Rather, we would ask that you do take a little more than your usual glance at the churches you pass by. Not enough of one to cause an accident, but enough of one to think about what they represent: Freedom of religion, the freedom to worship as guaranteed to us by the U.S. Constitution. Others have not been, and are still not so lucky today. Take a report that crept out of China this past week. In it, it was reported that six church leaders were arrested. It was also reported the week prior that 10 oth ers from the church - including children - were arrested. The church in turn was demolished - bulldozed to the ground. No, it’s not 1989, not Tiananmen Square, but it's still a stark reminder of that precious freedom we Americans have today. Remember that the next time you pass by one of our many beautiful churches. And, if you decide to stop and stay for a spell, that’s good, too.- Letter to the Editor Teach religion in church In my letter to the Houston Daily Journal about the Tower of Babel issue, I was careful not to divulge any personal information concerning the teacher. This was intentional as I do not believe any harm was intended on the teacher’s part, and I feel no animosity; however Miss (Jenny) Fingles (in a rebuttal in Wednesday’s HDJ to his earlier letter) brings up some points which beg further illumination. In America everyone is free to adopt as their personal religious belief anything they want without having to offer any direct proof of its authenticity. That fact vali dates the concept of freedom of religion, and in some cases freedom from religion. Due to their very nature and the content of their dogma, the vast majority of religions are necessarily based on faith not evidence. From her writings, I believe she considers either athe ism or evolution as religions - perhaps both. Atheism is the lack of religion. To call atheism a religion, according to a popular adage, is like calling baldness a hair color. Evolution is a science and religion is a belief. Each has its own place and are not interchangeable. The teacher of the language class offered the Tower of Babel story as truth, when the comment should have been offered as a personal belief. Other points of view concerning religions can be taught as philosophies, but not defined as science. In order to keep order in our extremely religiously diverse nation, teaching of religion should be confined to churches and private institutions so as to not invite conflict in our public schools. Walter Huckeba, Perry Don't give up our rights I am always happy whenever I see that a federal district judge finds federal wiretapping by our NSA/CLA/FBI that violate our constitution and federal laws. Last year 40,000 Americans died through auto colli sions but not a single one of us due to terrorism in the good old USA! Yet some of us appear too eager to give up our Bill of Rights at a moments notice. Doing such does not make us or America any safer . On the contrary, eternal vigilance, awareness, knowl edge and support of our freedoms will do more to keep our nation free than this illegal snooping. Frank W. Gadbois, Warner Robins Send your Letters to the Editor to: The Houston Home Journal P.O. Box 1910 • Perry, Ga 31069 or Email: hhj@evansnewspapers.com Not enough of one to cause an accident, but enough of one to think about what they represent: Freedom of religion, the freedom to worship as guaranteed to us by the U.S. Constitution. Good 'ol Charlie Brown I take my inspiration from philoso phy attributed to Charlie Brown, written by Charles Shultz, emailed to me by my friend, Mitch Gwin, and changed, in part, and commented on by me. Now that was a sentence, wasn’t it? I’m glad Florence Harrison won’t make me diagram it. But, back to Charlie Brown - and, Larry Walker. This is a test - with comments. You don’t have to answer the questions (unless you want to try to), just read it straight through and see how you do. You’ll get the point. 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. You probably are thinking “Bill Gates” and then there are the Wal-Mart “Waltons,” but in the “whole world”? Who knows? 2. Name the last five football teams to win the Super Bowl. The most hyped sporting event in the world! Advertising for one minute would break Bill Gates. And, I don’t even know which team won the last game. I do know it wasn’t the Falcons. WHO SUMMIT ? WHO IAI6HT HWE INFUCTEP PAIN ON AN INNOCENT fW ? 4^// CREATORS SYNDICATE. INC ( V SA V»fr Grandsons at GT, UGA make for hard choices I’ve been a grandfather for more than 19 years, and until now it has been a slam-dunk. Grandparenting is great revenge for those fortunate enough to have sur vived raising their own kids. Now you get to listen to your children complain about how temperamental their kids are, conveniently forgetting that they were a king-sized horse’s rump them selves at the same age. You also get to hear your grandchil dren tell their parents what a kind and caring grandfather you are and have them wonder aloud why Mom and Dad can’t be more like Pa, and then have your children try to explain how judgmental, stiff-necked and unreason able Pa used to be when he was a mere father and didn’t walk on water. The grandboys don’t buy it for a minute. Tee-hee. Well, the easy part of being a grand father is about to come to a screeching halt. Here’s my problem: A new foot ball season is upon us, and my oldest grandson, Zack Wansley, is entering his sophomore year at Georgia Tech at the same time that his younger brother, Nicholas, begins his fresh man year at my beloved alma mater, the University of Georgia the old est state-chartered university in the nation, located in Athens, the Classic City of the South. I have some hard choices ahead of me. Zack is a Yellow Jacket to the core. Growing up in a house full of Georgia Bulldogs hasn’t affected him at all. The rascal has been a Tech fan all his life he may have been dropped on his OPINION 3. Name the last five Heisman tro phy winners. Duh! I know Herschel won it. Wasn’t that in 1980? 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. Let’s see. Jimmy Carter - Nobel. The man who just died who photographed the sol diers raising the flag on Iwo Jima - Pulitzer. What was his name? How am I doing? 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. Didn’t Clark Gable win it-for his role as Rett Butler in “Gone With The Wind”? And someone won it for their role in “Driving Miss Daisy”. Was it Morgan Freeman or Jessica Tandy? Were any of these in the “last half police lineup head when he was a baby and is as proud of being a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech as Nicholas is of being a Bulldog. To my Tech readers, you will be pleased to know that Zack can more than hold his own with woof-woofing Dawgs. He’s had a lot of experience in his own household. Meanwhile Nicholas is a third-gener ation Wansley at UGA, following in the footsteps of his granddad, Jerry, and his father, Ted. He is also the third gen eration in my family to attend school in Athens. His momma, Maribeth, and I both got journalism degrees there. Ironically, he is housed in the same dorm on campus where his mom and dad stayed during their college days. Obviously, I am extremely proud of both these high achievers. (Zack is majoring in civil engineering, and Nicholas plans to be an environmental chemist.) But having a grandson at Tech and one at Georgia puts me on the spot. Who do I support when the season starts? Do I attempt to change a life long behavioral pattern and root for Georgia Tech except when they play you-know-who even though I derive much amusement from twitting Larry Walker Columnist lwalker@whgb-law.com j r v r Dick Yarbrough Columnist yarb24oo@bellsouth.net HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL philosophy dozen”? 6. Name the last 10 Presidents of the United States. I could probably do this. Sadly, most Americans cannot. The point of all this is, few remember the headliners of yesterday. They were the best in their fields, but the applause quickly dies, and achievements are for gotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here is another quiz. I take this directly from Charlie Brown and make no comments. You can make your own. You can answer these questions with no difficulty. 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care. Techies, most of whom have about as much of a sense of humor as flag gers, liberal weenies and transplanted Yankees? Since it is generally agreed by most relevant theologians that God is a Bulldog, would he strike me dead for my blatant hypocrisy? Seeing me pull for Tech would thrill Zack, no doubt, but what about Nicholas? How could his grandfa ther, who has been president of the University of Georgia National Alumni Association and bleeds red and black, go disloyal on him now? How many times has he heard me tell him that Georgia Tech is my third favorite team on earth UGA being first, anybody playing Tech is second, making the Yellow Jackets a solid third. And now that Nicholas is at Athens like his momma and daddy and both grandfa thers before him, Pa starts rooting for Tech? Why not just announce that I am going to streak across the campus at high noon in my birthday suit and really embarrass him? There is no way that Zack and Nicholas are going to allow me an easy way out of this dilemma. They know that whichever way I go will send a strong signal as to which of the boys I truly favor. So, with one grandboy at Georgia Tech and another one at Georgia, to whom do I give my alle giance this season? Why, to my grand boys, of course. Sometimes I am so brilliant I scare myself. You can reach Dick Yarbrough at yarb24oo@bellsouth.net, P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139 or Web site: www.dickyarbrough.com.