Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

4A ♦ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2006 Mansion Ijauxxmi OPINION Daniel F. Evans Editor and Publisher Julie B. Evans Vice President Don Moncrief Foy S. Evans Managing Editor Editor Emeritus Purpose of war is to win The argument continues over treat ment of prisoners that are taken by the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq. Should they be pampered? Should ques tioning be aggressive without torture? Yes. These prisoners are terrorists. They do not represent any government and, therefore, in our opinion do not come under the guidelines of the Geneva Convention We believe that those who want to treat them as prisoners of war and afford them government paid attorneys for trials that could become circuses and embarrassing to our country are wrong. There is a segment of Americans who believe that we should treat these prisoners, who gladly would cut our heads off if given a chance, the same as other prisoners. We have to, as they point out, show them that we are better than they are. Our goal should be to win this war and win it decisively. Whether the war was justified in the beginning is not an issue. It is going on now. Our country should not be milquetoasts while our enemies go for the jugular. There is only one reason to fight a war and that is to win. It would be foolhardy for us to lose this war against terrorism so that we can brag that we were kind and gentle people and held ourselves to higher moral stan dards than our adversaries. War is war. We must take the kid gloves off and fight this way to win or we will lose. Interrogating prisoners to get infor mation that will save American lives should be left in the hands of the CIA. We have trouble understanding red blood ied Americans who whimper and cry over alleged mistreatment of terrorists while maintaining silence when the terrorists blow up innocent people and sever the heads of prisoners. Any concession that the President makes to his critics can be taken as a sign of weak ness by the terrorists. They respect power. They scorn weakness. The only way to deal with them is through signs of strength. Making concessions toward them only encourages them to be more vicious, violent and aggressive. Claims by President Bush’s critics that treating the enemy the same as citizens who commit crimes in this country do not hold water. They are different. Their goals are different. They are ruthless and uncom promising. They want to destroy our way of life. It is a fight that will go on until one side wins. We can only hope that the American people have the resolve to see this fight all the way to victory. We believe that President Bush should be commended for standing up to members of congress who are attempting to tie his hands during this time of crisis. Letter to the Editor Gadbois has facts wrong In the Sept. 20 edition of the Houston Daily Journal, a letter to the editor is published from Mr. Frank Gadbois. The letter is styled “Taylor Cares About Us.” Mr. Gadbois has not been shy over the years with expressing his opin ion to our local newspapers. I rarely agree with him, but I have always respected his right to be heard, at least until the publication of his most recent letter, wherein he states and I quote “Scott Taylor is the democratic can didate running against Willie Talton in November.” The aforementioned statement by Mr. Gadbois is simply not true. Mr. Taylor is running against me, Larry O’Neal, in November not Willie Talton. I am sure many would say that such a misrepresentation is not a big deal or is an “honest mistake”, but what is so troubling to me is that See LETTER, page §A War is wap. We must take the kid gloves off and fight this way to win op we will lose. Inteppogating prisoners to get infopmation that will save Amepican lives should be left in the hands of the CIA. City is just exercising its right A point of contention that has come before Warner Robins city officials in the past came up again last week. It pertains to subdivisions not now in the city limits that have Warner Robins sewer service. As Councilman Dean Cowart said, “They may not understand it, but they will be annexed.” Here is the story behind that blunt statement: Several years ago the city spent some thing like S2O million to install sewer lines to areas of Houston County that were not contiguous to the city limits and not eligible for annexation. This was done at the request of landowners and developers. The tremendous growth that North Houston County has experienced in recent years is a direct result of that decision. All those subdivisions could not have been developed without sewer service. In return for providing sewer lines throughout north Houston County the city required developers to sign an agreement that, when their subdivi sions were eligible for annexation into the city, they could - and would - be. This was made a covenant in deeds to the property. In past years Mayor Donald Walker and council members have fulfilled this obligation to annex areas when they MOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE AREPD&UCAN OR DEMOCRAT! a««■ i, ? Different ramblings you will enjoy The story is told of a third round draft pick who National Football League experts didn’t give much of a chance of even making the football team. As a quarterback he had an aver age arm and below average mobility, at least according to most scouts and front office personnel of all the teams, except for San Francisco 49er’s coach Bill Walsh. In the early days of practice the rookie didn’t do anything to refute the charges of slow with an average arm. While the experts came down on Walsh for not doing something to resolve the team’s quarterback situation, the coach developed a wait and see per spective. His confidence was rewarded when the regular season began and his rook ie quarterback tore up the leagues with his short passes and timing patterns that became known as the West Coast offense. Joe Montana is now in the NFL Hall of Fame as the greatest third round pick in NFL history. In another story a man was telling his friend about the time when the world had become so corrupt and immoral, people had become so degenerate, and conditions had become so intolerable that St. Peter became alarmed. In talking things over with the arch angel Gabriel, St. Peter suggested they send another flood to earth and begin anew, or even let the people destroy themselves with nuclear bombs. Gabriel admitted that this could OPINION became contiguous to the city and have been vilified many times. The subject has come up again because, as Cowart pointed out, some real estate agents are selling homes in subdivisions that will be annexed and apparently leading them to believe that they are now and will continue to be outside the city. Cowart encourages people who buy homes to “please read your docu ments.” Most of us just sign the docu ments and really do not know what is in them. The covenants are there in plain sight, but many homeowners accept the assurance of real estate agents that they “are not” in the city. There was a time when the city would not provide sewer service with out annexation. This limited growth of the area. So, at the encouragement of develop ers, the city borrowed money to pro vide a network of sewer lines that ulti mately made booming North Houston County possible. be necessary, but he did suggest, “According to your own statement, Peter, about seventy percent of the population are unrepentant sinners and the other thirty percent are righ teous and trying hard to improve con ditions. Since this thirty percent are righteous, and since they are right down in the thick of it all,” contin ued Gabriel, “they might have some ideas that have not occurred to us. Why don’t you write to them and see what suggestions they might have?” St. Peter agreed this was a good idea so he composed a letter that he sent to the righteous thirty percent. One day while telling the story to a friend, Gabriel asked him, “What do you think St. Peter said in the letter?” After a moment’s hesitation the friend replied, “I don’t know. What did he write?” “Oh, you didn’t get a letter?” Gabriel asked. A woman seeking counsel from a psychologist confided in him that she hated her husband and intended to divorce him. “I want to hurt him all ■ft % f|H Foy Evans Columnist foyevansl9@cox.net ' Bob Tribble Columnist Trib Publications HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL You have to feel for people who pur chase homes and believe they are not and will not be within city limits if they don’t want to. But the information is there in black and white in the deeds for their homes. The legal saying “caveat emptor” - buyer beware - could not be more appropriate. At the same time, the homes these people purchase could not have been built without sewer service that is pro vided by the city. Personally, I always have made sure that I live within the corporate limits of a city. I believe the benefits far out weigh the cost in taxes. Others might disagree. Cowart also said, “It may not be in the city, but if you have city sewer, you are most likely in the city (or will be).” The Windsor Heights subdivision is where Cowart said he was told that purchasers of homes were told by real estate agents that they were not in the city and did not point out the cov enants in their deeds. There is no law that requires any one to live in,any city. They may be satisfied with septic tanks - many people are. But when the city enforces covenants entered into in return for a huge investment it hardly seems fair to criticize city officials for doing their duty. I can,” she said firmly. “Well, in that case I advise you to start showering him with compliments. When you have become indispensable to him, when he thinks you love him devotedly, then start the divorce action. That is the way to hurt him most,” the doctor told the woman. Some months later the wife returned to report that all was going well. She had followed the doctor’s sugges tions. “Good, now’s the time to file for divorce,” the doctor said. “Divorce! Never, I love my husband dearly, “the woman said. Finally, good sales people are masters at negotiating with clients, but they may not do so well in their own homes with the real bosses, their spouses. One salesman had received a big bonus shortly before going on vacation. When he got back his friends asked him what he did with the money. “Well, my wife wanted one of those giant screen televisions, but I wanted a new car. So we bought the TX but we compromised, we keep it in the garage,” he said. Who is the winner in this one? Neither, it seems to me. In closing, Paul McCorvey wrote recently when he turned seventy that the Bible tells us we have three score years and ten and that anything else is icing on the cake. That is very true and since the big 70 came my way allow me to add that I’m always relieved when someone delivers a eulogy and I realize I’m listening to it.