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4A FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 Mouston ißmlg journal OPINION Daniel F. Evans Editor and Publisher Julie B. Evans Vice President Don Moncrief Foy S. Evans Managing Editor Editor Emeritus Are prisons tough enough? Even though certain medical costs in regard to local prison might be report edly lower thanks to a recent contract award, it’s “some” but not really a whole lot of consolation coupled with the rising num bers currently being jailed. And then there’s the debate, with our insatiable appetite to be “politically cor rect”, as to whether or not we’re really pun ishing anybody in jail. (No, we’re not advo cating the other end of the scale - opening the gates and letting them out - we’re just offering up fodder for healthy debate.) No offense to those who work within the system - they do a great job (we just wonder how much their hands are tied so to speak) - and granted we don’t know all the ins and outs of what goes on inside prisons these days (yes, perhaps we should do a story, and we are actually trying to get inside those halls/walls to do just that), but it just appears - on the outside looking in - prisoners might not have such a hard knock life in comparison to being on the outside. For instance, they may not today - with deployments and such there’s a pretty good chance they still do - but there was a time when military security police worked 12- hour days. Even here at the Journal there are positions that require 12 hours to get the job done and there are undoubtedly loads of other jobs out there where 12 hours are the norm. How many hours are convicts required to work we wonder? We see them along the road picking up trash and that’s awesome. Our highways need it. Do they do that for 12 hours do you wonder? Oh yeah, there’s worse things than having to work 12 hours a day, like for instance los ing your freedom. But, it’s debatable as to whether or not they even know what freedom is. A good bit of our children spend their hours locked away each day in their room playing video games, chatting on the Internet, lis tening to music or whatever. (And no, we’re not being ridiculous by saying that’s a sure sign they’re headed to prison. See healthy debate above.) Is going from a 6 foot by 6 foot room to a 6 foot by 6 foot cell that much of a change? Air Force removes ad We suggested, in an editorial a few weeks back, the Air Force might want to rethink its position in regard to putting its ad on Myspace.com. Despite the fact it’s the most hit website by teens on up to young adults - with numbers nearing a billion - it’s also been criticized in the media for being a prime target of stalk ers. We argued the Air Force didn’t want to be mentioned in the same breath should some thing negative (i.e. a rape and/or murder resulting from a stalking incident via the site) happen (i.e. “guilt by association”). Well, apparently someone else in the Air Force felt the same way, but for different reasons, because it announced in a news release this past week it was removing its ad. “We weren’t real comfortable with people being able to click off the profile through a ‘friends’ portal and viewing potentially lewd and lascivious content. We didn’t want to be associated with any seedy elements,” said Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs Chief Maj. Sean McKenna. Send your Letters to the Editor to: The Houston Home Journal P.O. Box 1910 • Perry, Ga 31069 or Email: hhj@evansnewspapers.com Oh yeah, there’s worse things than having to work 12 hours a day, like for instance losing your freedom. Cleaning out the brain closet Last week, I cleaned out my clos et. It was long overdue. The Salvation Army was the ben eficiary. This week, it’s going to be my brain. Whether you want “it” or not, if you read this, you will be the recipi ent. ■ Zell. Not Blackmon, but Miller. What’s the "old warhorse" been up to, lately? I haven’t seen him on national television or heard that the liferlong Democrat was speaking again to a Republican conclave. Could it be that at long last, he is repairing to his beloved North Georgia to read, write and relax? If. so, a long and colorful public career will slowly close. What about a movie about Zell’s life, a la “All The King’s Men”? It could be a good one! ■ Dawgs and Jackets. Let’s face it, what used to be a great football rivalry has lost some of its steam with Georgia’s recent domination of Tech. This year, it could be different. My pre diction: The 2006 Tech-Georgia game will be a classic. I’ve watched parts of Tech’s games on television, and the Bees look pretty potent to me. The jury is still out on the Dawgs. And, aren’t we Georgians fortunate to have two fine men in Mark Richt and Chan Gailey as head coaches at their respec tive schools? ■ Ray Goff. The former Georgia player and coach was doing commen tary with Loran Smith before a recent NEW* m : NKTION/U. COUMCILOf wm OF MKWWIAtICft I MEW SIDELINE'S WURRICIiLUM f sert wi *4.5® in uiepocKerl W e-m to me nsl left overJ HE WNTOTO m SOME Ir) FOR Site FARE HOME . r HOW MANY CZ I i Always enjoy picking 1 c u out the STUDENT'S WHO t Seeing Georgia through visitors' eye The Scottish bard Robert Burns once opined, “O would some Power the gift to give us: To see ourselves as others see us.” Bobby Burns may be a little difficult to deci pher, but his point is a good one. In the past couple of weeks, I have seen Georgia anew through the eyes of Peter and Lesley Taylor, our friends from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. My wife and I met the Taylors in 1977 and were guests in their home during the inaugural Friendship Force trip, an innovative cultural exchange program created by the late Rev. Wayne Smith, a Presbyterian minister in Atlanta. The idea behind the Friendship Force is for visitors from different countries to spend time with host families in other countries for one or two weeks. Since the program began 29 years ago, nearly half a million people have par ticipated in more than 3,000 exchang es. I am proud to have been a part of the very first one between Newcastle and Atlanta. We had visited the Taylors in Newcastle a couple of times since 1977, but this was their first trip to Georgia, and we felt obliged to show them around the state. What began as an obligation turned out to be a great experience for them and for me. I had an opportunity to see my state as others see us, and was reminded once again why Ray Charles never sang “Ohio on My Mind.” Georgia has it all. Our English friends saw the sun rise over the white sandy beaches of St. Simons Island, ate a little corn-fried you-know-what at the exquisite little you-know-where, and watched the sun set over St. Simons Sound while lis- OPINION lwalker@whgb-law.com Georgia game. And, he has a Sunday morning call-in talk show in Atlanta. This is one fine man - for too long, much maligned. I hope Ray is “back”. The Dawgs need to embrace any play er who scored five touchdowns in a win against Florida as Ray did on his way to being named “Southeastern Conference Player of the Year” in 1976! ■ 2006 Governor’s Race. By the time this one is over, you will be even more "turned-off' with politics. It’s going to be rough and dirty. I hate it. Sonny is a very good man, doing a good job. Mark is smart and capable. By election time, you will won der why anyone offers for public office. I predict that the candidates, even the winner, will feel the same. Sad. Sad. Sad. ■ Houston County Development. Another prediction: good news for those Houston Countians favoring industrial expansions and enhancements. Do I know something? Yes. Will I tell you, or anyone else? No. Is it a certainty? No. Dick i|M|| Yarbrough tening to a bagpiper play “Amazing Grace” and sipping fine wine on the veranda of the Sea Island Lodge. Try that in lowa. We had hoped to dazzle them with our state’s storied history when we visited Savannah, but then realized that they have buildings in Newcastle that go back to the 11th century. Bragging about our founding in 1733 probably wouldn’t have overwhelmed them. Frankly, I think they were more impressed by the enormous redevelop ment taking place in the city today than about what went on almost three hundred years ago. The weirdest part of our trip to Savannah was a bus tour of the city conducted by a loud-talking, wise cracking driver from of all places New Jersey. I don’t mean to sound provincial, but having a Yankee escort you around Savannah is like having Eminem conducting a tour of Carnegie Hall. It just doesn’t seem right. James Oglethorpe must be whirling in his grave. Even Atlanta aka Malfunction Junction looks better when viewed by newcomers. I see a city with a decay ing sewer system, racial demagogues and a blowhard business community that doesn’t walk its talk. HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL We will just have to wait and see. ■ Totsie Evans. Totsie died on Sept. 10. She was 92 years old, soon to be 93. Totsie was "an original". Plain spoken, unpretentious and without guile, she didn’t suffer fools lightly. She either liked you, or didn’t. I’m glad she liked me. Rev. Jenny Jackson- Adams preached Totsie’s funeral and did a great job. Jenny captured Totsie. Wonder how many meals Totsie ate at New Perry Hotel? In my mind, I can see her over in the right corner, next to the kitchen, eating her lunch. God bless you, Constance Franklin'"Totsie" Evans. ■ New Perry Hotel. Belinda Evans now has the kitchen. I ate there last week and the food was good. I under stand the meal crowds are "picking up". I certainly hope so. We don’t need to lose Perry’s most venerable institu tion. Do your part and do yourself a favor - go to breakfast, lunch or dinner at the NPH sometimes soon. ■ Next week. Unless I change my mind, it will be The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse: Conquest, War, Famine and Death. I reserve the right to change my mind. Well, I just started my brain cleaning out, and there is so much more clean-, ing to do. Maybe I will share, again, sometime in the future. Then again, perhaps I won’t be able to remember. That’s the way it goes when you get my age. Selah. The Taylors saw gleaming new sky scrapers, lots of trees and parks and vibrant intown neighborhoods. Maybe I need to take another look. They visited Centennial Olympic Park, perhaps Billy Payne’s most last ing legacy from the 1996 Olympic Games, and marveled at the contrast between children playing in the park’s dancing fountains and the shrapnel from the infamous bombing imbedded in the park’s statues. Now that you mention it, I marvel at it, too. The closest thing to a bad experience occurred during a visit to the Georgia Aquarium, when a gum-chewing secu rity guard confiscated two sticks of you guessed it chewing gum from Lesley Taylor’s handbag and wasn’t particularly pleasant about it. I assume the aquarium doesn’t want their Beluga whales smacking on the Juicy Fruit, just the security guards. All in all, it was a great visit and a reminder that the concept of the Friendship Force is sound and endur ing. The Taylors and Yarbroughs have enjoyed a three-decade-long friendship thanks to this unique organization, and our experience has been repli cated thousands of times over by other families around the world. Thank you, Friendship Force. The bonus was having the opportu nity to get a fresh look at my beloved State of Georgia and to see ourselves as others see us. I think the Taylors would tell you we look pretty damn good. Ray Charles would be pleased. You can reach Dick Yarbrough at yarb24oo@bellsouth.net, P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139 or Web site: www.dickyarbrough.com.