Newspaper Page Text
6A
♦ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2006
Shedding some light
on Ga. voter ID law
Dear Readers, Recently,
Georgia’s new voter
ID law has* been in
the headlines. To give this
legal battle some context, I
thought it might be inter
esting to explore a little bit
about the history and basis
of the right to vote. I will
leave it to others to debate
the wisdom of a voter ID
law; I am more interested in
the legalities.
To refresh everyone’s
understanding, there have
been two legal challenges to
the law. In the first, and
more publicized lawsuit, it
has been argued in Federal
Court that this voter ID law
violates certain federal con
stitutional provisions, name
ly that it amounts to a “poll”
tax; the Federal lawsuit is in
a weird sort of legal limbo,
while U.S. District Court
Judge Harold L. Murphy
has twice temporarily halted
enforcement of the new law,
he has not made a final rul
ing on whether or not it
passed muster.
More recently, on Sept.
19, Fulton County Superior
Court Judge T. Jackson
Bedford, Jr. struck down the
ID law as violative of the
Constitution of the State
of Georgia. This ruling is
on appeal to the Georgia
Supreme Court, but the
appeal will not be handled
by the Justices until after
this upcoming November
election; the new voter ID
law is effectively “dead”
for this year. Some propo
nents of the law complained
that “activist” judges were
What to look for during foot inspections
Diabetes makes it hard
for you to feel inju
ries when the dis
ease affects your nerves.
Inspection of your feet
should take place everyday
around the same time by
you or a family member.
This will help in finding
small skin irritations before
they become serious prob
lems. First, check the top
of each foot. Due to consist
rubbing from poor shoe fit
ting the top of the toes, back
of the heel, and outer edges
become affected. Second,
check the bottom of each
foot. The bottom of the foot
absorbs pounding pressure
from the body’s weight that
causes various other prob
lems for the foot. Third, check
the toes and nails of the foot.
Toenail problems can be a
sign of fungal infections that
often occur between the toes
and may also lead to breaks
in the skin. Fourth, check
your shoes. Look into your
shoes before placing your
feet in them. Use your hand
to feel inside your shoes for
pebbles, loose stitching, or
rough areas that cab irritate
Getting a flu shot key to being prepared
Special to the Journal
Emergency preparedness
means more than develop
ing a family disaster plan
and stocking a disaster sup
plies kit. As the flu season
approaches, it also means
preparing to stay healthy in
the face of potentially severe
seasonal respiratory illness
es.
“Preparedness covers a
lot of ground, and staying
healthy needs to be a part
of the plan,” said Georgia
Emergency Management
Agency Director Charley
English. “That means get
ting a flu shot, especially if
you are at risk.”
Flu season can begin as
early as October and con
tinue as late as May. State
health officials say that
October or November is the
best time to get vaccinated.
“With all the concern
about pandemic influenza,
many people are overlooking
the importance of obtaining
regular seasonal flu shots,”
said Dr. J. Patrick O’Neal,
medical director for the
Georgia Division of Public
frustrating the will of the
people. Is this condemnation
accurate or mere political
bluster?
No sane person would dis
pute the proposition that the
right to vote is one of the
most fundamental right of
citizen. Yet, sadly, our coun
try has a pitiful history in
extending
the right
to vote to
all citi
zens. At
the time
that our
original
constitu
tion was
draft
ed and
adopted,
Jim Rockefeller
Columnist
a “voter” or “elector” was
generally defined as a male
landowner. For instance, in
the Northwest Ordinance of
1787, a qualified elector was
defined as “free male inhab
itants, of full age . . . [with]
a freehold in fifty acres of
land.” Yet, the actual qualifi
cation of electors was a mat
ter left to the states, except
as Congress chose to act.
This left control of the right
to vote in the states.
As we all know, the tragic
compromise concerning slav
ery led to civil strife and great
bloodshed. In 1870, at the
conclusion of the war, three
civil rights laws were passed
attacking this injustice head
on. The 13th Amendment
abolished slavery; the 14th
Amendment guaranteed
that “all persons born or
naturalized in the United
or injure your feet.
What To Look For
During Inspection
When inspecting your feet
you should pay attention to
any changes in your feet.
These changes may include
changes in skin or toenail
color, swelling, or areas that
appear red, dry, or cracked.
Also be
aware of
changes
in sensa
tion, such
as burn
ing, tin
gling, or a
feeling of
“pins and
needles.”
Other foot
problems
include
Dr. Jokhai
Columnist
The Foot Doctor
hot/cold feelings or numb
spots. Listed below are
changes your feet may expe
rience:
■ Hot Spots
Look for red “hot spots”
in areas that get a lot of rub
bing such as the tops and
bottoms toes, the outer edge
of the foot, and the ball of
the foot. Overt time these
Health’s Office of Emergency
Medical Services/Trauma/
Emergency Preparedness.
“We need to remember
that seasonal flu kills about
36,000 people every year in
the United States.”
O’Neal said regular flu
shots are recommended for
children ranging in age from
6 months to 5 years, and
for adults age 50 and above.
People between those ages
who have certain chronic
diseases or are pregnant also
are candidates for flu shots.
Not everyone should get a flu
shot, however, and O’Neal
said Georgians should check
with their doctors or local
Assessing Your t
F. Dennis Hooper
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
yKBp HI 988-0237 dhoo per2ffljuiio.com
States” enjoyed the rights
guaranteed of all other citi
zens. And, finally, the 15th
Amendment enshrined that
the right “to vote shall not
be denied or abridged by
the United States or by any
State on account of race,
color, or previous condition
of servitude.”
Thus, in 1870, in theo
ry, all men over the age of
21 had the right to vote,
which still excluded just
about half the population.
This injustice was remedied
with passage of women’s
suffrage exactly 50 years
later, in 1920, when women
were given the right to vote
with ratification of the 18th
amendment. And, finally,
just a little over another 50
years later, in 1971, the right
to vote was lowered to age
18, with another war (the
Vietnam war) as an impetus
for this change.
This, then, is the general
context of the right to vote.
Next week, we address how
the “theory” of the right to
vote became a mirage with
the passage of state poll
taxes.
Warner Robins attorney
Jim Rockefeller is the for
mer Chief Assistant District
Attorney for Houston County,
and a former Assistant State
Attorney in Miami. Owner
of Rockefeller Law Center,
Jim has been in private
practice since 2000. E-mail
your comments or confi
dential legal questions to
ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.
com.
spots will turn into blisters,
corns, calluses, or sores.
■ Sores, Ulcers, and
Wounds
Look for sores in places
like the bottom of the big toe
or the ball of the foot. Sores
can have white, yellow, or
clear drainage. Seek atten
tion immediately if you have
a sore
■ Athlete’s Foot
Look for redness, scal
ing, or cracks around and
between toes. This can be a
sign of a fungal infection that
causes itching and breaks in
the skin.
■ Toenail Problems
Look for toenails growing
into the skin and causing
redness or pain. Thick, yel
low, or discolored nails can
signal a fungal infection.
■ Color Changes
Look for any color changes
in the foot. Redness with
streaks can signal a severe
infection, which needs imme
diate medical attention.
■ Cracks in the Skin
Look for cracks on the heel
and top and bottom of the
foot. These are often caused
by dry or irritated skin.
health departments for guid
ance. The flu is a contagious
respiratory illness caused by
a virus. A “flu shot” is an
inactivated vaccine that con
tains a dead virus that helps
to build an immunity in the
patient.
Flu-related deaths can also
be the result of a secondary
bacterial infection, such as
bacterial pneumonia, men
ingitis or a blood infection.
Aged Hand-cut
Steaks
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LOCAL
Building a relationship
with your coach
Are you considering
engaging the ser
vices of an executive
coach? Many leaders seek
the leveraged support of a
certified coach to bolster
their skills and decision
making.
Sessions are typically
confidential, with the same
kind of professional cour
tesy one expects from a
doctor or an attorney. The
relationship is clearly col
laborative, with both of
you working to assess your
circumstances, strengths,
weaknesses, and opportu
nities.
You will co-create and
monitor action plans to
move you in the direction
you desire. Working with
a coach will likely increase
your awareness of your
surroundings, the effects of
your behaviors on others,
and your potential to con
tribute.
As you begin your coach
ing relationship, define
your desired outcomes of
this coaching experience
as specifically and clearly
as you can. Your objectives
may change as time and
your skills progress, but
your coach must under
stand what you seek to
achieve if he or she is to
serve you well.
Activity between
coaching sessions. You
and your coach will usually
identify activities you are to
accomplish between coach
ing sessions. These can be
stimulated by you or your
coach and should move you
closer to the objectives you
have specified. Just before
your next coaching session,
organize your thoughts
EVENTS
From page iA
Hill and Griff Clements
- for their receptivity and
approval of these worthy
projects,” said a spokesman
for the Perry High School
alumni. “In documenting
Perry High School’s storied
past, future generations of
students can learn about
the role models who blazed
the academic and athlet
ic trails before them and
can seek to emulate their
achievements.”
Recently, steps were
taken to name the old
Perry school building,
which now houses the
Houston County Board of
Education, after Staples. In
February, the building was
named the Eric P Staples
Memorial Building in a
dedication ceremony. That
same month, “Pride of the
Panthers,” was published
which chronicles arguably
the greatest basketball
dynasty in Georgia history
and spotlights Staples, the
“winningest” coach in the
nation from 1933 to 1965.
Staples’ teams won 83
percent of their games (924
victories and 198 loses)
including eight state cham
pionships and 25 region
titles.
. >; A SllDßYlOt’
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6-month CD 5.75 5
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accurate as of the date of this advertisement. Some nstriclions may apply.
Minimum deposit amount SI,OOO. An early withdrawal penalty may be imposed.
1
For your convenience, our bank’s lobby is open from 9:00 a.m.- Noon each Saturday.
for reporting progress on
actions you have taken.
Setting the agen
da. Give some advanced
thought to what you cur
rently need and how the
upcoming coaching session
can help. Many individu
als expect that the business
coaching relationship is like
their athletic coach in high
school who dictated what
drills would be worked on
each day. That’s not how
executive coaches work.
Your coach will have ideas
about what will move you
Ilk /
want to
address in every coaching
session. Your coach will
appreciate your suggest
ing what you would like to
accomplish in this particu
lar session, and even how
you prefer the two of you
address the issue.
Be open to alternative
suggestions offered by your
coach, but recognize that
you have a right to prescribe
how progress toward your
objective is accomplished.
In the absence of you speci
fying your preference for
how your time is used in
each session, your coach
will likely assume control.
That probably won’t serve
your immediate needs as
well as your raising ques-
Continuing that tradition
was Coach Paul Hartman
whose Perry team won a
ninth state championship
in 1966, the year after
Staples retired.
Other notable alumni
projects have been the
painting of‘“Fessor’s Boys”
by artist Pete Henderson
which was commissioned
by alumni, a $23,000 street
clock donated by the class
of 1955 - an effort spear
headed by William Harrison
- that sits in front of the
memorial building and
an oil painting of Staples
by artist Deanna Griffin
- donated by the class of
1956 - that hangs in the
hallway outside the Sam
Nunn Library, a project ini
tiated by Marcilla Jacobs
Heath.
In March, the alumni,
spearheaded by Thomas
“Boot” Hunt, class of 1959,
kicked off initiatives to put
up a life-size bronze sculp
ture of Staples to be placed
in the lobby of the new
Perry High School building
and to name the football
field after St. John.
Oct. 20, prior to the
Perry-Peach County foot
ball game, a reception will
be held for St. John in the
high school cafeteria start
ing at 5 p.m. The featured
speaker will be Hall of
THE BANK OF PERRY
1006 Main Street, Perry • 478-987-2554
www.bankofperry.com
in the
general
direction
of your
overall
objec
tive,
but you
should
co n -
sciously
consider
what you
Dennis Hooper
Leaders Building
Leaders
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
tions about your situation,
generating options to con
sider, and evaluating the
possible outcomes of each
action you might take.
Assessing prog
ress along the way.
Assessment is critical at
each stage of your prog
ress. Together, the two of
you should evaluate your
awareness and competency
at the outset and periodi
cally along the way. You
should request that your
coach challenge you by
stretching you beyond your
comfort zone. You will not
grow otherwise.
However, both of you
should be sensitive to the
potential for overload.
Generating too much stress
will not result in optimum
growth, either. Finally, your
coach should be your stron
gest supporter (exceeded
only by your boss and your
spouse!).
For more information, I
suggest you obtain a copy
of “Using Your Executive
Coach” by E. Wayne Hart
and Karen Kirkland of
the Center for Creative
Leadership in Greensboro,
NC. (Cost is $lO, available
at www.ccl.org/publica
tions.
If you are considering
a coach and have not yet
found one, purchase a copy
of “Choosing an Executive
Coach” for $lO from the
same source.
Dennis Hooper is a
Certified Leadership
Development Coach, help
ing leaders build future
leaders and organizations
of excellence. You may con
tact him at dhooper2@juno.
com.
Fame football coach, Billy
Henderson, a former team
mate of St. John. St. John’s
1956 football team will
be in attendance, observ
ing its 50-year reunion.
In pre-game ceremonies,
Carpenter will officially
name the football sta
dium the “Herb St. John
Stadium.”
St. John started the foot
ball program at Perry High
School in 1954 and coached
through the 1969 season.
His overall record in 19
seasons, including five at
Manchester, was 115 wins,
72 losses and seven ties.
He was named coach of the
year five times.
A former All-
Southeastern Conference
(1944-1947) and All-
American (1946) football
player at the University
of Georgia, St. John was
inducted into the presti
gious UGA Circle of Honors
in 2004.
0ct.22, the sculpture of
Staples will be dedicated in
the Perry High School lobby,
with the program starting
at 2 p.m. Sculptors Don
Haugen and Teena Stem
have created the bronze
statue, which will be accom
panied by a plaque docu
menting Staples’ achieve
ments and a display case of
his era memorabilia.
t£>
UMDC*
Member
FDK