Newspaper Page Text
4A
♦ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2006
Muusiun Daily .Ijuuruai
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Don Moncrief Foy S. Evans
Managing Editor Editor Emeritus
Too much to lose
We’ve reached a wonderful and scary
time of year.
For the first, we have Thanksgiving
and Christmas and New Year’s - perhaps
our three most favorite holidays.
For the second, however, we also have the
increased potential of alcohol-related fatali
ties.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which
recently kicked off its 20th Annual Tie
One On For Safety, reports there were 545
alcohol-related fatalities in Georgia last
year. They also report this was a 12 percent
increase over the year prior and that that
mark has been the norm for the past few
years.
This editorial
isn’t an all-out
endorsement
for MADD
but we cer
tainly can get
behind what
they stand for:
Drive safe and
sober this hol
iday season.
Here’s the
reality of the situation. There are those
out there who are going to drink and drive
regardless of what time of year it is. History
has taught us that.
Our hope is that if law enforcement hasn’t
put them in jail already, they’ll get to them
before they hurt someone - beside them
self.
But, what we’re equally concerned with at
this time of year is your average Joe. The
guy or gal who’s a good citizen, has a family,
maybe goes to church on Sunday and just
basically wouldn’t hurt a fly.
There is an extra-added danger this time
of year for them to get caught up in the
spirit of the moment.
And, as we all know, it only takes once.
So, this time of year have fun, celebrate,
go to parties, drink the eggnog. At the same
time remain vigilant. Resist the temptation
to overindulge.
Ensure this time of year remains a whole
lot wonderful and a little less scary.
Left behind
Elections are over aren’t they?
Then why do we continue to see
political signs on the side of the road
- just about everybody from Sonny Perdue
to Mac Collins has been seen (a whole lot of
the latter name it should be noted)?
Inasmuch as they wanted to be elected so
they could “clean up” whatever in politics
they felt was dirty, we would make the same
request.
Please pick up your political droppings,
please.
State Briefs
Looking back on actions
of voters
Now that elections are over for 18 months, it is time
to reflect on what we as voters have done. Regardless of
political affiliation the next two to four years has been
brought on by our personal feelings; vanity, disgust with
the ruling party, whatever made you vote the way you
did.
I believe that not only nationally but also locally we
have elected the government we deserve. A lot of voters
went to the polls uninformed and voted without the aid
of a net. I have been listening to the new ruling party’s
agenda in the days to come. Get ready to have less avail
able income, higher comsumer prices, and higher unem
ployment. Visions of the lean Carter years; unemploy
ment at 18.6 percent.
Whatever you believe about the Iraq War there is one
thing you must understand. If we withdraw from Iraq
the war is not over, it will just move. Rather than our
military fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Iran or
Syria, the battles will be brought to within our borders.
We will have to deal with not only illegal immigrants com
ing across our borders but also Chavez trained Al-Qaida
terrorists. War costs, not only financially but also in lives.
But unless we keep the battles outside our borders 9/11
See LETTER, page $A
This editorial isn't an
all-out endorsement for
MADD but we certainly
can get behind what
they stand for: Drive
sale and sober this
holiday season.
Schools look for happy medium
I imagine that most parents were
surprised (shocked, actually) when
they read that our public school
system is losing two months of the
nine-month school year to “fun and
state mandated tests.”
Something is going to be done to rec
tify the situation, to the best ability of
school administrators.
You can forget about the month of
classroom work that is used every
year for state mandated testing.
Nothing can be done about that. The
other month, which is being used for
school traditions, such as Spirit Week,
Homecoming and Red Ribbon Week, is
another thing.
School traditions cannot be com
pletely ignored. They are important.
But we can expect less time devoted to
them in the future.
James Kinchen, assistant superin
tendent for school operations, pointed
out the lost classroom time to the
school board and, naturally, a new no
nonsense attitude is being adopted.
Ruth O’Dell, assistant superinten
dent for student services, sums the
new approach this way: ”It’s about
changing the culture of the school,
changing the mindset.”
School officials are ready to deal with
criticisms that may come from some
quarters.
Kinchen pointed out that the num
ber one priority of the school system
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Politicians show that racism lives
Congratulations to Atlanta
Mayor Shirley Franklin, U.S.
Congressman John Lewis and
former UN Ambassador Andy Young.
Just when I thought political adver
tising couldn’t get any sleazier and
the truth any looser, they proved me
wrong. In an environment where stan
dards are lower than low, they set a
new record.
Lee Morris, a former member of
the Atlanta City Council, was running
for chairman of the Fulton County
Commission on the Republican ticket,
to replace Karen Handel, who was
elected Secretary of State. Handel
is also Republican. Morris is by all
accounts very moderate in his politics.
He was endorsed by the liberal-leaning
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and by
Creative Loafing, an alternative news
paper in the city that makes the AJC
look positively conservative. Several
mayors throughout the county sup
ported Morris, along with current and
former members of the Atlanta City
Council black and white, male and
female.
Morris’ opponent was Dr. John Eaves,
a former regional director of the Peace
Corps, a Morehouse graduate and a
seemingly qualified candidate as well,
who was seeking political office for the
first time. Dr. Eaves received endorse
ments from former Gov. Roy Barnes,
the Atlanta Labor Council, members
of the Fulton County Commission and
Sherry Franks, former executive direc
tor of the America Jewish Committee’s
Atlanta chapter. In short, it seemed
that two good people were running
for office, a rare event these days. One
might have hoped that Morris and
OPINION
is to achieve AYP with emphasis on
instruction.
Teachers and administrators face a
daunting task keeping school spirit
high and converting some of the time
to classroom work.
I am familiar with one elementary
school where everyone - administra
tors, faculty and students - seem to
be very happy. I’m convinced that chil
dren learn more in this kind of envi
ronment.
We expect a lot from our educators.
This is just one more challenge facing
them. Do we really appreciate them as
much as we should?
■ ■■
Concern has been expressed that fric
tion between city officials and county
commissioners that has been surfacing
lately over annexation and rezoning of
land for development may be a precur
sor of strained relations ahead.
City and county officials, during the
Dick
Yarbrough
Columnist
yarb24oo@bellsouth.net
Eaves could have run on their records
and their platforms. In this case, one
would have been wrong.
This is Atlanta, and in Atlanta, it is
always about race. Always. You see,
Morris is white and Eaves is black. As
the campaign neared the end, Lewis,
Young and Franklin felt compelled to
support Eaves with a blatantly racist ad
that went over the top and hit rock bot
tom. Lewis said, “If you think fighting
off dogs and water hoses in the ‘6os was
bad, imagine if we sit idly by and let the
right-wing Republicans take control of
the Fulton County Commission.” Lee
Morris? A right-wing Republican? Is
Lewis saying that Morris would make
Fulton County the Birmingham of the
‘6os? How about Sonny Perdue? He’s a
Republican. Does John Lewis think the
governor is about to unleash the dogs
and water cannons?
Andy Young said if Eaves wasn’t
elected it would “turn back the clock
on equal rights and human rights and
economic opportunity for all of us.”
What a crock. Even for Andy Young.
Franklin said she participated in the
race-baiting because she was “infuri
ated by partisan and divisive politics,”
failing to see the irony in her own par
tisan and divisive comments.
I’m really not surprised at John Lewis
Foy
Evans
Columnist
foyevansl9@cox net
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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
last few years, have given all of us rea
son to be proud of the way they have
worked hand in hand for the better
ment of all of our county.
There are many joint projects under
way that reflect a spirit that what
affects one agency affects others.
Despite some disagreements that are
resurfacing I feel confident they are big
enough not to let them have any last
ing impact on working together.
■ ■■
How do you believe the change in the
federal government, brought on by the
recent election, will affect you?
I’m apprehensive.
On the basis of what I have heard new
Democratic chairmen of some commit
tees say I fear that higher taxes, infla
tion and higher interest rates are on
the horizon.
Whether this will happen during the
next two years could depend on wheth
er President Bush uses his veto pen, an
action to which he seems allergic.
I’m trying to get my affairs in order
based on the assumption that he will
decide to “get along” with the crowd
that believes the country is best served
through income distribution. If he
does, beware.
Two years from now? Anything can
happen, but my tendency is to be super
cautious.
and Andy Young. An icon in the civil
rights struggle, John Lewis lost track
of the real world years ago. He can’t
exist if whites and blacks get along,
as most of us do these days. Lewis
must manufacture racial tension. It is
the oxygen that keeps him breathing.
Andrew Young, another major force in
the civil rights movement and a per
sonal hero of mine, shoots from the hip
faster than the Lone Ranger. Just ask
Wal-Mart.
The real disappointment is Shirley
Franklin. I worked closely with
her during our days at the Atlanta
Committee for the Olympic Games. I
was responsible for federal and state
government matters. Shirley handled
city and county politics. We got along
famously, and I was delighted when
she replaced Bill Campbell as mayor of
Atlanta. Not anymore. Campbell could
make a racial issue out of a pecan tree,
and Franklin is sounding more like
Campbell every day.
John Eaves won the election. But
there are no winners here. Lewis,
Young and Franklin showed us that
racism is alive and well. For short
term political gain they were willing
to resort to the basest racial pan
dering and insult the intelligence of
thoughtful black and white Americans
in the process. I thought we had moved
beyond this kind of stuff in Georgia. I
thought wrong. The only thing that has
changed is the players. And they won’t
hesitate to play the race card. They
ought to be ashamed of themselves.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough
atyarb24oo@bellsouth.net, P.O. Box
725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139, or
Web site: www.dickyarbrough.com.