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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 ELEPHANT WALK... aPlßlfcfWs KTI»J IS WMMN4TOM 1994 /F\ w IS • I CREATORS SYNDICATEJMC 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 a»o J 2006 /*\ ' f* ,y *■ {gjjWk 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.