Newspaper Page Text
4A
♦ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2006
Houston flatly .IJounutl
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Thank you, volunteers
About this time each year, some people
are complaining that Christmas has
become too commercial.
Granted, there’s a whole lot of shopping
going on, but there’s a lot of true Christmas
spirit in the air as well.
This weekend, Houston Countians can
enjoy a pancake breakfast, two parades,
a Jingle Bell jog, a live music festival,
a “Nutcracker” ballet and a community
candlelight service and several visits from
Santa, who will be all over the county - from
Warner Robins down to Henderson.
It’s the Christmas spirit, but it’s also a
sign of good community spirit, because
almost all of
the big events
are organized
and carried
out by willing
volunteers,
active church
members and
people will
ing to give
their time to
good causes,
like ringing
the bell of
the Salvation
Army.
The Warner
Robins parade,
to take one
example, will
be the largest
ever, featuring
over 70 floats
and 56 march-
ing units. The Perry Christmas parade,
though smaller, will pull in many church,
school and civic groups, and Downtown
Perry is having an all-out celebration for
two weekends with its Christmas at the
Crossroads events.
We are blessed to live in a community with
so many tireless volunteers and boosters,
and to have a long tradition of all-out cel
ebration of the Christmas season.
So don’t spend the whole weekend shop
ping. Make sure you see a parade, hear
some music or take an excited child to see
Santa Claus. A lot of people have worked
hard to make the season merry, and that ,
will continue straight through the season.
Peace on Earth
Peace on earth does seem a bit beyond
our reach at this point, but we can all
make a contribution at this juncture
by praying for the safety of our troops and
the success of the fledgling Iraqi govern
ment in the face of so much sectarian vio
lence.
This is no time for partisan bickering,
because we’re all in this together and his
tory is unfolding in ways we can’t entirely
predict or control.
It’s time to tone down the rhetoric, even
in our own discussions, and adopt a watch
ful and hopeful attitude, letting our best
and brightest leaders sort out the problems
we face and get us on the right course.
Letter to the epttor
A tribute to Hutcherson
It was a sad day when I learned of Mr. Hutcherson’s
death. He was a giant among men. His greatness in
the field of education in Houston County can never be
praised enough to even begin to do justice to his life.
He came to Perry High School in the late 60s when we
were faced with an extremely difficult transition with the
integration of Houston County Schools. I really do not
know of any other administrator who could have led the
school in this .time of uncertainty with the same degree of
excellence. As a teacher at Perry High School, I have the
utmost respect for the man and his legacy. He treated all
students and faculty members with respect and dignity.
He played no favorites. The newest teacher and the veter
an ones were all treated the same. He was the same with
students. I am certain that anyone who had the pleasure
of working with him at any level will remember that if a
person could read, there was never any doubt of
See LETTER, page 6A
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
The Warner Robins
parade, to take one
example, will be
the largest ever,
featuring over 70 floats
and 56 marching units.
The Perry Christmas
parade, though smaller,
will pull in many church,
school and civic
groups, and Downtown
Perry is having an
all-out celebration for
two weekends with
its Christmas at the
Crossroads events.
What the readers are reading
In writing this weekly column, one
thing I have discovered is many
people’s keen interest in what you
are reading and their willingness to
share with you their current read,
something about it, or their favorite
book(s), and why. With this in mind, I
invited readers to tell me about their
favorite book(s) with comments. This
is part of what I got.
Joan Herndon started reading
Wilbur Smith’s books in 1980 and in
particular recommends Flight of the
Falcon. According to Joan, she has 28
of his books and has read “all at least
twice and some more than that’. Joan,
that’s remarkable!
This is very interesting. Three read
ers - of this column and books - men
tioned Run With The Horseman by
Ferroll Sams. Dan Callahan, a medi
cal doctor, likes Sams, who is also
a physician. Wendell Whipple and
Sandra Hunt also liked this book. I
did, too, when I read it. Wendell said it
“reminds me of the same era growing
up in a small town plus Macon college
life,” and Dr. Dan commented that the
book was about “a very brassy boy
growing up on a farm - actually it is
mostly an autobiography by Dr. Sams”.
Dan also recommends The War Journal
of Major Damon ‘Rocky’ Gause with
foreward by Stephen E. Ambrose and
two other books by Sams.
Whipple also chooses Harper Lee’s
To Kill A Mockingbird as did Jeanne
Bledsoe. Jeanne liked Lee’s book
because it was set in “a small, rural
southern town in the early 1900’s, and
its characters are authentic and believ
able .. . the main character, Atticus
Finch, is an admirable main of honor
and courage . . .” Yes, Jeanne! I would
have included this book on my lists of
all time favorites, but I can’t remem
ber whether I actually read the book or
just saw the movie (several times).
Vociferous reader, Marti
Bloodworth, likes The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini saying about the
** g QfiZE.'TTB •CQt+~' v?oo6 creators syndicate, inc
The rumor mongering media
You will not read one of the most
significant stories of the week
out of Iraq on the front page of
The New York Times. CNN will not
make it headline news. The Associated
Press has yet to touch it.
That’s because the story exposes the
media’s own widespread malfeasance
in reporting on the war on terror -
and its refusal to be held accountable
when challenged by “amateur” blog
gers investigating fishy sources and
claims recycled recklessly by “profes
sional” journalists.
One of the most sensational news
items over the Thanksgiving holiday
came from the Associated Press, which
reported on six Sunni civilians burned
alive as they left Friday mosque ser
vices. The shocking dispatch received
global coverage. The front cover of
the Philadelphia Daily News blast
ed: “WORSHIPPERS BURNED
ALIVE: Capping deadliest week of war,
6 Sunnis doused with kerosene, set
afire as Iraqi soldiers reportedly stand
idle.” The Chicago Sun-Times blared:
“Sunnis burned alive in revenge.” The
Sydney Morning Herald in Australia
headlined: “Shi’ite militia burn Sunnis
alive in revenge attacks.” The Calcutta
Telegraph in India echoed: “Shias burn
Sunnis alive.”
The Washington Post announced:
“New savage twist to violence in
Baghdad.” The lead paragraph report
ed: “Revenge-seeking Shiite militia-
OPINION
book: “It examines a different culture,
but also the consequences of human
failure common to us all”. Other Marti
selections are: The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver; My Sister's
Keeper by Jodi Picoult; The Lords of
Discipline by Pat Conroy (I liked
this, too); and, The Silver Chalice by
Thomas B. Costain. I told you she was
a reader of books!
One of my people favorites, Alice
Gilbert, picked one of all of our book
favorites, Gone With The Wind, by
Margaret Mitchell. This is the second
most sold book in the world, only sur
passed by The Bible. Alice also men
tioned Lamb In The Bosom by Caroline
Miller and Cold Sassy Tree by Oliver
Anne Burns. Alice likes “Georgia
authors and novels with historical
Georgia background”. Alice, I do, also.
Janet Nunn selected Vienna Prelude
by Bodie Thoene. I did not know of
this book, but Janet’s description of
the book as “it depicts the horror of
the Nazi regime during Hitler’s inva
sion of Europe as he . . . had taken
over Germany and has his sights on
Austria” certainly piqued my interest.
Ann Gregory chose The Difference
Makers by John C. Maxwell, calling it
“small book with a big message” and
saying “it has reminded me to give my
attention to today, live in the moment
and enjoy each day with a new attitude
... I may not be able to change things,
but I can change my response by my
attitude”. Thanks, Ann. See what even
a “small book” might be able to do for
you!
P e f»gy Jerles listed Alaska by
SEARING UP FOR BUSINESS
men seized six Sunnis as they left
Friday prayers, drenched them with
kerosene and burned them alive, and
Iraqi soldiers did nothing to stop the
attack, police and witnesses said.”
The story continued: “Police Capt.
Jamil Hussein said Iraqi soldiers at a
nearby army post failed to intervene in
the burnings of Sunnis carried out by
suspected members of the Shiite Mahdi
Army militia, or in subsequent attacks
that torched four Sunni mosques and
killed at least 19 other Sunnis, includ
ing women and children, in the same
northwest Baghdad area.”
Just a few small problems with the
massively publicized story:
1. “Police Capt. Jamil Hussein” is an
unreliable, unauthorized spokesperson
whom the military has warned the
Associated Press about before.
2. The incident cannot be verified.
Newspaper readers around the
world who carried the story have not
been informed of any of this by the
Associated Press or any other main-
Tm
Larry
Walker
Columnist
lwalker@whgb law com
nmn
Michelle
Malkin
Columnist
malkin@comcast.net
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
James Michener and Angela's Ashes
by Frank McCourt. Peggy says she
has read Alaska three times. That’s
no small undertaking! Peggy was also
deeply affected by Alice Walker’s, The
Color Purple.
Peggy also stated that The Bible was
number one, as did Warner Robins’
City Councilman, Terry Horton
What Terry had to say is good, so I
want to use it in full: “Most days, I go
to The Bible for motivation and inspi
ration. It has also been the basis for
my life principles. I read other books,
but The Bible is the one I need to read
often to help keep me on the right
course. God’s word is truly ‘a lamp
unto my feet’. Amen, Terry.
My friend, Jim Mehserle, and I
share ‘book tips’ and seem to enjoy
many of the same books. Jim chose
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns
Goodwin and Founding Brothers by
Joseph J. Ellis. Great choices, but I
agree with Jim when he called these
books “current favorites” and said, “I
am sure I haven’t found my favorite
book, yet”! Incidentally, my current
favorite, which I just finished reading,
is a book recommended to me by Ella
Ann Beckham. The Devil In The
White City by Erik Larson. Read it. You
will enjoy it.
Book author and columnist, Billy
Powell, selected The Works of C. S.
Lewis,calling C. S. Lewis “an intellec
tual giant of the 20th Century and the
most influential Christian writer of his
day”. Billy, my mother will like your
choice. I do, too.
And so it goes. So many great books.
So many talented authors. So many
favorite suggestions! So little space.
I must close, and I do so by quoting
Marti Bloodworth: “Larry, you kncrw
this is too hard for me (selecting a
favorite book and author). I saw a shirt
that said ‘So Many Books, So Little
Time’ - that was made for me’”! Get
two of the shirts, Marti, and I will pay
you back. A large for me.
stream media outlet.
But those who follow the blogo
sphere have been unraveling the story
over the past week at lightning pace.
Curt at the Flopping Aces blog has
led the way, first raising questions
on Saturday morning about “police
Capt. Jamil Hussein’s” account. He
noted an official Multi-National Corps-
Iraq (MNC-I) statement in response
to the AP report that “neither we nor
Baghdad Police had any reports of such
an incident after investigating it and
could find no one to corroborate the
story.”
Next, he published a bombshell e-mail
from U.S. Central Command in Iraq
(which CENTCOM also confirmed to
me). Since September, Multi-National
Forces in Iraq have worked with a
group of retired police officers there
to verify the legitimacy and employ
ment of Iraqi Police and Ministry of
Interior “spokesmen” quoted in the
media. According to the military, the
Associated Press has been warned pre
viously about these unreliable sources
who have not been established as bona
fide employees - but “they have pretty
much ignored us.”
The list includes the following sourc
es, many of whom have appeared in
countless AP stories: police Lt. Ali
Abbas; police Capt. Mohammed Abdel-
Ghani; police Brigadier Sarhat Abdul-
Qadir; Mosul police Director Gen.
See MALKIN, page 6A