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BELIEF
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♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2007
4A
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Lef’s gef serious
The upcoming presidential election will prob
ably go down in history as having had the longest
campaign season ever.
What we may hope is that it doesn’t also go
down in history as the most irrelevant, given the
crucial needs of our nation.
With all dues respect to our sister media - tele-
vision - one thing
that’s going wrong
is that the voters
are being underes
timated by the pun
dits and producers
both.
The assumption
behind the most
recent debates
seems to be that voters are incapable of listening
to more than sound bytes, absolutely must have
controversy to stay awake, and want to see their
presidential hopefuls hurl charges at each other.
The big problem with the approach now being
used in the televised debates is that the person
who is elected President of the United States
will not be standing on stages taking jabs at an
“opponent.”
The presidency does not require arguing with
foes in a public forum, any more than it requires
making split-second decisions and shooting from
the hip with whatever words seem to work with
an audience.
Television debates may be a test of charisma,
but is it charisma that we really need?
Television debates may be a good forum for the
passing of “litmus” tests on key issues, but the
issues that come up often seem to be side issues,
chosen specifically for their emotional impact or
their appeal to single-issue constituencies.
So what are we to do?
In a best of all possible worlds, the candidates
would be given a little uninterrupted time to state
their views on important issues in sufficient detail.
We need to know what their values are, but we
aiso need to know how smart they are about the
meat-and-potatoes issues like the future of the
U.S. in the world - both in terms of relations with
other nations, and in terms of trade. We need
to understand where they’re coming from on the
economy, the mortgage crisis, health care and
education. We need to know what their priorities
would be in making court appointments.
We need to know how they would put their
cabinets together and find the best possible advi
sors.
This is the most serious job in the world. It
makes a huge difference who is elected.
Let’s hope that the media - whether main
stream, right or left, will stop treating the presi
dential campaign like a survivor show and get
serious soon.
And we hope that both the candidates and the
media will start giving the citizens of this country
credit for some common sense.
Letters to the editor
Pentagon needs to plan exit from Iraq
It sounds like our so-called “surge” of troops in Iraq
is responsible for considerable, visible progress. Yet
Gen. Petraeus has stated that a military solution in Iraq
is not possible. By April of 2008 our forces will have been
exhausted.
So why has it taken more than four years to train the
Iraqi troops so that they can train their own troops? Why
didn’t the surge happen long before recently? Planning by
the Pentagon since day one has been lacking. Now they
need to plan an orderly exit before we finally realize it has
all been for so little. After all, the Iraqis don’t even want us
there.
- Frank W. Gadbois, Warner Robins
HOW TO SUBMIT:
There are three ways to submit a letter to the editor: E
mail it to hhj@evansnewspapers.com, mail it to Houston
Home Journal at 1210 Washington St., Perry, GA 31069, or
drop it off at the same location between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
Letters should not exceed 350 words and must include
the writer’s name, address and telephone number (the last
two not printed). The newspaper reserves the right to edit
or reject letters for reasons of grammar, punctuation, taste
and brevity.
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
“Television debates
may be a test of
charisma, but is it
charisma that we
really need?”
This great UGA running back
It’s Sunday night and Thanksgiving
is over. Back to work tomorrow.
Get my article written so it can be
filed on Monday, as is my custom. So,
what have I been doing? I’ve been read
ing. Not writing. Interesting stuff. I’m
confident that what I’ve been reading is
not being read by any other in Middle
Georgia on this Sunday night, Nov. 25.
What is it, my reading material? It’s
about this great UGA running back.
This freshman phenom. “This marvel
ous physical specimen . . . with massive
thighs, ox neck, peaked shoulders . . .”.
So, you think it’s Knowshon Moreno?
It has to be, doesn’t it? After all, Thomas
Brown is a senior and Knowshon
Moreno is a red-shirted freshman. Yeah,
Knowshon Moreno, that’s it. Wrong!
It’s someone better than Moreno. At
least, what Moreno has shown so far.
And it’s someone who played for the
Dawgs, 25 years ago. Yes, Herschel.
That’s all you need to know, say - like
Elvis, Madonna and Ali. Just Herschel. *
So, what have I been reading? It’s
the Aug. 31, 1981 edition of Sports
Illustrated. And, there’s his picture,
number 34, on the cover with the ball
in his right hand and the words, “Top
Dawg, Herschel Walker of Georgia, a
Profile by Cuny Kirpatrick”.
I didn’t even know I had this maga
zine. I was looking through some old,
boxed-up material and there it was -
this Sports Illustrated magazine in mint
condition. I don’t think it had ever been
opened before.
November leftovers still
It’s hard to believe we’re in a
new month. Here are some left
over topics from November for
comment and consideration before
we get involved in the rush toward
Christmas. Most “experts” are predict
ing a “slow” shopping season nation
ally, but Houston County could buck
the trend.
■ It looks like the possibility of Corder
Road becoming a four-lane cross-town
thoroughfare between Watson Blvd.,
and Russell Parkway may be on hold
for a long time. Resurfacing of Corder
Road, which is under way now, pretty
well tells us that this project is on long
time hold.
A decade or more ago some land was
acquired for the anticipated widening of
Corder Road, but it hasn’t happened. A
new connector road, extending Corder
Road, from Russell Parkway south to
Houston Lake Road, is ready to allevi
ate traffic in that area.
■ Speaking of traffic, opening of the
new Kroger, pff Watson Blvd., behind
Outback Restaurant, has created the
most dangerous situation I have seen.
Entrances and exits from the shopping
center surely will see many accidents
and, possibly, fatalities. I was shocked
and frightened a few afternoons ago
when my wife and I tried to turn into
Kroger from the east bound lane of
Watson.
There were cars trying to get into
Watson, enter it and cross to enter the
shopping center while a steady stream
of vehicles roared by. Actually, I was
terrified. I wanted to turn around and
Columnist
lwalker@whgb-law.com |HIA|
I know I had never read the article
about Herschel. I guess someone gave
me the magazine, like they used to
give me things when I was in politics,
and I just put it aside and never read
it. Like I say, I didn’t even know I had
the magazine.
And, so I’ve been reading, and I have
the luxury of hind-sight as to how
good Herschel really turned out to be.
The Heisman Trophy and National
Championship. And, Curry Kirkpatrick
is right on with his predictions.
But, that’s not really what impressed
me.‘What I found to be most interest
ing was some of the things Kirkpatrick
had to say about this boy-man. About
his character and what kind of person
he was.
Since I’m sure that few of you have
the magazine, let me share some of
Kirkpatrick’s words with you.
“So why all the hulabaloo over
Herschel Junior Walker, 19, and never
been hissed? Why . such astonishment
about his poise, intelligence, charm,
graciousness, humility, charisma, and
his ability to put together more than
go home. A small gap occurred and we
raced across Watson. I am not a thrill
seeker, so I will avoid that intersection
again. But all day and part of the night
there will be hundreds of motorists
risking their lives. I would feel safer
parachuting from an airplane.
■ Some members of congress are
talking about “reforming” Medicare.
They can’t be listening to the seniors
that I know. I can’t find anything
wrong with Medicare as it presently
exists and my aging friends feel the
same way.
We are not talking theory. We have
used it for many illnesses and surgeries
and find it to be a good program just as
it is. Any tinkering with Medicare can
not improve it but surely would make
it less beneficial. Medicare, combined
with a good and reasonably priced
supplemental insurance policy, pro
vides wonderful hospital and medical
protection.
■ If lawmakers want to do some
thing useful they can change the dis
graceful prescription drug law, which
was written by the insurance and drug
manufacturers for their benefit. The
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
two words at a time? . . . Walker’s
endearing way with people ... He was,
and is, a child of the old South, pos
sessed of all that implies - gentility,
courtesy, devotion to Sunday School,
punctuality at supper, loyalty to home
and hearth ...”
I never saw Herschel strike a
Heisman pose in the end zone. I never
saw him slam the ball to the turf after
making a spectacular run or dance a
“look-at-me” dance. He just put the
ball down or handed it to an official. In
short, Herschel had class.
I had forgotten just how much class,
as I have grown numb to athletes’
antics, and until I chanced upon this
26-year-old article.
I’d also forgotten that Herschel was
a poet until Kirkpatrick’s article. This
was one Hershel wrote in high school.
‘7 wish they could see
The real person in me
Someday I reckon they will know
I’m not only here for the show. ”
No, I wasn’t reading about Knowshon
Moreno, as good as he is and can be.
But, I could be reading about him 25
years from now, if he will learn lessons
of and practice humility and gentility
and poise. If he will recognize that he’s
not at Georgia just for the show.
And, if he continues to improve and
practices Herschel’s lessons as well as
football, perhaps 25 years hence we’ll
be talking about and reading about
Knowshon - just like Elvis, Madonna,
Ali and Herschel.
plenty good
so-called doughnut in coverage is a
trap that can be financially devastating
to moderate and low income seniors.
Private prescription drug coverage was
much more desirable before the gov
ernment got involved.
■ There’s another “peace confer
ence” for the Middle East, involving
Israel and Palestine. The news is posi
tive for a peaceful settlement. Haven’t
we heard that before? Remember the
rose garden accord engineered by
President Jimmy Carter? The terrorist
Arafat, representing the Palestinians,
received the Nobel Peace Prize.
President Bush is hoping the pres
ent agreement will make it possible for
peace in the Middle East to become his
legacy. No chance. Nothing less than
eliminating Israel as a state will please
the Palestinians and other countries
in the area and any agreement today
must be looked at as what It is - stall
ing tactics.
■ Warning: If you plan to buy a new
cell phone or change carriers check to
see if you can receive good coverage
where you plan to use it. I was thrilled
when I was given an iPhone for my
birthday. I immediately signed up with
AT&E for service.
After signing a’two-year contract I
learned that AT&T service where I live
is marginal at best. I was beset by the
kind of dropped calls they talk about
in commercials. I need completely reli
able phone service and, even though I
loved the iPhone and all its features, I
changed carriers for simple reliable cell
phone service.