Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
LETTER
From page 4A
bolt of lightning struck the field
and all that could be envi
sioned were human bodies
falling everywhere. This will
leave an indelible mark on this
“little girl”, for the remainder of
her life, as it will all those who
witnessed this horrible trage
dy, young and old alike. Not to
mention especially those who
were actually injured; and for
what: a "simple” football game.
My prayers and thoughts con
tinue to go out to all those who
have been afflicted physically
and mentally, since that tragic
moment.
Some have called this an
“Act of God!” Why blame
God for this? To blame Him
is utter “blasphemy”. He pro
tected those who were injured
and scared. He kept alive all,
including the coach who was
the most critical, and whom
by all accounts, He brought
back to life! Must we always
blame Him that gives us life
and everything that we have,
for everything that goes bad
in our life.
No, God is not to blame;
we are! We have the brains,
we have the where with all,
and we have the common
sense. Simply put; more often
than not, we simply just don’t
know when to “get in out of
the rain”, no pun intended.
Nature gave us ample warn
ing on that fateful day. We
chose to ignore our intelli
gence, gut instincts and the
hair that stood up on our head
and arms, as has been done
for much of our lives.
What’s so significant about
33 years, as referred to sever
al times by our superintendent
of Houston County Schools?
Nothing! This tragedy was
but one moment in time and
quite frankly, could have been
avoided. Instead of listening
to all those things I previously
mentioned, we sit there, like a
child in front of a video game,
and look at this simple gadget
of man, and wait to see when
we are going to get struck by
lightning! Hence, we paid so
much attention to this “light
ning gadget” that we forgot
mankind.
Incidentally Information
Technology standards dictate
that when lightning is immi
nent within 15 miles of a loca
tion, computers, minis, and
mainframes should be pow
ered down and they’re in a
building.
However, “protocol” states
that we keep humans on a
football field until lightning is
within five miles. I know that
this distance is dictated by
those above the local school
system, however; there are
times that I think we should
consider taking the “higher
ground”, again no pun intend
ed.
What happened to “where
there is thunder, there is light
ning?” It’s a known fact that
lightning can strike you within
11-15 miles away. If lightning
were 11-15 miles away and
we suspended play, that’s a
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call we make for the safety of
all those present and exceeds
the five-mile standard. I call
that exceeding the standard!
Our “superintendent” inves
tigates this disaster and pro
claims within 24 hours or so
that all “protocols" were fol
lowed! All “protocols” were fol
lowed ... what’s that? Does
that mean our “Rules for the
Mad Dash" were successful?
In all seriousness, one would
think there this is a checklist of
what has to be done under a
given set of circumstances or
potential catastrophe; maybe
that’s what these so-called
“protocols”, are just that. Many
accounts from those present
the early evening of Sept. 11
though, have stated unless
one was there, one could not
imagine the “chaos and hor
ror” that ensued following the
lightening strike. Mass chaos
is the operative term!
There were numerous
accounts of students from
both schools shoving and
pushing each other’s oppo
nents out of the way, so they
could get to safety first, but
first they had to get the doors
to BMS open.
Yes, the gym doors were
locked! The only entrance
this mob of chaos could have
gotten to safety was through
those doors. There were some
basketball players practicing
in the gym, but when they saw
the frightened crowd at the
door trying to get in from what
they thought was just the rain,
they just started laughing,
jumping around, pointing at
the doors and rolling on the
floor. Finally, the basketball
coach saw what was going on
and he opened the door.
Picture those on the outside
trying to get in and how they
must have looked trying to
save themselves. It makes
me shudder to think about it!
What if there had been no one
in the gym. They were playing
at the stadium of a school that
was not their school. The may
hem could have been much
worse, under different circum
stances. What happened to
the “door protocol”, or was
that left out. It was only by the
“grace of God" that no more
were struck at that time. The
one positive thing that came
out of the issue of the locked
doors is that all coaches have
now been mandated to be
given a key to every school
gym in the Houston County
School System.
Another equally contentious
issue: there was no public
address system and in all the
noise and chaos, the cheer
leaders did not get the word
to “scramble.” One parent
stated the following: “Those
cheerleaders were just lucky
those men were taller than
they (cheerleaders) are.”
I can go on and on with
several other issues that cer
tainly fall within the scope of
“protocols”. If protocols were
followed, why were the doors
to the designated shelter
locked? Why didn’t everyone
get the word to Take cover”?
Even in the heat of “combat”,
there is a “checklist” to make
sure everyone gets the word.
I guess the questions might
be, are the protocols out of
date? Do the protocols cover
the items that should be part
of the criticality for meeting
the safety objectives? These
issues and others have to be
addressed!
Bottom line, and the point
I’m trying to make is not only
could this incident been much
worse, but more importantly,
we have got to take more than
a cursory review in the fact
finding of incidents in order to
minimize future repetition of
what occurred. That includes,
making sure the review/
investigation of the protocols
is completed by an “arm”
outside of the office of our
Superintendent of Schools.
With all due respect to the
superintendent, I, nor anyone
else I’ve spoken to, is imply
ing the superintendent or his
office did something egre
gious in this investigation, as
in a cover-up, but we must
have an outside investigative
agency look at an issue of this
type. I think each of us would
agree, the Superintendent
doing the investigation, or
being part of it, puts him/her
in a precarious and unfair situ
ation.
What I am suggesting is no
different than what is done in
any other organization where
an investigatively required
incident occurs. A non-edu
cational affiliated group would
much more likely dispel any
perceptions of a bias review,
as I have heard from many,
in this instance. Further, that
investigative entity should
be more than one person,
no affiliation with the School
District and this entity should
be spelled out in the proto
cols. All this needs to go under
close scrutiny to prevent or at
least minimize it from ever
happening again.
- Bob Swecker,
Warner Robins
Saved! From
politicians thanks
to early voting
■ wanted to share with you
and your readers the joy
ous news. I have been saved,
and I am here to proselytize
the good news by sharing
with you my path to glorious
salvation.
You see, I voted early.
Barack and John, Joe and
Sarah, and the multitude of
lesser demons wooing me
with empty words must seek
tastier fodder for their lies and
empty promises. Their words
availeth them nothing.
I need no longer listen to
false prophets promising to
save me from their errors. I
can tune out the strident lies
of misguided political evange
lists whispering sweet noth
ings in my ears because their
words are nothing.
Political pundits desiring to
explain the candidates’ inde
cipherable parables with trite
platitudes will not have me to
corrupt anymore. Like Nixon,
I’m not on hand to be kicked
around anymore.
I no longer need to watch
meaningless debates because
like Caesar, my die is cast. I
can focus on the truly mean
ingful programming offered by
the Entertainment channel.
When I left the voting both,
a weight leaped from my
shoulders, and I experienced
a euphoria not felt since I
was born again and slipped in
the baptismal bathtub, getting
water up my nose, and see
ing the white light. I am truly
free from two years of a news
media that shackled me to the
most irrelevant reports ever
witnessed. I AM FREE! Can I
get an “Amen”?
- Joe Sersey, Warner
Robins
It’s like pulling
teeth... Bailout
actions rotten
For this member of our
almost forgotten mid
dle class - at least by John
McCain - who has always
lived within my means, with
out out-of-control debt, the
histronics of our congressmen
fail to lessen “my sickness at
this foreseeable calamity.”
That my taxes will help pay
huge sums for inexcusable
excesses of widespread greed
in which I did not participate or
benefit, is beyond outrage or
even understanding.
When I add up the billions
wasted by an inept president
on futile wars, tax cuts for
the rich, increased disparities
of wealth, and on and on, I
feel hopeless. Where are the
guarantees That those who
have squandered the nation’s
wealth will be held account
able?” Our financial markets
have not been subject to even
a reasonable amount of regu
lation. We must renounce at
last the so-called “free market”
ideology and admit that our
long and disastrous experi
ment in loose regulation with
out adequate enforcement is
a total failure. Thus the main
reason for the current S7O bil
lion bailout and our financial
crisis.
I also no longer believe in
the tooth fairy
- Frank W. Gadbois,
Warner Robins
k ANGEL CITY RALLY i
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\ 3rd Annual Fall Rally /
a Oct. 9 thru 12th 2008 v
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rnm&mdm
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2008 ♦
CMimnity concerts set
Special to the Journal
The Warner Robins
Community Concert
Association is offering a
kaleidoscope of sounds in
its 2008-09 season.
Concert-goers, according
to a release, will be treated
to a “fascinating” variety of
musical styles presented by
musicians from around the
world.
Concert dates are:
Oct. 19 - Ukranian born
pianist, Alexander Peskanov.
Peskanov is a “highly sought
after” performer, recording
artist, composer, teacher
and conference leader. He
is also the author of the
book The Russian Technical
Regimen for the Piano.
Nov. 16 - Graffe String
Quartet from the Czech
Republic, with Japanese
born pianist, Michiko Otaki,
who is Director of Keyboard
Studies at Clayton State
College. The group was
most recently recognized by
the Czech Chamber Music
Society as the most promis
ing young chamber music
group of 2008.
Feb. 8, 2009 - C.J.
Sambach, organist.
Considered the “pied-piper
of the pipe organ”, he has
performed extensively over
the past 24 throughout the
U.S. (Note: There will also
be a pipe organ workshop in
conjunction with that Feb.
6,2009)
March 22, 2009 - The
Mercer Children’s Choir
directed by Dr. John
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Simons.
April 19, iOO9 - Fred
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All conceits are on
Sundays at 3 p.m. at First
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FUMC is located at 205
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Season tickets are available
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