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PAGE 4A Perspectives / 4 JVlctctcwt ’a 9 (/ I ( I Brand new form of censorship Don't ask, don't tell It has become the overriding theme of a new brand of censorship that has begun to dominate the once open and free marketplace of ideas In practice, it is censorship by controversy In reality, it is the stifling of the type of public debate that is the cornerstone of an open and free society. For anyone who does not believe that the controversy censor is alive, well and expanding, raise the impeachment at the next visit to the “water cooler " Any group that may have gathered quickly dissipates at the mere possibility of controversy or a difference of opinion As one woman recently put it, “it is just too controversial * Although there were many other reasons as well, one of the nagging problems Newt Gingnch faced in attempting to resurrect his sagging poll numbers was the identification of Newt Gingrich with controversy. Unlike the past, today, the virtual political death knell for any politician is the tag of “controversial * (Oddly, any politician who openly stands for anything is deemed controversial by media The result is an entire class of politicians who stand for nothing and refuse to talk about it.) Weekend college recent edition at FVSU Welcome to the first ever FVSU Positive Side column sponsored by the Minority Advisement Program which is a part of the FVSU Office of Recruitment. Join me each week at we ‘accentuate the positive" at Fori Valley State University Debbie Faccento. the director of the MAP (Minority Advisement Program) of the University, has long thought a Leader Tribune column would be good for recruiting and as “there is no time like the present” she and I set to work making it happen If you have suggestions let us know Nothing will be too small or too big, providing it is positive for this column This week’s focus is on the Weekend College, the First in the middle-Georgia area. recently begun by Fort Valley The Meeting Place P ea ch County Commission - • every second Tuesday of month, jury room of courthouse, 6 p m Fort VeHey City Council -- -every third Thursday of month, courtroom at Oty HaH. 6:30 p m Board of Education - -every first Tuesday of month m doasd oJKoe, Vtnevdte 6:00 p.m Byron CBy Council -- - every first Monday of monti at old school, 600 pm UMRy Commission - - every seoond Monday of month, courtroom at City Had. 7:30 p.m Hospital Authority -- - every fourth Thursday of month in hospital conference room, 9:00 am PC Water It Swer Authority- first Thursday ol month, 2 pm in new courthouse annex. Fort Valey. or tie Byron Depot PC Ti - first Thursday of month. 6 p.m.. Commission meeting room, new courthouse PC Development Authority - second Thursday of monti, 8 am , Chamber of Commerce office. Vnevde St, Fort Vatoy - *|r liAtt -trikuac Wednesday, 8, II Political analyst Kandy Evans H No one is completely exempt from the controversy censor. Even the self-proclaimed (or at least WSB Radio-proclaimed) “Mouth of the South" Neal Boom is not immune Although many believe that Neal Boortz will say anything, anytime, anywhere, the controversy censor has struck him as well. For him. it is abortion Just not going to talk about it - no way, no how The preference now for the vast majority of Americans is just to not talk about it Whatever anyone else believes is their own business, especially if it is controverseaJ' Just do not need to talk about it. After all what everyone else believes will be reflected in the next set of polling numbers reported on the evening news This approach is just so much easier It eliminates the hassle factor Rather than engaging in any type of exchange of differing ideas, the easier thing is simply to talk about some neutral subject In fact, most people do The positive side by Jane Winston side of Warner Robins near the Galleria Mall. Call Claude Lucas, the director of the Weekend College 825-6652 for information on courses to be offered in the future and procedures for registering for One Final positive note: Teacher Recruitment day ts this Friday, March 5, at the Pettigrew Center on the campus. Put on your best clothes, bring several copies of your resume', and join those educators from across the United States and locally who come looking for teachers for their school systems on this day. State This program makes it possible for working students to complete courses for credit at a time and place more convenient for them Because these courses are offered on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, this mini-mester lasts only ten weeks This semester’s offerings are English, Criminal Justice, Computer and Accounting courses Summer Weekend College is projected to offer a Criminal Justice, Computer and English course. The FVSU program is housed at the Educational Center in the Industrial Park on the West ®jje leafcer -Cribune The official legal organ of Peach County, the City of Byron and the City of Fort VaNay PO Box 1060, Fort Valley, GA 31030 • 825-2432 Member qf the Georgia Preis Anociaium and the National Newspoor r Assouanon "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech, or of Ihe press, or the oghi of Un¬ people peacefully asaembte, and petition the Government for redress of ” to to a grievances 77te Leader-Tribune Staff The Leader-Tribune (USPS No. 307740) Vicky Whitehead General Manager it published weekly at 109 Anderson Jerry Murtagh Staff Reporter Avenue, Fort Valley, GA 31030. Stacey Shy Office Manager Subscription rates; $21.60 per year in Jody Robinson Advettumg Director Peach County, $29,15 elsewhere in Marc Robinson Typesetting/Graphic An Georgia, $45 out-of-state. Lisa Mathews Dirt room/ Assistant Pressman Periodical postage paid at Fort Valley, Ronnie Bowden GA. POSTMASTER: send address Gary Foskey changes to The Leader-Tribune. PO Box Danse Jackson Circulation Fort Valley, GA 31030. Joyce Matthews 1060, Cringing at brain overloa Brain meltdown. Too many things to remember and going on at one time so your brain selectively shuts down from time to time. That’s the only way ! know how to explain how we let two errors in headlines get by us last week Believe it or not we do proofread more than once and most of the time by more than one person. Still, errors can get through and believe you me we cringe and fuss at ourselves when they do get by us. You see, when we make mistakes they are in black and white for the whole community to see and man, does that sting And sometimes, proof reading three papers, your eyes get crossed and things just slip past you We promise to do better. 1 have to apologize to Mrs Joyce because one of the errors was in her headline She called me to remind me about the “i* before “e" rule just in case I had forgotten, which I hadn't. What kind of ride would you choose? not even want anyone talking about “controversial* topics around them Apart from the negative impact on the development of new ideas (as well as the de facto concealment of just flat wrong ideas), the controversy censor operates as an enormous tool for those who oppose any ideas that are out of sync with their own Want to silence someone or their ideas - label them or their ideas “controversial" and then watch how quickly they drop off the public discussion radar screen If that does not work, then juat disagree with them and watch everyone leave to avoid any possibility of confrontation. Mission accomplished; ideas censored The result is a nation full of Ralph Cramdens whose idea of public debate ia airing their views on the Falcons’ chances of returning to the Super Bowl. Beyond that, I won’t ask; you don’t tell; and, we will all get along. So, “how 'bout them dawgrf” The story is told about this young boy who asked his dad if he could used the family car to go out on a date His father told him he would not let him use the car until he got a haircut The father said, “111 never let you have the car until you try to look decent and get your hair cut. Have you ever known anyone with hair like yours to amount to anything?" The young boy said, “Yep, Jesus had long hair and he did pretty weB " The father replied, “Yeah, and he walked everywhere he went too" In today’s times it would be pretty safe to say that the majority of our young people don't have to worry about walking too many places They are either fortunate enough to have their own vehicles, use the family car when needed or ride most places they want to go with a friend But it hasn't always been that way Back when 1 was m high school not very many students had an automobile Most of those who did purchased their own old cars with a few dollars they made working after school and on Saturdays at some local business When our family came to Manchester in 1951, my Aunt Maggie Hull, who seemed to know most everyone in town, was able to get me a job for a few hours each week at the 1 Rogers Grocery Store on the east side of Main Street E.J “Junior" Bowen as the young, new manager of the store being transferred to Manchester from Roanoke, Ala As their business grew, Rogers later moved across Main Street to the budding formerly occupied by Dollar General Store and became Colonial Stores Later, of course, they moved on to the Fifth Avenue Shopping Center becoming Big Star and then on tKIje leader tribune Editorial Opinion... Yours and ours Day At A time r k Vicky Whitehead Please bear with us when these things happen and try to understand hard we work how easy it is for a mistake to be made Now, with little sleep this P«»t weekend 1 have the audacity to think I can write a column which makes sense My father-in-law had a heart attack Sunday night and we had been visiting my father that weekend, who also i* ill We came home to Find the message on our answering machine and rushed to the hospital. Hopefully, this week, feeling like a zombie. 1 will dill be able to detect errors as I proofread From where I sit %ob Tribble to the Town and Country Shopping Center where A&P is now The point 1 am getting to is that 1 was able to take some of those dollars earned on the job with the grocery store and buy a 1934 Chevrolet we named “Clairabelle" to drive around town I don't recall driving over five miles from town in that car because we were afraid we would not get back Let me tell you that old Chevrolet apparently really appealed to the young ladies back in those days. We had a teenage club where the Senior Citizens meet now at the old fairgrounds A friend of mine from Warm Springs, Eddie Hunter, drove an almost new Nash Rambler We would meet at the* club with Clairabelle and the Rambler parked side by side. When the evening’s activities were over and it was time to take a ride around town before dropping the* young ladies at their homes by curfew time, my old car would Fill up with cute, young ladies and many times Eddie would be the only one in his Rambler We would ride around town singing and having a good time before heading home We drove old Clairabelle for well over a year but she finally put us down First, the reverse gear went out so we would always have to park where we wouldn't have to back up Next, first gear vanished and we went with second and “high" gear as long as they lasted and then she wound up in the junk yard After all, Mr Bowen sold me that car for less than $1000 OUR GOAL; The l^eader-Tnbunt - is published proudly for the citizens of PeaCt) County by Peach l*ublishmg Company, Inc Our goal is to produce a quality, profitable, commumty oriented newspaper at which you. our readers, can be proud We will reach that goal through hard work, loyalty, teamwork and a strong dedication toward printing the truth Bob Tnbble. President Prances Tnbble. Secretary OIK PULllia?; Signed letters to the editor welcomed with a daytime phone number. We do not edit for content, only grammar, spelling and punctuation when necessary. Libelous or profane letters will not be published • Liability for errors in advertising will not exceed the space occupied by the error *We reserve the nght to edit all submitted materials, except as noted above e-mail ua at ttpeachpubOaol.com Please say a prayer for ua. and especially Da Whitehead We havi witnessed our share o miracles in the last few yean and are praying for anothei one. God is in the mirach business so this is not toi much to ask When it rains, it seems really] toj pour and our family has been in the downpour of family three misfortune the past] years Just have to keen reminding myself these things] make us stronger ' It’s March! 1 can't believe it. But to usher the new month in the winds were mightjn strong Sunday X Many of you have stores you could tell, 1 am sure, about your means of transportation when you were growing up, so as 1 conclude today, let me tell you another story relating to automobiles j These three ladies went to heaven and St. Peter was going to give them any type ear they desired, depending on they type of life they had lived on earth. ] The first lady said she went to church every Sunday and did a lot for her neighbors, so he gave her a Cadillac The second lady said she was a Christian too, maybe not so good as the first lady, hut she was all right St Peter gave her! a Ford. The third lady said, “Well, III tell you. 1 wasn't nearly as good as the other two ladies, but I wasn't all that bad either " St. Peter gave her a Volkswagen That night the three ladies were discussing their means of transportation Once of them said to the lady with the Volkswagen, “Aren’t you ashamed to be riding around in that 'bug up here in heaven?" To which she replied, "I was until I saw the preacher ndmg on a bicycle Think about this When we meet St Peter at the Golden Gate one day, if we were given the means of transportation in heaven according to the way we have lived our lives on earth, would we be riding in a Cadillac, a Ford, a Volkswagen , a 1934 Chevrolet, on a bicycle or would we be walking or maybe crawling everywhere we went? A very* good question for us all to ponder