Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6. 1979
—Op.-Ed. Page-
Perry Visitor Enjoyed
‘Crossroads Christmas’
Dear Editor:
Perry, Georgia outdid
itself on Sunday,
December 2! We so much
enjoyed our visits in the
shops and appreciated
the warm hospitality
extended everywhere we
went. It was a real neigh
borly gathering.
Though I have read for
years about the Dress-A-
Doll contest, this was our
HHJ Reader Knocks
Column By Editor
Dear Sir:
If you can’t say
something intelligent in
your “Out on a Branch”
column, at least be
productively positive.
Tossing out Christmas
barbs at local politicians
won’t fuel warm fires in
your readers’ hearths.
It appears that you
have the objectiveness to
print the pros’ and cons’
as they are submitted to
your “Letters to the
Editor” space, and for
this you are to be com
mended.
Your rather brittle and
Miss Lillian’s Remark
Strikes Reader Funny
Dear Bobby:
This is to announce the
formation of an unofficial
“Mrs. Lillian Carter Hit
Khomeini Committee”.
This is to assist Mrs.
Lillian in her announced
wish that if she had a
million dollars, she would
hire someone to take out
a contract on the irrasible
Ayatollah.
I believe that if
everyone in this country
that was shocked and
outraged over the recent
events in Iran would
donate a quarter or half
dollar, the spunky Mrs.
Lillian would get more
Reader Delighted HHJ
Back To Once-A-Week
Dear Bobby;
I am delighted that you
have decided to have just
one paper each week. I
hope your final decision
will be on this basis too. It
At Perry Library
Music Is
Theme Os
Story Hour
The theme for Story Hour on Dec. 5 and 6
will be music. The session will feature stories
about music and lots of singing. We urge all
of our story hour fans to join us as we go into
the Christmas season. Many surprises and
treats are in store for everyone. Regular
story hours are Wednesday and Thursday at
10:30 and Thursday at 4:00. Movie Time is
Tuesday at 4:00.
On Friday Dec. 7, the Perry Library will
present a special showing of the “Littlest
Angel”. It will be shown at 10; 30 and 4:00. We
urge all those interested to join us.
first time to see what this
project involved. The real
spirit of Christmas was
displayed in the Bank of
Perry when you saw how
much LOVE had gone
into dressing each of
these dolls. They all
looked like winners to
me. My heart was filled
with JOY knowing that
some needy child would
receive one of these
unfunny digs at members
of the city council who
aspire to the mayors
office, was in poor
democratic taste. Your
belittling attempt to
discredit our present
mayors’ intelligence and
his inability to secure
good press relationship
with HHJ, leave many of
us cool to your reasoning
and embarrassed by your
mannerisms.
It is obvious that this is
a case of personalities
rather than a
disatisfaction of per
formance on the part of
than the amount she
needed. Since Khomeini
has announced that what
he is doing is in the name
of religion, this would be
a missionary activity that
people in that part of the
world would understand
and respect.
If you asked me if I
would be willing to un
dertake such an
assignment, the answer
would probably be no. I
am simply not cut out by
temperament or moral
aptitude for that type of
clandestine activity, but I
might consider holding
the coats of the ones who
is much more enjoyable
to get one weekly, and the
contents are much better.
I think it is commendable
to try this route, and you
probably would not have
beauties on Christmas
morn.
Congratulations on
your “Christmas at the
Crossroads!” Next year,
our feet permitting, we
plan to stay for your
candlelight service.
Ann Lanter
Fort Valley, Ga.
P.S. I vote for ONE
edition of the Houston
Home Journal a week.
the mayor.
In any event such
writings are a waste of
newsprint and your
valuable time!
If you have a positive
inclination to improve
Perry’s political at
mosphere, I suggest you
devote yourself to
specific subjects and
therein find your opinion
would indeed carry a
great deal of weight.
Yours for a stronger
Branch, I am
Yours truly
C.A. Hague
317 Carroll Blvd
would.
As you have guessed by
now this letter is written
in jest, so don’t send me
any contributions, but the
idea is interesting.
The situation in Iran is
certainly no laughing
matter, but the idea of
Mrs. Carter wanting to
hire a hit man to take
care of the situation and
getting a standing
ovation from her
audience when she made
the comment, did strike
me as funny.
Bill Clark
1500 Tucker Rd.
Perry
been satisfied until you
tried this.
Sincerely,
Allen Whipple
Perry
Studying Earth
The fifth grade science classes of Judy Bridges at Tucker Elementary
School have recently been involved in the study of the earth. Through use
of text, filmstrips and T.V. cassettes; the students have learned of the
Mother Earth’s crust, mantle and core and of the earth’s substances
found in each, including ore, minerals, and rocks. The students have
become interested in the causes and effects of faults, earthquakes and
volcanoes. Students were able to see a simulated volcanic eruption as
demonstrated by Phillip Thompson, Scott Kinnas and Steve Dennard.
Military Not The Solution
The time is long past
when the United States of
Americas, the grandest,
most powerful, most
advanced and most
resourceful nation in
history, started using its
assorted brains in foreign
affairs.
At the least our leaders
and diplomats should be
as cunning and
imaginative as a group of
rabble in Tehran or an 80-
year-old mullah who
never demonstrated any
special abilities during
his first 79 years, but
suddenly is shrewd
enough to conduct policy
with Mike Wallace in
stead of Cyrus Vance.
Review By Jackie K. Cooper
Westfield ‘Magic Shop’
Was Enjoyable Show
One of the great
benefits of reviewing for
this paper is getting to
see some of the fine talent
of our young people. I got
a chance to view some of
the best last week when I
went out to Westfield and
saw some of Carolyn
Lee’s drama students
presenting “The Magic
Shop” by H.G. Wells.
The play itself could be
appreciated on several
levels. It could be an
amusing light comedy or
you could look closer and
see some of the messages
of the playwright. To me
it was a combination of
the play “Brigadoon”
and the Helen Reddy pop
tune “Angie Baby”.
S’’ /'' * • ' *
‘Nice Shot’
Robert Reese is pictured with the ap
proximately 170 pound deer, field dressed, he
killed around 8 a.m. on November 24 on a game
preserve near Perry.
By Millard Grimes
Indeed, why can’t the
U.S. be as smart as
Mexico which “sur
prised” our State
Department with a
remarkably logical
decision to stay out of the
turmoil by declining to
readmit the former Shah
of Iran.
The current crisis
involving Iran and the
hostages in the American
embassy is obviously a
world happening of
enormous consequence
and an unprecedented
test of U.S. ingenuity.
But it is not a crisis that
invites a military
solution. President
Carter recognized that in
Directing the play was
Jackie Marshall and she
was ably assisted by
Molly Culpepper. I don’t
know if they were also in
charge of props and
makeup but they too were
very good.
Laurie Culpepper had
the lead role of “Amy”
and she was a delight.
She was as frisky as a
puppy and wonderfully
amazed as the little girl
who discovers the magic
in the “Magic Shop”.
Equally good was Bill
O'Neal as her father. He
had to convey an
authoritarian figure who
couldn’t figure out what
was going on but refused
to accept the magic.
his first reaction to the
crisis and that may have
been his best moment in
the past month.
Iran does not pose a
military threat to the
Nancy Geiger was the
mother in the story and
she too was all grown up,
but still able to glimpse
the magic through her
daughter’s eyes. Lee
Culpepper was amazing
as the magic shop
proprietor Mr. Briggs.
Not only did he have to
act, he had to perform
magic. He did a good job
in both fields.
Keith Tolleson almost
stole the play with only a
few lines. She was perfect
as a whining pest of a
little girl. Her disposition
was so bad that you could
certainly see why no
magic worked for her.
Steven McCorkle was her
exasperated father.
Dee McGowan was the
rag doll, Terry Clark the
bride doll, and Terri
Bloodworth the ballerina.
These three girls had to
be completely still on
stage until the magic
woke them up. They
hardly blinked. It is hard
to describe on paper how
good they were in their
roles.
Mike Jennings gave a
solemn air to the
proceedings as a
policeman.
The entire show was
enjoyable and I commend
all of the cast members
and those who worked
backstage for the
professionalism of the
performance. I look
forward to seeing another
show, just as good, next
year.
cAn Sncou/iaging
Rev. Don Arioil C >
First Baptist Church
“For I have given you
an example, that ye
should do as I have done
to you.” -- John 13:15
Examples and symbols
are all about us,
especially during this
time of the approach of
Christmas. There are
many symbols from the
Bible, such as the star,
the manger, the
shepherds with their
sheep, the wise men, and
so forth. There are also a
multitude of other
Christmas symbols;
some of these have their
roots deep in antiquity
and others come direct
from the local florist and
the greeting card
manufacturers.
And Christmas is itself
a symbol, a sign and
example of God’s love,
reaching down from
heaven to earth and
across the many cen
turies right to the place
where you are right now.
God has away of taking
the things which we
abhor or take for granted
and making them
United States, or to any
other nation. Its military
forces, in fact, are
deteriorating from all
reports. And the military
in Iran may well be the
best friends the U.S. has
and the best hope for
restoring a stable, pro
western regime, which
should be our eventual
goal.
The crisis very
definitely DOES pose a
threat to our moral
leadership in the world;
to our good relationship
with other Moslem and
Arab nations; and our
economic lifeblood,
which is the oil in the
Middle East.
Those are the three
essential considerations
in the current crisis, and
they should outrank all
others, including the
eventual fate of the 49
hostages, even though the
U.S. obviously wants to
see them safely freed.
But none of these
essential objectives
including the lives of the
hostages -- would be
served by a military
strike. Quite clearly we
are dealing with a
fanatical old man who
could care less if his
nation’s entire jet fleet is
destroyed. His strength
lies elsewhere -- and that
strength would be
enhanced if the U.S. were
to send bombers against
Iran.
Likewise, the so-called
students would probably
welcome a U.S. military
strike because it would
solidify the emotional
support of the teeming
mobs who would regard
the use of force as
evidence that they are
right in considering the
U.S. as a villain.
Surely we learned in
Vietnam that it is im
possible to bomb a
country or people into
submission. And we
cannot look at the
examples of retalitory
attacks by the Israelis as
models for action
because they are con
ducted in an entirely
different context and for
that matter haven’t
solved much.
What then can be done?
First and foremost,
President Carter and his
aides should consult
regularly with the friends
the U.S. does have in the
Middle East, most
especially President
Sadat of Egypt, and the
leaders of Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait and Yemen.
These leaders are
Muslims, like Khomeini,
Symbols
symbols of eternal truth
and love. The manger
was then and still is today
merely a feeding trough
for animals; the cross
was the cruelest way to
execute their enemies
which the Romans could
devise. And yet the
manger is now a symbol
of God’s love just as the
cross is a symbol of God’s
care and protection.
It was during the
Second World War that a
passenger on a ship
noticed a large golden
cross on the side of
another vessel. Curious
as to its meaning, he
began to notice other
craft and discovered that
this same cross
decorated ships both
large and small. Seeking
the interpretation of this
unusual insignia, he was
told that hundreds of
ships had been destroyed
by floating mines. They
had been so constructed
that the steel hull would
draw a mine to its side
magnitically. Os course,
as soon as it touched the
PAGE 5-A
and we need to assure
them that they are not
our enemies, and we need
to listen to the advice
they give.
Secondly, as Carter did
in his press conference,
the U.S. must make a
sharp distinction between
the Iranian people and
Iran’s current leader
ship, including the
“students” who are
holding the hostages.
Quite probably the
“students” are more
influenced by Marxist
and anti-American
convictions than any
desire to have the Shah
returned.
As for Khomeini, he is
unlikely to be in power six
months from now, unless
we make him more
powerful by either
matyring him -- the in
credible suggestion put
forth by Mrs. Lillian
Carter - or further in
flaming the Iranian
people against the United
States.
The weapons the U.S.
needs to use are moral
and peaceful ones.
It needs to halt all food
shipments to Iran. It
needs to tell the Soviet
Union, which has a
bigger hand in this than
we admit, that there will
be no SALT treaty as
long as our other in
terests are under attack.
And we need to use all
the propaganda means at
our command to get a
message through to the
Iranian people that their
present course is suicidal
for their economy, for
their standard of living,
for their very stability as
a nation and for their
freedom.
The sooner they get this
frenzied rampage out of
their systems and get
back to establishing the
20th century in their
nation then the sooner
they’ll have steady
employment, food on the
table, a movie house on
the corner and rock
music back on the radio.
Khomeini is a passing
fad, unless we make him
a lasting force through
some precipitous action.
So are the mobs in the
street, who are mainly
extras for each night’s
television news
programs.
There are leaders
waiting to inherit the
chaos in Iran, and as we
did 27 years ago with the
Shah, we need to be
discussing with Sadat and
other Middle East ex
perts who to sponsor as
the inheritors.
side of the ship, it ex
ploded and the ship was
destroyed.
One day, one of those
unexploded mines was
washed ashore. An
American soldier found a
means by which a ship
could be protected
against it: a cable
charged with a special
repelling force was at
tached to the side of the
hull, going all around the
ship right at the water
line. This counteracted
the magnetic power
within the weapon,
making the ship as safe
as if it were made of
wood. On each ship which
was protected with this
device, a large golden
cross was painted which
indicated safety for all
aboard.
Just as the golden cross
was the symbol of safety
and protection against
the destructive forces of
floating mines, the cross
of lesus Christ is the
symbol of our eternal
protection.