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-TWF HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 26, 1994
4A
Perry viewpoint
The Houston Home Journal
OFFICIAL ORGAN, CITY OF PERRY AND HOUSTON
COUNTY, GEORGIA SNCE 1870
PUBLISHED EACH WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING
807 CARROLL ST., P.O. DRAWER M. PERRY. GA. 31069
TELEPHONE: (912) 987-1823, 987-5203
FAX: (912)988-1181
Th* Houston Horn* Journal (USPS 252-780) is pubfetwd sami
weekly for $lB per year by Houston Publications. Inc., 807
Carrol St, Perry, Ga. 31069. Second Class Postage paid at
Perry, Ga., POSTMASTER: Send address change to The
Houston Home Journal, P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga. 31069.
BRK3ETTE LOUDERMILK
Managing Editor
News stall: Brenda Thompson, Veto Roley. Sports: Bil
Overton. Advertßingfcomposing: Mark Samuels, Teresa
M. Gaviian, Teresa Shurley. Classified: Melanie
Bullington. Bookkeeping: Judy Hubert. Circulation:
Donnie Forehand, Denise Russ.
Our view
Clinton should curb excess
profiteering by drug makers
The Clinton Administration is right in its effort to curb
excess profiteering by many (not all) drug manufacturers.
The latest revelation is a report showing many drug
companies increased profits in 1993 fifteen times faster than
the rate of inflation. (Obviously, they were grabbing as
much profit as possible before price action by Congress.)
The concern is that many of the drugs, such as Tagamet,
the price of which jumped 71 percent in 1993, are often life
saving drugs. Because of a law allowing companies which
develop a drug to enjoy a monopoly for years,
manufacturers put any price they wish on products—
unavailable elsewhere. It's too much to expect them to be
more concerned about the health of buyers than profits.
The manufacturers have mounted a multi-million dollar
public relations campaign to persuade Americans controls on
prices (or price caps) are undersirable. In a free economy,
of course, they're not the first choice. But in some
circumstances they can be the lesser of two evils.
The drug manufacturers have themselves created such a
circumstance. Confress is morally obligated to make
possible life saving drugs (cheap in other nations) to
critically-ill Americans. That can be done by ending the
monopoly on drugs for the manufacturer who develops them
(or limiting the monopoly to a year), or by controlling or
lowering prices.
Americans shouldn’t be forced to pay far more for life
saving drugs than Canadians or Mexicans-which is now the
case.
One can take with many grains of salt the favorite industry
claim that they wouldn't develop new drugs if they didn't get
monopolies for their sale. There's federal research money
available and new drugs are developed in other countries
where there's no resulting monopoly.
The real battle in Congress today is one between wealthy
drug manufacturers and the public interest, supposedly
represented by memoers of Congress.
Lessons we have learned
from the Olympics this year
Many of us have been fascinated
with the events at Lillehammer this
past week and have learned some
lessons from the 1994 Winter
Olympics.
We have been reminded that ex
cellence counts. Most of the ath
letes have spent years in intensive
training. Our Lord encourages us to
do whatever we do as unto Him and
therefore with all of our skill.
We have seen that a worthy goal
spurs us on when we grow weary
and resentful of the pain. The
champions have said "no" to many
of the fun things that are a normal
part of their friends' lives to con
centrate on becoming the best at
their sport, die best in the world.
What is your goal? Is it big
enough? How about working for
the glory of God and the good of
His creation?
We have agonized with those
who have lost almost as victims,
with off-the-wall things happening
to them. Who can forget the down
hill racer who stepped out of his ski
just out of the gate and banged the
snow with his ski poles in total
frustration?
It reminds us of how little we
are in control of our lives. As we
approach life rehearsed, prepared,
practiced and protected, we are still
vulnerable to some fluke that can
knock us out of the race. How im
portant it is to commit our way to
the Lord and know that He is di
recting our paths.
Jim
Shipley
J*resbyterian
Church pastor
We have been warned that vic
tory at any price is not real victory,
that there are rules and character that
elevate a contest from the animal
world to the level of humanity.
Paul reminds Timothy that, "If
anyone competes as an athlete, he
does not win the prize unless he
competes according to the rules” (2
Timothy 2:5).
We have thrilled to those stories
of hard work and sacrifice in spite
of impossible odds to get to the
Olympics. It has impressed us
again with the fact that anyone
from anywhere who harnesses his
God-given talent can have a chance.
The Bible says, "God so loved
the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever
believes should not perish, but have
everlasting life* (John 3:16).
Everyone can be an Olympic
champion in the contest of life with
the right goals, the right character,
disciplined, hard work and faith in
the God Who promises, ’He Who
began a good work in you will per
fect it until the day of Christ Jesus"
(Philippians 1:6).
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Per/y Scrapbook
Hert> Shrlner, television star and nightclub performer, was a guest in Perry Tuesday
night, Feb. 10, 1970. He is shown here eating a stack of pancakes at St.
Christopher's Episcopal Church at their annual pancake supper. Holding another big
stack of pancakes Is Mrs. Ruth Purser of church. Shrlner starred on the long
running and popular TV show Two for the Money". He and his wife were travelling
through Perry on their way home In Fort Lauderdale when their camper-home
developed trouble. They left the camper at National Motor Coach Cos. here and
National's president Ralph Purser invited the Shriners to the church to eat.
STREET TALK:
Programs to get guns of the street and out of the hands of our nation's youth have
been in the spotlight of late. In your opinion, what do you think might be done locally
to help curb the possession and use of guns by Perry youth?
*
Phil Smith
“I don't really have an an
swer to getting the guns
off the street. What I see is
that this is a societal
problem. In my way of
thinking, until we change
the young people’s think
ing that a gun is the an
swer to all our problems,
then we will continue to
have a problem.”
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Capp Gidney
"They need to install
metal detectors. They
need to leave them in the
stores. They should make
it a law where they can
search any teenager on
the spot."
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Jeff McCormick
"I think it has to start with
education in the schools
and home. Kids today
don’t really understand
what violence is, because
on television they see a
guy shot down and get
back up after a television
show. Kids today need to
know that guns can kill.
They need to be educated
on what violence is."
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Mike Gray
"1 also think they should
ban them all. The only
thing they really need
them for is police and
protection.”
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Robert Morris
"One thing that needs to
be done is more checks
on the background of
people trying to purchase
handguns. Along that line,
a good waiting period
before you get a gun to
give them (sellers) plenty
of time to check. Of
course, one of the prob
lems is if you or I wanted a
Saturday night special, we
could go get one from a
street dealer. But, I think
that (the waiting period)
would be a start."
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Bobby Prather
"They should ban them
all."
M The Houston Home f
Journal
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Perry should
be 'up in arms'
over gun issue
October 30,1993:
Two teenagers.
One gun.
One dead.
February 10,1994:
One adult.
One teenager.
One gun.
One dead.
Tell me there isn’t a problem
with youth and guns in the peaceful
little town of Perry, Georgia?
I don’t think you can. With two
people killed by teenagers wielding
weapons in a four month period, I
don’t think anyone can. I, for one,
am seeing the warning lights flash
ing fast and furious!
Let’s just take a moment to re
view these two headline makers:
•On October 30, 1993, two
teenagers—one age 15 and one age
17--were standing out on a balcony
in Smith Heights Apartments.
Unofficial reports indicated that the
two had been arguing, the argument
ending when the younger of the two
fired one shot from a .38-caliber
semi-automatic pistol. The bullet
claimed the 17-year-old’s life.
•On February 10, a 17-year-old
local male was charged with murder
just four minutes after he shot and
killed a 42-year-old Perry man. Re
ports indicated that the two woe ar
guing over a jacket when the teen
took out a .38 caliber pistol and
fired one shot, striking the older
gentleman in the left side, just be
low the armpit.
The gun that was used is being
checked with the Alcohol, Tobacco
and Firearm Bureau to determine if
it was used in either of two other
shootings that have occurred in
Perry in recent days-one reportedly
being a drive by shooting at the
comer of Courtney Hodges Boule
vard and W.F. Ragin Drive which
resulted in injury to a 28-year-old
local man.
And, what about the local
teenager who was arrested on Jan
uary 14 and charged with carrying a
deadly weapon at a public gathering
and obstruction of an officer after a
disturbance broke out inside the
Perry McDonald’s Restaurant. If
police had not been called promptly
by employees, who’s to say what
would have happened.
Yes, folks, there is a problem in
Perry. And, I personally, would like
to see something done about it
Now, let me pause for a moment
to applaud our local and area law
enforcement for efforts they are
making. We have been told more
than once that they have always
been quick to respond to reports and
we know that they are now getting
anew educational program on
violence and guns off the ground.
The program will be aimed at
reaching school students.
For that, they deserve some ma
jor kudos. But, what scares me
most is those incidents that perhaps
they never hear about. I know few
people that can fix a problem they
know nothing about.
At this point, let me preface my
following comments by saying that
none of this is “official”-”official"
simply meaning that it is not a
matter of record. But having heard it
from some very reputable sources
who are in places that should know,
I can’t help but wonder.
What I’ve heard is that perhaps
there are a number of students, par
ticularly in the local high schools,
that are armed when they walk
through the doors of the schools. In
fact, some students have been heard
on repeated occasions to remark
that, at any one time, such as dur
ing a hall change, a random check
would reveal several students with
handguns in their possession.
My question is why isn’t some
one checking?
As far as I’m concerned, this
should be a legal issue. Until you
get tough with those who are carry
ing the weapons around, it’s not
going to get better. And. It is only
a matter of time before something
tragic happens that will have the
whole community, pardon the pun,
“up in arms.”
What’s it going to take?
More teenagers?
More guns?
More dead?
I hope not.
Brenda
Thompson
Staff writer