Newspaper Page Text
J. HERB HALL
/MH Just Ramblin' .
With The Bear
Atlanta, Ga.—l first met Race at a party
several years ago. It was one of those dufi pro
motional affairs. I was standing at one end of
the room sipping a watery drink and staring at
a paper plate of soggy tidbits and wondering
how soon I could make my escape, when a
handsome young black man walked over to
me.
"Hi!" he said, sticking out his hand.
“Race.”
I shook hands with him, puzzled. "Race?”
He grinned broadly. "Yeah. Now I said it,
and you said it. So now we can move on an’
talk about other things.”
I shook my head. "Man, are you puttin’ me
on?”
He laughed delightedly. "Yeah, I am. Ac
tually, my name is Horace, but I can’t stand
that, so everybody calls me ‘Race.’ ” He wink
ed. "I know it’s a weird name for a black, but
you gotta admit, it’s a hellova conversation
starter!"
We both laughed, and in that moment a*
friendship was born, a friendship that deepen
ed and grew over the next few years.
Race was a sophomore in college, working
that summer as an intern newsman at a televi
sion station.
“Well, I’m sort of a gofer,” he said when I
asked him about his job. “You know, ‘go fer’
this an' ‘go fer’ that. I guess I’m more of a
mule than anything else. Most of the time I'm
fullin’ cable an' haulin’ cameras around. But
'm learnin' and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s
good experience.”
It turned out that Race knew me, although
I'd never met him. He was acquainted with me
through radio and television programs I’d pro
duced, and he had a thousand questions, most
ly about how to get started in the journalism
field.
We talked for awhile and I assured him I
was certainly no expert, but I’d answer any
questions I could. After a time, we went to a
small bar, and over several beers and cigaret
tes, I answered his questions and became ac
quainted with this young man with the
unusual name of “Race.”
Race himself was unusual, and even in our
brief conversation, I had already realized he
was brilliant. Bit by bit, his story emerged,
and much of it wasn’t pretty.
In Alabama, his grandfather was tortured
and beaten to death by an enraged mob for
allegedly raping a white woman. The man for
whom his grandfather worked later came for
ward and said it couldn't possibly have been
him because he was on the job when the crime
was supposed to have been committed.
“ 'Course, that didn’t help grandpa much,”
Race said.
His pregnant grandmother fled in the
night, carrying a 2-year-old baby ... Race’s
father ... and after walking most of the way,
finally arrived in a small South Georgia town.
Somewhere along the way, alone and terrified,
she gave birth to her second child, a girl two
months premature, in a ditch beside the road.
In the town, his grandmother was for
tunate to find a white woman, an unmarried
school teacher, who not only gave her a job as
cook and housekeeper, but a room in her home
where she and her children could live. They
stayed with the school teacher until Race’s
father was 10 years old and his sister 8. Then
his grandmother used her savings, and with
the teacher’s help, bought a small nouse on the
edge of town. Tne school teacher, having no
family of her own, took a genuine interest in
the children. She found they had fine minds
and taught them both to read before they
started school. She helped them with their
lessons and instilled in them an ambition to
learn and to succeed.
They both graduated from high school.
Race’s father became an apprentice brick
mason and was praised by his employer for his
industry and quickness to learn. The school
teacher helped the girl to go on to college, and
eventually, she too became a teacher.
Race’s father, by then a skilled mason,
married a school teacher and they had three
children, two boys and a girl. The oldest son
was attending college in tne North. He joined
a group of young blacks on a “Freedom Ride”
into Alabama. There he was beaten viciously
and struck over the head with a piece of pipe.
He lay in a coma for weeks, and when he final
ly regained consciousness, his brain was so
damaged he was scarcely functional and even
tually had to be placed in an institution.
Race’s sister graduated from nursing
school and went to work in a Northern
hospital, where she vowed never to return to
the South.
Race was different. He felt, he said, that
the South was his home and he had a respon
sibility, to himself and to his people, to live
and work here and use his abilities to help im
prove conditions and opportunities for the
macks.
'Excellent Job'
Dear Mr. Kirwan:
I want to thank you for the
fine news article you wrote on
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the
Regular Election for City Councilmen to
fill Seats Nos. 3,4, and 5 will be held on
Saturday, November 3, 1979, at the City
Hall in Summerville, Georgia. Said elec
tion shall be held between the hours of
7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Anyone desiring to qualify may do so
beginning October 6, 1979, until Noon,
October 20,1979, at the office of the City
of Summerville before the City Clerk.
This 12th day of September, 1979.
Bert K. Self
City Clerk
jQtteM Me EdR
my recent visit to the
Summerville-Trion Rotary
Club. You did an excellent job
of quoting me and in outlining
the programs available
“After all,” he said, "things aren’t all that
great in the North either. They have just as
many problems as we do in the South. And in
my opinion, they aren’t as capable of handling
them as we are. After all, the South fought a
war to keep the Blacks in the South. We were
at least important to their economy. But in
spite of all their big talk and pretentions, the
Northerners never wanted us up there,
because we were a threat to theirs!”
As the years passed, Race’s determination
to stay in the South increased. Each summer,
he found jobs in Atlanta. Television news,
radio stations, one summer he got a job with a
small weekly newspaper as a reporter. Com
pleting journalism school wasn’t enough for
Race. After he was graduated, he went to
Boston where he received a law degree,
finishing with honors. He got several job of
fers ana proudly came back to Atlanta to in
terview for one which seemed promising.
After the interview, the prospective employer
took Race out to dinner, ana before the meal
was over, offered him the job. Race accepted.
Elated, Race was walking back to his notel
when he was suddenly confronted by two men.
One held a gun on him, the other took his
watch, wallet and all his money. After they
robbed him, the man stuck the gun to Race s
head and pulled the trigger.
The snot should nave killed him, but
miraculously, he survived ... to live in a world
of darkness. The bullet had destroyed nerves
which could never be repaired, ana Race was
blind. It blasted bone from his head and face,
and Race was horribly disfigured.
When he was released from the hospital, he
went to his parents’ home, and for two years,
he sat, bitter and grieving, stumbling and cur
sing his blindness.
I visited Race on several occasions during
that time, and he said to me, “They were
black, man. Black! The dude who snot me
said, ‘So long, Brother!’ Brother! An’ then he
blew me away!”
Finally, despite his terrible hurt and
disillusionment, with the help of his friends,
his parents and especially his own courage and
determination, Race struggled out of his deep
depression and again reached out for life. He
enrolled in a school for the blind and learned
Braille. Later, he went to another school and
there he met the closest friend he had ever
known, a German Shepherd dog named Sam,
with whom Race would spend every waking
moment for the next four years.
Race returned to Atlanta, but this time
things were different. Because of his handicap
and nis disfigurement, people were reluctant
to hire him, and for a long time he couldn’t
have lived without his parents’ help. But Race
wouldn’t give up, and finally he began to get
work. Mostly part-time jobs at first, then he
sold a few free-lance articles. Although he still
suffered occasional periods of agonizing
depression, slowly his confidence grew. With
Sam’s eyes to guide him, he became more in
dependent, and finally he landed a job as
copywriter for an ad agency. Now his financial
existence was assured and Race began to
broaden. He sold more articles and began
writing a book. After the first few chapters
were completed, Race submitted his work to a
publishing house. They were excited by what
they saw, and not only assured him of publica
tion, but sent him a small check for advance
royalties. Race was on his way again.
Gloriously happy, Race and two friends
went out to celebrate at a restaurant near his
apartment. They had steaks and shared a bot
tle of champaign, then Race started home. As
he and Sam approached a dark doorway, Sam
gave a low growl which was suddenly cut off.
The first blow, with what police later said
must have been a piece of pipe, shattered the
guide dog’s skull. Then two men came from
the doorway and battered Race to the pave
ment. When he was found, some time later, he
was robbed, unconscious and bleeding, his
body lying protectively over Sam’s.
I visited Race in the hospital. He lay, star
ing sightlessly at the ceiling, and all ne said
was, ‘ s They were black, just like me. An’ they
laughed. They laughed about killin’ Sam.
They laughed when they were hittin’ me!”
I sat oy my friend s bed and there was
nothing I could say to him. Somehow I knew
that the most vital thing in Race’s life ... the
thing that was Race, had finally been
destroyed
I went back to the hospital two days later
and Race had been discharged. I called his
apartment for two days. There was no answer,
and I finally realized he’s probably gone to his
parent’s home to recuperate. When I called,
nis mother answered the phone, and I asked if
Race was there. In a leaden voice, she
answered, “No, Race isn’t here. Race is gone.”
“Gone? Gone where?”
"Race hanged himself two days ago.”
through FmHA to help the
people of Chattooga County.
We appreciate the fine rela
tionship we have with you
there and if I can ever be of
service, please advise.
Sincerely,
Jerry W. Braden
District Director
Farmers Home Ad
ministration
Men In Sheets:
They Cause Hurt
Dear Editor:
I can’t help to think of so
many groups of people who
are just causing trouble and
hurt. Also the people who
give them nickles and dimes
to keep going. Who are the
guilty ones? The ones who
march or the ones who give?
When you see what Jerry
Lewis has done. He don t
look to see the color of their
skin. Only that they are
human.
I have not seen the big
strong handsome wrapped in
sheets men giving their time
and cash to help. Do they
have children?
What will they do if one
News Starvation Sets In
The dry spell between col
umns is due to an added
responsibility. In addition to
teaching, I am now the faculty
editor of the Northern Arizona
University newspaper, The
Lumberjack. The Lumberjack
is a weekly with a circulation
of 9,000 and, now that we
have cranked out our fourth
issue this semester, I will try
to write columns again on a
regular basis.
This morning (Sunday)
when I opened my Arizona
Republic (the Arizona
equivalent of the Atlanta
Journal) President Jimmy
Carter was staring me in the
face. There on the front of
THE Arizona Sunday
newspaper was an article
about tne President’s attempt
to run a 6.2 mile, 10,000 meter
race.
It seems the President col
lapsed, from heat exhaustion
after about four miles. A doc
tor ordered the President not
to finish the race. President
Carter has been running for
about a month. His best time
for 6.2 miles is about 50
minutes.
I don’t know what criteria
the editor’s of The Arizona
Republic used to determine
what is newsworthy, but, in
my opinion, the story about
the President should not have
been on the front page. The
front page is usually reserved
for tne most important
stories. It would make sense
to run the story in the sports
section but not on the front
page.
The story painted a
psychological picture of
Carter as a LOSER. He is not
a loser. Anyone who runs four
miles is a winner. Especially,
someone who runs four miles
uphill and the Catoctin Moun
tain course the President ran
is an uphill course.
Certainly, one criteria for
newsworthiness is pro
minence, and the President is
prominent. However, there is
a difference between the pro
fessional and personal ac
tivities of a prominent person.
In my mind, this race was
definitely in the private, per
sonal category.
At a time when journalists
are struggling with Supreme
Court decisions that threaten
our access to information, it is
important for journalists to
provide an example of respon
sible news coverage. In my
opinion, a news story about
tne President’s personal ac
tivities printed in a
deprecating manner on the
top of the front page of a ma
jor newspaper is not responsi
ble news coverage.
This story follows on the
heels of the "killer rabbit”
story that ran on the AP wire
and was printed all over the 1
country. Please note, I do not
suggest these stories should
not have been printed. I do
suggest they should have
been placed in the proper
perspective and used accor
dingly.
For example, the story just
below Carter’s story was
about the denial of U.S. aid for
the Chrysler Corporation. If
Chrysler folds, or falters
millions of Americans will be
affected. Isn’t that more im
jjortant than President Jim
my’s weekend athletic activi
ty?
Fortunately, most weekly
newspapers have a communi
ty approach to the news.
becomes crippled with M. S.?
How sad God must feel
when He looks down. And
what will happen when he is
sending for us?
When they see a black
man will they say, "Throw
him out!”
I wonder who will go. Or
what will be said? But there
is a book they can read. And
if they would read it, they
would know NO MAN is bet
ter than the other.
And the man who thinks
he’s better is either jealous,
dumb and so very stupid. All
that wasted energy could be
helping the aged and crippl
ed ana give the sheets for
their beds. They need them.
It hurts me that I’m too
old and ill to be involved as I
did in the past. It hurts.
Good luck Jerry.
Sincerely,
Lola McLester
Lyerly
Why?
Dear Editor,
.1 saw in last week’s issue
of The Summerville News
where vandals had smashed
and broken nearly a hundred
stones. It just broke my heart.
I have friends and relatives
buried there. •If they are
caught, I think they should
have to work and pay for all
the damage.
Why will people do this? It
seems the dead can’t even rest
now.
Thank you,
Mr. Ernest Morris
Chickamauga
perc^Jp^igM^
By George Taylor
Generally, the news is a time
ly report of interest to, or that
will affect, the newspaper’s
readers. The best news is of in
terest to or affects,
the most readers. 1 can't see
how Jimmy’s four-mile run is
Agriculture Today
If you’ve been thinking about buying a farm for a “cheap"
place to live in the wake of those sharply increased real estate
prices in the city and suburb, better think again. U.S. farmland
prices increased an average of 14 percent last year. And, that’s
about the average annual rate tney’ve increased since 1972.
Fact is, farmland prices have doubled since 1970.
Sharpest increases during this past year were in California,
where farmland went up 23 percent; Nebraska, where it went up
22 percent and in both Arizona and Colorado, where it increased
21 percent. Farmland prices also went up 20 percent in Ohio, 18
percent in Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina; and 17 per
cent in South Carolina, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Sharpest increases in farmland prices since 1970 have come
in lowa, up 317 percent; Illinois, up 312i>ercent; and Wisconsin,
up 309 percent.
But, they’ve also increased 299 percent since 1970 in In
diana, 290 percent in Ohio, 270 percent in Pennsylvania, 271
percent in Pennsylvania, 271 percent in Delaware, 264 percent
in West Virginia, 260 percent in Wisconsin and 251 percent in
Colorado.
Surprisingly, the smallest percentage increase since 1970
has come in California. Farm prices there have moved up only
74 percent in that nine-year span.
As a result of all this, the value per acre of farmland now
ranges from a low of SIOO in New Mexico to $2,222 per acre in
new Jersey and averages out to $559 per acre nationwide. That
figure is up from S4BB per acre a year ago.
It’s also more than double the $246 per acre national average
of only six years earlier.
Farmland now averages $2,158 per acre in Connecticut,
$12,33 per acre in Rhode Island, $1366 in Massachusetts,
$1,516 in Ohio, $1498 in Indiana, $1,786 in Illinois, and $1,458
in lowa.
The value of all the nation’s farm real estate—including land
and buildings—is now set at a record $584 billion. That’s up
ifrom a previous high of $512 billion a year earlier and $326.6
; billion of only five years ago.
' The value of all farm buildings is now seen at S9B billion.
iThat figure is up from SB7 billion just a year ago and $56.8
(billion five years earlier.
Value per unit also now averages out at $580,100 in Wyom
ing, $531,400 in Montana, $503,900 in California, $479,000 in Il
linois, $476,100 in Colorado, $467,500 in Nevada, $417,000 in
New Mexico and $409,700 in lowa.
Those averages, of course DO NOT include machinery and
livestock. The department says the average farm has 160,000
worth of livestock and machinery.
BEFORE AFTER
FDRYESP.S
FSRUERSI MERCHANTS
HRS been iielpinc to
MM BETTER FL2ICES
FOR US ELL TO LITE.
An important part of the full ser- are only one aspect of Farmers &
vice provided at Farmers & Mer- Merchants’ complete loan program,
chants has always been loans for Loans are available for any wor
home improvement. Farmers & thwhile purpose—auto loans, farm
Merchants is continually proud to loans, even permanent mortgage
play a part in the growth and loans. Farmers & Merchants. All
development of our community. the bank you'll ever need.
But home improvement loans
EXAMPLES OF HOME IMPROVEMENT LOAN
Amount Months Payments* APR
$3,000.00 36 $112.66 14.02
4,000.00 42 134.36 13.74
5,000.00 48 153.38 13.50
7,500.00 60 200.59 13.09
10,000.00 84 195.49 12.63
• Farmers & Merchants Bank A
Summerville • THon • Lyerly • Menlo
of major interest to, or will af
fect, most readers.
Os course, how you rate the
news sometimes depends on
whether you are attempting to
report the news or sell papers.
A lot of the professionals at
tempt to sell newspapers.
Yours for semi
professional journalism.
by Ed Curran
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1 h
MH
The Summerville News, Thurs., Sept. 27, 1979
Wtohingioiif Report
By Larry McDonald
U S Reprasijfitalivt/ 7th District
SOVIET TRUCK PLANT EXAMPLE
OF MISMANAGEMENT
The Nixon Adminis
tration gave approval for
the export of hundreds of
millions of dollars in Unit
ed States’ technology and
equipment to the Soviet
Union for the construction
of the massive Kama
River truck plant early in
this decade.
Wv * a
w|
The export licenses is
sued at the time specified
that the trucks and engines
produced by the plant —
the world’s largest —
would be for “civilian use”
or for "commercial vehi
cles.” Anyone with one
ounce of common sense
knew at the time that the
Soviets would use the plant
for military purposes but
the liberals in the Adminis
tration ignored the warn
ings of concerned con
servatives.
Unfortunately, the
Carter Administration has
continued the unwise poli
cies of the Nixon and Ford
Administrations by export
ing vast amounts of U.S.
technology to the Soviets
which then use it to build
up their war machine.
The Research and De
velopment Subcommittee
of the House Armed Ser
vices Committee, of which
I am a member, has been
conducting an investiga
tion into this practice,
which will threaten our
nation’s survival if not
halted.
Not published at taxpayer expense.
Published as a public service by this newspaper
FACILITY USED FOR
MILITARY PURPOSES
Based on our probe thus
far, there is no doubt in my
mind that the Soviets are
using the Kama River
truck plant to manufacture
military trucks and en
gines for assault vehicles
and armored personnel
carriers
However, Rep. Richard
Ichord (D-Mo), chairman
of my Subcommittee, and I
have run into claims of
"executive privilege’’
from the Carter Adminis
tration. In addition, the
Administration has re
buked one of our
Subcommittee’s key wit
nesses in our investigation
and relieved him of his
duties as acting director of
the Office of Export Ad
ministration. Why? Be
cause he dared tell the
truth and thereby con
tradict the “official line”
of the Administration.
The witness, Lawrence
Brady, testified in May
that diesel engines from
the Kama River plant are
being used for military
purposes, including for
mations within the Com
munist Warsaw Pact in
Eastern Europe.
I shall continue to coop
erate with my Subcommit
tee in pressing the Carter
Administration to clarify
our current policies and
hopefully, to force it to
adopt new policies which
will prohibit the export of
any of our technology
which could even remotely
be used for military
purposes by our enemies.
• • •
Write or call: Rep. Larry
McDonald, 504 Cannon
Bldg., Washington, D.C.
20515 (202) 225-2931
5-A