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Viewpoints
Our Opinions
Police research is
definitely warranted
Our local police department is currently researching the law to see if an
individual who rents a vehicle that is then involved in the commission a
crime can be prosecuted even though they did not commit the crime.
This research of our local law enforcement stems from an event last
weekend where four males from the area assaulted an off duty New York
police officer. An individual, yet to be identified, who was not arrested for
the aggravated assault reportedly rented the car the males drove to New
York.
We fed that such a law, if it doesn't already, should exist
If an individual rents a car knowing it will be used in the commission of
a crime, that is withholding evidence and allowing a crime to occur.
Fbr a person to ignore the fact they know a crime is going to happen,
especially when it could cost lives, as this one did (one of die youths was
killed), is just as bad as committing the crime.
Support should be shown
by community
There is an effort that has been underway for some time now to persuade
the Houston County Board of Education to locate a new middle school in
Perry.
This is not an unwarranted plea. Records on attendance at each school in
the county shows Perry Middle School is overcrowded. Visiting the
facility only proves this-there seems to be as much classroom space in
portable buildings as there is in the original school structure.
The school board just approved two new school sites, one in Bonaire and
one in Warner Robins, which will not lessen the overcrowding at Perry
Middle enough to notice.
Superintendent Tony Hinnant has said more than once that he believes
schools should be built where growth is evident But the recent growth on
Highway 96 occurred because schools were built in that area.
We feel Perry has shown enough growth to warrant a new middle school,
but all the school board has said we'll get is an addition of less than one
dozen classrooms, and that is not supposed to happen for at least another
year.
Join this group of citizens and Save Our Students-let your local school
board know that Perry won't stand for being overlooked!
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Editor
Houston Times-Journal
P.O. Drawer M
Perry, GA, 31069
Houston Times-Journal
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Phone: (912) 987-1823
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Daniel F. Evans
Vice-President
Julie B. Evans
Treasurer
Legalizing Drugs Is Far From Rational Answer
U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn
Elder has on at least two occasions
proposed publicly that we should
legalize drugs in this country. "Ido
feel that we would markedly reduce
our crime rate if drugs were
legalized," she said.
No doubt the crime rate would
be reduced if drugs were made legal
because people would no longer be
arrested for possession, using and
engaging in the sale of drugs. We
could reduce the crime rates even
further by making rape, robbery and
murder legal, if reducing the crime
rate is really what is at stake here.
Police estimate that up to 70
percent of certain crimes are drug
related. The Surgeon General says
we can reduce these crimes also
because most of them are
committed in order to raise revenue
to purchase drugs. She says if
drugs were legal, prices would fall
and the everyday working man
could afford them, therefore he
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Perry Scrapbook
The Perry Garden Club announced their new officer for 1970 during the month of March. The
officers pictured Include Mrs. Gardner Watson, left, corresponding secretary; Mrs. Paschal
Muse, recording secretary; Mrs. Henry Matthews, treasurer; Mrs. Yates Green, vice
president; and Mrs. Martin Austin, president.
STREET TALK:
The recent decision by officials of the Atlanta-Fuiton County Stadium not to fly the
Georgia State Flag during the upcoming Atlanta Braves season has left some Ge
orgians applauding and others simply appalled. This week, we asked local resi
dents what they think of the stadium board’s decision?
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Bernard Dixon
"I think it’s alright that they
decided not to fly the flag.
It was their decision to
make.”
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LaTanya Hubbard
"I recently moved here
from California, so it
doesn’t really matter to
me. However, if I had to
decide, I’d probably lean
toward taking it down be
cause of the racial back
ground it stands for."
wouldn't have to steal, assault, mug
or murder a person to get the
money to buy drugs with.
Hogwash...most constant drug
users I know or have heard about
are not able to hold down a job in
the first place.
Elder says if drugs were made
legal, then those who sell and
distribute them would not make the
big money anymore and would
return to the work force. In other
words, when there is a big
difference between what one can
earn by holding down a 40 hour
week job and what they can earn
through criminal activity (such as
selling drugs), more people will
move into criminal endeavors.
Rational thinking to legalize drugs
so folks can't make the big money
selling them? Not from where I
sit.
Some feel that President Bill
Clinton, or someone close to him,
set up Elder's controversy
w
Bobby Tuggle
"If we take down the state
flag, we need to take
down the American Flag,
too. It flew over slavery for
more than 200 years and
over the degradation of
the American Indian even
longer-in fact, the latter is
still going on.”
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Robert Lucky
“I’ve got friends on both
sides of the issue and I’d
rather not comment.”
Houston Times-Journal
Page 4A
- Saturday, March 5,1994 "Houston Times-Journal
concerning drug legalization as a
trial balloon. When the cry went
up after her proposal, Clinton had
little to say other than it wasn’t the
administration's position and she
was speaking as an individual. As
Claude Lewis said, "a sitting
surgeon general is hardly an
'individual'."
When speaking of Elder we need
to remember she has a long history
of controversy all the way back to
when she served as Arkansas Health
Commissioner. Over the years she
has shown enthusiasm for condom
distribution most anywhere and
very early sex education. She says
that violence in America can be
effectively addressed by thinking of
violence as a public health
problem, and that parents should
not buy toy guns for their children.
Legalization is not the solution.
It would only increase the number
of addicts, with large numbers of
people who do not use drugs now
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Mike ingersoll
"I’m appalled by it myself.
If one stadium pulls the
flag, I think it’ll open the
door for anyone or any
business that doesn’t like
it to do likewise. I think
Rick Knight of WDEN had
a good idea-take your
own flag to the stadium."
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Brian Blango
"There’s nothing wrong
with the flag. They should
keep it up. Every other
state has their flags flying,
so why shouldn’t Geor
gia?”
I TObble I
trying them because they were
legal. Some alcoholics would
simply trade one bad addiction for
another one much worse.
Finally, the last thing we need is
further moral decay in this country.
We don't need additional society
dropouts, unproductive citizens,
longer unemployment or welfare
lines. And that is exactly what we
will get if drugs are made legal.
We cannot afford to take the risk
associated with Elder's careless
speculation.
Brenda L
jr ; Thompson!
|H ji Staff writer f
Ms. Kerrigan:
Ice Skater Or
Ice Queen?
It’s a good thing Nancy Kerrigan
kept her mouth shut before her per
formance at the Olympics last
week.
It’s just too bad she hasn’t kept
it shut since then.
Ever since losing the gold medal
to the Ukrainian skater, Oksana
Baiul, Nancy has been heard to say
some very unsportsmanlike things.
She’s coming off as a very sore
loser and is fast confirming herself
as the prissy, conceited little snob
that my own gut instinct told me
she was in the first place.
So, just what is it that she’s said
that has my feathers—as well as the
feathers of millions of American
supporters-so ruffled?
Well, for starters, just minutes
after the Ukrainian skater had edged
her for the gold medal in Olympic
competitions, and, after being
mistakenly told that the medal
ceremony had been delayed because
Baiul was redoing her make-up,
Kerrigan was heard on television as
saying: Oh, come on. So she’s
going to get out here and cry again.
What’s the difference?”
Then, as if that wasn’t enough,
Miss Kerrigan spent the next few
days telling interviewers that she
had skated flawlessly, but that Baiul
had not-publicly questioning the
judges for not deducting points for
her rival’s mistakes.
Now, now, Nancy, if that’s not
poor sportsmanship, I don’t know
what is. What happened to congrat
ulating the winner? What happened
to the true Olympic spirit everyone
has been talking so much about and
accusing rival Tonya Harding of
being without ever since that little
knee bashing episode initiated by
her ex-husband?
And, Nancy, what about your ac
tions since the Olympics-actions
that have, in my opinion, spoken
even louder than your actual words.
Leaving Norway early and skip
ping the Closing Ceremonies to at
tend a parade at Disney World was
really not a smart thing to do.
Especially considering that most
everyone knows that Disney offered
to hold the parade another day.
I see that as nothing less than a
serious marketing blunder-a blun
der magnified ten-fold when that
television station broadcast a video
tape of you sitting next to a
Mickey Mouse character in a Dis
ney World parade and saying: “This
is so corny. This is so dumb. I hate
it. This is the most corny thing
I’ve ever done.”
Well, Nancy, if I were Disney
World, I would fire you. I wouldn’t
want you representing my business
and making the sort of snide com
ments that have frequented your lips
lately. You, the same person that
before and during the Olympics
enjoyed near universal support.
I mean, hey, Nancy, most pf the
world saw you as an “All American
Princess”. You had a great image
be it real or perceived-to build
upon, and, in just a few short days,
you’ve ruined it
My advice to you?
Please see THOMPSON, page 5A t
