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Viewpoints
Our Opinions
President’s honesty at recent
conference wins forgiveness
Polls confirm the view of those who felt President Clinton helped
considerably with his recent evening press conference. He was
most effective because he appeared open and sincere, and admitted
mistakes
The American people are forgiving. What the voter wants is not a saint
bat one who can get things done. If Clinton succeeds in passing his
legislative program, which seems likely. Whitewater will very likely be a
minor issue by 1996.
Congressman William Natcher
epitomized best of democracy
Of the 535 members of Congress elected by the fifty states, a very few
represent what's best in a democracy. One of the few was William Natcher
of Kentucky's 2nd District, dead at 84.
Natcher accepted no contributions, lobbyists didn't influence him. He
didn't miss a House vote for forty years. He refused to hire all the staff
congressmen had money to hire-knowing he could operate effectively
without so many. He saved the government that money, to set the right
example.
That was his often stated goal in Congress-he wanted people to
remember him as one who did the job right.
Lack of personal responsibility
to blame for degenerate world
Thomas Sowell, black columnist, is one of a minority of American
commentators today stressing personal responsibility-as the key to
reducing crime, illegitimacy and poverty.
Sowell blames the present welfare system for trapping many in
dependency. He notes that Washington, D.C. has the highest rate of infant
mortality in the nation. Predominantly black, citizens there are not as
poor as many white and black communities elsewhere.
Sowell notes that Hispancis receive less parental care than blacks, yet
have lower infant mortality rates. This indicates those claiming more
government care and welfare programs are the answer to today’s social and
moral problems miss the major point
The main reason for today's degenerate U.S. society-crime,
illegitimacy, drugs, poverty—is that too many Americans today lack
personal responsibility, too many depend on the government
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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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printing the truth.
Bob Tribble Daniel F. Evans Julie B. Evans Mitch Tribble
President Vice-President Treasurer Secretary
Our Staff
Brigette Loudermilk
Editor and General Manager
Eddie Byrd
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What does Sen. Sam really know about UFOs?
I KNOW that Sen. Sam Nunn is
one of the busiest people in the
world. Since he is our country's
foremost authority on national
defense, many people-including the
president—wish to share his
wisdom.
But I’ve just got to have some of
his time. No doubt about it
Unidentified Flying Objects
(UFOs). A group that spends
considerable time gathering
evidence that there have been
sightings of UFOs in this country
for years picketed Sen. Nunn's
office recently because they are
convinced he is covering up
information on the subject
Learning that Sam has an inside
track on UFOs and may even have
had conversations with people from
outer space got my attention. You
see, since I was a boy I have had
the notion that there are people out
H ThitrtoT} <s
Rooney missed mark on a young man’s suicide
I like to watch 60 Minutes on
Sunday evenings. I don't always
agree with the slants on some of
their stories, but at least they are all
interesting.
Still, last Sunday Andy Rooney
really irked me. He basically put
down a young rock star who com
mitted suicide recently. His point
was that he'd never heard of this
guy until stories about him spread
across the front pages of newspa
pers around the country. The guy
was obviously getting paid a lot to
perform songs of "some new kind"
of rock music and, therefore, had
probably never worked hard a day in
Your Opinion
Student enjoyed D.A.R.E.
Dear Editor:
Hi. My name is Megan Eckhardt. I go to Tucker Elementary School
in Perry, Ga. I am in the fifth grade. My teacher is Mrs. Brewton.
I think the D.AJI.E. program is a great idea. I think D.A.R.E. is a
great idea because we get to have parties and a graduation, but that isn't the
reason we are having D.A.R.E. We have D.AR.E. because it teaches us
to say no to drugs. Drugs won't help you with your problems, they just
mess up your life.
So if anyone ever offers you drugs, "Just say no!"
We learned what drugs you should and shouldn't take. We also learned
that peer pressure is pressure that your friends put on you. We learned that
if you take an overdose of any pill you might die.
Sincerely,
Megan Eckhardt
Whitten questions BOE
Dear Editor:
After attending the April 12<h meeting of the Houston County Board of
Education, I have spent the past several days re-examining the information
and events surrounding the Board's decision to build two new middle
schools on sites located north of State Route 96. I sincerely want to
believe that the Board was focused on the best interest of the students of
Houston County in making their decision but I continue to have great
difficulty arriving at that conclusion.
Originally, the Houston County BOE stated a policy that new schools
would only be built in populated areas. During a meeting between
Board and the Concerned Citizens of Houston County on March 24th,
Houston Times-Journal
there somewhere and it has been my
ambition to see and talk with them
before I die.
When I was a boy movie theaters
used to show 13-week serials on
Saturdays to keep us coming back.
At the end of each episode, exept
the last one, the hero was in a
predicament that he almost surely
could not get out of. So we had to
come back next Saturday to see if
be did survive. Oddly enough, he
always found a way to avoid being
killed.
• * •
One of the heroes of the time was
Buck Rogers. Another was Flash
Gordon. They had a space ship and
flew all over the universe and
beyond. They came in contact with
people from other planets and
galaxies. Some of them were good.
Most of them woe real villains that
Buck and Flash had to overcome to
his life.
For someone who had never heard
of this young man, Rooney
certainly thought he knew an awful
lot about him. What's more, he
treated death in a sarcastic and rude
manner. He belittled every person
who has been in such despair that
they have resorted to suicide.
Suicide is something each of us has
had contact with-whether it be
through a spouse, child, relative,
co-worker or friend who has ended
their existence on this earth out of
desperation and lack of hope.
I generally think Andy Rooney is
a funny guy, but this time 1 think
- Wednesday, April 20,1994 "H0u5t0n Timos-Journal
Page 4A
survive.
Having learned from these Buck
Rogers and Flash Gordon serials
that there are people out there I
began my lifelong wait to meet one
of them. When I grew up I realized
that the Buck Rogers and Flash
Gordon serials were fabricated and
that if there is intelligent life in
outer space the people may not
look anything like us.
Why would I believe there is life
out there? My reasoning is simple:
God created our earth and the people
who populate iL Considering how
we have turned out he must be
disappointed. So wouldn't he try
again perhaps again and again...for
better results?
Following this line of reasoning I
am convinced that out there in the
billions of miles of outer space
there probably are many forms of
civilization...and perhaps they have
he missed the mark.
* * *
One thing Rooney mentioned is
that he doesn't feel sorry for young
Kurt Cobain because he would
gladly trade places with a young
person just to be young again. Big
words coming from a man of
Rooney's accomplishments over the
years.
Rooney talked about the
Depression, the Vietnam War and a
few other manmade disasters,
implying that this young man had
nothing to feel hopeless or desper
ate about
But, that is not the truth. The
when the evidence clearly did not support this statement, the stated policy
suddenly changed to include building schools in areas demonstrating rapid
growth. However, once again the evidence did not support this statement.
The stated policy was then changed again to reflect that schools are built in
areas that the Board projects rapid growth. The Board then proudly pointed
to the area surrounding Houston County High School as an example of
their expertise in making these projections.
It does not take a genius to see the actual cause and effect relationship
in this case. The vast majority of the growth in that area took place after
Houston County High, along with the sewers, utilities and other
infrrastructure required to support it, was completed. Had that school been
built in another location, most if not all of the new developments in that
area would still be pine trees and soybean fields.
The Board has made a verbal commitment to build a wing onto Perry
Middle School to alleviate overcrowding at that facility. This wing was
initially to contain seven classrooms. This was later changed to fourteen
classrooms, restrooms, administrative offices and a teacher's lounge.
During the BOE meeting on April 12th, an expansion to the cafeteria and
kitchen facilities was also added.
While this - mds very positive, on March 24th, the Concerned
Citizens Group was told by the BOE that there were no drawings,
specifications or statements of work developed for the new wing (NO
DESIGN). They could not provide a date for release of the bid package,
groundbreaking or any other major construction milestones (NO
SCHEDULE). Further, the source of funds and or financing to pay for
the construction had not been determined (NO MONEY). In addition,
the tentative target for occupancy changed from the Fall of “95 to the Fall
of ■%. Now, according to Mr. Blackmon, the target occupancy date has
been revised back to the Fall of *95.
Again, I want to believe them. But, given the misinformation and
double-talk emanating from the Houston County Board of Education,
given the convenient timing of the creation of the Houston County School
Please see L*tt9ra, page 10A
found a way to get to earth and look
us over.
* * *
That's why I want to talk to Sam
Nunn. Perhaps those people know
something. Perhaps he has
information about UFOs and the
people who travel in them.
I would like to see a UFO. I I
would like to meet the people who
travel in them. I would like to take
a ride in one of their spaceships.
Now if the information they say
Sam is withholding is of serious
Please see Evans, pagelOA
M; Brigette L
jp I
|! Editor
state of society and the economy
today is nothing to feel happy
about, especially for a young per
son trying to work their way up the
economic ladder and raise a family.
(Cobain had a baby daughter.)
Please see Loudermilk, pagelOA