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Viewpoints Our Opinions The Fourth of July should be celebrated with fireworks Samuel Adams wrote to his wife some 218 years ago that the Fourth should be celebrated with fireworks and speeches, that the day should be a national birthday. And, what a nation the day gave birth to. On July 4,1776, who could tell that the 13 colonies that gathered together to throw off British rule would one day surpass the British Empire, rescuing the motherland twice a century-and-a-half later. Then there was no great indication of the new na tion’s future glory, with a untrained citizen army facing down the army of one of the world’s superpowers. But, with the help of our French allies, the nation did survive. Since then, we have grown to be the world's only superpower. A new nation was bom that July 4th, a nation bom as an experiment in the social contract between the citizen and his government. And, although the nation has been through many troubling times, the experiment contin ues, and continues strong. Today, more people want to live in this nation than in any nation on earth. Even with all of its troubles, people are called by the freedom of this land, by the social contract that allows men and women to realize their full potential. Come out and celebrate America. Although the private use of Fireworks is banned, the Georgia Fairgrounds and Agricenter will sponsor Big*Bang*Boom all day today, July 2nd. The celebration will conclude like Adams envisioned, with fireworks announcing again to the world that a nation established in freedom can be strong. Deadlines For Submitting News Articles and Photographs 5 pm Monday for Wednesday Edition 5 pm Thursday For Saturday Edition 'Zfouata* 0 7cm€4r(kcet4Utl 'WeUanteA 'Jfacci AettenA *7&t £dtt<vi. T&t&XAC rfcUOuAA CAttK. To: Editor Houston Times-Joumal P.O. Drawer M Perry, Ga. 31069 Houston Times-Joumal P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll Street • Perry, Ga. 31069 Phone: (912) 987-1823 Member Georgia Press Association-National Newspaper Association * fwcv kaa* utoiWywl a£ m- ivta^iXiXcn^ a-va/ti-*, at a£ lAa Mafc/-*- p - l<v a»*i* Your nght to read this newspaper is protected Py the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Our Goal The Houston Times-Journal is published proudly for the citizens of Houston and adioining counties by Houston Publications Inc.. Perry Ga. Our goal is to produce quality, profitable, comm unity-oriented newspapers that you, our readers, are proud of. We will reach that goal through hard work, teamwork, ioyalty, and a strong dedication towards 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 Advertising Director News: Brenda Thompson, Pauline Lewis Sports .-Veto Roiey Advertising Jimmy Simpson Composition: Stacey Shy Classified Advertising: Melanie Bullington Bookkeeping: Judy Hubert Circulation: Donnie Forehand Our Policies •Signed Letters to the editor welcomed. Please limit to 300 words and include address and phone number. •Liability for an error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. •We cannot be responsible for return of pictures or material unless stamped return addressed envelope is included. The Houston Times-Journal (USPS 000471) is published semi-weekly for SIB.OO pet year by Houston Publications, Inc.. 807 Carroll Street, Perry, Ga. 31069. Second Class Postage paid at Perry, Ga.,POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Houston Times-Journal, P.O. Drawer M.PerryGa. 31069. ISSN:IO7S-1874 Recycling This Paper A Small Gift To The Earth The decay in family values is affecting our schools Mike Royko, a columnist for several large daily newspapers, has hit another homerun, this time in an article concerning test scores in Chicago schools. He writes about how depressing the scores were from his old grammar school when the test results were published in the local paper. And the fact that the scores from the school his sisters and brother attended were just as bad. Mike points out that there was a time when all three Chicago schools did well. The kids in class could all read and write, and students were able to get the basics our of the schools. But today the kids are barely learning to read a street sign, he wrote. Pondering for the reasons why his old school had changed so drastically over the past few years, his first though was the economic level of the students. “True, T**" •sssssssssig- lifiil 1....... da* m. »' *-i jjt '■mm mH Perry Scrapbook Twenty-three PHS seniors enjoyed a cruise on the T.S.S. Carnivale in 1991, traveling to Nassau, Bahamas. Seniors traveling were: Travis Bennett, Cassie Bisbee, Robin Bryant, Samantha Buchanan, Donna Brackett, Shannon Bridges, Becky Cotton, Donna Doherty, Amy Ellison, Shannon Fullmore, Tiffany Glass, Tracey Hemphill, Sandy Johnson, Jenny Kelly, Stephanie Leonard, Trent Malone, Tracy McCarter, Randy Mizell, Stoney Pitzer, Ken Sikes, Chris Stone, Brandi Taylor and Candy Thompson. STREET TALK: Monday is July Fourth-Independence Day in America! This week, we asked six lo cal residents just how they plan to celebrate this national holiday. - ~ ). 'i \ Lena Wynn “Me and a couple of friends are going to cook out at my house and have some fun together." 'a i i frlTr, George Neal “I have to work Saturday for the Big * Bang * Boom event at the Agricenter. It’s supposed to be really good, so I guess I’ll just enjoy that.” Houston limes-Journal children going to those schools today are from poor families. But that was also true when we were in the same schools,” Mike wrote. His sisters graduated during the Depression, and most families of his fellow classmates were below the poverty level by today’s standards. Then Mike stumbled upon what he sees as the major difference. “It’s called family,” he wrote. “The families weren’t perfect, but in most there was a resemblance of a family life, even if the parents spoke broken English or none at all.” One superintendent in Illinois pointed out that one third of his kindergartners don’t speak English, but the kids score above average. The reason, “We get parents involved, that’s really where it’s all at,” he said. Another superintendent said, r * j Denise Fluellen "I plan on celebrating July Fourth by getting together with my friends and family to celebrate my grand mother’s 94th birthday. Happy Birthday, Grand mama-Eliza Holmes!” ft Wayne Hinson "I’m going to Stone Mountain with my family. We’ll probably have a picnic and then stay for the laser show." - Saturday, July 2,1994 "Houston Tlmes^Journal Page 4A “The parents get involved in our reading contest, listening to kids read at home and verifying what they’ve read. Parents are an extension of the school, just as we here at school are an extension of the parents. We have similar expectations and the children know it.” More money for Chicago’s schools isn’t the answer, since money can’t replace a family structure that isn’t there, Royko wrote. An eighth grade teacher in an inner city school said, “I try to teach, but it isn’t easy when my smartest student is a girl who is already pregnant with her second child.” Without doubt the decay in family values in this country over the past 30 plus years is the major problem we face in our school system, and in many other places. From this decay has come one- twPjS-- plr^ Joanne Wells "I’m thinking about having a picnic with my family." , M i , 0 I Mh W , I * WW Jim Ferguson "I’m going to relax at my cousin’s home in Hi awassee, Georgia.” Bob | Tribblel parent families that over trie years has bred violence and crime. And most of this decay began with Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society Program that was supposed to be a way to lift people out of poverty. Our pastor has said on more than one occasion that most forms of welfare today are things that the churches and Christian people once took care of. I think he is right, especially if we will add a line that says families should do more to take care of their own. But they are not going to do that until our people realize the importance of strong, moral family values. Remembering the values that make America great Independence Day is a day to reflect on America’s history and present situation. If we follow the politicians, special interest groups and the news media we could be convinced that America is sliding into oblivion. Here are some of their bleak snapshots: A recent survey of our criminal justice system showed the average convicted murderer serves only 16 years in prison. The average sentence for rape is 60 days and the average criminal commits 186 crimes before his or her first conviction. On other fronts, America’s students aren’t keeping up with their counterparts worldwide. American technology has been surpassed by Japan and Central Europe. Our health care is inadequate and unavailable to those who need it most. American workers aren’t productive and quality is below world standards. The Rest of the Story If we listen only to these sensational stories, it can become pretty depressing. Fortunately, the facts don’t support all this gloom and doom. The United States continues to be the world’s largest producer of goods arid services-66 percent more than Japan and equal to all the European nations combined. American workers still have the highest output per person. Our unemployment is currently one of the lowest in the world. Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, and others are in recession. Concern over health care has skyrocketed since the Clintons took office. But the fact is American health care is the envy of the world. We spend 14 percent of our nation’s economy on health care. Canada and Sweden spend only 9 percent, Japan 7 percent, and Great Britain only 6 percent on health care. What about our education system? Foreign nations still consider our university system to be the best in the world. Our universities provide over one million basic researchers-more than Japan, Great Britain, Germany and France combined. A greater percentage of American children are in school than in any other nation. Foreign leaders and those of means send their children to be educated here. Veterans Still Care! America’s veterans and their families have paid a heavy price for this nation’s freedom and prosperity. We still have much of which we can be proud. We will not stand idle and watch our nation be sold out by those who constantly tell us how badly we’ve messed up. This July 4th, take time to remember the heritage of family unity and traditional values that have made America great. Perpetuate these values in your family and community and America will continue to be the greatest place to live in the world. (George R. Cramer is National Commander-in- Chief, Veterans of Foreign Wars).