Newspaper Page Text
4A
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2005
Houston irlouu' Y
CUti> JJmmtm
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President,
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans Rex Gambill
Vice President Managing Editor
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
All-Out Assault Needed
Great Britain, like the United States, is being
plagued by gangs and teenage thugs, especially in
the larger cities.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has pledged an all
out assault on them.
His comments on the subject were interesting.
Blair said, “I can start debate on the subject and
I can legislate, but I cannot fill the role of being a
responsible parent.”
Where do the thugs and hoodlums come from?
Usually, they are the product of parents who let
them develop right under their noses.
The epidemic of children born out of wedlock in
this country that receive little, if any, discipline
and guidance, is a prescription for young people
to wind up in gangs and ignoring the law. They
are prone to settle differences with a gun instead
of reasonable debate.
We have some of that here in Houston County,
but law enforcement is more capable of dealing
with the problem than in crowded cities.
When gangs, hoodlumism or other problems in
violation of the rules of civilized society emerge
they should be put down immediately and law
enforcement officers should be applauded for
doing so, not criticized.
An example of what can happen when criminal
activities are permitted to escalate can be found
not many miles north of here in Clayton County.
Once a county that could be pointed at as a good
place to live and raise a family, Clayton County is
beset by crime, killings and a quality of life that is
steadily deteriorating.
It can happen to the best of communities if the
public and law enforcement close their eyes as
neighborhoods gradually become hotbeds of activ
ities frowned upon by law-abiding citizens.
It can happen gradually, like Chinese water tor
ture, so that neighborhoods have turned into
ghettos, and gangs and hoodlums intimidate resi
dents before anyone wakes up to what is happen
ing.
Then it can be too late.
The time for action is early on when isolated
incidents flare up. It calls for cooperation
between residents of neighborhoods, law enforce
ment and the general public.
We have a few hotbed neighborhoods in
Houston County. Most residents are not happy
about it.
Law enforcement officials tell us that they can
prevent the problem from spreading if given sup
port.
We should support aggressive law enforcement.
Law officers tell us that if they are permitted to
let hoodlums, gang members and others who flout
the law know they will be happier somewhere else
they will go there.
Now is the time to act to prevent the problems
that plague Clayton County from developing
here.
Send your Letteis to the Editor to:
The Houston Home journal
P.O. Box 1910 ’ Petty, Ga 31069 or
Email: hhj@evansnewspapeis.com
Educating the children of illegal immigrants
When the United States
finally became a union in
1789, one of the primary
concerns of our founding
fathers was the preservation
of the sovereignty and pro
tection of states’ rights.
Unlike Britain and Canada,
the United States of
America embraced a repub
lican form of government
rather than an all-powerful
parliamentary system. The
formation of the United
States Senate was not a
throwback to the Roman
Senate, but a unique his
toric creation, which pro
tected states with small pop
ulations from domination by
more populated ones. The
Senate has served its pur
pose as a check on legislative
domination by the House of
Representatives. However,
the founding fathers were
looking to the wrong evil
William John Hagan
Columnist
William_Hagan@excite.com
when they feared a loss of
states’ rights from domina
tion by the House of
Representatives.
Washington and his fellows
failed to visualize the judici
ary would become the true
threat to the people and the
rights of states.
May the centrifugal force be with you
Well, that time is almost
upon us. Within days the
new “Star Wars” movie will
be hitting theaters in a
neighborhood near you.
Predictably, the bands of
Jedi faithful are already lin
ing up to be in on the first
screenings. You know the
folks that I’m talking about
- the hardcore fanatics, the
ones who know every line of
every Lucas film ever pro
duced. And as they come out
the woodwork, cicada-like
for their every-three-years
fix of fantasy, Darth Vader
masks ready and toy
lightsabers in hand, a cot
tage industry has sprung up
trying to understand what
makes these people tick.
From late-night talk shows
to the front pages of
respectable newspapers
across America, speculation
is rife, and with it comes a
good deal of stereotypical
joke-making. After all, don’t
we feel better about our
selves when we can dispar
age someone else? And how
easy it is to marginalize
these people of trailer park
dreamers, losers who still
live with their mothers,
nerds, geeks and fools.
I understand these “seri
ous” Star Wars fans, though
I’m not one of them, and I
respect their courage in the
face of being made to look
like the village idiot. What’s
more, we all have a special
interest or hobby that drives
us. Like it or not, not only
sth group shows humility, pride during Relay
The weather was bright
and sunny for this past
weekend’s Relay for Life
event in Perry.
I spoke with Kathy Sellers
via cell phone for a few min
utes before the event offi
cially got under way.
You could hear the excite
ment in her voice as the
2005 Relay started coming
together at the Agricenter
after months of preparation
by dedicated and caring peo
ple.
• • •
Perryan Tom Saul was
also at the event and later
emailed his admiration of a
group that had a lone walk
er carrying the squadron
flag of the sth Combat
Support Group all night.
Mr. Tom expressed his
thanks for this special group
showing its pride and humil
ity
• • •
Have you noticed all the
earth being moved around
across from the county
courthouse on the Perry
Parkway?
Mike Beecham, a planner
with the City of Perry, says
it is the location of a new
residential subdivision,
Sugarloaf.
Houses should start
appearing soon, he added.
The first phase will con
sist of about 78 homes.
Plans are to eventually have
about 270 homes in place.
• • •
Our granddaughter
uttered her first complete
sentence recently.
Her mother was dishing
Strict constitutionalists
typically point to Roe v.
Wade, the case which made
abortion on demand avail
able in all 50 states, as the
ultimate example of the
Supreme Court creating law
beyond the scope of the
Constitution. Ironically, it
was Abraham Lincoln, a
man who repeatedly violat
ed the constitution before
criminally suspending
habeas corpus, who warned
that the people will cease to
be their own rulers if the
Supreme Court is left
unchecked.
Lincoln may have been
wrong about the Taney
Court of the 1860 s, but his
prediction was fulfilled in
the age of the Burger Court
between the years of 1969 to
1986. The Burger Court is
best known for such deci
sions as Roe v. Wade, Miller
Joe Bishop
Columnist
joe@wnng.mgacoxmail.com
are we in the same boat with
the Star Wars fan, we proba
bly have a deck chair nearby.
Don’t believe me? Then
compare what they do, the
object of so much ridicule,
with something a bit more
“normal,” say, like following
NASCAR.
Star Wars Fanatic: Can
name every actor in every
scene in every movie, and
give a remarkably detailed
account of how these movies
propelled their careers.
NASCAR Fanatic: Can
name every driver currently
in contention for the Nextel
Cup, and give a remarkably
detailed account of how last
week’s race propelled them
in the current standings.
Star Wars Fanatic: Has
a prized collection of Star
Wars figures proudly dis
played in a collector’s case
Emily Johnstone
Columnist
ejohnstone@evansnewspapers.com
up breakfast, which consist
ed of sausage biscuits.
Little Rosie turned up her
nose at a food most people
cannot wait to bite into and
announced, “I don’t eat
meat.”
She then pulled the
sausage out, tossed it aside,
and ate the biscuit.
A future vegetarian, I sup
pose.
• • •
Rick and I have a friend,
Jim, who lent us an interest
ing book.
It is all about juicing fruits
and vegetables and the
health benefits you can
derive from juicing.
There are lots of recipes in
the book.
Is there anyone else out
there who juices for healthy
living?
Do you have any recipes to
share?
• • •
Another friend of ours,
Dave, and his lovely wife,
recently returned from a
v. California (which opened
the door to obscenity in
America), University of
California v. Bakke (creating
affirmative action), Lemon
v. Kurtzman (eliminating
state support of religious
schools), and the rarely
mentioned Plyer v Doe.
Plyer v. Doe was the
Burger Court decision that
forced states to pay to edu
cate the children of illegal
immigrants. According to
conservative columnist N.
Beaujon, “If there was ever
a single event that has con
tributed to the explosion of
illegal immigration in our
country it was the 1982
Supreme Court decision
(Plyer v. Doe) that made it
mandatory for every state in
the union to educate every
single child of criminally
illegal immigrants no mat-
in his den or living room.
NASCAR Fanatic: Has a
prized collection of stock car
models proudly displayed in
his den or living room.
Star Wars Fanatic: Has,
at least once in his life,
either camped out in front of
a ticket booth to get good
seats at a movie opening, or
has driven more than 100
miles to see the film.
NASCAR Fanatic: Has,
at least once in his life,
camped in the “infield” at
Daytona in order to get the
best seats in the house, and
routinely drives over 100
miles to see a race.
Star Wars Fanatic:
Proudly displays a bumper
sticker that reads “My other
car is a Star Destroyer.”
NASCAR Fanatic: Proudly
has a winged Number 3 on
at least five places on his
pick-up.
Star Wars Fanatic: Has
briefly toyed with the idea of
naming his child Luke or
Leia.
NASCAR Fanatic: Is
still toying with the idea of
naming his son Dale.
Star Wars Fanatic:
Gathers with others of his
kind at science fiction con
ventions.
NASCAR Fanatic:
Gathers with others of his
kind at a local auto parts
store.
trip to Spain.
I can imagine what an
adventure that would be!
Anyhow, Dave said the
folks in that country eat lots
of meat and bread.
It does not sound as if
there are many juicers who
live in Spain!
He also told us the people
are very polite.
Apparently, drivers actual
ly stop for pedestrians
because they are being nice.
This even extends to politely
stopping to let others into
the flow of traffic!
I will remember that next
time I am in Atlanta looking
to squeeze into another
lane.
• • •
Which reminds me of an
apparent case of road rage I
spotted a few weeks ago in
that fair city.
Two vehicles raced past us
in the left lane while travel
ing along 1-285, one danger
i
ter the cost, conditions of
their entry, justification or
the resources necessary to
accomplish this indignation
by judicial fiat.” The court
based their decision on the
Fourteenth Amendment to
the Constitution, which
extends equal protection to
all American citizens. The
only problem with their
logic was that illegal immi
grants aren’t citizens and
therefore are not entitled to
protection under the
Fourteenth Amendment.
What the Burger Court did
was to make law, which is
the job of Congress, when it
had no constitutional power
to do so.
Plyer v. Doe has cost our
nation dearly. Each year our
states pay $7.4 billion dol
lars to educate the children
of criminal aliens. The bor
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Star Wars Fanatic:
Recently got into a fight
with someone who said
“Star Trek” is better.
NASCAR Fanatic:
Recently got into a fight
with someone who said
Formula One was better.
Star Wars Fanatic: Has
a Irish setter named
Chewbacca.
NASCAR Fanatic: Had a
Doberman named
Ironheart.
Star Wars Fanatic: Can
calculate the speed it took
Han Solo to make the Kessel
Run by using two points of
reference in his imaginary
universe
NASCAR Fanatic: Can
calculate how fast it took his
favorite driver to travel
between turns two and
three at Atlanta Motor
Speedway by using pit row
and the beer stand as points
of reference.
Hmm. Maybe we’re not so
different after all. Wouldn’t
it be just as appropriate the
next time at Darlington,
instead of “Gentleman start
your engines,” they
announced “May the Force
be with you”? Those guys
need all the help they can
get.
ously close to the other’s
back bumper.
Gee, those guys are proba
bly having fun racing their
cars (I assumed they were
friends), but they really
should not do it on the
expressway, I thought.
About that time, a finger
shot out the driver’s window
of the car in front and both
vehicles exited the inter
state, cutting across several
lanes of traffic to do so.
As I watched them drive
off onto the exit ramp with
their multiple gestures at
each other, I figured out
they are probably not
friends.
• • •
I absolutely love coming
back home to my town
(which my sister-in-law calls
Mitford!) and riding along
Carroll Street where folks
wave at each other with all
five fingers.
der state of California is
burdened with $2.1 billion
dollars of this debt alone.
This financial burden even
affects non-border states -
Georgia spends more than
$231 million educating ille
gal immigrants.
In the coming years,
President Bush will be
forced to fill vacancies on
the Supreme Court. I would
urge him to not only use Roe
v. Wade as a litmus test but
also insist that his nominees
demonstrate an opposition
to Plyer v. Doe. The time has
come to force the Supreme
Court to return to their
rightful place as inter
preters of law, rather than
makers of law.
William John Hagan is a
freelance writer who lives in
Elko. Contact him at
William_Hagan@excite.com