Newspaper Page Text
4A
♦ FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2005
i Houston ITonu' Y
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President,
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
We Don't Need This
Some nature lovers have come up with the idea
of giving wild animals from Africa a home in the
United States because there is a possibility they
become extinct if they remain in their native
habitat.
That’s all we need. Real wild animals roaming
the hills and dales of our country.
There have been other attempts to move the
African animals to other countries with the same
noble purpose. They have not been very success
ful.
The idea seems far-fetched, anyway. But some
stranger things have happened.
This is one humanitarian (or is it animalitari
an?) project we can do without.
Uneventful School Opening
We cannot recall a year when opening of public
schools in Houston County seemed so easy and
uneventful.
We understand that there were a few glitches in
some areas, including buses, but overall it was a
remarkably successful opening.
Things sure are different from a few years ago,
when anytime you mentioned the schools there
was conflict and contention.
Credit for the successful opening of all schools,
including the new middle school in Warner
Robins, goes to hundreds of teachers, support
staff and central office personnel. There is plenty
of credit to go around.
However, throughout the school system you can
see and feel the calm, steady influence of
Superintendent Danny Carpenter. The system is
a reflection of his management style and respect
he engenders.
Credit also must go to the school board, which
wisely selected Carpenter as superintendent and
then stood back and gave him support to carry
out his mission.
Our school system obviously is in good shape
and on the right track. Now every effort can be
spent fulfilling the mission of schools, which is to
educate our young people.
jL lAL6O BELIEVE THAT WITH A FEW
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Just one question
Editor:
I wept when I read the story about little
16-month-old Christian Martinez. The story
left me with one question: Why was this
idiot allowed to continue to babysit
Christian after he had already injured him
on two previous occasions?
Saundra Lovelace
Warner Robins
Abuse of power?
Editor:
I just wanted to comment on the sign
issue you reported on in the paper on the
17th.
I think it is criminal and an abuse of
power for an elected official to have a code
enforcement officer go out and selectively
Rex Gambill
Managing Editor
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Judge Sol Blatt of Barwell, South Carolina
Aug. 13, 2005. Chicago.
The Whitehall Hotel. I feel
compelled to write about
this. Knowing full well that
practically no one in Middle
Georgia will know the sub
ject of my article. Actually,
that’s not entirely right.
Readers will know the
theme, but not the man. But
the theme subject is impor
tant enough, and the person
subject is interesting
enough, that in my mind,
this writing is justified.
He is 84 years old and as
trim and straight as a num
ber 2 lead wooden pencil.
His eyes sparkle when he
talks to you, and he is
unfailingly polite. A real
southern gentleman. One of
his friends told me that he
never speaks ill of anyone.
Not even someone he has
just sentenced to the federal
penitentiary. What a won
derful trait! His wife has
gone on, so with complete
justification, he is interested
in the women. Likes to talk
to ’em and of all ages. He is
a federal district court judge
and still holds court over in
the Charleston, S.C., area.
Sharp as a tack - as they say.
Hopefully, all of this is
interesting about Judge Sol
Blatt, son of the former leg
endary South Carolina
House speaker of 37 years,
Sol Blatt Sr., which gets me
to where I want to be.
Where the subject theme of
my article starts.
Are we ready fop democracy?
An Iraqi democracy, what
ever its final form and writ
ten constitution, will be
both controversial and dan
gerous.
According to philosopher
Paul Woodruff, controversy
and danger are innate char
acteristics of democracy.
I read Woodruffs provoca
tive new book, "First
Democracy: The Challenge
of an Ancient Idea” (Oxford
Press), on the long return
flight from Kabul,
Afghanistan, to the Uqited
States. I’d just visited the
Afghan village of Bakhshe
Khil, on the Berq River near
Bagram. The villagers had
talked about water - there’s
plenty this year - but one of
them mentioned the next
round of national elections,
scheduled for September.
remove signs from taxpayers’ yards because
they are directed at the mayor. Getting
caught selectively taking the signs looks
even worse.
I can understand why the homeowner, Mr.
Givler, was upset when he confronted
Officer Beau Weathers. I understand Mr.
Weathers didn’t even know which laws he
was trying to enforce and told the home
owner that he could come down to City Hall
and look it up. A code enforcement officer
should at minimum know what the codes
are. On top of that you just don,t walk into
someone else’s yard and remove their per
sonal property.
I spent nearly 20 years in the military.
Our military right now is deployed fighting
in Iraq to give the Iraqi people the same
right to freedom of speech we have. After
reading your story, I feel the statement Beau
Weathers made to council members about
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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J* Up 5 3!
Larry Walker
Columnist
lwalker@whgbc.com
It happened this morning,
Aug. 13, 2005, in Chicago.
We - Allan Stalvey, Brian
Blatt, Tom Baldwin and I -
were having breakfast at
Tempo on Chestnut Street.
And I looked at Judge Blatt
and asked him: “Judge, do
you know what you have
that is a rare commodity in
today’s society but is sorely
needed?” And, as expected,
Judge Blatt’s eyes twinkled
and a big smile crossed his
face and he answered “no.”
“Wisdom, wisdom. A per
son you can go to and get
advice and trust what he
tells you.” And Judge Blatt
just smiled. Never said yes
or no. Just smiled. But I
know he was pleased. And I
was glad I had said it to him.
And in front of his son,
Brian, and his friends. Glad
I had made him happy with
the truth about him.
Austin Bay
Military Affairs
Creators Syndicate
The elections were on his
mind. They were a sign of
hope and a cause for worry.
Based on Woodruff’s the
sis, the worried Afghani
understands some of democ
racy’s more salient social
and psychological features.
He knows he faces a political
struggle; he also has the
spine and confidence to
speak for himself.
“If it is not controversial,
it is not about democracy,”
Woodruff writes. “If it is not
dangerous, if it does not ask
us to consider changes that
frighten the establishment,
it is not about democracy.”
Woodruff argues that that
Athenian democracy still
instructs everyone with
democratic aspirations.
“‘First Democracy,”’
Woodruff says, “is about the
ideas that guided the
Athenians in their efforts to
build toward a perfect
democracy. Without a firm
grasp of these ideas, we will
not understand democracy.
And unless we understand
democracy, we will be led
astray by its doubles.”
Democracy’s false “doubles”
include “government by and
for the majority.” Genuine
democracy must “involve all
citizens and serve the gener-
“just being in the neighborhood” is ques
tionable at best. I think anyone who has
read your article knows exactly why Mr.
Weathers was “just in the neighborhood”
shortly after you called the Mayor’s Office.
Thanks for reminding us how eager some
people are to abuse their power. It is time for
a change.
Shawn Merrill
Warner Robins
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vote for Jon williams
Editor:
I would like to express my opinion why
John Williams would be an outstanding City
Councilman for Warner Robins Post 6. John
is a very passionate and hardworking citizen
of Warner Robins. His roots run deep in
Warner Robins and his heart is truly bound
to this city.
His dedicated demeanor was never more
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Larry Walker and Judge Sol Blatt
As I write, I miss Daddy. I
miss his advice and his wis
dom. But I am glad to be in
Chicago with Judge Sol
Blatt. A great American.
And a good and wise man.
May many continue to be
blessed by him and his
advice and his wisdom and
his goodness for many years
to come.
• • •
Some of you have been
kind to tell me you appreci
ate my views about books I
have read. I have a great
book to tell you about this
week. I’m not the only one
who likes it. It’s on most of
the book reviewers’ top ten
lists.
“No Country For Old
Men” by Cormac McCarthy
is great - quirky and unusu
al interest.”
Iraq’s Shia majority has
n’t learned this lesson - but
Woodruff notes the
Athenians had to learn it
“the hard way” after years
of internal strife along class
lines.
Woodruff, a Vietnam War
vet who teaches philosophy
ht the University of'Tekas,"
reminds us that prior to the
democratic revival of the
early 19th century, Athenian
political failures scarred
democracy. For “generations
of thinkers” - nearly two
millennia - democracy had a
“bad odor.”
Critics doubted and some
times scoffed, with words
that echo the current crop of
naysayers who dismiss the
possibility of an “Arab
democracy” or “East African
democracy” or “Chinese
democracy.”
Woodruff says the critics
argued that “democracy
may seem an attractive idea.
But it is impossible to main
tain in red life. An experi
ment in democracy would
take us on the road to disas
ter. Look at what happened
to the Athenians.”
Woodruff identifies “seven
ideas” that a democratic
government “tries to
express”:
• freedom from tyranny;
• “harmony”;
• the rule of law;
• natural equality;
• citizen wisdom;
• “reasoning without
knowledge”;
• general education.
He devotes a chapter to
each. Harmony entails
“wanting together.” Lack of
harmony can lead to civil
war. Democratic equality
“rests on the idea that the
poor should be equal to the
rich ... at least for sharing
governance.” Woodruff says
evident as when he took over helping his 81-
year-old sister manage Marjorie’s Beauty
Shop, an established business in Warner
Robins for over 40 years. His effects in
remodeling this business has made it an
asset in the revitalization of the commercial
district of Warner Robins. His actions are
his stepping stones to his plan to reinvigo
rate the return of businesses to this area.
His heart felt generosity has personally
touched our family when he sponsored our
daughter in a recently held high school pag
eant where she received a SIOO saving bond
for her education. We hope the citizens of
Warner Robins will have the opportunity to
witness his dedication and generosity as we
have. Please vote John Williams,
Councilman, Post 6 on Sept. 20.
Jeff and Terry Wilson
Bonaire
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
al, but very good. So inter
esting that I bought it on
Friday and finished on
Sunday morning about 7:15.
Set in our own time, it’s
about the bloody drug wars
on the Texas-Mexico border.
My favorite character is
Sheriff Bell. I hope this one
quote from the Sheriff
whets your appetite for the
book. Here it is. Page 91.
“People complain about
the bad things that happen
to em that they don't deserve
but they seldom mention the
good. About what they done
to deserve them things. I
don't recall that I ever give
the good Lord all that much
cause to smile on me. But he
did.”
Get this book and read it.
You’ll be glad you did.
Athenians taught that “rea
soning without knowledge
depends on working out
what is most reasonable to
believe. What is most rea
sonable to believe is the
view which best survives
adversary debate ...”
Iraqi constitutional nego
tiators have engaged that
pfOcesS - adversarial debate
- in the midst of a grinding
war waged by terrorists who
reject debate and despise
democracy. This is a remark
pklp fnof
The title of Woodruffs
afterward should get him a
booking on at least one cable
TV talk show: “Are
Americans Ready for
Democracy?” He answers
his own question: “Of course
Americans are ready for
democracy. Everybody in the
world is ready for democra
cy, if by ‘ready’ we mean
eager.
America, however, wres
tles with the same chal
lenges Athens confronted -
and may have finessed with
greater politesse.
Does America exhibit har
mony? “Democracy, when it
really works, engages major
ity and minority elements in
a cooperative enterprise. ...
Harmony failed terribly in
the U.S. after the Civil War
... and harmony among
races is still an elusive goal.”
Woodruff thinks the two
party system or “the geo
graphical sorting” of politi
cal parties may erode public
harmony.
“First Democracy” pro
vides an often troubling but
always instructive perspec
tive in a world where so
many eager people risk their
lives to establish “the next
democracy.”
To find out more about
Austin Bay, visit the
Creators Syndicate Web page
at www.creators.com.