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♦ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2005
nr! jHitustmi Honu' If
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President,
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans Rex Gambill
Vice President Managing Editor
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Katrina: Big, but not the Big One
Hurricane Katrina could have been a lot worse than it
was, but it was still a frighteningly close call. Just before
coming ashore, the storm started to weaken and it
changed direction just enough so that New Orleans did
n't get the direct hammer blow for which it was braced.
But the likelihood of the "Big One," a killer category 5
hurricane taking dead aim at New Orleans or another of
our major and fast-growing coastal cities, is a chilling
reality. And as the Katrina narrow escape so dramatical
ly demonstrated, there is no such thing as too much
advance planning and preparation.
Highly accurate weather forecasting, ample warning,
toughened building codes and beefed up emergency pre
paredness have paid off. Of the 10 deadliest hurricanes
to strike the United States, five were 1919 or before and
the most recent 1957. But in sheer property damage,
since Americans are drawn to the same places as hurri
canes, four of the 10 costliest hurricanes were in 2004
alone and none before 1955.
Thanks to a full-court press by television, hurricanes
have become a national, communal event. No one could
miss the seriousness of Katrina even if the broadcasters
did seem to dwell on worst-case scenarios. Taking noth
ing away from the skill and resourcefulness of the storm
reporters, surely one of TV's most bizarre customs is the
standup by a rain-lashed reporter in flapping slicker
shouting over the wind. But the repetition does seem to
underscore the urgency.
The nation witnessed the spectacle of a major city
being evacuated. Estimates are that 80 percent of New
Orleans' 480,000 residents packed up and left, as did res
idents of other threatened Gulf Coast towns. President
Bush personally urged them to evacuate, adding his
authority to that of state and local officials.
The stress and aggravation the evacuees suffered was
worth it. Surely lives were saved. Katrina could have
remained a 175 mph category 5 and stayed on course, in
which case a catastrophe would have been averted. The
flooded roads, downed trees and power outages means
that the return home will be arduous and there is the
uncertainty of what awaits them when they get there.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour raised a worrisome
point _ the prospect of "hurricane fatigue." That repeat
ed evacuations, especially in instances where the storm
suddenly weakens or veers off, mean coastal residents
will be increasingly inclined to stay put.
In spite of our super technology and advanced fore
casting, there remains only one way to deal with a killer
hurricane - flee. The Big One is still out there.
- Scripps Howard News Service
Sidewalks - who uses them?
Editor:
I use sidewalks - I am 65 years old and
walk a lot. I have a granddaughter and her
friend that also uses them to walk to Tucker
Elementary School (although it’s not on
both sides of the street). Also, because it is
so dangerous for them to ride bikes in the
street they ride on sidewalk. I’ve taught
them safety, consideration and courtesy.
Also, I ride my small, electric 250 HP scoot
er on sidewalks. It’s too dangerous for me,
sometimes, to even cross the roads.
Many people take their children to ball
(practice and play), but they speed down the
streets - even near the ballfield. I’ve stood
in my driveway, pointed at them to slow
Cindy Sheehan and the company she keeps
The average American has
been ill-served by the media
coverage of Cindy Sheehan’s
anti-Bush protest. Maureen
Dowd wrote in The New
York Times, “The moral
authority of parents who
bury children killed in Iraq
is absolute.” That attitude
has been adopted by the
majority of America’s media
in their biased reporting on
Sheehan. The reality is that
Sheehan’s case is built on
lies and her true belief sys
tem has been hidden from
the American people.
Cindy Sheehan has chosen
to lie to promote the anti
war agenda that she was
involved in long before her
son Casey’s death. Sheehan
claims, but never produces
documentation, that Casey
was tricked into joining the
Army by a recruiter who
promised that he would
serve as a chaplain’s assis
tant. Instead, Casey ended
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
William John Hagan
Columnist
Witliam_Hagan@excite.com
up a machinist and he must
have enjoyed his vocation,
because in 2003 he re-enlist
ed with full knowledge that
his unit would likely be sent
Iraq. If he had requested a
chaplain’s assistant job, as a
condition of re-enlistment, it
would have been guaran
teed, in writing, as part of
the Army’s Bonus Extension
No dodging the bullet
Pat Robertson had some
problems with the press this
past week as he came out in
favor of assassinating
Venezuela’s President Hugo
Chavez, claimed he never
said it, and then apologized
for saying it.
Chavez is a socialist and
no friend of the United
States, but hardly seems
worthy of becoming a target
of a state-sanctioned assas
sins’ bullet.
But that begs the big
question. Should the United
States use assassination as a
valid tool of international
diplomacy? It is hard to
argue that a bullet to the
head of Saddam Hussein few
years ago might not have
saved a bunch of American
lives. There is the theory
Through storms, gas prices, our blue ball keeps spinning
Earlier this week, we all
watched in dismay as the
city of New Orleans and
other towns in that area
dealt with Hurricane
Katrina.
It will be interesting to see
how the city rebuilds and
recovers from the storm.
Reports that trickled in
from the scene did not paint
an encouraging picture.
I knew that “total struc
tural failure” means a build
ing is probably going to fall
down and that “compro
mised” water pumps equat
ed to “it is not working.”
And “contraflow” is what
I did on one-way Carroll
Street the first time I visited
Perry.
• • •
The reaction of folks to a
hurricane that is building
steam out in warm salt
waters is an interesting
study, too.
It seems those who live
inland, such as our area,
were more concerned about
what might happen than
those who were drinking
and partying on the coast
with a Cat 5 storm taking
aim at them.
Instead of getting soaked
in bars, they could have
been helping the elderly and
poor move to safety.
Can you tell that I do not
down (pointed at speed sign). Most slow
down for a while, then later speed. This is
not only teenagers (one in particular), but
adults who have kids in their vehicles!
Sometimes it is impossible to cross the
street in front of our residence because of it.
A former volunteer firefighter said that
he had problems getting out of his own
driveway because ball participants/parents
failed to give him right of way. What does
this tell you about ball players’ parents?
The sidewalks also have high curbs, which
cause problems with walking too. Elderly
people need safer places to way also.
With gas prices so high, sidewalks are
important.
Jeanette (Calhoun) Ferguson
Perry
and Retaining Program.
Mother Sheehan can’t pro
duce these DD4 documents
because Casey Sheehan like
ly never made such an
agreement. More important
ly, a chaplain’s assistant is a
combat position but his job
assignment of machinist
was not. When Casey died
he had volunteered to go
into combat to rescue his
comrades.
Considering the nature of
a woman who would lie
about her dead son, it makes
one wonder what type of
people would involve them
selves in her self-promoting
Camp Casey “peace” move
ment. Recently she joined
forces with Lynne Stewart,
the radical lawyer who was
convicted of conspiracy for
aiding her client, the terror
ist who masterminded the
first World Trade Center
bombing in 1993. These two
' If ”'■■■
L \ ..SSI
Timothy Graham
Staff Writer
tgraham@evansnewspapers.com
that if we start taking out
their leaders than they will
start taking out ours, so it is
best to not be the first to go
down that road.
But it is a seductive idea.
One well-placed bullet or
Emily Johnstone
Columnist
ejohnstone@evansnewspapers.com
always have lots of patience
with some types of party
people?
• • •
While I have cringed in
the past about the amount
of money spent on struc
tures like the 52-acre
Superdome, it was a won
derful place to be in exis
tence Monday for the
10,000-plus souls who gath
ered there to ride out the
storm.
Reports say that the struc
ture, which took several
years to build and was fin
"If the new ID law means I've got to look like the photo on my
driver's license, I sure hope I'm not qualified to vote! ”
towering icons of American
perspicacity shared a stage
at San Francisco State
University. Sheehan was
quoted as describing the ter
rorist lawyer as “her Atticus
Finch” - a reference to the
fictional attorney who
defended an innocent black
man accused of rape in the
book “To Kill A
Mockingbird.” Sheehan
went on to state that
“George Bush and his neo
conservatives killed my
son.
The term “neo-conserva
tives” (or neo-con) used by
Sheehan was a surprising
choice of verbiage, mainly
because this is a term typi
cally used by white
supremacists and anti-
Semites who claim the war
in Iraq was waged on behalf
of Israel. Therefore, I wasn’t
surprised to discover that
Sheehan, in a letter to
explosive could save many
lives in the long run.
Knowing what you know
now, would you argue
against taking out Hitler
back in 1938, for instance?
Just asking a question.
I’ve been reading a lot of
letters to the editor recently
about regressive and pro
gressive taxes and what is
the best way to fund the
school building program.
Some seem to be saying
that you should do it
through a property tax -
since the folks who own
property probably have the
most money, so they should
pay the most tax. Others say
that the sales tax is best
since it gets those people
who do not own property as
well as those who do, and
ished in 1975, is located on
an old cemetery.
• • •
While gas prices keep ris
ing and continuing to pinch
consumers’ pocketbooks,
something good may come of
this yet.
Rising prices may lead to
an increase in purchase of
hybrid vehicles, which will
be good for our big blue ball!
• • •
It was great to hear from
Braylon Braddy’s grand
mother, Geraldine, recently.
Braylon has overcome
tremendous challenges in
his young life and is an
inspiration to all of us in the
area of perseverance and
courage.
Be sure to catch an update
on Braylon in an upcoming
issue of this newspaper by
ace writer Charlotte
Perkins.
• • •
Hello to Richard and Rose
Mae Smith!
Rick bumps into Richard
about town now and then
and enjoys talking with him.
• • •
Have you seen the signs
ABC’s “Nightline,” wrote
that her son “was killed for
lies and for a PNAC Neo-
Con agenda to benefit Israel.
My son joined the Army to
protect America, not Israel”.
David Duke, the de-facto
head of the American Nazi
Party, lauded Cindy
Sheehan by stating,
“Courageously she has gone
to Texas near the ranch of
President Bush and braved
the elements and a hostile
Jewish supremacist media.”
This past weekend a cadre of
Duke sycophants went to
“Camp Casey” to support
Cindy Sheehan and protest
Israel. Camp Casey II is on
private property but, amaz
ingly, the Nazis were able to
join; So much for Sheehan’s
high standards. In fact, one
of the Nazis described the
greeting he received from a
Sheehan supporter: “She
then shook my hand and
said with a big smile, wel-
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
thus spreads the burden
more evenly.
The problem I have with
the first argument is that
whenever I hear it I keep
hearing the line from Karl
Marx about “from each
according to his abilities, to
each according to his
needs.”
I don’t think we need to
bring socialism into this
SPLOST discussion.
A sales tax casts the net
wider and gets in money
from tourists, as well as
local people who rent but
have children in the school
system.
It’s all “six of one” any
way. They get you coming
and going, so it doesn’t real
ly matter what the caliber of
the bullet is.
next to Priester’s in Perry
announcing the coming of a
Microtel Inn?
That is right across the
interstate from the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and
Agricenter at the new exit.
• • •
A big, new sign is going up
near the West Gate of the
Agricenter!
Tonisha Law says the sign
will electronically display
events at the facility.
It should be in operation
by this year’s Georgia
National Fair.
• • •
Supporters of the building
that formerly housed Perry
Elementary should be glad
to know renovation on the
old school is getting under
way.
According to school
Superintendent Danny
Carpenter, once renovation
is complete the building will
be used for in-house train
ing and other school-related
activities.
• • •
Happy birthday to Leslie
come, we knew you guys
were coming.” He also
described spending, “time
visiting with (other) liberals.
We feasted on their sodas,
cookies and meals as we vis
ited and talked about
Zionism ... they all exclu
sively agreed concerning the
Zionist neo-con influence of
the war.”
The same weekend that
the Nazis joined Sheehan’s
cause, the Rev. A 1 Sharpton
arrived in Crawford for a
photo-op hug and a kiss with
Sheehan. Sharpton and
Duke seemed to have a lot in
common. In 1989 Sharpton
referred to Jews as “dia
mond merchants” with “the
blood of innocent babies” on
their hands.
It is no wonder that fair
minded people have begun
to conclude that Cindy
Sheehan might not be as
sincere in her peace-loving
beliefs as advertised.