(Reflections}
y Aka Ny* Oxen dine J
HEARINC FROM THE
PRESIDENT
Have you ever met a President in
person?
I haven't. 1 he day I took a tour of
the White House (in the '50s) we
were told that President Eisenhower
was out of town.
However, on Election Day. I
heard from our current president.
Did you?
Against Impeachment?
As I've said before. I'm a registered
democrat. But I vote for the
person, not the party.
And. during the past six years
I've become even more disappointed
with this administration than I was
with the Bush administration.
George Bush, like Ronald
Reagan, seemed to put his trust in
Mikhail Gorbachev, as well as also
taking credit for ending the Cold
War.
Bill Clinton bonded with Boris
Yeltsin soon after winning the presidency
in 1992. Since then there have
been several joint ventures, including
some former KGB officers
helping law enforcement officers in
this country. (How do we know that
they are not still spying for Russia?)
Then there is the cozy relationship
of our president with the
president and others from mainland
Communist China. And "Kilegate."
etc
And some presidential decrees
that have been largely ignored by the
media.
Before the "Lewinsky affair' I
was very uneasy with the president,
who seemed to me to be more interested
in attaining and maintaining
the position of president than in being
open and honest with he rest of
us.
So. when I got a phone call from
a young woman with the democratic
committee, asking if I planned to
vote the next day. I said "Yes."
But I explained that I would not
be voting for many democrats, that I
was not very happy with this adminv
istration because they don't seem to
know what's really going on around
us. The caller was very nice and
wished me: "Have a good day." I did
the sani ? for her.
Midrnoming on election day the
phone rang. I picked it up. expecting
Wanda Kay to ask how Byron and I
were doing.
Instead, a male voice said. "This
is President Bill Clinton." (I finally
decided it was a recording. He
sounded desperate!
He said it was critical for mc to
vote for John Edwards and all the
other democratic candidates in North
Carolina. (He listed them by name.)
The call ended w ith a "Thank y ou."
I've had at least four reactions to
that call. I) A kind of thrill to hear a
President's voice right in my own
home. 2) Wondering whether a
frightened president was try ing to
send a message to Congress (by elect
ing democratic candidates) that the
American people are opposed to
impeachment.
3) Anger that anyone (particularly
the president of the United
States) would presume to tell me
exactly how to vote!!!
4) Concem that others (who must
have also heard his message) would
consider him such an important authority
figure that they would follow
his advice and make a special effort
to vote a straight ticket without even
try ing to think for themselves.
I f many of these calls were made,
I do not believe that the number of
democratic candidates elected necessarily
means that the country wants
to stop the impeachment inquiry. It
might mean that a lot of people were
simply following orders from above.
I want to be fair with President
Clinton, with his wife and family. In
fact. I feel sorry for all of them at
this point.
But I don't want them (or anyone
else i telling me how to think. As I've
said before, we will have a better
country when we each leam to think
for ourselves!
Littlefield Class
of 1973 to hold
Class Reunion
Littlefield High School'sClassof
1973 will hold their 25th year class
reunion on November 28th. For
moreinformation call TomTaylorat
910-739-5692.
From the Office
of the
Superintendent
by Dr. Barry Harding
L
A fire in a school bathroom A
rock thrown through a school building
vv indow. School bus scats slashed
It would be bad enough if these were
merely isolated incidents that happen
in our school system. Unfortunately.
they happen all too often Sometimes
the damage is substantial Sometimes
it's not but the amount of damage is
not the whole story.
When we examine the damage
done by these acts of vandalism, we
can't help but wonder why they happen.
1 believe that the attitude of the
child or young adult who is responsible
is w hat w c need to be concerned
about You can't hclp but w ondcr w hai
goes on in the mind ofthc vandal that
makes them commit such acts w hich
arc certainly destructive and. sometimes.
disrupliv c. The latter is seldom
the ease since many of such acts lakeplace
after school or on the weekend
when classes arc out thus really not
inlcrfcringwiihclassaciivitics Thai's
not to say that they never take place
during the school day and. when iii.u
happens they do. of course disrupt
the regular school routine Ai. ..x
ample would be the fire that w as set i n
a waste paper basket in a bathroom
recently which caused an immediate
evacuation of the school Although
tlic evacuation was accomplished in
an orderly manner since all schools
practice for emergencies of that nature
and there were no injuries, thereis
always the possibility that there
could hav cbeen Did the perpelrators
think ofthal possibility '' I would hope
that they didn't Bad as what they did
was. how much worse it would havebeen
if it had resulted in injuries or
v worse
The damage caused by rocks that
are thrown through school building
w indow s is. ofcourse. obv ions. Sometimes
though, in addition to the obv ious
damage, the broken window also
serves to allow the vandals to enter
the building which often results in
further damage or the theft of equipment
vv Inch then needs lobe replaced
Recently, for example, a break-in re
Milted in fire extinguishers being
emptied on the floor of the school
Why that would be done isdifficult to
explain other than it just being a
mischievous act Still, think about
how much more damage could'vc resulted
had a fire broken out which
imghl'v c been controlled by the use of
a fire extinguisher if it could'vc been
used
Up to this point, what I've said has
to do with incidents involving students
either while school was in session
or otherwise While those incidents
that hav c taken place diiiing the
school day most certainly involved
students, there is no certainty as to
\\ hcthcr those occurring after school
or on weekends involved students. 1
don't want to point fingers in their
direction unjustly. There arc, unfortunately
. other misguided people w ho
could easily have been responsible for
them There could'vc been young or
c\ en oldcradulls apparently with time
on their hands who found that destroying
school property was an interesting
way to while away the time
It's unfortunate that . that kind of
thinking should even exist
You'sc often heard the expression
thai "children will be childien" and
there arc sonic people w ho seem to be
w illing to allow that as an acceptable
excuse for such misdeeds While the re
may be some activities b> children
where that feeling is acceptable, vandalism
and destruction of property
arc not among them I feel certain
that, if the parentsof the young people
apprehended in such activities make
them realize the seriousness of what
they've and the law deals appropriately
with older people fouadguilty of
those activities, the incidents of vandalism
suffered by our school system
may be substantially reduced
Swett High News
The Students Against Destructive
Decision Making Club
sponsored by Red Ribbon Week
October 23-30. October 26 there
were several speakers shared presentations
on drugs, teenage driving
and law careers. Students pledged to
remain drug free by placing handprints
on posters that were displayed
all around the school. Red carnations
were sold, re ribbons were tied
on cars and red ribbons were issued
to the entire student body, faculty,
and staff.
On October 27 students staged a
morning prayer vigil at 7 a.m. in
member of all those students who
have died from Alcohol/Drug related
accidents.
On October 28 SADD club students
staged ran assembly program
for the student body, The keynote
speaker for this event was Sgt. Randy
Hammonds. Various students presented
musical entertainment and a
skit was also performed. Students
wore red to show their support for a
Drug/Violence free campus.
October 29 the drama club hosted
a play "Only Seventeen."
October 30, a number of guest
speakers spoke to various classes. .
Rachel Blue, Brad Locklear and
Bobbie Taylor were selected as
nominees for the Moorehead Scholarship.
The Swett High Marching Rams
Band participated in a band competition
at Richmond Senior High on
Saturday. They competed against
school from North and South Carolina.
In Class "A" they won second
lace for percussion and homline.
They also participated in a Veterans
Day parade onNovember 11 in Pembroke.
They played "American the
Beautiful" and other songs. The
drumline played "The Cadence" and
the colorguard did a dance created
by Jessica Strong, a colorguard member.
Scouts to return for food Saturday
Scouts will return this Saturday
November 21st. to pick up grocery
bags (hiti they left at residences
throughout the counts last Saturday
Residents who arc donating food
should havclhcirbags of imperishable
food at their front door by *> am
Saturday for the scouts to pick up
Scouts will collect the food and
take it. to Robeson Count) Church
and Community Center. Anyone w ho
did not get a bag can bring any food
the) want to contribute to the Robeson
County Church and Community
Center. 2 it) East 15th Street Any
questions call Jim Dlakc. 719-7146
jag ROWLAND
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Walk-ins Welcome
IN CONCERT
v The D & L
Gospel Singers
Sunday afternoon
November 22, 1998
2:30 p.m. at the
Indian Education Resource Center
(the Old Indian High School) on
West 3rd St. in Pembroke
The Indians here along the Lumbee
have always sung Gospel Music
Robeson County "Indian Style!"
In honor of Indian Heritage Month, wc arc proud to present
the D & L Gospel Singers from the White Hill Freewill
Baptist Church in concert on Sunday afternoon, November 22,
at 2:30 p m here at the Indian Education Resource Center in
Pembroke. Come join us and help us celebrate our rich and
varied Indian heritage. THIS IS A FREE CONCERT! A
reception will follow.
XTHANKS!^\
/. We thank Congressman \
/ Mike Mclntyre for visiting us on \
f November 3 here at the Indian \
Education Resource Center. He
I brought us a message of good hope, /
\ and also a United States Flag that had J
\ previously flown over the capitol.. /
\TH AN KS!^/
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