V* ~
Editorial And
Opinion Page
AS I SEE IT]
Bruce Barton
Z Eddie Hatcher ruminations
T I like Superior Court Judge Greg Week's legal sty le. He was quoted in the
" local papers over the last few days as saving that it was time to get serious
about handling murder and assault charges against Indian activist Eddie
Hatcher. I agree. Judge Weeks was quoted as saving. "It's time to stop all this
posturing and play ing games. It's time to proceed w ith the business of serv
ing justice in this case." Amen, brother!
- It's like this. If Eddie Hatcher cannot get a fair triaf in Robeson Counts then
Z neither can you ... or me. Weeks said he brought Hatcher to court'because he
Tread in the newspaper last month that Hatcher was unhappy with delays in his
" case. Two judges have previously removed themselves from Hatcher's case
and Hatcher has written a complaint to the state's chief justice about various
matters that trouble him about his case.
It amuses me to see people get up in arms about Hatcher's activism in his
case. He's representing himself. Someone said, maybe it was a judge, that a
- plaintiff who represents himself in court has a fool for a client. 1 can't say that
-about Hatcher. He is not the most popular fella in Robeson County, and
- lawyers aren't lining up tp represent him. They ought to be. When Hatcher's
Tease is settled, all of us. including and especially Eddie Hatcher, ought to be
Table to say, without fanfare, that he received the very best legal defense posIsible.
Ifnot. then justice will not havebeen served in thismatter. Period. With
T that in mind. I can't say that he ought not represent himself. He will be
r vigorous in defending himself: that's for sure. He better. This is a serious life
and death matter... for Eddie Hatcher.
Z Judge Weeks called Hatcher into court Monday and ordered that a private
telephone line be installed at the Robeson County jail for Hatcher who is
yfacing murder and assault charges. The killing happened May 31. less than
;:two weeks after Hatcher was involved in another shooting. Weeks lowered
'his bond in the shooting case to S25.000 but refused to set bond in the murder
case. Lawyer Sue Berry is helping Hatcher in the assault charge.
Judge Weeks is to be commended for being business like in the matter, and
applying the law as equitably as possible without playing so much to the
^audience as DA Johnson Britt likes to do.
Z People in the news I would like to get to know better...
r The headline read: "Lee Petty dead at 86." Winner of the very first Daytona
- 500, and father to Richard Petty and grandfather to Kyle Petty and greatgrandfather
to Adam Petty, Lee Petty was a true patriarch All the aforementioned
Pettys drive race cars. Lee Petty set the standard for them, and all the
_other NASCAR drivers, as I see it. I admired him immensely. I would have
* liked to have known him better. He died in Moses Cone Hospital In Greens?boro
Wednesday, April 5. He was 86. I like all the Pettys and I extend sincere
- condolences to them upon the loss of their father, grandfather and great
grandfather.
y Congratulations also to Shea Ralph. I am-one of her biggest fans although
* I have never met her. 1 have been following her career in the pages of the
Fayetteville Observer, and later on ESPN Television, for many years. I first
read about her when she was a basketball player at Terry Sanford High School,
i always thought she was quite graceful and cool under pressure. Later on she
won a basketball scholarship to the University of Connecticut. Her career
culminated recently when the Lady Huskies won the National Championship
and she was named Most Valuable Player for the tournament. Good for her! I
like her because she is gracious and works hard. Those are two nice qualities
to possess, and they usually are translated into success whatever one's vocation
might be.
And IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF MERCY, PLEASE
PRAY FOR ME. I am crying out to God, in the name of his Son Jesus, to
aright my spiritual drift. I have lately seen a lot of fault in a lot of people. I
might have a beam in my eye. I don't like it and I am praying furiously and
- seeking His Face.
The Carolina Indian Voice
Published each Thursday in Pembroke, N.C. by
First American Publications
Connee Brayboy Editor
Bruce Barton Publisher
Ricky Barton Business Manager
Garry Lewis Barton Production Manager
Injured At No Fault
Of Your Own?
Don't Risk Being Victimized Twice!
Arnold Locklear, Arlie Jacobs, Grady Hunt,
Brian K. Brooks, Mark Locklear
- Your Winning Team ?
Locklear, Jacobs & Hunt
Is Only A Phone Call Away Attorneys
Committed To Your Interests
i #
203 South Vance Street - Pembroke, NC
| 521 3413
Letters to the Editor
Reader asks More questions
about LRDA and Tribal Rolls
De;irhditor:
I haven't chimed in recently and I
guess I have been sitting on the fence
post looking on with keen interest
what has transpired in our tribe during
the last few months. I am proud of the
work the committee and Jim Lowry
have done to help mend the rift that
hasdiv ided our tribe for years. I understand
that the coalition committee's
plan is to attempt to hold a Lumbee
Tribal election to choose an interim
government before December 2001.
I low ever. Judge Manning has decreed
that to have any kind of election that
30? oof the enrolled tribal members will
have to turn out to vote. You may w ant
to know I ike me where are they getting
30? o from and w ho would make up this
magic percentage.
As far as I can determine the 30%
comes from the Lumbee-Cheraw tribal
government constitution. The great
all knowing Judge Manning has declared
this constitution invalid, but
remains steadfast that since we stated
we have to have a 30% turnout in an
election, in our null constitution, we
have to live with it. Have you ever
heard of a gubernatorial, presidential
primary, senatorial or dogcatcher election
or any other type ofelection where
thejudiciary has seta magic numberto
reach to get anyone elected or anything
done? Second, from what I understand,
this magic 30% turnout will
come directly from our tribal rolls. Do
you realize that our rolls are so outdated
that deceased individuals are
shown as living, breathing, and voting
tribal members on this role? This
brings me to another point.
I read with shock recently that
LRDA. even though it is supposedly
working in good faith to form a coalition
government, will begin construction
on a 1 3.000 sq. ft. LRDA family life
center on the Union Chapel road in the
very near future. First,, since e the
Lumbee people were not given an
opportunity to vote or voice their opinion,
1 want to ask LRDA is this center
going to be built on privately owned
land? Also, what will happen to this
center when eventually a coalition/
interim government is formed? And
what kind of programs for the people
will it house'1 Ad how much new plush
office space w ill be set aside for LRD A
members? And is this money earmarked
from the federal government
to build this huge building or has the
funds (six million) been taken from the
Indian housing money without am
input from the people? Finally. I want
to ask LRDA if this money or other
monies could be used to straighten
out our tribal rolls? Without up to day
information, folks, there is no way we
<^n hold any kind of accurate and non
disputed election to form any ty pe of
government. I hope I am wrong when
I surmise that LRDA is going to use
the trial rolls as a trump card claiming
that their non profit status al lows them
to keep the rolls all to themselves
stalling the election process and keeping
them in the driver's seat until hey
are forced by an act of God or another
seven year lawsuit to share these rolls.
By withholding the entire tribal rol Is or
necessary elements of them, generating
the magical 30% for elections
purposes would be down near impossible.
I am just a peon, but I want LRDA
to hear me when I say the tribal rolls
belong tot he Lumbee people not just
LRDA.
In conclusion. I am not out to put
down anyone but when I see people
with their eyes on themselves and
what they can personally gain and put
the cart in front of the horse and go off
half cocked and have another disputed
election or build a "family life
center" on private land that we're not
sure who will use after we finally
straighten this mess out. Why can't
we use a very small part of this family
life center building fund and the millions
of dollars that pour into our tribe
every year to hire out our own census
takers to get up to date information
and fix our tribal rolls? Folks, to steal
a line from our great deceased President
Kennedy, let ask not what our
people can do for us. but let's ask what
we can do for our people.
Thank you for listening.
Arvis Boughman . "
Let's Keep
Mitchell "Bosco" Locklear
Working For Vou!
Board of Education-At Large
This Is A County Wide Election
FOR Experience
Current Member - School Board At Large - 4 Years
Businessman: Owns/Operates Sunshine Learning Center
in Pembroke.
Prospect School Advisory Council - Past Chairman
Member/ Sunday School Teacher - Galilee Baptist Church
Robeson County Board of Elections - Past Member
Parent: Daughter Jessica Attends Purnell Swett High
FOR CONTINUED PROGRESS
Our Students Are Making Significant Increases In
Reading. Writing, Math and SAT scores.
Positive I eadership Changes Have Occurred In
Principalships And Other Administrative Positions.
Millions Of Dollars Have Been Approved For New
Classrooms And Other Needed Facilities.
HE SPEAKS UP FOR YOUR INTERESTS
Continued Open. Responsive Leadership for AIL
Supports Increasing Pay Supplements For Certified
and Classified Personnel
Re-Elect Mitchell "Bosco" Locklear
"A Man You Can Trust"
01' Lady Justice is a whore, folk 11
a
I know you've seen it before -- a
not-so-prettv ""woman in flowing
robes who is supposed to represent
Of Lady Justice. In her hand is
held lop-sided scales which are
supposed to represent the scales of
justice And a rag of some kind is
invariable tied around her head,
covering her eyes to imply that justice
is blind.
But I can't help wondering if 01'
Lady Justice has that rag covering
her eyes for an entirely different
reason.
I'm reminded of the O.J.
Simpson trial a number of years
ago when he was acquitted of the
gruesome murders of his wife
Nicole and her male friend, Ron
Goldman. Despite the verdict, the
majority of folk seem to continue to
think he committed the crimes.
mat it ne couldn t have attorded the best lawyers money could
buy, he would be behind bars now awaiting his execution. Or
at the very least settling into a life sentence behind bars. In
fact, another jury found him responsible for the murders in a
civil action brought by the family of Goldman later on. I guess
he had spent so much money paying his high-priced lawyers in
the first trial, he couldn't afford them in the second one.
Another travesty of justice occurring that same year
involved the pop singer Michael Jackson who was accused of .
molesting a little boy when he was allowed to spend the night
in the Wierd One's mansion. Before the authorities could
throw the book, or anything else handy, at Jackson, as well ;
they should have, he hid out in another country. Eventually,
some of 01' Lady Justice's high-priced pimps, masquerading as !
lawyers, worked out a deal whereby "Chester the Molester"
paid millions of dollars to the little boy's parents to keep the
case from going to trial, e
Like with O.J., that seemed like another case of 01' Lady
Justice prostituting herself to anyone who could afford her.
Some may call it justice. I call 01 Lady Justice a call girl. A
whore! A prostitute! A harlot! ;
The latest incident of the ol' girl selling herself to anyone ;
who could afford her seems to be the case of six-year-old JonBenet
Ramsey being murdered in her own home while her little
brother, her mama Patsy, and her filthy-rich daddy John
allegedly slept. I say allegedly because a lot of the evidence
seems to suggest the mama murdered her.
Because the parents were rich and among the very elite in
Boulder, Colorado, they were handled with Kid gloves during
the following investigation. Whereas you or I would probably
have been put under the jail and interrogated vigorously, the
detectives seemed to be expected to make appointments with
the parents, always the prime suspects, for interviews.
A book recently published, written by a retired detective
who worked on the case, said the evidence suggests that mama
Patsy accidentally delivered a fatal blow to her little girl in the
bathroom after becoming upset about her wetting the bed.
That she hid the body in a small room in the basement that
was so out of the way it could not have been found by an
intruder. Upon noticing the child was still breathing, the
mama panicked, according to the book, and strangled the little
girl. Evidence from the autopsy also revealed that the little girl
had been sexually assaulted. The book concludes that Patsy
told her husband what she had done in a fit of passion and that
the two conspired to cover up the crime.
I don't know who killed little Jon-Benet. Or who sexually
assaulting her. But I do know that the parents seemed to
receive special and preferential treatment because they are
rich, which seriously impeded the investigation. No wonder no
one has yet to be charged with the horrendous crime!
It seemed another case of Ol' Lady Justice prostituting herself,
using high-priced pimps, masquerading as lawyers, to do
her bidding.
These were just a few cases of folk apparently receiving {
preferential treatment because of who, or how rich, they are.
They received a lot of media attention and publicity for being
such high-profile cases. There's really no telling how many
other cases there have been of the rich literally speaking, getting
by with murder but not receiving a lot of attention and
publicity because the media didn't think they were sensational
or gory enough to be exploited.
Indeed, 01' Lady Justice might be depicted with a rag tied
around her eyes because she's ashamed to show her face in
public. I know the scandalous hussy ought to be.
I know I'm shamed to admit I live in a country where 01'
Lady Justice is far too oftema whore who can be bought by anyone
rich enough to afford her. And where JUSTICE is far too
often spelled "JUST - US," "us" being the rich and famous.
We'll talk again, folk.
Garry Lewla Barton
I
Open House
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
Pembroke Ward
Saturday, April 15, 2000
4:00 - 6:00pm
Free Literature, Free Dinner
Located at 1009 Old Main Street,
Pembroke, NC
Edward B Ermini. M D . a board-certified otolaryngology specialist,
has joined the medical staff of Southeastern Regional Medical Center
Upon earning his medical degree from the University of South
Alabama in Mobile. Dr Ermini completed residency training at the
% University of Wisconsin-Madison His general otolaryngology practice
% includes ear, nose and throat surgery, treating patients who have
A % allergies or sinus problems, and professional voice management
^ % He serves both adult and pediatric patients from his private
practice at 4303 Ludgate Street in Lumberton
We can all feel good about his decision to join our community
300 West 27th Street. Lumberton, NC (910) 671-5000 www srmc.org
SOUTHEASTERN
REGIONAL
MEDICAL CENTER
i
___________J I
/SOUTHEASTERN
REGIONAL
MEDICAL 1?
CENTER ^9
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