AS I SEE IT 1
Bruce Barton
Bruce Burton is on vucution and will return next week with his column.
.-Is / See It.
The Carolina Indian Voice is published every
Thursday by First American Publications,
207 Union Chapel Road, Pembroke, NC 28372. 1
Second class postage paid at Pembroke, NC
28372.
Please send all address changes to P.O. Box !
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Subscriptions are $25 per year in the State of
North Carolina and $30 per year in all other
states.
Bruce Barton Publisher i
Conneo Brayboy Editor |
Ralph Nader Encourages Civic Virtues
PEMBROKE. N.C-- "Can you
write a thousand-word essay on your
citizen skills?" consumer advocate
Ralph Nader asked an audience of
about 550 at UNCP's Givens Performing
Arts Center Tuesday night.
"Ifyou can't, you're looking at a big
gap in your education."
In a speech entitled "The American
Duopoly." Nader addresses America's
civic versus commercial values, and
the imbalance that exists in favor of
big business.
"You've heard of Americans dy ing
for their country." he said. "Have you
heard of Americans who gave their
life for their company ?"
Nader detailed the struggles bluecollar
workers all over the United
States have endured, and cited examples
of textile employ ees from
North and South Carolina who died
from cotton dust-asphyxia. He urged
citizens to "roll up their sleeves" and
"stand tall against injustice."
He said people must become "pen
pals" w ith members of Congress and
make sure these elected officials have
the "moral courage" to make unpopular
decisions. Nader criticized postsecondary
education because it does
not provide the "citizen skills" needed
to make informed decisions.
Citizenship skills build a strong democracy.
solve problems and foresee
perils. he said. This can be dome only
if we have knowledge of history, a
sense of civic respect, and empathy
for future generations.
Nader emerged into the public spotlight
with the publication of his book.
"Onsafe At Any Speed" in 1965. It
detailed General Motors' corporate
decision to maximize profits by producing
a defective car. the Corvair.
He has published man\ more
books and is considered the most
prominent leader of the U.S. consumer
protection movement. Nader
founded the Center for the Stud\ of
Responsive Law. the Center for
Auto Safety, and the Public Interest
Research Group. The L.A. Times
also named him one of the 50 people
who most influenced business in this
century.
He accused American automobile
companies of selling style over
safety, and Nader said that until
Volvo introduced the three-point
seatbelt. there was little emphasis on
building quality vehicles.
The 2000 Green Party presidential
candidate has been accused of
taking enough Democratic votes
from Al Gore to give George W.
Bush the presidency. But it does not
seem to worn. him.
"The two parties are becoming
more and more look-alike." Nader
said . "Voters don't think there is anything
different about them. If a third
party can't get onto a presidential debate.
they can't gel anywhere."
He made sure to tell the audience
the North Carolina was the toughest
state in which to get a third party on
the ballot. 52.000 signatures are required
by law here by a third party to
get on the ballot.
The Distinguished Speaker Series
continues Jan. 28 with Edward James
Olmos. followed by Maya Angelou on
Feb. 26 and Sherman Alexie on April
2. All lectures are at 7 p.m. at Givens
Performing Arts Center and the cost
isS5.
by Andrea Vukcevic, a journalism
major at UNCP
Pembroke Twilighi
Christmas Parade
Pembroke I wMight Christmas Parade
sponsored by the Town ol'
Pembroke, the Pembroke Chamber of
Commerce, and the Pembroke Ci\ie
Club is planned for Thursday. December
13.200! l.ine uptimeat 3:30
p.m. and the parade will begin at 4:30
p.m. I he parade line up area will be
at the CNCP Pembroke Performing
Arts Center and end at the Pembroke
felem'enlary School. Criteria for the
parade includes Marching Units.
Bands. Queens. Floats, and the special
attraction will be the Robeson
County Sudan Tomcats Funny Cars
and the main attraction will be Santa
Teacher Assistant Scholarship
Loans Increased
The Teacher Assistant Scholarship
Loan will be increased from SI.200
to S3.500 per year to provide teacher
assistants with additional financial
resources to comer costs of attending
school such as traveling to and from
campus, chidcare. books and supplies.
The Teacher Assistant Scholarship
Loan programs are designed for
people who are employed full-time as
teacher assistants in the public schools
of North Carolina (w ith a minimum
of one year experience as a teacher's
assistant) or for individuals previously
employed in the public schools of
North Carolina as teacher assistants
(for a minimum of five years of fulllime
experience) whose positions
were eliminated. Recipients are obligated
to teach one year in a North
Carolina public school for each year
of assistance they receive.
The Church in the Forks
Sunday. October 28. 2001. was very special day for us at wesTRobeson
United methodist Church, we celebrated Homecoming. A Note Burning and
Pastor's appreciation.
Prior to worship Service Rev. and Mrs. Marshall were presented, a corsage
and boutonniere. They were also presented a plaque in appreciation of
service for the year 2001 and a love offering for dinner at their favorite
restaurant.
During his Homecoming sermon. Rev. Locklear. reflected on how we look
forward to seeing old familiar faces at Homecoming and how our memories
take us back to the faces of those who are no longer with us. A melancholy
mood settled over the congregation as we walked down memory lane, and as
Rev. Locklear talked of members who had gone home: Mrs. Sarah Hunt,
mother of Aggie Deese and Myre Hunt, sister of Mrs. Fairella; Mrs. Gertrude
Lowry, mother, grandmother and aunt of several members: Baby Simmons,
son of Mark and Loria Simmons; Baby Paige Goins, daughter of Dewayne
and Tina Goins; and Millie Jo Jacobs, sister of Tina Goins and Katie Jacobs,
granddaughter of Mr. Everrett, niece, cousin and aunt of many church members,
there were not many dry eyes left in the congregation. We remembered
all the tears, the laughter and joy that we have been through together, the
things that have bound us together as a church family.
Homecoming worship service was followed by a delicious meal in the
fellowship hall, were we continued to reminisce and talk of future plans for
the church. Following dinner we all gathered for the Note burning. This note
was the loan that was used to turn and old run down service station and
garage into our fellowship hall. West Robeson United Methodist Church is
now debt free.
We would like to extend a thank you to all those who were there to celebrate
this history making day with us. Those who were not, missed a joyous
and emotional day.
We would like to invite everyone to join us for our revival. It will be held
for 3 nights, Sunday, November 25, with Rev. Dwayne Lowry; Monday.
November 26, with Rev. Chip Bass and Tuesday, November 27, with Rev.
David Malcom.
On Friday. December 7, 2001 the West Robeson UMW wilt sponsor a
Christmas Ball at the Jaycee Hunt in Pembroke. The proceeds from this
project will go to support UMW mission projects. If you would like to attend
this event and support the UMW please contact Mrs. Lucille Locklear
at 521-0544 ot Elizabeth D. Marshall at 844-5738.
OC I
Members of the West Robeson UMC watch as Rev. Marshall Locklear sets
fire to mortgage note that Lay Leader Terry Marshall holds.
I" 80-year tradition of quality. Subsidy book publisher offers publishing I
services for books of all types. For free Author's Guide, write:
Church members surround Lay Leader Terry Marshall and Myra Hunt as they display the mortgage that was to be
burned on October 28, 2001
Regelation is the process in which solid ice melts under pressure alone and refreezes as soon as pressure
is taken away. A glaclar moving along slowly melts and refreezes, slipping a little under pressure
each day.
Letters to the Editor
Adoption of Lumbee Constitution
marks demise of Judge Manning
in Indian Business
To ull 1.umbces.
I'll be brief l.ei me congratulate each of you who tix>k the time to voice your
opinion this week by placing a vote on the Lumbee Constitution. For those who
didn't vote, don't complain Although, as one Lumbee stated, we had to "hold
our nose (pull out vour hawk bill) and vote yes." we now have something wc
can work with and mold to protect the best interests ol all Lumbee people All
I can say is that once this Tribal Government takes seal, thev better hold on to
their britches, cause "Amendments [/. A'COMIN' 1 do strongly urge those of
you who had reserv ations about the present document to actively seek resolve
through your amendment process, as I plan to Finally, let me celebrate the
demise of the Honorable Howard J Maiming, from the arena of Indian
Business. May lie never raise his ugly head there again
*" H 'enily Moore-Cummin f;s
Native Americans were first to
suffer from biological warfare
Dear Friends.
!l has been a long lime since I have
written, but I wanted to share a few
thoughts with you
First. 1 am deeply saddened by the
World Trade Center tragedy 1 tlunk
about and pray for those families daily
I am also horrified to hear that some
insane person or splinter terrorist
group is sending the deadly bacteria.
Anthrax, to news media organizations
and politicians' offices I lowcver. this
is not the first time a biological weapon
has been used against American
people
Anthrax in its natural, onginal form,
was called Sheep Shearers' disease
because this bacteria lived in dead
animal hides and sheep's wool The
sheep shearer or animal hide handler
could contact this disease through an
open sore/wound. This "germ" was
chosen lor biological warfare for its
ability to act quickly and severely
Another biological warfare agent
that many in the scientific and military
communities are worried about is
Small pox. The Center for Disease
Control (CDC) in Atlanta proclaimed
that Small pox is extinct or eradicated
from the earth. However, for military
(warfare) purposes, the smallpox
bacteria has been kept alive in many
labs around the world. Unlike Anthrax,
Smallpox can be spread from
person to person. Sufferers from
Smallpox experience extremely high
fevers and the entire body, is covered
with large puss-filled sores. Scientists
and some government officials arc so
worried about smallpox because this
disease is no longer perceived bv
health care industries and providers
as a threat to national health Thus.
Smallpox is no longer vaccinated
against Some scientists and government
officials are worried that
smallpox could be "weaponized"
(made more potent and deadly) and
used as a devastating biological agent
This is interesting to me because, as 1
mentioned earlier, this is not the first
time a biological weapon has been
used against American people
In fact,. Smallpox was used in biological
warfare against our people
200-300 years ago The Smallpox
epidemic or plague (whatever our
people called it) killed not 3. 5 or even
100 as Anthrax has done in Washington,
D C., Florida, and New York, but
killed millions of American Indian
people in North Carolina. Over 70%
of our people (entire tribes) were
completely wiped out In the Northr
east and Midwest (here als) Smallpox
infected blankets were intentionally
given to our Native American ancestors,
brothers, and sisters (taken from
individuals suffering from smallpox)
to further annihilate the Native Ameri:
can population
In conclusion, 1 view history as
being cyclical If we don't learn form
the past, we are destined to repeat past
events I hope I gave you something to
thank about. Thank you for listening.
Arvis Lock/ear Boughman
Faith in God gives
meaning and purpose
to human life
by R. D. Locklear 11
The statement "faith in God gives
meaning and purpose to human life" is
a proposition of faith. Faith is said to
be the basis for acceptance of something
as knowledge without reason It
is the extension of knowledge through
belief.
There are many aspects of the concept
of God, such as, he is infinite and
eternal. Two are particularly relevant
to man's existence. First, God is love
The Greek word agape describes God's
love as unconditional and unselfish,
in contrast to the word cros which
describes man's love as desiring and
selfish. Second, God is good. He is
offered as the final standard of goodness.
Ethics and value theory in general
are independent of religion, in that
principles can be formulated without
any mention of God Yet they ultimately
rest upon the character of God,
who has endowed man with the nature
whose fulfillment defines good Meaning
denotes definitionof an idea. While
purpose denotes direction, intent,
cause and reason.
Human life deals with man's existence
It is an existential concept It
considers its causes and ettects, its
actions and reactions, its openness to
influence.
Human life has four planes They have
been likened to a square-thc-chcckcr
of life. It is desired of men in the
physical plane to be strong of body in
the mental plane, to be brilliant of
mind-in the social plane to be magnetic
in personality-and in the spiritual
plane, which is the base for the others,
to have the significant attributes of the
character of God, i.e., love and goodness.
There is an old I lindu legend that at
one time all men on earth were gods
But the men so sinned that Brahma,
the god of all gods, decided that the
godhead should be taken away from
man and hidden some place where he
could never find and abuse it again
"We will bury it deep, in the earth."
said the other gods.
"No," said Brahma, "because man
will dig down in the earth and find it"
"Then we'll sink it in the deepest
ocean." thev said.
Veterans Day Parade
The Pembroke Chapter of Veterans
of Foreign Wars will sponsor a
. Veterans Day Parade beginning at 10
o'clock a.ni. on Saturday.. November
10.2001. All participants will meet at
the Pembroke F.lementary School at 9
o'clock a.m. in order to be assigned
their spots in the parade "line-up."
The parade will go through town one
"No," said Brahma, "because man j
will leam to dive and find it there loo " I
"We will hide it on the highest mountain,"
they said.
"No," said Brahma, "because man
will someday climb every7 mountain
on earth and again capture the
godhead."
"Then we do not know where to hide
it where he can not find it," said the
lesser gods.
Said Brahma, "hide it down within
man himself. He will never think to
look there"
And that is what they did Hidden
within man is a spark of the divine
Every since then he has gone all over
the earth digging, diving, and climbing,
looking for that god-like quality
which all the time is hidden within
himself.
Through motivating faith that spark
can turn into ablaze with radiance one
desires to capture: It is something
genuine, something for everyday use.
It is the spirit that naturally makes you
do the right thing at the right time the
spirit I'm talking about is not one that
sulks in shadows It belongs up with
the captains and the kings. It is a spirit
proud of its heritage. One that flics its
banner high.
Lift your thoughts above the com-*
monplace Think on noble things If
you look upon the building of characi
ter. or morals, or ethics, or religionj .
whatever you choose to call it, as an
opportunity to grow, then all things iri
life take on a new significance.
The story is told of three men working
together doing the same thing in a
quarry. Each was asked, "What are
you doing?"
"Busting rocks," was the first man's
reply.
"Breaking stones," was the second's^
But the third replied. "I'm helping to
build a cathedral, monument to the
love and goodness of God, a reflect
tion of the same in man " \
The question is asked, "Is service to
humanity the best work of life?" |
would answer "yes " And there is no
better motivation for such action thad
belief in God
Truly, faith in God gives meaning and
purpose to human life.
Planned in Pembroketime
and end at the UNCP Performing^
Arts Center. Schools, industries an^
civic organizations in Robeson and
adjoining counties are encouraged tci
participate.
for further information contact
Buddy Bell, Parade Chairman, 910-1
521-0887 or Gregory Cummingsj
Parad*ro-chairman at 910-521-2784,