Editorial
S . ? . . ,;M
Faircloth Commercial Gives
Voters The Silent Treatment
No one has ever suggested that a political
candidate could present his or her platform in a
? 30-second television commercial. Most of the
televised pitches to which audiences are sub
jected are little more than polished attempts to
get the candidate's name across to the voting
public.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lauch
Faircloth, however, has taken the short spot a
step further with his latest commercial. In a
spot that has been making the rounds for the
past week, Faircloth is shown shaking hands
with factory workers, smiling a lot and slapping
a bumper sticker on the rear of a tractor
trailer, all to the tune of a strumming guitar.
Not a word is spoken until the final
moments of the commercial, when an an
nouncer proclaims, "Lauch Faircloth for
Governor. Success for North Carolina."
Mr. Faircloth undoubtedly spent a lot of
money to put his spot on the air. He's free to put
across any sort of message he wishes in his at
tempt to win the Democratic nomination. It
seems to us, however, that these silent spots
won't do much to win the many Tar Heel voters
who want to know a candidate's position on the
issues before giving him their vote. Shaking
hands and smiling are talents every successful
politician must master. A candidate for gover
nor had better have more going for him than the
ability to glad hand with the voters.
If the silent spots should work for Faircloth,
look for some of1 the other potential nominees to
begin broadcasting "Where do you stand,
Lauch?" spots in the near future.
On the other hand, should the spots prove
successful, Tar Heel television Viewers will be
able to watch their favorite programs without
being bombarded with political pitches in which
candidates promise the moon and stars in
30-seconds.
If the use of music should prove capable of
< swaying voters, we can expect the political
campaign to produce televised videos in which
candidates strut their stuff to the sounds of rock
and roll. Ronald Reagan can be glad Michael
Jackson's too young to run for president.
Letters To The Editor
Readers Say Give Wild A Chance
Dear Editor:
As a rule I have found your
reporting to be informative,
and I would not miss an issue
of the paper. However. 1
disagree with your attack
against the town officials in
regards to the open meetings
law. and feel you could put
your time and talent to better
use.
These people are working
for free. Three of Ihem have
businesses to run and the
other has been knocking
himself out at his own expense
to overcome the many pro
blems we have with our water
system. Every day they are
faced with the unexpected.
and must gel together as best
they can.
Although I have been unset
tled and unconvincea about
the drastic change in our
leadership, the fact remains
they are the only leadership
we have. I care about Mar
sliall. and I'm keeping my eye
on them. But. as a taxpayer. I
want my monies worlh. So, I
hope I hey continue lo gel
together wherever. Iiowever
and whenever they can as
often as they can, meeting
notice or no meetng notice. (
Sincerely.
Richard Kingston
Dear Editor:
Since "the old Jamaican
saying" followed your letter o
protest to Mrs Wild, there
no doubt in any reader's mil..:
as to why it was put in thai
spot. I feel like an apology is
the only way to correct it .
Other cities have ? speed
limits, why not Marshall? As
for. running the red light, he
certainly would have gotten a
ticket in Asheville. When I got
a ticket, the policeman told
me if the light had been green
and turned yellow while I was
under it. I should keep going,
but since it was yellow and
turned red. I'd had it - and I
got il, $15 worth.
As a rule, people don't like
changes so they immediatel
fight against them or cor.
plain. How do you know n
something will work until you
try it? 1 have seen very little
change in Marshall in the past
50 yearS, so it 's lime new blood
and new ideas moved in. John
Dodson is to be commended
for taking an interest in Mar
shall. I'd like to see more
young people get involved.
because Marshall could be a
beautiful town. If (lie people
will work with Mrs. Wild, I
believe a big improvement
Will be made.
Yours truly.
Margaret Morrow
Asheville N.C.
v ?
The News Record
..... rl.. r... .
H
P O Bo* 369 ? Marshall. N C 28753
Telephone (704)649-2741
Robert T. Koenig
Cheryl W Koenig
Brenda C Parker
Advertising Mi"
Office Mt??
Columnists
I "Pop" Story
Dr Joseph Godwin
Dorothy B Shupe
[ Emma Lou Wambles
W" kH B\ Tt? Madh?n Tourrtv Mi .*>?*???* Cr?r
X* l-SP' 380 440 S?ond PoM*T- ??
*M n . ,W3 'at? to T
n |
t? tK.- Mr-w' Rro*d
.. P!;
W.M OW..WN
Dear Bob:
I especially enjoyed your
handling and editorial in our
February 8th edition of Mar
shall's mayor and town
government as regards tlie
Open Meetings Law ,
I would like to believe they
are acting out of ignornance
since many of these changes
you sited they have made in
town government appear to
Itave been for the better.
However, keep their feel to
Hie fire Keep up the good
work
Sincerely.
Mike O'Neal
Columbus
^ o
Dear Sir:
We wish lo express sincere
and a
Ihe Mart Hill Fire Depart
meni (or their quick i
and professional services
rendered (luring the February
6i h fire at tur home on Smith
('reek Road Truly the Han
Hill Fire Department is an
asset of immeasurable value
to the c it liens of this com
rn unity.
, Mfway gad Plana fluff
Mars Hill
' ?
Heard And Seen
r V " ?
By POP STORY
HARD TO IMAGINE
It's hard to imagine that some 270 persons
camped out in front of the Asheville Civic
Center Friday night to buy tickets for the
March 30 concert by the country rock group,
Alabama. Two Candler teenagers were the first
fans in line as early as Wednesday awaiting the
start of the ticket sale at the box office Satur
day. The campers, mostly teenage girls, kept
dry by setting up their lawn chairs under an
overhang. To pass the time, they played cards,
talked and listened to tapes. That's what I call
"Alabama crazy".
CONGRATULATIONS. "TIM"
Timothy Lankford Storey, son of Mr. and
, Mrs. Lankford M. Storey of Botany Drive in
Asheville, has been awarded a full-tuition
Grayson Scholarship to attend Mars Hill Col
lege this fall. Storey is a senior at Reynolds
High School.
Tim is the son of my nephew, "Skip" and
his wife, Janice, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Ralph Ramsey of Marshall.
Tim was also the offensive center of the
great Reynolds Rockets football team this past
?reason. I wonder if he'll be a "walk-on" for. the
Mars Hill Lions next season? ' .
hMISS SEEING LEWIS THOMAS
I still miss seeing and speaking to Lewis
Thomas, of Marshall, who died January 10.
Nearly every day we would speak as we passed
on the sidewalk. We were also members of the
Whithurst Sunday School class at the First Bap
tist Church here. It doesn't seem the same
without Lewis. I miss him.
CLAUDE DAVIS IS VALUABLE
There are several men in Marshall who are
always interested in the youth softball teams,
but no greater friend does the Marshall Trojans
team have than Claude Davis. He is dedicated
to the youth and deposit his physical handicap,
is always active in promoting projects to
benefit the softball program. Claude is an asset
to Marshall and this community.
In last week's column, a line was left out
during makeup. The technique referred to
without reference had to do with the use of
sealants to prevent tooth decay in hard to reach
areas. For more informaiton on the technique,
consult your dentist or call Dr. John Betz-Ellis
of the Hot Springs Dental Clinic.
Know Comment
B> JOSEPH C.OUW1N
Memory is one of man's
greatest assets. It is also one
of his most able servants. The
sad part is that this servant is
trtally unreliable.
Memory means different
things to different people and
does all sorts of things for a
variety of people.
Whatever else it may be.
memory is life's rear-view
mirror. For some, it is a
source of great personal pride
because they can remember
so well. "It was 40 years ago."
we hear one say. "but I
remember it as well as if had
happened yesterday."
We may have to question
that.
Memory may be a source of
dynamic encouragement. We
recall difficult times and how
we lived through them; we
recall experiences of near
despair and how some suppor
tive friend stood by our side.
These memories give us
courage and hope.
Memory may be a catalyst
for deep depression, especial
ly among old people. Some
recall opportunities they met
in a brighter, younger day, op
portunities they permitted to
pass unclaimed. Remember
ing makes them remorseful
and sad.
Memories may also serve to
frighten them with knowledge
that their time is rapidly runn
ing out. that life has been so
long and seemed so short
behind but little of it remains
ahead. It can be agonizingly
depressing.
Whatever the content of
memory may be, memory
itself is altogether unreliable
Because of this, countless
misconceptions plague us;
and we live with them every
day, treating them as if they
were reality.
Consider the matter ot
remembering distance.
I was 14 years old before I
traveled outside Dale County,
Alabama, where I was born.
At that age, I rode a Model T
Ford which had been made in
to a pickup from Ozark,
Alabama, to Marianna,
Florida, in Jackson County.
Because the radiator leaked
and we had to rewater it at
least two dozen times, it took
all day to make the trip.
"I remember as well as if it
were yesterday" what a very
long trip thai was ? such a
great distance! My memory is
so "clear" that it now seems
incredible that Ozark and
Marianna were only about 65
miles apart.
What I remember is my
perception and that faulty
perception was based on my
not having traveled before. All
anyone can ever remember is
his perception, and that
perception is very often
wrong.
In my counseling, I have
faced many people whose at
titude toward their parents is
not only negative but also
hostile.
Early on, no doubt, the child
remembered wanting
something his parents denied
him. ("They don't like me.")
Maybe he was spanked for
something he only partially
understood. ("They hate
me.") Possibly an older or
younger child was given
something that was withheld
from him for reasons the
parents clearly understood at
the time. ("They are not
fair.")
It really does not require too
much of this breakdown in
communication to constitute
an unhappy childhood. The
child never fully understood
the true feelings and attitude
and purpose of the parents.
Therefore, these misconcep
tions and deep feelings of re
jection and cesentment were
woven into the personality ?
and there is a generation gap.
Several years ago. some
other family members and I
were discussing our childhood
in the presence of our mother.
I was then telling how my
mother used to "wear me out"
when I was growing up.
My memory was "so keen"
that I even recalled the reason
we never had any more
peaches than we did: "Mother
wore out the peach trees on
me."
Mother remembered the cir
cumstances of my upbringing
differently and reported on it
pointedly: "I didn't do any
such thing!"
Memory can produce either
joy or sorrow ; either of these
may come as the ? result of
misconceptions. What it
should produce is a spirit of
humility. Then we could at
least, in our certitude, allow
for the possibility of our being
mistaken.
Living And Growing
Hv (WHI. MI MHOWKH. I
MSW
The Asheville
< ouiiselMig Outer
Friday was a rough day. For
starters, i had a teenage pa
tient tell me about how his
father in earlier years had
taken enjoyment from telling
turn he was no good. Before his
death, the father had convinc
ed the boy that he was right.
Next came the mother who
thought discipline was
something unique to the
Marines. She let her three
children run the home with the
idea of allowing them to
develop their own identity Do
ing such with
it a guarantee of i
her situation is no <
.
Finally, on my way home
(hat evening, I passed no less
than three groups of young
adolescents roaming the
streets With adolescents,
there's a choice only between
constructive or destructive in
volvements There is no in
between One can pretty well
speculate as to which direc
tion a bunch of unsupervised
teenagers prowling at mid:
night is going to take. In this
case, the parents either don't
or t t know what
Being a i isn't a (em
: '
you re fcuiiig to make
mistakes, but the theme will
be more toward success than
failure.
Don't be deceived. Mature
and secure kids don't come
from chaotic homes. By the
same token, you don't often
see a disruptive, insecure, and
confused young person com
ma from a wonderful home en
vironment We all make
mistakes as a parent, that's
teach the skills can't even
seem to come to the same con
sensus. We do know, however,
that love, concern, and consis
tent effort can make up for a
lot of mistakes in our ap
proaches to parenting. Like
any sport, good technique is
only part of the game. Energy
enthusiasm, and serious com
mitmenl are equally impor
tant
Please don't delude yourself
into believing that you can be
a part -time parent Hiere'? no
*uch thing If you can't or
won't take the effort to treat
'hat responsibility serious I;
iheit pass the jot> on 10 so
meone ehe After all, paren
ting is only five percent a mat
er of genetics nd blood IV
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