^Ae - journal
PRESS
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ~\^ association
ASSOCIATION
Published Every Thursday al Raeford, N.C. 2*316
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LOUIS H. FOGLEM AN. JR Publisher
PAUL DICKSON Editor
HENRY L. BLUE Prodactloa Supervisor
BILL LINDAU Asaociate Editor
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
SAM C. MORRIS Contributing Editor
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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1982
Hoke drug investigation
The police investigation and subsequent action resulting in the
arrests last week of eight Hoke County High School students, painful
though the publicity has been to the community and the prosecution
will be to the defendants, does demonstrate forcibly that the law
enforcement agencies are watching for drug use and sales in the
schools. It goes without saying that administrators, teachers and
parents have been concerned as well.
Any action that results in reducing the use of mind-affecting
drugs is valuable for students and adults alike. More effective than
police action, of course, would be any which kills the interest of
people, especially students, in using drugs. Students have a hard
enough time learning the basics to earn a living later and to live well
without their ability to learn being crippled by consumption of
"recreational" chemicals, including alcohol.
Regardless of whether the students are found guilty or innocent of
the charges, the awareness that law enforcement officers as well as
educators are interested in what's going on at school will be
discouraging for anyone considering bringing drugs to school, and at
least make would be salesmen to be a lot more careful in pushing
their products.
An important unfortunate aspect of the affair, however, was the
failure of the investigators apparently to get enough evidence to
arrest whoever was supplying drugs allegedly sold. We hope,
however, the officers have been successful in this, and they simply
aren't saying publicly what they've found.
It would help, too, if the U.S. surgeon-general would attack
consumption alcoholic beverages and other drugs with even half the
zeal he displayed recently in attacking tobacco-smoking. That was
on a par with beating a dead horse, considering that cigarette-smok
ing has been blasted by federal people of various statures
periodically for the past 18 years.
True, smoking is hazardous to health. But smoking a cigarette. -
never caused a killing highway collision or a murder.
--BL
Lure of the cities
In a letter to the editor. Naomi Johnson asks, "So why then would
a teenager brought up in the country, even under the poorest
conditions want to spend those hot summer days on the steaming,
congested streets of Northern cities where drugs and crime are an
accepted part of everyday life?"
Many other people ask the same question.
The answer may have been given by 1%9 Pulitzer Prize winner
Rene Dubos. professor emeritus at Rockefeller University in New
York, one of the cities to which Mrs. Johnson's letter, published last
week, refers.
Dubos in his book "Beast or Angel? Choices that make us
human." writes: "Practically everywhere, in modern times, farm
children tend to abandon the country for the city when they have a
chance. They do so even when they cannot go beyond shanty towns,
in which they feel uncomfortable and alienated but which give them
a vague hope of adventure and prosperity. As for intellectuals, most
of them already succumb to the appeal of the city even though they
praise nature and the bucolic life..."
Later in the same chapter. Dubos writes: "...The economic wealth
of large agglomerations and the opportunities of gainful employment
they offer account in part for this appeal (of the cities), but in part
only. At least as important is the hope cities give of a life richer in
unexpected experiences, especially with regard to human contacts.
This hope has inspired countless stories and films and is symbolized
in ihe title ol the post-World War One song. "How Ya Gonna Keep
tm Down on the Farm After they've Seen Paree?" The city
bewitches the country lad almost as much by its crowded slums as by
its restaurants, shops, theaters, and displays of luxury."
Earlier Dubos writes. "...Yet the cities that are the most crowded
and polluted, and the most traumatic for newcomers, are the ones
that grow the fastest -- as if they had the greatest appeal for all social
classes."
Dubos is described by his publisher. Charles Scribner's Son of
New York, as an "eminent microbiologist and experimental
pathologist." He won the Pulitzer Prize for his book. "So Human an
Animal." He also is the author of "A God Within." among other
books.
- BL
Watt's 4turn-around'
From The Christian Science Monitor
US Interior Secretary Watt says there is no reversal of
administration policy in what has been hailed as his "turnaround" in
favor of protecting the American wilderness. This is fair warning to
Congress as it considers his propsed legislation to forbid mining and
drilling on some 100 million acres of designated and proposed
wilderness until the end of the century.
Such a proposal does seem a turnaround from an earlier Watt
position. Last year the secretary called for an extension of current
law by 20 years to permit companies to seek such development
rights.
This week's proposed ban is plainly a step forward in the eyes of
many environmentalists. As one suggested, it is a good sign even if it
only means that Mr. Watt now wants to be seen as pro-environment.
It should be noted that earlier he extended a moratorium on oil and
gas leasing in wilderness areas from June 1 until after the
congressional elections this year. That move was seen as an effort to
aid Republican candidates by defusing a controversial subject ? one*
that had brought the threat of an overall leasing ban by Congress.
But Mr. Watt can still argue that he is not being inconsistent with
his basic policy. This is to swing the nation's pendulum from what he
sees as overemphasis on conservation of public lands toward what he
considers the center or the mainstream mix of conservation and
development. Everyone recognizes there has to be some proper mix
enabling America to obtain necessary resources while preserving an
irreplaceable natural heritage for future generations. The question is
whether Mr. Watt is trying to swing the pendulum beyond the center
in the other direction.
Seen in this light, his new proposals will invite the closest
congressional scrutiny when they are formally introduced. As
publicly described so far, they offer some two-edged swords that
Congress will have to take, leave, or hone down to one edge. For
example:
? Wilderness lands under present law would be indefinitely
protected from mining and drilling after the end of 1983. By newly
legislating protection for 18 years, Congress could pave the way for
less protection later.
? In the meantime protection could be lifted by a presidential
finding of an emergency, such as in national security or energy
supplies. Congress would have to accept or reject it within 90 days.
There would have to be a careful definition- of what should trigger
emergency use of protected lands.
? Proposed wilderness areas would be at first included in the
protection. But they would be released for commercial purposes
unless Congress met certain deadlines for designating them as
wilderness. And Congress would have only until the end of 1987 to
propose any new wilderness areas.
? Land under study as a possible wilderness area could be released
for development by decision of the Interior Department. The
existing provision for congressional review before leasing would not
be required.
Does all of this constitute a Trojan horse, as one environmentalist
labeled it, to unduly limit the protection of wilderness while offering
provisions to protect it? It will be up to Congress to ensure that the
balance is fairly drawn so that such is not the case.
Letter To The Editor
Editor, The News-Journal
One year ago this month, the
President of the United States was
nearly killed with a "Saturday
Night Special". Thank God Presi
dent Reagan survived.
But during this past year over
20,000 other Americans were shot
with handguns. They were not as
fortunate as the President. They
died.
It's easy to blame the politicians
in Congress who should be doing
something to stop America's hand
gun violence. But the Congress
works for us. What have we done?
What have you done?
The gun lobbyists are puny
compared to us. Polls show that
nine in ten Americans want tougher
handgun laws. But the politicians
hear from the gun zealots every
day. It's time they heard from us.
Our goal is to find ONE MIL
LION AMERICANS who care
enough about handgun violence to
stop it. And if becoming ONE
MILLION STRONG isn't enough,
we'll find ten million more until our
handgun laws are strengthened.
And if Congress won't change the
law, we'll change the Congress.
Every time a John Lennon or a
Ronald Reagan is shot. America is
called a sick society. A handful of
kooks doesn't make us a sick
society. But what is sick is for the
rest of us to let this handgun
violence continue.
You can do something to stop
America's handgun violence. Con
tact us. We'll show you how.
Sincerely,
Pete Shields
Chairman
Handgun Control, Inc.
Washington, D.C. 20006
Puppy Creek Philosopher
Dear editor:
My theory has always been, when
you've got a problem you can't
handle, blame it on somebody or
something else.
I have found that my theory has
spread to Europe.
According to an article 1 read
last night, leaders in France.
England, West Germany and other
European countries are blaming
their economic problems on the
United States deficit.
"President Reagan's scheduled
deficit of S92 billion is the cause of
high interest rates in the United
States, and high interest rates there
are causing economic disaster in
leaders can get by with telling their
people that inflation and high
interest rates there are caused by
inflation and high interest rates
here, but if they can we've got just
one course to pursue.
We've got to find some country
some where we can blame our
deficit on.
I understand there about 200
countries in the world, give or take
a few that may have emerged or
gone under between the time I
wrote this letter and you got it, and
while there never has been a
Secretary of State who could,
offhand, recite the names of all
200. surely we've got experts or as a
last resort investigative reporters
or unemployed economists who can
find at least one country with a
proportionately higher deficit than
ours. That's the one Washington
?'94|Plt tolfetootrinp for Send out a
seatcb Team, even if we've got to do
it on borrowed money. What's a
few dollars more in a deficit nobody
can comprehend anyway?
Yours faithfully,
J. A.
It's a Small W orld
By Bill Lindau
Pardon the goofs, but...
A well-meaning lady on televi
sion the other night called a goose a
duck. The goose was in plain sight,
but nary a duck could be seen. It
was in a park in High Point where
she was helping a kid have a good
time.
Then President Reagan talked
about President Kennedy sending
Marines into the Vietnam War in
1964. Au contraire. it was the
Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, it
was 1965. and it was President
Johnson. The 173rd constituted the
first conventional American mili
tary force sent into the war. Before
then. American military participa
tion in the war involved Special
Forces men serving South Vietnam
troops as advisors.
* * ?
Also, a story in the Ftiyciieville
Olwrvrr Friday reported a veteran
of the 503rd Parachute Infantry
made a parachute jump in Corregi
dor Island, in memory of the jump
he and his buddies made February
16. 1945.
Up to that point the story's OK.
But then the w riter said the 503rd'a
assault ended the war in the
Philippines. Au contraire. again,
there was a lot more combat all the
way into the following July, though
the result was no longer in doubt.
The 503rd. incidentally, is now
part of the 82nd Airborne Division
at Ft. Bragg.
It was Preston McArthur who
made that memorial jump, all by
himself.
The fall of Corregidor in May
1942 ended regular American mili
tary opposition to the Japanese
invaders till American troops re
turned to the islands about 2'/j
years later with the successful
landing on Loytc Island MaeAr
thnr. |
* * *
A column in a TV labloid
published last week mentions a
"roaring fireplace." I didn't know
fireplaces roared. I always thought
a fire roared in a fireplace. But
then one day a guy in Asheboro was
charged in a warrant with using
'loud and profound" language in 4
public.
? ? ?
There was a lot more to the
Convention II meeting in Washing
ton Mikki Freeze attended but we
didn't get a chance to get into any
more than we wrote last week ;
because of the work still lying
ahead.
That meeting, held February i
10-13. was a model Congress for
selected U.S. hiyh school students
but it worked only on resolutions
drawn up by the students, to
amend the U.S. Constitution.
A documentary 'film of the
participation of the students of
eaeh state will be made, then
condensed and combined to make a
single film. A copy of the final film
is to be sent to every high school in
the United States. I
During the convention, the stu
dents loured the White House,
presidential adviser Edwin Mease
and U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp, a New
York Republican, spoke to them.
Though none of the resolutions
won approval in the student Con
gress. the students got an exhaus
tive education in the Constitution
of the U.S. and the details of
drafting and presenting a proposed
amendment to it. then debating for (
or against it. using valid argu
ments.
CLIFF BLUE . . .
People & Issues
S&L TO FALL -- Savings and
Loan Associations have been a
great help to millions of people for
the past sixty and more years:
Average citizens and others, have
been helped with reasonable in
terest rates to build a home of their
own!
But, due to enormous interest
rates in recent months, many who
would like to become home owners
have had to forego building. This
has been a great hold-back for
many young couples who simply
cannot afford what a suitable
home costs, plus the high rates of
interest.
However, considering the in
terest rate that the Savings and
Loans have to pay for their money
to lend, they can't be blamed for
the high interest they have to
charge the borrower.
This is a good example of what
happens when run-away inflation
takes over.
SOCIAL SECURITY -- 1 have
been reading about the Social
Security problem in recent days
and how the Federal government is
paying out right much more than is
coming in. Social Security now
takes a considerable amount out of
the pay check of the working man
or woman in these inflated times.
However this would not be so
bad if Social Security deductions
were such as maintained sufficient
funds for the day when the man or
woman reaches retirement age.
Since 1975 Social Security has
been paying out more in benefits
than it has been taking in in taxes.
Social Security was enacted into
law under the late Franklin D.
Roosevelt Administration in 1935.
It was not intended as a sole retire
ment program. For over 30 years
the system worked fine. But, as
more money came in, new pro
grams to be financed by social
security were created.
Social Security was fine for what
it was first intended for, but like so
many other programs, it has gone
far afield from its beginnings.
Benefits were increased, and in
1975 automatic cost-of-living ad
justment began, tied to rises in
consumer prices. The elderly
population has steadily grown,
people live longer, and Social
Security is more important to the
elderly than originally intended.
Social Security now takes a pret
ty big bite out of the pay check to
day, 6.7^o ! Current schedules call
for the tax to go up to 7.65 percent
in 1990 on a maximum wage base
of 66,900. If things keep on, many
will be paying more in Social
Security taxes than income taxes.
Yes. as taxes rise, it is altogether
possible that the Social Security
tax will be more than the income
tax for people of moderate means.
In 1950 the maximum a person
might pay, regardless of how much
they earned was $45 - 1 .5 percent
tax on a minimum base of $3,000.
In 1960 it was $144. In 1970 it was
$374, and this year 1982 it will be
$2,171 - 6.7 percent on a maximum
wage of $32,000.
To keep Social Security valid,
something has to be done to keep it
within means, otherwise it will be
the tail wagging the dog!
GOVERNORS -- Of all the ^
would-be candidates for governor
on the Democratic ticket come
primary time, 1984, Attorney
General Rufus Edmisten is pro
bably the most active.
Bill Friday is often mentioned as
a formidable candidate, should he
decide to make the race. Dr. Friday
plans to retire from the presidency
of the greater University of North |
Carolina in 1983, and he is not "
supposed to make a decision on the
matter until then or later.
Insurance Commissioner John
Ingram is considered by many as a
possible candidate for the gover
nor's race. Anyone that reads the
M'w.t A Observer is aware that
newspaper is against "Big John"
but that doesn't mean that Ingram
will not have considerable support
among the average voter, and there .
are many of them still around. %
President Wiggins of Campbell
College is a possible candidate. He
is a Baptist, and that's no draw
back to him.
Congressman Rose of the
Seventh N.C. District is regarded
as a possible candidate as well as
Lt. Governor Jimmy Green.
nts TAX TIPS
Tax Benefits (or Older Americans
If you are age 55 or older, you could
be eligible for a once-in-a-liffetime
exclusion of up to $100,000 of gain on
the sale of your home, or up to
$125,000 If you sold your home after
July 20, 1981.
If you are age 65 or older you can take
an extra $1 ,000 tax exemption for age
on your tax return.
If you receive a pension or annuity,
you may have federal income tax
withheld from the payments by
completing a Form W-4P, "Pension,
Annuity, or Sick Pay Recipient s
Request for Federal Income Tax
Withholding."
Use the handy order form tn your lax
package to order free IRS Publica
tion 554, Tax Benefits for Older
Americans
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