eu?4 - journal
nfifi, &
^^2*7 PRE
w- a s s o c I
Qorty&tuA
/ WjjU'
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER association
ASSOCIATION
Published Kv?r> Ihursday al Raeford, N.C. 2S376
119 W. Elwood A vmm
Subscription Rales la Advaace
Per tear? M OO 6 Months- S4.25 3 Moalhs? $2.25
LOUIS H. IOCLEM AN, JR Publisher
PALL DICKSON Editor
HENRY L. BLUE Production Supervisor
BILL LINDAU Associate Editor
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
SAM C. MORRIS Contributing Editor
Second Claw Postage at Raeford. N.C.
(USPS 3M-260)
THURSDAY. JULY I. 1982
Storage problem
If Superior Court orders dismissing Hoke County marijuana
charges had been upheld by the State Court of Appeals, all North
Carolina counties would have a more expensive job.
The appeals court on June 15 issued a ruling reversing the
Superior Court orders. The orders in essence were based on the
officers' burning the more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana plants
they "harvested" September 14, 1980, from several acres of land in
the county.
The harvest had been destroyed, however, the appeals court points
out, after the officers had weighed, photographed and obtained, for
laboratory analysis, samples of the crop.
Essentially, the Superior Court orders were based on the opinion
that the destruction prevented the defendants from examining the
evidence.
The appeals court ruled to the contrary.
Law enforcement officers were distressed by the Superior Court
order. They said privately that if the orders were allowed to stand the
county would have to build warehouses to hold such masses of
suspected marijuana and other materials indefinitely till defense
attorneys could have them examined.
It's still possible that the State Supreme Court will review the case
if the defendants decide to ask for the review, arid consequently
possible that the Supreme Court would uphold the Superior Court
orders.
But if so. then all North Carolina counties would be given an
additional burden that would be expensive and unnecessary.
-BL
Psychiatrist in court
The June 22 verdict acquitting John W. Hinckley. Jr., of seriously
wounding the President and three other men has provoked anger in
Congress which will certainly stimulate a move to revise the law on
the insanity plea. The plea allows defendants to plead innocent in
criminal cases by reason of insanity. As in Hinckley's case, it allows
commitment for an indefinite period of treatment in a mental
institution but not in a regular prison for a specified term.
What the insanity plea does is bring to the courtroom as expert
witnesses psychiatrists for prosecution and defense, with the result
that in direct, conflicting testimony and in cross-examinations of one
psychiatrist by the opposing side pronounces confusion in the minds
of the jurors. This was demonstrated publicly in Hinckley's trial, and
by statements afterward by some members of the jury.
What it boils down to. as it did in the Hinckley case, is whose
psychiatrist do you believe?
Revising the insanity-plea law won't correct this situation unless
they revision does what Dr. Karl Menninger said in the 1960s ought
to be done -- all courts should exclude all psychiatrists from the
courtroom. "Put us all out," Menninger. a psychiatrist writes, "and
make us stay out."
Then he says, however: "After you have tried the case, let us
doctors and our assistants examine him and confer together outside
the courtroom and render a report to you (the judge), which will
express our view of the offender -- his potentialities, his liabilities,
and the possible remedies."
Dr. Menninger adds: "If we doctors cannot agree, let us disagree
in private and submit majority and minority reports. That probably
will not be necessary; our differences are going to be on minor
points. We are not going to raise legal issues like 'sanity' and
'responsibility' because we are not going to talk legal jargon. Nor
should we talk our jargon. We should try to say in simple English
why we think this man has acted in this way so different from the rest
of us, and what we think can be done to change his pattern."
Dr. Menninger. chairman of the Board of Trustees of The
Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kans., and a psychiatrist for the
Menninger (mental health) Clinic of Topeka, as is quoted here from
his "The Crime of Punishment," published in 1968. The book is a
collection of his previously unpublished Isaac Ray Award lectures of
the American Psychiatric Association given at Columbia University,
N.Y., and the University of Kansas from 1963 to 1966.
His statements are contained in the chapter headed "Right and
Wrong Uses of Psychiatry." The use of psychiatrists in criminal
trials is one of the subjects Dr. Menninger covers in his published
lectures, and one of the subjects concerning the use of psychiatrists
in the criminal justice system that he discusses in that chapter.
Congress and the legislatures of the states should study Dr.
Menninger's lectures to find at least a partial reform of the law
allowing the insanity plea.
--BL
'Your medals?'
Tht crvotan Soancc Mix***
mmmmmmmmmmmm
It s a Small W orld
By Bill Lindau
The Hinkley trial with all the
psychiatrists tor prosecution and
defense testifying sent me back to
Dr. Karl Menninger's book. "The
Crime of Punishment" in which he
discusses the psychiatrist as a
witness in court.
In an editorial on this page, he is
quoted as saying the psychiatrists
should be kept out of court, that
the trial be held without them, and
then they should get together,
consider the defendant's state of
mind at the time lhe crime was
committed, then give the judge
recommendations.
But Dr. Menninger also makes
another point in the same chapter.
He says the questions of guilt and
innocence are moral questions,
consequently a medicalman. such
as a psychiatrist, isn't qualified to
testify as an expert witness on these
questions. He suggests a philo
sopher or minister as a qualified
witness to testify on moral ques
tions.
* * *
Changing the subject, feller visit
ing the office the other day asked
me: "What's the difference be
tween 'illegal' and 'unlawful'?"
"I don't know." 1 replied.
"Unlawful." he said, "means
'against the law'."
" 'Illegal'," he continued, with a
traight face, "is a sick bird. That's
"ill eagle." as everybody (but me)
knew .
? * ?
The July 5 Miss Aberdeen Pa
geant in Aberdeen Middle School
auditorium has special interest for
Hoke County people.
One of the candidates for the
crown is Leslie Madden, daughter
of Deputy Sheriff and Mrs. James
L. Madden of Raeford. Miss
Madden is a student at Sandhills
Community College in Moore
County, which qualifies her to be a
contestant. In the talent competi
tion she will dance a ballet selec
tion. The pageant starts at 7:30
p.m.
? ? *
There's a false impression about
that cats eat birds' leftovers. This
isn't true. If a cat wants a bird's
food, it doesn't wait till it's left
over. It just goes on and gets it. and
it the bird wants to argue about it.
it's too bad for the bird -- unless it's
as big as a chicken or even a
pigeon .
It it's bread of any sort, the cat
isn't interested. In the many years
(since the early 1930s) that I've
been associated with cats. I've
never seen one assault a chunck of
bread. Some do eat odd things.
Sara cat was munching on potato
chips the other day. My mother's
cat. Rusty, liked green beans.
Several of them like butter. But not
all like fish. Sara doesn't care for
most food with fish in it. She does
go for turkey and giblets, and other
kinds of poultry, also beef".
Also, a cat won't necessarily
tackle a bird even it' it's within easy
reach. For instance, one bird
walked onto the porch of a house 1
used to live in. and one of the cats
was crouched close by. The bird
walked within a tew inches of the
cat. but the cat just stared at it.
After eating a few crumbs, the bird
walked toward the door. The cat
followed i( with its eyes but not with
its pretty pink mouth. Thecal even
sniffed the bird's tail feathers as the
bird walked by. But the cat never
moved as the bird went out the door
and into the yard.
Cats also don't wet motor vehicle
tires and they can't scratch the
paint and finish of a car or truck,
though it the vehicle belongs to a
known friend, the cat will lounge
on the hood once iu a while and
maybe leave paw prints on it. These
can be removed easily, however,
with a quick swipe til a rag.
Also, cats are very clean about
leaving tertili/er. They bun it.
Then, too, I've never seen evidence
of delivery in public places, like
streets or sidewalks, or in strangers'
yards. I ve mentioned before that
cats and dogs aren't enemies in our
house. They don't actually play
with each other, but they don't
fight. And when the dogs and 1 are
out for a walk. Phoebe cat follows
us. which makes a funny side show
tor people who see us.
Some people just don't like cats.
The objections commonly ex
pressed are: they rub up against
your legs and you don't know
they're coming and they're not
aft ect innate. The fact is cats are
affectionate, if you're decent to
them. They don't jump up and lick
your face and wag their tails, when
you bring them a bowl of goodies.
It s just that they choose their times
to show affection. It you pick one
up to pet it. it might wiggle and
jump out of your hands. But then,
later, it might jump up on your lap,
and lean toward you to have its ear
or head rubbed. Sometimes it will
reach out a paw and touch you
when it wants affectionate atten
tion.
A couple of mine, incidentally,
saunter up to the curb in front of
the house when they hear my car
coming a halt" block away, and
when I park and get out. they greet
me. walking up to me and making
gentle cat sounds.
It's very flattering, even it you
don't come bounding up. tails
sagging, and try to lick my face.
Feeding birds also won't cause
them to make deposits on cars.
They'll do it, unintentionally, of
course, whether you feed them or
not. I've had a number of deposits
made on my cars by birds to whom
1 have never given so much as a
left-over crumb of cake or plain
white bread. On the other hand,
could that be the reason they made
deposits on my cars?
It's something to think about, if
you've got absolutely nothing better
to think about.
I
Read Romans 5:1-5
We also boast of ow troubles,
because we know that trouble
produces endnraace. ?Romans 5:3
(TEV)
The score with a rival basketball
team was tied, with three seconds
remaining in the game. One of our
players threw the ball down the
court to our son. The crowd went
wild with expectation. After prac
ticing and making this play many
times during his two years in varsity
sports. Joe confidently dribbled
once and shot the ball. Suddenly
there was a silence, and our rivals
erupted with joy. Joe fell to his
knees and put his head down with
shame and disappointment. He
had missed the shot, and his team
had missed a chance at victory.
Today, Joe can laugh about his
experience. He feels it enabled him
to grow, and perhaps was used to
show others how God helps us
overcome our trials and embarrass
ments. As Paul says in his letter to
the Romans, "Endurance brings
God's approval, and his approval
creates hope." Paul also reminds us
to hold our heads high regard
less of what happens. God yearns
for us to sense the presence of the
Holy Spirit especially at times wh^p
we feel helpless. God loves us
immeasurably)
PRAYER: Dur God, help us to
renumber that You ars with m In
a things ? Mc or small. We thank
You. Aa mb.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Because God loves us, we can
always hold our heads high.
Shirley Kaufer (P?jl, ?..!?)
CLIFF BLUE . . .
People ft Issues
HINCKLEY. ..Many people
have been discussing the Hinckley
verdict, with most feeling that
justice went astray.
Here in North Carolina Senator
Allsbrook introduced a bill in the
State Senate seeking to safeguard
North Carolina against such a ver
dict.
Had Hinckle) been brought up
in an average income home with
working people, his situation
might be far different from what it
is today.
Certainly, he didn't have an
average mind. We think his
punishment was far too light for
the crimes which he committed
without provocation.
It appears to us that he needs to
be guarded from here on out!
Such a verdict as was rendered,
with three men seriously injured,
including the President of the
United States, made light of a
serious charge, or so it appeared!
TIMtS DC) CHANGE.. .A long
time ago, when a baby was born
the mother would remain in bed
for some weeks, but Princess
Diana gave birth to her baby
son on Monday and on Tuesday,
just 21 hours after birth, she and
Princes Charles carried their babv
home. The early departure from
the hospital was questioned bv
some in "medical circles but her
physician said she was in good
health and this will not cause any
problems."
CARTER'S DREAM. ..Bill
Rose, writing in the kniglii-Ridder
newspaper about Jimmy Carter
with an Atlanta dateline, says:
"His dream of peace in the
Mideast is crushed. His hopes of
nuclear arms control is doubtful.
His appeal for human rights in
foreign policy is being reversed."
"But. as his emissaries explained
to the Atlanta Cits Council Mon
day, Jimmy C arter has one more
grandiose dream. On a quiet, green
hilltop, overlooking downtown
Atlanta, he wants to build a
presidential library that would help
scholars understand his picsiden
c>."
SMM I COliNI'll-S.. Small
Counties have lost much in
legislative power in recent sears,
lake Hoke C ounts for instance. It
was lormcd in 1911 from
Cumberland and Robeson. It was
named in honor of Robert F.
Hoke, a major general in the Con
federate States Army. It is in the
southeastern section of the slate
and is bounded by Cumberland,
Robeson, Scotland, Moore and
Harnett counties. The present area
is 389 square miles and the popula- t
tion is 19,200. Raeford isthecoun- '
ty seat.
Before the courts began to med
die, Hoke had a representative in
the General Assembly all the time,
and a senator cvery-other-time.
Now , the> have neither a senator
nor a representative as Hoke is
now in a district with a larger
population.
We don't think that counties like
Hoke and Scotland should he
deprived of representation all t
the time.
A lew years ago Robeson had
two representatives, Hoke one,
and Scotland one, each. Now
Robeson has three representatives,
Hoke and Scotland have had none
for years. It looks like through a
"gentlemen's agreement" that
Robeson should have two. and
Scotland and Hoke should have
one ever\ other election. 4
It might be difficult to do, bin
not impossible, and could be work
ed out.
INDtPFNDFNCF DAY. ..As
we approach Independence Da>
there are three men in history that
we should not forget - Thomas Jef
ferson. regarded as the author ol
the Declaration of Independence.
Benjamin Franklin and George
W ashington - Giants in those early
days in pioneering. g
Reading about franklin, Ld- ?
ward Bok. and others inspired your
writer to the printer's trade.
Jefferson, born in 1743 and died
in 1826 is best remembered as a
great president and as the author
of the Declaration of In
dependence. He also won lasting
fame as a diplomat, a political
thinker, and as a founder of the
Democratic parts, which in time ?
has stra\cd prettv lar from J offer - 9
son's thinking.
Jefferson succeeded Benjamin
I ranklin as Minister to I ranee and
served in Washington's cabinet as
Postmaster General.
Puppy Creek Philosopher
Dear. editor:
Economists are like the TV
weatherman who every night for a
solid year predicts rain tomorrow,
and then on December 31 checks
his score and announces that not a
rain Cell that year that he didn't
accurately predict.
Economists have been predicting
an upturn in business sometime
during the next quarter and if they
don't run out of quarters are bound
to hit it right sometime before the
turn of the century.
Some of them however are
getting smarter. Instead of flatly
predicting an upturn they're saying
"we're poised" for one. hoping
somebody won't mention that a
man poised on the edge of a tall
building can fall either way.
The problem of high interest
rates is one of the most bothersome
problems economists are tackling.
Some say high interest rates are
caused by the deficit and others
say the deficit is caused by high
interest rates.
Not only are high interest rates
hurting home buyers, they're hurt- ^
ing foreign countries. Just as a i
home buyer can't pay 17 percent
interest, how can you run a country
if you have to pay Uncle Sam that
steep a rate on your loan?
It should be pointed out that
economists however are making
progress. Instead of telling us why
interest rates are high and how they
can be brought down. Chief White
House economist Murray L. ??
Weidenbaum told a congressional ^
committee that "we have no truly
satisfying account of why interest
rates have remained so high."
No answer to a problem 1 guess
can be called better than having a
wrong answer. I've got a lot of
problems out here on this farm but
the answer to them involves work
and like Washington I'd rather
wring my hands than plow into
them. -
Yours faithfully . ~
I A
Letter To The Editor
Editor, The News-Journal,
On July 4, 1982 Hoke County
and this great country, the United
States of America, shall celebrate
their independence.
This is a time "citizens" should
reflect on this nation's freedom
wrought up by the Declaration of
Independence, the U.S. Constitu
tion. and the Bill of Rights.
No documents are more im
portant for the values and the
freedoms they represent.
However. I encourage each citi
zen to read, learn and digest the
article written, especially the U.S.
Constitution.
As does the Bible, the U.S.
Constitution offers hope to those
citizens and government officials
who aspire to "preserve, protect
and defend it." as many do.
Unfortunately, our U.S. Con
stitution is being perverted and
some of our rights infringed upon,
especially Article 1. Section 8. 9
and 10.
(I personally find it true and am
waging corrections to it.)
The U.S. Constitution is the
Supreme Law of the Land, yet it is
being usurped by powers in and out
of government.
If each citizen, young and old,
will read and understand these
sections of the Constitution and
begin to "exercise their constitu
tional rights," inflation, taxes and
high interest rates will diminish
and "free enterprise" shall be fl
restored to provide full employ
ment.
Sincerely.
Charles Ventura
Rt. 1. Box 122RR.
Lumber Bridge. N.C.
875-441.1
INDEPENDENCE
DAY