Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / July 3, 1986, edition 1 / Page 4
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Opinion Page T!jr r?Ri uues ' ' i' r*r a t i Uni iit|5?is;ii KUiiriii a iili I I Ik UllUI ?fll IVI1 {Kj irkl IVVI1 Kdvvnnl "M. Sm'ntl and (!nml\n H.Swontl Publishers Emvuni M. Surd It . . Editor Siihjmi Usher Nnrs Editor Marjorit* Mfgivern 'Iskm-wii' Editor Johnny Craig Spurts Editor !Mnry Polls Office W/m.iger Cecelia Core Advertising Hepresentalive Tnmmie Calloway Typesetter Sieve \ndorson Pressntnn lull Mdr(mun I hoitt Icchnici.m Clydi* iinil ^1 alt it- Stout. Ilrrnila I llniinuuit ('irculntinn Page 4*A Thursdti). July J. I9SS Patriotism For A New Age In this week of national pride, as we celebrate the foun ding of America. let's examine that love of country usual!; associated with waving liags, sentimentality and militar; parades. Could we perhaps consider revising it? It is, of course, dangerous to suggest there is anything wrong with the blind, uncritical attachment to America thai usually goes by the name of "patriotism." However, it woulc be even more dangerous to continue it. George Washingtor himself once warned his countrymen about "patriotism ol passion" as opposed to "patriotism of principle." It is tht patriotism of passion that cries out for revision. Actually, a new kind of patriotism is long overdue for al nations. If planet earth is to survive, it sepms crucial that al its peoples re-think their loyalties, because we are in a nev ctgc. 11 a IIUl lilt ? Ul JU Ul lilt' 10111 Ctf.'IlUl \ . Ul even II in I 01 pOSi World War II, when countries practiced an extreme form o nationalism. In this nuclear age, the world faces extinctior unless we all begin to think of ourselves first and foremost a: world citizens, and consider the welfare of all. Those are fighting words to many Americans. The notioi that anything should dilute our devotion to the land of our birtl is considered little short of treasonous. But it is that single minded, emotional kind of devotion that has helped create th< climate for wars. It is that "patriotism of passion" that sets u| enemies and builds a paranoia about them. With the dropping of the bomb th?.t annjhilafpd hundred; of thousands of Japanese (but that's o.k., it saved Americai lives), the nature of war changed so fundamentally it ha: become unthinkable. Unfortunately, our attitudes about wa and foreign policy have not changed in the same way. It is ot vious from public reaction to the invasion of Grenada and th bombing of Libya that most Americans still take pride i showing military muscle. This pride they call patriotism. A "strong again" America will be mentioned in man Fourth of July speeches: tears will flow for the brave men wh have died on battlefields; cheers will go up for past victorie and present arsenals. It is hard to fault the love of cauntrv tha lies behind this militarism, but it is a short-sighted, seli serving love we can no longer afford. Today's world demand a transcending loyalty and a greater love: a commitment t humanity, wherever it is. Nations behave the way they do in the world eommunit for reasons. Some, such as the need for land or food, ar justifiable; others, such as greed or an appetite for conques are immoral. America need not approve all the motivation behind the actions of other countries, but she needs to under; tand them. Those that are valid should call her to give help, just a neighbors used to help each other with "barn-raisings" on th American frontier. The hungry, of whatever nationality should be fed; the homeless should be housed. Immoral behavior on the part of world neighbors shoul be dealt with in a court of law. A world court already exist; and is presently chastising our own government for violation of international law, a discipline the administration refuses t accept. Until all natioas, including America, are ready tosul mit to regulation, the concept of worm citizenship is oriiy dream. But the dream is not simply a Pollyanna, one-world idea There is a selfish and pragmatic reason for this ne patriotism: it could help avoid a global war. Instead < building walls of suspicion and missiles of destruction, instea of glorying in national superiority, we could ultimately com to be partners with every other nation. Together we coul tackle problems of overpopulation and hunger, together pri mote literacy, together exercise better stewardship of tf earth. That goal is admittedly in the distance, and getting ther requires a good deal of courage, faith and vision. But the fir: step is taken in the rninds of individual patriots. May this Fourth of July be an occasion for us to fac honestly those things we are not proud of in our country, whil we rejoice in what is good; an occasion to feel so keenly tf suffering of people in South Africa and Central America an elsewhere, we will take action against it; an occasion to e: pand our "love of the fatherland" beyond the Atlantic an Pacific to embrace the world as our home. This would not be an act of treason, but an affirmation i the values held by those who crafted our Declaration of Ii dependence. Franklin and Jefferson would say such an a tilude fulfills the promise expressed in these words: "We ho these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equa that they are endowed by their Creator with certa unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and t! pursuit of happiness." All men didn't mean just Americans in 1770. It should n he so narrowly defined today. I i : _ a s s r~ nave ami wid-h i oiiihy who nas never yet sauipied KV??rth .Inly Festival in Southport" In the midst of so much canned entertainment. I reeomtnend VHP ^ p . . at least one day of this kind of fun. - ? j r * \CirjOr;C v.: in iis crowd*:, heai. ami L-ami v- - i <yv1eyivein I liave never subscribed to the UU >{l V.iSSI "good old days" philosophy that all the fir things are in the past and tending these events have convinced should be preserved at all costs. Jen- me they know how preserve the joy most contemporary forms of best of the past. The parade is a" pcoreci cation. Hut there is something pie" kind of affair, with no elaborate, special about Fourth of July expensive floats, but small, simply festivities that almost require constructed ones and lots of mvliv watermelon and fireworks and a girls, clowns. Ingh school bands, and parade. doggers. It's lively and colorful and This is wliat you get in Southport. a doesn't go on loo long, either, celebration with a distinctly old- that's not all! Franklin Square fashioned flavor. Several years of at- Park, right downtown where the Life In The Sand Dunes One of the liarshest of seashore environments is liiat of the sanu dunes. ,?i The shifting sand and constant wind jgLv 1 k that help create the dunes are $?!,Bill k features that nuke it difficult fur ^Srv_-?Vplants and animals to survive. Fever ; The summer heat and the elevated ' I areas make a hot. dry surface witli | loose sand particles swept back and malvi iai is available to enrich the forth every day. TV' constant bar- soil. ) race of sal! spray kills back tender Plants that are able to survive in 1 new growth on plants, especially dur- the dunes must have blades thai are ? ing storms. Soil is low in fertility as flexible enough to be whipped about little decaying plant and animal by the wind and must have means to I 1 f 1 5 1 1 i > v X V v ' .. * ' ,v v 0 SF.A OATS on Ihe dunes provide protection for the only barrier between 11 S Stick To Your Guns s 0 Sultry July and stick watermelon. The two just seem to go together. ^ Hut add a salt shaker and the utmiic uvfiiio. 1.1 nnicilliciuil Ut'llCI * Ul ^ with or without salt? W <fV W q it At some point iri the past, I suspect, ^ * OUSun is watermelon salters were as common / /Ql1Dr 5. in the South as the sun-ripened USfi&r melons themselves. Nowadays, the / ( '' situation appears to be in a state of lS flux?like most everything else here in the South. District of Columbia. Canada am ,r, At a national conference in Mem- Mexico numbered among the 1,10 phis for literacy volunteers, the salad conference-goers. ^ bar at both lunch and supper pro- The woman across the table fron rninently featured watermelon, in me liapoened to be the only perso 5' chunks, cubes and slices; on its own from Connecticut. She'd never hear IS and tossed with other types of melon, of salting watermelon: "You pu o Truly, we were in the South. SALT on your watermelon? UCill." >. Seated on a bench at a long wooden Hut two people past Iter on th .. dining table, ! found myself right, a Tcxpo from Amarillostnutl automatically reaching for the salt defended the habit, saying he'd give shaker as I cut into a thick slab of red up salted melon only for the sake < ' melon, dripping with juices and spur- his high blood pressure. W ting hundreds of black, wet seeds. "11 spruces up the taste," h )f Elsewhere at the table, I noticed, declared, as the Yankee from Cor d several individuals dove directly into neclicut grimaced. uiu uit'iiiii, stupping any and mi as wie ueuaic warmeti up, uic nin preliminaries, while others reached at the table divided along hasitall for the shaker. sectional lines. Those below th ^ Representatives of 47 states, the Mason-Dixon generally either salte IC * It's This Wqv B I ! I llij 9 W ]f nan V/ 6 Kor years sociologists have admitle ted that the small towns are the real ' le heart of America. New York, 1(j Chicago, I.os Angeles and Miami arc ft/// Bt certainly imporUinl centers of com- 9 ' merce. hut most of the men and Tfinmncnn , a* 9 "1 women who head corporations in the I fei.ST '$ cities came from small Iowils. ksua.?jbfh Df Small southern towns hove their M - M n. own distinctive identity. Physically, ment stores, a few men's an they usually are divided by the women's clothing t tores, a dru railroad tracks with slanted parking store, at least one furniture store an spaces on each side. Although shopp- a hank In recent years there ha il, ing centers are becoming more cvi- been an addition of video tape store in dent, most small southern towns still and fitness centers have a viable downtown" business Hut the characteristic which bind district. most small towns together Is the a . 1'he types of stores may vary titude of the people who live then somewlml depending on the area but For instance, if you ask where s< usually there are two or three depart- meone lives in a small town you ma L: J - H-k * J^! !!C_J! I WWi II I. p:ir?*tili> ju'isi"; is (nil of interesting festivity without fireworks, crafts iveskr* of < * Vim can there arc a lot of other activities. s|hmh1 hours just browsing ami ail- plenty lo do aiul cat and see, but I i iiiinii?, tiicn spend lie! lee much jpiess ! love the festival for a reason he-; money on some serious shopping. beyond all these The small-town setThere are families picnicking all tine, the eianf trees shadini! the nark along the waterfront, clustered the friendly crowds, incline me to iiii'uiiH Miii?u swigcs wurri* cioggvcs relax and stroll instead of run, to arc kicking up (heir heels ami guitar linger ami chat with acquaintances, players are strumming. last year, (osiiulea lot. even laugh There's a ice cream cones were sccnpcd up and feeling of folksinoss and the comfort distributed as free gifts of the city. t,f being with other people in a holillot dogs, of course, are sold. along t|ay imNX| tluit is hard to descrilM-. with soda pop. even harder to find anywhere else Fireworks are the climactic, appropriate conclusion of ail In- That's why I'm going to dress in dependence Hay celebration. If something cool and head fur Southport doesn't solve its insurance Soulhjurt Friday morning w ith a problem this year and has to light heart an:! expectations of a gala eliminate that spectacular fireworks da\ display, I may picket city hall. U What a nice way to celebrate a birshould Ik1 illegal to hold a 4th of July tlidav we all share! Deserves Understanding 1 prevent loss of water from the plant edges, and flowers thai rcscmbic br tissues. Some leaves curl inward to rockets. Sea oats are important prevent loss of moisture while others planLs that cover the frontal dunes liavc waxy surfaces to decrease and are protected as dune building jj evaporation. Plants also must have plants on our beaches, leaves curl to root systems tluit go deep to reach prevent loss of water and roots reach tj the water table below the dunes. deep down into the dune to hold and Some common dune plants arc sea stabilize the sand as they seek the oais. .sea nu Kiu. sea eider. American vvaier uiuie. American beach grass is beach grass. panic grass, and croton. an introduced plant in our area but is Some of these are pioneers as they used well for dune building. Dune are the first plants to begin growing plants may appear in large numbers on a new dune. The sea rocket grows though there may in.* only a few in clumps with lots of stalks, has species in an area, fleshy leaves with sharply toothed Not many animals live in the dunes because of Uie sparseness of plants for food and the harsh environment. Those who do live in the dunes usually dig burrows in order to esca|ie the elements or live eLswhere and come ^ to the dunes at night in search of \ food, tlhost crabs dig into the frontal \ f> dunes and mole crickets, earwigs, \ % ^ A ants, and wasps may live among the Sln ^ p \ \ plants or. the dunes. Cottontail rab I jl & bits. mea(fow mice, raccoons, oj> wf - * x posums, quail, and a number of song r.. * W birds may move in and out of the ^ i \ dunes during the day or night i hough iife in the sand dunes may seem almost impossible, the few Ul species of plants and animals found % \ J j ; V*L there are usually very successful. ip sen anil in ran!runt dr\ clnpment. ding and our protection , Watermelon SaIters their melons or had at some time in hut doesn't use salt 0:1 much of the past and considered it a generally anything these days.) And, of course, }/ihluv.t nun imuoicn me in} uufia, r.ninc .iwtiiu, (IOCS, tin* flavor. salts everything.i We sometime- ami always- sailers While doing the fishing report, I were outnumbered, of course, hv the asked a few other folks. Pete northerners, easterners and West Singlctary nl Holden Beach doesn't Coasters. "1 like it the way it is." he said. "1 One thing was clear: Many of its no like it sweet." longer routinely salt Watermelon or Joyce Laud ai Sliaiiollo Point anything else. We're convinced it routinely salts her watermelon, as il causes blood pressure problems, dees her boss, Daught Tripp. 0 hypertension and maybe even "Everybody I know puts salt on cancer. theirs," she said, ii But back to the main questions: List summer. Da light, who loves n Does salt improve the taste of his watermelon, finished of I a d watermelon? Are we Southerners 23-pounder in two sittings, she said, it losing our taste for salted Every bit of it was sailed. watermelon along with our natural Waiertneion sailers across the c love of grits and gravy? .South?or wherever lime and v Home again, my curiosity piqued, 1 distance have taken them?may soon n checked around the Beacon office, become only a bit of folklore, a mere >i Office Manager Mary PoUs doesn't; footnote in Junior league recipe her husband Mike does "He s?v?; it hooks .. ? e makes it sweeter," she said. Typeset* l- let Tammie Galloway doesn't; tier Many of the fine old traditions of ^ huslKind Danny does. Advertising the South are gradually fading away. e Itep. CeCe Gore does; Associate Folks like Joyce, Untight and even y Editor Marjoric Me?',ivern doesn't Eddie deserve credit for doing what ic any more. (She used to salt they can to preserve at least one of rj watermelon as a child in Oklahoma, the old standards. no!! Southern Towns I ?3 hear, "Oh, yeah, he stays in the old out of town last Sunday. E9I Simpson place" or the "Johnson In small towns, mama knows you Bj house". Mr. Simpson or Mr. Johnson got a paddling at school before you may have been dead for f>0 years and get home. H the current inluihiUint may have There are always more churches K remodeled the house but it will than iti^htcliihs in a small town. II always Ik* referred to by the name of In a small town, n nightclub is any I the original inhabitant. room with a juke lx>x, a counter, and H a man may he the mast outstnn- a six pack. d ding person in his profession, Ik? In small towns, time is marked, not K known around Uie country as a leader by calendar days, but by events: ?|| d and recognized on the cover of 141 jet's see, that was a week and a day s magazines and newspapers, but in after Joe Canter's cow luid twins." fS his small hometown he is still "Joe's Or, "The preacher came here about boy." two year:, ago right after we got Uie In small southern towns combines ay-pass around town." t" always luwe the right of way. In small towns, people know who ? & In small southern towns you get a you are, what you're doing...and core > sympathy card from each member of about you. Whether you want then to I y your Sunday school class if you were or not J r
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 3, 1986, edition 1
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