The Grand
Show Is Eternal
BY BILL FAVER
Sometimes we get so involved in our own little corner of
5 i the world we forget about those things
happening elsewhere. John Muir was
one of the earliest preservationists and
this caring Scotsman had an understand
ing of the environment which transcend
ed his love of the out-of-doors. He could
understand the vast interrelationships
and inter-dependencies and communi
cate the need to save our natural areas
for the enjoyment of future generations.
John Muir could see the big picture.
He knew about the important forces at
work in nature and the cycles that brought the seasons and
the weather and the variety we find so appealing.
Consider these words written in 1913:
The Grand Show is eternal. It is always sunrise some
where ; The dew is never all dried at once; a shower is for
ever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal
sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents
and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.
The show is eternal. It is always happening and we hu
mans are an important part of ut. We need to acknowledge
our role and seek to understand how we can be more respon
sible as stewards and beneficiaries of our natural world.
We can thank John Muir for saving the redwoods, for
making some of our national parks a reality, and for starting
the first environmental organization, the Sierra Club.
And we can also thank him for the legacy of his writ
ings, which poetically convey so many of the truths and con
cerns to later generations.
KAVER
f/v?.r . Itr, PHOTO BY BILL FAVtR
JOHN MLIR WROTE, "It is always sunrise somewhere!"
Passing The Buck On Televised Violence
If television doesn't clean up its
act, the government will do it.
The same government that lost
the war on drugs.
The one that overdrew its check
ing account by several trillion dol
lars.
The one too clueless to figure out
that no hard problem has ever been
solved with a warning label or a slo
gan.
Apparently, the issue of what
ought to be done about televised vi
olence cuts across all sorts of politi
cal boundaries. I know this because
I agreed with what Rush Limbaugh
said about it.
I'm no Dittohead, but I had to nod
along when Limbaugh was telling
about, as a boy. having talked his
mom into sewing a Superman cape
into his jacket.
"How come Superman didn't lead
me to believe I could jump off the
roof and fly?" he asked.
"Because I'm not stupid."
Exactly.
Best I can figure, these are the
Lynn
Carlson
premises driving the movement to
have the government police televi
sion:
? The Class of 2(KK) can't differ
entiate between cartoon characters
and real boys and girls.
? Kids are stabbing and shooting
each other in record-breaking, rapid
ly-escalating numbers because their
values have been fouled by watch
ing too much HBO.
? Life is imitating art, and art is
powerful enough to annihilate all
other influences on young people.
Would that the buck were that
easy to pass!
Does this mean that if nothing
were on the tube hut "Waltons" re
runs and "Barney," we'd stop fight
ing and start hugging? Stop getting
divorced and invite the in-laws to
move in? Get real.
I know what's on television, and
there's a lot to dislike. I check in on
Rush and Geraldo and Howard Stern
and "Beavis and Butthead" and
"Ren and Stimpy" from time to
time. I like to keep up.
Click. Here's Stern interviewing
Grace Slick's daughter. He asks lots
of puerile questions about her moth
er's sex life. I can't take much of
this.
Click. Beavis and Butthead wat
ching TV. A teenager is at the table
with his parents. "Why's that dude
having dinner with those old peo
ple?" Butthead asks. I have to laugh.
Click. The Nashville Network. A
band is lip-syncing a wretched song
about its love for Texas; the mem
bers are surrounded by very chesty
women wearing thong bikinis which
appear to have been cut from Amer
ican flags. I wonder if these country
hoys make a distinction between
burning Old Glory and putting it in
the crack of your.. .never mind.
Click. A black-and-white cowboy
movie, circa 1945, when men were
men and women were glad of it.
People get shot and they don't even
bleed. The good guys win every
time. How come that didn't confuse
the kids of my parents' generation,
who spent their childhood Saturdays
glued to these horse operas in their
neighborhood theaters'.'
How come indeed!
When I go channel-surfing I find
programs that are rude, sophomoric
and offensive, clever, artful and en
lightening. Some are also violent ?
too much so for my own taste.
Sometimes 1 give up and turn it off.
But I don't see anything coming
out of my television screen powerful
enough to be blamed for America
unraveling at the seams, though that
certainly seems to be happenings
If you and I are honest, we have
no choice but to admit that the buck
stops on the other side of the glass.
GUEST COLUMN
Volunteers Can Provide 'Extras' For Patients
BY HELEN HENDRICKS
Has anyone of us seriously
thought ahead to what our future
may hold for us, to our so-called
"autumn years?" We are all involved
in the aging process, and none of us
can escape it.
Just how do we expect to live
those years after we retire ? or, more
accurately, what will be our actual
capabilities? Will we physically and
mentally be able to live out our
dreams, surrounded by our loved
ones, enjoying our prosperity? For
many people, this dream becomes
impossible due to accidents, illness
es or the actual aging process.
Although many of us think of a
nursing home with disdain, a place
of last resort, the end of living, it
doesn't have to be thought of in that
manner at all.
Most Americans spend their en
tire lives in family settings, retaining
strong connections to our parents,
older relatives and other persons
throughout life. Surveys show that
80 percent of the community care
provided to the aged comes from
family members.
But what happens when you are
heavily burdened with these care
obligations and desperately seeking
solutions and relief to this dilemma?
What about that older person who
has lost the capacity to make wise
and safe decisions or continually
puts himself in danger through his
own behavior?
Most long-term health facilities
provide attractive, caring atmos
pheres for people who can no longer
safely care for themselves. Some
times the stay in such a facility is
temporary but, in most instances,
these residents will live out the re
mainder of their lives in such a
home.
These nursing homes provide a
safe, healthy environment for each
of their residents, and their goal to
each individual is to preserve their
dignity while attending to their
physical, mental, emotional and spi
ritual needs.
While today more in the past, old
er persons are encouraged to contin
ue to be active and involved in their
communities, physical losses of later
life can be restrictive and certainly
frustrating for them. More than 1.4
million older citizens live their au
tumn years in nursing homes, where
24-hour care under professional
nursing supervision is obtainable.
Occupational therapy, physical ther
apy, counseling and recreational ser
vices are usually offered.
Have any of you readers ever tak
en the time to visit a health-care fa
cility? In most cases, you would be
pleasantly surprised, not to say how
"touched" you'll become. It takes a
special kind of person to care for the
residents of a long-term nursing
home ? one who is caring, loving,
sympathetic and, above all, patient.
They are required to take specific
training classes in order to become
qualified to receive state certifica
tion.
Although the professionals take
care of their medical needs, the resi
dents still need and require much
more. Thai is where we as a com
munity can help.
Can you close your eyes now, and
imagine how you would feel if you
were taken out of your home and
placed in an entirely new and for
eign environment away from your
loved ones, your pet and lifelong
friends? How would you react?
Many of these residents are miles
away from their loved ones, so fre
quent visits by relatives and friends
are impossible.
Such a person is making the
greatest change of his life, usually
involving the loss of many lifetime
associations, prized possessions and
loss of contact with friends. This is a
very emotional trauma and needs
very supportive relationships.
Older people look forward to vis
its from family and friends. When
these become nonexistent, that se
nior becomes sad and depressed.
This is where you and I, the commu
nity, can give our talents, time and
services.
Intergenerational friendships are
possible through shared interests
such as church, sports, hobbies and
neighborhood activities. Just talking
to these forgotten citizens, sharing
experiences and travels with them,
touching their hand, reading to them
and even hugging them to let them
know you care lights up their old
weathered faces and puts a gleam
back in their eyes again.
Many are unable to speak clearly
or maybe not at all, but they do re
spond with a smile or positive body
motion. Naturally, some will be
more active with more controlled
body mobilization than others, but
they all need to know that they are
remembered, loved and still a part of
the community.
They like playing bingo (and win
ning) so volunteers are needed to as
sist them. Small, inexpensive, ap
propriate prizes would be appreciat
ed.
The wheelchair residents would
love to be taken outdoors on nice
sunny days just to stroll around and
see the flowers and birds. Many are
able to attend church if only some
church member would take the time
to pick them up and return them to
the facility.
Others would enjoy and partici
pate in an in-house Bible study and
hymn sing-along. It's so gratifying
to watch these seniors respond to the
hymns, especially those familiar to
them. They may not be able to carry
a tune or remember all the words,
they they sure can hum the melody
and clap their hands.
*-ABoo
CHIROPRACTIC
?WJAHJI
sT 803-249-9787 as
(Across from Hardees) Hwy. 17, Little River. SC
ULTATION
?Golfers & Visitors Welcome
?Handle all Types of
Chiropractic Cases
?No Appointments Necessary
ni""
DR. ROBIN LABOD
Seniors particularly enjoy contact
with young children, and child care
centers are responding to this need
with sheltered and planned social
activities. Many had to give up their
loving pet, and this is where "hands
on" therapy with a puppy or kitten
can give these residents such happi
ness. They hold and pet these ani
mals and talk to them. Invariably,
they will speak of their own pet, the
tricks they might have taught them,
the breed they were and how they
miss them.
Apart from the intimacy that
friends can share, they also can be
helpful in getting depressed or with
drawn seniors to move back into
contact with others once again.
A good long-term facility is com
mitted to quality care, but it needs
the community's effort and help in
carrying out the "extras" which en
hance its residents' lives. Won't you
volunteer your time and efforts?
Who knows when you might be
that senior, hoping with all your
heart for someone, anyone, to visit
you, to let you know you are still
important.
Most of us don't think of nursing
home residents until such a crisis
touches us personally. Don t wait
until then! Just give it a serious ef
fort and I guarantee that the reward
you receive will far exceed the effort
you may give.
Helen Hendricks lives in Bolivia.
She is a volunteer at Autumn Care
of Shallotte.
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MORE LETTERS
If You Love Your Pets ,
Keep Them At Home
To the editor:
I would like to answer the lady
who had her cat shot (Beacon. Nov.
4).
I also live in Forest Hills subdivi
sion. I am also a cat lover. When I
first moved into Forest Hills. I only
saw two cats, and they were mine.
They are never out of the house un
less they have to go to the vet.
People have started letting their
cats run loose, and you see cats all
over. Some must be abandoned be
cause they look sick. There have
been Five different cats in the last ten
days that we have seen roaming.
We love our cats, but we don't
want them to be a bother to anyone
else. We also like to feed the birds
and squirrels and we don't want
your cat. or any other cat, in our
yard bothering them.
You said your cat went into the
woods to catch squirrels and mice.
I've never had my vet tell me to feed
my cats squirrels and mice. Cat food
sold in the stores is a balanced diet
and what your cats need.
My cats live in the house, and 1
have never had anyone come in and
take a shot at them. If you had kept
your cat home, this terrible incident
wouldn't have happened.
I'm not sticking up for people
who shoot cats or anyone's pets.
What I'm saying is keep your cats,
dogs, whatever, home. If you love
them you will.
Leroy Tibbetts
Supply
TV 'Ouf Of Touch '
EDITOR S NOTE: The following
letter was to Robert Beall. station
manager at WECT-T\: in Wilming
ton. A copy was sent to The Bruns
wick Beacon for use a letter to the
editor.
To the editor:
Nov. 6, NBC broadcast nation
wide the biggest day in thorough
bred racing. The Breeders' Cup at
tracts the best horses in the world
for the largest purses ? more than
$10 million ? yet WECT-TV elected
not to show this program.
I am aware of your contract with
the Atlantic Coast Conference to
show the A CC game of the week
from noon until 3 p.m., and there is
no question that this is very popular
in this area and should be shown.
Upon completion ot the tootbaii
game, there was no reason not to
join the Breeders' Cup in progress
like many other NBC affiliates did.
Your station's decision to program a
local show instead of joining the
network is hard to understand.
I assume the same person made
this decision that made the decision
to program the preacher instead of
the Ryder Cup golf matches. It is
obvious that WECT-TV is out of
touch with the viewing public in this
area.
I know that nothing can be done
to change what has happened in the
past, but please consider in the fu
ture your viewing public's wishes
and shown NBC's nationwide sports
programs.
Herbert Holman
Sunset Beach
Was MM Libeled?
To the editor:
The president, Suzanne Osborne,
of what is apparently an ad hoc or
ganization (Brunswick County Anti
Mining Alliance) rallied supporters
with the exhortation to "stand up for
the citizens of Brunswick County,
not a corporation that does not care
what it does or how it does it."
So much for objectivity and engi
neering fact.
The judgment about Martin Ma
rietta executives' motives is clearly
libelous, and insulting of our intelli
gence, too. No responsible person
could suppose men who seek to en
gage in such a technical business are
indifferent to local consequences,
especially in these days when liti
gious lawyers and victims are quick
to seek compensation.
For the life of me, I cannot under
stand how such screaming irrational
women get to be elected president of
anything.
Karl E. Brandt
Shallotte
'Splendid Outcome '
To the editor:
On behalf of the University of
North Carolina, I want to thank the
people of our state for their support
in the Nov. 2 bond referendum.
The university bond campaign
committee, with inspired leadership
from Chairman Thomas I. Storrs,
made educating the voters a primary
goal. We are grateful to your news
paper for its coverage of the needs
of our 16-campus university and the
issues involved in all of the bond
referendums.
North Carolina's future appears
much brighter than it has for years.
What a splendid outcome!
C.P. Spangler
UNC President
tut&ii) 'j)cu/ 3a a Sx&e, Day
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