i
Page >—MlRItOR-lIERAIJ}—Tueeday, June U, 1*71
CDITORINS&OmiOW
Rev^ Seay responds
The
blue funk
To the editor,
I would like to reipond to Mn. Judith
Hendrlxon, primarily becauae ahe either
mlaunderatood or mlarepreaented my In-
tentloni.
I have no Intention of telling anyone how to
live or what la right or wrong In my opinion. I
will do aa I have done for the paat 3S yeara -
preach the Word of Ood and atand for
Biblical morality. If ahe (Mra. Hendrlxon)
chooaesnotto believe Ood’a Word, that'a her
buslnesa. My buaineaa la to preach.
I have as much right to oppoae eex
education (which la a mlanomer anyway.
What la taught la aex) aa ahe doea to be for It.
I waa right amuaed at her atatement - "I
am glad becauae It gave ua another op
portunity to dlacuaa a natural proceaa of life
to explore together needa, valuea, morala,
commltmenta and reaponalbllltlea for one’a
actlona due to cholcea made.” She uaed the
word morala and In the next atatement didn’t
want me to expreaa my moral viewpoint.
Mrs. Hendrlxon aaya for me to "mind my
own buaineaa." I will aaaure her I amn.
Isaiah 68:1 - "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up
thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people
their transgressions and the House of Jacob
their sins.”
3 Timothy 4:3 • “Preach the Word, be
Instant In season, out of season, reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all long-aufferlng sind
doctrine."
Yes ma’am, I am minding my own
business, preaching the Word of God. What
does God’s Word say about sex before
marriage or without the benefit of
marriage?
Ileorews 18:4 - "Marriage Is honorable In
all, and the bed undeflled, but
whoremongers and adulterers God will
Judge."
X Corinthians e:Xa - -now uie body la not
for fornication (sex before marriage), but
fo" The Lord and The Lord for the body.”
6:18 • "Flee fornication: every sin that
msui doeth la without the body: but he that
commlteth fornication alnneth against his
own body."
(3od destroyed the world In Oenals because
of sexual Impurity and destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah because of aex perversion and
God will Judge all those and they wlU pay for
their sexual alns.
It seems strange to me that when I was
growing up we never had In school many of
the sexual problems they have today • and
we never had sex education either. My
generation made It alright without sox
education, abortion clinics and health
departments to encourage us to use con
traceptives.
Strange to me also that of all of God’s
creation, when It comes to sex, we have to be
taught and shown films and told how, when
the rest of God’s creation without minds do
what comes naturally.
No, sex education Is not the real Issue. The
Issue Is simple. Many people want to remove
the sin from sex and take away God’s moral
law and under the pretense of education they
rally around and for the Issue.
Mrs. Hendrlxon sadd her daughter un
derstood the option of being taught or not
taught, but several mothers at the meeting I
attended said their daughters were told they
had to attend. I believe there Is something
rotten In Demnark.
Yes, I am minding my own business as a
taxpayer, cltlsen, parent of three sons and
one precious daughter. Baptist pastor - and I
speak only as such.
God cannot make anyone be moral,
Christian, or anything else. No one has to
believe In God or the Bible, but God can
make them one day wish they had.
REV. FLOYD N. SE AY
llOSLlnwoodRd.
Kings Mountain
I am In a blue funk.
My castle has been turned topsy-turvey
and my self-confidence Is being eroded. I am
losing my Identity. I am at such a low ebb I
am seriously considering throwing myself In
front of an airplane.
It all started three weeks ago when my
wife announced It was painting time In
Rsnfro Valley, frensled neighbors.
Within seconds I detected a definite twitch
In my left eye. ’The next morning my left
hand was unsteady and by noon my
emotional state waa decldely unstable.
I must explain that 30-odd years ago I
worked for an art company In Charlotte. It
waa my Job to cut, shape, smooth and con-
Guest column
1DM Mcinme
struct wooden display frames, cover them
with masonite, plywood and upson board,
then paint the entire thing for commercial
art backgrounds. I spent all of my time
covered In sawdust and In paint up to my
elbows.
Since that time I hate, loath and despise
painting.
I cannot be shamed Into painting.
You can ask me to shine your shoes, but I’ll
kill you If you ask me to paint.
live
oclocK
[By CHARLES
H. DEAL
Drab army buses, always
with their headlights burning,
snaked slowly through the sub
urbs of Tokyo every morning as
sure as sunup. Except for the
wire on the windows and the
olive green, the buses were the
same as any others.
Sad commentary
To the editor.
It iB a very sad commentary when the only
method for communication with the mayor
and commlsslonerB Is the open forum.
I came here In November 1074 from Lln-
colnton to see If there was any community
Interest In helping meet the basic needs of
the elderly. There was and is an Interest.
I am a native Kings Mountlan, away from
home since 1944 to serve In the military and
afterwards to go Into the ministry. I did not
return home to run for office or to manage
the activities of a community center. I came
to work with the elderly, which I have done
since 1874. But now I must say I am
disturbed over present circumstances - and
my only reason for waiting so long In making
this known Is because I am a city employe
and could easily lose favor for speaking out.
But I am speaking out now for our senior
citizens and their families.
In May 1978 I was asked to plan a budget
for the Kings Mountain Aging Program. I did
and submitted It. 'That was the last I ever
heard of It. I was asked again for a budget
plan for 1879-80. Again I foUowed through.
Now I discover this budget Is not even In
cluded In the city budget for the coming
fiscal year.
I believe everyone recognizes that senior
citizens are a great part of and asset to the
community, and that they need con-
alderaUon. Much of the work at the aging
program can continue without a city budget,
but some things cannot be done without that.
I do not refer to a large budget, but
something that will enable the program to
secure funding from other sources and to
provide other needs and services of the
elderly.
It Is not essential that I, or any one person,
remain with the program, but what Is
Arriving at a small farm-like
hillside near the tiny town of
Fuchu, a group of tired men
would get out of the buses and
busy themselves with vegeta
bles. Back, then, in the early
1960b, ‘growing vegetables hyd-
roponically was something new.
Protected by greenhouses,
the vegetables grew to consid-
essential Is that everyone ettficemedbelMUy Iji SI
aware that funds to siipport thsr a^ng
pumped into the concrete hold
ing tanks. The plants thrived in
a bed of tiny stones.
These particular vegetables,
never having known the attack
of a bug, were reserved for the
fighting men in Korea. Picked
daily, the tomatoes, lettuce and
other produce was taken
quickly to nearby Tachikawa
and flown to advance airfields
near fitting units.
That vegetable crop was ap
preciated almost as much as a
letter from home.
The Qfs who made a lunch of
fresh vegetables were unaware
how they came about—both the
unique method of growth and
harvest and the men who did the
work.
program be made available becsuise of In
flation and other circumstances. Without
this support, not I, but the senior citizens of
this community will suffer.
I cannot sit Idly by and not speak out for
these people. I do regret having to use this
method of getting my point across, however.
I not only regret It, but I resent It as weU.
I have been told that more Is done for
senior citizens In Kings Mountsdn than any
other community. Maybe so, maybe not. If
so, why not continue that record of meeting
the needa of the elderly. A modest budget
would do so much for them. ’They cannot
subsist on promises.
I’m sure the people of Kings Mountain are
Interested In seeing our senior citizens are
cared for and If need be I will submit another
letter bringing to Ught matters such as this.
REV. KENNETH GEORGE
Director, KM Aging Program
Only a handful of people
knew about the men who tended
the farm. Each of them had a
special story to tell, about his
part in World War II.
It was ironic that these men
dressed in khaki were providing
support for American fighting
units.
Everyone of them to the man
was a convict serving time for
war crimes against humanity.
If you are a romantic — and
there are still many of us
around, even in an age of exp
licit show and tell — or if you
thrilled to ‘‘Beau Geste,” you
have probably threatened to run
away from it all and join the
French Foreign Legion.
Some reading on the subject
gives me second thoughts.
First, it’s not necessary to
spend your entire life in the
Foreign Legion, riding camels
and fighting the ravages of
sandstorms.
A hitch can be as few as five
years. Pension plans are of
fered after 15 and 25 years of
service.
Getting in, I also learned, isn’t
all ^at easy. Not composed of
choirboys, the legion allows
every man to be a keeper of his
4 own past. It’s known as the
^ home of “La Grande Incom-
niue’’ — the great unknown. A
man’s true identity is never di
vulged to anyone.
Despite its reputation, the
legion is picky. TTiree of every
four applicants are turned
down. If accepted, you join 8,000
elite fighters.
At the end of your tour, an
honorable discharge translates
into naturalization with French
papers and whatever name you
choose to call yourself.
About those camels. Legion
naires don’t ride camels. Iliey
never have. "They walk.
A true legionnaire, I suspect,
stands around a lot. He keeps a
perpetual wistful look on his
tanned face.
I mean I’d rather be kicked In the rump
with a cowboy boot than ever pickup another
paintbrush.
WeU, the painting U done, thanks to my
wife and daughters. But the casUe Is stlU
topsy turvey. That’s because aU of the
furniture from two bedrooms Is pUed In the
living room.
As a matter of fact the Uvingroom waa
fUled with just the stuff from my two
youngest daughter’s bedroom. And the
Uvingroom Is twice the size of that bedroom.
The reason for the warehouse appearance
stlU, Is becsMiae the new csirpet has not
arrived for the bedrooms. It was promised
three weeks ago. As of today - no carpet.
The worst part of It Is after these two
bedrocms are finished, the process begins
again with the third bedroom. Ergo, my
Jumbled mental state.
I’m thinking about moving Into a card
board box by the railroad tracks with the
other rummies untU this ordeal Is over.
Poets
Coroer
IT TAKES STAMINA TO IKUABir
Three Uttle BarUett pears
grew In a cluster on a tree.
Each UtUe pear was different
each looked the same to me.
A brlak wind blew through
the growing had only begun,
’Two Uttle pears came falling down
to Ue on the grass In the sun.
Three Uttle Bartlett pears
growing In a cluster of three.
Only one Uttle pear held on
to ripen on the tree.
The gardener came along
when the gathering should be done.
He found the Uttle pear hanging on
the one Uttle pear that won.
VIVIANS. BIL’TCLIFFE
Reading most important skill
PUBLISHED EACH
TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
OAKLAND ATKINS
Publisher
TOM McIntyre
Editor
ELIZABETH STEWART
Woman’s Editor
OAKY STEWART
Sports Editor
DARRELL AUSTIN
General Manager
CLYDE HILL ,
Advertlslfig Director
MEMBER OF
NORTH CAROLINA
PRESS ASSOCIATION
Hie Mirror-Herald Is published by
General Publishing Company, P. O.
Drawer 753 Kings Mountain, N. C. 28086.
Business and editorial offices are
located at 481 N. Piedmont Ave. Phone
789-7496. Second Class postage paid at
Kings Mountain, N. C. Single copy 15
cents. Subscription rates: 18.50 yearly
in-state. 14.25 six months, S8.50 yearly
out-of-state. $5 six months; Student rate
for nine months S6.24. 981-040 ..
■ I .-asaaa—^
0k
• 0
By STEVE GILLIAM
UNC-O News Bureau
GREENSBORO — When a first grader
enters the classroom on the opening day of
school, he’s there generaUy, for one purpose
and one purpose i nly: to learn the rudiments
of reading before year’s end.
Reading la not the easiest of education’s
hurdles that a chUd must clesur but It Is the
single most Important thing he must master
In his educational career. Without It as a
skUl, nearly aU other academic endeavors
are useless.
Although teachers handle the classroom
work. Dr. Barbara Stoodt, a reading
specialist at the University of North Carolina
at Greensboro, says that parents can play a
critical role In helping their chUdren on the
road to reading.
"Parents don’t know what a strong In-'
fluence they can have on their chUdren, both
In getting them ready for school and during
the actual reading Instruction process," she
said.
"Reading Is the single most Important
thing that a chUd has to learn during his
early schooling. Parents, by their actions
and their attitudes, can either help or hinder
the process."
An associate professor In UNC-G’s School
of Education, Dr. Stoodt has been operating
an on-campus clinic to help children who
have problems with reading. Staffed by
masters level graduate students, the clinic
offers diagnosis of Individual reading
problems and one-on-one Instructlm bet
ween the graduate students and the children.
In assessing the parent’s role in helping
children learn to read. Dr. Stoodt said that
"chlldrsn learn what they’re like and what
they should do from their parents, their
teachers and people around them.
“Parents need to be sort of ‘resource’
people for the child In one sense: explaining
words, paying attention to their children’s
reading and by letting their children see
them reading. They shouldn’t force the Issue
but rather let It come as a natural process
from a child’s curiosity.’’
Among the things that Dr. Stoodt
recommends to parents for helping their
children with reading »r«:
-I-Let your child see you reading. Children
need "models" In order to get the Idea that
reading Is something that can be enjoyed
and Is worth doing.
-(-Start reading nursery rtiymes to your
child at about age one. Even though the child
can’t read along with you, the sing-song
cadence of nursery rhymes Is enjoyable and
the child gets a foellng for language.
-f-If possible, provide the young, pre
school child with a chalkboard and set of
magnet-backed plastic letters. Writing Is
closely Interrelated with reading and If
children can familiarize themselves with
letters early, they’ll be that much ahead of
the game when they stsu^ school.
-(-Take your child to as many places as
possible to broaden his or her range of ex
periences and then discuss what waa seen
and done. Children relate better to what they
read If they have a personal experience to
reflect on.
-f’Take the child to the library and help
select books that he or she Is Intersted In.
Make the trip a special event of sorts to let
the child know that the library Is a place
where books can be borrowed.
-(-Unless the child wants to continue any
reading session with a parent, don’t push the
time beyond about lB-30 minutes. Also, don’t
alt the child down after school for a reading
period—he’s already had a day of It so let
him relax.
-(-Always follow the child’s lead In helping
him learn to read. If a child Is bent on
becoming an early reader, he’ll let you know
through his Interest. Don’t try to force the
child since such tactics turn reading Into a
task instead of a pleasure.
Although helping the child with reading
can produce good results. Dr. Stoodt noted
that there are other ways that parents can
help a child which have little to do with the
actual process.
And chief among those things are liberal
doses of praise, support, affection and en
couragement.
"Parents need to tell their children when
they’ve done something good In order to
build suid support their self-concepts," said
Dr. Stoodt. "Even If a child has reading
problems, there Is a spillover effect here.
"If a child Is good In other areas, say math
or science or athletics, he should be able to
pursue them. In gaining confidence through
those activities, the child can continue to
pursue reiuUng."
Tlie Idea of parents helping children
nurture "positive” self-concepts might
seem more akin to common sense than to
established educational practice. Dr. Stoodt
admits.
Without a good self-concept, however, a
child can develop serious emotional
problems from an Inability to larn to read _
competenUy by the end of that first grade *
year.
‘’There are very legitimate reasons that
children, who are perfectly normal and who
have average Intelligence, do not learn to
read in the first grade," said Dr. Stoodt.
"Most school systems gear their leading ^
programs so that It Is more Intensive In the
first three grades.
"In our society, however, parents and
teachers expect a chUd to learn to read In the
first grade. Children can get the feeling that
If they don’t learn to road, then they've failed
at a task, which In society’s mind Is one of
the moot Important ones they’ll face.
"A klnf of self-doubt develops out of this
which can actually bring a child to believe
that he is unable to learn to read. Later,
when kids get to the fourth, fifth or sixth
grades. It’s very difficult to tell the dif
ference between a child who has ^
neurological handicaps or minimal brain
dysfunction and one who Just has emotional
problems."
What’s your opinion? *
We want to hear your opinion on flUngs of
Jiterest to you. Ad^ss aU corrsspenOenee
for this page to Reader Dialogus, Mimr*
Herald, P. O. Drawer 788, Kings Mountain,
N. C., 9S006. Be sure and sign proper name ^
snd Include your address. Uiwlgnsd letisrs ~
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