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! ASI i jSEEIT by Brace Barton Here Is an article by Governor Jim Hunt concern ing the plight of yenag Jeehna Brooke of Laariaburg, who needs liver transplant sur gery. This article was prepar ed especially for aoa- dalles. I am proud to peeaent Grov. Hunt as my gaest cola am 1st this week. By Governor J ha Hunt 1 hope I will have the opportunity to meet Joshua Brooks someday. I might not get that chance, because time is Josh's enemy. He is nine months old and lives in Laurinburg with his parents. Rick and June Brooks. If he is to live beyond the next few months, he has to have a new liver. Josh has a liver disorder Jhat can only be corrected with liver transplant surgery. "To live past his first birthday, he must overcome a series of difficult obstacles. The child is on the waiting list for a transplant at the University of Minnesota Hospital, but that operation can be performed only if the hospital can find a liver from a donor roughly the same size and age as Josh. If a liver is found, the surgery must be performed within a few hours. Josh's plight has touched the hearts of people through out America. More than S60, 000 has been raised by the Joels Brooks Liver Fund, sad a lot of people in government and the private sector are working hard to arrange stand by air transportation to Min nesota for Josh and his parents in the event a compa tible liver is found. Rick Brooks is a school teacher and he and his family have state health insurance coverage. When the state health insurance plan was set up last year by the General Assembly, the law did not specify whether it would pay for liver transplant surgery. That put the issue in the hands of the board of trustees which governs the insurance plan. I strongly recommended to the board that such surgery should be covered. A series of discussions with medical authorities convinced me that a liver transplant is moving out of the realm of "experi mental" surgery. Medical advances and the develop ment of new anti-rejection drugs have significantly im proved the life expectancy of liver recipients. Last week.,the trustees for the insurance plan ruled that the kind of surgery Josh needs will be covered. The trustees are to be commended for having the courage to do the right .thing. But donations to the Josh Brooks Liver Fund are still urgently needed. The Brooks family will continue to incur expenses not directly related to the surgery, and the fund will benefit other children with this liver disorder. Con tributions can be mailed to: The Josh Brooks Liver Fund, P.O. Box 2018, Laurinburg, NC 28352. Another way you can help is to pass on any information you might have about possible air transportation to get Josh to the Upiversity of Minnesota Hospital in time to receive a liver. K you know, of an indh'idual or a business firm that might be able to help, contact the Brooks family at (919) 276-7171, or my office at (919) 733-5612. Rick and June Brooks are saddened by the idea that the death of someone else's child is part of the possibility of saving their son. They only hope that someone who suff ered that kind of terrible loss would have the courage and presence of mind to help little Josh live. Jash brtags mi tha bast hi everyone. Eecaady ha [hi tha irw af LED A axacatlva dhvctsr Kaa Mayaar) and Mi mathar, Mrt. Jaaa Clark Bracks [third (rta right!, vara gvsats af haaar at a staff iimatlag of ha agaacy la - vara praraatad a chscfc far SI,150.M as a rad.frallsa Indian Voice and the Pembro ke Junior High. .Mr. Maynor aaid H beat whan be aaid, "la a way Joeh belong* to all of m..." Other* ahewa hi the photo are (1-r] Ban Jacob*, Wttma Bowea, Bill Brewlngtoa, principal af Pembroke Junior High; and Shelby Dial. Jac ob*, Bow en and Dial [along not ahewa) worn the LBDA staffers who coordinated th? special collection for Josl Brooks. Principal Brewlngton proudly represented the fac ulty and stndent body at Pembroke Junior High. A recent Friday at the school was "Josh Brooks Day." Various activities rais ed $350 for the worthy cause LUMBEE MEDICAL CUNIC VICTIM OF FHE BOMB taM?-Acc8iBa|loKM]f Am mom. Pembroke'* acting Police Chief, someone threw a "military type smoke bomb" into the Lumbee Medical Clinic on Highway 711 some time Tuesday morning. No fire resulted although the building suffered exten sive smoke damage. No arrests had been made at press time although Pem broke officials nosed that the State Bureau of Investigation (SB!) had been called upon to A WEST EQBESON HOSTS TEEEYSANFORD haMt-Tht Pembroke Junior High Football Field (formerly Pembroke Senior High) will be the site Friday night aa the West Robeson Rams host Terry Sanford High in a 4-A tiff. The Rams are rebounding from a shellacking by arch rival Lumberton High last Friday night 40-6. West Robeson's record now stands at 1-2 in the tough Southeastern Conference and 2-3-1 overall. LREMC ELECTION RAISES SPECTER OF RACE AS AN ISSUE Carl Branch, spokesman for a group calling itaelf the LREMC Action Group, tea never gotten far away front the premise be began with and that is "that then is an imbalance of races" on the Lnmbee River Electric Mem bership Corporation Board of Directors, as he sees it. Branch missed the point then and he misses it today as he aligns himself with foar whites vying for the four seats i presently held by three Indi ans and a white. It doesn't make any difference what "race" a person is unless it makes a difference. It seems to make A difference to Branch, and others, as we see it. Until 1967 no Indian or Black had ever served on the Board of Directors of Lnmbee River Electric Membership Corp. Never! Rev. Ellas Ro gers, an Indian, was the first one, and he paid dearly for It. Following a federal court case that unearthed a sordid tale of illegal proxle votes and rank and rancid raclam, Rogers was seated on the Board of Directors of LREMC. He was seated by a federal court order. The oth ers on the Board treated him terribly, going approximately two years without even recog nizing him at board meetings. They mocked him and sland ered his name. They hurt him spiritually like few men have ever been hurt. He pernor vered. Throughout Ms years on the Board, he has survived many traumas, Including con certed efforts to unseat him every three years when be comes up for election. He never falters. He never gives up. He la not up for election this year but they'll be waiting for him In 1984 if he decides to run again. Democracy should be blind, but the players aren't. Race should not be the urajntsb choose candidates but many of us do. It's a bad habit, bringing out the worst far all of If you're an LREMC mem ber we encourage you to come out to the PSU gym on Oct. 18 and vote for the four members you wish to represent you for the next 3 years. We recommend incum bents Gus Bullard, Timothy Strickland, J.W. Hunt, and new comer James Hardin. loHors To Editor Supports IRE MC board and administration i Dear LREMC Members: i; 1 know that we owe the present Board of Directors a vote of thanks and gra tirade for since the dismissal of Deri Hinson as General Man ager ih December of 1962. the overall oeprational cost of the cooperative'in 1982 rose 13^4 percent. Through Septembei of 1983, the operational costs of the cooperative has risen just 4.98 percent. This reflects the honesty and business like way the present Board of Directors is handling your LREMC Cooperative. I am sure we should support our present Board of Directors. Your LREMC Board of Directors changed legal advi sors early this year. This change and operating strictly by the bylaws of your LREMC is why the service of your LREMC Cooperative is first class 'arid the cost of opera tions (overall) is lower. On a seven day. 24 hours per day, basis, your LREMC Board of Directors are earning .78 cents per hour, a pack of cigarettes or a soft drink and a "nab" per hour. Would you deny them this for serving as efficiently as they do? Cost incurred to the coope rative, due to LREMC Action Group, January, February, 1983 are as follows: Labor expenses S7.233.10 Legal Fees S13.51S.00 Board Fees S3.994.50 Transportation S121.50 Total Expenses $21,768.10 ilm should inspire all LREMC Members to come to PSU Gym on October lfi, 1963 at 6 p.m., registration begins. Voting for the present Board of Directors is the surest way of keeping thefcc expenses as aforementioned down, Let us continue with the 'experienced Directors and competent directors we now have. It would seem foolish to ipake any changes at this point in time. Our present LREMC Cooperative is oper ating without an Assistant Manager. The Board of Direc- ?? tors agreed with present Manager Ronnie Hunt when he suggested this move. Add this savings plus another employee who is no longer with the Cooperative and a five-hundred thousand dollar savings when this year's budget was approved. Lends merit to the savings LREMC members are enjoying. These Board of Directors withstood two attempts to unseat them earlier this year. In my opinion, there was no merit in either of the two attempts to unseat the pre sent Board of Directors. The se Board of Directors defeated their adversaries because they depended on the legality written into the bylaws of the LREMC Cooperative, and le gal advisors who would not sell out to the opposition. Support your present Board of Directors and enjoy savings every month. John L. Godwfo Pembroke wants changes at LREMC annual meeting To the Editor: If you are a member to LREMC and one of the majority of the whole mem bership who is not satisfied with the spending policies of the present members of the board of directors, this annual meeting of the Member^A* pave importance to you.:>7j At this annual members meeting to be held at PSU gym Oct. 18 7:00 p.m. (regis tration to begin 6:00 p.m.) along with usual reports and proceedings, fourdirectors will come up for re- election. There will also be several new candidates for directors. I am sure you have observ ed, over a period of years that a vast majority of the cooper ative members do not attend their annual meeting. Then fore the four directors that are elected each year are elected by a very small percentage of the membership. In many cases this results in the same directors repeatedly being re elected over and over again regardless of performance or qualifications and in some cases without any opposition, there is always in this kind of situation, the danger of giving that director and/ or directors a feeling of monopoly. It is the sole responsibility of the twelve members who serve you on the board of directors to make the policies, set the budget, and control the expenditures of (them selves) as well as the full and complete operation of the cooperative, and of course to represent the best interest at all the members. Lumbef ( River EMC belongs to the ( members and not just to the directors. Whether you attend the annual meeting and .exercise your privilege to vote for the candidate of your choice oi not. who ever is elected will speak and act for you, and whatever they say and do will control your cooperative. Why no) let them know how you feel* I am sure everyone remem bers the strong effort made earlier in the year by the required number of members by petition, as set out in the bylaws of our cooperative to ask for and to hold a special members meeting to remove all twelve of the directors because of their policies and actions in their personal ex pense accounts. Documented proof was ob tained by legal process from the cooperative office records for the past three years to justify such effort by the members. That effort was blocked not just once but twice by the directors them selves, which was in direct conflict with the cooperative bylaws. > If you are a member of LREMC and satisfied with the meeting policies and expen ditures of your present direc tors, then you certainly have that right, but then you dofi't have any right to complain. * If you are one of the many members as I am who is not satisfied-with the present policies and operations of your cooperative you have a chance now to help do some thing about it. You can not be denied now. You can help replace four of your present directors. I strongly recommend that you, by all means, go to your annual LREMC meeting at the above mentioned time and place. Remember that it is next Tuesday night October 18, 6 p.m. registration, PSU Gym. Vote for four directors of your choice from the several new candidates who are offering to serve you. I am confident if elected they will help to bring about a change for the better. Re member-the foundations upon which our cooperative was organized was "to serve all the members with dependable electric service at the lowest possible cost." Respectfully, HabmtR. Pnnttc Pembroke ! RE-ELECT i ? 'i ! 0U8 BULLABD EMC BOARD OF DIRECTORS (At Large) October II, 1M3 "Vote For Expertmce And Continue<%Honeety, Integrity And Dedicated Leadership" EEDITORIAL, ID O M Know Wtw* Wt Am Qotng ft Know Wham Wa'va Bwn... * ? bo fittingly we honor our Pioneer Fathers MEANDERING WITH GARRY L. BAltTON k ' NO! THIS AINT JUDDIE'S NEW HEARSE! The owner of the ear ibewn above, reportedly, ie Carl Breach, it wee parked outside the LBEMC office fa Bed Springs while the owner was Inside conducting a proas conference. That Ie a coffin [or casket] on top of his car. The casket reads: "Remove Inept Directors." Well, I'm not all that into politics. Bot I am into being Indian. And stoce ten of the twelve directors of the LREMC Board arc Indians I take this dtopiay of bad taote as a personal slap In my face. What Branch's alleged coffin should read is this, as Car as I am concerned: "Bury the warped and twisted white supremacy mentality that is responsibly for this casket being on this car." 1 won't dignify Branch's actions by discussing the matter further. Suffice it to say, vote for the candidate of your choice. As for me, 1 couldn't vote for any candidate I felt was remotely associated with such actions that I find highly offensive and in bad taste. Speaking of upcoming elections, about two months ago I was walking across West Third Street here in Pembroke. I was standing in front of a parked car waiting to cross over to the other side. All of a sudden the quiet was shattered by a loud and ear-shattering blast of a car horn. It scared the bejabbers out of me, to say the least. I jumped back between two parked cars 'cause the driver erf the car had one of the most hateful looks on his face 1 had ever seen. I really believe the bird would have run me down if I hadn't responded as quickly as 1 did. Really. I couldn't believe anyone could be so rude. And to add salt to the wound, he was supposed to be representing me locally in town government. Too, he had his window up so I couldn't hear the words he mouthed. But from reading his lips it seemed he said something to the effect that my mother was a farmer...or something. Anyway, I just shook my head sadly, and dismissed the incident from my mind. Until the day before yesterday. I was again attempting to cross the street at about the same location as the last time. 1 saw this same bird coming in his fancy car. I instinctively jumped back between two parked cars before he even got anywhere near me. Suddenly, without warning, the tranquility was disrupted once again by a loud blast of his car hom. This time, if he could have heard my voice, he might have heard some choice remarks about his family tree. Then, I looked closely. I couldn't believe it. He was actually smiling and waving and acting like a human being. I kept mulling over the incidents after he passed. I asked myself: "Self, wonder what you did differently to cause that bird's attitude to change so drastically...from an attitude of open hostility the first time, to an attitude of friendliness the second tune?" Then it dawned on me. Election time is drawing near. And he is coming up for re-election. He courted me pretty closely when he wanted my vote the first time. And I was taken in by his act. But he hadn't spoken to me for two years. Isn't it interesting the way some poli ticians will look down their noses at we little folk and treat us like second class citizens once they get our vote and are comfortably in office? But before they get our vote, they'll promise us the moon and the stars. They'll tell us they will be our own star representative?shining only for us and acting only in our best interest. But, invariably, after they are voted into office we Itoo often find out that our supposedly I shining star has become a Calling star?a dud. so to speak. Now. like 1 said, I wouldn't attempt to tell you who to vote for in the two upcoming elections (the Pembroke elections and the LREMC elections). But I will ask you to keep your eyes peeled and not be taken in by cunning and sly actors. Let's be honest. How many times haven't you heard people poking fun at President Reagan because he was once an actor before entering politics? Yet, if the truth were known, a goodly number of our politicians would receive an Emmy Award for their performances while in office if the Emmy Award nominations were open to politicians. Oh. yea! I learned a valuable lesson from my so-called friend who acted so rude to me a couple of months ago, but became friendly here lately around election time. He can smile in my face until he wears out his store-bought teeth. But once I enter that voting booth I'll be in the driving seat. And 1 plan to drive him and every other dishonest or crooked politician out of office if my vote has anything to do with it. You can do the same. Your vote is your own. People can trick you and lie to you and connive behind your back to get you to vote a certain way. But once you get in that voting booth you're in the driving seat. Let's drive dishonest politicians from our midst. And let's not be unduly influenced by such displays of bad taste as the one pictured above. Afterall, this is the 1%0's. All of us (Indian, White and Black) have advanced a long way since the prejudice- and racism strife 1%0's. When we go to the polls, let's vcfte our convictions. And let's show Carl .Branch and company that we will not regress ?back and become victim again to such Iwarped and twisted thinking that I feel 'spawned the Ku Klux Klan. Yes, Mr. Branch, let's put that coffin thatl was on the toppf your car to good use. It's| time we buried what 1 feel was a warped and twisted mentality that caused that coffin to be on top of the car to begin with. And bel magnanimous. Really cap the casket off bvj paying an Indian funeral director to dispose! of it. Or do you think Indians make inept funeral directors too? If you learn nothing else before going back underground. Mr. Branch. I hope you learn that the color of a man has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not he is competent or ioept. And I hope you learn your lesson at the polls. ?? "I lite* the drMirn of the future bettor then (ke hirtory of ??? the past." -. Thomas Jefferson TftBCAMUNA INDIAN TOKS P.O. B?x IDS Firtiiii.HCMSTa U.S. PS. *9783* EsUbBsbMl 1973 - SECOND CLASS POSTAGE 'PAD AT PEMttOU.NC mn * Success isn't how far you got, but th? distance you traveled from where you started. The biggest mistake you can make is to believe that you are working for someone else. Monday is a hard way to spend one-seventh of your life. I ? * * ** > ? V*
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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Oct. 13, 1983, edition 1
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