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The FrattMn Times
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LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
Whole Thing Needs Airing
It is sVange-although a perpetually
occurring thing-that keepers of the
minutes of board, council and com
mission meetings diligently record for
posterity and the law such actions as
calls for bids and approval of reports
and other harmless bits of informa
tion. And stranger still, these same
efficient historians omit completely
the really significant goings on. But,
then, how do you record a distasteful
discussion or one with which you
might not agree?
Whoever acts as secretary to the
Louisburg Town Council is no worse
in this matter than a number of others
we could mention. This one just
happens to come to light vividly to
day.
Last Friday night-with newsmen
tipped that something was brewing
the Council met in regular session.
Right off, according to reliable reports
of the meeting, at least three members
expressed a very great dissatisfaction
with the way the town is being
operated. At one point, according to
the report, the Mayor himself said he
was ready -if the Council was-to
"clean house".
The fact that the Council barked
and then rolled over as it has done in
the past to be patted on the head is
beside the point. The discussion is of
public significance. If half the Council
is not pleased with the way they are
running things surely the Louisburg
taxpayer wants to know more. And
surely this expression should have
been made a part of the records of the
meeting.
Now that what has been whispered
in private _for some time is a matter ot,
public-such as it .it-record, it should <>
be quickly brought even more in the
open.
The public has seen a deteriation of
services in recent months and much of
what the Council discussed is
probably already known. One does
not need to research the ordinance
book -which one Councilmember says
might as well be burned for all the
good it's doing- to know that the
town is dirtief than it should be or
that garbage pickup is not up to par.
And there is little need to get into the
subject of electric current charges -
doubled this month, in some cases.
One Council member expressed the
belief that things will not change as
long as Town Administrator E. S.
Ford remains in charge. The air should
be cleared because as long as the
matter hangs it is an injustice to Mr.
Ford and to others. If things aren't
going well and Mr. Ford is hired to see
that they do,- the burden has to be his.
On the other hand, if the fault lies
elsewhere or with some others, this
should be brought to light.
It isn't easy serving on a Council,
board or commission. It's often times
a thankless job but most members of
such groups serve honestly and well
and to the best of their ability. When
they see things not to their liking,
they do what they feel they are sworn
to do-act in what they believe to be
the best interest of the public that
elected them.
Some change is apparently now
indicated in the operation of the
Louisburg Town government. What
ever that change may be or what
direction the Council feels it must
take should be told the people. And
< the sooner, the better.
A Letter From A Dead Soldier
Jail before Sgt. Jeff Davit left for Viet
nam , he wrote a letter and requested that it
be opened only in the event he died there. It
wtu written to Mitt Janet Hall, to whom he
mi engaged and whom he later married in
Hawaii. Jefft widow, Mrt. Janet Davu, of
lndianapoht, tent to the Manchetter Union
Leader the non-pertonal part of Jefft letter.
We were to moved by it that we want to
thare it with you. At the tame time we
congratulate the Union Leader for carrying
it above itt banner on the front page.
* * 0
From a letter by Sgt. Jeff Davis of the
lOlat Airborne Division, before his death in
Vietnam.
? * *
"Wed, if you are reading this, my short
but full life has ended. However, I'm not sad
or hurt; I'm happy where I am now. I am
free of the great responsibilities that life puts
upon a person. It la too bad I had to die in
another country, the United States is so
wonderful, but at least I died for a reason,
and a good one.
I may not understand this war, or like it, -
or want to fight it, but nevertheless I had to
do It and I did.
"I died for the people of the United
States
"I died really for you, you were my one
real happiness
"I died also for your Mom and Dad so
that tbey could go on working at Grant's
and Chevrolet. For your brothers that they
could play sports in freedom without Com
munist rule.
"I died for my parents that they could
si^oy my Dad's retirement in freedom, go
on vacations and have fun. Nancy, ao she
could rake her sona to be morally and
physically straight In a free world, or coun
try at least. For Duke whom I admired my
whole life. For others alao who enjoy this
wonderful country, and who appreciate
what they have and thank God every day for
It.
"I died for the guys with long hair and
protest signs The draft card burners, the
hippies, the 'antl-every thing' people who
have nothing better to do. The college kids
who think they shouldn't have to serve
because they're too good. ? I died so these
people could have a little longer time to try
to get straightened out In life. God knows
they need It
"Yea, I died for the so-called *younger
generation,' of which I waa a part but for
some unknown reason I never became an
active member. I gueaa I waa a 'squire' or
something with short hair, no police record,
didnt drink or smoke (pot Included) and
volunteered for the service. I died for the
parents of these kids also, God forgive them.
"I died so these members, active mem
bers, of the "young generation' could have
the right to do what they do. To protest,
have long hair, go to the college of their own
choice, wear weird clothes, and run around
mixed up with no direction at all.
"I died so they (could] protest the war I
fought and died in. Without it, what would
they protest? But, I also died for the many
thousands who died in this war and other
wars before, for these same reasons. For the
men who fought gallantly on the many
battlefields of many wars to keep this
country free. I guess that in order to gain
freedom there must be war. I died for the
United States.
"Sgt. J. A. Davis
"Co. A. 3 /187th Airborne Infantry
"101st Abn.Div.
"P S. (Concerning future children). Please
send them to church. Let them learn of God
and how wonderful He is. Teach them to be
strong persons: physically, mentally and
morally ... My life is over now and I leave
behind a big debt ... Do me a favor. Dont
cry over me now. It's too late. It's over.
Forget it, and start again. Mould your" life
around a new partner because I've gone on
to a new life. I hope some day that youll
join me here; and if you do, then III know
my life has been lived according to God's
wishes 'cause with you 111 be in Heaven.
Thank you, and Goodbye."
The Review of the News
Belmont, Massachusetts 02178
* Take Cart, Son, Eat Proper Foot I, '
Don't Protett In The Rain '
*??i<kS5sjt3r
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor:
As a result of my early
study of American History, I
gained some clear immessions
of the type of people who
settled this country, con
quered its wildernesses and
gave us our democratic tradi
tions and institutions. For the
most it seemed that these
were men who sought some
measure of self-determination
by escaping from the de
humanizing effects of unjust,
outmoded political and social
systems designed to per
petuate a propertied aris
tocracy. H?eee were Indivi
duals who came to this land
determined to shape tkek
own destinies, to think1 their
own thoughts and to steer
their life course based upon
ongoing perceptions rather
than prescribed behavior or
irrelevant rules of conduct.
As we would lay today,
these were men who were
willing to "stand up", "speak
out", "let their opinions be
known", and who were will
ing to question the wisdom
and motives of their leaders
and authority figures before
committing themselves to a
course of action. Yet, in spite
of this awarenes, it appeared
that the primary prerequisite
and ongoing requirement of
the American educational
process. In which I found
myself caught up in, was to
learn to "sit down", "shut
up", keep your opinions to
yourself' and "obey those in
authority without question".
Being very anxious to do
what was right and to receive
praise and approval, I ac
cepted all and resisted noth
ing, even as I learned that
Hitler and Stalin encoy raged
the very same behavior
among their subjects in edu
cating them to be unquestion
ing, non-thinking, pro
grammed puppets who would
never harbor an impulse to
question what they were told
or to resist the commands of
their power-crazed leaders. I
tried, but could never quite
reconcile this similarity in ed
ucational philosophy with the
American emphasis upon the
respect for the worth and
dignity of each human being.
Upon completing my for
mal education, I took my
place In society, and prompt
ly discovered that my learned
behavior patterns brought
little real respect or advance
ment In the world of reality,
and that I was all too prone
to allow others to impose
their opinions and wiU with
out resMance on my part.
The necessity for reatnic
"Staff! Start
planning
another global
tour and
the sooner
the better."
MILLER, 7 he Miami tofifltr
turing my learning and my
attitudes became apparent as
I came to realize more and
more that the type of people
who were moving this
country forward and getting
the world's important work
done were those individuals,
who, like their forebears, dare
to "stand up", "speak out",
"let their opinions be
known", and who refuse to
accept as truth any utterance
just because it issues forth In
a "booming" voice or appears
on the printed page. "Hieee
were that breed of men who
do their own thinking after
considering all available per
spectives on an issue, ail the
while realizing, as did Joim
Donne, that "No man is an
1
Wand", and that conversely,
"No one man is a com
munity". Obeying their more
noble Instincts, and their
God-given conscience, these
were the kind of people who
had led, and would continue
to lead America along the
path of greatness.
As this country struggles
through another of the tur
bulent era c in its brief but
troubled history, it would be
hoove each of us to take
stock of our personal charac
teristics and attitudes to see
to what extent our behavior
reflects the nature and spirit
of our American heritage.
Sfafcerdy, too j,
Tilmadge H. Edwards: 'Jr.
Rt. 1, Louisburg
ome To ThhtlPW It
By Frank Count
I seen a picture in the paper the other day where a woman
was demonstrating. She was carrying a sign she musta had her
first grader write for her. It said: There ain't no fraedom
without freedom of choice. She was betted about the way
schools are being run in Louisa nna or someplace.
I been thinking since I seen that sign. Alnt it a shame that
us oia ioiks goi me free
dom of choice to git drunk
and run up and down the
highway. We got a choice
to pay our money and go
see them terrible movies at
Zebulon. Ain't they having
a bail down there over
them pictures? |
We can play poker if we
want to and we can tell
the President of the Unit
ed States to go take a
flying jump. We aint even
got to like Bob Scott. We
got a choice. We couid like
Ben Roney. We could if
we wanted to 'cause we
got that freedom.
Womenfolks got freedom to wear them short skirt* and to
go barefooted or they can wear shoes and overalls if they wpnt
to. They can cook for the old man or they can make him eat
out. They got a choice. The old man might not have-but the
womenfolks has. ^
Dogs can chase cats if they want to. They ain't got to, but
they got that choice. Chickens can lay eggs if the notion
strikes them. Least some chickens can.
I can go down main street and park long's I want to. I got
that choice. The policeman can give me a ticket. He got a
choice, too. The barber can mess up my hair or he can make it
pretty. He got a choice.
The man at the gas station can clean my windshield or he
can pour grease on it. He got a choice. I could bop him on or
I might not, depends on how I'm feeling at the time and
maybe the size of him. But I got that choice. I can If I want to.
I can go home when I finish writing this and face the music
or I can hang around the store with the boys and face it later. I
ain't gonna win nothing-but I got the choice. The Uttle
woman got a choice too. She could leave. She wont 'cause she
got a choice.
The HEW can slack up on Mississippi and hit Georgia. They
got a choice. They can like Lester Maddox or they can like
John Lindsey. They cant very well do both, but they got a
choice.
I can keep on smoking cigars if I want to. I cant smoke 'em
in the house. That's the little woman's choice. But I got a
choice too. I can do it outdoors or I can quit.
I could stop messing with Melvin and Zeke and all them
other characters if I wanted to. I wouldnt have near as much
to tell you but I could stop. I aint got to eat but I got a
choice.
Nearly everybody got a choice nowadays. Everybody
except them pore little youngins. Aint it a shame?
BBnDBPBSPPBHy * **th .Pm* youwftc
KM!f ar*?B?f these days. Then, I beteh?you
they get a choice. 1 hope I live to see it. I shore do.
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