Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Aug. 26, 1982, edition 1 / Page 2
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The <71 eu?4 - journal my/1/oitA faio&na vUr5> pre ASS OCT /mm NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ""A*-1" associatiocm ASSOCIATION Published K>?) Thursday al Raeford. N.C. 21376 IIV W . hi wood Avenue SubicHpiioa Rales In Advance Per Year?M.OO 6 Months?S4.25 3 Months?S2.25 l.Ol ISH. KOOLEMAN.JR . Publisher PAH DICKSON Editor HENR* L. BLl t Production Supervisor Bil l I.INDAl Associate Editor MRS. PAUL DIC KSON Society Editor SAM C. MORRIS Contributing Editor Second Class Postage at Raeford, N.C. (USPS 3M-260) THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1982 ?top the drunk before he drives The state and newspaper campaign to get the drunk driver off the road rates the strongest possible public support. But isn't there some way that can be found to prevent the drunk from getting behind the wheel in the first place? If something like that could be worked out, the battle could be won, even before the drunk is arrested, gets his license revoked, and fined and ordered to go to the Drug and Alcohol Abuse School, for another $100. Also, before he gets arrested, if he survives, after he rams his car or truck into a tree or another vehicle, killing or seriously injuring himself or another person, or at least heavily damaging his vehicle, and someone else's, if he causes an accident in which more than one vehicle is involved. The essential problem is this: the man or woman who gets behind the wheel does not know that he or she is too soused to drive. He or she feels perfectly normal and consequently quite capable of driving without hazard. Sure, maybe he or she staggers a little and has a little trouble speaking distinctly. But he or she still feels perfectly capable of driving efficiently. The best prevention occurs once in a while: someone sees the inebriate weaving toward his car and calls the police. With luck, the police will arrive in time to prevent the drunk from driving off, or at least from getting more than a few feet from the scene of his departure. Yet. people have been maimed or killed within a few feet of the takeoff. A friend also can inform the drunk, "You'd better wait a while. You've had too much to drink to be driving." Once in a while this works. The rest of the time, the drunk will be contradictory, and perhaps even become belligerent. The inebriate simply refuses to believe he's "under the influence," because he simply doesfi*t feel that'tf&y. - One man was lucky. He didn't believe he was intoxicated. He felt tranquil, steady on his feet, and was coherent in his speech. Someone, however, saw his conduct was strange. So he called the police. The subject was strolling to his car to drive off to some destination, when the officer drove up beside him and invited him to get in for a chat. To make a long story short, the subject asked the officer to give him a Breathalyzer test, just to find out how intoxicated he was. Under the law, a Breathalyzer reading of .10% of alcohol level in the blood is absolute evidence of intoxication. This volunteer took the test, then read the result. His reading was .21%. He was so surprised he was shocked. He hadn't the foggiest notion he was even intoxicated. Needless to say. he made it home. But he left the driving to somebody else. This kind of testing is catching the problem before it becomes a problem of a drunk driver on the road. It would remove the prospective drunk before he even got on the road. Somewhere, sometime, someone will find a way to stop the drunk before he even starts driving. That definitely will get the drunk driver off the road. And that will save many law enforcement officers the time and effort of chasing the driver down and probably picking up the pieces to boot. --BL Stemming rise If the poor would only be patient, the predicted prosperity will ultimately provide opportunities for them, according to Administra tion theories. But for now - in the face of increasing poverty - deeper cuts are sought. The fiscally beleaguered state and municipal governments cannot or will not pick up the slack. The traditional philanthropic agencies cannot compensate, because, despite increases in the dollar amounts of the various funds and foundations, inflation has reduced the value of that money. Who will compensate ultimately? Those among the fortu nate always foot the bill. They can choose. Pay now or pay later. They can pay now, for nutrition for pregnant mothers so that children get an even chance at birth; for food stamps, so that children do not go hungry; for medical care so that children grow into healthy adults who can work; for educational support so that even the children from the bleakest of environments have a shot at learning their way out of the morass; and for training or programs that provide jobs for teenagers, reducing the rate of unemployment and reducing the burden of the never-employed. Or they can pay later for jails to cage those who vent viciously their anger or survive outside of the law; for public hospitals that treat all; for paupers' graves, always unmarked. Meanwhile, poor is poor. Poverty is even harder for those new to the battles. Accustomed to footing the bilk for themselves and others, many proudly refuse the few benefits for which they now qualify. Just as unemployment benefits have expired for 150fC00, ?o will other options resulting in lost homes, lost hopes, ^pd. jjn S9SK cases, lost lives. ' v' * rT:-'$ If Americans write off the new poor in this country, as the Reagan Administration is doing, the eventual price will be high. Thoae who are not poor, can choose. Pay now, or pay later. ? Boston Smday GMm. 'Try 'em ? you'll like 'em!' % The Oni5?n Soeocc Monrtcv mall World By Bill Lindau As everybody knows, harboring resentment is one of the worst if not the worst enemies of serenity of mind, of everyday happiness. That's different from getting mad at somebody. You get over being mad. Anyway, in my quest to eliminate my resentments, an acquaintance of mine only the other night pointed to a passage in a book. It quotes a clergyman, whose name was not given, and here is what it says, in effect, for the benefit of anybody who wants to get rid of his or her resentments: "If you have a resentment you want to be free of, if you will pray for the person or thing you resent, you will be free. "Ask for their health, their prosperity, their happiness, and you will be free. Even if you don't really want it for them, and your Sprayers are only words and yoo don't mean it, go ahead and do it anyway. "Do it every day for two weeks and you will find you have come to mean it and to want it for them, and you will realize that there you used to feel bitterness and resent ment and hatred, you now feel compassionate understanding and love." The author who quoted this says it has worked for him many times since, and it will work for him every time he is willing to work it. "Sometimes," he adds, "I have to ask first for the willingness, but it too always comes. And because it works for me, it will work for all of us." As another great man says, "The only real freedom a human being can ever know is doing what you ought to do because you want to do it." The author says that this great experience that released him from the bondage of hatred and replaced it with love is really just another affirmation of the truth I know: "I get everything I need in Alcoholics Anonymous ?? everything I need I get -- and when I get what I need I invariably find that it was just what I wanted all the time." True, this was written by a recovered alco holic. But it will work for anyone who wants it to work. Then there were these words of advice said by the late great Satchel Paige, the old pro ball player who, as far as anyone ever knew, never took a drink in his life: "Don't look behind ya. Some thin' might be gainin' on ya." ? ? ? There's one song I wish Anne Freeze would get her Hoke High chorus to sing sometime: "Abdul Abulbul Amir." It was inspired, if that's the right word sort, by the Crimean War, which pitted the Turks against the Russians (long before communism, if anybody out there is squeamish). The English were involved, too, and it produced one of the great tragic military blunders of history, which is told in the poem, "The Change of the Light Brigade." But "Abdul" is a story in song of two mighty men in single combat -- the Russian Ivan Stavinsky Skavar. and the Turk, Abdul. The first couple of stanzas will give you an idea of the story character of the heroes: If you wanted a man to en courage the van. Or harass the foe from the rear. Storm first or redoubt, you had only to should For Abdul Abulbul Amir. Now the heroes were plenty and well known to fame In the troops that were led by the Czar, And the bravest of these was a man by the name Of Ivan Stavinsky Skavar. ~ He could imitate Irving, play poker and pool. And strum on the Spanish guitar. In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team Was Ivan Stavinsky Skavar. 1 obtained a copy of the song from the generous library of the Music Department of the Uni versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was one heck of a duel, the song says, and lasted all day and far into the night: "They fought all that night 'neath the pale yellow moon..." Anne's welcome to borrow it if she wishes. It also contains the musical score. Also in the copy is another, shorter ballad of the Turk, "Kafoozalem," a song of ill-fated lovers (but I don't have the whole thing, I just discovered). ? ? ? Among the millions of uniniti ated Americans, judo is just a Japanese form of dirty fighting in a scientific way. Actually, however, it's a system of physical, mental and spiritual development. I won't go into any long story about it, but there are two lessons the judo player learns: to show respect for his or her opponent; and to keep one's temper. Of the latter, the widsom of this is learned in a practical manner. When one loses one's temper, one gets thrown. After regular participation in a long period one does get into the mental habit of keeping one's cool under the most aggravating cir cumstances. To lose one's temper, one learns soon, is a good way to losing. Jesus told Peter that the time would come when Peter would be forced to go in directions not of his own choosing. Could that apply to our lives as well? When we were young, our parents took us to some places in which we had no interest. In school we were forced to study some subjects which bored us. Our daily work places on us responsibilities we would avoid if we could. Sickness pushes us into the hos pital. Furthermore, Jesus has de manded that we walk in some paths of discipleship which seem too hard. How we respond to these ex peri iiNiiiiiimiiiiiitthniniiiiiimiiMiibf CUFF BLUE ??? People & Issues miiiimiinimmmiiiiiniitiiiiiim CARTER AND REAGAN ... President Carter, when running for President promised to balance the budget in the fourth year of his tenure in office, if I remember cor rectly. Well, he did right much bet ter than President Reagan. From his presidential talk we ex pected President Reagan to balance the budget the first year in office. He called for a reduction in taxes the first year, evidently feel ing that would be the way to balance the budget. Well, it was not, and now he is demanding that taxes be increased to balance the budget. From the situation which we now are in, it would seem that President Reagan is more right to day than he was at the beginning, 18 months ago. At least we hope so. When Reagan looks back at what he did during his first year, he can see a $100,000,000,000 larger debt, rather than a reduction as he lead the people to believe, in his presidential campaign. President Reagan, a man of good and honest intentions, can now see that you have to slow down on spending before you can ever reach the promised land of a "balanced budget." PAST EVENTS?...In Wiscon sin Public Unions tried different tactics to blunt the impact of government staffing and wage cuts. Four unions tried without success, to block state layoffs and reduce work weeks. The Washington Federation of State Employees filed suit against a "lag payroll" plan; it would move public workers' payday from the last day of the month to the 10th of the next one, saving the state S4 million. Coos County, Oregon employees avoid layoffs by shortening their work week to 32 hours and deferring an 8% infla tion boost. POVERTY OFFICIALS...Ac cording to Hosie Kurtx of the Washington Post and The Charlotte Observer. "Top officials of one of the largest anti-poverty agencies in America used money from the agency or its subsidaries to make themselves personal loans, acquire a Mercedes-Benz, fly to Europe, take their wives to Lake Tahoe and finance their political activities, according to a preliminary report." When things like this are hap pening, President Reagan certainly needs some sound advice. CIGARETTE TAX ... Writing in the Dunn Daily Record, Editor Hoover Adams, commenting on the cigarette tax, had this to say: "If you think the tax on cigarettes in the country is high, even with the proposed eight-cents increase, consider the price in other coun tries. "We had an interesting conver sation with a Norwegian sea cap tain a few days ago and the conver sation turned to the cost of smok ing. The Captain says he pays $3 a pack in Norway and sometimes more, adding, "And about 90 per cent of the price is taxes." He smokes Dunhills; some other brands are higher. "A Dunn tobacco warehouse man was asked what he thought about the effect of the tax increase this week. "I don't think it will stop a soul from smoking," he said, but what it has done is give the tobacco com panies an excuse to pay less and that's what they're doing, it hurts from that standpoint." "Nobody wants higher taxes, of course," concludes Editor Adams. ?KISS OF DEATH'...We quote the following from a short editorial in the Laurinburg Ex change. "Being elected an officer in the North Carolina County Commis sioners Association is a big honor. It's also the kiss of death when local elections roll around, judging from results the past few years. "Scotland County Commission Chairman, Albert McMillian was defeated in 1980 after being elected president of the state association. This year Grover Lancaster of Craven County, the NCACC presi dent, was defeated in the primary election. Another former NCACC president, J.T. Knott of Wake County, was also defeated this year, along with a member of the NCACC board of directors, Gilbert Whitley of Hertford Coun ty. "KING COTTON"...We read that cotton, once King in the South, may be on the way back, ahead of some of the money crops like tobacco. However, no sudden resurgence of the crop is likely, especially since the recession has driven prices down. The Boll Weevil, back in the 20's brought cotton to its knees while other crops like tobacco became "king" in ils place. Puppy Creek Philosopher Dear editor: According to a U.S. Justice Department study, mandatory jail terms don't necessarily reduce crime. As 1 understand it. under the mandatory jail term law, which several states have enacted, if you're convicted for example of using a gun to rob or selling drugs to kids, you automatically go to prison, even if you claim you should be let off because your personality is scarred because your great-great grandfather was thrown into debtor's prison in England in 1785 for failing to pay a debt of 3 shillings, which he always claimed he didn't owe. In other words, no plea bargain ing, no sympathy verdicts, jio insanity plea, no suspended sen tence, no appealing from one court to another until your lawyer learns you've run out of money. If you used a gun or other deadly weapon you flat go to jail. But the Justice Department sur vey claims such a law doesn't necessarily reduce crime, since the crime rate seems to continue to climb. Well, I know this: when a man automatically goes to jail for using a gun to hold up a filling station or an all-night convenience store or a savings and loan office, any more crime by him has certainly been reduced as long as he's locked up. The law may not have any effect on ences which at the moment seem displeasing is one of the real tests of our lives. We would do well to remember that Jesus said, "I am with you always." Supported by this assurance, we can more readily see that resented pathways may well be blessed ones which increase our strength, sharpen our under standing, build up our faith, and quicken our compassion for others. PRAYER: Dear Lord, the scrip ture reminds us that those who trust Thee shall walk and not faint. Help us, through Thy presence, to face every unknown path with courage and assurance. Amen. other criminals but it sure does on him. You can prove nearly anything ? by statistics. For some time now some laboratory scientists have been proving certain foods are harmful to humans because they are to rats, only to find out they've been using defective rats. I have long contended we need a laboratory to study defective sci entists. Yours faithfully, J.A. Letter To The Editor Editor, The News-Journal I am sure a goodly portion of your readers were more than a little upset with the Hoke County Board of Education's decision to reinstate the fee system. My first impulse was to lay the fault at the feet of the county commissioners, because of their refusal to fund the extra $20,230 that the board had requested. However, I decided to look into the situation further before dispensing my wrath on the commissioners! What I learned should be of interest to your readers. In truth, the Hoke County School System fared much better than most other counties in the state. For fiscal '82-'83 the com missioners gave the school system a 12.49% increase in funding over '81-'82 county contributions. While many other school systems throughout the state suffered no growth budgets and others sub stantial cuts in funding. The Board of Education ex ercises considerable freedom in the 1 use of county funds. Transferring ' funds from one program or de partment to another is quite com mon and perfectly legal. However, before the citizens of Hoke County are asked to scrape up twenty thousand dollars ? plus in school fees the Board of Education should reconsider their over-all budget, especially in the area of adminis trative supplements! Brad Turley 1
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Aug. 26, 1982, edition 1
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