Aut’u.sl 2K, 2(M)2
THE NEWS-JOURNAL Raefiird, N.C.
Viewpoints
Scotch heritage: more than
kilts and Highland games
A new iKHik argues that the Scots
ate tesponsibleforthe modern worlds
wa> of thinking and getting things
done.
rite hooks title says it all: 1 low the
Scots Invented the Modern World:
I he 'I'nie Story of How Western
I IIropes Pooiest Nation Created Our
Woildik: I'verylhing in It. Its author,
wtiuir I lerman. explains how it hap
pened.
I lerman argues that the Scots ere-
it d the basic idea of modernity that
ii msformed their culture and society
m the 18th century, and they carried it
with them wherever thev went.
riiis transformation of Scotland
II 'in a poor and hackwanl eountry
lino a full-blown cultural :ind eco-
immicpowerhouse in the I7()(lscame
il'out, Herman says, as a result of
"ine special circumstances.
We think ol the Scottish High-
I iihIs as a romantic home of heroes.
Milt until the beginning of the I7()()s.
It was a land ol poveitv, feudalism,
illiteracy, and elan warfaienot unlike
III'- tribal areas of Afghanistan and
I’ 'kistan of tod;iy.
Iionically. Scotland's transforma-
iion began in l.s.Sd when John Knox
lul :i reformation that overthrew the
. nahlishedehurch and replaced it with
I strict brand of Calvinism. Knox
taught that the people must read the
Mihle and come to know (ioil person-
illy through their own thoughtful
tiidy and piayer. And they, not a
distant king oi church official, were
In be responsible for the orderly gov-
. I nance of their churches.
file enlluisiastic Scottish converts
li'ie riown the stained glass windows.
■•I dues, and buildings of the old
1 iirches. Thev destroyed centuries
"I piecious art and heritage all in the
' "ise of removing idolatry.
If any government authorities, in-
I'lding kings and cpieens, got in their
v> iv of woishiping (iod. the Scots
-t od up It' them. They developed a
lu dthv tradition of rebellion against
un|ust authority.
I low did all this disruption lead to
the invention of the modern
w irlif.'
I RfctitlW Knox believed that every
‘i i.son should come to know (iod
I" rsonallv through reading the Mihle,
ilie new cliiireh tried to teach every
hild in Scotland to read.
I lav ing been taught to read, many
Scots began to read lots of hooks and
not just the Mihle. Once this habit of
reading indepenilently tr'i'k root, no
one, not even John Knox and his suc
cessors. could control what they reail,
anil vv hat they learned, and what they
thought.
Having been taught the responsi
bility to develop their own relation
ship with (iod. they developed a sell-
confident pride in iheirabilily to solve
eveiy kind of problem and find ways
to improve the world in which they
lived.
Mv the end of the I (rOOs, Scotland
,is the most literate nation on earth.
In the I7()()s. it became the center
ot philosophic and economic think-
One on One
I). (i. Maiiin
ing, led by such familiar names as
Adam Smith and David Hume, and a
host of others. Its universities were
the envy of every eountry in ITirope.
It became the center of invention
and business, with James Watts' 1781
steamenginebeconiingthe workhorse
of the Industrial Revolution, in which
technology and modern capitalism
heeame lifes driving forces.
What does this have to do with
North Carolina today'.'
I'he transformation of Scotland
was in full bloom as waves of Scots
and Scolch-lrish immigrants were
landing in America and settling here.
Thev were bringing w iih them these
new Scottish ideas.
I'hey were deeply religious, will
ing to stand up to unjust government,
hard-working, entrepreneurial, and
passionate about the benefits of edu
cation and ini|uiring minds. Those
who supported the Revolution, in-
eluding most of the Scolch-lrish, be
came its workhorses.
Today. North Carolinians seem to
have a love affair with things Scot
tish. Some of them celebrate their
heritage by dressing up in kilts and
larliins for dinners in honor of poet
Robert Mums, for special religious
services, and lor Highland games and
festivals at ('irandfalher Mountain,
Loch Noiman, Red Springs, and all
over the state.
Some people argue that this Scot
tish mania is based on our identifica
tion with the lost causes of Southern
and Scottish independence. Moth
causes have been highly romanticized
and shamelessly eelehraled.
Based on 1 lerman'shook, it is clear
that we have something belter to cel
ebrate. It is these core Scottish values
that arose from Knoxs reformation
and came here with the Scots and
Scotch-Irish immigrants.
I'hcse Scottish vahie.sespccially the
eommilment loeducational excellence
and the freedom of the human mind to
iiu|uire in all directions — are a solid
rock on which our stales best tradi
tions are built.
They arc something for which we
should be grateful to Scotland. And if
these values are part of our heritage,
ourSci'ltish connection really is.some-
Ihing to celebrate — with pride.
I).(l. Marlin i^CurolinusDirector
of the Trust for Public Laiul, a lui-
lioiuilconservation ort’unization that
preserves land for people. UNC'-TVs
North Carolina Hookwatch, hosted
by Marlin, airs on Sundays at 5:00
p.m. This iveeks (.September I) finest
is Dr. Mel / evine, author of the New
York Times best .seller A Mind at a
Time.
Money: You can’t miss what you never had
There are some things in this world
us elders (that is a better term th;m old
folks)don't understand. It issorlalike
the term recession. In my day it was
called a depression; now that is a
weather term. Regardless 1 lived
I h rough I he great depress ion, al though
we didn't know it was a depression —
no one told us. We didn’t have any
money; w e never had any money. The
first dolhir hill I ever saw was the first
service payday I had. It was $14. 1
thought Ihiil was all the money in the
world. You could buy cigarettes for a
nickel a pack; since I didn't smoke I
saved my nickel. I did meet my first
Yankee in service. He was an ol' boy
from New York. He walked around
with me all day just to hear me talk.
He asked what I did before I came in
service'.' I couldn't tell him I plowed a
mule, he didn't know what a mule
looked like.
I'ora few' months I worked in Belk's,
therefore 1 felt that would be acceptable
to tell him about my experience in the
department store husine.ss. Being nosy,
he wanted to know what I made a day.
When I told him $l.7.'i for a lO-hour
day, he thought it was so funny that he
told the whole eompatiy about my
money making. Right then I knew Lee
made a mistake when he surrendered.
Ifw'e had won the war, the capitol could
have been in the South then we could
have enjoyed the problems Wtishing-
ton has experienced.
Come to think about it, 1 am glad
we lost.
* + + 4c *
My love-hate rehitionship with
computers is well known at my house.
No machine should be invented that is
as contrary as a computer. I have
w ritten this column once, only to get
it lost in the computer before I could
print it. The unfortunate thing is I
Weekend reunion
for class of ‘72
I'he Hoke County High class
of '72 will celebrtite its .'JOth class
reunion on Saturday evening,
August 31 at (rat the Raeford
Civic {’enter. A reception for
classmates will be held on Friday
evening, August 30 at 7 at Dr.
Mark Fhompson's office build
ing.
On Saturday iifternoon, be-
gitining at noon, at Upchurch
gym, chiss of '72 will sponsor a
btisketball game. All male class
mates are expected to participate,
say s a spokesperson. “Let "s come
together and dine, meet and greet
and share our past and present.
Don't let this golden opportunity
pass you by."
Also, don’t forget about the
Bahama cruise November 24,
2002. For more information, call
Irene Dockery at 875-6921; or
write her at PO Box 634, Rae
ford, NC 28376.
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Missing Medicine Costs
People who don't take their medicine
properly cost the nation billions a year in
medical bills and lost productivity, according to
a drug industry study.
Half the time, Americans skip doses, abandon
their medicine early or don't get prescriptions
filled-that keep them sick and have caused a surge
in drug-resistant diseases. Missing medicine also
causes at least io percent of hospital admissions,
lost productivity, more nursing home admissions,
and even premature death.
Does your pharmacist take time to explain
how to take medicine correctly?
At this Pharmacy, we care!
Prescriptions, Health Care Supplies, Drop Off/Pick Up Window,
Photo Processing, Greeting Cards, Gift Items
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.ni. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:30. a.m. > 2:00 p.m.
Howell Drug
can't remember what I hail written.
Like the man who said he looked
across the room and savv a person he
knew and remembered his first name,
by the time he got over there he had
forgotten it.
1 do remember I was talking about
peaches, which shouldn't be a new
topic to those who read this column.
We have a couple more weeks in the
field before we close up foi the year.
It has been an unusual year. The
weather hasn't cooperated. We have
picked some varieties before they were
ripe. This doesn't make for good cus
tomer relations. If you got peaches
that would not rii'eii, come to see me
and 1 will replace them. All itiekeis
blame it on the other when green
peaches show u|' in the baskets. M\
grandson says he doesn't pick green
peaches.'I hereforethat leavesCodietl
or me; I blame it on Corbett, he blames
it on me. I tell him to blame it on the
goats; they can't t;dk hack. Regard
less we have good customers and we
don't want to lose them. I'herefoie if
you are dissatisfied with some peaches
voLi got, we vvill make them light.
Now if voii show up and I haven't
seen you befoie. I might give you
some green ones. Just kidding.
* * + -r
A lot of people get down on them
selves because they think being im
perfect is such a great sin. Do you
think you are imperfect'.' Ifso, you are
in good company. Moses stuttered.
David's armor didn’t fit. John Mark
was rejected by Paul. Timothy had
ulceis. Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Amos' only training was in the school
of fig-tree pruning. Jacob was a liar.
David had an affair. Solomon was too
rich. Jesus was too poor. Abraham
was too old. David was too young.
Peter was afraid of death. Lttzarus
was dead. John w;is self-righteous.
Naomi was a widow. Paul was a mur
derer. Jonah r;m from Cod. Miriam
was a gossip, (iideon and Thomas
troth doubted. Jeremiah was depressed
and suicidal. Llijah was burned out.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Martha vvas a worrywart. Mary was
la/y. Samson had long hair. Noah got
drunk. Moses had a short fuse, so did
Peter and Paul.
Aren't we thankful the Lord loves
us regardless'.'
My parting thought — A man told
the docti'r he had severe neck pains,
thiohliing headaches and dizzy spells.
After a thorough exam illation the doc
tor said there was no mistake about it
A View from
the Country
Raz Autry
— he had only two months to live.
The doomed man decided to spend
all his money and enjoy his remaining
life. Fiist, he’d get something he al
ways longed for — a dozen tailor-
made silk shirts. While measuring
him, the tailor said. “That's a size 17
neck,’'
"Hold on,” said the man, "I wear a
LA"
I'he tailor re-measurered him.
"You are definitely size 17.”
The man insisted. “I'm a size 15.1
always wear a 15, and that's what 1
want."
■Okay,” said the tailor, “But if you
wear a 15 you'll have severe neck
pains, throbbing headaches and dizzy
Military Briefs
Two take Navy training
Two 1 hike County High School Completing the aiurse in August
students completed a two-week are Damien Revels, son of I'amest
training course for the Naval Sea Revels and Linda Revels, and lony
cadets at fort Dix, New Jersey. and Marie I-ovvery of Raeford.
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WILLIAM W." BILL’
CAMERON
CANDIDATE FOR HOKE COUNTY
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Paid for bv Committee to Elect Cameron. Sieve ConneU. Chairman