Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Oct. 10, 1991, edition 1 / Page 4
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Opinion Page THE BRUNSWICK #BEACON Edward M. Swf.it 1 and Carolyn H. Sweatt PidAishers Edward M. Sweatt Editor Susan Usher News Editor Doug Rutter. Terry Pope and Dori Curganus StaJJ Writers Johnny Craig Sports Editor Peggy Earwood Office Manager Carolyn H. Sweatt Advertising Dinvtor Timberley Adams. Cecelia Gore and Hill Nisbet Advertising Representatives Do rot hy Brennan Graphic Artist William Manning Pressman Brenda Clrminons Moore Photo Technician Lonnie Sprinkle Assistant Pressman Phoebe Clemmons and Frances Sweatt Circulation PAGE 4 A. THURSDAY OCTOBER 10, 1991 Forum Was Needed Before Gambling Charges Brought Some people were recently hit with more than a jackpot while play ing video games. They got slapped into handcuffs. Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agents recently swarmed the county, seizing slot machines and video-poker games from Long Beach to Sunset Beach. They issued 19 charges against eight defendants, lying up lime in Brunswick Couniv District Court to enforce on us their own definition of gambling. I guess we're suppose to be impressed that law officers are out there protecting us from those harmful video games. But shouldn't Brunswick County's high crime areas cam more attention instead, rather lhan a petty investigation of video ma chines inside respectable restaurants, clubs and pizzerias ? where the vic tims are those who voluntarily give up their quarters? The law says gambling and casinos are not allowed in North Carolina. Horse racing is out. So an: dog races and a state lottery. Other states allow these things, but in North Carolina it's too great a risk to let individuals impose moral standards on themselves. We have to let someone else do it for us. It began last month, when a sweep in New Hanover County gained quite a bit of media attention when several machines were seized from a truck stop along with $4,2(X) inside the machines. You slip a quarter into a video poker machine, press some buttons and five playing cards appear on the screen. Depending on the buttons you push, and il you push them at the right time, you can either lose your quarter or rack up on enough credits to win coupons to trade in on merchandise or can; a free game. Some people say it is gambling, while others say the games should be legal as long as no cash payoffs are made. "Winners" are given cou pons, redeemable for up to $10 in merchandise. According to Webster's dictionary, gambling is to "play a game for money or property" or "to bet on an uncertain outcome." At question is whether one wins by chance or skill? An illegal game will involve more chance than skill, like the slot machines that line the casinos in Las Vegas ? where you insert the to ken, pull the lever and wait for the dials to stop spinning on their ow n. There are so many questions that have not been answered regarding the influx of these new machines into the Tarheel state ? whether they arc legal or illegal, whether il is gambling or for fun, whether the busi nesses should be held accountable or the suppliers. Until the answers arc confirmed, it doesn't seem fair to businesses or to individuals that own them to suddenly become the target of some criminal raid. During the rcccnt raid on Brunswick County restaurants, even two waitresses were charged by ALE agents for sloi machine violations. How would you like to lake the rap for a decision your boss made, w ith or without your input? To you, it may be just a job. Charges against the waitresses were dismissed in court last week. 1 do not gamble and I realize some people have problems with gam bling and should not be around the machines. But machines do not come to people begging for quarters. Kids spend just as much money playing Pac-man or pinball machines. Just last month. District Attorney Rex Gore was quoted as saying he doesn't believe the machines that award coupons for merchandise or free games to be illegal, while machines that pay in cash jackpots were. The issue seemed settled in Brunswick County. Defense attorney for those facing charges in court last week said his clients were not aware that these game machines were considered ille gal. Indeed, somcumes there's a thin line between just playing a game and gambling. We could all learn from an educational program on this new and developing issue. I'm not at all impressed with this business of agents sweeping in and filing such charges ahead of any type of educational forum for local res idents. It's like shooting first and asking the right questions later. Terry Pope ?*> LETTER TO THE EDITOR The Good Old Days Always Seem Better To ihc editor: I don't rccall seeing William H. Stanley at the school board meeting when I spoke in favor of Lion's Quest and Pathways to Excellence. I spoke, not as a professional, but as a concerned citizen and President of Rx Excellence Foundation. If Mr. Stanley had been present, he would know that Janet Pope had implied that the Quest program and Pathways to Excellence and their supporters were involved in a sur reptitious and nefarious attempt to "brainwash" children away from God and parent. My opinion was that this thinking did not meet the burden of proof, hence my refer ence to "smacks to McCarthy ism." I never said schizophrenia which, as Mr. Stanley knows, would re quire a professional assessment and diagnosis. And as Mr. Stanley states in his letter, "tins county was built on the free exchange of ideas." I stated in my remarks to the board that 1 re spected Janet Pope's opinions as her right. I simply disagreed and gave my opinion and for that I have no apology. Lion's Quest and Rx Excellence arc simply interested that cach stu dent have the knowledge to enable him/her to fulfill their God-given talent-nothing more; nothing less. As for the remainder of Mr. Stanley's thoughts-thc good old days always seem better, students and teachers ARE responsible and 1 have faith in both to be their best. Lee Langston President Rx Exccllcnce Foundation Shallouc W rite Us The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include the writer's address. Under no circumstanccs will un signed letters be printed. Letters should be legible. The Beacon re serves the right to edit libelous comments. Address letters to The Brunswick Beacon, P. O. Box 2558, Shallottc, N. C. 2X459. 1 WELL, GUXS mum THINK?) JOE rt/\VRETIC MEETS WITH SUPPORTERS TO CONSIPER RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR AS AN INDEPENDENT IN 1112. (news.ttem> Get Smart About The Medicines You Take A 70-ycur-olJ woman wilh a new proscription medicine reports feel ing depressed and disoriented. But those symptoms arc not usually as sociated with the mcdicinc she's taking. A low dose of a barbiturate unex pectedly causcs a young mother to lose consciousness. Son.? individuals deliberately abuse prescription drugs, others do so without realizing it. The medical problems that sometimes result could have been avoided, perhaps, simply by knowing how one drug rcacts with another and by follow ing the doctor's instructions in tak ing mcdicinc. In short, by being a more informed consumer. I've never had to Like enough medicine for foul-ups to bo a prob lem. But many of the elderly people 1 know spend a good portion of their monthly incomes on mcdicinc. A lot of them are being seen by more than one doctor and getting prescriptions from them all. They may even be getting prescriptions filled at different places, die phar macy near a particular doctor's of fice, for example. The patients may Susan Usher T5r,.- i . A ?? j *1 ? /< he the only individuals who know all the meditations they are taking at a given lime. They are the people most likely to have problems like those de scribed above. As part of a month-long cam paign, the North Carolina Medical Society is encouraging patients to bring their prescription and non prescription medicine to their pri mary doctor for review. The doctor will examine the medicines and talk with the patient about whether the medications are likely to cause problems when taken at lite same time. What will they be looking for? You can check your own medicines over for some of the same potential uh-ohs: ? Duplication of mcdicincs. A patient may be taking the same product under more than one name. ? Contraindications and drug in teractions. These can be very seri ous, depending upon a person's al lergies, reported side effects and the potential for interaction among all prescribed and over-the-counter medicines the patient is taking. ?Drugs that sound alike. A pa tient taking more than one medicine may mix up the names of products. That can cause problems, such as going by the wrong instructions for use to not taking some medicines at all. ? Change in orders. The way a patient says he or she has been told to use a medicine and the instruc tions on the container may not be the same. A doctor may have ver bally changed the regimen or a pharmacy may have not changed the refill label. ? Improper use. Sometimes a pa tient doesn't understand how to use a medication. He may end up taking a drug more often than he should or less often, taking it at the wrong lime or taking il on a lull stomach when il should be taken on an emp ty stomach. Sometimes a patient in tentionally chooses not to follow in structions as given, sometimes de ciding the results are better when the medicine is taken "his way." II the results are better, the doctor may consider changing the directions. ? Expired medicines. Some pa tients don't use all the medicine pre scribed. They may keep what's left over "lor the next time." And some patients who have a prescription lor only occasional use may not empty a container even alter several years. A patient may also keep a prescrip tion that has not expired but that he is no longer to take. Dr. Ronald B. Mack, chairman of the North Carolina Medical Soci ety's drug abuse and pharmacy committee, says the best thing to do is ask questions of your family doc tor about the medicines you're tak ing. That's sounds like good advice for anyone who's taking any combi nation of prescription and/or over the-counter drugs. He a smart con sumer. Check it out. Stingy Trojans Just Keep Steamrolling Alonq ITtose Trojans arc a stingy bunch. In case you haven't heard, the West Brunswick High School foot ball team was undefeated alter four games and definitely on a roll. Going into last week's game at Fairmont, the Trojans had scored 99 points and given up only 14. Thai's impressive, folks. They had outscorcd their oppo nents by an average of three touch downs a game. And things weren't expected to change at Fairmont, which hadn't won any games this season. While the Trojan offense has been busy racking up points, the de fense has been nothing short of awesome, posting two shutouts anil holding the opponents to two pass ing scores over the first four games. Is that a stingy defense or what? ?I ^ ?? Doug Rutter Thai's lighter than two coals of paint, if you ask mc. The Trojans' biggest win to date came two weeks ago against arch ri val Whiteville, which had been ranked third in the Associated Press 2-A high school football poll. West Brunswick won 1^-7 on the strength of its defense, which held the mighty Wolfpack to minus eight yards rushing and one first down in PHOTO BY BIU. FAVlt THE IARGE, VELVETY IJiAVES of the common mullein can be attractive in the early morning dew. the sccond half. Just how tough is this Trojan de fense? Head Coach Marshall Scay compared them to sharks during a feeding frenzy. Ouch! The coach said they love to hit so hard that they can't practice defense during the week without injuring their teammates. Double Ouch! That might be locker room talk. Then again, maybe it isn't. One thing's for sure, they love to hit and they've got some big dudes on that defense. So why am 1 suddenly on the West Brunswick bandwagon? I'll be honest with you. 1 normal ly don't get tix> enthused about high school football, even if a local team like the Trojans is unbeaten. But the way it looks now, West Brunswick is about the only football team I can pull for ihis season. I'm really not a big college loot ball fan. I wouldn't be too upset if Penn State won another national championship, but that seems highly unlikely at this point in the season. And the bad luck has gotten even worse for my Philadelphia Eagles. It's hard to play pro football with your top two quarterbacks on the sidelines clutching their knees in pain. So the Trojans are my last resort. If they can't continue their great season, then we might as well skip football season and go right to col lege hoops and March Madness. I hale to put pressure on those impressionable high school athletes. But I think they're up to the chal lenge. All 1 ask is that they do their best. One Of The Best Of The Weeds BY BILL FAVKR Some people call it the velvet plant or flannel leaf because of the large, hairy leaves. Others know it as Jacob's staff and shepherd's club, names in spired by the tall, stout stems of yellow flowers during the summer. The scientific name of this weed introduced from Europe is Verbascum lhapsus and it is known to many of us as the common mullein. 1" These wild plants can be found in fields, old pastures, j V J along roadsides and in waste places. They are biennial . plants, requiring two seasons to reach maturity. The first . year the basal rosettes, widi leaves sometimes as long as j one foot, develop and spread close to the ground with gray M green, oblong leaves. _ The second spring produces a tall stem with leaves sim rA R ilar to those on the ground and a dense spike of flowers at the lop. This stem can reach from I to 8 feet tall and will have small yellow flowers in clusters of three, with the center one usually opening first. Each (lower can be an inch or less in size and has five petals. They seem to open a few at the time and will last all the second summer, from June through September. Mulleins were grown in early gardens for their wooly, absorbent leaves which some thought could be used for healing wounds. Sometimes the leaves were used as bandages for wounds to absorb bleeding. We arc told mullein leaves were used like tobacco by the native Americans to relieve asthma. These "weeds" belong to the Figwort family and arc relatives of the fox gloves and toadflax. The species has been hybridized and some ornamental va rieties for the garden can be purchased in pinks, blues, and reds as well as the pale yellow of the natural plant. The hairy leaves arc just right for catching early morning dew and provide a source of water for small insects which can sometimes be found on the large leaves. The velvety leaves arc attractive and we can understand why someone decided "velvet plant" and "flannel leaf' were good names for this imported weed.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 10, 1991, edition 1
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