Common sense
approach can quiet
hunting growls
I feel like a hound dog
after listening to the callers,
visitors and people on the
street who chose to share with
me their feelings about
hunting with dogs over the
past few days.
I’m sure you know what is
coming next is my own
position on this issue and
what I think we should do
about it. If you don’t agree
with me, that’s fine. Just
remember, I had the guts to
print my feelings with my
name attached.
This problem is not new.
Let’s be honest We know that
hunters and properly owners
have had some run-ins in the
past. The first thing we must
do is not pretend that this is a
totally new problem surfacing
for the first time.
Julian Eure and I have
worked different angles of this
story while researching this
situation together. I’ve talked
to at least 70 people. While I
agree that a dispute over a
road may have been the straw
that broke the camel's back, it
is not the main problem here.
The second thing we must do
is not get caught up in a road
dispute and miss the
important issues.
The real issue here
is...same people don’t know
bow to act whether you’re a
hunter or a non-hunter,
whether you’re for or against
hunting with deer dogs,
whether you’re a properly
owner or not, you all know it’s
true. If every hunter respected
the property of others and
observed strict safety rules,
hunting with deer dogs
wouldnr be an issue here.
You hunters know
yourselves that there are a few
of you who tear up people's
property. Some of you get so
excited when you see a deer
that you seem to lose your
minds. Some of you hunt from
the roads and the rights-of
way. Some of you park on the
sides of the road where it is
dangerous and it tears yards
up men it's wet (see mine for
an example). Some of you
shoot too near homes and
toward highways.
We can assume that these
people who are not following
proper hunting safety rules
and etiquette are the minority,
not the majority. But this
minority has certainly caused
a problem for you good
hunters out there. I think
there may be some ways you
can help keep your hunting
rights. Some of them may not
make you popular with the
bad guy hunters. But why in
the Sam Hill would you care?
You may have no choice but
to take a firm stand if you
want to keep your rights to / *
hunt with dogs.
1. Don't warn each other
when “the man" is coming. If
you're really a safe hunter and
you’re not doing anything
wrong, you shouldn't care
who’s coming to check on you.
If you do care, you shouldn’t |
hunt. When you get on that
CB radio to warn your friend
who hunts safely that the
game warden is on his way,
you're also letting those fools
who are handling their guns
Hke maniacs know where the
law is.
2. Police yourselves. If «
there's someone in your hunt
dub you know is one of these
unsafe hunters, kick him out!
.-.s
Ramblin’
with
Susan
Susan Harris
Editor
Why in the world would you
want to put your life into
someone’s hands who is
unsafe?
3. Quit tearing up dirt and
rock roads and paths. I don’t
care if you've got permission
to drive on them or not. You
certainty don’t say too much
for yourself when you tear
them up just because you can
get away with it
4. Report unsafe hunters
to the law. If you know
someone shoots too close to
homes or toward the highway,
report him. You don’t want to
say anything. You don’t want
to get anybody in trouble.
Let’s hope it’s not your wife or
child or mother who gets hit
with a stray bullet one of
these nincompoops shoots.
5. Don’t let so many dogs
run that you can’t keep up
with them. A lot of dogs are let
loose in my neighborhood, but
I have to say they haven’t
caused me any trouble. They
could be troublesome to
others. I know most of you
would walk over hot coals for
your dogs, so try to keep up
with them a little closer. Some
folks don’t like your pride and
jpy- >
6. Don’t be ugly to land
owners who come to you
hunters with concerns. Yes, I
know hunt clubs pay to rent
some land and heaven forbid
the poor soul who chooses to
walk on it (even if he owns it!)
during hunting season. And
don’t run people off of land
unless you’re absolutely sure
they don’t belong there. Come
on, guys, there are plenty of
deer out there to go around. ‘ ,
I promise you good guys *
and bad guys one thing right
now: I will be out with camera
In hand next deer season. And
no, I will not accept any
invitations to ride with a
certain group. That gives that
group an unfair advantage. I
will not allow any specific
group to put on a show for me
while taking me to see the
antics of another - c -,; y;
unsuspecting group. We're all
going to play by the same
rules. I will also take hints
from homeowners who hava
\ lyiH problems.
i. . % ' *
Nothing may come of this
petition to ban hunting with
dogB. But something does
need to come of the genuine
concern some people in this i,
county have about unsafe
hunters...before someone gets
hurt. r/ :,v -i, ;
i:s t v.:
Playing the hand life deals you
Two trials will soon begin in
the California courts. Juiy
selection is already well
underway. The four Los Angeles
police officers who were
acquitted of using excessive
force In arresting Rodney King
will be tried again, this time in
federal court, charged this time
with violating King's civil rights.
And in another courtroom,
the men charged with the attack
on truck driver Reginald Dennle
go on trial. Some Los Angeles
residents have already
speculated about what might
happen should the new Jury not
reach the right' verdict in the
Rodney King case this time. And
though many Angelenos have
expressed sympathy for Reginald
Dennie and their disgust at the
vicious attack on him during the
riots, some say that if the police
officers “get off,” then so should
those accused of beating Dennie.
People say and do a lot of
stupid things when they allow
their emotions to govern their
actions. We should all hope and
pray that, no matter the outcome
of either trial, the people of LJL.
of the whole country, might keep
their cool. But who knows? The
verdict reached in the first trial
struck many as a throwback to
earlier times, times when there
was no videotaped evidence, only
the sworn testimonies of
witnesses at the scene.
Juries heard vivid accounts
of brutalities against Black
citizens at the hands of the
police and others. Those juries
listened dutifully then mostly
found those accused ‘Not Guilty,'
over and over again. Even in the
face of evidence as conclusive as
the tape (and I've seen every hit
r.
[ All Over
5 the Map
;
I Tony Kay > >•’ .
of it that was presented in court),
the jury deckled that the officers
were justified.
I remember how I felt when
my friend John told me the
verdict. I was speechless for a
few moments. (Yeah. I bet a lot of
you would've liked to have been
around for that!) Then I found
my voice. And the more I talked,
the madder I got We couldn't
believe it!
The folks in LA. couldn’t
either. Those touched by the
rioting that followed will attest to
that Bubba and I argued about
the verdict for weeks. The Jury
spoke and that was that Bubba
declared. They were a bunch of
idiots. I screamed. We did agree
about Reginald Dennie. The
people who attacked him, when
found, should be given a fair trial
and if found guilty, be put under
the jailhouse! But there’s even
more trouble on the horizon...the
second trial, the federal one.
It’s a bad idea. If Rodney
King wants to sue those cops
and throw in. the whole LA.
police department for good
measure, fine and dandy. But
the present course of action
looks bad, as if federal
authorities were giving in to the
blood-lust of the mob. And I
can’t envision any juror on this
case honestly saying he or she
could vote “Not Guilty" with the
threat of more violence hanging
In the atr. A fair trial for those
accused is nearly impossible.
The Dennie trial must go
forth; Justice demands It. But
that presents problems, too. The
ones who beat Reginald Dennie
might not be as conclusively
identified as those uniformed t
officers In the King case.
Everybody on that corner,
seemed to be taking potshots at
the helpless truck driver. Were
the men really responsible
apprehended? What lumpens if
they’re found guilty? What If
they’re acquitted?
Reggie Dennie had the right
idea. In interview after interview,
he professes no malice for
attackers. He says he understood
how they must have felt and tt
was just bad luck that he /■
happened to be an available
target on which to vent their
rage. He’s a more forgiving man
than I am. I still boil every time I
see him being set upon by those
thugs. It would be hard for me to
be so full of Christian charity.
But Reginald may be onto
something.
The rule of law says that Us
attackers must be brought to
justice, not only for his sake, but
for the sake of society as a
whole. But Reginald Dennie
doesn’t waste time seeking
revenge, he just picks up the
cards that life dealt Urn and
(days them as best he can.
We could all learn a lesson
from that.
On The Ugh ter Side
And now for last week’s
answers:
1. Bill Cosby’s profession’ on
*1 Spy?" No. not spy. that would
be too obvious. He and Robert
Culp worked undercover as
tennis players.
2. Good Times was a sptn-off
of Maude which was a spin-off of
AM hi The Family.
3. “Fish don't fry In the
Htrhwi hms don't bum on die
grilT are lyrics from The
Jefftrsons (as If you didn't
know!).
Maybe you haven't noticed but.
The Blbbopath. ILL. and Linda
Wilson's used bookstore, has
finally opened downtown In the
old Eagles department store
building. They’re only opening
on Tuesdays right now, so get
there early and stay all day. A
couple of Tuesdays ago. I
stopped in after lunch for a ? '
quick browse, and stayed for a
couple of hours! 1 also bought a
booktitled. What Is The Name Of
This Book? by Raymond
Smullyan. a book full of logical
puzzles, and I thought I'd share
a couple of diem with you.
1. A man was looking at q
portrait Someone asked him,
"Whose picture are you locking
atT He replied. “Brothers and
sisters have I none, but this
man’s father is my father’s soh.“
ffhis man's father” means, of
course, the father of the man^n
the picture.) ^
Whose picture was the man
looking at?
2. A certain street contains ,J
100 buildings. A sign-maker is
called to number the houses *
from 1 to 100. He has to order
numerals to do the job. Without
using pencil and paper, can you
figure out In your head how
many 9"s he van need?
The moment you realize the computer is NOT your friend.
From the mouths of little
sprouts comes most anything.
Entirely right is an old English
proverb which proclaims:
‘‘Children pick up words as
pigeons peas, and utter them
again as God shall please.” Here
are some updated examples:
In an area where little snow
occurs, there was a fluffy, new
fallen coating of it on die ground
when one five-year-old little girl
a out of bed one morning.
ting to her mother to inspect
it too, she announced, “Mom, it
looks Just like the clouds fell
downr
Mrs. Brown struck up a
conversation with the small son
of her new neighbor. “I
understand,” she said, “that you
have two sets of twins at your
house. That's wonderful Are you
<me of the twins?” “No, ma’am.”
was the gloomy response, Tm
Just a spare.”
Daughter Melissa brought
her second-grade report card
home with all B's. Thinking she
could do better, her mother
promised. “If you make straight
A’s. ril give you $5." The child j
disappeared into her room only
to emerge shortly after and
proudlyhand her mother a sheet
of paper on which she'd written .
Gail
Winds
M*'
Gail Roberson
: w--'
Syndicated Columnis
several big A’s. “Mom,'' Melissa
quizzed her mother expectantly,’
Tue these straight enough?"
“Mama," Chuck age seven at
the time, wanted to know after ;
he’d been rehearsing for the
church's Christmas program,
“did the shepherds haveapan?"
That puzzled his mother. Then
Chuck explained, “I was just |
wondering, because we were f
singing about the shepherds as f
they washed their socks at night.
“I’m in a tough spot,” the
small boy said to his mother.
“The teacher said I must write
more legibly, but if I do. she’s
to find out that I can’t
h
Another little bay came home
Sected from his first day at
tool. “Ain’t goin’ tomorrow," he
said. “Why not, dear?” asked
mother. “Well,” the child replied.
“I can’t read 'n I can't write 'n %
they wont let me talk, so whafs
theus<f
•-.M
oi'p"'
wuc uuupic s» mui diwoys
wanted a brother. One day. when
he was small, his mother read
him a billboard promoting a
motel's special rate. “Kids are
free," the mother noted to him
outloud from the advertisement
The child's free brightened. “Oh.
Mom." he chirped, “can we stop
by there and get one?"
A woman had two peach pies
in the oven, and her mother-in
law was on her way over for
dinner. Nervously, she kept
pulling the pies out of the oven
to check on them. It wasn't long
before she’d punched several 4
holes in the crusts with her -Si
thumb, and the pies were looking
pretty messy. What to do?
linking quickly, she stirred the
Dies well, poured them into an
oblong dish, and finished baking
them. Her “peach cobbler"
turned cut to be a big hit. and
the day was saved. Next
rooming, her three-year-old son
innocently asked her. “Mommy,
when are you gonna clobber ”
another pie?”
Four-year-old, Bobby. >
stroking his cat before the
fireplace in perfect content The
cat. also happy, began to purr
loudly. Bobby gazed at her for a
while, then suddenly seized her
by the tail and dragged her
K'-:
tuugiuy dwcty uuui uic ncarui.
His mother said. “You must not
hurt your kitty. Bobby." “I'm
not," said Bobby. “But I've got to
get her away from die fire. She's
beginning to boil.”
The Utde boy’s mother had
called Mm and four of his
friends in from the backyard
where they were playing. She
seated them around the kitchen
table and proceeded to open a |!f
large bottle of one-calorie diet
cola. One of the little fellows ' 5 ;
watched carefully as she filled £
each of the five glasses. Then
said. "I wonder which one of uf
got the calorie." »
And here's a young girl whd
Is destined to succeed in life. ; j
She visited a farm one day and^
wanted to buy a huge iSJ
watermelon. “That's three »
dollars," said die farmer, "
printing to a large one. “I've ari$f
got thirty cents," replied the 2
young gtri. The farmer pointed 2
out a very small watermelon in
the field and said, "How about *
that one?" “Okay. I'll take it." Z
said the Utde girl, “but le»ve it %
on the vine, I'D be back for it in.*
month." 3:
The Perquim ans Weekly ; V
welcomes the opinions of Its ■ v
readers. We print letters to the
editor on subjects of local, state,
national and international
Internal. y*,
Letters should be limited to
300-350 words and should
- Include the name, address, and
telephone number of the writer.
Only the name and address will
be published with the letter.
Letters not containing this
infoimation will not be printed.
The subject matter should be
of Interest to the community, not
a personal gripe. Letters may be
edited for clarity anus space
teutlwUuua. 'T .5- ?i , : (
Mall letters to: The " *
Perquimans Weekly. P.O. Box ■*
277. Hertford. N.C. 27944, or *
drop them by our office at 219.W.
Grubb Street. s**1-: