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KIMG^ MOUIiTNh MIRROR
VOL. 88 NO. »1
TXraiSDAY, NOVEMBER IB. 1977
15«
HGRI^LD
llie weather forecast calls for fair
and continued cool temperatures
today with highs In the BOs and lows
In the 30s. Wednesday will bring a bit
warmer weather with highs In the
60b and lows In the 40b on Thursday
morning.
Last Friday At Cemetery
.V
Veterans Day Program
Draws A Large Crowd
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Mrs. B. M. Jarrett of Shelby.
Veterains Day speaker FTlday at 11
a. m. ceremonies In Veterans Park
of Mountain Rest Cemetery,
challenged Kings Mountain citizens
to conserve energy, to elect the right
people in government, to step up
psLilotic endeavors and be aware of
the status of our nation’s defense
which will bring action In our letters
to elected officials.
Hie program was sponsored by
American Legion Post 156 and
Auxiliary. Frank G. Glsuis Post 9811
and Auxiliary and the City of Kings
Mountain.
Placing of a red, white and blue
memorial wreath by Mayor John
Mops and repreaertattves of the two
ij 'f?
'A,
Friday’s gathering in Mountain Rest Cemetery for Veterans Day program
veterans organizations highlighted
the service which was held In front
of the cross with U. S. flags flying on
67 veterans graves and an Eternal
Flame In the background.
Prior to the program, members of
the Kings Mountain Senior High
Band, under the direction of Donald
Deal, played a prelude of patriotic
music. Hie Invocation was given by
Dave Delevle, chaplain of VFW Post
9811, the pledge of allegiance was led
by Mrs. Orangrel B. Jolly and Mrs.
Jackie Barrett led the group singing
of ‘ The National Anthem.” Mike
Sanders played "Taps” as the
benediction.
Mrs. Stonewall Jackson, Mrs. Aud
Hgnor, Mrs. Dave Delevle and Mrs.
Ben Case advanced and retired the
colors.
Mayor John Moss welcomed the
group and recognized Senior
Citizens and Gold Star Mothers,
Fathers, Sisters and Parents as
special guests.
Senator J. Ollle Harris also
brought greetings and announced
that since public feeling was so
strong this Is the last year Veterans
Day was observed In October. In
1978, Nov. 11 will once more he a
legal holiday and will also be a
holiday for school children.
"Americans have s greater
significance of Nov. 11 as the day set
aside each year by a grateful nation
to remember and honor those, living
and dead, who fought to win and
preserve our freedom,” said the
Senator.
Mrs. Jarrett, past national
president of the American Legion
Auxiliary, recalled her visits to
national cemeteries during her year
of service and told the group that our
national cemeteries are well kept as
the final resting place of our war
dead.
Senator Harris congratulated the
city for establishing a Veteran's
Park at Mountain Rest and
Mrs. Jarrett
Cemetery and subsequently the
memorial cross and eternal flame.
He also commended Cemetery Supt.
Ken Jenkins and his staff for their
fine work on maintenance of the
beautiful grounds.
"Liberty should not be taken for
granted,” declared Mrs. Jarrett, “It
Is something we have to work at. She
read excerpts from "America's Past
and Future,” and noted that
Veterans Day goes back to that
great outpouring of relief, of
patriotism. of prayerful
thanksgiving and unrestrained joy
which marked the end of the first
Worid War She said that perhaps
never again will our nation witness
the jubilation of that first Armistice
Day.
David Harrison At Rotary
Probation Officer Sheds Some Light
DAVID HARRISON ...probation, parole otiicer
By TOM MCINTYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
Criminals In Turkey face very real
threats of severe punishment when
convicted of felonious crimes.
First, they receive prison Ume and
a reprimand. The second offense
conviction gets the criminal’s left
hand chopped off, the third, his right
hand, and the fourth, hla head.
This practice Is called extinction
and the theory la that If the criminal
la not around he cannot commit
further crimes against society.
North Carolina’s correction
department has the power to
practice extinction, although not as>
aeverely as the Turks, but rarely
does It happen, according to David
Harrison.
Harrison Is a young probation and
parole officer for the state working
In Cleveland County. Laat Thursday
he was the guest speaker at Kings
Ifouitaln Rotary Club’s luncheon
where he telked about his job.
'"niere Is a rising crime rate In
Ctoveland County, JuA as It Is
everywhere In the world today,”
Harrison said. “When the population
Increases, so does the crime rats.
HMre Is a doctor In Washington, D.
C. who believes there Is no help for
some criminals because they are
bom criminals and cannot function
on any other level.”
Hsrrison said the corrections
programs that can help convicted
persons despite what "the D. C.
doctor says.” He also Intimated that
the doctor may be correct to some
dgree, too, because 66 percent of the
tsLT heels convicted and sent to
prison return there for committing
more offenses.
"We as probation and parole of
ficers do have ultimate goals In
mind when working with people
convicted of crimes,” Harrison said.
“We have to work with them to try to
get them to change their behavior
patterns. We have to forget what Is
past and begin working with them at
the moment we get them. We look at
probation as a contract. As long as
they keep the provisions of the
contract everything- works. When
they violate the contract, probation
ends and they do time In prison.”
Harrison said he and his fellow
workers have four methods they can
apply In working with convlctees.
First, there Is positive rein
forcement. "This Is simply a system
of reward for doing things correc
tly,” he said. ”I feel we should have
this type of system In society before
a person commits a crime. We
should have It In schools before a
student drops out.
“If you have a rebellious student
who finally is expelled from school.”
Harrison continued, “then the school
Is giving him exactly what he
wanted”
reinforcement. Harrison said this Is
simply reprimanding the person
when he breaks the rules. "You let
him know he has done something
wrong and that you get no rewards
for this,” he said.
Hilrd Is punishment. ‘The theory
here is If you punish someone and It
hurts, he won’t do It again,”
Harrison said. "This doesn’t always
work. Some people would be
terrified to have to spend time in
prison. But If you were raised in the
system, building time as a juvenile
and later several times as an adult,
the threat of going back to prison
doesn’t bother you as much.”
Harrison died a case of a man
charged with non-support of four
children, all by four different
women. He said it was confusing In
court. The man was found guilty and
ordered to pay so much support to
each of the women for each child.
When he got about 12.000 behind In
payments the women had him sent
to jail.
"’nus was like a vacation for the
man,” Harrison said. “Prison for a
lot of criminals Is like that. They get
to where they know that a six month
sentence can mean only spending 66
days behind bars."
Harrison said prisoners learn that
If they spend each day In their cells,
never going out during exercise
periods, they receive eight days
credit per day. If they go out each
at a time. If a prisoner agrees to
work at some job each day he Is lot
out of the ceU, then he knows he
earns 16 days credit for each day he
works.
"Smoking pot Is a criminal of
fense.” Harrison said. “You can be
arrested suid possibly convicted and
sent to prison for smoking pot. But In
prison smoking pot Is only a rule
violation. A lot of criminals learn
quickly they get three hots and a cot
In prison, something they probably
didn’t get on the outside.”
Harrison said many criminals
know there is no real threat to them
In North Carolina and many other
states. “And without having the
threat of a punlahment, something
that the convlctee considers a
punishment, then we have little
chance to help that person develop a
behavioral change.
‘”nils leads us to extinction,” he
continued. "We can put them away
to where they cannot hurt society
anymaore, only themselves and
their peer groups In prison. With this
there Is no chance of rehabilitation.”
Harrison said the only solution to
the rising crime rate Is to do
something to help people change
their behavior - positive rein
forcement — before they turn to
crime.
"We cannot reward people for
doing wrong and expect them not to