Page 4A-THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Thursday, June 25, 1992
Opinions
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JIM
HEFFNER
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Columnist
Following the dream
There are some weird people in this world. All you
have to do is read the newspaper or take a look at the
tube news.
Last week an over-the-hill rock group from the 60's
appeared in the world class city and I was fascinated to
find that some of their "groupies" have been following
the band for more than 15 years.
I'm speaking of the "Grateful Dead." The people
who trail around after the band are called
"Deadheads." : 5
When I say trail around after them, I mean night af-
ter night, wherever the band is appearing. These peo-
ple don't have jobs. Their sole purpose on earth is to
attend "Grateful Dead” concerts.
Most of them make their money selling drugs. I sup-
pose they sell to each other, I don't know.
When the group appeared in Charlotte, over 70 peo-
ple were arrested, most for possession of narcotics.
They don't go for any newfangled drugs, just marijua-
na, LSD and mescaline--the substances of the 60's.
Last year, while the band was in town, one of the
"Deadheads" murdered another one. I don't know how
that turned out, but I thought it ironic that the guy who
was murdered probably had been following the band
since high school. In other words, he lived and died
with the "Grateful Dead."
I saw, on the tube news, a family consisting of a
man, a woman and a child. The parents looked to be in
their 30's and the child about six. This little family was
ragged and haggard. They were "Deadheads," and the
father told the interviewer they had to hurry and get on
the road in order to make it to the next concert site in
me.
If I live to be a real old man, I don't think I'll ever
understand why some people attach themselves to so-
called celebrities. To me it's one of the real mysteries
of life.
L.A. UPDATE - Los Angeles police records indicate
that 30% of those arrested in the rioting were illegal
aliens, most from Mexico.
Illegal immigrants cost U.S. taxpayers $140.5 mil-
lion in 1990-1991. All a family needs to do is get
across the border and they immediately qualify for
welfare and Aid To Families With Dependent
Children.
Now the illegals are joining in the robbing, looting
and stealing. Do you think any of our fine, upstanding
congressmen or senators will take steps to do anything
about that? Not on your tintype.
House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt had this
* to say about the recently-passed Emergency Urban Aid
bill: "This bill is not nearly as much as I wanted it to
be, but at least it's something to begin to resolve the
problem."
The bill is for one billion dollars, and was brought
on by the looting of Los Angeles. Originally the
Gephardts of the world asked for two billion but
George (RML) Bush threatened to veto.
So your government tries to solve another problem
by throwing tax dollars at it--your tax dollars.
And, speaking of illegal immigrants, I see where the
Mexican police crossed the border into Douglas,
Arizona and seized two men at gunpoint the same day
the U.S. Supreme Court infuriated the Mexican gov-
ernment by ruling that it is ok for agents to cross bor-
ders to nab fugitives.
THE POET IN ME - When Dan Quayle proved he
couldn't spell potato, all I wanted to do was say, "Mr.
VP, say it ain't soe!” Instead, I was inspired to com-
pose several bad rhymes. With apologies to all, here
are a couple:
Poem number one:
Daniel Quayle is our VP
A scholar he is not
Potato is spelled without an "E"
His spelling ain't so hot
When reelection plans are made
To Southerners he should cater
We always call a spade a spade
And a potato is a ‘tater
Poem number two:
Ross Perot would like to be
The leader of us all
I'm not too sure I want to see
Him standing quite so tall
He hems and haws and grins, this gent
And never says a word
To consider him for president
is dumb if not absurd.
Th-th-that's all folks.
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Back issues, ane month ¥
Our View
GIRLS GLEE CLUB IN 1933 AT
KMHS - The Girls Glee Club at KMHS in 1933 is pictured. Back
Nostalgia Corner
row, from left, C. Hord, R. Putnam, H. Williams, M. Ware, M. J. Logan, D. Plonk, and L. Fulton. Front
row, D. Plonk, M. Cooper, F. H. Patterson, S. Collins, M. S. McGinnis, and Eva Suber. The director,
Daphine Doster, now resides in the resident section of The Methodist Home, 3420 Shamrock Drive,
Charlotte. She said she donated some of the music records of the group to UNC-G for its history collec-
tion. Doster taught in Kings Mountain three years.
When will Perot respond?
In this strangest of election years, a slight, plain-
talking Texan appears to have captured the country's
imagination.
Ross Perot's ascendancy to prominence is not based
on normal criteria. He is without a party, a platform,
experience, issues and solutions,
What he has is money and a way of talking that
lights a fire in the belly of middle America.
Perot's singular claim to fame is a private comman-
do raid into Iran to free two employees from jail, a
mission that was spectacularly successful.
Some have described his Iranian adventure as fool-
hardy and unnecessary risk-taking. Had he failed it is
probable that several people might have been captured
or killed. Perhaps even Perot himself.
Be that as it may, the diminutive Texas billionaire
has convinced a multitude of people that the U. S. gov-
ernment is a business and he is the man to manipulate
the purse strings.
Perot's popularity continues to grow as he consis-
tently evades questions surrounding all the normal is-
sues a presidential contender must eventually deal
with.
His unwillingness to engage in public debate while
maintaining a high level of appeal may be laying the
groundwork for a new strategy when it comes’ {Girne
ning for.national office. + : 70. di
There will come a time, probably following: the
Republican and Democratic conventions, when Perot
will be forced to respond to the media, for they are re-
lentless and will not be denied. Already many have
started digging into his past and many questions will
undoubtedly be raised in the near future.
The question becomes: "Will that day signal Perot's
downfall, or will it be his finest hour?"
Whatever happens, his independent candidacy has
the Bush and Clinton camps in a dither, bordering on
panic. Where there was once talk of victory, there are
now private rumblings of possible defeat.
At this juncture, when any poll is taken, it invariably
shows Perot in the lead by a couple of percentage
points over Bush, with Clinton trailing. More and
more, when we hear Bush and Clinton on the stump,
Perot's name is mentioned.
Could it be that this country is ready for a third na-
tional party?
Only time will tell.
Responsible medicine
Representative Wayne Owens, D-Utah recently
penned an article in Secure Retirement magazine re-
garding health and long term care for the aged.
One of the statistics the Congressman included in
his informative piece is startling and should make ev-
eryone sit up and take notice.
Owens said: "Almost 250 million Americans lack
affordable and adequate long-term care insurance. We
virtually make no provisions for people with disabili-
ties and chronic illnesses. Medicaid pays for nursing
home care, but only after all resources are depleted.
And it provides very little assistance for in-home
care."
What that means is that nearly none of us have ade-
quate health insurance. The nation's population isn't
much more than his figure.
idewalk Survey
Health insurance premiums have risen sharply in the
past ten years and the cost of medical care and pre-
scription medicine has gone up accordingly.
,All these factors, along with a sagging economy,
have combined to instill fear in most people over 50.
They know that a long-term illness can wipe out hard-
won financial and emotional resources.
Every day, more and more companies reduce group
medical benefits and charge employees more for the
little they do provide.
Home with Alzheimer's victims and children with
muscular diseases have very few places they can turn.
Parents caring for a child with cerebral palsy spend all
their time caring for their stricken child, without a
break in most cases.
This country is directly on course for a major health
care crisis. There are committees in Congress now
looking hard at the situation, but the wheels of govern-
ment never move quickly.
Doctors, hospitals and drug supply firms need to get
their acts together. There is a bill before Congress
right now that would limit how much they could
charge for their products and services, the Health
Insurance and Cost Control Act. i:
Canada has ‘socialized medicine and most Canadians
will tell you it is a bad system, with long lines and
careless medical attention. Many, who live along the
U. S. border opt for American care by driving a few
miles sough.
This country doesn't need socialized medicine, we
simply need a more responsible medical community.
Red Cross after blood
Give blood.
That's the plea of local Red Cross officials who
say blood inventory is seriously short.
Two factors increase patient need for blood in the
summer.
The number of people traveling on our highways
means an increase in car and motorcycle accidents.
There are also people who are injured in boating ac-
cidents and with fireworks mishaps that require
blood transfusions. :
More organ transplants are available due to these
increased deaths. Some organ transplants--especially
‘liver transplants--can require as many as 150 units of
blood. When blood supplies are low, it's possible that
enough blood won't be available to perform these
surgeries.
On the flipside, officials say they have a harder
time recruiting donors in the summer. The high
school and college population base is not available--
and this accounts for 25 percent of donations.
Community and corporate bloodmobiles also de-
crease because of summer vacations.
The following blood types are currently at emer-
gency shortage levels: O positive, O negative, A neg-
ative, B negative, and B positive.
Three opportunities for you to give blood are in
Gastonia next week: at Freightliner, 1400 Tulip
Drive, between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m.; at Jaycees
building at 201 Clay Street between 3 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. June 25 and at the American Red Cross Chapter
House, 190 S. Oakland Street, 2 p.m.-6:30 p.m. July
6.
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~ Switzerland, Sabastian Bub of Germany and Trine
To the Editor:
Goodbye to baseball, hot dogs, Thanksgiving and
Fourth of July, among other uniquely American tradi-
tions. But not goodbye to the warm memories collect-
ed during their high school year abroad with EF
Foundation.
Foreign exchange students, like Patrick Frei of
Tommesen of Denmark, throughout our community
are packing their suitcases and preparing to return to
their native countries around the world. They will take
with them a new maturity and self-confidence, as well
as a broadened view of the world, after spending a
year immersed in another culture. They will leave be-
hind a host family, high school and community that
has grown with them through increased understanding
of cultural differences.
EF Foundation is a non-profit organization, dedicat-
“ed to the promotion of international understanding
through student exchange. All EF Foundation students
are fully insured, speak English, and bring their own
spending money. A new group of exchange students
will arrive in your community in August, anxious to
learn about the American way of life. If you or some-
one you know is interested in sharing your community,
and your America, with a someone from another land,
please call 1-800-44-SHARE.
Bob & Diana Little
Thanks for support
To the editor:
We would like to thank the Kings Mountain School
Board, Dr. Bob McRae, Jackie Lavender, the Kings
Mountain High School staff and the Kings Mountain
Middle School staff for their support and help in mak-
ing our tennis camps successful, ;
We are also very appreciative of the community
support we received from Harris Funeral Home,
McDonald's and the Kings Mountain Herald.
Barbara Jones
Kathy James
Could be Dodge City
To the editor:
In response to "Is this Dodge City?" letter in last
week's Herald.
Dodge City, as I remember, consisted of horses, oth-
er animals, a saloon, drunks and unlawful citizens.
Well, I suppose, Mr. Rathbone, that Bennett Drive just
about qualifies.
On one end of Bennett Drive, there are indeed hors-
es and other animals (mine), and on the opposite end
of Bennett Drive there are usually a yard full of
drunks. :
Our animals are in control. They are made to com-
ply with supervision from their rider and behave man-
nerably. However, residents at the other house appear
to be somewhat dazed and out of control and I know
this because you see them all during the day and night
stagger past your house. Needless to say, we have nev-
er felt like it was necessary to address until now -- we
try to mind our own business. ;
Our horses are not an eyesore to the community.
Their beauty and eagerness to do the right things are
very evident to people. I find no beauty, however,
when I have to pick up beer cans in the morning nor
am. I thrilled to be kept awake or. awakened during the
night by grown adults. Now, can you believe the ani-
mals are at my house? I think not.
As for the smell, Mr. Rathbone, I think it might just
be in someone else's yard.
Truthfully,
Don and Carolyn Guiton (alias Marshall Matt
Dillon and Miss Kitty).
Herald Letter Policy
The Herald welcomes your letters to the editor for
publication in each week's paper. Please follow
these guidelines:
Keep the letters brief and to the point. Type or
write them legibly. All letters must be signed and
include the complete address and telephone number
of the writer. Unsigned letters will not be published.
The Herald reserves the right to edit the letters for
spelling, slanderous or libelous statements, and re-
serves the right to reject any letter for any reason.
Mail your letters to Letters to the editor, P.O. Box
769, Kings Mountain, 28086. Hand-delivered letters
will not be accepted.
|
Do you favor a balanced budget amendment?
WILLIAM C. JAMES
KELLY RAYBORN
Yes Sure :
GEORGE MAIDA
MNT
THORNBURG Yes
Yes
KEN ROBERTS LUTHER BENNETT
Yes Yes
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