Gi
JIM
HEFFNER
&
Columnist
ost time
They're off and running!
Don't you just hate this time of year? Shake a bush
just about anywhere and a politician will drop out. It's
scary.
I get especially tired of national and state elections.
It seems to me that the television ads and news
coverage are endless. They ought to pass a law that
says TV ads can run for ten minutes a day and no
more. I know that's wishing for utopia but all things
are possible.
I do find that people in general are looking at politi-
cians in a different light this year. Conservatives have
been saying for years that news coverage is biased
when a clear-cut liberal is in the race. Now others are
noticing.
My keeper has never been interested in politics,
though she does keep abreast of current events, but the
other morning, Katy Couric, of the NBC morning
show was interviewing someone in Homestead,
Florida. I think it might have been the city manager.
The first five questions out of her mouth concerned
whether Floridians were satisfied with how the presi-
dent has reacted to the disaster created by hurricane
Andrew.
Ann perked up right away, much to my surprise.
"Listen to her!" she isn't even interested in the welfare
of those unfortunate people. All she wants to do is stir
something up against Bush." This from a woman who
idolizes Katy Couric.
After she told me the same thing had been going on
for days, I got interested and made it a point to watch
Couric all week. She continued with the same type
questions to anybody in Florida who would listen.
Finally, Thursday morning, Katy interviewed two offi-
cials, again in Homestead, and one of them gave her
the answers she'd been seeking all week. Yes,
Floridians were unhappy with the President's actions
regarding Andrew's devastation, and yes he though the
two trips by Bush to South Florida were politically
motivated.
Remarkably, the same gentleman tripped himself by
saying that Clinton's visit to the area had nothing to do
with politics. He came as a "concerned citizen."
Then there was the Emmy awards show. A show
that was described by CNN as a three-hour political
advertisement for the Democratic Party.
Jay Leno commented that he had trouble deciding
whether he was watching the Emmys or the
Democratic convention.
Someone counted 28 shots at Dan Quayle, with
Candace Bergen leading the pack.
You will remember that the Vice-president had a
few things to say about the morality of depicting an il-
‘leginmate birth on the Murphy Brown show 4 few
months ago. Bergen and Diane English were enraged
with the Quayle comment and took every opportunity
to bash him. |
I'm no Dan Quayle fan, but I must give credit where
credit is due. He stood up the next day and called them
liars, saying winning an Emmy is not a license to lie. I
liked that response. :
Bergen and English, along with most in Hollywood
who involve themselves in political campaigns, are be-
ing referred to these days as the "Cultural Elite." BUt
that just applies to Democrats. You never hear
Charlton Heston and Tom Selleck described as part of
the "Cultural Elite."
1 have heard that the first Murphy Brown show of
the new TV season will be a response to the Quayle re-
marks, Television loses me when it gets away from en-
tertaining or informing and ventures into the social
arena.
Remember "Designing Women" after Clarence
Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court? They
did a segment on sexual harassment and tried their ut-
most to crucify Thomas and the Judicial Committee
that confirmed him.
That was Linda Bloodworth-Thomason'’s political
contribution. She owns the show and is a bleeding
heart in the classical sense. She is also from Arkansas
and produced a Bill Clinton-is-the-greatest-man-in-
the-world film for the Democratic National
Convention. I thought I would throw up.
1 wonder what makes those celebrity types think
they're any smarter than anyone else? By and large
they are the most immoral group of people in the
country. Smart? Most of them act like they flunked
first grade several times.
Sometimes I just wiih they'd all go away and leave
us alone, but I suppose that isn't likely to happen. After
all, it is that time of year. The time when all the
loonies are loose and running wide open.
I wish I was filthy rich, I'd buy and island some-
where and hibernate every fourth year.
Again we
President Harry Truman called it
“our four-yearly spasm.” That's right.
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SUSPEND OUR SES
B\& SpeiwrRS JB
Guest Column. By Thomas C. Goolshy
Your Right To Say It
make their views known in a readily
understandable form.
Repeal prison cap
Prison is no longer a deterrent to criminals in
North Carolina. The Prison Cap and the Consent
Decree entered into with our state's criminals has
forced the Department of Corrections to release
many prisoners when they have served only a frac-
tion of their time.
Crime in North Carolina is increasing at an alarm-
ing rate. Law enforcement officers, prosecutors and
judges are sending more criminals to prison than ever
before, but the Prison Cap and Consent Decree are
frustrating their hard work. The General Assembly,
with the support and advice of the current Attorney
General, did a great disservice to our state by unnec-
essarily capping our prison population and by enter-
ing into a consent decree that is costing North
Carolina millions of dollars.
The alleged impending "federal takeover" due to
prison overcrowding is sighted by N.C. Attorney
General Thornburg as the main reason for our state's
adoption of the Consent, Decree. However, the
. Attorney General's office has never offered any evi- 3
dence showing an effort by the U.S. Justice
Department to takeover our prison system. When
other states were fighting and winning cases with
similar allegations of prison overcrowding, North
Carolina simply gave the criminals what they want-
ed. The federal court records show that the Attorney
General's office made a valiant effort at first, but
quickly gave up the fight. They agreed to the in-
mates’ demands of reduced prison numbers, nicer liv-
ing conditions, better toilet facilities and tastier food.
The inmates agreed not to riot and tear everything up.
The cost of the multi-million dollar settlement was
and is still being paid for by the North Carolina tax-
payers. Recently, when a candidate for the Attorney
General's office questioned Thornburg's actions,
Thornburg's response was that the candidate was
simply "blowing hot air."
The result of Thornburg's policies and the actions
by the General Assembly are that criminals now
spend only about one month in jail for, every year of
their prison sentences. There is nothing complicated
about why this occurs. Under the Prison Cap and the
Consent Decree, the state has been forced to limit
North Carolina's prison population. Once the limit on
the number of inmates allowed into the prison system
is reached, the Parole Commission starts releasing
prisoners until the prison system is below the limit.
Currently, only 20,000 inmates can be held in our
state's prisons, no matter how many criminals are
sentenced to prison for their crimes.
The result is that no one can tell you how long a
criminal will actually stay in jail in North Carolina.
The primary determinate as to how much time an in-
mate will stay in prison is simply how many other
© criminals are waiting on the inmate's prison cell. This
is part of the reason that a criminal ends up serving
only one month for every year of his sentence. No
matter how good a job law enforcement officers,
‘prosecutors and judges do, they cannot stop the ef-
hear the 'Voices of America’
ferred to Jackson's heroism in the War
of 1812, and it painted a reassuring
It’s presidential election time again.
And as part of the ritual, we tune in
night after night to see and hear the
latest from candidates George Bush
and Bill Clinton. Electronic media
keep us connected to the candidates
by giving us up-to-the-minute reports
on where they stand on the issues, as
well as the most intricate details of
their lives.
It wasn’t always so easy for Ameri-
cans to get a feel for their presidential
candidates. Before radio and television
brought candidates into our homes,
Americans formed their opinions in'a
more rudimentary fashion — often
based on slogans or catch phrases.
A candidate’s entire campaign could
rise or fall on a catchy saying embla-
zoned on a banner or button, or
chanted by citizens who wanted to
According to political columnist
William Safire, “good slogans have
rhyme, rhythm, or alliteration to make
them memorable; great slogans may
have none of these, but touch a chord
of memory, release pent-up hatreds,
or stir men’s better natures.” In
his “Political Dictionary,” Safire made
note of many themes that recur
in slogans, including ones that are
promissory ($20 a Day and Roast
Beef); warnings (Coolidge or Chaos);
a call for change (Had Enough?);
and challenging (Fifty-Four Forty
or Fight).
While perhaps not the most memo-
rable slogan, onc of the carlicst re-
corded campaign slogans appeared in
the 1828 presidential campaign of
Andrew Jackson. “The gallant & suc-
cesshul defender of New Orleans” re-
picture of strength and courage
for voters.
Slogans that touch on our greatest
fears can be particularly powerful tools
during an election. In 1916, the
slogan “He kept us out of war” helped
propel Woodrow Wilson to a second
presidential term. While Americans
anxious to avoid war took stock in
Wilson's slogan, that faith did not
keep us isolated from the conflict in
Europe. Five months after the election,
America entered World War 1.
And Franklin D. Roosevelt's
1932 campaign slogan underscored
America’s cconomic insecurity by re-
minding voters that he was not at the
helm when the Great Depression
started in 1929 — “In Hoover we
trusted, now we are busted.”
What makes slogans so popular?
fects of the Consent Decree and Prison Cap.
These criminals who are released early are not go-
ing back to the streets of North Carolina as rehabili-
tated, law-abiding citizens. According to statistics
from the Department of Corrections, the recidivism
rate for inmates has gone up 40 percent, since the
Prison Cap was imposed and the Consent Decree was
implemented. This means that the convicted crimi-
nals who are released early have gone right back to
their lives of crime. At the same time, the amount of
time served in prison, relative to the sentence im-
posed in the courtroom, has declined by 50 percent
while there has been a 45 percent increase in reported
crime. The result is that the innocent people of North
Carolina continue to suffer while criminals go free.
Those like Attorney General Thornburg, who are
arguing for the continuation of the Prison Cap and
the Consent Decree, say that we must keep it in place
because our prisons are full and we have entered into
a federal settlement with our prisons’ inmates.
‘However, the facts do not support these contentions.
- In January of this year, U.S. Attorney General Barr
stated that he wanted to help the states operate at the
same capacity level as the federal prisons. The feder-
al prisons currently operate at 165 percent capacity
and do so without violating the Constitution's prohi-
_ bition against cruel and unusual punishment. If North
Carolina took the help that Barr is offering, it is pos-
sible that we could take an additional 13,000 crimi-
nals off our cities’ streets. We could also save almost
half a billion dollars in new construction costs.
Repealing the Prison Cap is the first step. Next, we
must tackle the federal consent decree entered into
between North Carolina and the prisons’ inmates.
Once the Cap is lifted, parts of the decree will be vio-
lated. However, paragraph 14 of the decree allows
North Carolina to seek modifications due to "unfore-
seen emergencies." Our state's unexpected and ever
increasing crime and recidivism rates cry out as "un-
foreseen emergencies."
The repeal of the Prison Cap and modification of
the Consent Decree are necessary requirements for
attacking our current crisis in crime. Only by locking
up criminals and keeping them off our streets can we
make our cities and towns safe places to live. The
problems faced by the innocent citizens of North
Carolina must be realistically addressed. Their cries
for help are not simply "hot air.” Society must have
the ability to sanction those who choose to break its
laws. Currently, in North Carolina, we do not have
such an ability and our high crime rate should sur-
prise no one.
Thomas C. Goolsby
Copyright 1992, Carolina Syndicated Columns
Thanks, KM
To the Editor:
Ten years ago, my family and I moved to Kings
Mountain. First Presbyterian Church on East King
Street had called me to be minister. Now, we move to
Clarksburg, West Virginia, in order for me to accept
the call extended by First Presbyterian Church there.
We leave Kings Mountain with a rich treasure of
friendships and memories. My wife, Linda, has taught
in the Kings Mountain District Schools, our children
have been educated here: Andrew and Bethan graduat-
ed from high school, James and Annalouise began in
kindergarten. Like so many families, the children were
involved in many activities and adventures, which al-
lowed us to get to know many families in Kings
Mountain. We all are glad that Kings Mountain has
been our home.
We Fausts leave with a profound sense of gratitude
for having had the privilege of serving in the name of
Christ Jesus, this wonderful First Presbyterian congre-
gation. We leave with a deep thankfulness for having
been able to participate "city-wide" in genuine
Christian witness and mission. We leave with deep and
vital thanksgiving in having been part of a town that
genuinely cares about the "neighbors,"/ the “sisters and
brothers,"/ and the "sojourners." I speak of the gener-
ous and responsible mission that Kings Mountain car-
ries out through its KM Ministerial ASsociation Crisis
Ministry, through the wider strength of the KM United
Way, and through the many important volunteer orga-
nizations that serve to make Kings Mountain one of
the premier cities in North Carolina.
I believe most firmly that as Christian individuals
and their Christian churches in a city offer united and
cooperative mission; as people enact that which scrip-
ture tells us is the mark of being a Christian; "the love
that Christians have for one another”; then a most sig-
nificant word, a lasting real word is given irretrievably
to the whole community.
Thank you for allowing me to share in such a mis-
sion with so many of you. Thank you for calling my
family and me, "friend."
Eric M. Faust
Praise for band
To the editor:
I would like to praise the Kings Mountain High
School Marching Band.
They started out in August, before school started,
and was practicing on the field at an early 9 a.m. until
11 a.m., and went back at 6 p.m. and stayed until late
8:30 p.m. learning to march and play their music for
our entertainment at the upcoming football games, for
both stadium and half-time enjoyment.
. It got very hot and tiring for them at times, but as
dedicated as these students are to their band, they till
pushed on. :
These 146 young men and women need some sort of
recognition, as do Chris Cole and Gil Dogget. The ba-
nd program at the high school is well organized and
will be a treat at the upcoming games.
I am very proud of the efforts of these individuals,
and anyone with a child in this band should be proud
also. So, look forward to a great sounding, and huge
band this year.
Denise Huckabee
TOP 10 COUNTRY SONGS
OF ALL TIME
1. "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
-George Jones:
2. "When | Call Your Name"
-Vince Gill
3. "The Dance” -Garth Brooks
4. "Crazy" -Patsy Cline
5. "I Fall To Pieces”
: -Patsy Cline
6. "El Paso” -Marty Robbins
7. "Your Cheatin’ Heart" AS
re -Hank Williams
8. "I'm So Lonsome | Could Cry"
-Hank Williams
9. "Sixteen Tons"
Bho -Tennessee Ernie Ford
10. "Lovesick Blues" :
-Hank Williams
Source - Country American Magazine, September 1992"
According to Thomas A. Bailey, one
of the foremost experts on campaign
slogans and author of’ the book
“Voices of America,” slogans are | I. Inyourheart you know he’s right. A. Wendell Willkie
“about the only medium through | 2. Inyourguts you know he’s nuts. B. Richard Nixon
which large numbers of ordinary citi- | 3. It might have been worse. C. Bary Goldwater
zens can express their views person- | 4. 60 million people working — why change? D. Lyndon Johnson
ally and repeatedly for or against given | 5. We don’t want Eleanor either. E. Gerald Ford
candidates or propositions.” 6. Three good terms deserve another. E. Harry Truman
Others are not so charitable about | 7 ye like your whole life depended on it. G. Franklin Roosevelt
the populaiity of those eftomeatchy 8. He proved the pen mightier than the sword. H. Woodrow Wilson
phrases. “Voices of America” quotes
several wits on the subject. One
anonymous observer of slogans — and
human nature — declared that slogans
~ % y ANSWERS
are “the good old American substitute
for the facts.” Wendell Willkie, the (INS Pao] o1 Tun) nl “UE PIL RIZIAD C1 OL ANE SH Sugpand
s 3 : : | 700 SIMS THLAMSUE) ga | URINARY IMOUUISEL ITINCE CF) “6 SAY PRIOAY UE ST EI0an
Republican challenger to FDR in the HELI FURIE UL SSIIINS § HOSTAL 01 TULL 0] “(RIO HOSTAL WOIPOO ag (11) 8
1940) presidential campaign, remarked TROON) BOXIN PAIN (£1) "L SH] TORO YIAINOON BIULL] (1) OWS Nl]
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«» 1992, PM Editorial Services
Presidential Slogan Quiz
The following are slogans from 20th-century presidential campaigns. Match the
slogan with the candidate who used it.
9. Better a part-time president than a full-time phony. 1. Herbert Hoover
10. Betty's husband for president in “76.
Source: “Every Bite a Delight and Other Slogans.” Laurence Urdang & Janet Braunstein
. Dwight Eisenhower