Page 4A-THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Thursday, September 15. 1994
JIM
HEFFNER
Columnist
Wake up. people
What is wrong with people?
Two more children were killed last week on
Franklin Avenue in Gastonia, and they were shot by
another kid.
The school term is less than a month old, and al-
ready two students have been kicked out for carrying
loaded firearms to school in Gaston County alone.
It is past time to put a stop to the senseless slaughter
of our children on the streets.
When teenagers are running up and down the roads
at all hours of the night, the authorities need to stop
them and find out why they're not at home.
When my generation was younger, you couldn't ride
around the streets at three a.m. without being ques-
tioned by the police. A teenager has no business in a
car riding around aimlessly in the middle of the night.
Given the opportunity, youngsters will find trouble.
Where are the parents? I've said it before and I'll say
it again, if a youngster is caught with a gun, his parents
should be made to pay. That would put a stop to it. It
should be just like the "Click it or Ticket" program -
no excuses.
How many people have been affected by the alleged
murder of the two Kings Mountain boys? How much
longer does the citizenry have to put up with these
kinds of acts? How many more guns will be purchased
because of the latest dead kids?
This is a sorry state of affairs when we can't even let
our grown children go out the door without worrying
whether they will get back in one piece.
Over in the world class city, the superintendent of
schools wanted to ban book bags, because that's where
most of the young people carry their weapons. You
think he was allowed to do that? Many citizens raised
the roof and yelled about their rights of privacy. I say
your rights won't do you much good with your toes:
turned up.
People must take their personal situations in hand.
They have to maintain discipline in the home. It is nec-
essary that they guide their charges, and make sure
they know where their children are and when they will
return home. People cannot allow their children free
rein. It just doesn't work that way.
: The burden of grief is almost unbearable when a
child dies of natural causes. To lose one in a senseless
manner, when it really isn't necessary, has to be ten
times as bad at least.
i There seems to be an outbreak around here of late.
A 20-year-old killed by a train, a couple of youngsters
accidentally killed while playing with guns. One junior
high student stabbed to death, and another from the
same school killed in an automobile accident at age
15. Now the latest tragedy.
| Where does it all end?
i Last week in Chicago, an 11-year-old boy was
gunned down by police just after he had shot a 14-
year-old to death. That was a double tragedy if there
ever was one.
¢ Are we reaching the same level? I hope not.
! Our children are precious. They are a continuation
of ourselves. It is our duty to take care of them to the
best of our ability. To bring a child into the world and
feed him into a system that kills him is the ultimate
form of abuse.
.. Am I my brother's keeper? You bet I am, and so are
you. It is incumbent on each and every one of us to do
everything within our power to make sure that all chil-
dren can walk and ride the streets safely. If that means
violating some kid's right of privacy, then so be it.
| It's much better to violate his or her right of privacy
than to go down to the morgue and view a young, dead
body on a cold hard slab.
| Wake up people, before it's too late for you and your
children.
HERALD LETTER POLICY
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Mail your letters to The Editor, P.O. Box 769, Kings
Mountain, NC 28086. Hand-delivered letters will not
be accepted.
Sumy Doorn e
OF TOKYO FAME, WAS THE FIRST
PILOT TO PLY BLIND. USING
INSTRUMENTS ONLY, HE TOOK OFF
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Sel 19
gd 88
EPP
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HAZARDOUS PASSAGE
Che OF THE GREATEST TESTS OF
HUMAN ENDURANCE AND COURAGE
WAS THE FAMOUS DONNER PARTYS
EFFORT TO TRAVEL FROM WYOMING
TERRITORY TO CALIFORNIA IN 1846
ARCH 7, 1957 HERALD
Our View
FIGHTING SNOW AND dren.
STARVATION, ONLY 47
OF THE ORIGINAL
PARTY OF 89 SURVIVED
THE GRUELLING MARCH/
cleaner way.
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Your Right To Say It
Clean up sex education material
If we lived in a perfect world there would be no premarital sex, no teen
pregnancies, and no disease (sexually transmitted or otherwise).
But we do not live in a perfect world. Sadly, all of the above exists and it
is not going to go away.
Teaching that premarital sex is contrary to the will of God may be the re-
sponsibility of the home and church, as some opponents of the sex educa-
tion curriculum of Kings Mountain Schools have correctly stated in recent
months, but we must also realize that many children in this day come from
broken homes, many either do not know who their father is or have had nu-
merous fathers or "live-ins" before they even begin their school years, and
a large percentage never enter a church door. And, believe it or not, there
are "good" children who come from good homes and have been "brought
up right" that also practice premarital sex. :
Therefore, we believe it is vital that Kings Mountain Schools stress ab-
stinence in sex education classes, but also recognize that despite our best
efforts some teens are going to engage in sex and they need to have accu-
rate information on how to prevent diseases. :
That is not to say that we agree with how the course has been taught in
the past. We applaud the parents of this community who have publicly op-
posed the sex education curriculum. They have that right and they have
brought to light a lot of unneccesary "extras" that the Kings Mountain
Board of Education and school administrations have allowed to be added
to the sex education curriculum through the years.
We were present at that Board meeting in the early-eighties when the
original sex education curriculum was approved, and publicly applauded
the board's decision to teach abstinence-plus. But we do not believe it was
the intent of that original Health Council to allow the use of filthy videos
and other material to enter the classrooms of sixth and seventh grade chil-
We urge parents to back off for a few months and give the Board the
time it says it needs to devise a new curriculum. But we would also suggest
to the Board that an effective abstinence-plus curriculum can be taughtina..
Writer says Northern Durham doesn't teach Sex Respect
. To the editor:
In a letter to the editor on August 25, 1994 about an
abstinence only curriculum, incorrect statements were
made about the Durham County Health Department,
Durham County's Northern High School, the use of the
"Sex Respect" curriculum in Durham County and its
effect on teens.
The letter stated: "Durham County Health
Department reports that since Sex Respect, there has
been a change in sexual attitudes of teens toward absti-
nence." The Durham County Health Department has
never used the Sex Respect curriculum as part of its
instructions in the schools or in the community.
The letter stated: "At Northern High School,
Durham County, over 2,000 students took the Sex
Respect course over the last three years and only five
pregnancies were reported (less than 1%)." The
Northern High School principal reports that Northern
High does not téach Sex Respect as part of its health
education curriculum. Likewise the number of teen
pregnancies cited at Northern High School was incor-
rect.
In our community we support a broad, comprehen-
sive approach in teaching students about human sexu-
ality. While all students are encouraged to postpone
sexual involvement, we also recognize teen pregnancy
rates and sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS
are increasing. Many teens are not abstinent so to dis-
regard or ignore this fact endangers their lives. We
teach students refusal skills in combination with infor-
mation about how to protect themselves if they choose
to become sexually active. To do less would be negli-
gent.
John D. Fletcher, M.D., M.P.H.
Health Director,
County of Durham Health Department
Thanks for loving Carrie
To the editor:
Thank you for your excellent tribute to Carrie
Hughes. I had told her many times you and the staff
were outstanding journalists, and you proved me cor-
rect once again, and with love.
Thanks also to the Kings Mountain community for
appreciating and loving Carrie over the years. Special
thanks to her church communities at Dixon, Kings
Mountain Baptist and Love Valley.
Most special thanks to the loving staffs at Kings
Mountain Hospital and Harris Funeral Home.
And to James and Margaret Childers, Ray and
Catherine Childers, Betty Hughes and Conrad Hughes,
we are forever grateful.
Forgive me if I omitted anyone's name.
May God continue to bless us all through the won-
derful life of Carrie.
Paul Starnes (nephew)
Jennie Starnes (sister)
Ga ney, SC
HUD 'using' Fair Housing Act
To the editor:
Many people will tell you a Hitler and his Brown
Shirt goons couldn't happen here. Don't be on it.
Already federal bureaucrats are threatening to fine citi-
zens $50,000 for speaking and writing against HUD's
policy of polluting peaceful communities with haz-
ardous material.
The Fair Housing Act is certainly not fair when
HUD sets up housing for homeless alcoholics, drug
abusers, paroled rapists and sexual perverts in the
midst of safe residential neighborhoods. Nobody
should be forced to accept the dumping of such dan-
gerous human garbage on their doorstep - by force of
law, or with public funds.
HUD officials should be reminded that using the
Fair Housing Act in attempts to override first amend-
ment rights is unlawful and unconstitutional.
Remember "Congress shall make no law" superseding
constitutional guarantees - and certainly not HUD
Storm Troopers!
Already twisted political decisions by federal judges
and oppressive tax laws are pushing citizens to the
brink of revolution. If free speech and press fails to
protect our freedoms under law, then violent actions by
citizens are recommended by our Declaration of
Independence.
Let us never forget the basic purpose for the SEcond
Amendment to our Constitution in granting the abso-
lute right of the people to bear arms - and use them
when government becomes destructive to their life,
liberty, safety and the pursuit of happiness!
Surely Americans will never march into political
prisons tranquilly.
Willa Dellinger
Gastonia
National or political interest?
To the editor:
Clinton's Administration has now claimed that Haiti
must be invaded because "American credibility and
national interests are at stake." We might know that the
disaster in Somalia resulted in damage to the credibili-
ty of the administration in general, and Clinton in par-
ticular, rather than the U.S. We might note that at the
White House ceremony where the parents of the two
of the Rangers killed in Somalia received their sons'
posthumous Medals of Honor, one of the fathers told
the president that the disaster was his fault (for deny-
ing the requested armor) and that he was "unfit to
lead." We might also note that the invasions of Haiti is
also little more than a bribe to the segment of
Congress for their votes for Clinton's Crime (pork and
government oppression) Bill and, possibly, a
Socialized Medicine Bill. Plus, with elections coming
up in November, Clinton has to do something to ap-
pear to be something other than a lying adulterous buf-
foon, who has severely damaged the election prospects -
of his political party. roa
How much of America's national interest is at stake?
We might look back to the words of USMC Major =
General Smedly D. Butler, a Medal of Honor recipient, = =
who was involved in the 19. year occupation of Haiti
early in this century as well as other campaigns
through South and Central America. He pointed out
that "And during that period I spend most of my time
being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for. =
Wall Street, and the bankers. Thus I helped make
Mexico, and especially Tampico, safe for American oil
interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a de-
cent place for the National City Bank boys to collect - -
revenue in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen
Central American republics for the benefit of Wall
Street...The Record of racketeering is long. I helped
purify Nicaragua for the international banking house “
of Brown Brothers and Co. in 1909-12. I brought light
to the Dominican Republic for sugar interests in 1916. : -
I helped make Honduras right for American fruit com-
panies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that
Standard Oil went its way unmolested."
Once again, American soldiers will be asked to risk
life and limb for the vanity of those in government, for
the profit of the Wall Street bankers and big business,
and, worst of all, for the aggrandizement and further
empowerment of the United Nations and its New
World Order.
We now have a president who, during the sixties,
was an active supporter of the Viet Cong, demonstrat-
ed with those who spit on American servicemen, and
lied and connived to avoid service. We might note that
in his two years as president, he has been more aggres-
sive in involving our troops in more conflicts around:
the globe than did the "War Monger" Ronald Reagan
during his eight years. Not bad for someone who
loathes the military, is it?
At a time when our defense force is being gutted to
the point where it can no longer defend the U.S., why
are they being frittered away in unnecessary military
adventures? At a time when more and more petty little
tin pot dictators are building nuclear weapons and.
sticking them on Chinese or old Soviet rockets, why
are we spending our money on the personal vanity and
glorification of vain politicians instead of an antiballis-
tic missile system to protect the citizens of teh U.S.?
At a time when petty dope smugglers routinely pene-
trate U.S. air space, setting a tempting example for any
crazied middle east madman with a nuke and an air-
plane, why are we not implementing a viable air de-
fense system for the U.S. instead of restoring an insane
marxist dictator to power in Haiti? Which would better
serve the interests of the citizens of the United States?
Richmond Beecher
Shelby
Safety General prefers politics over safety
Even though ten other states and several cities suf-
fering under onerous prison camps are preparing to act
on the Helms Anti-Prison Cap amendment as quickly
as possible in an attempt to stop early prison releases,
our state's Attorney General hastily and shockingly
ruled the new law "irrelevant" for North Carolina.
Attorney General Easley's Department of Justice
quickly fell in line with the attorneys for criminals in-
carcerated in Tarheel state prisons, saying that: "We
don't believe that the sections of the (Helms Anti-
Prison Cap) amendment that apply to our case are rele-
vant."
Easley's selective memory and illogical reasoning
are most disturbing. Back in June of this year, attor-
neys from his office lost almost 1,000 prison beds due
to space limitations ordered by a federal judge. Soon
after the judge's ruling, Governor Hunt stated, "That is
not acceptable, and I've urged Correction Secretary
Franklin Freeman and Attorney General Mike Easley
to look under every rock to see how we can keep pris-
oners behind bars. That means pursuing every legal
GUEST COLUMN
THOMAS GOOLSBY
Carolina Syndicated
Columns
option and pursuing every practical option to squeeze
out more prison space."
The order from the governor sounds simple and
straight forward. Likewise, the Helms amendment is
simple and straight forward. It prevents federal judges
from setting up space limitation requirements that ef-
fectively cap prison populations, hereby putting a re-
volving door on state penal systems. Easley just does-
n't get it and victims groups across the state are
appalled as the crimes, bodies and broken lives contin-
ue to pile up.
Why is Easley so quick to reject the Helms amend-
ment? As shocking as it may sound, it may be purely
for partisan political reasons. Why else would so many
other states and cities be excited about the prospects of
the Helms amendment and Easley be so quick to reject
. it? Could it be that the Attorney General doesn't want
to recognize the assistance of a conservative
Republican senator in helping him to win a battle that
he could not win on his own?
Crime victims and victim advocate groups from
across the state recently saluted Senator Helms for his
- success in getting his anti-prison cap amendment
passed into law. Last year, these same groups sued
Easley for his support of North Carolina's prison cap
that gave early releases to over 30,000 convicted crim-
inals in 1993 alone.
As has been noted by other journalists, there appears
to be more than a tinge of politics in this matter - don't
forget that in 1990, Easley lost the Democratic nomi-
nation to oppose Helms. Would the Attorney General
stoop to playing politics in this situation where the
lives and safety of thousands of North Carolinians may
be on the line from run amuck repeat offenders re-
leased early under our state's prison cap? Say it ain't so
Mike!