Page 4A - THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD -Thursday, October 5, 1995
JIM
HEFFNER
Guest Columnist
Perot and the new TV shows
Here we go again. Ross Perot is about to foul up an-
other election. You'd think that sawed off, big eared runt
could find something better to do than run around trying
to control the government.
Every time that loud-mouthed squirt holds a meeting
somewhere, politicians from both parties rush to patron-
ize him. I cannot understand why they attach such im-
portance to Perot. The best thing to do would be to ig-
nore him.
Perot threw a monkey wrench into the last presidential
election, and probably was responsible for the election
of Bill Clinton.
This is not to say it wouldn’t be a good thing to have
three major political parties, it’s just that I don’t think
Perot should govern who becomes president, and certainly
he would be a joke as the head man.
Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad though, because most
presidents turn out to be jokes.
I’ve made a study of Ross Perot the last three years,
and I have determined that he is an alien from another
planet. How else can you explain his appearance, his high-
pitched voice and his flawed logic? The next time you
see him notice the lump in the small of his back. That’s a
rechargable battery pack.
I rest my case.
The new season - The new television season is well
underway, and it is the 45th consecutive disaster. Per-
haps, of all the new shows, one or two may survive for a
second season, and that will be by default.
I get a little tired of those morning TV shows this time
of year. Instead of bringing us stories of current events,
we get another scatterbrained actor or actress who looks
as though he or she just rolled out of bed and didn’t have
time to comb his or her hair.
Bryant Gumbel had one on this morning, and she was
so interesting I’ve forgotten her name and the title of the
show she’s on.
Old Bryant asked her the same question he’s asked
every actor or actress that has appeared on the Today Show
for the last ten years. “Are you anything like the charac-
ter you portray?”
Geez - give me a break.
I’ve been told I’m missing out on some good televi-
sion by not watching network TV. I’ve tried but I just
can’t do it. I watch old movies, Andy Griffith reruns, a
sporting event on ‘occasion, A&E, and animal shows. I
also watch, Bugs, Bunny cartoons, and sometimes the
Roadrunner;-although I’m. getting alittle: weary of that
stupid coyote. ;
I will watch a made-for-tv movie on the networks some-
times, but those occasions are few and far between. i don’t
watch everything on A&E, just programs such as Biog-
raphy if the show is about someone who interests me,
and some of the historical stuff.
Someone once described TV as a vast wasteland. I have
come to the conclusion that it is far vaster and far more
wasted than anyone could have imagined.
Remember the days when we sat in the front porch
swing and listened to the radio? Those of you under 55
probably won’t remember that, but we old folks recall
those days.
Radio shows such as “Mr. Keene, Tracer of Lost Per-
sons,” “The Shadow,” and “The FBI in Peace and War”
were high drama. That drama was richly enhanced be-
cause there were no pictures and we were forced to use
our imaginations.
Television dulls the imagination, and it has made sex
boring. Almost every TV show has sex as it’s major theme,
or at least an underlying theme. You don’t believe it? Make
your own survey. Get a pad and pencil and watch 10°
shows. You will find that eight or nine of those shows,
and probably all ten, are about sex.
I’d rather read a good book - I’d even rather read a bad
book.
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Your Right To Say It
Be responsible pet owners
Dear Editor,
On Wednesday, September 27, my husband and I and
others witnessed a cruel act.
We were in Cherryville behind the old Winn Dixie, sal-
vaging wood from the Black homeplace. At approximately.
7:30 pm a two-tone brown van with customized windows
stopped momentarily behind the shopping center near the
dumpsters. The driver of the van proceeded to blow the
horn, this is what caught our attention, then drove off leav-
ing a cardboard box and scattering four loudly squealing
kittens that attempted to follow.
My heart sank as we realized what was happening, then
my husband and I both became furious.
People we must be responsible pet owners. Spay or
neuter your pets!
Animals dumped like that, left to fend for themselves,
besides being cruel in the sense that they could starve to
death or be hit by a car, may contract rabies and or repro-
duce, only adding to the huge problem of unwanted pets
or spread of rabies. :
STOP and think before you bring home that sweet little
puppy or kitten. Can you afford the food and doctor care
that the animal needs? The spay or neuter? Ave you will
ing to provide loving care for as long as the pet may live
maybe eight, tei, or twelve years? It's a commitment.
Pets are not disposable play things to be dumped be-
hind shopping centers or along country roads when you
grow tired of them.
As for the people in the van, you have been reported to
Gaston County Animal Control, how long did you think
that handful of cat food and small bowl of milk was going
to last?
Julie Long
No more jobs for life
For about as long as anyone can remember, a job
working for the state meant you had a job for life.
However, "The times, they are changin'." In the new
political climate of cutting taxes and downsizing gov-
ernment, state workers are receiving little sympathy in
the face of drastic reorganizations resulting from a
push for smaller, more efficient government.
Governor Hunt himself, when recently speaking to
State employees at their Association's annual conven-
tion, was forced to say, "Things change." Even as
Hunt was addressing the convention, the Department
of Public Instruction announced that three hundred of
their "Educrats" would be eliminatéd by the end of the
year.
A survey of employment across the Tar Heel state,
broken down by region, demonstrates the extent of
government jobs. In almost every region of North
Carolina, local, state and federal governments are the
number two or number three employers. Such statistics
beg a most disturbing question - If and when a majori-
ty of citizens begin working for the government, how
will'we ever stop its growth?
Until the previous election and the most recent ses-
sion of the General Assembly, such concerns were real
possibilities. However, new leadership in the General
Assembly has begun to slowly roll back the ever-ex-
panding tide of government growth. In the most recent
session of the General Assembly, taxes were reduced
and the, state, budget, .which.had. previously been-ex==
panding at a rate of $1 billion per year and doubling...
every five years, was held in check. Consequently,
when government growth is curtailed, the expansion of
its bureaucracy is stopped.
This year's efforts to roll back expanding govern-
ment may only be a "blip on the radar screen." After
decades of living it up at the taxpayers' expense, the
constituencies who are comfortable feeding at the
trough are not about to back down and go away. In his
last speech, Ed Little, the outgoing President of the
State Employees Association, told his troops that in
the face of constant criticism, it was time for govern-
ment leaders to start speaking up for State employees.
Mr. Little is correct when he refers to the many gov-
ernment employees who dedicate their lives in service
to the people of the Tar Heel State.
However, he is dead wrong when the criticism is
properly directed at an ever-expanding government.
Wise politicians will see to it that this year's slowdown
in government becomes a permanent way of doing
business.
Thom Goolsby
REFLECTIONS
on Religion and Life
®
Rev. Dick Newsome
Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
‘Building humility
Let's play a game. I'll mention a city in the United
states and you say what pops immediately into your
mind. Ready?
Nashville, Tennessee.
I'll bet I can guess a few of the things you might
have thought. Country music? Right. In fact it is ° Te
known affectionately by the locals as "Music City,
U.S.A." Capitol of Tennessee? Right again. Your
third grade social studies finally paid off. And a pretti-
er capitol there couldn't be. Andrew Jackson? Sure,
he was born around here. But don't tell Nashvillians
that. They very much consider him their own. All of
these things are right on the button. But there is one
more. Because whenever the name of Nashville is ut-
tered by my vicinity, a different image comes to mind.
When I think of Nashville, I think of my alma mater,
Vanderbilt. And in October, when I think of
Vanderbilt, I think of football...bad football. Last
Saturday, Vanderbilt got mauled by some real boars
from Arkansas. And before that, they were slimed by
some amphibians from Texas Christian. And before
that, they were excommunicated by some not-so-little,
green Irishmen. And before that, they were sat upon
by a five-thousand pound elephant from Alabama. So
if you pull out your handy calculator, you'll discover
that this year's Commodore winning percentage is pre-
cisely in line with last year's. Furthermore, with the
likes of Georgia, Florida and Tennessee still on the
schedule, that winning percentage is fairly well set in
stone. They may not be the Southeastern Conference's
choice for "Most Valuable Team." But they are defi-
nitely in the running for "Most Popular."
Well, lest I begin to sound too "pouty," let me tell
you that being a die-hard, black and gold Commodore
does have its advantages. None of those nasty lines at
the restrooms during halftime, for instance. And none
of those agonizing last-minute defeats in bowl games.
Not a single one. But the best advantage of following
a team like Vanderbilt is the development of a sense of
raw humility. Commodore fans have no choice. We
can't point to the glory days of the past. They didn't
exist. Nor can we claim boldly to wait until next year.
Even freshmen don't believe such things. We simply
smile and do the best we can.
So I have been thinking about my days of humility
in Nashville. And the more I think about them, the
more I believe that all people of faith should endure
such an experience. Because the more I listen to pub-
lic, religious dialogue in our country and in our town,
the more I am convinced that the one thing we have
we Americans have hung onto from our proud reli-
wgious-heritage;shumilityris Slipping away “Beit abor-
tion. Be it capital punishment. Be it prayer in the
public schools. The issue itself is most irrelevant.
More and more, we are feeling pressure to claim to
know the absolute truth on all matters of faith and
practice. More and more, we are feeling pressure to
admit to no uncertainty or discomfort with any issue
which touches our faith, even when we know in our
hearts that uncertainty and discomfort are there. And
the result is that we are finding it almost impossible
even to listen to someone whose opinion on a matter
of faith may vary from our own.
That is puzzling, unfortunate and dangerous.
So which faith-related issue do you feel most
strongly about? Do you think it even possible to enter-
tain the idea of genuine conversation with someone on
the other side? If the answer is "yes," fantastic. If the
answer is "no," maybe a prayer for humility and open-
ness is due. And afterwards, if you are in the neigh-
borhood on a Saturday afternoon, drop by for a few
minutes of Commodore football. It just might do you
well.
About Jesse Helms, Mrs. Weir and others
Some things that have crossed my mind lately:
Sometimes I wonder how Jesse Helms' foot tastes. It
must be pretty good, because he's always putting it in
his mouth. Recently on Larry King Live, a Helms fan
praised him for putting Blacks in their place, and the
caller used the N-word. Instead of condemning the
racist remark, Jesse thanked him.
With the O.J. Simpson trial over, many of us will
have to find something to do during our lunch hour.
(Eat, maybe). Just as in the case of the assassination of
JEK., I'll guarantee you we'll always remember where
we were when we heard the not guilty verdict...
The fastest worker in the world has to be a spider.
Isn't it amazing how you can mow the lawn one week,
then mow it exactly one week later and run through
dozens of spider webs?...
Cheers to Kings Mountain City Attorney Mickey
Corry who last week instructed the Council to end its
closed discussion about a possible gas contract and re-
turn to open session because the discussion was in vio-
lation of the state's open meetings law. The new open
meetings law is very clear on what can and cannot be
discussed behind closed doors, and the precise manner
in which a closed meeting can be called. With an elec-
tion around the corner maybe the City Attorney needs
to schedule a workshop on the open meetings law for
current and potential Council members...
And since there is an election coming up, persons
running for office should be commended for offering
their service. I'd be afraid to run for office for fear of
finding out how people really feel about me...
Older newspaper people like myself don't do it too
often, but in this day and time most headline writers
thrive on cute, catchy titles which grab attention. As I
mentioned in this space a couple of weeks back, the J-
School students at UNC are having a field day with
their new Chancellor, Michael Hooker The headline
on the front page of the last edition of ‘he Daily Tar
Heel said "Hooker leaning toward $400 increase."
GARY
STEWART
Editor
That catches the eye a whole lot quicker than some-
thing like "Chancellor will probably support tuition
hike."
As we put this paper to bed the weather channels are
saying that Opal is heading this way and could be an-
other Hugo. That, I can do without...
I was watching the Clemson- Virginia pre-game
show when the TV showed the Tigers touching Frank
Howard's Rock and beginning their traditional run
down the hill at Memorial Stadium. I remembered
what the legendary coach told his players after a friend
brought him the rock from the "real" Death Valley: "If
you ain't gonna give a hundred percent, keep your
filthy hands off my rock"...
So the Shelby City School Board wants to meet with
the Kings Mountain and Cleveland County boards to
discuss merger again! Merger is inevitable because
sooner or later the State Legislature is going to refuse
to fund over one system per county, or else the County
Commissioners are going to demand it. But when
merger comes it should be because of the benefits it
can bring to all students in Cleveland County. Deep
down I wonder if there is a connection between this
proposed meeting and the fact that Shelby's enrollment
has dropped so much that the Lions are in danger of
having to move to the 2-A classification in sports...
If you attended Kings Mountain High when it was
located at Central School (prior to 1966-67), you'll get
a chuckle out of this because you surely had Josephine
Weir as either a teacher or librarian. I wonder how
many of us over the years, even after we became
adults, trashed our chewing gum when we saw her
coming. All students knew her reputation as a gum
hater and at least once during our school days she
made us throw our gum in the trash can. Even if you
were at the last shelf of books in the back of the library
with your chewing gum stuck in a hollow tooth and
your mouth shut she'd follow the scent, find you, and
make you spit it out. I'll never forget several years ago
- long after my high school years and long after her re-
tirement - when I was working in the paste-up room of
the Herald, looked up and saw Mrs. Weir walking
down the hall. I threw my chewing gum in the trash
can and Mrs. Weir walked straight up to me and said,
"You've been chewing gum. I can smell that stinking
stuff a mile and a half away." I told her I had seen her
coming and trashed it (out of respect for her). Would
you believe that got a smile out her? In her library,
though, she always frowned on it...
A lot has been said lately about college football
coaches running up scores to impress the pollsters.
Running up a score to intentionally embarrass the oth-
er team is never right, which I feel was the case with
Penn State's last minute bomb against Rutgers. But
you also have to consider that many teams like Florida
State are so talented that when they send their second
unit in they don't miss a lick. You can't expect coaches
to bench their first team in the first half. When second
and third stringers start getting more playing time than
the starters, the internal problems begin...
And in regards to the above, there is absolutely no
truth to the rumor that Bobby Bowden already has his
secretary working on a letter of apology to Mack
Brown.
Kings Mountain Weather Report
Sept. 27-Oct. 3 Year Ago
Total precip. .6 43
Max. 1 day 6 (3) 11 (2)
Year to date 47.59 46.37
Min. temp. 54 (27, 28) 45 (3)
Max. temp. 82 (2) 83 (1)
Avg. temp. 66.1 65.8
lost to a degree is a sense of humility. Whatever else
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