Page 4A - THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD -Thursday, March 28, 1996
THOM
GOOLSBY
Syndicated
-Columnist
Reverse discrimination
"Martin Luther King had it right," said Jack Daly,
conservative UNC law student and Republican candi-
date for State Auditor, when he recently filed a federal
lawsuit against the UNC System.
Daly, along with seven other white students from
various universities in the UNC System, are taking
their schools to federal court, claiming that they are
being discriminated against because of their race.
The lawsuit challenges "minority presence grants"
which have been given by the UNC System since the
early 1980s. The grants began as part of a court settle-
ment over past discrimination lawsuits. The race-based
grants are intended to bring more black students to
white UNC campuses and more white students to
black UNC campuses.
Daly and fellow conservative students claim that
these actions are nothing more than government-spon-
sored discrimination. He rightfully asks, "Why should
the government discriminate based upon race?" Even
after a previous court order ended, the state continues
the grants, spending over $1.5 million for the program
-last year alone,
Besides the racial discrimination claim, Daly is also
alleging that UNC Law School is violating his first
amendment rights by excluding him from considera-
tion for the Alan Berman Memorial Scholarship. The
scholarship is limited to homosexuals or those interest-
ed in homosexual rights and the fund is administered
by the law school. Daly, who is heterosexual and holds
traditional Christian beliefs, is rightfully upset that the
state is engaged in active discrimination against indi-
viduals like himself. :
The students’ demands are simple, straightforward
and completely reasonable. They want the administra-
tion of the grants stopped, or opened up to all students,
regardless of their race or sexual orientation.
In an interview with the press, Daly claimed, "I am
the rightful heir to Martin Luther King's mantle." He
was referring to Dr. King's wish that people be judged
not by their color, but by their character. Isn't it amaz-
ing that our decidedly liberal university system is ac-
tively engaged in discrimination against white, black
and heterosexual individuals, and that students are re-
quired to file lawsuits in order to protect their rights to
equal treatment?
The only answer that the university system could of-
fer was a press statement by D.G. Martin at UNC
General Administration. "We believe the minority
presence program is an important effort on our part to
continue efforts to desegregate the University." In oth-
er words, "We will stop discrimination by discriminat-
ing." And these are the folks charged with educating
our young people?
Your Right To Say It
Patient appreciates
Dr. Everette Thombs
To the editor:
In honor of Doctors Appreciation Day, I would like
to mention just a few reasons why a special doctor
should be recognized.
Dr. Everette B. Thombs is a very knowledgeable
doctor. As well as being far advanced in the field of
medicine, his doctoring goes much further, far beyond
the call of duty. He is deeply dedicated to his work and
patients; one who doesn't live by a time schedule, al-
ways being there when needed whether it be day or
night.”
Among his most outstanding qualities besides his
medical knowledge and abilities, is a compassionate
and understanding heart. He has time for those who
society seems to overlook and exclude. His arms and
heart reach out to include them touching their lives
with love, and in the process start a healing within
them that goes far beyond medicine. There's a simple
smile for those who need comfort and an extended
hand for those in need. His dedication has no end.
In our lives we meet many people. Some are forgot-
ten; some remembered for awhile. Then there are those
who will always hold a special place in our heart. The
kind of person you will be thankful to God for allow-
ing your paths to cross. Someone you will have no rea-
son not to appreciate.
He is a man who loves God, his patients and his
family.
Why do I appreciate my doctor? Dr. Everette B.
Thombs, M.D. is all this and much more.
Ruth Navy
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Voters should elect commissioners
( Ed. Note - Rep. John Weatherly (R-Cleveland)
introduced House Bill 827 to prohibit limited voting
and extension of terms for county commissioners
and it was co-signed by other Representatives in-
cluding Jack Hunt and Debbie Clary of Cleveland
County and referred to a study committee. Senator
Dennis Davis (R Cleveland) introduced a compan-
ion bill in the Senate. During a short session of the
General Assembly recently Weatherly made a pre-
sentation to the 14-member elections law reform
study committee. The bill was referred to a four-
member subcommittee for further study and the
committee next meets April 3. Here are excerpts
from Weatherly's presentation.)
Until last year the Board of County Commissioners
was composed of five members elected at large. No
black had ever been elected, in fact no Republican had
been elected until 1988 and only the second
Republican was elected in 1994. No Republican had
been elected in the N. C. General Assembly from this
county until 1988.
The minority party and others indicated district rep-
resentation might be the better solution and in 1992 the
board set up a study committee: Each-commissioner
appointed one member. Five members representing the
black community were appointed by the NAACP.
Facilitator was Ted Arrington. He composed several
districts but no real consideration was given to any
other arrangement than districts because the black pop-
ulation was dispersed over the county.
After six months the study committee voted unani-
mously to suggest five districts plus two at large and
the plan was endorsed by all parties. County commis-
sioners passed the plan 5-0.
Prior to the 1992 election three new commissioners
were elected in 1991 and at first did not object. Then
they realized two of them were in the same district.
The board rescinded the previous action 3-2.
The NAACP brought suit and it was referred to
Federal Judge Sporkin in Washington, DC. He devised
a plan to have a seven member at-large board with
two minority members. After much hassle over the se-
lection, the minority members were appointed in 1995
which meant they were not subject to the 1996 elec-
tion and would serve until 1998 when all seven seats
would be up, not staggered terms, all seven could be
new. There was no consideration given for continuity.
Voters would be limited to four votes. If a satisfacto-
ry number of minority members were not elected or re-
elected, in 2002 voters would have 3 votes.
Blacks served on Shelby City council a number of
years and on the school board. First element of ap-
GUEST
COLUMN
John Weatherly
NC House of Representatives
pointment was not that objectionable but to go past
the next election that is November 1996 was. Some
thought limited voting illegal.
People were not involved in the process, a drastic
change, and they feel disfranchised, a disregard of the
principle of one man, one vote.
The black community has not expressed enthusiasm
for the plan. The white population has been disturbed.
A citizens group called Cleveland County
Association for Government by the People brought a
counter suit based primarily on violation of Article 14
and Article 15 of the U. S. Constitution. When I make,
my formal presentation in the N. C. House an expla-
nation will be made that essentially the right to vote
‘cannot be denied or abridged.
The Sporkin consent degree was agreed on by the
new county board by a vote of 3-2. Only one of the
three new members who voted for it has now filed for
reelection.
Based on the 1965 voting rights act the minority
factor may be considered but not sole or the only fac-
tor. The court is expected to soon rule whether two
Congressional districts drawn to improve the election
chances of N. C. minorities violates the 1965 Voting
Rights Act.
This appointive factor is objectionable but not so
much that the appointment method was used to get the
process started. Most unreasonable feature is that ap-
pointees will go past the election they should be sub-
jected to. We have not researched the time limit for ap-
pointments not subject to election.
The two new commissioners represent me but I
have had no part in their selection or non election. I
might add both appointed members Mary Accor and
Bobby Malloy are capable and doing a good job.
A counter suit was brought 13 months ago. A deci-
sion is expected anytime by District Judge Vorhees of
Charlotte on whether the county board's consent agree-
ment with the NAACP violates local voters
Constitutional rights.
I will still carry forward with my proposal al-
though I'm not advancing the bill on a fast track be-
cause so much depends on Judge Voorhees’ ruling.
SIDEWALK SURVEY
JIM
HEFFNER
Columnist
=
They’re off and running
It appears the Republican Party is going to give us
Robert Dull to run against Fuzzy Clinton. Throw in a
possible candidacy by the Texas pipsqueak, Ross Perot,
and what do you have?
I'll tell you what you have, the same thing you had in
1992, and that’s a presidential election with nobody to
vote for.
This country is in bad shape when we have national
elections and all the candidates are the same, or nearly
the same. I guess you’d have to say Perot is different.
He’s a human comedy that is happening now. That any-
one could even think of voting for that arrogant loud-
mouth is beyond me.
Put Bob Dull in jogging shorts with a hamburger in his
hand and you have Bill Clinton. As old George Wallace
used to say, there’s not a dime’s worth of difference be-
tween them. Fuzzy is a liberal and so is Dull. Oh, he claims
to be a conservative, but I'll never believe it. He's just
another George (RML) Bush.
Here’s what’s going to happen. The Texas terrier will
siphon off enough votes from the Republicans to give
President Fuzzy a second term. Remember where you
heard it first, and if Dull gets elected forget I said any-
thing about it.
The Celestine Prophecy - This book has been in the
top ten on the bestseller list for about 110 weeks in suc-
cession. The author is John Redfield.
For several months I’ve wondered what the book was
all about. Surely, I thought, it must be a wonderful book
to remain a big seller for that long. Boy, was I ever disap-
pointed.
I finally got a copy at the library last week and jumped
right in. It is my habit to stop reading after the first 64
pages if the book doesn’t catch my interest. I almost put
this one down after page 64, but there was something
which caught my attention.
I'began to realize the book was trying to get across the
same messages the new age people were talking about. I
remembered seeing a piece on one of the TV magazine
shows about the new age group that settled in a Califor-
nia town. They are given to hugging trees, seeing auras,
becoming as one with the earth, as they say.
The book is written as a novel, and before a major pub-
lisher picked it up, it was a cult novel which was passed
from hand to hand among college students.
The Celestine Prophecy gives you all the same mes-
sages you can get from many organizations such as the
Sierra Club, which is save the rain forests, don’t eat meat,
talking to flowers and plants will make them grow stron-
ger and healthier, everyone has an aura surrounding the
body, and they are of different colors depending on your
mood, astrology and sun'§ighis/* 1 Smet :
The basic message from the book is the theory of evo
lution. Those Who don’t Believe min‘ evolved ftom ani:
mals will be irked by the book. The book is all about
people chasing bits and pieces of an ancient manuscript
which was uncovered in Peru. Some priests in the church
try to suppress the manuscript and some try to make it
public, thus the conflict necessary for any work of fic-
tion.
I’m glad I read the Celestine Prophecy, but I wouldn’t
buy it. When I read a novel I do so for the entertainment
value. I don’t want to be preached to.
It’s remarkable that a book like this one can sell as
well as it has. I guess it doesn’t take much to amuse some
people.
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* By Lib Stewart
Do you support Clin
RAY BLACK
Bill Clinton. I don’t
think Bob Dole would stand
change a thing if he got Action and I support him. the office of President.
in the White House.
CRYSTAL MOSS
Bob Dole. I like his
on Affirmative bring more experience to Clinton has just not been change. I support Bob
my favorite President.
ton or Dole for president?
PAUL “BILL” ROBERTS
Bob Dole. He would
TAMMY ROBB
Bob Dole.
J. THAD MORGAN
Bill I's. time: for a
Dole.