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‘are getting a square deal
. huge and unwieldy, opening
~ reducing payments goes into
OUR
OPINION
Health care to
get tougher
for seniors
Next year, the U.S. gov-
ernment will reduce the
amount it will pay for
Medicare payments to
physicians by 4.4 percent.
That doesn’t sound too bad
on the surface but if you look
a little deeper, it could mean
catastrophe for the infirm
elderly who depend on
Medicare.
Doctors don’t believe they
from Medicare in the first
place. They never have. Now
they are beginning to grum-
ble their payments will be
shrinking even more.
The results could be that
doctors will stop seeing as
many Medicare patients, or
spend less and less time with
them. In today’s climate,
many people. rarely get to
see their physician now, but
are seen by assistants, com-
petent assistants to be sure,
but still not the doctor they
expect to care for them.
Medicare covers basic
services for all American, 65
or older or younger, but dis-
abled. Since it began in 1965, a ei
the program has become too ABIGAIL WOLFORD / HERALD
Citizens enjoy strolling around the Walking Track on Monday morning.
many doors for those who
would defraud. The number
of claims submitted by
physicians all over the coun-
try are mind boggling.
That will be reduced
somewhat if the new rule
Wear a white ribbon Renaissance
to promote better Festival good place
effect, because many seniors,
getting into the program for
the fist time are destined to
experience difficulty finding
a primary physician to treat
them. That will put added
strain on hospital emergency
rooms.
Politicians all talk about
doing good deeds for the
elderly. Here is an opportu-
nity to make good on the
boast. Medicare wasn’t a
good idea to begin with, but
it is what keeps the elderly
alive today. It is time for
elected officials to step up
and delete the 4.4 percent
reduction. If they don’t
chaos looms.
treatment of women to watch people
The recent Carolina Renaissance festi- Alan Hodge
val near Concord reinforced an age-old Guest Column
truism- when you think you've see
everything, something new turns up to astonish your eye-
balls.
The Renaissance Festival is , an event
Monday, November 25, is the
International Day Against Violence
Towards Women, or White Ribbon Day.
As a woman, I know that I need to use whatever plat-
form I have to promote better treatment for others of my
gender. I also know that I need to educate myself, as well
as others about the dangers of the world. I grew up in a
home where domestic violence was never a problem and
where I could learn to be an independent person.
However, I know that others are not so lucky.
The statistics on domestic violence are appalling.
According to WOMANKIND, a nonprofit agency that pro-
motes the elimination of domestic violence, 700,000
women are raped or sexually assaulted each year in the
U.S. alone. Every eight seconds, a woman is physically
abused. Every six minutes, a woman is raped. One out of
every four women will be abused in her lifetime.
Despite the common belief that domestic violence
affects only those in the home, the community is also neg-
atively affected in many ways. The website, www.bat-
teredwomen.com, states that 25 percent of the absen-
teeism, low productivity, and employee turnover in a
workplace is a result of domestic abuse.
Nearly 70 percent of men who abuse their wives also
abuse their children. Almost 100 percent of children who
are raised in homes where domestic violence is a problem
end up marrying abusers or becoming them.
In every community, people exist who insist that the
women must think abuse is okay. If they didn’t, they
would leave. However, many women have trouble leav-
ing their abusive husbands simply because they cannot
support themselves financially. Many families, especially
in the south, still raise their daughters to be dependent on
a man’s income. Dependent women who find themselves
in abusive marriages often stay because they do not know
how to be independent. Women should always be taught
to be able to support themselves before marriage so that if
something happens, like the husband dying, they can pro-
vide for themselves and their children.
What causes abuse? What traits do abused women
have in common? Many abused women are people who
feel it is their responsibility to care for other people.
See Abigail, 5A
Abigail Wolford
Staff Writer
[that takes the.
in shining armor, men in tights, and ‘women in’ low-cut”
bodices abounded, then throws in some food vendors and
a camel or elephant ride, and turns thousands of visitors
loose in a make-believe ye olde village and then lets ‘er rip.
It’s a sort of ye olde carnival where ye olde paying specta-
tors get to take part if they want to. It is also a swell place
to do a lot of ye olde people watching.
Besides the Renaissance Festival staff and performers,
anyone who wants to can don garb in a style from from
hundreds of years ago, stroll ye olde village and see and be
seen. And brother, there was a lot of seeing to be done.
One guy I spotted looked to be about six feet, four inch-
es tall with a weight of about 96 pounds. He was wearing a
poofy little pair of velvet short-short pantaloons that
looked like a disposable diaper, pointed-toe Puss N” Boots
shoes, and black leotards. His legs were as skinny as soda
straws, and combined with his lack of posterior padding,
he looked for all the world like a black snake in a ferthored,
hat.
One of ye olde sideshows had some girls who put on an
Arabian Nights-style dancing exhibition. They wore harem
outfits and scooted and squirmed around for tips. One
seemed to know what she was doing as far as dancing the
Cah-coo-cha went, another was ok, but the third one had
about as much rhythm in her lanky frame as a 2x4 board.
All the while she attempted to ratchet her hips about, she
had a teeth-gritting look on her face as if she was chopping
wood.
Though Middle Ages garb was available for sale and
rent, some folks showed up in their homemade rigs. Not all
of these attempts at costumery were historically accurate.
One guy had on some rolled up Bermuda shorts, a pair of
black panty hose, loafers, a disco-era shirt with big, point-
ed collars, and a Robin Hood hat. Another bloke was wear-
ing a reasonably accurate ensemble, but the effect was
See Alan, 5A
Fred Thompson
speaks the truth
Senator Fred Thompson
(R. Tenn.) is leaving the hal-
lowed halls of the U.S.
Senate and will resume his
acting career interrupted
eight years ago when some-
one talked him into becom-
ing a politician.
Thompson always looked
uncomfortable as a senator.
He has accepted a role on the
highly successful TV series
Law and Order.
Thompson says the Senate
is just too clogged for his
tastes and that too much
time is spent on trivial mat-
ters and constant partisan
bickering.
See Opinion, 5A
Thursday, November 21, 2002
Editor: Gary Stewart ° 739-7496
LOOK BACK
Football
was in the
air in 1964
From the November 19,
1964 edition of the Kings
Mountain Herald:
Kings Mountain High
School Mountaineers,
Southwest division cham-
pions, will be host team at
Blanton Memorial Stadium
at Shelby Friday night to
the Hickory’s Tornadoes,
Northwest division cham-
pions, as both teams pur-
sue the football champi-
onship of the Western
North Carolina High
School Activities
Association.
Linda Sherrer will repre-
sent the city in the annual
Thanksgiving Day
Carolinas Carrousel Parade
in Charlotte.
A group of 21 Kings
Mountain business and
industrial leaders formed a
stadium committee
Wednesday to launch a
subscription drive for
funds for a new football
stadium.
Capt. John D. Fulton
recently retired from the
army after more than 20
years of active service.
Kings Mountain
Ministerial Association will
sponsor for the second
year its Empty Stocking
appeal to provide
Christmas cheer for the
indigent.
The Kings Mountain area
secession movement to
Gaston County ended
Tuesday morning, as a
group of civic and service
J. organization leaders voted
unanimously to honor
objections of Grover and
Bethware citizens who
opposed secession.
The Kings Mountain
Mountaineers took lone
possession of the SWC
championship crown
Friday night with a 24-0
win over Lincolnton.
Quarterback Pat Murphy
completed 16 of 24 passes
for for four touchdowns,
including two to Jimmy
Cloninger.
Jim “Punch” Parker, for-
mer Kings Mountain
Mountaineer and now a
halfback for The Citadel,
was one of numerous
Atlantic Coast and
Southern Conference play-
ers nominated for All-
American honors.
Elaine Dixon, high school
junior and daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Marion Dixon,
has been selected as Miss
Hi Miss to represent Kings
Mountain High School, in
the annual Winthrop
College program.
James B. Yarbro, formerly
collection manager at
Sterchi’s, has been promot-
ed to office manager.
HE
i
SIDEWALK
SURVEY
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
THE HERALD
%
What will you
be most
thankful for
“Being alive. Ijust had
“For being here for one
“Family, friends, and “Keeping up with my
four bypasses and open thing. Trust in the Good church.” good health for one thing
heart surgery. And having Lord. He's the man.” and the fact that I'm still
this my family.” Linda Clary alive.”
Lewis Moore Kings Mountain
Bob Hope Kings Mountain Vincent Canoe
Thanksgiving?
Kings Mountain Kings Mountain
“Family.”
Britt Talbert
Kings Mountain
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