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PAGE 2, KINGS MOUNTAIN MIRROR, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1972 JCetters Zo Zhe Editor Poor Sports Dear Editor; I read with interest and to a certain degree much dismay the article written by Mr. Walter C. Vess, coach of tlie Mica Mine softball team in the City League this summer criticizing Mr. Roy Pierson and the City Recreation Department for certain ac tions taken against the Mica Mine softball team in a recent game, but I would like to say a few words in behalf of Mr. Pierson and his associates. If Mr. Vess will just think back when the first meetings were held this summer Mr. Pierson said that should league games Interfere with the District or Area Tournament that they could be worked around and that is exactly what he did for the Champions Landscaping team and he did the exact thing for us at Craftspun when we were due to play Carolina Throwing on the night that we were supposed to play in the Area Tourna ment, and I am sure that he would have done the same thing for any other team in the league should they have been involved in the same manner in which we were involved. I am sure that most people don't realize what a job it is to draw up a schedule like that and run it perfectly during the summer. It meant just as much to me to have Champions forfeit that game to Mica Mine as it did to anybody else because that meant that Craftspun, Carolina Throwing and Champions were then in a tie for first place, but I personally don't want It that way. The way it was Craftspun, ended up in second place, but I would rather have second place by playing than to have first place given to me. It just doesn't mean that much to me. I say that if some of the teams that have threatened to go to Grover and play next year do that you are defeating the purpose of having a City Industrial League, and poor sports at that. Kyle Smith Coach, Craftspun Ramsey & Jane The recent behavior of Americans such as former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and actress Jane Fonda is highly objectionable to most Americans. At best, giving comfort to a goven ment and people who have been fighting and killing Americans for some years, they are using poor judgment and exhibiting extremely bad taste, in encouraging and helping that enemy. At worst, they are guilty of un-Americanism or treason, in aiding a government with which we have long been, in effect, at war. Americans, and citizens in every working democracy, should not forget that the m ajori ty rules, and that each citizen cannot be completely free to act as he wishes, dis regarding the elected government and foreign and defense policy. If this were permissable. utter chaos would result. The principle behind this obligation is sound; while governments aren’t perfect, while mistakes will be made, there obviously must be a single foreign and defense policy for the nation. Governments elected by the democratic pro cess therefore deserve a chance until turned out of office by the people, a chance to formulate and carry out national policies. Dissent at home is healthy. Extending aid to countries we are fighting, even though conscientiously, cannot be permitted, in the national interest. LURIE’S OPINION Perspective by Jay Ashley The meeting of teachers, et. al. at the gymnasium at KMHS Wednesday was just one part of the three day pro gram designed for teachers and administrators to pre pare for the coming year. I imagine most of the organi zational and association me eting can get dull but the two speakers Wednesdaywoke ev eryone up. Eugen Causbyand Dudley Flood, from the State Department of Public Instru ction were on hand to talk a- bout human relations. Both men brought out several id eas that should be pondered by all of us. The notions of involvement, communica tions, understanding an op en-mindedness are all im portant to everyone in this world. The subject of mis understanding was exempli fied by Flood by a true story. He related that in the third grade he was taking acheiv- ment test of sorts. One que stion read; What color is a banana. Flood, a black who grew up in a rural area where times and money were tight answered: black. For him the answer was quite correct. His father couldn't buy the more expensive yellow bananas so he had to eat the ones that had become almost rotten which we all can admit are black. What Flood was tryingtocon vey is that everything in this world is relative. A right answer by one man may be wrong for another and for the two to come to an agree ment, understanding is in or der. Another method of explain ing misunderstanding In com munications came in the form of a story about a meeting of deacons in the church. One said that the church needed a new chandilier. “Why, that's the last tiling we need," ans wered one, “no one in the chu rch knows how to play one." He went on, “Besides if we buy anything we need to pur chase some lights." Flood and Causby won the applause of the educators for their enlightening and enter taining talk. In the brief time they were in Kings Mountain they stimulated the minds of those present and made us look into ourselves for ans wers to many problems and for this alone tliey are to be congratulated. Even teachers can fall prey to irony. After the morning sessions at the High School, lunch W3.S served in the caf eteria and new teachers were recognized. Names, positions and placements were announ ced when the speaker said, “The attendance counselor will be Gary Stuart." Ever yone looked around to see him stand up and suddenly broke into laughter...hewasabsent!! L_ ’THwuvi P. O. Box 345 — Phone (704) 739-3851 RODNEY DODSON Editor i Co-Publisher LEM R. LYNCH Co-Publisher & Business Mgr. JAY ASHLEY News Editor ELAINE TRIA General Composition BECia' KISER General Office Published Each Wednesday In Kings Mountain By Mirror Publishing Co. Subscription Rates: $4 Per Year $5 Outside N.C. McGovern Expected To Campaign For Votes In North Carolina By JOHN KILGO KQ SYNDICATE Sen, George McGovern, far from giving up on his chances of winning in North Carolina in November, has tentative plans to campaign in person in the state on one or more occasions. McGovern's running mate, Sargent Shriver, also is ex pected in North Carolina at least once. That's the word I get from Harold Hlmmelman, McGov ern's assistant campaign ma nager in charge cf Eastern and Southern states. “I can't say anything is firm at this point," Hlmmelman told me. “Nothing is firm yet in any state. But I would ex pect McGovern and Shriver to make one or more appearan ces in North Carolina." Hlmmelman concedes that McGovern is in the underdog role in North Carolina at the present time. President Nix on seems to be strong in the Tar Heel state and he carr ied it in 1968, with 627,000 votes. George Wallace was second with 496,000, and the Democratic candidate in '68, Hubert Humphrey, was third with 464,000. What makes Himmeiman be lieve that McGovern can over come Nixon's popularity In North Carolina? “In the first place,"Himm- elman said, “Nixon will have to defend his record this time. He was able to make promises in 1968. Now the people will want to know why be didn't keep those promises." Himmeiman says Nixon has failed to keep his promise to end the Vietnam war. He also says the economy is not flou rishing and people are out of work—and he feels McGovern can capitalize on those mat ters in North Carolina. Himmeiman says the McGo vern camp is making * 'a very serious effort in North Caro lina." “We are serious in our or ganization and our hopes, as far as North Carolina is con cerned," Himmeiman said. “Ed Graham has been our state campaign coordinator in North Carolina for several months now and has been wor king hard, ' 'We're also getting good co operation from the party re gulars in that state." That came as a surprise, since most of the Democrats running for elective office in North Carolina say they will steer clear of the McGovern campaign. Himmeiman says the McGo vern camp hopes to cooperate and work with all North Caro lina candidates for Congress and the U.S. Senate. “But," he adds, “that will be pretty much up to the gentleman se eking those offices." McGovern will ^ce a stiff organizational challenge in North Carolina. CharlesJonas Jr., who heads the Nixon campaign effort in the state, has been hard at work for more than a year. He also has the experience of having gone through this be fore in 1968. Jonas says many of the sta te's leading Democrats have offered to help in the Nixon effort this November, Tar Heel Republicans have also been told in private that Nixon and Vice President Ag- new will make personal app earances in the state during the campaign. Says Himmeiman, the Me- LURIE’S OPINION m^A ■4. l! .•». ^ ' u .‘4^ -.T7, 'no, • 0 * ■ ‘ : - 2. - * vn: V '<•. '• •• . * ■ .1. , Reflections by Rodney Dodson Govern aide: “We were the underdogs in the primary. Just because we're behind in North Carolina today doesn't mean we'll be in that position In November. We're working on the belief that we have an excellent chance in North Ca rolina and we’ll put forth a solid effort in your state." If the presidential candidates come to North Carolina to ca mpaign this fall (as they al most surely will), look for them to try to hit Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte. They're always thinking of press coverage. The state's auto Insurance study commission is a work ing one. The 11-member com mission has been meeting re gularly and has eight no-fault proposals before it. F. O'Ne ill Jones, who has worked so hard heading the commission, was defeated in his bid for re- election to the State Senate. Jones Is a Wadesboro attor ney and a very close friend of Lt. Gov. Pat Taylor. As any news photographer knows, it Isn't always easy or even rewarding to get those accident and wreck pic tures that the readers like to see. I was reminded all too well of this again Saturday night when the train-truck accident occurred here Saturday night. I was at home reading some magazines when we heard this heavy rumble. It sound ed like train cars, and I didn't pay much attention till I hea rd ambulances. A quick call to the police station confirm ed that a train had hit a ve hicle at the Baker Street crossing. It was only a short distance from my house, but as I app roached the scene of the wre ckage, the sightseers bad al ready arrived. Several cars were stopped in the street in front of me, in both lanes. Ot hers were parked on the side of the road making It impos sible for me to pull over. An other lane of stalled traffic was forming in the left lane, making It impossible to go a- round, I considered backing up and going home, but a line of cars was behind mine and I couldn't move. So, there I sat at the mercy of the other sightseers. I couldn’t just sit there all night, so I turned on my emergency flasher, stuck a press sign in the window and ran down to get my pictures, 1 had clicked off 6-8 shots from various angles when one of our city police officers ran up to me to tell me that my Mustang was in the road, and suggested that I move it be fore someone else did. Well, I moved the car-always like to support our local law enforcement officers. Head ing back home, to detour a- ruund the cuugestlua, I star ted out one of the narrow un paved streets I didn't even know was in the city, only to meet a car load of girls who had the same idea. “Hey, you can't go thru there, it's a dead end street," one yelled out the window. “Well I guess I'll just have to turn around and go back the other way," I an swered with deliberate pati ence. I turned around behind the car, which by then was meeting another pair of head- llghts...“Hey, you can't get thru, this is a dead end..." a fadl^ voice echoed. My mind flashed back to an other incident I had answering a wreck call lastSpring,when a woman crashed into the rear of my car on 1-85. Igota tic ket for that, although the in surance company decided in my favor. I've decided that accidents aren't my bag, I seem to get too Involved in them. I’mbe- ginnlng to think all traffic should be banned from the scene of an accident, includ ing members of the press, It would make my Job a lot ea sier for sure. SAFETY & X-RAY Washington—The Govern ment has announced the es tablishment of a new and stricter radiation-protection Jy standard for diagnostic X- ray machines and compo nents in a move “to make X-ray examinations safer for millions of Americans." JOHNSON & MCGOVERN Miami Beach, Fla. — Form er President Lyndon B. Johnson has broken political silence by announcing that he will support the Demo cratic nominee and the entire party ticket, even though they have "widely differing opinions." particularly on foreign policy. WEAPONS COSTLY Defense Secretary Kenneth Rush reports that spiraling weapon costs may have reached the point where America can no longer af ford to give her fighting men the very best of everything. Washington Report l»\ i'.oiigr4>9iiiiati JunMt« T. " AuUmtobUe buurance 1 ‘•TP.V HAP.DER. GEORGE ' Over the past few years, there has been growing pub lic dissatisfaction with the American system of automo bile insurance. Increases In rates, termination of policies for insufficient reason, and the inability of some groups to obtain automobile insura nce have all contributed to a clamor for reform of the pre sent system. One of the major reform pro grams to receive public atten tion is known as “no-fault" automobile insurance. Under the no-fhult plan, a victim of an automobile accident would be compensated by his own in surance company, regardless of who was at fault in causing the accident. Under such a plan, an accident victim would receive immediate payment for losses and would not have io wait out the often lengthy delays In determining fault under the present system. The present method of com pensating automobile accident victims suffers from serious deficiencies. Inefficiency, po or allocation of benefits, ov erly high costs, and overbur dening of courts and the legal system are among the major problems. Two years ago, the Department of Transportation conducted a comprehensive study of the existing compen sation system for automobile accident losses. Among the major findings were the fol lowing: —For each dollar put into the system, 56 cents goes for company overhead, court and lawyers' expenses. Only 44 cents eventually gets back to the victims who suffered los ses. (This figure seems es pecially low compared to ot her types of insurance, such as Blue Cross, which returns 95 cents out of a dollar in be nefits, or commercial group health plans, where more than 80 cents on the dollar is re turned. --25 cents of the insurance premium dollar goes to pay the legal expenses of the ad versary system for awarding insurance claims. In addition, many argue that such legal proceedings are one of the primary reasons for our ov ercrowded courts. --Many victims go comple tely uncompensated under the present system, and many more are severely undercom pensated for their economic losses. The study found that 45 percent of all those killed or seriously Injured in auto accidents benefit in no way from the tort liability Insur ance system. These would in clude faultless victims of acc idents where the potential de- fendent isalso faultless, those found tobepracticallyatfault, and those who are injured in one-car accidents. The American driver needs a system which will deal more efficiently with the compensa tion of those injured in auto mobile accidents, without the use of extra, cumbersome procedures wMch waste over one-half of the premium dol lar, I feel that the advantages offered by the no-fault alter native would vastly improve the present system. Some of these advantages are certain ty In getting claims paid, eli mination of long delays in get ting compensation for losses, fewer cases in our crowded court system, possibility of lowered premium costs, and compensation of more acci dent victims. Regulation of the insurance industry now falls under the jurisdiction of the state gov ernments. For that reason, much of the talk of reform has been at the state level, and few states have acted to put no-fault plans into effect. At the present time in North Carolina, the Governor'sStu- dy Commission on Automobile Insurance and Rates Is study ing reform of the insurance system and will report to the Governor and the General Assembly this fall. Earlier this month, I was Invited by the Commission to testify in Raleigh, and I presented my views in fhvor of a no-fault plan at the state level. I was requested to testify by the Commission because lam a member of the Commerce and Finance Subcommittee of the House of Representatives, which has jurisdiction over automobile insurance at the Federal level. There are sev eral bills pending in the Con gress which would enact a Federal no-fault program. However, I feel that action at the state level is more app ropriate and that the states can better administer insur ance programs than the Fed eral government. I do feel, however, that if the states do not move to enact no-fault programs, there will be in creasing pressures on the Congress to enact Federal legislation next year. For this reason, it is my hope that North Carolina, as well as other states, will consider and act upon recommenda tions to institute a program of no-fault automobile insur ance.
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Aug. 30, 1972, edition 1
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