| | 1. A pessimist may not know what he wants, but at least he knows he’l never get it.
2. An estimated 6 to 10 million Americans are allergic to cats.
3. Nationally, power plant pollution results in 23,600 premature deaths each year including 2,800 from lung cancer.
4. Suicide among American youngsters and teens fell about 25 percent in the last decade.
5. About 9 million Americans are affected by noise from train horns.
6. Workers who work all day in offices with fluorescent lights have higher levels of the stress hormones cortisal and adrena corticotrophin in their blood.
7. Approximately 4,200 acres burned throughout the state this spring as a result of 500 wildfires, according to the State Division of Forestry figures.
8. More than 24,000 mountain state families filed tax returns showing income of more than $100,000 in 2001.
9. The state’s number of public school students declined from 309,000 to 282,000 in the past decade.
10. About 1.5 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries each year in the United States.
11. Sick children who are admitted to pediatric intensive care units during the evening rather than during the day are slightly more likely to die in the first 48 hours of care according to researchers.
12. The number of consumers who pay off their credit card balance in full each month has dropped for three consecutive years.
13. American’s inmate population grew by 2.9 percent last year to almost 2.1 million people, with one of every 75 men living in prison or jail.
14. About 23 percent of teenage boys in West Virginia use smokeless tobacco.
15. About 80 to 100 million neckties are sold each year in America.
16. At least 4,900 frog species are known worldwide.
17. Director of the State Public Service Commission’ consumer advocate division indicates that about 25 percent of households nationwide and 13.4 percent of them in West Virginia subscribe to high speed internet access.
18. Death rates from cancer have dropped 1.1 percent a year since 1993. Rates of female lung cancer diagnoses have declined 2 percent a year since 1998
19. The state’s high school dropout rate has inched up from 9 percent in 1996 to 10 percent in 2001.
20. Liposuction is the nation’s most popular form of cosmetic surgery. About 400,000 procedures are done each year.
LMM
COURTLAND
Murder Trial Continued
Summer Grand Jury returned 5 of the 6 presentations. Indictments: Ricky Bishop, DUIA 3rd and Fleeing, $7500 bond; Guy Dwier, breaking and entering, $20,000 bond; Jaime Smith, malicious assault, $20,000 bond; Jerry Smith, wanton endangerment with firearm; and, Bradley J. Stone, burglary and petit larceny, $10,000 bond.
On July 20th arraignment day… Bailiff Gene King yelled out Rickey Bishop’ name three times with no response. Judge Alsop ordered the arraignment date changed to Thursday July 22nd. Dressed in orange and shackled, Guy Dwier had to stand down a minute as the Judge waited on Prosecutor Grindo to show up. Dwier plead not guilty to B&E of a Fitzwater home where a $6000 ATV was swiped. Case continued to next term with bond reduced to $5000 and electronic surveillance during home confinement if bond is made.
Tall, thin, clad in a hot rod shirt, Brad Stone plead not guilty to night time burglary; petit larceny (both against a Karen Holcomb of Bickmore); and 2nd degree petit larceny at a Stewart home. Stone remains on bond and the case will be heard next term of court.
All kinds of things can happen during arraignment day. Like… a Frank Doss, Tommy Young Sr. and two others (couldn’ catch their names, sorry) were fined $25 for not showing up for Grand Jury duty. Alsop didn’ look too happy with them either!
Also heard on the 20th… State vs. Michael Haynes will go to trial Wednesday, July 28th at 9am. With a grin on his face, the robed one set a hearing for bond reduction for July 29th. State vs. Glen Tanner (accused of stealing a 1994 Dodge Shadow owned by a Myers subject) will go to trial Sept 13th at 1pm. Dressed in orange and shackled, Tanner will be allowed bond if he can come up with the money. Jerry Zain Boggs will get his day in court October 14th.
And then some juice, readers. Roger Dale Rogers appeared before the judge with attorney Barbara Schamberger. Alsop dressed the well heeled Schamberger down for not appearing at a hearing last week. With Schamberger reporting chronic pain and illness, Alsop wasn’ taking it, “ou constantly fail to appear… You ARE going to appear!… This is NOT the first time!”Have we mentioned before that Alsop is a real stickler for being on time? Schamberger got the brunt of his wrath this day in court.
Also, the State vs. Tonya Salisbury murder trial was to commence on the 21st. Didn’ happen, readers. Of the 50 or so in the jury pool, too many knew of Tonya, of the deceased Chad Salisbury or the family. New jury pool will be convened for Tuesday July 27th.
Around 3:30 pm July 21st, James C. Rogers stood charged with felony wanton endangerment with a firearm against Dimples Rogers, his mother. In a plea agreement, Mr. Rogers plead no contest to 2 misdemeanors instead of the felony. The case stems from a July 2003 incident where Rogers was accused of firing a weapon at his mother’ home. Alsop went to great lengths to explain what was going on in court after Rogers explained he couldn’ read or write well and was on medication for mental problems. Did we say great lengths? Greaaaat lengths! AW
SHORT SHORTS
NORMAN D. WILSON came to the rescue last week! This is the season for picnics and family reunions at Spread Park. The little green spot along the Elk is the county’ only public facility for such gatherings. Due to tight purse strings and vandalism, the restrooms at Spread Park were closed. County Commission planned to put a stinky plastic porta potty to accommodate the needs of the community. Saying, “ wouldn’ let my dog go in one of those plastic things” Wilson purchased ($78) and installed a new john at his own expense. Good thing too, although promised to arrive before the weekend, the rental privy never arrived!
ENQUIRING MINDS want to know. The talk on the street is the number of suits and ties coming and going from the Clay County Bank. The ever observant Gene King says that some of the suits are auditors while others in the group are with the FBI. Whatever they are, they’e been at it for nearly two weeks. Some in the community are wondering if one time bank president J.D. Morris has provided more of the promised “nside”information. With much Charleston newspaper print aimed at various government leader misdeeds, the wonder is, maybe J.D. ratted on someone.
PRIMARY CONCERNS in this county are health care. The only provider is Primary Health Care of Clay located at Two Run and Big Otter. In June, word came that Physician Assistant Lynn Shaver was being “et go”from her Big Otter duties. Many of her patients including the Starchers of Big Otter were allowed to speak before the last Board in her favor. They were then told to hit the road.
Back five years ago, Primary Health finished the year over $150,000 in the red. With concerns the place may go under, members of the public asked to attend Board meetings. Back then, Director Johnson told the concerned citizens, No, that they operated in secret! Johnson was replaced by Richard Jarvis who at one point had the bad numbers down to $50,000.00.
What’ the financial picture now? Is the secretive organization doing better? The answer is no. Eight of the last 10 months during this fiscal year, Primary Health operated in the red. Oct 2003 was the record breaking month for losing money at $73,257.71 followed closely with a $56,728 loss in May 2004. To date, and as of the end of May, the red amounted to $163,758.02.
As required by IRS non profit rules, Primary Health has to have a Board of Directors in place for oversight. Board members include: Max Moore, Chair, and Rosemary Canfield, Joyce Gibson, Helen Morris, Nancy Murphy, Lolita Nutter, Ron Shamblin, Morgan Triplett, Greg Gency, Mary Truman, and Norma Wallace. Rick Simon is the Executive Director.
The US Public Health Service Act defines Primary Health as a center to provide care to underserved populations. Under Medicaid and Medicare statues, Primary Health has to be governed by a board of directors which must include a majority of active registered clients of the center and must be representative of the population served by the center.
What do you do when you’e loosing money? Answer: Expand! In addition to adding to the top heavy administrative staff, plans call for going in debt building a new wing on to the Two Run center plus purchasing the two old houses across from the Two Run center. The Board also gave the green light to renting space from the Clay County Bank.
How do you heal a sickly medical organization? Changing the sick leave policy is not the right answer.
WATER COMPLAINTS Dale Deems filed a formal complaint against his former employer Clay Roane PSD in the spring of 2004. According to WV Public Service Commission web results: 1.-Roane Public Service District (District) has not filed its answer; 2.Commission Staff's memo reflects that this matter has been resolved. Case dismissed.
In the other end of the county Larry D. McLaughlin filed a complaint against Clay County PSD over no or low water pressure. The PSC boys came to town and solved the no water pressure issue 18 months ago. Seems the problem is back, McLaughlin has asked to reopen the complaint. Ronnie Z. McCann will hear the case August 13th unless both sides can finally reach an agreement in this matter.
It wasn’ so long ago when no one was allowed to hook up new water taps due to a state mandated water moratorium for the county. When the moratorium was lifted, there was a backlog of people wanting water service. That back logs remains with Clay Roane PSD saying they don’ have the money to hook up new customers. Of course, if you illegally hook up a water tap, well, it can stay in service according to several in the Clay Roane service area.
DORIS, GEORGE, and PORTA POTTY, Clay County Commission: The CCC continued to operate without Matthew “AC”Bragg July 12th during their regular session. George Jones from the “e Want An Excess Levy”for emergency services committee brought Commissioners Sams and Triplett up to speed. According to Jones, a meeting had been held with the Lizemores Fire Department and all the wrinkles have been ironed out, Lizemores is back supporting the Nov 2004 ballot vote. Sams, “e’e all together now it seems!” And then the fun part.
In attendance, Doris Summers all but twisted a knot in the CCCs tail when she raked them over the coals for not doing their jobs. Our elected ones promised to help her eliminate a flooding problem in her neighborhood brought on by plugged up culverts in a creek. The white headed Summers reminded Sams and Triplett that they had not lived up to promises made. Sams was most profuse: I apologize for not calling you back….the whole community is affected…. I lost the telephone number…..I could have looked it up. She nailed Triplett too for not following through with his promise! In the end, Ms Summers got another promise: The County Commission will pen a letter to property owner Frank Murphy mandating that he remove the offending culverts.
There is one little snag. The culverts are just over the county line in Roane County by most accounts and the CCC jurisdiction doesn’ extend there. Looks like Doris Summers is back to square one.
And then the stinky problem. Spread Park is without toilets. Vandals have stole three commodes from the restrooms there this year. With the commodes not there and the need to go still there, well, the concrete building has gotten pretty rank. With picnic season in full swing, the CCC voted to rent a plastic porta potty to accommodate the needs of the public and close off the four year old permanent but damaged restrooms.
CAEZ For folks in the Northern end of the county, you have a new Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone rep. Finally after one illegal appointment by the CCC and two failed attempts to hold a community election, Mardel Nevans was duly elected by her constituents July 12th at the Big Otter Fire Dept. building.
CLAY COUNTY PSD First the financials, Clay PSD had a beginning balance of $59 and an ending balance in June of $670 after taking in $23,685. Cathy Schuler from Lizemores attended the July 13th meeting seeking answers. As for a bid date on the long stalled Lizemore/Tucker’ Bottom water line extension project, Keith “r. Happy”King and crew wouldn’ provide any date or time frame for even bid opening. Schuler, “’ tired of doing without water! People are getting very discouraged.” King came back with something along the lines of: we been at this for 10 years, people should get on board, people should stop trying to get water service from Gauley Bridge and “We get slapped in the face a lot..”When Schuler asked how many miles of water line the new project entailed, no one knew.
School Board Will Support Emergency Services Levy
The Clay County Board of Education met Monday, July 19 at their administrative office in Clay. Members Gene King, Kim Sams, David Pierson, Beth Cercone, and Board President R.B. Legg, Jr. were all present.
After making a few minor corrections and changes, the agenda and previous meeting minutes were approved and then Mr. George Jones (not the country singer) was allowed to address the board. Mr. Jones said he was the chairman of a group working to place an emergency services levy on the November ballot to support the ambulance service and fire departments in the county. He told the board members he was requesting their public support for a levy, an endorsement from the school system. Jones, retired, is a member of the Big Otter Volunteer Fire Department who also works some as an EMT with the ambulance service, said, “e think we can take care of this county…provide a better service for this county with less money…” The levy would raise $170,000 per year. Each of the three fire departments and the ambulance service would receive $30,000 a year. The remaining $50,000 would go to the ambulance service the first year, then go to each of the fire departments in turn during the 4 year period of the levy. Pierson asked about carrying forward funds that weren’ spent during the year, and Jones assured him that those funds they (the fire departments/ambulance service) would keep, perhaps saving that money for future needs such as truck/ambulance replacements. King said, “hey support our levy…” He also noted that the ambulance service provides coverage at school events at no charge while another service, such as Jan Care, would bill them around $300 per event. Legg said he considered it infrastructure support and, “nyone in the county who wouldn’ support this levy, (or) our levy, is a fool.” Jones replied he wouldn’ call any names, but said, “e need to look at attracting businesses, build infrastructure. Everybody needs it (the services)…we need to take care of ourselves.” The board asked Superintendent Jerry Linkinoggor to compose a letter of support and place it on next meeting agenda as an action item.
Back to regular business, the board approved the following: increased receipts of $309,689.47; the transfer of Amanda Grose from Title I / LD teacher at Ivydale Elementary to LD teacher at Clay Middle School, successful bid; accepted the resignation of Jeremy Samples as freshman basketball coach at Clay County High School (CCHS); purchase of uniforms for the transportation and maintenance employees for the 2004-2005 school year; transfers for two Kanawha County students and 12 Calhoun County students into Clay County Schools.
A hearing was conducted to determine the status of CCHS student Tommy Young, Jr. Young’ parents, Renee Boyd and Tommy Young, Sr., requested an open hearing. CCHS Assistant Principal Jim Haynie was asked to recount for the board what occurred on June 21 between himself and Young. Young had followed Haynie to his home where he sat in his truck with a gun. Haynie said Young told him that he’ been thinking evil things, and was upset about extra ALC time he’ received. Haynie told the board, “ think he’ a dangerous person…a threat to the kids at school…I felt he was a threat to me.”
Ms Boyd asked Haynie why he had made the derogatory and stereotyped remark in court about where Tommy Jr. lived, calling it Murder Mountain, why not call it Ovapa? Tommy Young, Sr. interjected, “hat’ what intimidated you about him…that he’ from Murder Mountain…where he’ from.”
Boyd declared that no help had ever been given to Tommy Jr., no counseling, though he admitted that he had an anger problem. Linkinoggor disputed the allegation that there had been no counseling. He said there was an effort made to provide counseling, but much of it did not occur because Tommy wasn’ present.
Linkinoggor classified Young, Jr. as a “angerous student”using criteria he said was in state code. CCHS Principal Phil Dobbins listed for the board previous threatening episodes which had occurred involving Young and said he also felt Young was a dangerous student. Dobbins admitted, when questioned by the parents, that there had been no actual violence, but threats of it.
Boyd asked if Tommy could transfer to Herbert Hoover. Linkinoggor said no, if the board takes the recommendation (of the superintendent and principal), he would be expelled from all West Virginia schools.
The board asked for and approved Linkinoggor’ recommendation which was: due to threatening behavior that Tommy Young, Jr. be classified a dangerous student and expelled for one year. The board will review the decision quarterly. Linkinoggor pointed out that Young would still have one and a half semesters of ALC to serve when he returned. Young and his parents left the meeting after the decision was made, followed shortly by Deputy Belt, who had arrived shortly after the meeting started.
All motions passed unanimously.
Superintendent Linkinoggor reported on the results of the previous year’ staff attendance incentive, which was adopted on a trial basis. The incentive paid $100 every semester to employees with perfect attendance. He said they paid $17,000 over the two semesters, but 89 more days of work were missed than the previous year. He noted, however, that bus drivers missed 93 days less than the previous year. Linkinoggor, “ recommend not to continue the attendance incentive next year.”
The board has received a letter from the Braxton County Board of Education asking that they join in an effort to have legislator Jerry Mezzatesta removed from his position as Chairman of the House Education Committee. Scattered comments from the board revealed most agreed that Mezzatesta had behaved unethically, but Pierson noted, “e’ a pretty powerful person…could still do harm…” No decision on this one.
Linkinoggor presented the board with a new substitute policy they had requested. Two changes that may have been made are to drop the required 50% attendance to 33 1/3 %, and to give the supervisors more leeway in making the decision to keep or take off the substitute list. The policy change will be an action item on the next meeting agenda.
An update on progress at the Big Otter school site was provided. The core drilling and survey are finished. Attorney Jeff Davis is preparing the deed which was to be ready later in the week. There is a problem though. When the two brothers who are selling the property to the school system inherited the property they never had the will probated in Clay County. It was probated in Kanawha County, however. The brothers are willing to have the money put in escrow while the will is probated in Clay County, a period of about 60 days, and give the deed to the board now so they can begin excavation at the site. Linkinoggor said that is what he’ like to do, and after checking with both parties attorneys, felt the board was protected. The board offered no objections.
The goal setting/planning meeting requested by new member Cercone is being planned for either before or after the board’ next regular meeting in August.
TK
Project Bids Opened
Quotes Come in High
Clay Roane PSD customers have waited for years for the long stalled Amma/Left Hand water line extension project to get underway. Plans for potable municipal water to serve 340 new customers came one step closer as construction bids were opened July 15 during a special meeting of the District. Engineer Jim Hildruth did most of the talking with Chair Melissa Postelwait and Boardster Glen Sutton also in attendance. Back in the peanut gallery, more than 20 filled the County Commission room. The 33 mile stretch of pipe and storage tanks was divided into 3 separate contracts making it possible.
Attorney Tom Whittier opened each manila envelope and gave a quick perusal before Hildruth read each contract bid out loud to those in attendance. Around the room, most diligently wrote down the numbers and quietly whispered and nodded.
Listed as bidders were: JC Bosely Construction, Groundbreakers Inc, Diversified Enterprises, Tralyn Inc, FAMCO Inc, Welding Inc, and Mid Atlantic Storage. No bids were received from Bosely or Tralyn. Only Diversified bid on all three components of the project. Contracts one and two were for the line work. Storage tanks were in contract 3.
Groundbreakers bid on Contract 1- $2,264,789; and $2,499,145. on Contract 2.
Diversified Enterprises bid $1,793,591 on Contract 1; $2,244,916 Contract 2 ; and, $562,000 on Contract 3. Total bid: $4,039,069.00 Diversified has been in the news recently in Putnam County where contracts have gone over deadline. Owned by Jack Whitaker, Diversified did much of the water line work during an earlier extension line project in the Newton area of the PSD. During recent PSD meetings, appointed leaders and locals have expressed reservations on ever using Whittaker as a contractor with much of the water line breaks in the system blamed on shoddy workmanship.
FAMCO bid $1,792,622.10 on Contract 1 only. Welding Inc bid $725,000 for the storage tank project, Contract 3.
$3.4 million has been secured for the entire project according to PSD Chair Postelwait. With more projects than money available, either reductions on scope will be mandated or money will have to be found. Engineer Jim Hildruth seemed optimistic on securing more money, “hat [amount] remains to be seen.”
Clay Roane PSD must now decide on which bid to accept and what to do about funding shortfalls. Engineer Hildruth explained at an earlier meeting, the construction could begin late in fall 2004.
Letter to Brother Bill By Evelyne McLaughlin
Dear Brother: It is beginning to look and feel like fall here in the hills. Those noisy jar flies, katydids and other insects are singing their lonesome songs. As we know, time waits for no one and cold weather will be here in no time at all. Do you ever remember being bored when we lived on Twistabout? We had no TV, only a few books, no computers, no CD's or Game Boys, for several years we had no electricity, but I do not ever recall being bored. Our young generation of today complains of being bored, nothing to do. We played cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, paper dolls and just explored the woods. Never bored. In the evening when the chores were done Mom might tell us a story. She was a good story teller.
Linda Burdette Bird, of Elkview, and her sister, Sharon Burdette Samples (CCHS '55) of Culloden, were sightseeing in New York recently. They wanted to see Ground Zero before they started building on the place again. Myrtle and Oliver "Sonny" Arbogast, of Elkview, went on a tour this week to New York. Shonette McLaughlin Shearer and her daughter, Sherry, of Phoenix, Arizona, stopped in for a visit this week. They are also visiting Joe and Nell Foreman, of Charleston. They plan to drive into Virginia to visit Mike Shearer, Shonette's son. It was good to visit with them. Chester Summers, of Marlington, was visiting his mother, Sylvia Summers, this week. Louise Runion said they had a wonderful turn-out at their family reunion last weekend. Shirley Carole Goodwin Pitts (CCHS 1955) is visiting with her mother, Ruby Goodwin, of Procious, this week.
Aunt Maycle Samples, of Twistabout Ridge, is still quite ill. Her son, Steven Samples, of Pensacola, Florida, has been visiting with her this month. Several places being broken into around here. The Clay Elementary School was broken into during the early spring. Ivydale Elementary School was the latest to be vandalized.
Mary Ann Blankenship passed away Saturday. She was the daughter-in-law of Blendenine Daubenspeck Blankenship, of Leon. "Whit" Samples, of Twistabout Ridge also passed away. We also lost one of our old soldiers since my last letter to you. Hugh Boggs II passed away. He was 83. Hugh had been in our family for many years. He will be sorely missed. It is sad that about the only time families get together anymore is at the funeral home. Our sympathies to each of the families that have lost a loved one.
I had this bright idea that I would put Clorox in the buckets of water outside to kill those nasty mosquitoes. That works…but then I decided to water my flowers and some of my tomato plants. Well, the next day they looked like someone had poured scalding water on them. Clorox works for some things and some things it doesn't. I don't think we will have many apples this year. I counted seven on the limbs.
I saw Arthur Holcomb recently. He said he had sold oodles of guineas and still has some left. Anyone need a guinea??? Call Arthur.
In closing this week, I want to share one of Mom's poems with the readers. When I read this I immediately though of Hugh Boggs II. Mom (Addie Eagle Dawson) wrote this poem January 24, 1936.
Death Angel
One day a white winged angel
with a message from on high
Flew from the Courts of Glory,
To summon our friend to die.
When having delivered the message,
And knowing he couldn't stay
Then spreading fourth his balmy wings,
He bare his soul away.
Back to the Father who giveth
And safely he will keep
within a heavenly mansion,
But the body in rest will sleep.
Then take ye the rest of a soldier,
Who bravely hath fought and died
You'll meet the Captain of your soul,
Beyond the rolling tide.
Though it be sad at parting,
To know the life works through
But a better life we know there is
In the land beyond the blue.
Then sing thou heavenly chorus,
And play on your harps of gold,
Rejoice with the hosts of Glory,
A sheep has been brought to the fold.
So, in closing, Brother Bill, the message is to be ready when the Captain calls for you. And in the meantime, Help Us All To Be Brave.
Love ya, Sis
BOB CLARKE Curmudgeon’ Corner
A few weeks ago, Lawrence Kudlow, who is co-host of one of those yawn-inducing programs about business, exulted that 80 million people are involved in the stock market. This, he enthusiastically proclaimed, is definitive proof that the economy is “ooming.” Here, more than a faint chord of doubt creeps in. No one was present to ask Mr. Kudlow that if a healthy economy is to be judged by the 80 million people happily clipping coupons, gushing in ecstasy over the recovering stock market, what about the other 200 million? He might as well have said: “veryone I know is getting rich.” This preposterous attitude is a classical view of fat oat philosophy, a myopic tendency to judge the many by the relative few. This mode of thinking makes about as much sense as pointing to the obscene and corrupt profits of Halliburton as the standard by which American business should be judged.
We have seen, to the point of nausea, the example of how constant repetition becomes accepted truth. Last week, Secretary of the Treasury Snow reported on TV: [As Dave Barry says: “ am not making this up.” “his is the best economy I have ever seen in my life.” He does not mention what he has been smoking or what mind-altering substance he has been taking. Snow, it can be suggested, must have been aware of what happened to his predecessor, Secretary O’rien, who was foolhardy enough to suggest that the White House’ monetary policy was suspect, if not disastrous. Speaking truth to power can be perilous, as a number of former Bush loyalist have found to their discomfort.
When the media manages to make a small detour from the cosmic importance of Kobe Bryant and the Lacy Peterson cases, we are inundated with the endless litany of the economy’ bouncing back. The administration puts out Department of Labor numbers of job recovery. One salient feature of the rosy numbers game is that when the statistics are announced, they are not broken down by specifics. When the so-called genial and benevolent Ronald Reagan cut the school lunch program’ funds, he wanted catsup categorized as a vegetable. Bush’ contribution to this creative process is to designate some jobs in the service industry as “anufacturing,”thus it will be small comfort that, even if a title goes with being in charge of the French fries, burgers, or pancakes, the paycheck will not reflect your rise in status. It does not take a degree in economics to understand that the real barometer of improvement lies in wages, not in the number of jobs added in any given month. An unidentified woman last week remarked, with tongue firmly in cheek:
… I know there are more jobs being created. I have three of them.
What happened to the slobbering multitudes [that’ us], the “ank-scented many,”as Shakespeare called the mob, is a matter of small importance. The task of the power-elite is to keep the stockholders happy and comfortable. The rabble are only significant every four years, and we can expect to hear rosy and daily tidings, a determined distortion of reality, at least until early November.
The inevitable and violent reaction to Michael Moore’ Fahrenheit 9/11 suggests that the hardliners have been cut to a depth beyond the quick. With the understanding proviso of “here you stand depends upon where you sit,”the view here is that Moore’ irreverence is a refreshing breeze cutting through the hot air emanating from our corporate media. As an interesting sidelight to the history of this movie, the Disney Corporation, taking the moral high road, refused to distribute it, claiming that it did not support works that are politically partisan. There was a bit of irony in this pompous stance considering that Disney owns the company that employs Rush Limbaugh who, of course, if famous for his fair and balanced political views.
The trashing of Fahrenheit 9/11 continues apace. One can almost hear Captain Renaud of Casablanca issuing the famous order: “he Major has been shot. Round up the usual suspects.” The suspects in the former case are the same media voices who swallowed unquestioningly the Bushies’lies plunging us into the Iraq morass. MoveAmericaForward.org called the movie a “raining film for all al Qaeda.” And one can always count on the shrill harpy, Ann Coulter, who termed the work a “efense brief for Saddam Hussein.” Coulter, some may remember, is the hysterical loudmouth, now mercifully absent from the talk shows, who once was fired for declaring that we should kill all the leaders in the Middle East and convert the people to Christianity. Once on a national TV show, she told an amputee that he was the sort who helped us lose the war in Vietnam. It is a grudging tribute to the neocons that even they seem to be embarrassed by Coulter.
Unabashedly partisan, Michael Moore rakes muck with the best. Predictably, the right, disturbed by Bush’ slippage in the poll’, has attacked Fahrenheit 9/11 as a tissue of lies, although has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can dispute his facts. Here are a few that are undisputable. Sections of Bush’ records during his term in the Air National Guard are missing. Dare we say “estroyed?” What a surprise! Congress had not read the Patriot Act before passing it. Moore found the Secret Service guarding the Saudi embassy, clearly not part of its duties. Another dramatic disclosure is the Congressional Black Caucus could not get a single Democratic senator to provide the required signature to its formal protest of the certification of Bush’ “ictory”in 2000. Florida, according to recent reports, is up to its old tricks, taking steps to head off 2100 qualified black voters. Katha Pollitt of the Nation suggests that the people who have seen the film send their ticket stub to George W. Bush. There have been worse ideas. On a personal note, a truly grand idea would be to sentence Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith, and Rumsfeld to serve the rest of their lives in Baghdad. Powell, because of his apostasy, would spend eternity in one of Dante’ outer circles.
A week or so ago, Bush starred in one of the most disgusting photo-ops that the twisted mind of Karl Rove ever conceived. The President appeared on national TV with a small group of Iraqi amputees. Smiling with their well-cut, expensive suits and state-of-the-art prosthetics, the message intended was obvious: Behold our compassion. A significant rise in the hypocrisy index was achieved. This is a president who has not attended a single ceremony at Arlington, and whose administration has prohibited showings of the dead arriving at Dover Air Force Base. The excuse? Protect family privacy. This silly argument defies reason, because no one can tell who is in those flag-draped coffins. Moreover, it is well known that the massive parade of body bags shown on daily TV during the Vietnam War had a significant impact on ending the conflict, a result of which the White House is not ignorant. November looms. There is no public relations concept too vile.
Wisdom of the Sages
Avoid the necessity of the overgrown military
establishments which, under any form of
government, are inauspicious to liberty.
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