The Clarion Issue

The United Nations was created by the victorious nations after World War II in hopes of creating an international organization to maintain world peace. The UN contains many important and successful organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO actually eradicated smallpox, before idiot dictators and terrorists resurrected the disease in the guise of biological weapons. However, the main peacekeeping force of the UN, centered on the Security Council, has not been successful in keeping world peace.

The Security Council consists of five permanent members and ten nonpermanent members. The nonpermanent members of the Security Council are selected at large from the member nations. The five permanent members have veto power over the resolutions and can stop any action by the rest of the council. The five permanent members are the United States, Great Britain, France, China, and Russia. The problem with the Security Council is, and has always been, that one vote (veto) by any permanent member stops any UN action.

The ability of four of the five permanent nations (France being the exception) to act without the approval of the UN has allowed these nations to act independently when the nation felt UN action would be delayed or withheld. The UN failed to stop The Soviet Union from its incursion into Afghanistan in the 1970s, Britain from retaking the Falkland Islands in the 1980s, and the Russian suppression of the Chechen secession movement in the 1990s.

The UN can boast of a few successes in helping initiate cease fire resolutions in a few wars. The cease-fire that ended the Arab-Israeli six-day war is the best known example. However, the often-limited mandate of the UN as a peacekeeping force has also demonstrated the organizations inept peace keeping abilities in areas such as the Balkans, Somalia, and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Today the UN is facing a major crisis. The Bush administration, bowing to world and US opinion, asked the Security Council to enforce its resolutions regarding Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. These included the resolutions that Saddam Hussein agreed to at the end of the 1991 Gulf War, and the resolutions the Security Council passed last year at the onset of the crisis. It is now evident that the government of Iraq had no intention of complying with the UN resolutions other than smashing a few Al Samoud missiles. The problem is that the same Security Council that voted to initiate the resolutions refused to enforce the resolutions.

The major culprit in the Security Council is France, aided by Germany, China, and Russia. The French have never realized that they have not been a major factor in the world since Germany flanked the Maginot Line in 1940. France has voted against the US on several occasions in the UN, including the replacing of the US with Sudan on the UN’s Human Rights Council. (Remember, the Sudan still allows slavery.) Russia, who inherited the veto power of the former Soviet Union, has never created a stable, viable market economy and relies on US loans and other economic support to shore up its economy. China has sold Iraq various weapons, including the infamous SCUDS, and preferred to allow Saddam Hussein to remain in power in Iraq. These three countries, in concert with the German government, were not willing to recognize the threat of Saddam Hussein to the region and the world. They preferred to allow current UN inspections to continue well into the summer.

The other countries on the Security Council seemed willing to sell their votes to the highest bidder. Bush offered Mexico trade and monetary concessions for their Security Council vote in favor of forcing Iraq to comply with the UN’s resolutions. The African nations of Guinea and Cameroon were approached with very lucrative “loan” packages from the US, as was Chile. French leaders embarked on a whirlwind tour of African nations, including Security Council member Angola, promising these nations money and support in order to drum up support for their position on the Iraqi crisis. These nations on the Security Council helped decide the world’s opinion on the US’s attempts to disarm Iraq. Readers, be honest; can you really find Cameroon on a map?

Another problem with the UN was the entire inspection process. Hans Blix and the other inspectors embellished their formal reports to the Security Council. They overstated the Iraqi willingness to cooperate, and even failed to disclose the discovery of a new pilotless, drone aircraft capable of long flights and of delivering conventional, as well as chemical, and biological bombs. The inspectors seemed to be pushing a political agenda, when their mandate was to inspect and report their findings.

Perhaps the UN has outgrown the mandate given in the 1945 charter. Most of the large, powerful nations of the world are no longer willing to act in concert with the UN when their own interests are at stake. If the UN is unwilling to enforce its own resolutions, why should the US be bound by the actions of nations acting in their own interest? France has already threatened Turkey with a negative vote on its attempted entry to the European Union if Turkey helps the US in the war with Iraq. The US and France were both actively shopping around for support on the UN Security Council. The votes and alliances now go to the highest bidder, not what is right for the world. Unless the UN’s member nations put aside their political and economic self-interest, the UN will become an irrelevant institution.

The Iraqi crisis may doom the UN to the scrap heap of history. If not, the next test is North Korea. North Korea has already thumbed its nose at the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency in regards to the restarting of their nuclear reactor, and North Korea has recently tested several missiles believed to be capable of delivering atomic weapons. This threat may be the final test of the UN’s effectiveness as the world’s peacekeeping organization.

The Clarion Issue staff supports the Bush administration on Iraq. We feel the region and the world will be a safer place when Iraq is disarmed, and we feel the people of Iraq will be better off without Saddam Hussein and his thug-infested government. We encourage all Americans, whether or not you support the Bush policy and the war, to support our men and women in the armed services who have to be there to fight. Please pray for them as they are in harm’s way.

Editor’s note: While the editorial staff of the Clarion Issue supports a war to disarm and rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein, this view is not held by all the writers and staff of the web site southerndomains.com. We encourage the readers to explore other opinions found at other sites inside the web site.

Everyday we see or hear about people protesting against President Bush and his policy of wanting Saddam Hussein to disarm and to step down. President Bush has been called many derogatory names and has been accused of showing favor to big oil interests. Yet those same people say nothing of France, Germany, or Russia's big oil deals with Saddam’s Iraq.

The antiwar crowd (pro-peace, to be politically correct) accuses President Bush of being a warmonger. President Bush has said simply, "If Saddam doesn't want war, he can disarm and leave Iraq." How many American civilian people has President Bush used chemical and biological agents on? How many people has President Bush personally murdered?

We have the Hollywood liberals (Gee is that a surprise?) signing on with the "Not in Our Name" protest group and paying for full-page newspaper ads against the war. They could find better uses for their money by feeding the homeless or helping to educate those that cannot afford an education. They could sponsor and finance learn-to-read programs or help out any of the numerous other charities in America today. Do they really know what Saddam Hussein has done? Do they care that they are defending and supporting a mass murderer, thug, and bully? Why would supposedly rational human beings volunteer to be human shields to defend or protect a known quantity with the likes of Saddam?

To hear most of the antiwar talk, President Bush is the evil one, and Saddam Hussein is the guy you want to date your daughter, baby sit your children, and is a good neighbor. Sean Penn visited Iraq and offered his sympathy to the Iraqi government. Did Sean Penn visit anyone in Iraq without the Iraqi government’s approval? Sean Penn needs to live under such a totalitarian regime for a while., a regime where an individual has no idea if they will be the next victim or which family member will be arrested, tortured, and murdered.

Do the antiwar protestors believe people in Iraq have a great time and great liberties? How would you feel about being ruled by a man that has killed tens of thousands of civilian men, women, children, and even their pets? How do you feel about supporting a man whose sons are just as brutal or more so than he is? One son killed the food taster because he was procuring women for his father.

Have the antiwar protestors met with any of the surviving Kurds or families that tasted and sampled some of Saddam Hussein's chemical concoctions and have experienced Saddam's cruelty? Do they have any sympathy for any of the tens of thousands of Kurdish men, women, and children killed by this madman? Do the protestors have any symphony for the entire villages Saddam Hussein assaulted with chemical and biological weapons? Do they have any sympathy for the pets?

Do the protestors remember the environmental and ecological disasters Saddam Hussein created in 1991 and is trying to recreate today?

The Iraqi people are clearly oppressed and have no freedom of speech. They are afraid of Saddam and his henchmen. Now that the war has started, we are finding the Iraqi people eager to welcome Americans as liberators and removing the fear they have lived under and had to deal with under Saddam Hussein's rule. Along the same line, Iraqi soldiers are surrendering in droves.

The Coalition forces (45 countries at last count) are bringing in food and medicines. The Iraqi people are helping point out and identify the Iraqis that are resisting the incoming forces.

These alleged protestors for peace are committing many acts of violence. Now does that sound like they really want peace? They endanger human lives. In some areas they slowed fire departments from responding. They have fought with police. Fighting when you are antiwar? They have heaved and damaged newspaper boxes. What does that say about their concepts of freedom of the press? They have broken windows and thrown garbage and other items into the streets. For what? How does this further the cause for peace? They have been seen throwing rocks at trains. That really says a lot for the peace movement, doesn't it?

One 19-year-old protestor bragged that he thought shutting down the city to counteract President Bush's "economic motives" for this war was a reasonable idea. So preventing Saddam from possibly dealing in Weapons of Mass Destruction is one of the "economic motives" for this war. What does that say about these so-called people for peace?

The police, fire, and emergency services are not unlimited in resources. These so-called protestors for peace are tying up personnel and causing delays to people who are victims of a violent crime or serious accident. They are also taking away from the very resources of the people trying to catch terrorists. Think how you would feel if you were in the vicinity of "Ground Zero," during a real terrorist attack, and no one could respond because these people, supposedly for peace, were blocking the roads and tying up every available "First Responder" with their "acts for peace". Think of how you would feel if your friend, child, mother, father, wife, husband, or maybe even you were severely injured and help was delayed because of the “actions for peace?”

There have been reports of Saddem Hussein using scud missiles, which he has denied having. The scud missile is around 37 feet long. Then there are the transporters, fueling trucks, and what not. If Saddam could successively hide such weapons for years, weapons that he was prohibited from owning, then he could easily hide the 8,500 missing liters of anthrax or any of the other weapons of mass destruction.

Reports now indicate that Saddam Hussein was recruiting and training "suicide bombers". Does this sound like a man that wanted peace?

Saddam has broken and violated 17 UN accords. How many more chances did Saddam need to be given? Saddam has had 12 years to promote peace and to cooperate. Clinton never sought UN approval for his actions against Saddam’s Iraq, in Croatia/Serbia, or Haiti. Nor did he when he changed the mission of the United States in Somalia.

The Clarion Issue supports our troops, our military, and our President as they rid the world of Saddam Hussein and his henchmen. We pray and ask you to pray for the safety of our troops and that the loss of lives is kept to a minimum.

Editor’s note: At the time the Clarion Issue went to press the status of Saddam was unknown. British and American Intelligence believe he may have been injured during the first attack of the war.

On March 13, 2003, Georgia’s Governor Sonny Perdue (Republican) sent a letter to President G. W. Bush stating that he had called for a weekend of prayer and contemplation in the state of Georgia concerning the events in the Middle East. The letter is quoted here for our readers.

As we stand on the threshold of conflict, I firmly believe that we, as Americans, should return to our roots and reaffirm our belief in the power of prayer. Since our Nation's humble beginnings, our people have always turned to God for inspiration, strength, and guidance. If ever we need that divine wisdom and direction, it is now.

Therefore, as Governor of Georgia, I am officially proclaiming this weekend, March 14-16, 2003, as a Weekend of Prayer in our State. I am personally calling upon citizens and congregations in Georgia to pray for several groups of people as their respective faiths direct.

We uplift the brave men and women who wear our Nation's uniform. We give thanks for their willingness to sacrifice their lives in the defense of freedom and liberty not only for America but also for civilization. We remember their families who are left behind to face uncertain and lonely days. We are grateful for our allies who have courageously joined in the struggle against terrorism.

We pray for the thousands upon thousands of people throughout the world who live under oppressive regimes. We intercede on their behalf and pray that their suffering be short and that peace be swift and sure. We also pray a special prayer for our Nation's leadership, particularly you, your Cabinet, and your advisors. In the coming weeks and months, you will need a double portion of discretion, grace, and patience to face the challenges that come our way.

Mary and I remain in prayer for you and the First Lady. May God continue to bless you and grant you calm assurance in these times.

The Clarion Issue wonders if the hundreds of thousand of drunk Irishmen and “honorary Irishmen” celebrating St. Paddy’s Day in Savannah, Georgia, paused from their green beer and Bloody Marys to honor the governor’s call to prayer.

The wedding day was fast approaching. Everything was ready, and nothing could dampen Jennifer's excitement, not even her parents' nasty divorce.

Her mother, Sheila, finally found the PERFECT dress to wear, and would be the best-dressed mother of the bride EVER!

A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn her new young stepmother, Barbie, had purchased the same dress. She asked Barbie to exchange the dress, but Barbie refused, "Absolutely not! I'm going to wear this dress; I'll look like a million in it!"

Jennifer told her mother, who graciously replied, "Never mind dear. I'll get another dress, after all it's YOUR special day, not hers."

Two weeks later, another dress was finally found. When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, "What are you going to do with the first dress? Maybe you should return it. You don't have any place to

Sheila grinned and replied, "Of course, I do, dear! I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner!"

Father O'Malley rose from his bed. It was a fine spring day in his new Washington, DC, parish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside. He then noticed there was a jackass lying dead in the middle of his front lawn. He promptly called the US Senate for assistance. The conversation went like this:

"And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O'Malley at St. Brigit's. There's a jackass lying dead in me front lawn. Would ye be so kind as to send a couple o' yer lads to take care of the matter?"

Senator Daschle, considering himself to be quite a wit, replied with smirk, "Well now father, it was always my impression that you people took care of last rites!" There was dead silence on the line for a long moment.

Father O'Malley then replied: "Aye, that's certainly true, but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin.”

AT CHURCH ONE EASTER
One Easter Sunday morning, as the minister was preaching the children's sermon, he reached into his bag of props and pulled out an egg. He pointed at the egg and asked the children, "What's in here?"

THE INQUIRY
A prospective Father-in-law asked, “Young man, can you support a family?”
The surprised groom-to-be replied, “Well, no. I was planning to support your daughter. The rest of you will have to fend for yourselves."

“I have no opinion. I had no opinion before. I had no opinion at the time. I have no opinion now.” Hillary Rodham Clinton

Insek- A general southern term for any type of bug including but not limited to: wasps, yellow jackets, dirt daubers, ladybugs, ants, gnats, roaches, butterflies, moths, caterpillars, mosquitoes, termites or grasshoppers.

Insek repugnant (re/pug/nant)- Cream, spray, or oil used to repel (repug) skeeters, gnats or any other insek.

Jawja thumper- A large grasshopper found in Jawja used primarily as fish bait for bass or bream.

Tinasee (Tin/a/see) thumper- 1) A large grasshopper found in Tinasee primarily used as bait for bass or bream. 2) A name brand softball bat used primarily in tournament play. The bat works best when cooled in dry ice during a game when the owner is not at bat.

Cotaba wu’ms- (Catawba worms)- The catapiller (caterpillar) stage of a butterfly that feeds on the leaves of a Cotaba (Catawba) tree and makes great catfish bait.

Yeller Jacket- 1) A small, flying, stinging insek. 2) A Jawja Tech graduate or fan.

Stang- 1) To be bit’n by a Yeller Jacket, wasp, or any other insek. 2) A rock singer, formally with the Polices (Po/lice/es) whose hits include “Roxaine” and “Fields of Gold.”

Squchin’ roeitches- the act of running down and stompin’ on or squchin’ roe/itch/es (roaches) in ones home, apartment, or trailer.

Scoutmaster ‘Scrap Iron’ Pearson: “OK boys, it is getting dark, and the skeeters are getting’ bad.”

Cooter: “Charlene, I done hit a yeller jacket nest with the ridin’ lawnmower and them ‘er yeller jackets done stanged the mess out ‘a me.”

Thelma Lou: “Bo, when ya gonna do some’um ’bout these here roeitches in my kitchen?”

Bo: “I done done it, Thelma Lou. Last night when I come in ’er to get some water, I must a squashed fifteen of them ’er hard back bugs.”

Thelma Lou: “Gee, Bo, was that why yo’ feets was so squechey when ya got back in bed last night?”

Bubba: “Hey Slim! You got our Tinasee Thumpers in dry ice ready for the thud (third) ingen (inning) of this here softball game?”

Slim: “Yea, Bubba, I show ’nuff do. And unner’neath the bats, I got some grasshopper Tinasee Thumpers and Cotaba wu’ms for the fish’en trip after’erds. Ya know them catfish luv ’em ’re catapillers and ’en bass luv ’en Tinasee thumpers.”

A unique jail escape attempt in Waco, Texas, on February 6th became a comedy of errors when the escapee entered Baylor University’s Theater Department and exchanged his fluorescent orange jail coveralls for a solid green 19th-century ensemble.

Sheriff Larry Lynch of McLennan County said that Timothy Norwood Baker evidently crawled through the space above the ceiling around midnight but was heard by several people in the Medical visitation area of the jail. Baker then fell through the ceiling, scurried out the door, and scaled the ten-foot fence surrounding the jail.

Baker then made his way to the Baylor University campus, bummed a cigarette from a couple of students, and made for the University’s Drama Department. There he outfitted himself in the all green costume, including green galoshes. Sheriff Larry Lynch indicated that Baker looked a little like a leprechaun in the outfit. Law enforcement officials chasing Baker referred to him as the “Green Hornet,” on their radio broadcast during the chase. The Green clad suspect was captured shortly afterward.

Baker, who was in jail on aggravated battery and sexual assault charges, was also being held on a parole violation. His freedom lasted about six hours; however, the Clarion Issue staff feels his dramatic escape and unique choice of costume would have been better suited for St. Patrick’s Day than the week before St. Valentine’s Day. Maybe the Baylor University’s Theater Department’s Cupid outfit was too small. The Clarion Issue also wants to emphasize that there is no truth to the rumor that Baker, when asked why he chose the green galoshes, said, “I chose them because the Surgeon General says you should always wear your rubbers.”

On February 24th an eight foot alligator, named “Henry” by local residents, attacked 70 year old Helena Couto as she was clearing bushes near a pond behind her home at Fiddlers Green Condominiums Englewood, Florida, outside Tampa. The gator bit into the victim’s right arm and tried to drag her into the pond. She was saved by the quick actions of three neighbors who heard her screams and came to her rescue. However, “Henry” was able to sever the arm below the elbow. Two of the neighbors, Brian Gangnier and his wife, Vickie, were nurses and administered first aid to Mrs. Couto.

Charlotte County deputies shot “Henry” and retrieved Mrs. Couto’s arm, and she underwent surgery to replace the limb. The operation was unsuccessful due to the amount of time between the bite and the surgery.

Florida Fish and Wildlife experts remind people not to feed alligators in ponds and lakes near homes as this may lessen an alligator’s natural fears of humans. They also encourage people not to leave fish scraps and other sources of food near alligator habitats and to keep all pets away from known alligator areas. Remember, as alligators’ habitats change, the gators tend to migrate.

On Valentine’s Day, convicted Texas Mercedes murderess, Clara Harris, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for running over and killing her husband of 11 years. February 14th would have been the couple’s eleventh anniversary. Mrs. Harris had been convicted of the murder the day before.

Mrs. Harris (45) contended that she did not mean to kill her husband, David Harris, a local orthodontist, who had been having an affair with a member of his office staff, on July 24, 2002. During the three-week trial, evidence pointed to the fact that Clara Harris had run over her husband three times with her Mercedes-Benz while his daughter from a previous marriage was in the car with her. The jury returned a guilty verdict in eight hours.

The only prosecution witness called by prosecutor Mia Magness at the penalty phase of the trial was David Harris’ daughter, Lindsey. After testimony from several defense witnesses, Judge Carol G. Davies gave the jury a choice of four sentencing options. The options included 99 years in prison to probation. Probation was an option if the jury found that Mrs. Harris had acted with sudden passion as described by Texas law.

Defense Attorney George Parnham had presented evidence of a volatile confrontation and argument between Mr. and Mrs. Harris shortly after Mrs. Harris had discovered her husband and his mistress in the same hotel where the couple had been married. The Mercedes murder occurred in the parking lot of the hotel. While the jury found special circumstances present during the murder, they opted for the upper end sentence of 20 years for Clara Harris.

Go Texas! The Clarion Issue speculates that a California jury would have let Mrs. Harris walk.

John McMorran, a resident of Lakeland, Florida, died on February 24, 2003. Mr. McMorran was 113. He was born on June 19,1889, in a log cabin in Michigan. At the time of his death, he was the forth-oldest person in the world and the oldest American.

While his eyesight and hearing were fading in recent years, his family indicated that he had always enjoyed good health. McMorran had considered coffee “his elixir,” but he had given up cigars at age 97.

John McMorran entered the hospital the week before his death and died due to complications of pneumonia and heart failure.

The White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan applied for a permit to demonstrate in support of the Augusta National Golf Clubs right to maintain its all-male membership. The permit, applied for in late February, asked for permission to demonstrate during the prestigious Masters Tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club in April.

Speaking for the Ku Klux Klan from its home base in Cordele, Georgia, Imperial Wizard J.J. Harris indicated, “We intend on making speeches and picketing for the right of the Augusta National Club to include only members of their choice regardless of race, religion, sex, or creed. We are going to stand up for the rights of the Augusta National to choose whomever they want to choose as a member of their club.”

Glenn Greenspand, spokesperson for Augusta National Golf Club, indicated that the club and the tournament did not seek or approve of the Klan’s endorsement of their policies and would distance themselves from the Klan’s position, permit application, and demonstration.

The Klan’s application brought out groups planing counter protests. Martha Burk, Chairperson of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, indicated that she will seek permits to hold demonstrations during the week of the Masters Tournament, and Rev. Jessie Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH coalition indicated they would be present to demonstrate against the discriminatory policies of Augusta National Golf Club.

When told of Jackson’s plans, Imperial Wizard Harris responded by saying, “We don't want Jesse Jackson in our state.”

Another women’s group, “WAMB,” (Women Against Martha Burk) has also indicated that they wish to demonstrate against Martha Burk and her policies and in support of the clubs right to discriminate.

When all is said and demonstrated, more media coverage might be focused on the demonstrations than on the fairways at this year’s Masters Golf Tournament.

Editor’s note: Clarion Issue sources inside the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan report that the current leaders do not have any plans to replace their trademark white robes for green jackets.

While taking a break from the National Governors Association’s winter meeting in Washington, DC, the three republican governors of the states involved in the Chattahoochee-Flint- Apalachicola River Basin water wars met in the White House and agreed to delay the pending law suits over the tri-state river system.

Georgia’s Governor Sonny Perdue, Florida’s Governor Jeb Bush and Alabama Governor Bob Riley agreed to postpone the lawsuits over the river basins until summer. Since Gov. Perdue and Riley are newly elected, Gov. Bush indicated that they might bring a new perspective to the issue that may help solve the problems without lengthy and costly legal actions.

The dispute centers around the continued growth of Atlanta, and the metropolitan area’s increasing demand on the water available in the upper areas of the river basin. Georgia insists that the Atlanta area needs more water for growth, while Alabama needs water for growth on the western side of the Chattahoochee River. Florida needs enough fresh water in the Apalachicola estuary for the continued revitalization of the oyster and shrimp harvests in the bay. (The Apalachicola River is formed by the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers in southwest Georgia.)

The tentative agreement reached at the meetings in late February and early March allow the Atlanta area to continue to pull more water from Lake Lanier, northeast of Atlanta, in exchange for Georgia paying more of the operating cost of Buford Dam, the dam that creates Lake Lanier.

While this deal postpones pending litigation, it does not help the farmers of the three states involved. The farmers of Southwest Georgia are prohibited from sinking new irrigation wells and are limited to the amounts of water they can use to help the area’s crops through the dry months of the southeast’s growing season. The agricultural and seafood industries of the area are at risk due to Atlanta’s unquenchable thirst.

Editors note: For a comprehensive look at the water issue see “Atlanta, Turning Off The Tap For The Entire Southeast” in the December 2002 Clarion Issue found in our on line archives.

FLORIDA NEWS: GOV. BUSH APPOINTS NEW LT. GOVERNOR; QUESTIONS VOTERS INTELLIGENCE

Gov. Bush appointed former Senate President Toni Jennings as Florida's new lieutenant governor on March 3, 2003. Toni Jennings is a former educator turned state legislator from the Miami area. She will replace Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan, who resigned to become president of Florida Atlantic University. Brogan was Bush's point man in the legislature through Bush’s first term and ran on the Republican ticket with the governor in 2002.

In his March 4th “state of the state statement,” Governor Bush indicated that he felt the state needed to revote on the amendment requiring the reduction in the numbers of students in a classroom. The governor indicated that Florida’s voters did not realize that the passage of this amendment would be costly. In the opinion of the Clarion Issue, this is a prime example of Republican insolence and arrogance toward the voters of the great state of Florida. Everyone who voted yes had to realize that this amendment would raise the level of spending on education; however, its passage would improve the quality of education in a state near the bottom of the list in national education statistics.

The Bush program in Florida continues to include the cutting of taxes, especially on the wealthy and business. Florida persists on taxing tourists with astronomical gasoline, hotel bed, and other tourist related taxes, and not taxing themselves. The problem is that after 9/11, the tourist stopped coming, leaving the state with a tremendous short fall. The Republican response is to continue cutting taxes while cutting family and children’s services, moving the Florida library to Nova University, raising college tuition, and cutting grants to college students.

Gov. Bush also proposed the voters revisit the high-speed rail service linking key Florida cities across the central corridor of the state. However, the governor did not announce any plans to have the voters reconsider the constitutional rights and privileges granted to pregnant pigs during the 2002 election. Florida pigs are breathing easier since the governor’s “state of the state statement;” however, children in Florida’s over crowded schools and classrooms may have to wait for another vote for relief, if and when it ever comes.

A bizarre incident in the US Postal Service’s Encoding Center in Akron, Ohio, located outside of Cleveland, has given the phrase “going postal” an entirely new meaning. The incident occurred in late January 2003.

Just five days before he was scheduled to retire after a 24-year postal career, Lonnie Wilson (60) threatened to kill his 43-year-old supervisor if she failed to strip and walk around the office in front of the ten other employees at the facility. During the humiliating walk, the victim was forced to touch herself as the other employees watched. The other employees later indicated that Wilson had been making threats and they were afraid of him. No one reported seeing a weapon, and police officers who arrested Wilson later as he tried to exit the building did not find a weapon on him.

At the time of the incident investigators were unable to find a motive for Wilson’s behavior. He had attended his retirement party the week before and police in the Summit County jail said Wilson was so despondent over the incident that he could not receive visitors for several days. Later reports indicated that Wilson was upset at the supervisor because he blamed her for a relative’s failure to get a new job inside the Postal Service.

Wilson is being charged with rape, kidnapping, abduction, and six other charges. The kidnapping charge is a federal charge.

Despite the felony charges Wilson will receive his full Postal Service pension. Your tax dollars at work.

PHILADELPHIA SNOWBALL FIGHT TURNS VIOLENT

The “City of Brotherly Love” turned hostile on February 24th when an angry parent returned to the scene of a snowball fight and shot a 10-year old girl believing she was one of the girls who had been involved in the confrontation. Police reports indicated that two groups of girls had been involved in a snowball fight and then became involved in a brawl that involved the parents of several of the children. Police broke up the fight. One of the parents involved in the fight was Joseph Best, the man later charged with the crime.

Joseph Best, a 32 year old parent of one of the girls involved, returned to the area of the fight in an automobile and staged a “drive by” style shooting at a group of girls he thought were involved in the fracas. Best reportedly fired at least five 9mm rounds out of the passing car at a group of girls and hit Ebony Smith, a ten-year-old third grader in the head.

Joseph Best is reported to have several felonies on his police “rap sheet” including an armed robbery conviction for which he served a seven-year sentence.

The child was rushed to the hospital, underwent surgery, and was reported to be in critical condition. Family and friends gave Ebony a 50/50 chance of survival.

Police arrested Best on the Monday following the assault and later arrested his wife Cynthia Powell. Both are charged with attempted murder and other crimes.

Police also stated that the victim of the shooting was inside at the time of the snowball incident, and was not involved. Police spokesman Charles Bloom indicated, “This little girl had nothing to do with anything. She was not involved in the fight. He (Best) just seemed to be shooting into the crowd.”

The last reported incident of a shooting following a snowball brawl occurred in 1773 in Boston Massachusetts and became known as the Boston Massacre. That incident began the slippery slope toward the American Revolution.

27 suspects were arrested in late February in a Federal investigation stemming (pardon the pun) from the investigation of the trafficking and sale of illegal drug paraphernalia on the Internet. A similar sting operation, Operation Headhunter, netted another nine arrests in a related investigation. The arrests were announced by Attorney General John Ashcroft, the same John Ashcroft who lost the 2000 Missouri Senatorial election to a dead man.

Ashcroft indicated that Federal law makes it unlawful to sell products designed and intended for the use of illegal drugs, including marijuana. These illegal items include roach clips, bongs, pipes and miniature spoons. The Attorney General went on to indicate that the Internet has made it easy for the billion dollar paraphernalia industry to invade American homes. Individuals convicted of selling paraphernalia can receive three years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

In all, some 55 individuals were arrested and charged with the distribution of the paraphernalia. The web sites in question included Smokelab.com, Aheadcase.com and puffpipes.com.

The Justice Department, the Post Office, the Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals conducted the investigation. The arrests made when the Homeland Security Department had America on a Code Orange alert.

John Walker Lindh was attacked on March 3, 2003, in Victorville Federal Prison northeast of Los Angeles by a fellow inmate while preparing for his evening prayer. Lindh (21) is serving a 20-year sentence for taking up arms against the American forces while serving in the Taliban army in Afghanistan.

The assailant was a member of a white supremacist group that is among the 1,650 inmates at this medium security prison. Lindh was moved to the desert prison to be nearer to his parents who live in California.

According to his lawyer, Tony West, Lindh suffered only minor bruises as a result of the attack. He has been moved to a safer area of the prison for his own safety.

Hostile turkeys, insulted by years of turkey jokes and Thanksgiving feasts at their expense, have invaded three North Dakota municipalities. The great North Dakota turkey incursion of 2003 began during the first week of March when Tower County Deputy Sheriff Jerry Martin was called to a local Rocklake home to rescue a woman whose car was surrounded by the birds. The deputy chased the turkeys away with a broom and no arrests were made. Turkey invasions were also reported in Minot and Wahpeton. The turkeys are believed to be domestic birds, turned feral when the owners of their farm abandoned the homestead over the summer.

Reports from the terrorized town of Rocklake indicate that most of the female and young turkeys are only looking for food and seem to be calm and easy going; however, they tended to turn aggressive and hostile when under the influence of an older, larger “Tom” turkey. Once the real culprit and “gang leader” had been identified by local law enforcement, Towner County Sheriff Vaughn Klier posted notice in the local newspaper that he challenged the “Tom” to have a “meeting at high noon.” When the bird was later found dead on the side of the road Sheriff Klier “pleaded the fifth” and indicated that he was in his office when the suspect met his demise. There was no autopsy and no official cause of death was given.

The turkeys have cried “fowl,” and indicated that a complete investigation was necessary by an unbiased third party. Attorneys for the turkeys indicated that TAPT (Turkeys Are People Too) would be asked to lead the investigation into the strange events surrounding the death of the “Tom.”

North Dakota authorities indicated that the turkeys would be trapped and relocated to the wild as soon as possible.

To dishonor France for their nonsupport of the UN resolutions regarding Saddam Hussein and Iraq, the US House of Representatives has replaced “french fries” with “freedom fries” on the menu of the Capital’s cafeteria. “Freedom toast” will replace “french toast” on the breakfast menu at the same establishment.

The move to replace the offending items with more palatable names was led by Republican Representatives Bob Ney (Ohio) and Walter Jones (NC). Rep. Jones indicated that the idea originated from a Beaufort Restaurant from his district named Cubbies.

The name changes went into effect on March 11th. There was no discussion in Congress concerning a similar name change for “french ticklers.”

This propaganda move is reminiscent of the name changes during World War I. At that time (1917) Frankfurters became “hot dogs,” sauerkraut became “liberty cabbage,” and Dachshunds became “liberty hounds” or “wiener dogs.”

At the same time Representative Jim Saxton (Republican, NJ) proposed that the Pentagon place a ban on the US participation in the Paris Air Show later this year.

While the Clarion Issue applauds these highly patriotic gestures by our national lawmakers, we wish they would as diligently explore the solutions to the nation’s sagging economy, empty judicial benches, and other challenges that beset our nation at this time.

Fred Rogers, TV’s famous Mr. Rogers, died at age 74 of stomach cancer at his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife, Joanne, two sons, and two grandchildren.

Mr. Rogers is most famous for his children’s TV show, “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.” However, many people do not realize that Fred Rogers wrote hundreds of songs, won numerous awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and wrote numerous books, including the children’s series “First Experience” and “Lets Talk About It.”

Fred Rogers was a graduate of Rollins College in Florida. It was there that he met his wife Joanne, a concert pianist. He began producing children’s television shows in 1951 and became an ordained Presbyterian minister in 1963. His soothing songs, conformable presentation of his neighborhood, and easy going discussions of how to be a good person and neighbor proved to be an island of comfort for children and parents in an ever growing sea of TV violence. We will all miss Mr. Rogers.

The Pentagon announced that almost 2000 US troops will be deployed to the Philippines to combat the growing threat to the Island nation from an al-Queda linked Islamic extremist group, Abu Sayyaf. The Pentagon’s announcement came on February 20th.

American forces had deployed to the Asian archipelago last year to train Philippine forces fighting the Islamic rebels; however, the Americans only served in an advisory role and had been instructed not to fire unless in danger from the insurgents. For this new deployment the rules of engagement are different. The American forces will search for and engage the Abu Sayyaf forces.

Plans include for about 750 US ground troops to conduct combat patrols in the jungles of Sulu Province. This force will include about 350 Special Operations forces. Marine helicopters and attack aircraft located on ships offshore will support the ground forces. The total force will be between 1700 to 2000 men. Jolo Island in Sulu Provuence is where Abu Sayyaf forces fled and reorganized after their defeat by American trained and advised Filipino forces last year on Basilan and Mindanao. Major General Joseph F. Weber will command the American Marines. The US Navy has been operating in the area for several months and will continue to support the Marines.

American diplomats, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and the Philippine government, led by President Glario Macapagal, have negotiated for months over the planned deployment. The death of Sergeant Mark W. Jackson, an American Green Beret, due to an Abu Sayyaf bomb last October expedited the agreement.

Abu Sayyaf is an Islamic separatist group in the Philippines searching for the creation of a Moslem State. It is reported that Osama bin Laden sent one of his brothers-in-law to form the organization. The in-law brought operating cash and managed to unite several Islamic groups into a single organization. Abu Sayyaf is linked to several kidnappings for ransom, including Americans Martin and Gracia Burnham last year. Mr. Burnham was killed in a rescue attempt by Philippine forces on June 7th. Many observers of Abu Sayyaf consider them more thugs and kidnappers than organized, trained terrorists.

FRENCH CHEF COMMITS SUICIDE OVER LOST POINTS

The French culinary world lost one of its important members in late February when world famous chef Bernard Loiseau committed suicide over the loss of two points on the GaultMallau scale. The GaultMallau scale is a 1 to 20 point scale used by French restaurant and food critics to rate the food served by a restaurant. The apparent suicide occurred in Loiseau’s home in Saulieu, just a few blocks from his three-star “Cote d’Or” restaurant.

Loiseau’s body was found in his bedroom with a rifle next to his body. He was 52 at the time of his death.

Loiseau was a pioneer in the “nouvelle cuisine” movement in France. The movement encouraged lighting thick, heavy sauces and cooking various ingredients separately to maximize their flavor. Loiseau had written several cookbooks and was the only French chef traded on the stock exchange. Loiseau also had three restaurants in Paris, a line of frozen foods, and a boutique near his “Cote d’Or” restaurant in Saulieu. Saulieu is in the Burgundy region of France.

The restaurant lost 2 GaultMallau points dropping, Loiseau’s rating from 19 to 17. His restaurant managed to keep its three star rating, but rumors had started to spread in late January that one of Loiseau’s prestigious stars would be taken away. The French restaurant business and community thrive on rumor and innuendo.

Many people in the French gastronomic community hope this suicide will force the industry to review its rating systems and began to reform the entire system

Biljana Plavsic, the former Bosnian Serb leader, was sentenced to 11 years for her knowledge of and compliance with the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. Mrs. Plavsic pleaded guilty to one count of persecution of Moslems and Croats in an arrangement worked out last October. Her sentence was announced by Judge Richard May at the War Crimes Tribunal being held in The Hague.

Former Sec. of State Madeline Albright testified on behalf of Plavsic, saying that Plavsic had realized that the situation in the Balkans had gone wrong, and that Plavsic had worked to finalize and implement the final peace accords in the region.

Biljana Plavsic was known as the “Iron Lady” of Bosnia and served as president of the Bosnian Serb Republic from 1996-1998. She is 72 years old. It is not yet understood whether or not Mrs. Plavsic will testify at the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, currently being held by the same court in The Hague, Netherlands.

CIVIL WAR NEWS; GODS AND GENERALS

The recent movie Gods and Generals is a major motion picture about the early years of the Civil War. The movie is based on the book by the same title written by Jeff Shaara, and is part of a Civil War Trilogy begun by the author’s father, Michael Shaara. Michael Shaara wrote the second book of the series, The Killer Angels, which was made into the movie Gettysburg. Ted Turner Studios produced both movies.

The movie covers the events leading to and including the Battle of Chancellorsville in the spring of 1863, focusing primarily on the Civil War career of the Southern hero Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. The movie explores Jackson’s feelings regarding the Union, the war, his family, slavery, and his strong belief in God. The movie also explores the dilemmas caused by the war on various Civil War heroes, including Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, the hero of the movie Gettysburg.

The movie focuses on the Battles of First Bull Run (or Manassas), Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. The sweeping battle scenes, uniforms and historic dialogue seem realistic and the viewer is moved by the sentiments expressed in the film. The feelings of the Irishmen in the 24th Georgia as they slaughter fellow countrymen in the Union’s Irish Brigade at the stonewall during the Battle of Fredericksburg, the appearance of the Northern Lights at Fredericksburg as the members of the 20th Maine hide among the dead, and the sorrow of General Jackson when he hears of the death of a young girl due to Scarlet Fever are done with taste and emotion by the director. The final scene in the movie, the death of Stonewall Jackson, is particularly moving. As the General passes into history he mutters, “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.” Here the viewer realizes that many more men will cross over the river before the horrible conflict is decided.

The movie contains many of the stars from Gettysburg; however, Robert Duval is cast as General Lee in Gods and Generals. The movie was directed and produced by Ron Maxwell.

If Gods and Generals has any shortfalls, it is the length. The movie is almost four hours long and will probably do better on DVD and video than in the theaters. The pause button will allow the viewers to pay attention to their significant others and kidneys without missing any of the action in this soon to be Civil War classic.

SPORTS SHORTS

WHEN HAS THE RIGHT TO PROTEST GONE TOO FAR? By R. A. Pearson

Anyone with an eye on College Basketball or ESPN has by now heard of the ongoing protests of Toni Smith, a senior basketball player at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. Miss Smith simply turns her back on the US flag during the pre-game playing and/or singing of the national anthem. She forms this protest at both home and away games.

First of all, we at the Clarion Issue agree that any and all citizens of this great land have a right to protest US policy in any non-violent form they choose. We acknowledge that Miss Smith is executing her first amendment right to protest, a right given by the same government and country with which she disagrees. We also acknowledge that while a citizen has the right to protest, an individual must assume responsibility for the consequences of that protest.

Our problem comes from the fact that the school has not disciplined Miss Smith for her actions on the basketball court. She has not been suspended from any games by the coaching staff and she has not been punished by the school. The photo on the wire service shows Miss Smith in line with her team, in their red and white uniforms, all standing at parade rest, except Smith who has turned her back to the flag. The school could insist that she retire to the locker room for the national anthem, they could insist that she stand and face the flag or be suspended from games until she does, or they could (as one ESPN commentator suggested) put a flag on each wall so she would always have to face the flag. Instead, first year head coach Shawn Lincoln told his team that they were all individuals and should respect each other’s opinions.

Miss Smith’s “individualism” causes the team to face flag waving, jam-packed gyms full of individuals personally hostile to the team, especially Miss Smith. To make matters worse, at a home game in Purchase, New York, a Vietnam veteran was escorted from the arena by campus security and local police when, on February 22, he held a protest of Smith’s protest, and walked out on the basketball court during the first break in play. The school and coaches did not respect his right to protest.

Maybe protests are the next trend in college sports. The fans are already exposed to players being arrested and incarcerated for major offenses and the schools do little or nothing to discipline the players. In major college towns the city, county and even state officials have taken issue with college coaches who dare suspend or expel players for disciplinary reasons. If this continues, college sports will become an arena for protests and dissenters from animal rights groups to the free Tibet movement. The entire lunatic fringe will consider college sports a venue for their useless and pointless protest and propaganda. It already is a training ground for the thug images being propagated by professional athletes around the country.

However, this is America. We all have the right to protest the same government that grants us free speech, press, and assembly. Of course, if you can shoot a basketball, throw a football or hit a major league curve, you have even more rights brought to you by a society that is willing to pay its professional athletes tens of millions of dollars.

Back to Top

During the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” in Georgia (1862) which train was driven backwards by William Fuller in pursuit of James J. Andrews and his raiders?

A.The Texas
B.The General
C.The Conner “D.”
D.The Yonah
E.Elijah’s Chariot

Answer A: William Fuller chased the stolen General in the Texas, which he ran backwards, during most of the chase. Andrews and several of his men were hanged during the war as spies. Andrews and several of his men won the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously; the award was new at the time.

A small town festival serving crawfish. Crafts, food, entertainment. Off I-95 between Brunswick, Ga

And the Florida/Georgia boundary. No city web site but some info on the dates can be found at

Major festival showing Rose Gardens and flowers of this town in Southwest Ga. Thomasville, Ga.

Is about 60 miles east of Valdosta, Ga. and 35 miles north of Tallahassee, Fla. Festival includes

a big Rose Parade, food, etc. Thomasville welcome center phone: (1-229-227-7099).

A seafood festival with all types of seafood. Crafts and entertainment. (1-800-226-3542). On the coast north of Jacksonville, Fla. www.shrimpfestival.com e-mail info@shrimpfestival.com

Late May Winefest in Helen,Ga
A celebration of great wine in the Georgia Alpine village. www.helenga.org

TO PLACE YOUR TOWN’S EVENT ON THE SOUTHERN CALENDAR
Email the information to: apearson@ClarionIsh.com