The Clarion Issue

The Justice Department and the FBI have declared a former U.S. Government bio-defense scientist, 48-year-old Dr. Steven Hatfill, “a person of interest” in the anthrax case. Despite the fact that Dr. Hatfill has cooperated with the FBI by consenting to numerous interviews and passing a FBI lie detector test, Dr. Hatfill continues to be a person of interest in the case. While the Justice Department admits that there is no evidence against Dr. Hatfill, law enforcement agents continue to keep him under close surveillance, leak inflammatory information to the press, and have forced his new employer to terminate his employment. According to Hatfill, Attorney General John Ashcroft’s statements regarding Hatfill as a person of interest tend to be an “assassination of my character.”

Dr. Hatfill became a person of interest in the anthrax case due to a tip turned into law enforcement by a co-worker at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute at Fredrick, Maryland, where he worked as a bio-defense scientist. The major bit of information that attracted the interest of the FBI was that Hatfill was in the process of writing a book about a similar attack on the U.S. using the Bubonic Plague bacterium. Dr. Hatfill had been trying to warn the U.S. of its vulnerability to a bio-terrorist threat since 1997. Dr. Hatfill, who attended medical school in Rhodesia, Africa, was familiar with the Ebola virus. It is important to note that Hatfill’s biological expertise is with Ebola, a virus, while anthrax is a bacterium.

After an initial look at Hatfill and a routine check on the scientist, the FBI seemed to be goaded into a full investigation by N. D. Kristof, an op-ed writer for the New York Times. In Kristof’s articles Dr. Hatfill was referred to as “Mr. Z.” The articles indicated that “Mr. Z.” had multiple passports, that his lie detector tests had indicated deception, and they pointed the FBI to the home of a friend of “Mr. Z.” as a place where the anthrax letters may have been prepared. None of this information led to evidence against Dr. Hatfill, but he remained a person of interest.

The FBI searched Dr. Hatfill’s home in Fredrick, Md. on June 16, 2002. The FBI leaked this fact to the press and insured that a media frenzy and circus would occur. While the FBI removed several boxes of papers, his computer, and other personal items, the search failed to turn up any evidence that Hatfill was ever in possession of anthrax. The epitome of absurdity occurred when the FBI seized the deed to his home during the search. Two more searches of the home have turned up negative.

The FBI also searched (ransacked) the home of Dr. Hatfill’s girlfriend after she had packed for a move. Photos of the home after the search demonstrated the harassment techniques employed by the bureau. The boxes were cut open and the contents tossed about the room in a definite attempt to intimidate the girlfriend of this person of interest. During the search she was continually told that her boyfriend “had killed five people.”

Another upsetting angle in the case was the leak of the contents of Dr. Hatfill’s novel, Emergence, to the press. The manuscript was on the computer seized by the FBI in the search of Hatfill’s home. In this novel, a Palestinian terrorist launches a bio-terror attack against the U.S. using the bubonic plague bacteria. Since the only manuscript of the novel was on the seized computer, the FBI had to be the source of the leak to the press.

Dr. Hatfill made two emotional appeals to the American people during August. He held two press conferences on Sunday afternoon during Wolf Blitzer’s Late Edition. CNN and Fox News covered the press conferences live. Dr. Hatfill’s press conferences were very persuasive. He told the people of the United States how the Justice Department and FBI were destroying his life and the lives of those around him. He showed photos of his girlfriend’s home after the Bureau had ransacked it. He described how constant surveillance destroyed his personal life and how the FBI had intimidated his friends. He related how the FBI had used the press to hound him, to investigate him, and leak his novel to the public. Above all, Dr. Hatfill wanted to know the legal definition of a person of interest.

Hatfill also seems to have an alibi for the time frame when the anthrax letters were mailed. The scientist indicates that he was working overtime at USAMRIID in Fredrick, Maryland, during the days when the anthrax letters were mailed and postmarked in New Jersey. There were many other workers on the clock at the time. At this time, the FBI has not released any information indicating that Hatfill’s alibi can reasonably be broken. Photo canvases of the area, with only Hatfill’s photo in the lineup, have not produced any witnesses that Hatfill was in the New Jersey area at the time of the mailings.

Dr. Hatfill has now lost his new job at the LSU research institute due to threats sent to the University by the Ashcroft- directed Justice Department. In an e-mail dated 1 August 2002, the Justice Dept. ordered LSU not to use Hatfill on any Justice Dept. projects. On the next day Hatfill was placed on administrative leave. Even veteran FBI agents, such as Buck Revell who worked as a bureau counterterrorism chief, indicated that the move was totally unprecedented. Hatfill’s attorney indicated that this was just another Ashcroft attempt to blackball Steve Hatfill and ruin his life. LSU fired Hatfill in early September, and fired the head of the Biomedical Research Center, Dr. Stephen L. Guillot, the next day.

What is “a person of interest?” It is a question all U.S. citizens need to ask. At the Clarion Issue we hope the anthrax terrorist is caught and brought to justice; however, we want the investigation to observe the rights and privileges given to all U.S. citizens by the due process clauses of the constitution and our legal system. A suspect has certain rights; however, it now seems that a new term is creeping into our legal vocabulary. The New Oxford Dictionary of 2004 may contain the following new entry: A person of interest (n): a semi-legal term, also referred to as the “Richard Jewell Treatment,” used to describe a citizen who is investigated for a crime, and when no evidence is available, can be defamed, libeled, blackballed, and harassed by law enforcement and/or the Justice Dept. until a real suspect can be found; leaks to the press, unnecessary searches, and defamation of character are part of the legal weapons used against a person of interest. [Etymology: An Ashcrof CYA-ism.]

Federal law enforcement has been known to use the press in order to pressure suspects in a case. In the case of Dr. Glenn Engleman, a St. Lewis dentist who turned out to be a serial killer in the 1970s, the FBI and ATF leaked information to the press and pressured his ex-wife, with whom he was still sexually involved, to question him about the stories. Incriminating evidence was gathered against Engleman by bugging the ex’s bedroom. There was evidence against Dr. Engleman and he was a legitimate suspect, but what about Dr. Hatfill? Here there is no evidence, and he is simply a person of interest? For those readers who do not believe that the FBI or the Justice Department can frame an individual, try and convict him by leaking information to the press, and indulge in character assignation, just ask Richard Jewell or Wen Ho Lee.

Steven Hatfill has compared his ordeal to that of the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s The Trial; however, many Americans see this situation as a blatant infringement on Dr. Hatfill’s life and civil liberties. It is a prime example of the Justice Department and F.B.I. railroading and blackballing an individual when there is no evidence to label him a suspect; he is simply a person of interest. Attorney General Ashcroft and the F.B.I. are running amok over an American citizen in an effort to convince the American public that they will be able to solve the anthrax case. As for this writer, I find it very hard to trust an Attorney General who was appointed to pacify the right wing of the Republican party; a man who lost a senatorial election to a dead man

In the past Secretary of State Colin Powell has made some questionable recommendations to the political leaders of the United States. During the Gulf War (1990-1991) then General Colin Powell recommended a cessation of hostilities leaving Saddam Hussein in power in Iraq. While no one knows all the other recommendations he made to former President Clinton, one of them is well known and resulted in the deaths of 18 US servicemen in the African nation of Somalia. They were involved in the longest firefight in U.S. history since the Vietnam War. [For a brief "refresher course" see the movie Blackhawk Down.]

Gen. Powell would not recommend heavy weapons support in Somalia, so Clinton denied the use of them, which he probably would have denied anyway. Clinton also changed the mission of the military from clearing a highway so food convoys could get through to the starving people in the country to one of removing the government in power and replacing it with a democracy. After the fatal firefight involving the downed helicopter, the United States pulled out of Somalia and left the warlords in control of the area.

Today Secretary of State Colin Powell is advocating more waiting in the weapons of mass destruction game with Iraq. We have been waiting for almost 11 years for Saddam Hussein to honor the agreements he made to end the Gulf War. Perhaps we need to have a larger military if America is to go to war with Iraq, and we need time for that build up. So maybe a short wait is necessary. However, there are supplies and material already in positioned and ready for use.

Iraq lost The Gulf War, at least the last time I looked, so why has Saddam Hussein been allowed to act like this?

Saddam Hussein has clearly and consistently violated the UN accords and agreements he signed and agreed to. Pres. Clinton did let Saddam Hussein usually get away with the violations. The one major strike that I recall by Clinton to send Saddam Hussein a message resulted in the death of a janitor. If Iraq has nothing to hide and wants to avert war let the inspectors back in and prove they have nothing to hide! It is really quite easy to see that Saddam Hussein thinks he is still dealing with Pres. Clinton.

There have been numerous violations of the "no fly zone,” from the Iraqis "painting" U.S. and other coalition forces’ aircraft with their anti-aircraft radar for cannons and missiles, to actually firing upon said aircraft. Over the years the U.S. and allied forces have responded with appropriate "care packages." Packages carefully prepared, packaged, and loaded with lots of TLC, by the best ordinance personnel in the world!

Saddam Hussein has continued to test the United States and sacrifice his military equipment and personnel in doing so. While he has talked of the hardships of civilians because the country has no money for food, he has no trouble building palaces for himself. He has not mentioned how many civilians he has killed. He also refuses to reveal where he is getting all the new and replacement military equipment and how he is able to obtain the funds for the equipment. Sooner or later he should be running out of replacement parts and other military material. The Gulf War ended in 1991. The last weapon inspectors left Iraq in 1998.This is the year 2002. A lot has happened in 4 years.

Saddam Hussein has not hesitated to use chemical (and quite possibly biological) weapons on the Kurds and other indigenous peoples within his own country. How can anyone think he would not hesitate to used them against America? Many people believe that he would sell chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons to terrorists for use on America, if he were allowed to develop or possess them.

There are defectors that described a plane and training camp that was used for training terrorists. The indications are there that Saddam Hussein has harbored, supported, and trained terrorists and is still a threat to the United States and his neighbors. He needs to be replaced, but by whom? He has pretty much eliminated (i.e. KILLED) anyone that he thought could lead Iraq. So who would lead Iraq? There are opposition groups outside Iraq. Perhaps the new leader of Iraq could come from one of these groups, but at present they are divided on most issues except their contempt and hatred of the present Iraqi dictator.

Iraq can easily prevent the war; they know what they have to do. The U.S. and the United Nations must insist on the following: 1) The weapons inspectors must be allowed open access to any and all possible weapons storage and production sites. 2) The inspectors must not be followed and/or intimidated by Iraqi security. 3) The inspectors need to be allowed to remove all Iraqi “whistle blowers” and their families from Iraq. It is doubtful that Saddam Hussein will accept these terms. If Sec. Powell can secure immediate U.N. approval for these terms then perhaps the U.N. will become relevant in maintaining world peace. However, with “allies” like France and Russia on the Security Council, states who refuse to recognize the crisis to world peace at hand, it appears that the U.S. must go it alone against Iraq.

The U.S. Congress was going to wait until after the November election and the start of Ramadan to vote for a war resolution. However, on September 18th congressional leaders promised Pres. Bush a positive vote on a resolution similar to the resolution and mandate it provided for his father, Pres. George Bush “41,” in 1990. More Congressional leaders are now willing to “lock and load” than wait for Sec. of State Powell’s diplomacy. Perhaps Congress has realized that the safety and well being of the American people is just as important as their election campaigns.

There are people who continue to claim it is all about oil. I for one do not believe that. There are those who believe we should do nothing until Saddam Hussein attacks the U.S. or uses a weapon of mass destruction against a neighbor. There is no telling how many hundreds, or thousands or tens of thousands of lives will be lost and the amount of property that will be destroyed if that is allowed to happen.

I do know Saddam Hussein must be stopped and stopped soon. The UN has dragged the current Iraq and Saddam policy out for far too long. Sec. Powell and the Clinton regime’s wait and see tactics and diplomacy have only provided Iraq with eleven years to work on its weaponry. It is time to end the Saddam Hussein threat once and for all!

On November 5, 2002, citizens of the State of Georgia will go to the polls and vote for the individuals who will lead the state for the next two and four years. The people of Georgia will select State Senators and State Representatives, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General of Georgia; the people will select a Lt. Governor and most of all, a Governor to lead the State of Georgia for the next four years. Important choices face the people of Georgia as they study platforms and past performances of the candidates.

The controversial term of incumbent Governor Roy Barns is sure to be scrutinized by the voters of Georgia for a number of reasons. Governor Barnes has been called “King Roy” by the Georgia press and even newspapers from Florida have labeled his term as “forceful and surprising.” Certainly one of the forceful elements of the Governor’s programs was his controversial education act and the changing of the state’s flag was very surprising to most Georgians. Forceful and surprising legislation also dealt with the driving age and teenage curfews across Georgia. Forceful and surprising cannot even begin to describe the gerrymandering that occurred during the redistricting process after the 2000 census.

The Governor’s education act, the A+ Education Act of 2000, will probably be awarded a C- when it is graded by history. The act presented high expectations and provided inadequate financial support for Georgia’s schools. The A+ Education Act was initiated by a 67-member advisory commission that included only four teachers. The act and subsequent legislation has left Georgia’s schools under funded. During the Barnes administration the amount of state allocated money has remained fixed for textbooks, library books, instructional supplies, and instructional equipment. There was an actual decrease in the amount of money allocated to schools for classroom computers between the 2002 and 2003 budget.

The Barnes’ budget cut the state supplement for school principals $1000 each; an act the Governor signed after he gave a speech to Georgia’s principals telling them how great a job they were doing. He cut Teacher Staff Development funds used to train teachers. One course required by the Barnes’ education plan, Teaching Reading and Writing in Middle Grades, was required of all middle grade teachers for recertification and employment by a certain date. This requirement was dropped only after county school systems statewide had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars training people to teach the course, and the school systems had paid thousands of teachers stipends to take the course.

Many educators across Georgia feel that the increased reliance in standardized testing championed by Governor Barnes has created an atmosphere centered on test taking rather than real education and thinking skills. Many teachers emphasize that the nationwide test, the SAT-9, does not always line up with the curriculum of Georgia schools established by the legislature. Many teachers and parents feel that there are now too many tests given by the state, and that too much emphasis is placed on those tests.

The Barnes’ education plan included drastic cuts in middle school band, music, art, home economics and other exploratory programs in favor of more reading and writing. While his original plan was somewhat modified and softened by prudent legislators (who observed a lot of anger from voters, especially the parents of band students) the Barnes’ education act cut funds for these programs and reduced the amount of teachers and class time for these subjects. While reading and writing is important, so is art and music. The Clarion Issue reminds the readers of that famous line in the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus where Mr. Holland says, “when you take away art and music, the students will not have anything to read and write about.” Given another term Governor Barnes might take another shot at these important programs.

Today the Barnes’ A+ Act has created such confusion that no one can really be sure what state policy is and what bureaucracy deals with educational policy. The A+ Education created a major setback for Georgia education.

Another bone of contention between Governor Barnes and the voters of Georgia is the state flag issue. Many citizens of Georgia feel that the change was unnecessary and catered to the business interest of the Metropolitan Atlanta Area. The Clarion Issue has gone on record as stating that the Confederate Battle Emblem needed to be removed from the flag; however, the manner in which it was done demonstrated the ability of Governor Barnes to railroad legislation through the legislature without public debate or discussion.

Barnes and his cronies had indicated that the flag would not be an issue in the legislative session of 2001; yet, one Monday morning the citizens woke up to a picture of a proposed state flag in the newspaper. By the following week the new flag was a done deal. The people had no say in the change of the flag and the Governor did not bother to explain to the people why the state flag was being changed. There was not time for state legislators to go to the people and persuade them that a change was needed. While we live in a Republic and elect representatives to make our laws for us, the voters of Georgia expect respect, fair play, and explanations from our elected representatives, including the governor.

Perhaps the worst point in the change of the flag was the banner we are stuck with today. The current Georgia flag has the dubious distinction of being the ugliest flag in North America according to vexillogist (people who study flags). The flag has a very busy state seal, six colors, 89 stars, and 13 words including “In God We Trust” the motto of the United States, not Georgia. This is a politician’s flag, designed to make everyone happy. Many people wonder how the kitchen sink and a pick-up truck were omitted from the flag with everything on it. You can spot my state flag 100 yards away—It has “All Others Pay Cash” directly under “In God We Trust.”

Many citizens of Georgia refuse to fly the new state flag, and judging by the reception given Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor last spring in South Georgia, the flag change will be an issue in the November election.

Governor Barnes, a Democrat, demonstrated that party politics could also play a role in his state leadership during the redistricting of the state in 2001. The district maps for both houses of the State’s General Assembly and the U.S. Congress were drawn by the Barnes’ forces and railroaded through a special session of the legislature. The maps were drawn to increase the number of Democrats in the General Assembly at the expense of the Republicans. The obvious gerrymandering is plain to anyone who takes the time to look at a map.

Georgians are entitled to valid election districts, districts with people that share common interests, needs, and political goals. The Barnes’ maps of 2001 did not provide these needs.

Governor Barnes has expanded government in Georgia. State workers rose from 117,688 to 125,544 between 1998 and 2001. He has kept an enemies list of legislators who did not support his legislation. More and more the Georgia political scene has become divisive and polarized during the Roy Barnes’ years.

The Clarion Issue encourages all Georgia voters to examine the issues and the candidate’s platforms. As for me, in the gubernatorial race when it says incumbent—I will grab another lever.

For the first time in history, more Georgians voted Republican in the primaries. Why? Because parents, taxpayers and business people realized that Republicans have a positive message to improve the economy, improve the quality of life for families, and return ethics and customer service to state government. Republicans want to unite Georgians behind a common goal, not divide Georgians against each other.

After 130 years of power, voters finally decided that the Democrats have created the very problems they keep promising to fix. Real reform will require real change.

The Economy: After losing more jobs than any other state in America last year, Georgians know that cannot be blamed on President Bush or Osama bin Laden. They blame Governor Roy Barnes and the Atlanta Democrats. Democrats use our tax dollars for pork to buy re-election and create bureaucracy to control our lives. Republicans want to cut taxes, pass tort reform, and reduce unnecessary regulations to create better jobs.

Education: After being 49th in education for a generation, Georgians want higher standards, more accountability, less bureaucracy, and support for teachers. They want safe schools that teach the basics, not social mumbo-jumbo. Democrats blame teachers and parents, add bureaucracy, raise property taxes and cut spending on science andreading. Republicans offer to set high standards and let local parents and teachers decide how to reach them. Republicans offer safe classrooms and a choice of options for children in schools that fail to meet their needs.

Safety: Families are in danger from dangerous criminals and random violence. The Democrats use the Board of Pardons & Parole for their own political purposes. Democrats created another agency and added $80 million to the Child Welfare Agency and children keep dying. They haven't reformed the system or held the bureaucrats accountable. Republicans want to require criminals to serve at least 90% of their sentences. We want the death penalty for violent murderers. And we want to protect vulnerable children in state custody.

Redistricting: Normally, redistricting is an inside-the-beltway issue for politicians. Not this year! Democrats divided Georgia's communities into political apartheid simply to maintain power. They didn't hurt Republicans; they harmed democracy itself. Republicans want to rebuild Georgia and return power to voters, not politicians.

Two agendas will be presented to the Georgia voters in November, the Democratic agenda and the Republican agenda. The voters have shown that they are listening. As Sonny Perdue said, "It will be the power of the people versus the people of power."

Editor’s Note: Eric Johnson is from Savannah, Ga. He serves as Ga. Senator for Savannah and Coastal Ga. including eastern Camden, Glynn, and Bryan counties.

THE POLITICAL ISSUES STATEMENT OF KEITH DIXON, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GA. HOUSE SEAT # 147 SERVING CAMDEN COUNTY

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As we begin the last month of the campaign for State Representative, I am reminded of the reason I first decided to get involved in our community through public service. I realized then, as I do now, there are many opportunities in this district which can be attained even though there are certainly significant challenges which must be overcome in order to make those opportunities a reality. I believe without equivocation my experience will play a very important role realizing those very opportunities.

The following are some issues and projects that I believe should be in your State Representative's agenda:

1.Widening and resurfacing Harriett's Bluff Road
2.Ending the erosion at Crooked River State Park
3.Improving all facilities (boat ramp) at Crooked River State Park
4.Bring matching state funds to enhance the recently passed SPLOST
5.Support continued education reform with input from our teachers
6.Giving teachers more authority for removing disruptive students from classrooms
7.Support legislation to put "teeth" in the student compulsory attendance law and make parents accountable for their children's education
8.Increasing options for long term care so seniors can stay at home and not be forced into nursing homes
9.State law to keep local governments from raising property taxes more than 5% a year
10.Will work with all local officials to bring new industry into Camden County
11.Fight domestic violence by increasing penalties for adults who violently abuse their spouse in front of their children
12.Increasing jail terms for corporate executives who cheat consumers and investors

These are just a few of the many projects and issues I feel strongly about. Please feel free to contact me at 912-729-5882 to let me know your thoughts and ideas so that together we can make Camden County and Georgia a better place for everyone.

Sincerely,

Keith Dixon

A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF KEITH DIXON

Keith Dixon served seven consecutive terms as Mayor of Kingsland, Georgia. Before being elected Mayor, he served two terms as a member of the Kingsland City Council.

Keith is married; his wife Kathy is a school counselor at David L. Rainer Elementary School. Keith and Kathy have a son, Hampton, who is a student at Camden Middle School.

Keith is a 1978 graduate of Newberry College where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He is also a graduate of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. In addition, Keith served as an intern for U.S. Senator Sam Nunn's Washington Office, Constituent Services Section.

The candidate has served on numerous state, regional and local boards and organizations, including the Executive Committee of Camden Center of Coastal Georgia Community College, the American Red Cross, the Camden County Chamber of Commerce, the Governor's Council of Economic Development Organization, and in 1986, Keith was a Leadership Georgia participant.

Keith has served as President of the Georgia Municipal Association. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the Southern Municipal League, Mr. Dixon is also a member of the Georgia Department of Transportation's Revenue Task Force.

In the private sector, Keith is President of Cumberland Gas & Refrigeration, Inc., and serves on the Board of Directors for First National Bank in Kingsland, Ga.

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The Prime Minister of Israel sits down with Arafat at the beginning of negotiations regarding the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Prime Minister requests that he be allowed to begin with a story. Arafat replies, “Of course.”

The Prime Minister begins his story: “Years before the Israelites came to the Promised Land and settled here, Moses led them for 40 years through the desert. The Israelites began complaining that they were thirsty. Lo and behold, a miracle occurred and a stream appeared before them. They drank their fill and then decided to take advantage of the stream to do some bathing--including Moses. When Moses came out of the water, he found that all his clothing was missing. “Who took my clothes?” Moses asked those around him.

“Wait a minute,” objected Arafat immediately, “there were no Palestinians during the time of Moses!”

“All right,” replies the Prime Minister, “Now that we've got that settled, let's begin our negotiations.”

10.There are no organized sports, stadiums, or tailgate parties. (Actually there are no tailgates)
9.There is constant wailing next door from a sick guy who can’t see a doctor because there aren’t any.
8.Your bride is picked by someone else.
7.The women have to wear baggy dresses and veils.
6.Rags are worn for cloths and hats.
5.You can’t fish at an oasis.
4.There is no ham, bacon, sausage, or BBQ ribs. BBQ donkey over camel dung is considered a delicacy.
3.There is no beer, wine, whiskey, bars, and certainly no Hooters.
2.Premarital sex is punished by death.
1. You are told when you die it gets better!

Many Clarion Issue on line readers have expressed questions concerning the delay in the posting of the August issue of the paper. The posting of the August issue was delayed by litigation, and the paper posted a brief note to that effect at the top of the paper so our readers would know the issue was simply delayed. At this time southerndomains.com is ready to release a few notes and explanations concerning the litigation.

The Clarion Issue is not the subject of the litigation. The litigation is between a major telecommunication network and southerndomains.com over the ownership of the domain name BellesSouth.com. BellesSouth.com name WAS serving as a email address at southerndomains.com free southern email site, which is part of the many on line services offered or soon to be offered through southerndomains.com. The litigation only deals with the domain name. The publisher of the Clarion Issue, Dr. R. L. (Banjo) Norman was tending to the litigation and was unable to post the August Clarion Issue until about a week after the paper issue hit the street. We at southerndomains.com regret any inconvenience this may have caused our dedicated on line readership.

More information concerning the BellesSouth.com litigation can be obtained at southernlitigation.com, or through the southernlitigation.com portal at southerndomains.com. There is an easy click icon on the Clarion Issue home page. We also encourage all people interested in a listing or posting information on this site to contact Dr. Norman at RLNorman@NormanPark.com or Banjo@SouthernGrits.net .

As was mentioned earlier in this article, southerndomains.com offers free southern email. Email addresses include SouthernGrits, SouthernWriter, SouthernTruckers, and even SouthernRednecks to mention a few. You can check out all of the email addresses at the main web site. This email is a free service of southerndomains.com and can be accessed from any on line computer.

Another service at southerndomains.com is Southern Real Estate. This service lists southern realtors and real estate agencies state by state. To look for a realtor or to view the site click on the easy click icon on the Clarion Issue or Southerndomains.com home page. To list your real estate agency contact Dr. Norman at RLNorman@NormanPark.com .

Southerndomains.com is also the home of the on line Clarion Issue. Valdosta State alumni may recognize the paper from the 1970s when Valdosta State was still only a College and not a University. A lot has changed since the 70s, including the Clarion. Many of your old friends are still with us as well as new names and ideas. The Clarion Issue is published at least six times a year. Bookmark this site and check us out every month or so.

Pisen Snake- A snake capable of injecting pisenous venom into prey or people.

Venum (ven/umm)- A toxic liquid injected into prey or people by a pisenous snake.

Ante-Venum (an/tee ven/umm)- An antidote for the pisen injected by a pisenous reptile. (2) Any type of al/ke/haul (alcohol), usually whiskey, served on a hunten’ (hunting) or fishen’ (fishing) trip, to “keep the snakes away.”

Carl Snake- A coral snake. One of 4 pisenous snakes found in the South. It has red, yellow, and black rings on its body.

Cottonmouthed copperhead- A general Southern term used to describe any snake, usually right before the snake is shot with a shotgun.

Alleygater- A large, mean reptile often found in the swamps and lakes in the South. (2) An alleygater is also the mascot of the University of Florida, hence the yell “Go Gaters.”

Crockagater (crock/a/gater)- An even larger, meaner, reptile found in the swamps and lakes of the South. (2) A crockagater is also the logo of the Izad (Izod) clothing manufacturer.

Geela (Gee/la) Munster- A Gila Monster. A poisonous lizard found in the American Southwest.

UGA fan- “How many Florida Gaters does it take to pave a road?”
FSU fan- “I don’t know. How many?”

Sketter- “Slim you know I’d pull for the Tally-bands before I’d pull for them there gaters. Why’d ja say I’d become a gater fan.”

Slim-“Skeeter you sho’ nuf ignert. This is a crockagater. This here Izad shirt done costed me two days pay.”

John Boy-“Billy Ray that wasn’t a pisen snake, it were just an ol’ rat snake.”

Billy Ray- “Well he had black, red, and yeller rings, so I shot him did (dead) just like any cottonmouthed copperhead!”

Fisherman #2- “Yea they did. Say ya got any ante-venum? I’ve got a feelin’ the snakes are gona be bad tonight.

Fisherman #1- “ We have some ante-venum deluetent (dilutent) over on the tailgate. Mack sure you put the lid on tight so it don’t loose its fizz.”

Chuck Kalogianus, a New Port Richey, Fla. attorney, is running as a Democrat for Congress in Florida. Kalagianus is a respected attorney and family man in the New Port Richey area, and his platform contains the typical Democratic planks concerning affordable prescription drugs and preserving social security. However, it is Kalagianus’ past performance as a male stripper that seems to be getting the attention in the congressional race.

While Kalagianus, 39, was a law student in Boston in his late 20s he preformed in a male review known as “Men in Motion.” He preformed in a bird costume that hid his face while he did a chicken dance and removed the yellow bird costume to reveal a bikini thong to the admiring crowd (mostly women). Kalagianus contends that his dance was tasteful and contends that his past employment while in law school should not be an issue in the campaign.

Kalagianus is trying to unseat Republican Mike Bilirakis in Florida’s 9th congressional district, which is located north of Tampa Bay.

Should Kalagianus defeat Bilirakis, the Clarion Issue intends to follow his congressional career in the “Briefs” section (pardon the pun) of our on line issue; if he looses the election it is unclear if Kalagianus intends to resurrect the chicken dance to promote chicken “strips” for fast food fried chicken restaurants across the South.

PARDON MA’AM , IS THIS YOUR ‘TOY’?

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A Clearwater, Fla. woman has initiated a lawsuit against Delta Airlines over the “unprofessional” handling of an incident at Dallas Airport in February. Renee Koutsouradis, 36, said she was called from her seat on the airplane and escorted to the tarmac concerning a vibration coming from one of her bags. When a Delta security agent inquired about the noise and vibrations. Mrs. Koutsouradis, who was traveling with her hisband, indicated that it was an adult “toy,” which had inadvertently switched to on while in the baggage.

The Delta security then forced Mrs. Koutsouradis to remove the “toy” and held it up so people on the plane had a view of the object. The airline employees then made several “obnoxious and sexually harassing comments.” Mrs. Koutsouadis then returned to her seat thoroughly embarrassed.

The plaintiff indicated that she realized that the airline had a right to check on security: however this incident was handled totally wrong.

Perhaps some inventor could develop a silencer for such sex toys.

On August 23, three Florida fishermen found a severed head floating in the ocean about 20 miles off the Florida coast near Ft. Pierce. The anglers put the head in a plastic bag and continued to fish. The owner of the boat, Paul Trabulsy, stated that his son worked at a funeral home and the other member of the party was a former Army medic so the head did not bother anyone. They turned the head over to authorities as soon as they landed. Trabulsy went on to state that, “It’d been out there a while. What’s a couple of hours.”

The three were catching kingfish and were hoping to add a few mahi mahi to their take. After moving farther out they noticed seabirds and the bald head of a man. They retrieved the head with a gaff and proceeded with their fishing.

Authorities contribute the death to people trying to smuggle refugees into the country. Several other bodies found adrift in the area hand been identified as Cubans by their clothing. Spokesmen for the law enforcement agencies who handle these matters indicated that the ruthlessness of the human smugglers is well known. The boats are often overloaded and the smugglers regard the migrants as cargo not passengers.

The Florida Primary held on September 10th revealed that Broward and Dade counties were still having trouble with the voting process. While the other 65 counties had no problems, these two primarily Democratic counties had trouble with the new computerized technology and even opening on time. While many Democratic political leaders were quick to blame Republican state officials, it is important to note that these two counties have Democratic administrations, including Democratic Supervisors of Elections.

In a close race for the Democratic nomination for governor, Florida Attorney Bill McBride edged out former Attorney General Janet Reno for the nomination. While Reno held out for a week hoping for a recount or some other adjustment, she finally conceded the race to McBride and endorsed him in the race against incumbent Jeb Bush for governor.

Today cattle breeders are breeding miniature cattle that will soon be the size of dogs. The pint size bovines are descendents from the Zebu cattle, which are found in southern India. Major breeders of the miniature cattle hope to market them as pets, probably within the next ten years.

According to one major breeder, Dustin Pillard, the miniature cattle have many of the characteristics needed to become great pets. The cows are very mellow in their temperament. They like to be brushed; they like to be petted, and they will come when called. They have a wonderful disposition and are people friendly animals. They can even learn tricks. Pillard described how one owner taught a miniature cow to lie down while another jumped over it. The only drawback is the tiny cows are not meant to be inside pets. They still weigh 300 to 500 pounds and need to be kept outside.

However, the miniature cows do have some advantages. They can keep your yard trimmed and fertilized at the same time. Feed for the winter months will run about 30 dollars a month. The small cows can give up to two gallons of milk a day.

The mini cows come in all the colors that regular cattle come in and cost an estimated $1000. The final advantage to these pets is that if you get tired of the animal, they make great 8 oz. steaks. They also tend to have less fat than the regular size cattle.

Yes folks, mini cows are coming to pet stores near you. Be the first on your block to own one.

TRAFICANT TO GO TOPLESS IN THE FEDERAL PEN
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According to prison authorities, ex-congressmen James Traficant of Ohio will not be allowed to wear his toupee while in federal prison. According to Traci Billingsley, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, “all inmates are forbidden from wearing wigs or hair pieces.” Traficant was sentenced to an eight-year term in federal prison on July 29, 2002 for bribery, tax evasion, and racketeering.

Traficant is famous for his flamboyant style of dress, his constant accusations that the federal government fails to serve the common man, the insistence that he was railroaded by Congress and the Justice Department, and his wild gray hair (that turns out to be a rug). Although expelled by the House of Representatives in July, Traficant is running as an independent to regain his seat in Congress.

The Clarion Issue recommends that Mr. Traficant obtain a copy of Al Stewarts’ CD Last Days of the Century with the big hit song, “Red Toupee” (well maybe the song was not that big), to keep him company while he is doing his time. Perhaps Traficant can learn hair styling as he rehabilitates himself while going topless in the pen

In the last Clarion Issue readers were made aware of a major threat to the U.S. ecosystem, the infamous Chinese Snakehead fish. This fish, now identified in seven states, has the potential to destroy almost all the native fish in any water system it inhabits. To make the situation even more precarious, this fish, dubbed the Frankenstein fish by some ichthyologist (fish scientist), can live out of water for three days, and it can actually move across dry land for short distances.

The fish were found in a pond in Maryland during the summer. A local resident has admitted releasing the fish into the pond, which is just 75 yards away from a river. The snakeheads grew to large and aggressive for the resident’s aquarium. Adult Snakeheads grow up to three feet long and feed on fish, frogs, aquatic birds, and even small mammals. The extremely sharp teeth of the Snakeheads allow them to bite other fish in half and feed on fish as large as themselves. This fish is a real danger to the ecosystems of any river or pond they inhabit and pose a real danger to commercial and recreational fishing and fisheries. In August, Maryland poisoned the pond where the snakehead fish were discovered.

The Sankehead fish has been identified in the waters of Florida, Hawaii, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island as well as Maryland.

Over 17,000 Snakeheads were imported into the U.S. between 1997 and 2000. The Dept. of the Interior, headed by Gail Norton, is implementing a ban on the importation of live Snakehead fish that are sold as aquarium fish and served as delicacies in Far Eastern restaurants. According to Norton “these fish are like something out of a horror movie” and indicated that there are some unconfirmed reports of the Snakeheads attacking people. Norton also stated that, “We simply must do everything we can to prevent them from entering our waters.”

To the Clarion Issue, allowing these fish into the U.S. waters is almost as bad as allowing Gail Norton to be Secretary of the Interior. In the interest of helping you get rid of that Snakehead you just caught or have in your aquarium, here is a recipe for you to try.

Ingredients: 15 oz. watercress; 1 snakehead fish; 10oz. pork spareribs; 2 slices of dried duck gizzard; 5 pcs. of candied dates; ½ pc. dried tangerine peel; 6 cups of water; 1 tsp. salt

Soak watercress in salted water for 20 minutes. Wash and drain.
Blanch pork spareribs and duck gizzard. Rinse.
Scale, gut and wash the fish. Wipe dry. Fry with 1 tbsp. oil until both sides are slightly brown.
Boil 12 bowls of water together with tangerine peel. Add all the ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 hours. Season with salt and serve with a fortune cookie.

The Animal Protection Institute, an 80,000 member strong animal rights group in California, has declared the Calaveras County Jumping frog contest is an abuse of the rights of the frog contestants. The group contends that the handling of the frogs by humans in the California heat poses a major health risk to the frogs.

The API contends that the constant handling of the amphibians during the festival and contest, held during the third week in May, can damage the frogs’ skin and make the four legged jumpers susceptible to disease and infection.

Over 2,500 frogs participate in the festival, which honors the famous Mark Twain short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” In the story, the celebrated frog, Dan’el Webster, is defeated by a regular, “untrained” frog because the opponents owner has fed ol’ Dan’el quail shot, making him so heavy he could not jump. In the story, neither frog mentions he is ill and cannot jump due to disease caused by human contact.

The Clarion Issue hopes to send a reporter to Calavarus Co. next May to interview the frogs to discover if the complaints are valid. Until then, we plan to catch as many flies as possible in order to bribe the croakers into making statements. We only hope the local chapter of the National Association of Flies Are People Too do not discover the secret location of our fly farm and release the flies while we are on a coffee break or in the outhouse.

A major constitutional issue has developed in a firearms case in Denver, Colorado. In a trial, which began on May 20, 2002, the judge ruled that the defendant’s attorney could not mention the U.S. or the Colorado Constitution during the case, including the voir dire questions to the prospective jurors. The defendant in the case was Rick Stanley, a Libertarian party candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Stanley was accused of openly carrying a firearm during a rally celebrating the 210 anniversary of the Bill of Rights. The act was one of calculated civil disobedience.

The judge in the case banned all mention of the constitutional right to “keep and bear arms,” and some observers indicated that the judge even tried to close the trial to most observers. The judge’s ruling stated that the U.S. and state Constitutions were null and void in the city of Denver. The trial, which lasted little over a day, was seen by many as an affront to American civil liberties and perhaps a slap at the Libertarian Party.

Stanley was convicted and sentenced to 180 days in jail, fines and costs equal to $629, and 75 hours community service. He was allowed to serve the sentence at home detention.

Stanley hopes to unseat U.S. Senator Wayne Allerd (R) in the November election. His opponents also include Tom Strickland, a Democrat.

According to Stanley America needs “a justice system that’s honorable. We don’t have that.”

The ruling of this Denver judge, if allowed to stand, could establish a precedent that deprives all city residents everywhere in the U.S. of basic constitutional freedoms.

SECRETARY OF THE INTEROR GAIL NORTON HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT OVER NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST

On September 17th a Federal Judge has found the Clarion Issue’s favorite Sec. of the Interior, Gail Norton, in contempt of court for failing to fix a Native American trust fund that handles millions of dollars in royalty payments for many indigenous citizens. The Interior Department admits that Norton, a Bush cabinet member, is not the first Sec. of the Interior to be held in contempt over the Indian’s trust fund. Clinton’s Sec. of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt was also held in contempt for the same problem, which now owes the Native Americans over $10 billion according to the Native American Rights Fund (NARF).

The Federal Government holds land for the Indians and leases it to ranchers, farmers, and oil and mining companies. The NARF indicates that for over 100 years the fund has been mismanaged and lacked accountability. The unpaid funds force many Native Americans (over 200,000) to live in abject poverty while the whites who lease the land grow filthy rich.

The computer age has not helped the situation. The same judge who held Norton in contempt of court has ordered the Dept. of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs to shut down its Internet connections due to fear that hackers could break in and steal money from the fund.

The contempt charges stemmed from a NARF lawsuit earlier this year in which the judge ordered the Interior Dept. to fix the problem. The slow progress toward fixing the problems, and Norton’s reported falsification concerning the amount of progress the Dept. of Interior had made toward the resolution of the fund problem were the cause of the contempt charges.

Caesar Barber of New York, N.Y., is the lead plaintiff is landmark case against fast food resteranrs filled over the summer. Barber and several other plaintiffs contend that the high fat, salt and grease contained in the fast foods have caused major health problems including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Barber, who has suffered two heart attacks, blames the fast food industry for his health problems. According to the plaintiffs, the industries’ claims, such as 100% beef, led consumers to believe that their products were good for the public.

The lawsuit, filled in the Bronx court, names McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and KFC as defendants in the case.

A California State Park commemorating the trials of the Donner Party, Donner Memorial State Park, has been closed early due to the discovery of the Bubonic Plague in several animals inside the park. The park closure was announced just before the Labor Day holiday.

According to spokespersons for the California Parks Service, several squirrels in the park are suspected of having the plague, and the park ranger’s cat was also infected. The cat is expected to recover. The spokesperson went on to state that the plague is not uncommon in this area and is spread by fleas that live on squirrels, chipmunks, and other rodents who host the plague carrying flea. While the plague can infect humans, it can be treated with antibiotics and is no longer fatal if it is diagnosed early and treated properly.

The park, which usually closes by early October, will remained closed until next spring; however, the park’s museum, which catalogues the events and horrors faced by the ill-fated Donner Party, will remain open to the public.

The Donner Memorial State Park, near Truckee, Calif., honors the members of the Donner Party who became trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter of 1846-47. The 87-member party, led by George Donner, was California bound when they became trapped by an early snowstorm. The party was forced to survive in the mountains, snowbound and with limited supplies, until help arrived in late February. Forty members died from starvation and exposure during the ordeal. Many of the 47 survivors resorted to cannibalism in order to live through the ordeal.

The Bubonic Plague, commonly referred to as the “Black Death,” killed one-third to one-half the population of Europe during the Middle Ages. While there were several outbreaks of the plague between 1300 and 1600, the worst epidemic occurred between 1348 and 1350. The plague is caused by a bacterium “Yersinia restis” and is usually carried by a flea commonly known as the Oriental Rat Flea, although almost 100 species of fleas can carry the bacillus. The plague comes in two forms. The most common is the bubonic form and is transmitted by the actual bite of an infected flea. The pneumonic plague is even more contagious. In its pneumonic form the plague bacteria can be transmitted by coughing and becomes airborne where potential victims inhale it.

The disease takes its nom de guerre, the “Black Death,” from a painful symptom of the illness. The bacterium causes the lymph nodes to swell and blood vessels burst causing a bruised look under the skin. The disease appeared in Europe after trade with the east had resumed following the Crusades. The disease spread rapidly since Europe was a home of the Black Rat, a congenial host for the Oriental Rat Flea. The disease left Europe after the Brown Rat, a bigger and meaner rat, replaced the Black Rat. The Brown Rat was not as a favorable host to the fatal fleas as was the Black Rat.

The plague occasionally appears in the western United States where rodent populations often live in relative isolation in the vastness of the mountain and prairie regions.

According to a recent Zogby poll, most Mexicans believe that at least one-fifth of the continental United States rightly belongs to them, that is that the U.S. illegally took it from Mexico at the end of the Mexican War in 1848. The poll reported that almost 60% of Mexicans surveyed agree with the statement “the territory of the United States’ Southwest belongs to Mexico.”

The survey also asked about the immigration policy of the U.S. 57% of the Mexicans polled indicated that Mexicans should be able to enter the U.S. without U.S. permission.

The problems caused by the U.S. annexation of the Southwest have plagued U.S. —Mexican relations since 1848. The U.S. paid some 15 million dollars in 1848 to Mexico for the ceded territory. In 1853 the U.S, paid Mexico 10 million dollars for a 29,640 square miles of territory that is present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico. This Gadsden Purchase was to be the site for a southern railroad between Texas and California. Many historians feel, however, that this was additional compensation for all the territory the U.S. took from Mexico in 1848. Perhaps the U.S. had an attack of conscience after the clouds of war had cleared.

The seized land was also the subject of the controversial Zimmerman Telegram, allegedly sent to Mexico by Germany in 1917. The note, intercepted by British World War I intelligence, promised to return the American Southwest to Mexico if Mexico would side with Germany during the war. After 60 years, it seemed Mexico still held a grudge against her neighbor to the north.

Americans who do not believe this feud exists today need only look at the Zogby poll or a 7th grade Mexican History textbook. “Hey gringo, you stole half our country.” To the U.S. it seems like an absurd claim; to those “South of the Border” it is a proven fact.

Australian paleontologists working in the interior of the world’s smallest continent have discovered several species of prehistoric geese. According to Peter Murray of the Museum of Central Australia in Alice Springs, the geese are about the size of ostriches or emus and lived around 8 million years ago during the Eocene era.

The large geese, known as megageese, were probably able to defend themselves simply by their size although they look to be fast runners. It is too early to tell if they ate meat or were vegetarian. Their closest known relatives alive today are the Magpie goose and the Screamer.

One paleontologist, known on site as “Tiny Tim,” described the geese by saying, “Never has there been such a goose.”

Norway announced that it would resume hunting whales and exporting the meat to Iceland in spite of an international ban on commercial whaling.

Norway fisherman and whalers contend that the minke whale has made a major comeback in the last 15 years and the large numbers of whales are a contributing factor in the decline of other fish populations in the North.

Norway expects to import whale meat not only to Iceland but to Japan as well. Whale meat is a delicacy in Japan.

Norway has put constant pressure on the International Whaling Commission to loosen the restrictions on whaling, but the IWC has refused to do so. The resumption of the whale meat exports ends a 14-year Norwegian moratorium on the practice of hunting whales for export.

An 81-year-old former librarian, Ava Estelle, took the law into her own hands in August when she tracked down the two men who raped her granddaughter and gave them a 9-mm vasectomy despite the strict gun control laws in Australia.

Mrs. Estelle tracked down the two rapists using a police artist sketch of the two men, her granddaughter’s description, and some good detective procedures. The vigilante grandmother cased the rundown section of town where the attack had occurred, and located the men, both of whom were ex-cons, as they entered their roach hotel. She photographed the men, and her granddaughter verified the photographs as her assailants.

Mrs. Estelle then went back to the hotel, knocked on the door, and shot the first rapist in the genital area. She then entered the room and did the same to the second rapist.

The grandmother then turned herself in to police headquarters along with the 9-mm handgun. Law enforcement in Melbourne are unsure of how to handle the case. The police investigator indicated that it would be difficult to put an 81-year-old in prison even though she broke the law. Police also stated that Mrs. Estelle is a popular hero and 3 million people in Melbourne “want to nominate her for sainthood and a medal.”

As for the rapists, Davis Furth and Stanley Thomas will not be able to commit the crime of rape ever again! They have been “fixed.”

On Sept. 5th the most wanted man in Greece took a taxi to Police headquarters in Athens, Greece and turned himself into authorities. His arrest completes the round up of this tight knit terrorist group that has plagued Greece for 27 years.

Dimitris Koufodinas, a.k.a. “poison hand,” was the top assassin for the November 17th terrorist group. Koufodinas, a 44-year-old former beekeeper, looked nothing like the young man on the wanted posters. He is wanted for several slayings including two U.S. servicemen.

Koufodinas reportedly identified himself to the officer at the station and said, “I’ve come to surrender. I know my rights, you know your job. Let’s get on with it.”

Authorities had hoped to arrest the entire group prior to the Anniversary Olympic Games in Athens 2004. With the arrest of Koufodinas the police believe they have killed or captured the entire Nov. 17 terrorist group.

The late August eleventh hour settlement by the baseball players and owners has spared the fans and entire nation the horrors of a baseball strike. While the issues are well known to people who follow the sport of baseball, many followers of the game (and even those who could care less about a pennant race) were asking the question, “Why do millionaire players and gazillionaire owners have to stop play in midseason to settle a labor dispute?” To many people this issue could have, and should have been dealt with in the off season.

Baseball has seen eight work stoppages since 1972, and the World Series was canceled in 1994 due to a strike. One factor in the 2002 labor dispute arose over the lack of the smaller venue teams’ inability to compete against the larger teams who attract more fans to the games, have lucrative regional TV contracts, and can afford larger payrolls and attract the better players. Also included in the dispute was the possibility of some type of revenue sharing (a so-called luxury tax) and downsizing the number of teams in baseball.

Most of Major League Baseball’s revenue sharing practices were drawn up prior to 1900 and did not include the concept of network or satellite TV, radio, or the computer age. For baseball to be competitive it must move out of the 19th century. A prime example is the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves. The New York Yankees gross the largest amount of any team. The Yankees sit atop the American League. They have America’s largest fan base and a satellite TV contract. The National League’s Atlanta Braves, from a city of over 4 million and who are owned by a TV magnate and broadcast almost every game, can also offer lucrative contracts to top players. The Yankees and the Braves, with the top payrolls in baseball, appeared in almost every World Series in the 1990s and will continue to do so way into this century. What chance does San Diego, Minnesota, Tampa Bay or Kansas City have to be competitive without some type of revenue sharing? Why should fans keep up with a 162 game season when the outcome is a foregone conclusion? What baseball needs to do is to look at professional football, basketball, and hockey and realize what a sport has to do to move into the modern era.

Today baseball has a lot of competition for “America’s Pastime.” Professional and college football dominates TV sports from mid August until late January. Pro and college basketball is broadcast nine months a year. Professional hockey has partisan and dedicated fans. Children, who 40 years ago would be playing little league baseball, now play soccer, Pop Warner football, and organized basketball as well as baseball. Recent “little league” cheating scams have brought a taint to the game even on the 12 to 14-year-old level.

The threat of a strike by the players who make an average of $2.4 million a year has also caused many people to ask about the little man at the park. Hundreds of workers who rely on the game for a livelihood other than the players would be out of work. The venders, the ticket sellers, the concession workers and the field and stadium maintenance people would be put out of work by a strike they had no control over and would reap no rewards from. What about the fans who purchased season tickets? What about sports bars near the stadium? What about the hotels, motels and restaurants who do a lot of business in major league cities? All of these small workers and businesses would lose revenue due to a strike by millionaires!

Another affront to the cities caused by a strike is to the taxpayer. That’s right, the taxpayers built and are still paying for the new stadiums demanded by major league clubs for the privilege of being a major league city. A strike threatens hotel taxes, sales taxes and parking revenues needed to pay the interest on the bonds sold to build these multimillion dollar ball parks. Perhaps these cities could sue Major League Baseball for violation of contract if these ballparks were empty due to a strike.

Before the strike was settled the fans were discussing going on strike and not returning to the game after the issues were settled. It now costs a family of four over $200 to attend a game. If the fans really struck, both at the park and with their TV clickers, it would hurt baseball, but this never happens. People always return to the game.

It has been a tough year for America. 9/11 happened. The War on Terror happened. The economy went south and stayed there. With all of this, if baseball had gone on strike it would forever forfeit any claim to being “America’s Pastime.” But, for now we’ll play ball. Yes Virginia, there will be a World Series. As for a fans strike, well maybe Yogi said it best when he said, “If people don’t want to come out to the park, nobody’s gonna stop’em.”

As far as America’s pastime these days, maybe Alf said that best when he said, ‘I’m a couch potato; I’ll watch anything.”

Johnny Unitas, the legendary quarterback of the Baltimore Colts from 1956-73, died September 11th at the age of 69 due to a heart attack. The man known to football as “Johnny U.” has been referred to as “the greatest quarterback of all times” by fans, coaches, and sports writers since the 1960s.

The man with the golden arm set many NFL records over his 17-year career. He completed 2,830 passes for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns. Between 1956 to 1960 Unitas passed for a touchdown in 47 consecutive games. He was MVP in 3 Pro Bowls and led the Colts to a Super Bowl victory in 1970.

Johnny U. also led the Colts to victories in two NFL Championship games in 1958 and 1959 before the inception of the Super Bowl. The championship victory in 1958 against the New York Giants has been called the greatest game in NFL history. In the final minute Unitas took the Colts on an 80-yard drive to win the game.

Many sports fans remember the old NFL. A time when quarterbacks like Johnny U., Bart Starr, Roger Starbach, and Fran Tarkenton scrambled in the pocket and made incredible throws downfield to receivers like Raymond Berry and Drew and Preston Pearson. When linemen like Nick Tingleholf played for years for the same team to protect “their quarterback.” A time when football was played outside in the rain, snow, and mud. It was an era when defensive players like Bob Lilly, Tommy Nobis, and Mike Didka played to hit the man with the ball rather than worry about “defensive schemes.” When coaches like Bud Grant did not coddle players but made them stand in three feet of sideline snow without heaters so their “heads would be in the game.” That was football, and men like #19, “Johnny U.” with his black hightop cleats and golden arm, made Sunday afternoon football an adventure to watch.

If there is a big football game in the sky- Johnny U. is there today passing on.

Bob Hayes, gold medallists and NFL star, died in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 19th at the age of 59 due the heart failure. In the 1960s Hayes was dubbed ‘the worlds fastest human.’

Bob Hayes won two gold medals in the 1964 Toyko Olympics. Running as a sprinter, Hayes took the Gold Medals in the 100-meter race and the 400-meter relay.

After returning from the Olympics, Hayes became a receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. During his 11-year career in the NFL Hayes caught 71 touchdown passes and had a 20-yards per catch average. He made three trips to the Pro Bowl. In 1971 the Cowboys won the Super Bowl. Bob Hayes is the only person to hold a gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.

After his NFL career Hayes experienced problems with drugs and alcohol. In 1979 Hayes pled guilty to delivering drugs to an undercover policeman and served 10 months in for the offense. Hayes went through the rehabilitation process and wrote a book, Run Bullet Run, about the experience. The conviction has kept Bob Hayes out of the NFL’s Hall of Fame; however, he is enshrined in the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

In Jacksonville, Bob Hayes sponsored the Bob Hayes Invitational Track & Field Meet. Hayes indicated that this was his way of giving back to the community, which had given him so much. Sports fans everywhere will miss his efforts and presence.

A.It refers to the 1880’s American currency called greenbacks
B.The green refers to the fertile river valleys in Texas
C.The term came from a cowboy song
S.It is a perversion of the term ‘green horn’

American cowboys often sang the song “Green Go the Rushes Ho” to calm the cattle at night. The song is rather lengthy. The Mexican cowboys, called gauchos, referred to the Americans as “gringos.”