PAGE 8-A HOGANSVIIJ.: HOME NEWS - THURSDAY FEB. 20 2003
Seeing the Conflict I
In Different Light
Each week I try to bring
to you some thoughts that,
hopefully and prayerfully,
will be a help and blessing to
those of you who take the time
to read.
It is more obvious to me
than anyone else how simple
these thoughts are because
there are many who have
more wisdom and insight
than I. This week the
thoughts I share are not my
own, but something that was
sent me by a friend who is a
missionary to our United
States military.
By the way, just so you
will know, my missionary
friend is a 20-year retired
veteran of our US Air Force.
These thoughts are most
interesting and thought pro-
yoking, especially in the most
difficult days that we live in.
These thoughts are not
from an American, but by a
British gentleman. This arti-
cle was carried in the
extremely liberal UK Daily
Mirror and here is what it
said:
Over one year ago, the
world witnessed a unique
kind of broadcasting - the
mass murder of thousands,
live on television.
As a lesson in the pitiless
cruelty of the human race
September 11 was up there
with Pol Pot's Mountain of
Skulls in Cambodia, or the
skeletal bodies stacked like
garbage in the Nazi concen-
tration camps.
An unspeakable act so
cruel, so calculated and so
utterly merciless that sure-
ly th.e world could agree on
one thing - nobody deserves
this fate.
Surely there could be con-
sensus: The victims were
truly innocent, the perpetra-
tors truly evil. But to the
world's eternal shame, 9/11
is increasingly seen as
America's comeuppance.
Incredibly anti-
Americanism has increased
over the last year. There has
always been a simmering
resentment to the-USA.in this
ebunt, too loud, too rich, too
full of themselves, and so
much happier than
Europeans - but it has become
an epidemic.
And it seems incredible
to me. More than that, it turns
my stomach. America is this
country's greatest friend and
our staunchest ally. We are
bonded to the US by culture,
language and blood.
A little over half a centu-
ry ago, around half a millon
Americans died for our free-
doms, as well as their own.
Have we forgotten so soon?
And exactly a year ago,
thousands of ordinary men,
women and children- not just
Americans, but from zones
of countries - were butchered
by a small group of religious
fanatics.
Are we so quick to betray
them? What touched the
heart about those who died
in the Twin Towers and on the
planes, was that we recog-
nized them.
Young fathers and moth-
ers, somebody's son and
somebody's daughter, hus-
bands, wives, and children,
some unborn.
And these people brought
it on themselves? Their
nation is to blame for their
meticulously planned slaugh-
ter?
These days you don't
have to be some dust-encrust-
ed nut job in Kabul or Karachi
or Finsbury Park to see
America as the Great Satan.
The anti American alliance
is made up of self-loathing
liberals who blame the
Americans for every ill in the
Third World, and conserva-
tives suffering from power-
envy, bitter that the world's
only superpower can do what
it likes without having to ask
permission.
The truth is that America
has behaved with enormous
restraint since September 11.
Remember...remem-
ber...remember...the gut-
wrenching tapes of weeping
men phoning their wives to
say, "I love you" before they
were burned alive.
Remember those people
leaping to their deaths from
the top of burning skyscrap-
ers.
Remember the hundreds
of firemen buried alive.
Remember the smiling face
of that beautiful little girl who
was on one of the planes with
her mum.
Remember...remem-
ber...And realize that
America has never retaliat-
ed for 9/11 in anything like
the way it could have. So a
few al-Quaeda tourists got
locked up without a trial in
Camp X-ray? Pass the
Kleenex... So some Afghan
wedding receptions were
shot up after they merrily
fired their semi automatics
in a sky full of American
planes?
A shame, but maybe next
time they should stick to con-
fetti. America could have
turned a large chunk of the
world into a parking lot. That
it didn't is a sign of strength.
American voices are already
being raised against attack-
ing Iraq- that's what a democ-
racy is for. How many in the
Islamic world will have a
minute's silence for the
slaughtered innocents of
9/117
How many Islamic lead-
ers will have the guts to say
that the mass murder of 9/11
was an abomination?
When the news of 9/11
broke on the West Bank, those
freedom-loving Palestinians
were dancing in the street.
America watched all of that
- and didn't push the button.
We should thank the stars
that America is the most pow-
erful nation in the world. I
still find it incredible that 9/11
did not provoke all-out war.
Not a "war on terrorism." A
real war.
The fundamentalist
dudes are talking about
"opening the gates of hell" if
America attacks Iraq. Well,
America could have opened
the gates of hell like you
wouldn't believe.
The US is the most mili-
tarily powerful nation that
ever strode the face of the
earth. The campaign in
Afghanistan may have been
less than perfect and the
planned war on Iraq may be
misconceived.
But don't blame America
for not bringing peace and
light to these wretched coun-
tries.
How many democracies
are there in the Middle East,
or in the Muslim world? You
can count them on the fin-
gers of one hand -- assuming
you haven't had any chopped
off for minor shoplifting.
I love America, yet
America is hated. I guess that
makes me Bush's poodle. But
I would rather be a dog in
New York City than a Prince
in Riyadh.
Above all, America is
hated because it is what
every country wants to be -
rich, free, strong, open, opti-
mistic.
Not ground down by the
past, or religion, or some
caste system. America is the
best friend this country ever
had and we should start
remembering that.
Or do you really think the
USA is the root of all evil?
Tell it to the loved ones of the
men and women who leaped
to their death from the burn-
ing towers.
Tell it to the nursing
mothers whose husbands
died on one of the hijacked
planes, or were ripped apart
in a collapsing skyscraper.
And tell it to the hundreds of
young widows whose hus-
bands worked for the New
York Fire Department.
To our shame, George
Bush gets a worse press than
Saddam Hussein.
Once we were told that
Saddam gassed the Kurds,
tortured his own people and
set up rape-camps in Kuwait.
Now we are told he likes
Quality Street. Save me the
orange center, Oh Mighty
One!
Remember...remem-
ber...September 11. One of
the greatest atrocities in
human history was commit-
ted against America. No, do
more than remember. Never
forget.
SERIOUS FUN- The Kimberly-Clark game featured the
green team against the purple. No word yet on whether
any pro scouts in the audience were impressed.
Benefit Basketball Game
Provides Fun and Funds
By FRANCES ROBINSON
Kimberly-Clark
Partners in Education spon-
sored a basketball game
last week held at the
Crocker gym. It was a fun
time for the old and young.
Prizes were awarded to
many ticket holders.
These prizes were
donated by Kimberly-
Clark.
The proceeds will buy
a computer to be given
away at the end of school
and for playground equip-
ment.
Hopefully, we will have
a list of players for a later
paper.
PURPLE TEAM cheerleaders are: back row, Mary
Alford, Wanda Hall; middle row, Laurie Burkett, Renee
Wynn, Tami Neese; front row, Jessica Trowbridge, Linda
Hart.
GREEN TEAM cheerleaders are: back row, Vonnie
Hanson, Terrie Prescott and Theresa Florence; mid-
dle row, Angela Sharp, Kim Hammett, Melissa
Howington; front row, Lacey Cleveland, April McClurg.
Class of '42 Holds Luncheon
By PATTI PHILLIPS
The Hogansville High
School Class of 1942 held a
luncheon at Piccadilly
Cafeteria in Shannon Mall on
Saturday, February 15.
Attending were: Faye
Trussell of Fairburn, Lewis,
Mavis and Patti Phillips,
Fannie Mae Cannon and Edna
Cannon, all of Hogansville,
Jenelle and Thomas McLarty
of Chamblee, Geneva
Roberts Everhart of Griffin
and Catherine of
Fayetteville, Jack and
Mildred Diggs of Roswell
and his sister, Jimmie Mae
Raymond Zimmerman of
Marietta and Andy, Beverly
and Meredith Rhodes of
Brooks.
The group enjoys getting
together for food and fellow-
ship every six months.
The blessing for the food
was given by Fannie Mae
Cannon.
'Unity Day' Planned Sunday
Springfield Baptist Church, Poplar Street, Hogansville,
will celebrate "Church Unity Day" on Sunday, February 23rd
at 3 p.m. Special guest speaker will be Pastor Eric Jackson
of Greater New Hope Baptist, Atlanta.
Please make plans to join us. Rev. Joseph A. McGuire is
the pastor.
A
William Larry Coursey
• April 9 1968 - February 23, 2003
William Larry (Billy) Coursey, 34, of Luthersville, died
February 12 at his home. The funeral service was conduct-
ed February 15 in the Chapel of the Claude A Mckibben and
Sons Funeral Home in Hogansville with the Reverend Billy
Ball officiating. Interment followed in the Luthersville
Cemetery.
Mr. Coursey was born April 9, 1968 in Fulton County, son
of Mildred Ivey Coursey and the late William Coursey. He
had lived in Luthersville most of his life.
Survivors include his mother, Mildred Ivey Coursey of
Luthersville; two sisters, Rosa Marie Coursey of Moreland
and Angela Lee Michelle Coursey of Newnan; two brothers,
Jimmy Roger Gaines of Easley, SC, and Johnny Eugene
Gaines of Jasper; and a number of nieces and nephews.
The Claude A. McKibben and Sons Funeral Home of
Hogansville was in charge of arrangements.
.More Deaths, 5A
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