OPINION
PAGE 4 - HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS - AUGUST 19, 1999
THE HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS
MIIlard B. Gdmes, President
MIKE HALE
PUBIJ St tER]ADVERTIS IN G DtREC'rOR
JoHn KUYKENDALL
ASS(X21A'IT2 PUBIJStfER]EDITOR
MARION (TED) Smm
MANAGING EDITORfrECt INICAL
DIRFAlX)R
WmBERT
BUS[NE.SS MANAGER
Phone (706) 846-3188. Fax (706) 846-2206
P. O. Box 426
ttogansville, Georgia 30230
(l'cial lz'k'al Organ, Ci O, o/ Hoanm,ilh,
Bows and Arrows
"You are the bows from
which your children, as living
arrows are sent forth."- Kahlil
Gibran
For years, you think it will
never end...you will always be
tired; you will always be wrin-
kled; you will never have a sin-
gle minute to yourself; there
will always be little ones tug-
ging at your clothes.
Then, one day - all of a sud-
den, it so strangely seems -
they're gone. All grown up, tall,.
strong and complete - driving
away to seek whatever life
sends their way.
"Where did all the time go?"
you ask yourself, as the car that
once seemed like such a mile-
stone speeds away... "Weren't
they tiny children only yester-
day?"
My son is a senior in high
school this year. My daughter
will be a senior next year. And,
for the first time since before
they were born, the light at the
end of my child-rearing tunnel
is bigger than the dark.
In fact, my serious child-
rearing years are about to end.
I know my children are ready
for their next steps; but am I?
Part of having a senior in a
tradition-laden place like this,
is there are certain things one
must do; and, a mere few weeks
into it all, I've already figured
out why. These obligatory sen-
ior steps are designed to help
us say, "Goodbye."
The year book ad/picture
page so many senior parents
buy is a way to look back, re-
live and permanently memori-
alize that graduate's first 18
years.
And, in gathering those pre-
cious photos up, one sheds more
than a few tears...the senior
baby picture needed for the
football program ends up being
chosen the same day the sen-
ior picture proofs arrive...I
remember that fat baby boy so
clearly - when did that tall,
handsome young man take his
place?
In a nostalgia-driven panic,
you resolve to savor and slow
down - do more cooking, less
working, spend more quality
time - after all, by this time
next year, he'll already be gone.
But, even as you say those
things, you know no matter
what you do, too quickly time
will march on, as your tomor-
row become yesterdays.
Trying to savior a child is
like trying to catch the leaves
budding out on the trs in the
spring or the frost forming on
your window on a cold winter
night.
No matter how fervently
you promise yourself this time
rou'll watch carefully, you shift
rout attention for a moment
Lorin
Sinn-
Clark
Columnist
and change sneaks up on you
anyway. Suddenly the trees
have leaves on them or the win-
dow is covered with frost again.
No matter how hard you focus
on kids, they end up grown and
gone too soon, anyway.
I enjoy my grown-up kids.
I'm proud of what they've
become. I can tell they're wor-
ried about me, since secure as
the center of my life is the only
version of my life they have
known.
But, I know we'll all three
do.all right, once "goodbye"
becomes familiar as "hello."
There are a lot of tears left to
shed, though, in this process of
letting go.
I do wish they could be lit-
tle again, maybe just for one
more day. I wish we could draw
pictures and read stories and
nap together, maybe just one
time more.
I wish I could smell their
sweet, sweaty curls, again, just
once and feel their warm,
sweet, rapid breath on my face.
I'd give anything to hold their
plump tiny hands, again.
If we could only go back in
time for a minute or two, I'd be
better at nearing this particu-
lar finish line.
My advice to the parents of
little ones would never be to
"savor" them at all. Instead, it
would be to remember you are
well blessed; the, wallow in
the trenches of childhood as
firmly and enthusiastically as
you can.
The parents I know who
have the hardest time closing
each door and opening the next,
are the ones, who because of
work, car payments and the
needs for nice things, miss out
on just "being there" with their
kids.
They have the most regrets.
You miss too much if you
miss school events. You need
to volunteer to bake treats, you
need to coach a team.
You'll wish you'd taken
those lazy naps or sat down and
watched Barney or Sesame
Street- for the thing most need-
ed for a good, "goodbye," is the
absence of regret.
I welcome my kids' ever
increasing freedom. I am learn-
ing to enjoy mine. But, I do so
dearly wish - if only for a day
or two- that we could turn back
time ....
THE ltO;ANSVILLE HOME NEWS is published weekly by the Star-Mercury Publishing
Company, a division of Grimes Publications, at 3051 Roosevelt Highway, Manchester,
Georgia 31816. USPS 620-040. Subscription rates by mail: $15 in Meriwether, Talbot
or Harris Counties; $20 a year elsewhere. Prices include all sales taxes. Second class
postage paid at Hogansville, Georgia 30230.
FoR StJlSCltlFrioNS call (706) 846-3188 or write to Circulation Manager, Star
Mercury Publications, P. O. Box 426, Manchester, Georgia 31816.
Px'rMASTFR: Send address changes to P. O. Box 426, HogansviUe, GA 30230.
STAFF
Publisher and Advertising Director ..................................................................... Mike Hale
Aociate Publisher and Editor ................................................................. John Kuykendall
Managing Editor and Technical Dtrector ........................................... Marion (Ted) Snuth
Business Manager ....................................................................................... LeeAun Wilbert
A,sociate Editors .......................... Billy Bryant/Talhotton, Michael Smder/Harris County
Dan Stout/Hogansville, Caroline Yeager/GreenviUe
Assistant Advertising Manager ........................................................................ Laurie Lewis
Advertising Sales .............................................................................................. Linda Lester
Photography .................................................................................................. Michael Snider
Features ............................................................................................................... Lani A. Pike
Composing ................................................................................... Valinda lvery, Dori Green
Legals ................................................................................................................ Valinda lvery
Receptionist and Classifieds .................................................. : .............. .......... :.Cleta Ybung
Pressroom ....................................................................... David Boggs, Wayne Grochowski
COReOWE OmCES
President .............................................................................. : .......................... MiUard Grimes
Vice President ......................................................................................... Charloue S. Grimes
Secretary ...................................................................... .......................... Laura Grimes Cofer
Treasurer ............................................................................................... Kathy C, nmes Garrett
LC:gal Counsel and Assistam Secretary .: ................................................... James S. Grimes
Intent of Casino Legisl0000tion Being
The story is told of a man
who was sitting on his porch
one day when his friend came
by for a visit.
There was a big dog lying
on the porch and the visitor
asked, "Will your dog bite?"
The man replied, "No, my dog
won't bite."
After hearing that, the vis-
itor stepped up on the porch
and the dog took a big chunk
out of his leg. He jumped up
and down hollering and hold-
ing his leg.
"I thought you said your
dog wouldn't bite," the visitor
yelled, to which the man
replied,"That ain't my dog."
I tell you that story to make
a simple point. The American
public has been bitten by a dog
that legislators did not think
would bite. Read on.
A decade ago legislation
was passed in our U.S.
Congress that opened the
doors to casino gambling on
Indian reservations. It was
intended to strengthen tribal
government, encourage trib-
al economic development and
increase tribal self-sufficien-
cy.
This was the intent of the
legislation. Whether or not life
for Indians is any better and
whether or not casino rev-
enues are having an impact on
health, education, housing or
other measurements of well
being among the tribes is not
known for sure at this point
in time.
In a series of articles done
by the Saint Paul Pioneer
Press, the newspaper found
some rough edges concerning
freedom restricting govern-
mental practices, worries
You Get It
Bob
Tribble
Former
Publisher
over hefty campaign contri-
butions, influential lobbying
forces and fears for over
dependence on gambling rev-
enues. Overall, the Pioneer
Press reported that tribal
gambling was a growing suc-
cess in human terms.
The purpose of this column
is not to attempt to address
the rights or wrongs of casi-
no gambling, or the lottery for
that matter. I will leave that
moral decision up to each of
By Ray King
yOU.
The purpose of this,
is though to point out
see as a gross injustice
American public,
that the possible good
of legislation is being
abused. In other words
public has been bitten by a,
that legislators did not
would bite.
When the legislation
passed a decade a
was to allow casino
on tribal res
in existence.
I don't think the
ers intended for the
go to places like
County or Hancock
and gobble up
acres of land and bless it !
an Indian res,
to build a casino. Surely
was not the intent.
There is a p
legislation in the first
and that is the fact that a
tain race of American
are given the right by our
Congress to build
casinos, even if only on
ent reservations.
But, then to allow this
ticularrace,
to purchase additional
vations" across this
gn which to construct
bling casinos, is
rice to other Americans
direct slap in the face of
and state laws.
Some might say that if
state can run a lottery
why can't the Im
nos? Folks, there is a big,
difference here. Even
I was not one of them.
lottery was passed by a
ity vote of our citizens.
beyond that, the profits go
benefit all races, not just
I am glad Gov.
strongly opposes this
move by our
Indians, and trust his
ence will lead towards
Congress quickly
their "mistake."
Roosevelt Offers America Inspiration
(Another in a series)
In 1932, American voters
desired confidence more than
they had in most previous
elections. The Depression that
had begun in 1929 was the rea-
son for that. Franklin
Roosevelt went beyond offer-
ing confidence. He offered
America inspiration.
Far from hiding his histo-
ry of infirmity, he used it as a
confidence-builder. He did it
in simple ways, like saying, as
he did in one 1931 radio
address, that his ailment was
the sort that resulted in "the
finest natural disposition." He
was talking about "the aver-
age cripple," not about him-
serf, so it was not a boast. But
it served, in a minor way to be
sure, .to suggest that he would
be a calm, unflustered leader
in a time of frenzy. He could
"keep his head when all about
were losing theirs," to quote
the sort of uplift poetry he
liked.
As the 1932 campaign
began, there were again whis-
pers about his health. Howe
was told that some
Republicans were going to
charge that polio was a pro-
gressive disease that eventu-
ally affected the mind. Drs.
Draper and Lovett prepared
a rebuttal to that that was
never used. Dr. Hubbard did
write--or sign--a lengthy let-
ter to the editor of the New
York Sun, rebutting any and
all charges. "Aside from the
weakness of the muscles of his
legs...he has been in perfect
physical condition." He cited
the life insurance policy "at
the normal [premium] rate for
his age," and added:
"Insurance companies are
cold blooded and have no sen-
timent in their business, and
at the time the policy was
issued, it was well known that
he would probably be a candi-
date for the presidency."
Roosevelt presented an
even more vigorous picture to
the nation than he had to New
Yorkers in 1928. Primaries
were not important then as
they would become after
World War II. Roosevelt made
a few speeches and a very few
trips out of New York before
he won the nomination at the
Chicago convention in July.
He took the unprecedent-
ed step of flying to the con-
vention to accept the nomina-
tion. That symbolism of a man
on the move was maintained
until the election. After a
handful of speeches in July
and August, Roosevelt
embarked on an eight-week
continent-spanning cam-
paign, in which he made 83
speeches.
One of the briefest speech-
es he made was to his adoring
companions at Warm Springs
on October 23. He made a spe-
cial trip there from Atlanta,
sandwiching the visit between
two Atlanta addresses on the
23rd and 24th. The patients
and staff, led by Fred Botts in
a battered silk top hat, greet-
ed him with a small parade.
They led him to the front of
the hospital. Many young
patients were seated in a cir-
cle on the grounds. Others
were on the porch of the hos-
pital. Roosevelt did not leave
his car.
"Two more weeks to go,"
he said, to applause. "...First,
let me say this: this old hat, a
lot of you people have seen it
before. It's the same hat. But
I don't think it is going to last
much longer after the 8th of
November. [Laughter,
applause] I have a supersti-
tion about hats in campaigns,
and I am going to wear it until
midnight of the 8th of
November. [Applause] ...Well,
it's fine to see, and I am look-
ing forward to coming down
here for the usual
Thanksgiving party at Warm
Springs, and having a real old-
fashioned Thanksgiving with
my neighbors again. I thank
you!" (Applause)
He could have said any=.
thing and won their applause.
To them he was a great sym-
The
Squire
of Warm
Springs
By Theo
Uppman
As Frances Perkins, who
would become his Labor
Secretary, put it, "His rela-
tions with the other patients
at Warm Springs...were inter-
esting and charming to sde.
He was one of themhe was
a big brother--he had been
through it--he was smiling
he was courageoushe was
feeling fine--he encouraged
you to tryhe said you could
do it. 'I did it, you can too,' was
his attitude."
Mary Veeder, the physio-
therapist, who saw the reac-
tion of the other patients day
in and day out for years, said,
"He inspired them all. If he'd
never done anything but .this,
he'd be a great humanitarian."
Even in the midst of a cam-
paign, Roosevelt knew this
and apparently attached some
importance to it. Why else the
long campaign detour from
Atlanta to Warm Springs and
back?
Even after he became
President, he continued to
accept his responsibility as
symbol of conqueror of dis-
ease. One day in the fall of
1935, while in Georgia for
Thanksgiving, he came to visit
some patients at a Sunday
evening devotional.
General Evans Carlson
later described the scene in a
letter to Missy LeHand.
"We had placed a chair at
the roadside for the
President's use, but when he
drove up he waved the chair
aside. Descending from the
car, he drew himself up, and
with magnificent dignity and
bol of triumph, however his superb will, he walked down
political fortunes turned out. " the ramp through the door and
forward to his seat amid
patients. Never will I
that walk, which was
formed in utter silence.
explanation was ever
for what must have
supreme effort. But I
and I felt that others
must have sensed, that it
made for the purpose
ing hope and inspiration to i
assembled patients."
Such displays of
nation were inspiring
healthy Americans as
those who recognized
a symbol of recovery
another kind of paralysis.
The fact was that at a
of economic paralysis
fear, a man who had con
physical paralysis and
one way or
offering himself as a
to conquer that other kind,
Heusedjust
in his acceptance
specifically the word
ysis" to describe
Depression's effects.
The word was not
used in such a context
1932. And though
was not the only one to
it is nonetheless
note that the edition
Webster's New
International
in use gave only the
context of the word
sis," while the next
appear gave the
description applied
Roosevelt made
sis" a metaphor for
depression.
Roosevelt and his spe
writers often used
on this metaphor in the
ahead. For example, in
he complained that
the "sick patients of 1
were cured to the point
they could "throw
crutches at the doctor."
Dr. Roosevelt
Springs pool had become
Roose,elt to a
Dr. New Deal he called
self.
' (Next week: Health
a pofitical issue.)
