Thursday,
September 25, 2008
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Thursday,
September 25, 2008 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery |
Letters to the EditorAgreeing with Sid Salter: After reading the ‘Good Ol’ Boys Syndicate’ by Sid Salter in the Sept. 11 paper I was kind of shocked that he didn’t put his neo-conservative right-winged spin on the presidential debates starting in Oxford. I hardly ever agree with Mr. Salter but I have to agree with him about what he said debate visitors will find when they come here. I also agree that the vast majority of Mississippians now recognize the problems exist and have a willingness to confront them and solve them. Recognizing the wrong is the first step towards a more perfect union. If we are gonna solve the problems of poverty and racial unrest we have to ask ourselves with whom do these problems exist? Mr. Salter never raised the question of justice. Without truth there can be no justice and sometimes truth is a hard pill to swallow. Truth will reveal what caused the problem of poverty in the state of Mississippi and would certainly solve the pockets of racial unrest. The truth is the economic imbalance that exists in Mississippi and all over America was caused by “centuries” of free labor and still exists to this very day because the vast majority that Mr. Salter talked about want to solve the problems but the question still remains on whose terms? I’ve been all over America and I would rather not live anywhere but right here in the state in which I was born! I have seen more racism outside the state of Mississippi than I’ve seen in all my 46 years. I was born in Como in July of ’62 at a time when my father said the National Guard would be lined up on both sides of Highway 6 all the way from Batesville to Oxford. He would have to lay bricks under armed guard all day. But I guess having ten children and another one on the way removes all your fear. He kept all of that inside him for years and only spoke of it very briefly thereafter. That’s why I have to agree with Mr. Salter because many blacks (and whites) have benefitted much from the sacrifices of people like James Meredith and my father and we want to see the stigmas attached to Mississippi destroyed forever. Sen. McCain could be a catalyst for that if he would publicly acknowledge that his family’s wealth is rooted in plantation ownership in the state of Mississippi. If integration is gonna work it’s gonna have to involve sharing the wealth. Otherwise the very notion is hypocritical. I would like to see my generation make this country the real superpower it has the the potential to become. Many of us had to deal with forced integration and have grown up working and going to school in a diverse environment. Lastly, when I joined the U.S. Air Force in September of ’80 I met a young recruit from Potts Camp. We had the same last name at that time and to this very day he refers to me as his brother. The last time I saw him was in ’94 at Columbus Air Force Base. It never occurred to him that I was dressed in our typical uniform of suit and bow tie. Everyone he introduced me to, he introduced me as his “brother.” He believes as I believe, in Christ we are one!! Now is the time for us to prove we’re residents of the New South and not remnants of the Old South. Respectfully, Bus drivers: To: Marshall County School bus drivers and parents of students Do you believe routes and mileage should be organized and managed by an independent staff instead of school employees who also happen to be fellow drivers? Should this staff ensure equality in route length for the drivers and children? The drivers are paid the same “basic pay” whether they drive a 15-minute route or a three- hour route. While some children have a 20-minute ride on a new air-conditioned bus, other children must endure a 1-1/2 hour-ride or longer on a much older, run-down bus. Wouldn’t it be logical and comforting to parents and drivers if all bus drivers were provided with emergency information cards on all children passengers? Many younger children are not able to give their driver accurate phone numbers and addresses while some older students may “choose” not to give accurate information. Sure, the driver knows to call “911” for an emergency but even an ambulance/hospital needs quick, accurate information. Then there are new riders going to g’mas, aunts or babysitters. Accurate information cards should be complete, readable and given to the driver as the child boards the bus. Wouldn’t it be less confusing if all routes with approximate destination times were posted for parents at registration? They should also post it in school offices for parents calling later in the year for information. Wouldn’t it be logical to have parents fill out the emergency information cards for the buses at time of registration, be given a copy of bus rules and have them sign them acknowledging they’ve read and will read them to their children? Are all parents aware that they may have a teenager student driving their children on a school bus? Are they aware school buses still do not provide the children seat belts? As taxpayers, should we be monitoring fuel used for school bus transportation more closely? Why have the bus drivers who are gasing up at the Byhalia High pump not been asked for mileage and signature this year? The only answers I’ve received are, “No one has given me a log book” and “She said it takes up too much time to write the information.” Are we able to accurately account for where all the fuel is going without the true logging of information? Some feel that the concern of shutting off bus engines while children are loading busses is silly and not necessary. I wonder if they have children of their own walking past 10 to 12 loud bus engines blowing exhaust out their pipes within face levels of their little ones? Just asking for a little consideration for their health is all. I have addressed these needed changes and some other safety concerns while going through the “chain of command.” Unfortunately, there was a “kink” in the first chain that said I could go through the steps to get a safety issue solved but that “nothing would be done about it” and that I was “wasting my time.” This same “kink” suggested that I quit my job if I was not content with the present conditions. Let’s pray this kink is not setting these examples for our students. I believe that problems can and will be solved when people cooperate with positive attitudes in making good, logical changes that benefit all, not just a certain few. Therefore, I am seeking equality in pay/mileage for all Marshall County school bus drives, as well as safer and better organization for our children passengers. I am not seeking unfair or selfish changes. Changes that offer equality and safety make happier employees and parents. If you agree that these fair and logical changes are needed and would care to unite in seeing them happen just send in any of your concerns. If you are a driver, include your route information to the P.O. Box below. A meeting can then be arranged for open discussion, suggestions and to address the “route” to take to see our destination become a reality! Meanwhile, those who will, please join me in praying for God’s guidance in these changes and His protection over all our children, school bus drivers and school staff. Lisa Beckham Highway repairs: The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is certainly not concerned about the quality of the work done on our highways for which our tax money is spent. U.S. Highway 78 (which is to be I-22) in Marshall County is a disaster. The thousands and thousands of dollars they spent on the 15 miles of repairs was a complete waste of money. It is much, much rougher now than it was before. I drive a tractor-trailer rig and I drive in the left lane whenever possible because if I am in the right lane I have to slow down to at least 60 mph to keep from tearing up my truck. I’ve been on gravel roads in Arkansas that are way smoother than this section of this highway. Speaking of gravel! Now they are planning to put gravel on top of the asphalt on Highway 309 in the Chulahoma area. They put it on top of the asphalt on Hwy. 4 a couple of years ago and everyone knows that it is very much rougher than it was before. Apparently they think we in Chulahoma are low class citizens, so all that we should get is low class service. It would seem to me that the goal of the MDOT would be to put asphalt on all gravel roads, not put gravel on all asphalt roads. Bill Wells Highway repairs: The start of a new school year for teens means new classes, activities and friends, and, sometimes, new challenges that may include peer pressure to drink alcohol. Though resistance can be difficult for teens, as a parent, your involvement has a significant impact on your child’s decisions. According to the GfK Roper Youth Report, 71 percent of 8- to 17-year-olds cite their parents as the number one influence on whether they drink. That’s why A&B Distributing Company offers Family Talk About Drinking, a free guide designed to encourage open and honest communication between parents and children to help prevent underage drinking. Strong educational programs such as these, paired with effective law enforcement, are essential to make progress in the fight against underage drinking and teen drunk driving. In addition, the federally funded University of Michigan’s “Monitoring the Future” annual study found that the percentage of eighth graders who reported having a drink in the last 30 days is at the lowest level since tracking began in 1991. The percentage of high-school seniors who reported having a drink in the last 30 days is also at the lowest level since tracking began in 1975. We must continue to guide and influence youth to ensure this progress persists. Parents can obtain their copy of Family Talk at familytalkonline.com or by calling 1-800-359-TALK. Sincerely, |
      
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