Letters to the EditorTuesday, September 2, 2008
Nearby schools Recently, several members of the staff at our clinic were discussing the double-edged sword of the new school year. The decreased worry about what their children were doing has been replaced with thoughts of the high cost of gasoline and the increase of traffic on the roads. It reminded me of how different our childhood had been. Most of us (40 years old and older) remember going to school in our own neighborhoods. That way of life has disappeared. While there were many schools on the peninsula 30 years ago, only a few remain. There was a great friendly rivalry between C.A. Brown, Burke, Charleston High, Bishop England, Rivers, First Baptist and College Prep, etc. There was also great community pride and parental involvement. The desegregation of public schools in the United States has been a noble cause. Students of many backgrounds have become friends, and greatness has been achieved where it likely would have faded. However, the unintended consequence has been that schools, their students and their faculty have been erased from the fabric of the community. The consequences we face include increased traffic, an increase in the cost of busing, decreased parental involvement, an inability to improve overall results and increased expenditures. Instead of spending millions to build and maintain mega-schools, shouldn't we try to return schools, students and teachers to the neighborhoods? Parents could again easily attend meetings, small businesses could thrive around the increased activity, staff members could live near where they work and walk to their jobs, and the sounds of students participating in after-school activities would remind us what we had lost. ANDREW E. GEER, M.D. Jesse Owens' facts I can appreciate the sentiments regarding the Olympic spirit as expressed in the recent editorial titled "Olympian bravery." However the facts concerning Jesse Owens' performance at the 1936 Olympic Games as stated in this editorial don't add up. Jesse Owens won four gold medals but not all on one day and not with Adolf Hitler in attendance. Owens won his medals on Aug. 3, 4, 5, and 9. Hitler did not leave after Owens had won two because he was not there on the days that Owens won those medals. The vast majority of Germans did not buy into the loony racial theories espoused by Joseph Goebbels and his propaganda ministry and Jesse Owens was adored by the German crowds in Berlin. Owens also forged a long-term friendship with German competitor Lutz Long who advised him to move back his take-off mark during the qualifying round of the long jump competition after he had scratched twice and was down to his final attempt. This helped Owens make the finals in which he took gold, beating Long, who took the silver medal, and Naoto Tajima of Japan, who took the bronze. Long was later awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship. Many locals sought out Owens for his autograph, and he stayed in the same hotels and visited the same restaurants as everyone else. That was a true irony because at the time blacks in the United States were denied equal rights. After his ticker-tape parade in New York, Owens had to ride the freight elevator to attend his own reception at the Waldorf-Astoria. Regarding the reports that Hitler had deliberately avoided acknowledging his victories and had refused to shake his hand, Owens stated: "When I passed the chancellor, he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him." He also stated: "Hitler didn't snub me. It was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram." By the way, like it or not, Germany dominated the 1936 Olympic Games winning 33 gold, 26 silver and 30 bronze medals to the United States' 24 gold, 20 silver and 12 bronze medals. Today in Berlin, a street, Jesse-Owens-Allee, and a public school, Jesse Owens Realschule/Oberschule, honor this great American, who left an indelible mark on his German fans. In this spirit, the Olympic flame continues to burn brightly. MARK ROSSLER Media bias The conflict between Georgia and Russia has the media asking what will the West do about it. By the term "the West," of course, the media mean the United States. One thing has me scratching my head. How is this our problem and what treaty made us responsible for Georgia? This may sound like heresy, but maybe, just maybe, the United States cannot solve every problem in the world. Just what is the purpose of the United Nations anyway? It has become as defunct as its predecessor, the League of Nations. I think it is time to disband this "feel good" group of overpaid, ineffectual ambassadors and start over. They spend most of their time complaining about the United States and promoting world socialism. The "honor" of hearing what the world thinks is costing American taxpayers millions of dollars each year. We don't need them for that. We can get that every day from the liberal media. RICHARD L. WOLFE Flip for forecast In the Aug. 13 Post and Courier, there is an article titled "Storms usher in tornado threat." You will need a quarter for the rest of this letter. In the first paragraph, it states that in the Bahamas there could be a tropical storm or a hurricane. This is when you need your quarter — heads for a storm; tails for a hurricane. The second paragraph states the storm/hurricane, could go into the Gulf of Mexico or come and impact the Southeast coast. Take your quarter — heads for Gulf of Mexico; tails for the Southeast coast. But remember this, the AccuWeather forecasting service states that if the storm/hurricane gets stronger, it could turn to the Southeast coast. You read the word "could," so will it or will it not? Flip the quarter — heads it will not come to the Southeast coast; tails it will come. In the fifth paragraph, the article talks of tornadoes. Where there is heavy rain, there is a better chance for a threat. Does this mean that there might not be a tornado in mild rain? This is a double flip. Take your quarter —heads for tornadoes in heavy rain; tails for no tornadoes. For the second flip — heads for tornadoes in light rain; tails for no tornadoes in light rain. Congratulations, you are now a weather man or woman. You and your quarter and your flips will be accurate or as good as the weather people who are paid to determine the weather. So throw away the high-priced equipment and get a quarter. REDRICK T. HOBBY SR. America first I recently read in The Post and Courier that gas companies made record profits over the past quarter. It was something over $11 billion for Exxon alone. Now, with the summer tourist season winding down, gasoline prices are coming down. The oil companies waited for the end of summer to reduce gasoline prices after they ruined most Americans' vacations this year by making them unaffordable. It's time for our elected officials to get out of bed with oil companies and start protecting consumers' rights. It's time for America to wake up and for our elected officials to start taking care of America from within and stop taking care of the world. We have over-regulated most industries, making it hard for them to compete with cheaper exports. Our farming and seafood industry cannot compete with imports from the Third World. Our manufacturing industries are now outsourced overseas at the expense of American jobs. We have to open up new areas for oil exploration while we build refineries here. We need to offer incentives for coming up with new fuel sources and making everything more energy efficient. In today's economy, most families have to tighten their budgets to survive. It's past time for our cities, universities, counties, states and federal government to do the same. To all elected officials, please take care of the people you serve before it's too late. JIMMY CARROLL Talented teachers Every year parents make the mad dash to prepare their children for school. The week before school begins is a time of anxiety, frustration and unrest if it is not coupled with prayer. This year, my son entered third grade. Third grade is the year that he will take his first standardized test and will receive a score of exceeded, met or not met. While much emphasis is put on the "test," formally known as PACT. But the most important thing to me will be his teacher. By now, all parents know the name of their child's teacher, but do we really know the teacher? The teacher is second only to me and will have more to do with my son's success than any other factor. I am blessed that my son has Sandra Fitzgerald, a third-grade teacher at Pinckney Elementary School. Mrs. Fitzgerald has created an environment in which all children matter. She has captivated their minds by making learning fun and consistently engaging. Mrs. Fitzgerald's entire class is centered on an army theme. My son actually lives in "Bunker 502." With this type of atmosphere, academic excellence is inevitable. As a single mother of five with a demanding career, it is a relief to know that my son is in good hands. I have worked hard to ensure that my four African-American boys and my one girl achieve success, and I believe it can only be done with faith in God, supportive parents and a teacher like Mrs. Fitzgerald, who is caring, intelligent, reflective, passionate, competent, professional and creative. I truly appreciate teachers who work to create environments that ensure student success. I know it is not always easy, but the rewards overshadow the challenges. I know there are many teachers like Sandra Fitzgerald, and I see that same talent and creativity at work daily at St. James-Santee Elementary where I am employed. My son and countless others are truly blessed when they have teachers who have passion, persistence and perseverance. Thank you, Mrs. Fitzgerald, for helping my son "be all he can be." LERAH SMITH-LEE Helping ECCO I was happy to see the East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) article in the Aug. 22 Post and Courier Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) has always supported the work of ECCO in our community by giving customers the opportunity to donate to ECCO when paying their water bill. MPW offers two options: Customers can elect to make a one-time donation in the amount of their choice or they can join the Round-UP program. Participants in the Round-UP program increase their water bill to the next highest dollar, for instance from $28.36 to $29. The extra goes to ECCO. It is an easy way to make a donation to support its admirable work. Customers can also donate to Water Missions International. You can choose to help your neighbors here in our community or our extended neighbors across the globe. SUSAN I. MELLICHAMP |
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