http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blog/entrance.php blog en-us Tue, 2 Dec 2008 8:19:15 EST http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1020 Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe High School senior Evan Stichler saw something never seen before Wednesday morning. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue giving a high school a second Governor's Cup. The Governor's Cup Challenge focuses on raising SAT scores across the state. Schools compete on 3-year average gains from their "most recent" SAT average based on scores in critical reading and math and in the latest round writing. The SAT is a reasoning test taken by juniors and seniors used for college admissions. The school average is now in its fourth year of increase beginning in 2005 at 976, 2006 at 997, and 2007 at 1044, with the latest in 2008 at 1533. "I want to congratulate the principal, superintendent and the staff for being the first back to back winners in the state for the Governor's Cup," he told the cheering crowd in the LFO gym. "Winning the Governor's Cup back to back is pretty special." Perdue called for a round of applause from the students for the teachers who he said play a vital role in working to get students to give their best and urge them to be champions. "It is very impressive to be back," he said. "To have improvement over 25 SAT points per year is pretty dramatic." The governor challenged juniors and seniors to continue to raise the bar. "The good thing about academic achievement is the better you get the better you want to be," he said. "There is no rule against a three peat. We can be here this time next year. It's up to you." Georgia State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox told the students body that LFO is more than the best school in Georgia. "I think it can be said in the whole three state region you have the best high school," she said. Stichler and students like him can only benefit in their academic careers from the increased achievements the Governor is recognizing. He is one of many students who contributed to the school yielding yet another state award for 4-A schools across the state. "I've taken two SATs and one ACT," he said. Stichler said that although he opted out of the SAT preparation class to study from the "big blue book," a SAT preparation manual, he said that his classes went a long way to prepare him for the test in April 2008. "The classes that helped the most are English classes Ms. Blevins vocabulary. You had to have the vocab," he said. "Algebra one and two they suggest you don't take the SAT unless you really have high Algebra scores. I exceeded in those classes pretty well so I felt pretty confident going in after that point." He said that vocabulary preparation came every week through his freshman and sophomore years. "It wasn't basic," he said. He said that during his junior year, his teacher gave slips of paper everyday that were SAT questions that asked the student to read and analyze or do this and answer. "Each day we did something," he said. "In math it was repetition and it helped. You memorized the patterns and you knew what you were going to expect on the SAT." He said that his overall score was 1820. "My strongest area was writing, followed by reading and math," he said. He plans to attend Georgia Tech followed by University of Georgia. "It kind makes me feel proud," he said. "It is putting our school on the map. We had big trophy and check presented. It made me feel like A, I am helping myself; and B its setting and example for more kids to score higher so we can keep the high expectations of our SAT scores." Principal Jerry Ransom said that he is enthused over how well the teachers did in continuing to prepare the students and especially pleased at the success of the students. "Last year when the governor and state superintendent were here I (jokingly) made a statement that they needed to put calendar to plan on coming back next year," he said. "Our seniors had made a commitment to do what they needed to do to make some good scores on the SAT. "Our biggest increase came last year and this year so it was a higher increase than anybody in the state for 4A schools for the last two years," he said. "Next year if we were to get it we would really have to blow the top out of it." Ransom said that one of his goals as principal was to raise SAT scores. "Without having any kind of plan basically, our teachers took the bull by horns," he said. "We invested in a web-based program called USAtestprep.com. Our teachers got on board. Especially our junior and senior English and math teachers who then were incorporating questions into their lesson plans along with standards. He said that students such a Stichler might start the day with an SAT question. "Our guidance counselors did terrific job setting up prerequisites (courses)," he said. "They did a great job of counseling students on what they needed to do before they take SAT. Some of them were you needed to have Algebra II and made an A or high B in there. You needed to have a good PSAT score Ransom said that students needed to do well in literature and now writing is also a component of it. "They needed to be able to do all those things," he said. If they had not we need to set them up in some kind of remediation to help them do some of the things to help them make a high score. "We had a juniors took it first time last year," he said. "Along that same line for the last few years anyone that took it and made below a certain score, I would bring them in my office and talk with them individually and find out why they thought they did not do well on it. I'd ask them ‘What did they do to prepare for it? What could we have done to make better scores,'" he said. From those inquiries, he said the information gathered continues to help refine the process of preparing all the students. Catoosa County Schools Superintendent Denia Reese said she is extremely proud of the students and teachers for their accomplishment. "LFO has accomplished something no other school in Georgia has accomplished," she said. "As an LFO graduate, I know this is true Warrior Spirit. I am thrilled with the award, and I am proud of the administrators and teachers at LFO because they are intensely focused on preparing our students for the future. "A high score on the SAT opens doors for college-bound students," she said. "Our teachers, counselors, and administrators are making sure our students are prepared to succeed at the secondary level, and that they have excellent test scores so they can attend the college of their choice." In addition to the trophy, LFO received a $2,000 award to the school. Turner Broadcasting System sponsors the Governor's Cup Challenge. Randall Franks Thursday October 16, 2008 12:06:15pm http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1019 "There were moments this week when some thought that the federal government could not rise to the challenge. But thanks to the hard work of members of both parties, in both houses, and the spirit of cooperation between Capitol Hill and my administration, we completed this bill in a timely manner." So claimed President Bush recently in remarks delivered from the Rose Garden. Where did the president willing to deal with the tough times go? Rather than weathering the storm, our supposedly conservative president nailed taxpayers down to paying a truly colossal price for others' mistakes. Somehow, he is infatuated with the idea that the federal government can swoop in and save the day that they can "rise to the challenge." Which challenge is that, exactly? Assuring that the politicians who use said government as a slop trough for their piggish behavior receive even more at the expense of the taxpayers? This $700 billion bailout goes beyond being the largest single socialist expenditure of our supposedly capitalistic nation. It is moreover a vehicle for pork (almost $100 billion worth), has expanded the already mind-bogglingly enormous size of our government, and further reinforced the erroneous notion that actions lack consequences. Just as it is not their duty to attempt to "fix" the current market issues, it is not the government's fault, either. No matter what McCain, Obama, or their respective camps may claim about the other side, neither Republicans nor Democrats are to blame for the situation. Granted, the taxes they rip out of the paychecks of working families could have gone a long way toward helping those families that are in trouble to meet their obligations to their mortgage holders. But that money, absent from their paychecks, will now go toward solving the problem they created for themselves anyway. Individual accountability. . . government-style. The problem is that those of us who truly are accountable, responsible and who did not buy houses with mortgages beyond our means now have to help the people who did not exercise such good judgment. They will in all likelihood get to keep homes they cannot afford thanks to the hard work of others. Isn't communism great? I think I'll go out this weekend and buy myself a million-dollar home and mail the payment book to the White House. Why not? I certainly cannot afford such a home but since Washington has, for all intents and purposes, told me I don't have to be responsible for my own actions, then I might as well take advantage of this opportunity. They are clearly in the business, as all indications over the last month suggest, of dealing with other peoples' irresponsible actions. Not that we should allow the predatory lenders to get off the hook. But the world is full of predators and ultimately the responsibility of protecting yourself from the schemes of others is to exercise good judgment, or learn from the times you didn't. In other words, you are responsible for yourself. Government never has solved any of your personal problems and it never will. It can defend you from terrorism, protect you from criminals, and help enforce fair and balanced laws based on moral principles. But you have to have a job unless government steals from somebody else and gives to you. You have to plan for your own retirement unless government steals from somebody else and gives to you. You have to take advantage of educational opportunities to improve your standard of living unless government steals from somebody else and gives to you. You have to be financially responsible unless government steals from somebody else and gives to you. And stealing is exactly what the government is doing to fund the bailout. The amount a person pays in taxes depends on a variety of factors so the following example is not an actual assessment of a single American's tax burden to fund this rescue scheme. But it nevertheless gives one an idea of the magnitude of the cost. There are approximately 150 million people in the U.S. workforce. If divided equally among them, each employed American would be responsible for over $4,500 to cover their portion of the bill. I have enough trouble paying my own bills and saving enough to retire comfortably without adding any additional burden. So the government did not rise to the challenge, it merely shifted the challenge onto the backs of working Americans. While the politicians congratulate themselves from the Rose Garden to the halls of Congress, our "leaders" are likely even themselves to be unaware of the consequences of this decision. This whole "crisis" should have been allowed to work itself out. Sure, people would suffer. But they will suffer anyway and it is better to be uncomfortable and free than at ease but caged. At least without government intrusion we can have the suffering without losing even more of our liberties to behemoth government. After all, markets eventually correct themselves. But, of their own accord, governments never do. Jeff O'Bryant is an amateur historian and holds two degrees, a bachelor's in education and a bachelor's with honors in history. He can be contacted at jeffobryant@catt.com or through his blog at rightnewsandviews.com. Jeff O'Bryant Wednesday October 15, 2008 8:43:37am http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1018 "With the upcoming general election in mind, the members of the LaFayette Rotary Club thought it would be interesting to hold their own mock election," Rotary member Henry Gilbert said. "At their meeting last Tuesday (Oct. 7), members voted for all contested races which will appear on the November 4th ballot. The results are as follows:" President John McCain/Sarah Palin: 17 votes (89%) Barack Obama/Joe Biden: 2 votes (11%) Bob Barr/Wayne Root: 0 U.S. Senate Saxby Chambliss: 15 (79%) Jim Martin: 4 (21%) Allen Buckley: 0 U.S. Representative, 9th District of Ga. Nathan Deal: 16 (84%) Jeff Scott: 3 (16%) State Senate, 53rd District Jeff Mullis: 10 (56%) Bruce Coker: 8 (44%) State Representative, 2nd District Martin Scott: 13 (76%) Sadie Morgan: 4 (24%) Clerk of Superior Court, Walker County Carter Brown: 4 (20%) Debbie Lawrence: 16 (80%) Sheriff, Walker County Billy Mullis 1 (5%) Steve Wilson 19 (95%) Coroner, Walker County Dewayne Wilson: 14 (78%) Ronald Cabero: 4 (22%) Sole County Commissioner, Walker County BeBe Heiskell: 14 (70%) P.J.Wilson: 6 (30%) County Board of Education, Post 4 Patty Hart: 16 (84%) Heather Pickard: 3 (16%) Judge, Superior Court, Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Christopher Arnt: 2 (11%) Michael Giglio: 0 Brian House: 1 (5%) Bill Rhyne, Jr.: 12 (63%) Lawrence Stagg: 4 (21%) The LaFayette Rotary Club is a community wide service organization whose members are both men and women. It meets every Tuesday at noon in The Bank of LaFayette Community Room. The club president is David Bennett and the president-elect is Richard Westbrook. Friday October 10, 2008 10:18:25am http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1017 The questions were posed, the answers timed --- just like any other political debate. But some maintain that the Oct. 2 debate hosted by the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce wasn't free of bias. Bruce Coker, a Democrat challenger for the state Senate's District 53 seat, said he believes the Chamber and Catoosa County Republican Party were working in conjunction. Coker is running against Republican state Sen. Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga. "I have never in my entire life seen such partisan maneuvering," "Coker said. "To give you an example, Jeff Scott showed up at the event and Nathan Deal did not. Obviously, we all are in agreement that Mr. Deal's place right now is in Washington working on the mess that our country is in. Scott, a Democrat from Walker County, is running against Republican U.S. Congressman Nathan Deal for the District 9 seat. "What was so shocking is that they allowed Nathan Deal to have a representative to read a public statement, then hammered Jeff Scott with partisan questions carefully constructed without the possibility of a response from Nathan Deal on the same questions," he said. Mullis was on a trip to Europe with Gov. Sonny Perdue, and he was unable to participate in the debate. Coker said since Mullis was not there, the moderator could not cross-examine him. "I must note that I wasn't ever given a breakdown from the Catoosa County Chamber about the specifics of the basic rules regarding the operations other than who it would be moderated by," Coker said. "I was shocked when they allowed Jay Neal, who is running unopposed for the State House, to debate me on behalf of Jeff Mullis. "This was the most politically divisive thing they could have done. After all, I am not running for state House nor am I running against Jay Neal," he said. "I am 48 years old, and I have seen many political debates, but I have never seen one where a colleague was allowed to do such a thing as this." Coker added that when he had a conflict and was unable to attend the debate during the primaries, the Chamber did not offer the same courtesy of allowing him to have a substitute. "This was the most obvious political maneuvering to compromise fairness that I have ever witnessed," Coker said. "I think fairness should always be exercised when debating issues that are important to the lives of every citizen and must not be manipulated." Chris Scott, Catoosa County Democratic Party chairman, pointed out a discrepancy in representation between the Republican and Democratic candidates. He said four absent Republican candidates had representatives at the most recent debate, including a Chamber officer, to speak on their behalf. "Only two Democratic candidates were absent but had no one to speak," he said. "The most despicable action took place when the Chamber blind-sided Senate candidate Bruce Coker. Coker took the stage thinking he would answer questions from the moderator since his opponent, Jeff Mullis, was vacationing in Spain with Governor Perdue. Instead, Republican state Rep. Jay Neal was allowed to return to the stage and debate Coker on Mullis' behalf. "This was the lowest form of partisan politics that could have been displayed by a ‘non-partisan' Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce," he said. Scott substituted for Democrat Ralph Noble at the Catoosa County primary debate event earlier in the year, reading a statement on his behalf. However, he fielded no debate questions in his absence because Noble was unopposed at that time. Chamber's response Catoosa County Chamber President Martha Eaker denies the debate was partisan in any way. "I am very proud of the fact that the Chamber conducted these debates as a way to educate and inform the public and I stand by the fact that is exactly what we did," she said Monday, Oct. 6. Eaker said if candidates requested someone to represent them, the Chamber allowed it. "Every candidate received an invitation to attend," she said. "If someone called me and could not attend for some reason and ask about sending someone to represent them, I said that was acceptable. "If they did not ask I certainly did not suggest anyone sending a rep," she said. "The Chamber of Commerce conducted this in a fair and nonpartisan format, going so far as to have moderators from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to assure the debate was unbiased." Mullis, in response to allegations, said he accepted the invitation from Gov. Perdue for the European trip long before the debate was scheduled. "I thought it was important for me to go to this trade and transportation meeting for Northwest Georgia," he said. "My way was not paid for by taxpayer's dollars." Mullis said as new industry opportunities come into Northwest Georgia, establishing strong relationships will be the key to competing with surrounding areas for businesses and new jobs. Randall Franks Thursday October 9, 2008 1:04:30pm http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1016 A small-caliber handgun was found on the Ridgeland High School campus early this morning, according to school officials. According to a written statement from the Walker County school system, the weapon was found underwater inside a toilet in a restroom. The gun was not loaded. Custodial staff removed the gun and waited for local law enforcement to investigate the matter. Because the gun was unloaded, it was agreed by law enforcement and school officials the event posed no immediate threat to students. Therefore the school day continued as normal. According to the statement, the campus was safety inspected before students arrived on campus and was determined that a lockdown or evacuation of the campus was not necessary. The school day for Ridgeland begins at 8 a.m. The statement expressed the seriousness to which law and school officials approached the incident: "The first concern is the safety of students and staff. Trained administrators and staff followed procedures established by state law and Walker County School Board of Education policy to handle the situation and assure safety. As a precaution to avoid possible unfounded rumor and unnecessary concern by parents, the SchoolCast Automatic Notification System was engaged to notify parents of the occurrence and the message was posted on the Ridgeland High School website." School officials reiterated, "Authorities determined there was no threat to persons or property and no need for either a lockdown or evacuation." School continued as scheduled without further incident. Larry Brooks Thursday October 2, 2008 1:26:06pm http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1015 As of this writing, approximately 53,000 Chinese babies have been treated for drinking toxic baby formula. The milk was tainted with melamine the same chemical that killed more than 300 American cats and dogs in the recent Chinese pet food scandal. This time, greedy corporations are killing children. So far, four child deaths have been attributed the formula, while tens of thousands of children are still suffering from painful kidney stones or partial renal failure. A similar atrocity occurred in Japan in 1955, when arsenic-tainted milk powder poisoned more than 12,000 newborns. Not until 1981 did the nation admit the extent of their baby milk atrocity at least 600 deaths, more than 6,000 people still suffering 26 years later, and 624 people afflicted by severe mental retardation, developmental difficulties, and paralysis caused by brain damage. This is not the first baby milk massacre in China, either. In 2004, 13 infants died from drinking counterfeit baby formula made from flour and water, and 170 others suffered serious malnutrition. As in 2004, the current tragedy is no accident. Melamine (a substance used in plastic and fertilizer) was actually added to the baby formula as a way to increase corporate profits. Melamine mimics protein in some tests, so when the dairy farmers watered down the milk to cut costs, they added melamine to cover their tracks. The investigation continues to unfold. So far Chinese authorities have detected melamine in 20% of the nation's dairy milk. Twenty-two brands are affected. China initially claimed that the tainted milk was never exported beyond its borders. However, Chinese milk products have now been recalled from Bangladesh, Yemen, Gabon, Burundi and Myanmar. Hong Kong regulators pulled Chinese milk, yogurt and ice cream off the market after finding that eight of 30 samples tested contained the poison. Hong Kong authorities found traces of melamine in two Nestle products a follow-on formula for babies over a year old, and a type of milk used for catering. Nestle denies that their products are tainted, pointing out that Hong Kong recently made their melamine standards more stringent than U.S. and European standards. The Chinese government is talking tough and taking action now, but the evidence indicates China knew about the poisoned milk weeks ago and chose not to act until the end of the Olympics and Paralympics. Chinese authorities will have no mercy on their designated scapegoat. After all, their government responded to the pet food scandal by executing the head of China's food and drug safety agency. Perhaps in this case a fitting punishment would be a steady diet of Sanlu baby formula. As China faces another hit to its national image, parents around the world wonder, "Could this happen here?" The answer is a resounding yes. Here in the U.S., the FDA has issued a warning against all Chinese-produced baby formula. Although it is illegal to import baby formula from China, officials cite examples of Chinese brands being sold in ethnic stores. All formula-fed infants are at risk for various types of contamination, both intentional and accidental. Formula-feeding is not like breastfeeding, in which the milk passes directly from source to destination without risk of contamination, and the breast milk itself even contains substances that kill off foreign organisms like Salmonella. Instead, formula-fed babies are exposed to contamination risks throughout production, canning, distribution, and even at home as the artificial milk is poured into a plastic bottle containing BPA, a substance known to be hazardous to humans since the 1930s. The bottle itself may also contain microorganisms, unless it has just been sterilized. Unfortunately, heat increases the release of BPA. Bottle-fed babies just cannot win. The American formula industry issues product recalls every year. In May of this year, Abbott issued a recall because of product oxidation, which can cause nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal problems in infants. Past recalls have been issued by various U.S. formula manufacturers because of glass particles, unsanitary production conditions, Salmonella, incorrect mixing instructions, and other serious safety problems. Intentional tampering has also occurred here in the United States. In 1995, the FDA seized 45,000 pounds of counterfeit infant formula. The milk trail led to 10 factories in eight states that were making bogus formula with counterfeit labels. The fake formula was being sold in supermarkets under brand names. More often, formula fraud occurs after manufacturing. Fraudulent wholesalers offer retail stores stolen, damaged or re-labeled formula. In one instance, a man and wife simply bought cases of cheap formula off the shelf, relabeled it as an expensive dairy-free formula, and then returned it to the store. The couple netted thousands of dollars before being caught. Several allergic babies were harmed by drinking substances they could not tolerate. The FDA offers parents suggestions for avoiding counterfeit formula: Know how your baby's formula looks, smells and tastes. It is interesting that they fail to recognize the simplest safeguard of all: Avoid baby formula. In all but the rarest cases, babies are much better off drinking mother's milk. Breast milk is full of nutrients that provide lifelong benefits to the child. Just as important are the substances you won't find in breast milk melamine, arsenic and Salmonella, to name a few. Jeannie Babb Taylor may be contacted at jeannie@babb.com, or you can leave a public comment on her blog at JeannieBabbTaylor.com. Jeannie Babb Taylor Thursday October 2, 2008 10:27:49am http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1014 The Walker County school board has approved a measure that would require students to make up time lost because of a bomb threat. It's an attempt to curb threats made by students as hoaxes. The policy includes all types of a threats to school safety, not just bomb threats. Superintendent of Schools Melissa Mathis said of the measure, "Basically it is a very simple procedure addressing lost instructional time. It is now a general understanding that any instructional time lost in school evacuation resulting from a threat to school safety will be made up." The school board acknowledged at a recent meeting that threats are a significant concern to the well-being of the county's students, whether the threats are real or pranks. Mathis agreed, "A bomb threat represents a potential danger to the safety and welfare of the students and the staff and to the integrity of the property." Earlier this year, two students were arrested by local authorities for making bomb threats at LaFayette High and LaFayette Middle schools. The threat at the high school resulted in an evacuation of the students from the campus, while the threat at the middle school was resolved by authorities without an evacuation. Both incidences proved to be hoaxes, much like a string of threats received at LaFayette High School in May last school year. The threats, and the manner in which school officials notified the public, raised concerns. Mathis described the seriousness of such false bomb threats. "Bomb threats interrupt our instructional program and our learning environment and also places significant demands on school financial resources and public safety services to the community," Mathis said. "Any bomb threat will be regarded as extremely serious and treated accordingly." The board unanimously directed Mathis, and school officials to react promptly and appropriately to any information concerning safety threats with the understanding that any instructional time lost in a school evacuation, resulting from a threat, will be made up by the students. Mathis described how the time could be made up. "It will be made up at a time that is deemed appropriate by the principal and subject to my approval," Mathis said. "Some of the methods may include extending one or more school days." Mathis also said holding classes on Saturday is an option on the table. "Holding a class on Saturday would be a possibility, if the time was accumulated to a great extend," Mathis said. Mathis said worst-case scenario could include extending the length of the school year to make up the time. "We just can't afford to lose any instructional time to these kinds of incidences," Mathis said. Larry Brooks Tuesday September 23, 2008 2:23:14pm http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1013 Once again, in the spirit of blind nationalism, phony patriotism and dripping with the stench of hypocrisy, mainstream America has swallowed the Bush administration's spew of propaganda without thinking about it twice; just as they did in the buildup to the Iraq War. This time it's the Russia/Georgia Conflict, which began about the same time as the opening day of the 2008 Olympics in China with a brutal military assault on the tiny separatist province of South Ossetia by Georgia, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths, as well as some Russian peacekeepers and thousands of civilian displacements. As might be expected, the Bush administration, along with contenders for the throne and pretty much the rest of the political backbone of America, has taken the one-sided approach and lashed out with insults, tough talk and promises of serious punishment for the "evil doers," without a thorough study of the evidence, or looking at both sides of the board fairly. And once again the mainstream media has dishonored the purpose of its freedom and taken the path most traveled by jumping onboard instantly with the government line, painting a picture in broad brush strokes that would make it appear to the average reader that Russia, the "Evil Empire," is the super villain in this conflict because it attacked the good, democratic, sovereign nation of Georgia, in response, with a wrath unbecoming of the 21st Century. War is hell and should be eliminated as a means by which nations settle their disputes. But using war and military might as a means of pushing foreign policy is still here with us after all these years of what we call civilization, and there is not a greater exponent of it today than the good ole USA. That alone makes whatever America has to say about the Russia/Georgia Conflict subject to question. Pious condemnation by a hypocrite nation guilty of the exact same thing and worse is so ridiculous as to be an insult to the universal mind and a terrible stumbling block on the road to peace on earth. My advice to America is please shut up, or say something honest and intelligent, or at least helpful in resolving this conflict and making sure it doesn't evolve into something a thousand times worse. Take the response of Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain: "In the 21st Century, nations don't invade other nations," he said. The territorial integrity of Georgia must be respected, and "This behavior is not acceptable in the 21st Century," he said at the Saddleback Church, where he and Obama made an appearance and affirmed their faith in Jesus in an attempt to garner the support of the Evangelical Christians. Oh really? Didn't America break International Law and the U.N. Charter which we signed, and push the United Nations aside and attack Iraq under false pretenses, even though Iraq had done us no wrong and was not a threat to us or its neighbors? And wasn't McCain not only in complete support of this but is still one of the greatest supporters of the Iraq War and believes that we should continue with the war until hell freezes over or until we achieve victory, or whichever comes first? What is wrong with McCain's response? Bald faced hypocrisy is what's wrong with it. The horror is that he is applauded for it. And that's not even to mention the fact that we also invaded the sovereign nation of Afghanistan in 2001 and are still there trying to kick that nation into shape and form it into our own image, regardless of how much blood has to flow, innocent or otherwise. Our illegal conquest, invasion and occupation of Iraq has been a bloodbath, with mostly the civilians, in the hundreds of thousands, taking the bath. And we're still there, trying to win a victory, under the pretext that we're still on the hunt for Osama bin Laden and terrorism wherever we can find it. We attacked in March, 2003, and we're still there in August, 2008, trying to groom that nation into our image and force it into our service in pursuit of our national interests. When one steps back from the picture, being drawn by the mainstream media, the "talking heads", the politicians, the government leaders, preachers, power brokers and the Bush administration's relentless spewing of hypocrisy and propaganda, and looks at the painting in its entirety, frame and all, it becomes a completely different picture. If a person can distance themselves just a little from boneheaded nationalism and fake patriotism and look at all the evidence clearly in the light of day and "justice for all," it becomes obvious that America's foreign policy rests on a foundation of political intrigue and operates solely on the absolute belief that military might makes right … and it must be right, or else God would not have allowed it to become the greatest military threat on earth, with the right to do as it pleases. That has been the mark of civilizations for centuries. But that doesn't make it right and it doesn't bode well for the hope that we might avoid a nuclear showdown and get through the 21st Century alive, or even the next decade. The fact is, we need something new. We need a new approach that is different from the idea that God placed us on an imperial throne with the power to rule over the world and be the decider of who's right and who's wrong. If one really takes a close look at the entire picture, it appears that America has used the United Nations when it wanted to and abused and undermined its purpose when it saw fit, which, in effect, has made it fairly useless as an organization working for world peace. What good is NATO or any other international organization if America pulls them around by the nose and decides who should be a part of the international community and who should be isolated and grouped among the bad guys, or labeled rogue nations? Hypocrisy, rooted in power and the lust for world domination, is actually the thing that has no place in the 21st Century, especially due to the fact that we are now more than 62 years into the Nuclear Age with the possibility of Nuclear War always in front of our nose, regardless of the hypocritical belief that God loves us no matter what we do and will back us until we have subdued the world. Because of our own actions in the world, President Bush's cry that Georgia's sovereignty must be respected and that Russia has damaged its credibility in the free world and is guilty of "bullying and intimidation," comes across as hypocritical rhetoric at the least and foolish provocation at the worst. Bush says that freedom is a God-given right, that all people should have it. And yet, what have the two separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia been struggling for, even long before the breakup of the Soviet Union? Their freedom from Georgia. And why did Georgia attack South Ossetia? To keep them from having it. And what made Georgia think that it could get away with its brutal attack? Because it has been armed by the U.S. and taken under its wing because of its oil pipeline and because it borders the Russian Federation, and because Georgia didn't think that Russia would risk doing anything about it. Russia, serving in a well-established role as peacekeepers for these two provinces that have considered themselves as independent republics since the breakup of the U.S.S.R., responded initially to Georgia's assault by convening an emergency session of the UN Security Council and attempting to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, but the U.S. and others wouldn't agree to it. The next day, reports of deaths among Russian troops and civilians began to come in and Russia's President Dmitri Medvedey announced that he was "obligated to defend the life and honor of Russian citizens, wherever they may be," adding "We will not let those responsible for the death of our people go unpunished." Russia responded on Aug. 7 by coming to the aid of South Ossetia and driving the Georgia military back, deep into Georgia, and then driving the Georgia forces out of Abkhazia and deep into Georgia. Russia can't use "disproportionate force" against Georgia and still be welcomed into the halls of international institutions, U.S. Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice responded. "It's not going to happen that way," she said. "Russia will pay a price." It was only about two years ago when Israeli forces drove deep into Lebanon and Palestine in retaliation for the Hezbollah and Hamas capture of some Israeli soldiers, savaging both nations and killing right away in Lebanon alone about 1,000 people, mostly civilians, while losing about 100 of her own, mostly soldiers, while America stood by and refused to ask for a ceasefire so that Israel could do as much damage as possible. Rice insisted that an immediate and unconditional ceasefire was no good because it would just mean a return to the status quo ante. So America let the killing and destruction go on for weeks and even passed a near-unanimous resolution in the U.S. House reaffirming our 100 percent support for Israel as if she had done absolutely no wrong. The U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates responded to this Russia/Georgia Conflict by saying that actions need to be taken against the Russians "for what they've done." He added that the "U.S. and Russian relationship could be adversely affected for years to come," and that "Russia's got some serious work to do to work their way back into the family of nations." At the same time that all this was going on, America signed a deal with Poland to place a ballistic missile defense system in that nation which also borders on Russia, which will be linked to an air-defense radar system in the Czech Republic which agreed in April to take part in the system. America also agreed to modernize Poland's military as part of the agreement. Bush promised Russia that it was purely a defensive measure to protect Russia and Europe from nuclear attack from rogue nations (meaning Iran); but Russia, realizing that there was no legitimate evidence that Iran had nuclear weapons or any inclinations to acquire them, could not escape the possibility that the U.S. might turn those guns on them, if the U.S. decided it was in their national interests, to the chagrin of the Bush administration. That and the fact that under NATO nuclear weapons sharing, the U.S. has provided nuclear weapons for Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, under the stipulation that they can only be fired by America; along with all the other American allies with nuclear weapons and the fact of America's military aggression in the Middle East and its imperial behavior on the world stage being suggestive of a large snake tightening its coils, it should not be a surprise that Russia might be a little worried about America's latest love affair with Georgia and her intentions towards Russia. What nation can honestly escape the fact that America has a larger military budget than all the nations of the world combined? And who cannot escape the fact of our military actions and threats of military actions and punishment for any nation that doesn't toe the American line? The bottom line is that this type of behavior on the part of America is old hat, is not working and will not work in the future. We have drifted too far away from truth, justice and the American way. We have, based on our military actions since the end of World War II, forfeited our right to lead the family of nations to peace. We've either got to find a better way or shut up and take a backseat and leave it to others to lead, because we have, beyond any question of a doubt, barring some miracle which has not yet made itself known, come to the end of the line in terms of our desire for world domination and our right to the throne as the ruler of the Earth and the King of Kings among nations. Naman Crowe, a Vietnam veteran, began his award-winning journalism career in 1971. He has written for numerous publications. He can be reached at namancrowe@yahoo.com. Naman Crowe Friday September 19, 2008 10:39:06am http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1012 Several readers have asked me to weigh in on the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running mate. The way I see it, there are pros and cons to the Palin pick. PRO – She's a woman. More than 50% of voters are women, and we are seriously underrepresented in American government. CON – She's against women. Palin is part of the most extremist anti-woman platform the Republicans have put forth in years. These Republicans are on the warpath, trying to limit access to ordinary contraceptive methods like the birth control pill, which the majority of American women depend on at some point in their lives. Palin is right in with this crowd, going on record to state that she is against abortion even in the case of rape or incest. PRO – The restoration of a female to this election could appeal to some voters who are disillusioned over Hillary's primary loss. CON – Palin is no Hillary Clinton. Palin's resume is so thin, it actually includes her high school basketball "career." She is a one-term governor of the fourth-smallest state by population, and before that she was the mayor of a town smaller than Fort Oglethorpe. Most Americans only heard of her last week. She is best known as the bee-hived governor who was almost Miss Alaska. She has no experience outside the state, much less with foreign affairs. According to the New York Times, Palin only got her passport in July 2007. Even then, she did not visit Iraq as she has claimed. By contrast, Hillary Clinton is a serious, seasoned political leader known all around the world. It's not just the age difference. Since her twenties, Clinton has been featured in publications like Life Magazine. She attracted attention not for beauty pageants but for historic accomplishments, like being the first Wellesley student to deliver the commencement address and using that opportunity to criticize the senator who spoke just before she did. While Republicans hail Palin as a reformer, it is Clinton who is a true crusader. Hillary was a force to be reckoned with even before she teamed up with Bill. In the late sixties, she fought for civil rights, and in the seventies she helped impeach Richard Nixon. In the eighties, while Palin was strutting down the runway in a bikini, Clinton was fighting for education reform in Arkansas and being named Mother of the Year for the second time. As First Lady for two terms in the nineties, Clinton was so active in domestic and foreign affairs that critics printed bumper stickers reading "Impeach the President and her husband, too." Clinton's greatest obstacle is being ahead of her time. Consider her bid to reform health care. As First Lady she was unable to make it happen, but that plan is now integral to the Democratic platform. That's what reformers do; they change the way we think about the world. Simply challenging an incumbent in your own party doesn't make you a reformer. The differences go beyond education and experience; Palin opposes everything Hillary Clinton stands for health care, education, individual freedoms and economic security for the middle class. McCain must think women are stupid. He hopes to win Clinton supporters simply by adding a woman to his ticket. Some men may believe that all females are interchangeable; women know better. PRO – Palin is a Washington outsider. After eight years of Republican corruption, lies and unjust war, many Americans are looking outside the Capitol for a fresh leader without ties, allegiances and debts. CON – She is not just an outsider; she has absolutely no national experience. Republicans try to brush this away by pointing out that Obama has never been a governor and therefore has no "executive" experience but the same can be said for McCain. If Palin is more qualified than Obama, then she is also more qualified than McCain. The Republicans need to reverse their ticket! The truth is, Sarah Palin is the least experienced candidate put forth in recent history. The presidency is far too important to risk on a loose cannon like McCain and a complete unknown like Palin. PRO – A short resume means less baggage . . . right? CON – For a politician with such a short history, Palin has been remarkably quick to immerse herself in scandalous abuses of power. Currently she is under investigation for trying to force the firing of her ex-brother-in-law as a favor to her sister. As governor of Alaska, she has held her hand out for plenty of pork. Palin claims she opposed the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere." Not true. Support for the bridge was part of her campaign platform. She only gave up on it after Washington turned against the project. Then she canceled the bridge, but kept most of the money for other projects. Although she claims she opposes earmarks, she has requested more per capita than any other governor. While requesting federal dollars to study the mating habits of crabs, Palin used her line-item veto power to slash important funding for education and teen pregnancy prevention. She opposes teaching teens about condoms in spite of statistical and now personal evidence that "abstinence only" education has poor results. Palin has an interesting strategy on changing Alaska's status as the rape capital of America: discourage victims from reporting. Under Mayor Palin, Wasilla women who reported rape had to pay for the cost of the forensic exam, reportedly a charge of $300-1,200. Charging women who report sex crimes is a sure way to reduce rape well, rape reports, anyway. PRO – Palin is an avid outdoorswoman, giving her a tough, not-afraid-to-get-her-hands-dirty image. CON – Sarah Palin's hands are a little too dirty. Palin wants to turn the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge into a private oil field for her corporate buddies. Hunting does not always translate into caring about the environment or its inhabitants. Palin scoffs at global warming even as scientists document the shrinking of the ice caps and drowning of polar bears. Not that Palin cares about polar bears; she actually sued the Bush administration to have them taken off the endangered species list. Wolves have fared no better under her watch. Until the program was stopped by a state judge, Palin was offering wolf hunters $150 for every hacked-off front foreleg they brought in. PRO – The selection of a female vice presidential candidate is a historical first for the Republican Party. Finally, the Republicans have entered the 20th century. That's not a typo. The press seems to have forgotten that Democrats met that milestone last century when Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate in 1984. The Republicans are finally playing catch-up. CON – In choosing Palin, John McCain passed over a long line of more qualified Republican leaders. If he wanted a female running mate, why not Kay Bailey Hutchison? Hutchison served as state treasurer of Texas before starting her 15 years in the Senate. She is the most senior female Republican senator, with a great deal of experience and responsibility. Or how about Olympia Snowe? Snowe is the first woman who ever served in both houses, both in the state and nationally, and one of the first to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She was named one of America's top senators by Time Magazine, and holds a 79% approval rating in her home state of Maine. Snowe is as powerful as she is popular. She chairs the subcommittee that oversees the Navy and Marine Corps and also serves on the Finance Committee. In 35 years, Olympia Snowe has never lost an election. With choices like Hutchison and Snowe and Condoleezza Rice, and the list goes on why did McCain choose a political newbie from the sticks? The answer is clear to hard-working women in all sorts of careers who have watched a younger, less-qualified woman soar past them to assume positions at the top. It's an old gimmick, really put a token female near the top to placate the other women in the organization. Just make sure it's a woman who will fully support the good ol' boys, without caring what happens to us other women, or our children, or our world. Jeannie Babb Taylor may be contacted at jeannie@babb.com, or you can leave a public comment on her blog at JeannieBabbTaylor.com. Jeannie Babb Taylor Wednesday September 17, 2008 5:26:03am http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/module/blogs/blog.php?id=1011 Northwestern Technical College will merge administrative services with Coosa Valley Technical College in Rome, Ga. It was announced earlier this month that the merger was being considered by the Technical College System of Georgia. Northwestern officials were not available for comment Monday morning. Northwestern is headquartered in Rock Spring and serves Northwest Georgia. It has a satellite campus on Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold. According to the Technical College System of Georgia, neither campus will be closed as a result of the merger, but personnel will be cut. Coosa Valley Tech president Craig McDaniel said a significant reduction in both schools' budgets is expected. "Each school will lose $250,000," McDaniel said. "We don't have the luxury to lose $700,000 or $800,000 without losing people." Specific personnel cuts have not yet been announced. "We're going to take care of this consolidation thing, it's been given to us and we're going to make it work," McDaniel said. Republican Sen. Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga said of the merger, "I am against the merger. Our local legislative delegation is advocating against it. We don't want to lose our local identity." But Mullis said he also understands the need behind the merger. "I understand the state must take strong measures to avoid a looming budget crisis. The state is looking to save money. The governor has given a directive that each department throughout the state is to cut operating costs by 6 percent. This is the technical college system's way of meeting the governor's directive." Under the proposal, administrative services at 14 of the state's technical schools will be consolidate into seven. The state has 33 technical schools. Each of the 14 campuses will continue to operate. The mergers are expected to save about $3.5 million. "Combining the office of the president will save the state money," Mullis said. But he said he regrets seeing the office cut from Northwestern. "The current administration of Jeff King (interim president at Northwestern) has been outstanding. He is to be applauded for filling the office vacated by long-time president Dr. Ray Brooks." Brooks left Northwestern in February to become president of Piedmont Technical College in Greeenwood, S.C. Related content on walkermessenger.com Northwestern, Coosa Valley tech colleges could merge (published Sept. 10) Sunday September 14, 2008 9:34:00am