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I IIKIM'NI lt tOHE.i (iAZKTTE-TIMKS. Thursday, AuguM U. 3
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Horse sense
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KHXKST V. JOINER
Alcoholism, Morrow County s health problem
COW POKES
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If Sen. Bub Packwood did indeed refuse to attend a
luncheon in his honor at the Enterprise Elks Lodge last week
on grounds that the lodge practices "discrimination." he is
going to be a mighty lonely man for the rest of his life. I
assume the aide who made that announcement was referring
to racial discrimination, although discrimination in any
situation is looked upon in liberal circles as something akin to
the prostitute singing in the church choir.
Everybody, of course, practices discrimination. At the
moment, we're hung up with the idea of giving job preference
to blacks and Mexicans and any other racial minority large
enough to hold a protest rally. It has become so blatantly
apparent that the white race is discriminating against itself
economically, politically, and even socially that one observer
was prompted to confess that the person today with greatest
chance of success is black, uneducated, unskilled and lazy.
The pearls of our American culture are being tossed at the
feet of such people today.
Discrimination in itself is a commendable virture. A girl
practices discrimination when she chooses to marry one man
over another. Business discriminates against the unskilled
by hiring the skilled laborer. The family that buys a Datsun
has just discriminated against General Motors. When the
United States government sets up import quotas and tariffs it
is discriminating against foreign producers and political
regimes. Catholics discriminate against Protestants, and
vice versa. The Christian and the cannibal haven't reconciled
their differences, either. When 500.000 tons of the 1973 wheat
crop goes to China. American housewives have been
discriminated against. I know some bourbon drinkers who
wouldn't be caught in the same social gathering with a
confirmed scotch drinker. And when voters elected Sen.
Packwood they showed marked discrimination in favor of
him and against his opponent. Sen. Packwood probably
enjoys this mass demonstration of political discrimination.
Sen. Packwood may not be comfortable in the
Gazette-Times office when he comes to Heppner during Fair
Week. You see, I practice discrimination, too. I choose my
friends and associates on whatever basis I please, not on the
basis of what the current fad may be. Racial minorities are
entitled to political and economic equality in this country,
and that doesn't mean the special privileges they now enjoy.
Political and economic equality doesn't give the black,
yellow, red or people of whatever skim hue any special right
to be invited to dinner at my house. This is no reason for me
to drink, eat or associate with them. I happen to have a
preference for the white race because I belong to it. I am not
ashamed of being white. I will not apologize for it. in spite of
the fact that we have our share of knotheads, bunglers and
bums. In spite of many mistakes, the white race has been
responsible for most of the progress we enjoy, and all of its
democratic processes. And it has brought the blacks, browns,
yellow and pinks, kicking and screaming in protest, right
along with it. When the so-called minorities whine about a
lack of social justice in this country, they forget that while
the white man may not have invented it, he has done more to
implement and prosecute it than all the combined "colors" of
the world.
There is any number of ways by which a person can
achieve the dubious honor of being a damned fool, and this
passion for making minorities God's chosen people is one of
them. And when all the blacks are bank presidents, all the
Mexicans are in the Congress, the Japanese and Chinese
are the top industrial executives, and the Indians have been
given the country it claims was stolen from them, I still won't
have one as a guest in my house unless I like him personally
and unless he has had a bath within the last week-at least.
The Oregon Journal editorialized Tuesday about an
estimated 30 million handguns loose in this country, and
viewed with alarm that failure to outlaw the sale and
ownership of guns can only lead to more killing and crime.
We didn't learn a thing from the tragedy of the 18th
Amendment (Volstead Act) outlawing the production, sale
and consumption of liquor. It is just as easy to make a gun as
it is a vat of home brew. In a Northern California high school
workshop I discovered students hard at work-making
handguns that shoot standard cartridges. When guns are
made illegal, the lawabiding citizen will comply with the law.
The criminal will not. He will make his out of a piece of gas
pipe, if nothing better is available. There will be tons of guns
imported from abroad. After all, if the full force of the
government can't stop the import of marijuana and heroin,
how can it stop the import of guns?
The editorial made a point in that the good citizen who
keeps a gun for protection is in greater danger of getting
killed when confronted by a criminal who has the element of
surprise on his side. The horse sense approach to this
dilemma is to encourage every person in the country to get a
gun and learn how to use if safely and effectively.
The Journal cited 1971 statistics to show that 9,000
persons, including 94 police officers, were murdered with
handguns. It did not cite 1971 figures to show that 50,000
Americans were murdered on U.S. highways by
automobiles ; which. I would say, would be equal cause to
prohibit the manufacture, sale and possession of
automobiles. Murder by handgun is no more immoral than
murder by automobile. Would the Journal suggest we outlaw
automobiles? There are, according to the same year's
statistics, as many people killed by slipping in the bathtub as
are killed on the higways. Would the Journal outlaw
bathtubs? Or would it make sense to teach people how to
stand up in a bathtub without breaking their necks?
It is illegal to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San
Francisco, but 500 persons have done so. The sale of poisons
is regulated by law. Ever hear of a person not finding enough
of it to kill himself? The medical profession has been saying
for years that Americans are killing themselves by
over-eating. Must food intake be regulated?
Just how much public concern should be shown a man
who owns a gun but can't handle it; owns an automobile he
can't drive; a platter of pork chops that drives him to
gluttony; or a bath tub he can't master? It is up to the
individual to master them.
GAZETTE-TIMES
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IU DAVID I'.. MITCHl'.M
Menial Health Director
The prevention of alcohol
dependency is commonly con
sidered the biggest mental
health or health problem in
the county.
Some statistics indicate that
up to h per cent of the Eastern
Oregon Slate Hospital admis
sions from Morrow County are
related to alcohol. Alcoholism
is now declared by law to be
an illness, yet few places are
creating any program specifi
cally designed to meet the
problem
The number of identified
alcoholics who can stay dry
permanently must be in
creased appreciably. The
number of people requiring
hospitalization for alcohol
must be reduced This re
quires a number of things. In
the first place, it is going to be
necessary for people to be
willing to identify themselves
as alcoholics, or at least as
people who have a problem
with alcohol This uppcurs to
In the most difficult aspect of
dealing with the problem; that
many problem drinkers deny
the problem and thereby block
efforts toward their rehabili
tation The price they pay is
heavy. It is difficult to
measure what alcoholism
costs the individual, the fam
ily and the community in
terms of dollars, personal
happiness, health and produc
tivity. For example, one
cannot measure the negative
effect of a broken home.
Mental Health Services for
Morrow County can propose
several suggestions to begin
working on this problem. They
are as follows:
1 A large scale educational
campaign to a ) make the
general public aware of the
signs of alcoholism and ways
to get help, and b I to prevent
young people from becoming
alcoholics
a Active involvement In
anil by a local Alcoholics
Anonymous group to a.) help
memiiers maintain sobriety,
or b. i help litem slop drinking
if they have not already done
so
U Utiluuiion of all the
medical facilities available to
insure the patient's physical
health as he attempts to
withdraw from alcohol.
4 Medication a.) of a Iran
quilizing nature (nature of
tranquilizers for alcoholics is
up to the consulting physician
and generally to be used with
carelul consideration to the
possibility of extended de
pendence on drugs I, or b. t
antabuse for prevention.
3 Consideration by the
court of legal decisions to
coerce treatment measures
(such as a probation require
ment i.
Active involement In
therapy using a.) behavior
conditioning approaches when
possible, b I total family
involvement, and c.) group
therapy.
7 Possible utilization of the
Half way House In Pendleton
or creation of a similar facility
In Morrow County.
A few local citizens are
interested in starting an AA
group in Morrow County and
have approached Itev. Ed
Cutting. Methodist Minister,
for help. The Methodist
Church Board is willing to
provide a ' room for this
purpose and at least one AA
member from Pendleton has
agreed to help get the group
organized Mental Health Ser
vices for Morrow County will
support and encourage this
activity in every way possible.
"Must you always follow me about?"
Mayor of Hardman
r
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
It's powerful hot out here in
the country where the air is
the way the Good Lord made
it.
I reckon. Mister Editor, that
you've took to using your air
condition umbreller to git
from office to car and from
car to house.
When they is a breeze it's
nice on my porch, but when
the air is dead still like it's
been some days lately I spend
a heap of time rocking. I have
been reminded how a feller
can do some mighty good
thinking setting and rocking.
Fer instant, I figgered out
quick to rock with the grain,
cause when you rock agin the
grain the floor squeeks and
reminds the old lady of the
chores she had laid out fer
you. I was thinking jest this
this morning that you don't
see front porches, much less
rocking chairs, in new houses,
and I think that explains a lot
about the way things is going
in this country. Rocking fer a
spell puts a feller at peace
with hisself and his world.
I was thinking about the
fellers at the country store
talking about privileges of
paying taxes, and I thought
how everthing can git turned
around. It used to be a feller
would brag about his youngun
making the dean's list at
school, but now everbody that
knows anybody on John
Dean's list is worried about
what the CIA, FBI and IRS
will find out about em.
And I can recall when a
feller was sent to prison fer
punishment, and now I see by
the Gazette-Times where con
victs go to Jaycee conventions
and they got co-ed prisons.
The boys in the old CCC would
of gladly traded them camps
fer a modern prison term. It
ain't no wonder the Ex-convict
Clubs is growing, they got a
tradition to keep up.
General speaking. Mister
Editor, you can't trust tradi
tion. Time was a preacher was
give the benefit of ever dout,
but nowadays a heap of em
keep their business and the
Lord's business a fur piece
apart.
This feller out here used to
trade horses, but now he
trades and fixes' tractors and'
lawnmowers He was telling
me this preacher come in
some time back wilh a tractor
to trade fer a smaller one
because he couldn't tend enuff
garden to need the big one.
The preacher said his tractor
was in perfect shape, so the
feller give him a good deal on
a trade. After the preacher
left the feller tried to crank the
tractor and found out the
engine block was busted.
As luck would have it, the
precher come back to his shop
the other day with his boy's
motorbike he wanted fixed.
The feller figgered the job and
told the preacher he wanted
pay in advance. The preacher
got upset and said it looked
like the feller didnt trust the
Lord. "Well, I wouldn't say
that," allowed the old horse
trader, "I ain't never traded
tractors with the Lord."
Actuall. Mister Editor, I
reckon human nature is like
crab grass. The Lord put em
here to stay. You can cuss em,
pray over em, plow um under
and beat em with a stick, but
you can bet your bottom dollar
they'll still be there.
Yours truly,
MAYOR ROY.
REMEMBER THIS?
. . ... REMINISCE!
I Year Ago I!l72
Bob Abrams, Heppner, was elected Blue Mountain
Community College board chairman Wednesday night
succeeding Russell Dorian, Hetmiston.
The first test of the new and old flood sirens were sounded
Monday. Fonie Burkenbine said he was pleased with the
test.
55 Years Ago 1918
The heaviest windstorm ever know in the lone section, so
report reaches this paper, occurred there at about 5:30
Moiiday afternoon, followed by a heavy downpour of hail and
rain that lasted for more than an hour and a half. The course
of the storm was from southeast to northwest and struck with
full force at the Ben Buschke place on Rhea Creek and ending
near the Henry Stender farm nine miles northwest of lone.
The storm swept area was two miles wide and 18 miles long
and wherever the hail struck the grain fields were laid bare.
The heaviest downpour near lone occurred in Rietmann
Canyon and on the hills just north of town. This caused the
water to collect along the embankment of the railroad east of
the depot and the gathering up of rubbish forced the water
over the track and down the main street of the town.
Stores and basements along the street were overflowed and
deposits of mud left to a depth of from one to eight inches.
Red-faced swimmer
Will the low-downed side
winder who stole the bottom to
a girl's swimming suit please
not return it to the place from
whence it was stolen?
A girl, after a busy day at
the Heppner Swimming Pool,
was returning home with her
wet towel and her swim suit
wrapped inside it. When she
arrived home, all she found of
her suit was the top portion.
A phone call to City Hall
disclosed that the bottom had
been found and would be kept
at a local bank-for safe
keeping, naturally.
At the end of a long hard
day. an officer of the bank
decided to hang the swim suit
bottom on a parking meter in
front of the bank, hoping the
girl would pick it ip.
The girl's mother, believing
the bottom safe until the
following day, waited to re
trieve daughter's bottom, only
to discover that aforemen
tioned sidewinder had stolen it
during the night.
The bottom is part of a new
swim suit. It can be returned
to City Hall for relay to the
bottomless girl -and no ques
tions asked.
An don't say the Gazette
Times doesn't cover (un
cover! all the news!
c
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ill 1
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'Wul I ain't a littorbug, I put my baar cons In fha floor boardl "
The ma7 pouch
EDITOR:
Usually you are pretty clear in reporting news, and I
believe dedicated in presenting it in a way that all who read
your paper can't miss reading what goes on.
However, in your Aug. 9 issue there were a few lines about
a chicken that left lots of questions unanswered.
The reference led me to believe that you ran over a $95
chicken. That whets my interest. Was it a Barred Rock,
Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, White Leghorn, or what
the hell kind of chicken was It? A crowing chicken, a laying
chicken, or was it a household pet and sort of like one of the
family?
And then under the circumstances, when you were in a
hurry to get back to your new home and business in Heppner,
I am curious to know what happened when you hit this
chicken? Did you stop and report the collision to the owners?
How did you arrive at the monetary value of the bird? Were
herd laws involved? Did you voluntarily or involuntarily
have the services of a third party to determine the value of
the kill?
That was quite a chicken. It could have won a prize at the
fair.
We would like to know the answers to all these questions,
and to more that keep popping up.
W.W.WEATHERFORD,
Heppner
(ED. NOTE-The matter was settled by the Internal Revenue
Service, which has charge of such matters of price control,
with the requested assistance of the National Mediation
Board, and I'm sorry I ever brought the subject up in the first
place.)
EDITOR:
It is so much joy to read your "common sense" column and
Mayor Roy of Hardman each week. Those two are the reason
for my subscription, and they are worth every penny of the
cost. '
I am delighted that you are back doing what you do so
well-writing delightful criticisms of the ridiculous things the
human race does.
LULU H. BRAGHETTA,
Sonoma, Ca.
Where to write
Sen. Mark Hatfield, 463 Old Senate Office Bldg.,
Washington, D.C. 20510.
.Sen. Robert Packwood. 6327 New Senate Office
bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510.
Rep. Al Ullman, 2410 Ray burn House Office Bldg., ,
Washington, D.C.20515.
Rep. Wendell Wyatt, 414 Cannon House Office Bldg., $
Washington, D.C. 20515. ii
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Abraham Lincoln Swaggart and his wife are shown
here tested on the steps of their Pendleton home, in
this photo taken about 1905. Eira Meeks, with the gun,
is at the center of this historic photograph. At right is
the driver and his ox team. The inscription on the side
of the covered wagon is a map marking the old Oregon
Trail. Children in the background are Lenore and Lois
Swaggart.