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Letters to the editor: 05/25/00 |
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Memorial Day observance
To the Editor: On this day we pay tribute to a very special group of Americans - members of the Armed Forces who have died in defense of freedom and democracy. To those husbands, wives, daughters and sons who waved from a departing ship, wrote letters from a foxhole, or felt the comforting words of a chaplain - we owe a debt of gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice they made for us. On this day of personal reflection, we sustain a hallowed tradition - that of honoring our war dead. This practice was started by a group of women in Columbus, Miss., who began decorating the graves of Confederate soldiers. When they noticed the unkept graves of Union troops nearby, the women cleared those areas also and laid flowers beside them. Soon the tradition spread to other communities and Decoration Day, as it came to be called, was established. Over the years, though, the holiday took on a broader meaning. Eventually, the name was changed to Memorial Day, and it became a day to also remember those who died in later wars... and to remind ourselves that the freedoms we enjoy were not secured without great cost. Those we remember and honor today now number more than 1 million. That's more than a million Americans who have given the last full measure of devotion while serving our nation. These war dead rest today in more than a hundred national cemeteries in the United States and in a number of military cemeteries overseas. They deserve our honor, our respect and our recognition. At Concord and Yorktown, at Antietam and Gettysburg, in the Argonne Forest and Belleau Wood, on the beaches of Normandy and North Africa, in the waters of the Pacific, in the rice paddies of Korea and Vietnam, in the desert sands of Saudi Arabia, these fallen heroes gave their lives to guarantee the survival of our nation and the values we hold dear. The following words, inscribed at Arlington National Cemetery, are dedicated to them: "Not for fame or reward, not for place or rank, not lured by ambition or goaded by necessity, but in simple obedience to duty as they understood it, these men suffered all, sacrificed all, dared all - and died." We gain strength from what they did - from their devotion and their patriotism - and are inspired to honor the cause for which they died. For a brief moment in history, they held our nation's destiny in their hands - and did not fail us. We must not fail them now. So we mark this day by remembering it is up to us to give meaning to their sacrifice. To do that, our own dedication to America's spiritual and national values must be steadfast. We, and our children after us, must be devoted to those principles for which these heroic citizens gave their lives. In doing so, we recall the words of Abraham Lincoln when he said on a silent battlefield, "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us... that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion... that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain." May God bless the United States and the American heroes we honor on Memorial Day. May He also bless those who still stand at the ready, and give us the wisdom to do what is right for tomorrow. Joan H. Stearns Commander Jackson County AmVets Post 441 Board member responds to editorial To the Editor: As a member of the Jackson County Board of Education, I would like to review with your readers some of the pertinent statistics that relate to your editorial of May 11, concerning the hiring of a new superintendent for the Jackson County school system. While it would be wonderful to be able to hire someone for less money who was very dynamic and would be able to move our schools progressively over the next few years, the facts would indicate differently. Jackson County's current superintendent ranks 92 of 117 educational units in pay. Jackson County ranks fourth from the bottom in superintendent's salaries in Western North Carolina and is $10,000 below the Western North Carolina average. Sixty of the 117 pay higher supplements to their superintendents than Jackson County. To serve as superintendent you must have the required background and experience. So, to suggest that some young individual on his or her way up the ladder would be available for the position is failing to address the requirements of the job. We have advertised the position throughout North Carolina. However, it would be ludicrous to believe that we can bring someone in from outside the county by paying less than the going rate. While we've been fortunate to have hired capable administrators from within the county in the past, they have accepted pay scales lower than average because they had roots here. Our board believes that Jackson County must realize that you don't get better for cheaper. Most counties in North Carolina spend an average of between 25 to 30 percent of the total budget on education. Jackson County has been spending 10 to 15 percent of our total budget on education. Jackson County has been rated in the lowest 5 percent of the state of North Carolina in spending on education for years. The longer we stay at the bottom in spending, the further behind we will find ourselves. Since we have continued to remain at the bottom in spending, let's turn the discussion around and encourage our community and commissioners to spend more so that we can be proud of the emphasis we place on education. Our teachers need supplements, we are one of only nine school systems out of 117 not paying supplements to teachers and we need more supplements at other levels in order to attract the best and brightest. We are fortunate to have many great teachers and administrators who have kept our test scores high and our academic rankings up; however, as you have noted, our teachers and administrators are retiring in vast number. To attract new blood to lead our children into the future, we must pay a competitive wage. In summation, we recognize that nobody wants to pay more taxes. However, we cannot continue to suggest that Jackson County schools cut back when we are already at the bottom of the heap in local funding. A bright future full of opportunity for our children must be adequately financed to be realized. Thank you, Ray Trine Jackson County Board of Education Commissioners deserve thanks To the Editor: I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners for the resolution expressing their unanimous support of the opposition to the Forest Hills ETJ. Also special thanks to Commissioner Crawford, who suggested and drafted the document. It goes without saying that whenever any political person or body takes a stand on such a controversial issue as this, they will gain the votes of one group and lose the votes of another group. Thank you, Commissioners, for your moral courage in this issue! Also, your action must surely convey a message to the proponents of Forest Hills ETJ. John Overbey Cullowhee Need more good people To the Editor: I did some shopping at Wal-Mart recently, paid for my purchases and left. The next morning I went to get my billfold from my purse and it wasn't there! To say I was upset is an understatement. I had several credit cards and money, not to mention my Social Security card and driver's license. I knew the last place I had my billfold out was at Wal-Mart. I called at 7:30 a.m. and asked if perhaps someone had seen it. It was in lost and found. I was shocked! Someone had found it outside and turned it in. Apparently it had fallen out of my purse as I was going to my van. Everything was still in my billfold. Nothing had been taken, not even the money. Whoever you are, I thank you for your honesty. May God bless you. We need more people like you in this world. Sincerely, Mary Alice Mathis Tuckasegee |
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