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Law without justice,freedom
without limits also problem
Dear Editor:
In Bob Tribble’s June 11th Column he added his list of seven root
causes of violence to Gandhi’s list, then told his readers: “You can
probably come up with seven more root causes of violence.” Let me now
offer my own list that can be added to his and Gandhi’s list, although I
offer only two.
(1) Law without justice. Society cannot function without law.
However, to be just and effective, law must perform its God-ordained task,
plainly given in Romans 13: 1- 4, of punishing evil-doers. This is simple
justice. But our weak-kneed and soft-headed laws in America today let
criminals get away with murder. Because of the demented social theories
and the nit-picking legalistic mumbo-jumbo of our times, killers are set
free to commit mayhem on the innocent again. Furthermore, this leftist
legal lunacy provoker vigilantism among normally law-abiding citizens
who are frustrated beyond endurance by the law’s self-afflicted inability to
protect them. Eccl. 8:11 warns: “Because sentence against an evil work is
not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in
them to do evil.”
(2) Freedom without limits. Freedom is a good thing. But faced with
the choice between freedom and a peaceful social order, most reasonable
people realize they can not live without the latter. This is an unfortunate,
but obvious fact of life. Just as too much to eat can hurt the body, so too
much freedom can hurt society, and paradoxically, destroy freedom.
Politically “correct” thinking, however defines freedom as the absence of
nearly all moral responsibility and legal restraints, which are indispensable
in keeping human passions from running amuck. Thanks to successful
liberal efforts in the removal of these civilizing restraints in the name of
their warped version of “freedom”, criminals need not fear just punishment
for their misdeeds, and thus, violent crime runs rampant in America. Any
effort to restore order and sanity to American society is met by liberals
with the paranoid cry of “fascism!” Little is it realized in liberal quarters
that a sure-fire road to the fascism they profess to dread is the road of
freedom without limits that they’ve put America on. As moral and legal
chaos escalates, Americans, like Germans in the 20’s and early 30’s, can
get to the point where they will be willing to listen to any demagogue
who can restore order in America, but not necessarily preserve freedom.
Unless Americans are willing to return to a moral standard and reasonable
legal restraints on human passions, by which to govern themselves, true
freedom will be in danger of extinction. And if we are willing to accept
chaos in the name of “freedom”, we will deserve no freedom.
P.K. Bunine,
Kathleen
Readers fight rabies problem;
take pets in for vaccinations
Dear Editor:
I wish to give you my thanks for all the articles you have printed this
year concerning the rabies problems in Houston County. Due to your
well written, informative articles, hundreds, maybe thousands, of pet
owners vaccinated their pets against rabies.
The rabies vaccination program during the week of May 2-7, 1994 was
very successful. All of the veterinarians I talked with said they were
overwhelmed with the numbers of people coming in for the low cost shots
and some even had to refer patients to other vets or work extended hours.
The rabies problem has seemed to have subsided at the present, but
there are still large numbers of rabid wild animals (most likely raccoons
and foxes) out there. People still need to take the following precautions:
•Never pet or play with wild animals or strange dogs or cats.
•Have your pets vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian every year.
•If you are bitten by any animal go to the doctor or emergency center.
Respectfully,
Bert Tilton, Environment
Health Specialist II
Houston Times-Journal
P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll Street • Perry, Ga. 31069
Phone: (912) 987-1823
Member Georgia Press Association-National Newspaper Association
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Criticism of Robins hospital a serious wake up call
THE LETTER from a federal
official who conducted an
investigation of serious allegations
against Houston Medical Center
said: “We have determined that the
deficiencies are so serious that they
constitute an immediate threat to
the health and safety of any
individual who comes to the
emergency department and requests
examination or treatment for an
emergency medical condition...We
plan to terminate your hospital’s
participation in the Medicare
program.”
Strong words. Frightening words
to those of us who use the facilities
of the hospital in Warner Robins.
The statement from the federal
official resulted from a survey
conducted in April by the Georgia
State Survey Agency.
It cannot be taken lightly, though
a hospital spokesman tells us the
charges are not serious and the real
problem is just “documentation”.
We have to hope so.
The threat was made that Houston
Medical Center could be terminated
as a “Medicare provider.”
It probably won’t happen. But
that does not mitigate the
seriousness of the problems the
surveying agency said it found at
our hospital.
THs PEANUT GALLERY I ~7:
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A just, impartial jury will be hard to find in O.J. case
I’ve got to be honest. I don’t go
out of my way to flaunt my
opinions and normally wouldn’t ask
to write a column out of turn.
But, today, is different-because
like the rest of America I am dumb
founded by the events of this past
weekend and writing is one way I
can work out my confusions.
The topic is O.J.
The question is: “Did he do it?”
As much as I hate to say it, the
evidence looks pretty incriminating.
And, his actions Friday did not
make things look much better.
Still, he says he didn’t do it and,
no matter how fledgling our court
system may be, he is still innocent,
until proven guilty. He still de
serves a fair trial; a trial with an
unbiased judge and an unbiased
jury.
Which brings me to my biggest
point of confusion. How in the
world will O.J. Simpson, his de
fense, or his prosecution, for that
matter, get a fair trial?
Where in the world will they
find a jury of people that are not
somehow opinionated in the case; a
panel of people who did not see the
hours and hours of live “suicide
notes”, “car chases”, “stand offs”
Voice Your Opinion ...
Write a Letter to the Editor!
All opinions published are not necessarily those of this newspaper,
therefore all letters must be signed.
Houston Ttmes-Joumat
ARE YOU mad? Are you upset?
Do you feel betrayed? What are
your reactions?
This is the same hospital that
came into being in the late fifties as
a 50-bed Hill-Burton hospital.
Few of the people who read this
were here then. Many of those who
were here know little or nothing
about the struggle that went on to
get a hospital for Houston County.
There were many people...some of
them quite powerful...in our county
who did not want us to have a
hospital in Houston County. They
did not want to pay the taxes to get
one.
I remember how strongly I
advocated a hospital for our county
in the columns of my Warner
Robins newspaper then. I
remember a handful of far sighted,
dedicated civic leaders in Perry and
Warner Robins working the entire
county long hours for many weeks
seeking support. I remember them
spending their own money for this
campaign.
When a referendum was held it
passed. But not by a big margin.
It was a victory for all of us. We
were so proud.
* * *
NOW WE are told that those into
whose hands we have entrusted our
hospital have let us down.
and melodrama as well as the
continuing news analysis that has
followed the weekend’s events?
A change of venue just won’t
help this time. I mean really . . .
here we are in Middle Georgia,
3,000 miles away from where it all
happened, and it’s almost like it
happened in our own neighborhood.
With all the media coverage, it
has been THE topic of conversation
. .everywhere! Would the trial be a
fair one here in Middle Georgia?
Personally, I don’t think so.
As for my own suspicions and
opinions, I get the feeling that we
have some very smart suspects and
lawyers playing the media, and
consequently, the public to the
fullest.
Everything was just too
calculated and neatly packaged, from
the Friday “escape” of O.J. from a
full house of people, to the
nationally-telecast “suicide” note
addressed to the public, to the 40-
mile-per-hour “chase” down the
interstates of Los Angeles and the
“stand-off’ at O.J.’s home.
Several things bother me about
the whole ordeal. First, in OJ.’s
note to the public read during a
televised press conference, he said
- Wednesday, June 22,1994 "Houston Timos-Journal
Page 4A
Who is at fault? Are the charge*
that are flying true? la it all smoke
and mirrors?
The emergency room has been
singled out for criticism. I have
heard many stories that frighten me.
Many of these stories have been
discredited. I know the absolute
truth about only one case.
It involved a prominent Warner
Robins man. He went to the
emergency room complaining of
chest pains. When they got around
to checking him he was told that all
he had wrong with him was
indigestion. He should go home
and rest.
Fortunately, his son refused to
accept this verdict. The son took
his father to the Medical Center of
Central Georgia. His problem was
diagnosed immediately as a serious
heart problem...serious enough that
within less than 12 hours after he
was admitted to the hospital they
did emergency coronary by-pass
surgery on him.
Ironically the man was a personal
friend of one of the members of the
hospital authority.
* * *
WILL THE hospital
administrator-Karl Weinmeister
who resigned shortly after the April
survey be tagged as the person
responsible for what was found
he wanted the media to leave he and
his family in peace; and, yet, he did
everything just right to gain access
into millions and millions of
homes throughout the world with
his press conference and his trek
down the interstate.
And, by doing so, he not only
attracted public sympathy, but also
created himself as a victim, rather
than a possible murderer.
A master at the media game
himself, things couldn’t have
worked out any better for him,
given his predictament , . .
somehow, the events of Friday
made many people forget about the
two gruesome murders O.J. is
accused of committing.
The public was actually gathered
on the overpasses and roadways,
outside of his home, and around
televisions the nation over, many
of them cheering for ‘The Juice”.
That’s right, folks, cheering for
a man that is being charged with
slashing the throats of two living,
breathing human beings, one of
which was the mother of his
children; cheering for someone
accused of committing murders
nearly as gruesome as the infamous
Sharon Tate murders.
Foy
Evans
wrong at our hospital?
Or someone else on the hospital
staff?
Or the hospital authority, which
has the responsibility of overseeing
the operation of the hospital?
Or will it turn out this is just a
tempest in a teapot and everything
is just fine and the threat in the
letter was without merit?
Finger pointing will do no good.
What we have seen in the
past...denial that anything is ever
wrong instead of tackling and
correcting the problem...should be a
thing of the past.
The people of Houston County
opened their pocketbooks many
years ago and made it possible for
us to have a hospital. They have
supported it ever since, though not
always agreeing with what they
saw. They have a stake in the
outcome of the present crisis.
Hopefully, the criticism and threat
by the Department of Health and
Human Services will serve as a
wake up call for everyone.
r*“r
"«m f
I I
Brenda
Thompson!
Staff writer
I can’t help but ask myself what
would have happened if the tables
had been turned . . .if his-ex-wife
had been the suspect and OJ. the
victim.
Without a doubt, she would be
hanging by her toenails right now
there would be no public sympathy;
the police would have never let
Friday’s events “play out” like they
did
Perhaps, that is what is baffling
me most about this whole ordeal —
have we, the American public, be
come too sympathetic and
lackadaisical toward murder and
crime?
Have we been conditioned and
hardened to the point that we
actually forget who the real victims
are?
Maybe O.J. didn’t do it; but
Please see Thompson, page 6A
