No quandary in this corner

Opinion

January 16, 2013

No quandary in this corner

Editor and Publisher John H. Walker The Daily Southerner Wed Jan 16, 2013, 01:50 PM EST

TARBORO — As my wife and I watched the news Monday night, there was the ever present piece on Lance Armstrong and how he had cheated.

On Monday, the story was all about his confession to Oprah Winfrey and his apology to the Livestrong board and family.

As a cancer survivor, I guess I’m more like ESPN host Stuart Scott, who has resumed his battle with cancer and said Lance Armstrong owed him no apology.

Scott went on to say via Twitter, “I’m 1 of millions of survivors he’s helped.” He signed it “#grateful.”

Back in 1994, as Armstrong was battling the cycling world in the 91st Tour de France, I was in a battle with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.

Despite having never smoked, I found myself with a cancer at the right base of my tongue that eventually metasticized to a lymph node below my right ear.

Every night, as I got my feeding pump ready to load, I watched Armstrong ride.

I watched him mountain after mountain and curve after curve and, like millions of others fighting cancer, I knew that if he could beat cancer and beat the mountains, I could beat my cancer.

There weren’t many mountains in Davidson County — still aren’t — but I knew if I could develop some toughness of my own while drawing strength from Armstrong, I could beat the mountains that cancer had placed in my way.

There were nights when I was so tired that it actually wore me out to sit there and watch that race. I understand that makes no sense to someone who’s not walked that walk, but there really were times when fatigue would overtake you — and all you had done was sit.

• • •

Last week, I had no problem with those former baseball players who had tainted the game through the use of steroids being denied admission into the Hall of Fame.

Am I good with Amstrong’s explanation that he simply levelled the playing field in a sport rife with doping? No, but what do we do?

As children, we’re told that two wrongs don’t make a right and keeping that in mind, is Armstrong’s levelling of the playing field explanation just an effort to rationalize why he cheated?

So, if I know cheating’s not right, how come I can sit here and not discount Armstrong’s victories?

The baseball players bulked up, but Armstrong didn’t ... and a bicycle can only go so fast ... and in the end ... after all those races ... all of those riders still in contention at the finish watched him win from behind.

And perhaps it’s because I felt Lance Armstrong beside me, night after night as I climbed cancer’s mountains and raced through its valleys chasing my yellow jersey that would eventually come with a clean PET scan.

For those of us he helped and for the $500 million he helped raise to fight cancer, the governing bodies can take every title he ever won and put them where the sun doesn’t shine because the world is a better place because of Lance Armstrong, whether or not he cheated.

Ride on.

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Opinion

My 13 years have been lucky
It was 13 years Sunday that a drought was broken in Big Spring, Texas, After that, we ate Mexican for dinner with a gathering of family and friends.
The next day, a Saturday, Stephanie and I joined one another in marriage under a beautiful little gazebo by Comanche Trail Lake, fed by the historic spring from which the community draws its name.

May 20, 2013
We Salute...
Each Friday, The Daily Southerner will recognize individuals, groups and businesses in Edgecombe County who have gone “above and beyond” in their effort to make this a better place to work, play and raise a family.

May 17, 2013
Benghazi: We need the real truth
The American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in Libya, was attacked on Sept. 11, 2012 by a heavily armed group. The attack began during the night at a compound that is meant to protect the consulate building. A second assault in the early morning the next day targeted a nearby CIA annex in a different diplomatic compound. Four people were killed including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Ten others were injured.

May 15, 2013
With much thanks and love …
The past month has been interesting, to say the least.
As I grew up, my first cousins — a group of us that have simply been referred to as “The Cousins” would often joke that when we died, we knew it would be as the result of a heart attack. That’s the history of the Walker family and my Dad and his seven brothers and sisters, as heir parents had, died of heart-related issues.
But along the way, something else happened, Cousins Joyce, Dudley, Don, Kenneth, Howard and Jimmy all died after a courageous battle with cancer.
Dudley and Don and Jimmy and Howard were brothers. But we were much more than cousins. We were a true Southern family in that no matter how far away we might move, we always wound up back at Granny Walker’s.

May 6, 2013
Favoring Immigrants over Citizens
Should Immigrants ever be given more favorable treatment than those of us who are already U.S. citizens? Apparently President Obama believes this should be the case when it comes to Obamacare. When it comes to the terms of the immigration reform bill and Obamacare almost 11 million illegals will be given a provisional legal status to live and work in this country.

May 1, 2013
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Princeville, the oldest African American community in North America, through the years has had many hurdles and set backs since it was established.Yet with its resilience, it has some how, through some miracles has always bounced back to stay the course of normalcy as best as it could envision. Yet, we must be ever so reminded that our earthly job of being responsible and accountable for and to ourselves shall never cease, until our journey is finished.
This beckoning call for volunteers is being directed to all the local residents who are concerned and aware of the deplorable existing condition of the cemetery on N.C. Highway 111.
This appeal is specifically for churches, community organizations, and all concerned able body men, women and young folks to respond. The purpose of the tentative meeting is to organize a special committee of volunteers within the community, to assumed the responsibilities and duties of maintaining the cemetery. This is where our deceased loved ones are laid to rest and one day for sure some or most of us, if it’s God's will, shall lay rest in this cemetery. It's about pride and cultural respect and decency that we the living owe our beloved ones who's gone over.
Please call or respond to the contact information below and we'll get in touch and arrange a special meeting to start this project. It's no secret that it's an eyesore and a reflection of what we collectively think of ourselves as well as about of our deceased. This mindset can change. With the weather changing, the grass will be growing. Once again we'll be faced with the cosmetic upkeep. There are some simple tasks we as concerned residents can come together as a concerned unit/group to maintain the appearance of our cemetery.
Calling all concerned men and women and children residing in historic Princeville.
Those interested please call (252) 823-3740

Milton Bullock
Native of Princeville

April 17, 2013
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
Thursday, May 2, is the National Day of Prayer all over the United States. I would like to challenge every minister of the gospel to bring a group from his or her church and meet us on the Town Square across from Edgecombe County Courthouse at 11:45 p.m. Thursday for prayer and unity.
After looking through the phonebook and newspaper church page, there appears to be more than 300 churches in Edgecombe County of multiple faiths. Yet each year we barely have 25 people respond to the advertising for National Day of Prayer.
Prayer has no respective person and does not practice segregation, yet the church segregates itself every Sunday morning. As a blood bought believer in Jesus Christ, I ask all who believes that Jesus was born of virgin, died on the cross and rose on the third day to meet me with an expressive tongue of prayer for our local, state and national leaders. Are you up for the challenge.

Viola Harris

April 17, 2013
We Salute...
Each Friday, The Daily Southerner will recognize individuals, groups and businesses in Edgecombe County who have gone “above and beyond” in their effort to make this a better place to work, play and raise a family.

April 12, 2013
We Salute...
• ELLIS “BUDDY” HOOKS, on being named to receive the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD.
Hooks will be officially recognized on May 14.
• ALL PARTICIPANTS in the 76th EASTERN CAROLINA 4-H LIVESTOCK SHOW, held this week at the East Carolina Agriculture and Educational Center.
• Members of the TARBORO HIGH BOOSTERS CLUB, employees of the TOWN OF TARBORO, members of the GOLDEN K KIWANIS CLUB and all others involved in the successul staging of the 20th TARBORO EASTER CLASSIC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT, Despite chilly, wet weather on Thursday, today’s weather is forecast to improve to the point of being a perfect day at the ballpark.
• Edgecombe County businesses recognized for their efforts to promote a safe work place, including Keihin Carolina System Technology, Inc., Air System Components, ABB, Inc., Piedmont Natural Gas, Tarboro Resource Center and QVC, Rocky Mount , Edgecombe-Martin County Electric Membership Corp., Hillshire Brands-Sara Lee Bakery and N.C. Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions, Tarboro Branch Office.
• LT. FLEMING THOMPSON, a 2005graduate of Tarboro High School, on being named the United States Air Force’s 23rd Bomb Squadron NAVIGATOR OF THE YEAR.

• • •

April 5, 2013
What makes smart people do stupid?
It really gets me to see those you would think are smart people do what are obviously stupid things. I’ve just read about what has been going on in the city of Stockton, Calif. The population of Stockton is about 300,000. It is next to a beautiful downtown waterfront and sports a handsome $46 million glass hockey arena and single-A baseball team, playing in a new taxpayer-financed stadium. Sounds great, but actually this is part of the terrible financial problems the city is experiencing.

April 3, 2013
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