Political payback nails YDC

Opinion

June 25, 2012

Political payback nails YDC

Editor and Publisher John H. Walker The Daily Southerner Mon Jun 25, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT

TARBORO — Did you hear about the Boston area teacher who, while addressing a graduating class, told them there was nothing special about them?

The furor over his hurting the feelings of little Susie and Billy by telling them the truth was amazing, but was buried under the avalanche of support for his words from around the world.

What he said was true, just as it was in whatever year you graduated and just as it was for the Class of 1968 of Greenville (Miss.) High School.

But over the years, we’ve progressed as a nation to where we give feel good awards, ribbons for participation and jobs to persons who can’t even fill out a job application or make correct change at a drive-thru when the cash register tells you how much to give to the customer.

I guess it could be that even though the register tells you to give the customer a certain amount of change, you’re still required to be able to count coins to get to that point.

As we’ve progressed through a recently completed search for a reporter, we even had one would-be candidate ask what a resume was — and that was after sending an email professing all of their strengths!

Yes, little Billy and little Susie are special to their parents and family, just like most of us — but they face what is perhaps the longest row to hoe than anyone ever before them other than during the Great Depression.

Times are tough — despite the fact the President seems to think the “private sector is doing fine” — and there are college graduates from two years ago still looking for employment.

One of the old standards, a summer job for teens, is a rarity these days and, in fact, there have been instances where an 18-year-old was competing with a 50-year-old for the same minimum wage jobs.

No, there’s nothing special about this year’s class of graduating seniors. However, for those who survive and thrive, there may well be.

• • •

Sans furniture, the Walkers — John, Stephanie and Bridget — are officially residents and taxpayers in Tarboro and Edgecombe County.

The air mattress, while not the optimum place to lay one’s head, worked very well, thank you, after nine days of hotel/motel living — beginning in Louisiana and moving on to Georgia before getting us to Rocky Mount for the last week.

Saturday and Sunday were spent in the big scrub down in preparation for the arrival of our goods, courtesy Billy Simmons and Simmons Moving & Storage of Bogalusa, La., on Tuesday.

Bridget seems to be settling in to the neighborhood just fine and we’ve already spent time on our front porch — in the swing and scrubbing it down — and we’ve had a couple of walks down to the Town Common, too, including one at 4:30 Sunday morning when the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

As Stephanie was out and about Sunday afternoon, I received a text from her that read, “Tarboro is beautiful.”

As I wrote shortly after my arrival, it has a homey feel … like you’ve arrived.

• • •

The news from Raleigh last week was disconcerting in that it has been alleged that the Edgecombe Youth Detention Center —built four years ago at a cost of $6 million — was cut from the state budget so that the lame duck rep from Lenoir County could keep both of the facilities in his district.

And one of those facilities, as pointed out by a critic from Alamance County, is old, dark, dank and outdated.

If we lived in Lenoir County and the roles were reversed, I wonder how we would feel? The fact remains, however, that a four-year old facility built at a cost of $6 million being shuttered to save $1.7 million makes very little sense.

(John H. Walker is editor and publisher of The Daily Southerner and may be reached at jwalker@dailysoutherner.com or at 823-3106.)

Text Only

Opinion

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
Your Views
To the Editor:
In response to the column by Bob Harper, “Voter ID causing a great flap”, I have a few thoughts to share. This is the first time in my memory that Mr. Harper has written about something being provided free to citizens by the government (IDs for those without one) without stating that nothing is free, and complaining that the cost is taken out his taxes. So enfranchising voters must surely be one cause he is passionate about.

March 27, 2013
More Opinion Headlines

Opinion

Search Results

Political payback nails YDC

Site Map