The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 86, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Page: 4 of 10
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OPINION
THE BAYTOWN SUN
4
Wednesday, Man'll 26,2008
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Race Week
FOUR THOUSAND SMS
— The Baytown Sun
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33
Time again for Baytown
to get revved up for races
write to us
The Sun welcomes letters
of up to 300 words and
guest columns of up to 500
words. Guest columns
should include a photo of the
rather both are a necessity. It is a bigoted
statement when I hear those words in my
community. And I have, at length,
expressed my view on this topic many
times. It matters not whether we are
Americans or immigrants, please do not
insult my American heritage and ask me to
accept that it is better to speak one lan-
guage over another; because Twill
HILDA
MARTINEZ
202-224-2934
713-572-3337
Fax: 202-228-2856
Fax:713-572-3777
cornyn.senate.gov/
contact/index.html
Ted Poe,
Dist. 2 Rep.
866-425-6565
866-447-0242
www.house.gov/
poe
Ron Paul,
Dist. 14 Rep.
202-225-2831
979-230-0000
www.house.gov/
paul
Gene Green,
Dist. 29 Rep.
202-225-1688
713-330-0761
wwwhouse.gov/
green
David Bloom
Managing Editor
Luke Hales
City Editor
M.A. Bengtson
Community member
HOW TO REACH US
Clifton E. “Cliff” Clements,
Publisher
cliff.clements@baytownsun.com
Sandy Denson, Business Mgr.
sandy.denson@baytownsun.com
Joshua Hart, Circulation Manager
joshua.hart@baytownsun.com
Gordon Gallatin,
Advertising Director
gordon.gallatin@baytownsun.com
NEWSROOM
David Bloom, Managing Editor
david.bloom@baytownsun.com
to publish any submission.
Send signed letters to:
David Bloom, The Baytown
Sun, P.O. Box 90, Baytown,
77522; fax them to (281) 427-
1880 or send an e-mail to
sunnews@baytownsun.com.
Items featured on this page
are the views of the persons
identified with each submis-
sion and do not necessarily
reflect the views of The
Baytown Sun or its advertis-
ers.
FRED HARTMAN
Publisher Emeritus
1950-1974
jBaptoWn &un
1301 Memorial Drive, P.O. Box 90
Baytown, Texas 77522
Main: (281) 422-8302
Newsroom: (281) 425-8016
Retail: (281) 425-8036
Classified: (281) 425-8008
Circulation: (281) 425-8066
Fax: (281)427-1880
E-mail: sunnews@baytownsun.com
Web site: www.baytownsun.com
ca^ecartoons.contl
p.
Identification by association is a very
important decision we make when we join a
club, move into a neighborhood, choose
friends, or decide to take a hobby or a
cause. And to be uniquely identified, we
seemingly identify ourselves by the careers
we pursue. Many times our workplace
spans a lifetime, sometimes even longer
with an employer than in a marriage. So
who the heck are we when we say “I am ...”
I think it is an awkward situation, when
we are asked who are you and what do you
do for a living? Reading the Lifestyle sec-
tion of The Baytown Sun gives the reader a
EDITORIAL BOARD
Clifton E. “Cliff" Clements
Edltor/Publisher
Jim Finley
retired Managing Editor
Jay Eshbach
Community member
BTw»7j
W® J
Read a freth copy
... wory day
28 1 -422-8302
Cancer & meat
April is Cancer Control Month.
The best way to control—and pre-
vent—many common cancers is to
eat a healthy vegan diet. People who
eat red and processed meats and
other animal products are more likely
to develop certain cancers, including
breast, colorectal, stomach, and
esophageal cancers. A Harvard study
found that people who frequently eat
grilled skinless chicken have a 52
percent higher chance of developing
bladder cancer than people who
don’t.
According to nutritionist T. Colin
Campbell, Ph.D., animal proteins are
the prime carcinogen in meat and
dairy products. The hormones, diox-
ins, and other compounds found in
animal products can also raise cancer
risk.
The National Cancer Institute
reports that foods that are “high in fat
and calories and low in fiber” can
cause cancer, while a European study
involving more than half a million
people revealed that a high-fiber diet
can help reduce cancer risk.
Unlike meat, eggs, and dairy prod-
ucts, vegan foods are low in fat and
high in fiber and cancer-fighting
phytochemicals. Studies show that
vegetarians have 40 percent of the
cancer rate of meat-eaters. Consider
commemorating Cancer Control
Month by eating a wholesome,
humane plant-based diet. Recipes and
product suggestions can be found at
www.VegCooking.com
Heather Moore
People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals
Norfolk, Va.
Government officials
Federal
George W. Bush,
President
202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2326
president®
whitehouse.gov
Dick Cheney,
Vice President
202-456-2324
Fax: 202-456-2461
vice-president®
whitehouse.gov
Kay Bailey
Hutchison,
Senator
202-224-5922
713-653-3456
Fax: 202-224-0776
Fax: 713-209-3459
hutchison.senate.
gov/fe-mail.htm
John Cornyn,
Senator
FTlhe thunderous drivers of the National
I Hot Rod Association are back in
JL Baytown for another weekend of
smoking tires and side-by-side drag racing.
The annual three-day O’Reilly Spring
Nationals drag racing event is nothing but
good news for Baytown and neighbors,
injecting some $28 million into the local
economy.
Racing fans fill our hotels, dine at our
restaurants and shop at our mall during the
annual NHRA event at the drag strip on the
Chambers County side of Baytown.
The highlight of the week, of course, is
the main event at the raceway, which runs
Friday through Sunday.
And while race fans from all over will be
in Baytown for the event, many local folks
get involved to make it a fun week for
everyone.
Two other events will get Race Week
kicked off. From 5 to 8 p.m. today, the
Baytown Chamber of Commerce will host a
Hot Rod Rally in the San Jacinto Mall park-
ing lot.
The main draw of the free festival will be
the two-car POWERade Funny Car simula-
tor that allows wannabe racers to experience
a full pass in a virtual drag racing world,
compete with the sound and fury of the real
thing.
The event also features drivers and vehi-
cles for everyone to check out. Drivers will
sign autographs, and there will be food,
drinks and music.
Then on Thursday, law enforcement and
government officials from the area will test
their racing skills against each other from 3
to 5 p.m. at Houston Raceway Park.
The Battle of the Badges will consist of
law enforcement officers from Baytown,
Deer Park, Chambers County and the Texas
Highway Patrol.
The grudge races offer a chance for
Baytown to open its doors to our neighbors
and have fun and visit with surrounding
communities.
And while those races will be fun to
watch, they’re only a prelude to the exciting
action at the track during the weekend.
We offer good luck to all the participants,
and while not everyone will come away a
winner at the track, the big winner will be
the city of Baytown. With more than
100,000 visitors expected during the week-
end, the event pumps a lot of money into the
local economy.
To all the visitors, we say welcome to
Baytown. Besides the action at the raceway,
we hope you have time to visit our restau-
rants, shops and other attractions while you
are here.
It’s going to be a fun and exciting week in
Baytown.
writer.
We publish only original
material addressed to The
Baytown Sun bearing the
writer’s signature. An
address and phone number
not for publication should be
included. All letters and
guest columns are subject to
editing, and the Sun
reserves the right to refuse
Under fire
I don’t think there is a politician
who doesn’t stretch the truth and all
successful ones have a PhD in hyper-
bole.
Hillary claims when she landed in
Bosnia her whole party had to run to
their vehicles to avoid sniper fire.
She forgot CBS News was there and
filmed her receiving a bouquet of
flowers from a young lady as she
deplaned.
Obama first claimed he had not
heard the racist remarks of his own
pastor and then later claimed he had
indeed heard them but no way was he
going to disown this great man.
After all, this is the same pastor who
awarded Farrakhan with a lifetime
achievement award. The only way he
is going to get past this “Pastor
Disaster” is to butch up and tell the
truth.
I must say this is the most exciting
election I have ever seen. The
Democratic Party is in such disarray
that McCain can just sit back and
enjoy the fallout from these two pub-
lic liars who have now qualified any
lies as “1 might have misspoken”.
Uh, yeah!
Gov. Bill Richardson has endorsed
Obama so Mr. Obama has one sup-
porter he does not have to
denounce....at least not yet. You
would think Richardson, who was
made UN. Ambassador and later
Energy Secretary, might be somewhat
loyal to those who elevated him. He
must truly hate the Clintons or maybe
like Mrs. Obama he is finally proud
of his country too and has to do the
‘right’ thing.
With Hillary’s vast experience and
Obama’s laser sharp judgment it is
really hard to choose who would
make the better candidate. Al Gore,
stay close to your phone.
Don Sanders
Baytown
Lines across town
Mr. Hudgins, can we assume you
won’t be coming to Houston
Raceway Park for the races on March
28 through March 30? Look if you
change your mind, look me up and
I’ll buy you a turkey leg. Another
thing; you might consider eating at
home those nights because there will
probably be waiting lines at all the
surrounding restaurants.
Raymond Martin
Mont Belvieu
MISS YOUR PAPER?
You should receive your
Baytown Sun by 6 a.m.
Monday through Saturday and
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not receive your paper on
time, call (281) 425-8066 by
9 a.m. to ensure redelivery.
gather this person valued the association
with celebrity more than his own identity. I
call this a shallow association.
But that is probably why we associate
ourselves to our churches, our neighbor-
hoods, and our hobbies. We do it because
we have common values, traditions, or
pocketbooks, small, medium or large. Some
of us associate with clubs or causes because
we attended the same university, want to
help aide the suffering or because it gives
us much joy or gratification from our good
works. Those associations are what com-
plete us.
However, then there are folks that use
associations for what I call resume build-
ing? It is a good thing to do that, especially
if the heart and mind are truly committed;
and if those associations are for building a
greater understanding, a lifeline, a bridge
between communities, a real service that
serves all involved and not just for personal
gain. This is called for the greater good
association.
That is why I find it troubling that the
word “culture” in Baytown has been
defined as a weakness and as an uncon-
trolled development. What association does
this word have with our Baytown popula-
tion that it has been given such a demoral-
izing connotation? I hope I have been
enlightened by Wednesday.
The first time I heard a person say that
Spanish was a better language to speak than
English here in Baytown, I strongly dis-
agreed and let that person(s) know my sen-
timents. I have been in the forefront to
looking tb further identify the strengths and strongly suggest neither language is better,
weaknesses in Baytown, words like “the •—-i-----------r-- u.—- j
culture” and “personal culture” were cited
as a weakness and as an uncontrolled devel-
opment, respectively. But to gain a better
understanding, I will have attended one of
Tuesday’s meetings after this column is
published. That means that I will reserve
comment until I am enlightened.
Let me return to identification by associ-
ation. And that is how we identify our-
selves, by our ethnic culture which includes
our food, our clothing, our place of wor-
Identification by association
ship, and our political
beliefs and our friend-
ships.
It was through a solicita-
tion phone call a few
years ago, when I first
learned of Joel Osteen’s
church. I chatted with a
caller, who was a
Catholic, and he said that
he belonged to Joel
Osteen’s church. I asked
him why, and his immediate response was
______________________ _______________ that an Astros baseball player was a mem-
little information about our neighbors, lead- ber and that is why he made the switch. I
ers, and our friends or co-workers. I play- ------- -- - - ----------
fully wish they would ask what tree they
would be if they could be one. I think
Barbara Walters asked it once and last to
Katherine Hepburn. Hepburn’s response
was “an old tree.”
That is how association works with iden-
tity: Barbara Walters plus tree question plus
Katherine Hepburn, equals awkward
moment.
I believe we have all had awkward
moments. I have had several, and not
because of my inquiring mind, but because
of curious folks. Once I was asked “What
kind of food do you eat at your house?”
What? “We eat food that our tummies can
digest, just like your tummy,” should have
been my response. I still laugh about it
because it was not funny then, and I did not
have a witty response and I know the
inquirer was just curious about my culture.
And this question was asked just a short 25
years ago.
My actual response from what I can
remember was fried chicken, hamburgers,
and pizza. But, yes, I added, we eat tortillas,
rice, and beans in my home. I also tried to
educate my co-workers and brought them
cow head meat, called “barbacoa.” But my
curious co-workers cringed when I brought
this delicious delicacy and no one tried it.
Yum! Yum! What I have just described was
an awkward cultural moment. Who wants to
associate with cow head meat? Why not, it
is after all, just beef.
So when I read Monday’s news about
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Clements, Clifford E. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 86, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 26, 2008, newspaper, March 26, 2008; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1190853/m1/4/: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.