Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 55, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Page: 4 of 10
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Sweetwater Reporter
DEDICATED TO PROUDLY DELIVERING LOCAL NEWS SINCE 1881 THE GRAY HATTER
Sweetwater
f—\ owcciwctici 1
Reporter
P.O.Box 750/112 W. Third
Sweetwater, Texas 79556
325/236-6677
Fax: 325/2354967
Website:
wwwsweetwaterreporter.com
E-mail addresses:
publisher@sweetwaterreporter.com
business@sweetwaterTeporter.com
advertising@sweetwaterreporter.com
circulation@sweetwaterreporter.com
editor@sweetwaterreporter com
composing@sweetwaterTeporter.com
EDITORIAL POLICY
The editorial section of the newspaper is a forum tor expres-
sion of a variety of viewpoints. All articles except those labeled
“Editorials" reflect the opinions of the writers and not those of
the Sweetwater Reporter.
Race and abortion
This week marks the who grew up in the projects
anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and had two abortions her-
and 1 think it's difficult to self. She now speaks out
ignore the racial
implications of
abortion when
faced with statis-
tics.
Thirteen million
African-American
babies have died in
the womb since
1973, more than 2.5
times the total
number of deaths
among African-
Americans during
the same period
from AIDS, cancer,
Kimbetly
Gray
against it and tries to
help women who are
dealing with an
unwanted pregnancy.
Another disturbing
statistic comes from
the Centers for
Disease Control -
one-third of all abor-
tions are performed
on black women,
even though blacks
only make up 13 per-
cent of the U.S. pop-
ulation.
Texas Right to Life
The first president of director that someone
Planned Parenthood, would put such a stipula-
Margaret Sanger, warned of tion on a donation. The
“indiscriminate breeding caller justified his wish of
among the less fit,” accord- lowering the black popula-
ing to Texas Right to Life, tion with affirmative action
She also had a project in the keeping his children front
1930s called the “Negro getting into good colleges.
Project” that focused on She said his position was
getting contraception into “understandable.”
the hands of young blacks. This was last year, not
When that contraception
wasn't slowing down the
black pof'u.ion, she
moved onto providing abor-
1930-
You can find their record-
ings on You Tube. Just
search with the words
tion services, targeting low- “Planned Parenthood” and
income minority neighbor- “UCLA.”
accidents, heart disease and reports, according to infor-
violent crime combined. mation from the Texas
This information came Department of State Health
hoods.
You may think that
Planned Parenthood has
changed, but this group that
Many pro-life advocates
see this as a call to action to
establish more of a presence
themselves in such commu-
hales itself as an entity sup- nities, to offer young
from Tijuanna Adetunji, an Services, the number of porting of freedoms and women more options when
African-American woman African-American children
living in Alabama who con- aborted in Texas is about 25 still targets minorities. Care unplanned
siders herself a pro-life percent of the total number
of abortions in the state
advocate. She recited this
information to World
Magazine, who interviewed
her. She is also a woman
Dear Editor,
Thank you, thank you. 1 am
a champion of clean, clear air,
which we have here most of
the time. I loved the article by
Brian McCormack; he told it
like it is.
My husband was on a nebu-
lizer for 15 years before he
died. He was a veteran of the
Korean War. The service fur-
nished all his medication as
the lung operation was done
while he was in boot camp, or
he would not have lived as
long as he did.
The first nebulizer (which I
still have) came from the
Martinsville, West Virgina,
Veterans Hospital. As one
knows, West Virginia has
miners with black lung. We
lived in Virginia at the time.
1 see no purpose in deliber-
ately risking all of Texas air
and water for the purpose of a
few jobs. The poisoning will
last forever.
Geneva K. Goertz
Nolan County
Dear Editor,
It has been made clear to
me that a large number of
community members are
falling prey to the false infor-
mation provided by and
regarding the proposed
Tenaska Coal Plant. This con-
sidered. 1 would like to take a
brief moment to outline the
hazardous air pollutants that
will be released into our clean,
wind- energy-producing air.
1 guess what caught my
attention, and should be
catching the attention of all
citizens, was the following,
stated in the recently released
TCEQ (Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality)
notice regarding the proposed
air quality permit for the
plant: The proposed facility
will emit the following air
contaminants in a significant
amount. Does this not scare
anyone? Does no one care
about the air they, their chil-
dren, and their grandchildren
will he breathing for years to
come? All of the promises of a
supposed economic boost will
fail to help you when you can-
not breathe correctly or
become ill from one of these
noxious releases. As far as I
am concerned, the words
"contaminant" and "signifi-
cant" coupled in any sentence
cannot represent anything of
a positive nature. Please do
not allow anyone to convince
you that it does.
Consider the following.
Nitrogen oxides cause inflam-
mation and irritation of the
lungs. Pulmonary edema may
result. Even plant tissue can
be broken down by this conta-
minant. Carbon monoxide
can prevent the distribution
of oxygen to body tissues.
Sulfur dioxide not only dis-
solves in water to produce sul-
furous acid, but it is an irri-
tant to eyes, skin, mucous
membranes and the respira-
tory tract. VOCs (Volatile
Organic Compounds) includ-
ing carbon monoxide are
hydrophobic, meaning that
they are repelled by water and
will remain in the atmosphere
for a long time. Mercury dis-
rupts metabolic processes in
the brain resulting in tremor
and psychopathological
symptoms (shyness, insom-
nia, depression, irritability).
Hydrogen chloride leads to
spasms of the larynx, pul-
monary edema and death at
high levels. Hydrogen fluo-
ride is an extreme irritant to
any part of the body that is
contacted: it causes ulcers in
the upper respiratory tract;
and livestock is very suscepti-
ble to poisoning from fluoride
fallout on grazing land.
Fluorides themselves can
result in a condition called
fluorosis, characterized by
bone abnormalities and soft
teeth.
Under such circumstances,
the future looks sooty, at best.
And this is just the beginning.
Whitney Root
Trent
Dear Editor,
A coal-burning plant out-
side of Sweetwater, the 'wind
energy capital’? How ironic,
considering the possibilities
for increased energy produc-
tion by environmentally
friendly means here in the Big
Country. As local property
owners, let us suggest that
they install a forest of wind
turbines or a canopy of solar
collectors over our land; the
wind is likely to continue
blowing and the sun to con-
tinue to shine. A coal plant is
a gigantic leap backward,
what with all its toxic pollu-
tants, diminished land values
and enormous water con-
sumption. And please, don't
fall for deceiving catch -phras-
es such as 'clean coal', for to
suggest 'clean' coal is like sug-
gesting 'dry' water. Any way
you mine it, handle it, or burn
it, it is still dirty and danger-
ous to your health and that of
your children.
And where are the ten mil-
lions of gallons of water a day
that this plant is expected to
consume coming from? At
our place we have had no
measurable rain since
September, and not a thun-
der-shower since June.
Maybe we can survive with
filthy air and soot-covered
ground for awhile, but we
cannot survive a week without
water.
Gordon and Elaine
Root
Sweetwater
Dear Editor,
While passing around peti-
tions for citizens opposed to
the building of the coal-fired
electrical generating facility in
Nolan County, we have spo-
ken with people who thought
they had already signed these
documents.
If you have signed a peti-
tion being circulated by Kyle
Lawrence, that petition was in
favor of the coal facility.
If you have mistakenly
signed a petition for the con-
struction of the coal plant and
would like to correct your
error, please call 325-235-
8975 to get your signature on
the correct petition. You may
also go by the Hall Law Firm
at 412 East Third Street in
Sweetwater to sign up.
Stephen and Deborah
Morgan
Sweetwater
Dear Editor,
Can you solve an argument,
between myself and Leonard.
Leonard stopped by my house
the other day with a bag of
tacos. 1 went to the frig and
got out a jar of Pace Picante
Sauce. While we were eating
the meal, I told Leonard all
about how Pace Picante was
started right here in
Sweetwater, many years ago
by the Pace Family. Who
owned Pace Packing and The
Village Food Store. When it
was first invented, the Pace
Food Store was the only place
you could buy it. Then the
recipe and all rights to make it
were purchased by a company
in San Antonio who agreed
not to change its name. And
that's how it all began.
Ix'onard thinks 1 just made
this up. Am I right?
Royce McCain
Sweetwater
Dear Editor,
As I watched George W.
Bush’s last speech this morn-
ing, I cried a little. I remem-
bered Franklin Roosevelt’s
last radio speech in 1945. 1
remembered how people
called him a Warmonger. I
thought if they bashed the
greatest president we ever
had, then it's no wonder they
will bash George Bush, who at
least, stopped the war here in
our own backyards. We at
least owe George Bush credit
for that and getting rid of
Saddam I lussein, who at least
was as bad, or maybe even
worse than Hitler, in World
War II. The Holy Bible says
there will be wars, and
rumors of wars that sounds
like to me, that there will be
wars, despite who ever in in
the White House. How safe
are we now? We will see. If a
new war appears on U.S. soil,
will we blame George Bush
uld happen. Al
lie mucli bigger
for that? It co
Quaida could be
than we thought. Can Obama
keep America safe? We are
going to find out much sooner
than we thought.
Roy Dillon
Sweetwater
of the state's population
Still another statistic -
African-American and
choices and rights for all, it comes to an unwanted or
pregnancy.
Net, a coalition of pregnan- Many of these young
cy resource centers, reports women see abortion as their
while African Americans that 94 percent of abortion only option. Information I
only make up 11.5 percent doctors are located in metro found says abortion clinics
areas and seven in 10 of outnumber pregnancy
them are in predominantly resource centers five to one.
minority-populated neigh- Perhaps if they were more
Hispanic women together borhoods. informed of the conse-
make up about 25 percent A group of pro-life stu- quences of an abortion and
of the American female dents this past year con- of other options, more of
population, yet account for ducted an investigation on them might choose life for
57 percent of the 1.2 million Planned Parenthood to see their babies.
if, in fact, the institution Hopefully people will
had changed its racist come to understand the
nature over the past several implications of abortion to
decades. What they found various minority cultures in
actually shocked them. our nation
One of the students posed Hopefully our new
as a racist who called a President comprehends
Planned Parenthood branch what those numbers mean
and said he was making a for his own culture,
donation, but wanted the Abortion continues to kill
donation earmarked for his culture, or at least keeps
abortions to “lower the it contained,
number of black people.”
The caller was received
warmly, and his donation
was gladly accepted. It did-
n't seem to bother this
Idaho Planned Parenthood
abortions each year.
I am not a minority, so I
would be rather presumptu-
ous to say 1 know this has
got to be disturbing for
African-Americans and
Hispanics to hear that their
numbers are being kept
down due to abortion, but
that is how I think I would
feel if my race were a
minority and had those
types of numbers.
What is more disturbing
is how abortion's biggest
business, Planned
Parenthood, got its begin-
nings.
Kimberly (Iray is a special cor-
respondent for the Sweetwater
Reporter. Comments about her
column may be e-mailed to edi-
tor.' sweetwaterrqxnler.com.
GUEST COLUMN
Bush spends weekend at Camp David
HOLLYWOOD--G0 d
bless America, and how's
everybody?
President Bush spent his
last weekend as president
at Camp David. ___
Today movers will
take all the Bush
possessions out of
the White House.
This will take quite
awhile when you
consider the Bush
possessions include
Iraq and Kuwait and
Afghanistan.
The Inaugural
Parade today will
feature volunteers
following the horses
to pick up their
manure and make it
fertilizer. It's very rich this
year. Between the sulfates,
the nitrates, the hope and
the change, this stuff will
grow crops on a rock.
Barack Obama takes the
oath of office at noon
today. It’s a big deal.
MSNBC is portraying it as
a New American
Revolution, CNN is por-
traying it as a racial mile-
day Bernie Madoff has had
in two months.
Captain Sully
Sullenberger safely landed
a U.S. Airways jet on the
Hudson River
and review the Inaugural
Parade in his honor. The
cameras will be on him for
hours. This will be longest
he's gone without a ciga-
rette since he was in the
Thursday after sixth grade,
geese flew into Israeli officials explained
the engines. New Saturday that they tried to
Yorkers raised minimize civilian casual-
money to build a ties in Gaza. They even
statue of him. It telephoned houses they
will give the geese were about to bomb, telling
a chance to the residents to get out.
Four hundred people were
killed because thev were on
the Do Not Call list.
Barack Obama will be
Sullenberger for sworn into office today
the safe river with his hand on a Bible,
landing on Using a Bible for the presi-
into Thursday. He was dential oath of office is a
impressed that the pilot tradition inherited from
was able to land success- the use of a bible in the
fully with his nose in the coronation of Britain's
air. He always found that monarchs. Bush or
you have to talk like a cow- Windsor or Obama, it’s the
boy and downplay your one book that will always
Connecticut roots. back you up if you're argtt-
Barack Obama becomes ing for the divine right of
president today, giving kings.
Democrats control of the
entire U.S. government.
Hopes were sky high.
Argus
Hamilton
avenge the death
of their relatives.
President Bush
hailed Captain
stone, and Fox News made Three million people
two million dollars selling descended on Washington
Inaugural barf bags on
their web site.
Barack Obama spent all
weekend citing Abe late.
Lincoln and evoking Jack Barack
Argus Hamilton is the
host comedian at The
Comedy Store in
Hollywood. He can be
to celebrate the last days of reached for speaking
capitalism, only to find out engagements by e-mail at
they were three months too argustwaryushamilton.co
Obama vowed
Kennedy and referencing Saturday to take up the
George Washington. He's work of the Founding
he takes
Founding
Fathers agreed to legalize
slavery south of the
Mason-Dixon line and
Barack Obama promises to
take up their work. Well,
Nixon went to China.
Barack Obama will sit in
the presidential box on
Pennsylvania Avenue today
so competitive. When the Fathers when
train conductor let him office. The
steer the Inaugural train
Saturday he tried to land it
safely on the Hudson
River.
Barack Obama took a
train ride from
Philadelphia to
Washington D.C. Saturday.
It is the safest mode of
transportation by far. If a
Canadian goose decides to
fly into a moving train the
last thing that goes
through his mind is the
Santa Fe logo.
Canadian geese were vili-
fied in New York Friday
after a flock of them flew
into an airliner's jet
engines, forcing it to crash
land. Everyone called for
the mass killing of the
birds. It's the first peaceful
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Correction Policy
Editorial:
As a matter of policy, the
Sweetwater Reporter will
publish corrections of errors
in fact that have been print-
ed in the newspaper.
The corrections will be
made as soon as possible
after the error has been
brought to the attention of
the newspaper's editor at
236-6677.
Advertising:
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advertising at any time with-
out liability. Publisher's liabil-
ity for error is limited to the
amount paid for advertising.
tfwcclwatei
Reporter
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Rodriguez, Tatiana. Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 55, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 20, 2009, newspaper, January 20, 2009; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth576724/m1/4/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.