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THE SANDBOX Archive ~ 1998
OCT, 1998 ~ #1, #2, #3, #4
NOV, 1998 ~ #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10
DEC, 1998 ~ #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18
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The SANDBOX - Petty Gripes and Cat Fights - Issue #One 10/12/98
Where The Never-Ending Richland Bomber Spirit Expresses Itself!
The SANDBOX TABLE OF INGREDIENTS:
PART 1: The SANDBOX Beckons YOU!
(Welcome to THE SANDBOX - The Why, the What and the Who For.)
PART 2: Eager Anticipation Expressed (Or Not).
(Bombers' Comments prior to the Inaugural Appearance SANDBOX #1)
PART 3: SHORT DIALOGUES AND FEATURED SANDBOX ORATORS
PART 4: SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PART 1: the SANDBOX Beckons YOU
(Welcome to THE SANDBOX - The Why, the What and the Who For.)
To introduce you to This, The Very First Edition of the
SANDBOX, let's hear how The SANDBOX Idea originated and
why it was proposed. Our first speaker today is Bomber
Bob Mattson (64), Rmat683939@aol.com. (Applause.) Go
ahead Bob.
"Mr. Sandbox, I want to express my gratitude to you who
carry the standard for the freespeech and sucker
punches alumni who are waiting in the wings. My
thoughts in offering this format was to ease any
hardship or harassment of our friends, Maren and Gary,
for keeping the Sandstorm as a walk down memory lane,
or was that George Washington way? Maren found that
some of my rambling IM's had some insights to the focus
problem of a censorship of input from 800+ readers of
the sandstorm. So, the Sandbox."
"Were we blind sided by science? Can we find honor and
peace in the wearing of civilian clothes and our
parents did? What about that study giving clams Prozac
to insure their happiness? The trap has been set, sit
back and wait."
"Al, I have been a shop steward for the teamsters for
16 years and I know how it feels to be put in the
middle of things, and not have the resources to
accommodate everyone's wants and desires, so everyone's
off the hook but you, friend. So, with that out of the
way, why did they think it necessary to drop the second
A bomb so soon after the first one? Is that where the
ol' one-two punch originated?" ---Bob
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~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
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PART 2: Eager Anticipation Expressed (Or Not).
Bomber comments prior to the Inaugural Appearance of SANDBOX #1
From: Don Ehinger, Class of 54 & 55 dme@oz.net (Donald M Ehinger)
Al, I think your Sandbox idea is a great one and look
forward to some healthy and lively discussion of some
of the controversial current events. I kind of prefer
the Bill Maher/Politically Incorrect approach. It
helps keep things in perspective and not too personal.
I appreciate that this is going to require some time on
your part, and would like to thankyou for taking the
initiative and sharing your time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Norma (Loescher) Boswell boswelln@oneworld.owt.com
You have surely whetted the interest of certain
Bombers! I will await the first SANDBOX eagerly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: John Northover ('59) mailto:dentover@funtv.com
Al, Thanks for taking on a rather large task. I would
like to be on the list just to watch the sand and fur
fly ... maybe we will have a 'CATFIGHT'!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patty de la Bretonne, (‘65), BrassEar@aol.com wrote:
I take issue with the idea that the sandbox is "petty
gripes and catfights." I do not feel that concerns for
health and welfare, emotional and physical are petty.
Some people responded in what might be perceived as
petty ways, but any of my personal concerns raised
regarding such issues as censorship were raised in a
very serious and concerned manner. Do not assume
people bring up what could be termed "political issues"
just for the sake of a good argument, or catfight'! I
am concerned with justice, and equal rights and free
speech under the law. These are not issues I raise or
respond to lightly, as I really usually do everything I
can to avoid conflict--I don't do it well. But in some
cases I feel I must speak up. Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard Anderson, anderson@pobox.com wrote:
I NEED on this list! Have any issues gone out yet? If
so resend to me if possible. Golly! This seems a bit
imperious; how about "pretty, PRETTY!, please"?
Ciao!
Rick
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John Bradley (65), jfbradl@hotmail.com wrote:
DO NOT NEED TO HEAR ABOUT POLITICAL PROBLEMS HERE, HAVE
ENOUGH OF THEM IN THE DAILY LIFE IN THE DC AREA.
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bwilliamson@ci.simi-valley.ca.us (Councilmember Barbara Williamson)
says: Yaaaaah for the "SandBox"......!!
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PART 3: SHORT DIALOGUES AND FEATURED SANDBOX ORATORS
On 10/8/98 11:06:17 AM PST, Gary Twedt, gtwedt@micron.net writes:
"Not interested in any more downers in this lifetime,
The Sandbox is a great idea. Hope all the flaming
liberals and intellectuals enjoy each other."
On 10/8/98 11:06:17 AM PST, Al Parker,
Adamstreet@alo.com
Responds to Gary:
Thanks for your valuable contribution to The SANDBOX,
Gary. I am not interested in any more "downers" in my
lifetime, either. As the designated "Sandman," I hope
not only to give all the "flaming liberals and
intellectuals" and Gary Twedt a convenient place to
"vent," and share concerns. I am dedicated also to
keeping the whole process from becoming a "downer" by
throwing a little sand of my own from time to time in
order to keep this vehicle as entertaining as possible
and funnier than anything you will ever see on CNN. The
Sandman Sez: If we can't learn to laugh at ourselves,
who will ever want to cry with us?
On 10/9/98 7:50:38 AM PST Gary Replies:
Right-on Al, I like your perspective
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
speech...speech...speeech...speech...speech...speech...
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FEATURED SANDBOX SPEAKERS OF THE DAY:
Speaker #1 JOHN NORTHOVER dentover@funtv.com
Excerpted from John's letter to: Bob DeGraw (66)
Bob,
Great comments ... in particular the reference to the
symbols of death and destruction' that have been made
by yourself and others in this dynamic virtual real
chain letter. The words: 'symbols of death and
destruction' struck a cord [f=sharp??] .. what ever,
those words started me thinking ... symbol, an image
that represents some real [or imaginary] thing or a
convenient concept that is recognized as the real
thing. It is much easier to carry around a symbol.
Symbols are easier to understand. They are tied to
images in our mind. I think those symbols really
represent POWER!!
We humans understand power. In order to survive in
this world we need POWER. We need the ability to be
free from other influence(s) that would deter us from
seeking our own view and choice of life in this world.
We want to do what we want to do ... We want freedom.
We want peace. We have the strength to impose DEATH
and DESTRUCTION on anyone, anywhere in the world. As
do others on us. It is a choice. We chose freedom,
which we have and we are still working on peace.
Others chose to enslave. Our world is filled with
opposites. Life - Death, Peace - War, Freedom -
Enslavement, ... in our present world unfortunately we
need both. Someday we will not.
Having the power to chose to use the ultimate act:
DEATH and DESTRUCTION ... or use the threat of DEATH
and DESTRUCTION and have the ability to deliver that
concept to someone or some other entity, they will
listen. They will be hesitant in trying to bend us to
their ways.
We have canned 'DEATH and DESTRUCTION'. That is power
in a can and that symbol is a bomb or a mushroom cloud
[I wonder if mushrooms like our choice of symbols]. We
had used it as a vehicle to end a world war. I am not
going to get into whether it was 'right' or 'wrong' ...
that choice has been made by most of us, as evidenced
in the responses in the Sandstorm. There has not been
another world war since. There have been 'police
actions' one which is still on going [Korea] and the
other a great second place finish in the Far East War
Games [Viet Nam]...to name a few.
We are moving toward a more peaceful world. We use
those symbols for the rest of the world to note. Those
symbols are so much more than 'death and destruction'.
They are symbols of a strong nation. They let the
world know that we mean business. They let the world
know that we have the resolve to go our way. Without
them we would be speaking... what language???
Look on the other side of the coin...is that a symbol
of 'POWER' or 'DEATH AND DESTRUCTION' that you see?
No, when we look on the other side of the coin we see
PEACE and FREEDOM!!!!! It all depends upon whether you
see your martini glass, half full or half empty. It
depends upon whether or not there is one olive or two.
Just remember that the cost of freedom is death in a can.
Yours in perpetual amazement, John (59)
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FEATURED SPEAKER #2 Irene de la Bretonne Hays idhays@juno.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Notice the comment by Billie Finch Gregg speaking of
girls' basketball:
"Dumb that we couldn't cross the center line. What do
you think?"
This is a parallel kind of question to the one I asked
about the bomb/mushroom cloud, but it is even LESS
related to Bomber memories than the bomb/mushroom cloud
logo or Japanese internment/racism. The sexist rules
for basketball existed everywhere; they were not unique
to Richland. The logo/mascot for RHS was/is unique to
Richland. The memories of fear and loathing of
Japanese that resulted in the internment and racist
revision of history were/are embedded in the unique
Richland experience.
(I do think we have completed our discussion -- for now
-- of those two topics and we did quite well; the sky
did not fall. And of course, I am not objecting to
Millie's question; it is a perfectly reasonable
question -- rife with politics and wild disagreement.)
So Maren, you have chosen to be a censor and your
ability to do it well is based on your personal
political filters or depth of sensitivity to political
issues--or lack of it. I suppose you could
include/exclude comments based on your own intuition of
the intent of the comment, but that is also a pretty
shaky position. Memories and history itself tell us
that won't work--unless you are a true psychic.
And, yes, what I have just said could be called a
"political" comment--and a particularly American one at
that!
-Irene de la Bretonne Hays
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PART 4: SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?
Did any of the comments in this issue of The SANDBOX
strike a cord, or discord with you? Do you want to
talk back? Do you have something to add? What we talk
about here, Fellow Bombers, is entirely up to you.
In the SANDBOX, you may argue passionately,
satirically, or hysterically on almost any subject
without interruption unless you go way beyond 200
words, say something a little too prurient, or rudely
curse. You can admonish, cajole, or joke. You can try
to poke holes in someone else's views, if you wish.
Whether hilarious or serious, IF WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY
IS WORTH SAYING ANYWHERE, I T'S WELL WORTH SAYING HERE!
Is something really bugging you today? Did something
funny happen at work you'd like to share? Tell us
about it. Does it trouble you that the kids in your
neighborhood might come knocking on your door October
31 wearing little blue dresses, dark wigs,berets, and
bearing cigars? Tell us why that bothers you. Tell us
in 200 words or less if you can, or with up to 400
words if you must. And oh, yes, what do you think about
giving Prozac to clams? Did we really need to drop
that second atomic bomb on Japan? The SANDBOX is HERE
for YOU, so tell us what YOU think!
Adamstreet@aol.com is YOUR ADDRESS for SPEAKING OUT!
How often The SANDBOX comes to a screen near YOU
Depends ENTIRELY ON How OFTEN I hear from YOU. So Step
Right Up, Partner. YOU are in the SANDBOX next! -Al
Parker (53)
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speak out... speak out... speak out... speak out... spout off!...
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-01-
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Welcome to THE SANDBOX
Issue #2 ~ October 15, 1998
Wherever we have been,
Whatever we have done,
Wherever we are now,
Whatever we've become,
We are the Richland Bombers,
And Bombers are second to none!
The Col-Hi ~ RHS Spirit Lives On!
The SANDBOX is an Interactive Forum for the Personal
Expression of Ideas, Interests, and Mutual Concerns by
Columbia High School (AKA Richland High School),
Richland Washington, Alumni. We are the children of a
city that buiilt a bomb that ended a war. We had hopes
and dreams then. We have hopes and dreams now. We are
The Richland Bombers. Our spirit lives on!
Bombers Everywhere: We'd love to hear you express
yourself. Whether what you have to say today is funny,
thought provoking, a cause for concern, or the sharing
of an experience that is expecially meaningful to you,
There's Plenty of Room in the SANDBOX for YOU! Please
output your input to Al Parker, Adamstreet@aol.com.
YOU'LL be in the SANDBOX next!
==============================================
Re: THE SANDBOX ~ #1 ~ 10/13/98
From: jpmoran@cyberhighway.net (James Moran)
As a former bomber and a Historian, I believe this
exchange of ideas and thoughts is healthy. It is
because we can do this, which saves our country from
becoming a Bosnia. In short, Thomas Jefferson said
"Debate is the cornerstone of democracy." Also, when I
was in college, I invited a member of the Montana
Militia, (MOM), to my school for a debate on their
policies and beliefs. The day before the debate, the
school told me the MOM would not be allowed to speak at
the forum.
I called the state attorney general and threatened to
sue to have the MOM speak. I did not agree with the
MOM, but I do agree with the Constitution that all
Americans have the right to speak, and the right to
free assembly.
Keep up the great work-
-Jim Moran class of 86-87
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Subj: Symbols and names
From: tri-x@worldnet.att.net (Terrance K. Liechty)
Al, About the bomb and bombers. I was watching a
Disney movie on TV the other night. It took place in
New Mexico I think, where it was actually filmed, I
don't know but the hero's child played on a High School
B-ball team that was called the "Bombers". If it is
good enough for Disney then it certainly is appropriate
for RHS.
Terry Liechty (64)
mailto:tri-x@worldnet.att.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Second Bomb
From: rshipp@gateway.net (Robert Shipp)
In response to Bob Mattson's query as to whether it was
necessary to drop the second (Nagasaki) A-bomb on
Japan, the answer as I understand it is "yes and no."
I don't recall the source of the following information,
so I can't swear by it, but I remember reading
somewhere that Japan was ready to surrender after
Hiroshima. Since they didn't have any diplomatic
relations with the U.S.,the Japanese asked the Soviet
Union to sue for peace. Stalin, realizing that Japan
was now defeated, didn't bother to pass the message on
to us. Instead, he waited a few days, then declared
war on Japan so he could share in the spoils. (The
USSR did get some territory, even though they never
fired a shot against the Japanese.) The U.S. took
Japan's silence as a refusal to surrender and bombed
Nagasaki to convince Japan that they would be destroyed
if they didn't surrender. Right or wrong, it worked.
Japan abandoned their attempt to try to negotiate a
peace settlement through the Russians and surrendered.
So the answer is, "Yes, it was necessary because we
thought Japan was determined to fight on in spite of
Hiroshima," but "No, it would not have been necessary
if it had not been for Stalin's treachery."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: too bad
From: ryntbld@northstar.k12.ak.us (bob degraw)
To Al and all,
First a short story. I was on a tour bus with my family
going through Denali National Park here in Alaska. The
trip is magnificent. The tallest Mountain in North
America, ( Mt McKinley), the animals, (bear, sheep,
caribou, moose) the vista's. Literally millions of
visitors come every year to see this grand sight. On
this particular trip there was a lady from back East on
our bus. She started complaining the minute we were on
the bus. The bus was too small. It was too bumpy. There
were too many bugs. She couldn't see very well from her
seat. She did all of this complaining to the bus driver
in a loud voice so that all of us on the bus could hear
her. After about an hour on the bus we stopped for a
bathroom/stretch break. The lady got off and went to
one of the portable outhouse's. She looked in and
immediatly turned away. There was NO WAY she was going
to go into that filthy latrine. So we got to hear about
that and other petty complaints for the next hour.
Finally, at our next stop, the bus driver told this
lady that if she wanted she could get off and wait for
a bus traveling back to the visitor center. She did
just that. As we pulled away from the rest area, the
driver announced that we had lost one of our
passengers. The entire bus let out a loud cheer and
clapped their hands. I'm pretty sure this lady hadn't
seen a thing on this trip. She was too buzy letting
evryone know how terrible things were. And while I was
glad she got off the bus, I also felt sorry for this
lady.I find it too bad that you have decided to have
this sandbox. People can lways find something to
complain about. Some people have such pathetic lives
that all they do is dwell on things that were embedded
on them in the past. In this day and age, you can find
some high level study that supports every point of
view, a report that says just about everything does or
does not cause cancer, every joke offends someone,
everbody is discriminated against in some way, every
decision or statement that involves gender is sexist
and the list goes on. On the other hand, if people just
got a grip and dealt with their lives in a positive way
and not try to change the world to fit their own,
usually fairly narrow, point of view, then I think the
world would be a little nicer place.
So in my fairly narrow point of view... If some
sniveling, mean nothing, irrelevant complaint, fell in
the Internet forrest, and there was no Sandbox, would
it make a sound?
You can keep me on the list for a couple of issue's. I
am not one to say something and not listen to those
that wish to disagree. But then I would like my name
removed from the Sandbox.
Bob DeGraw (66)
It would be TOO BAD if you decided to hop off this bus
too soon, Bob. The views are becoming ever more awsome
with each passing mile. The quality of Bomber responses
to The SANDBOX, in fact, has led us to remove "Petty
Gripes and Cat Fights" as a part of the SANDBOX name.
We may need your help to keep this forum energized in a
way that benefits, entertains and empowers all of us.
The Bomber Spirit Lives! I hope you can give me a
personal tour of Denali National Park some day. Sounds
wonderful! And I won't complain about the latrine!
-Al
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Subj: Re: THE SANDBOX ~ #1 ~ 10/13/98
What a neat idea, the Sandbox. I have no sand to throw
or any political issues to raise, but wanted to say
continued good luck to Maren and good luck to you Al.
Hope to see you again soon. -Vera (Smith) Robbins
(Goldi13@aol.com)
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From: pmain@columbia.esd123.wednet.edu (Peggy Main)
I think the "Sandbox" is a great idea! I got a couple
of yuk's out of this first issue, but may I say I don't
think it is appropriate to personally attack people's
opinions or actions. This publication is supposed to be
fun - I thought Irene de la Bretonne Hays' comments
were totally over the top.
-Peggy (White) Main (65)
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Received: from idhays@juno.com
Al, Good job introducing the Sandbox! You've set the
tone for what could be an interesting, enlightening,
and downright fun experience. Thanks!
Irene de la Bretonne Hays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earl Bennett ('63)
ecb3@compuserve.com
Never received any awards for poetry (nor grades worth
talking about), but I wrote this for a ?junior?
English assignment to create a sonnet. I know it meets
the technical criteria of iambic pentameter and the
specific number of lines and rhyme scheme (one skill I
can claim), but the thoughts were heartfelt if not
artistic in expression:
When God, to watch, sits on a golden branch
Of which the tree is called deceitfully
A mushroom; there, on land that once was ranch
It grows, conceived of men so cunningly
To kill - why says He then "Repent - forgiv'n?"
To sinful man, whose heart .................. I find
My heart a carbon copy of mankind.
36 years have buried a few lines beyond
immediate recall. What I have remembered suffices for
the point I hope to make, that we are all capable of
the most atrocious acts imaginable, or unimaginable,
apart from submission to and assimilation of God's
goodness. John Northover, I do not accept that we are
moving toward a more peaceful world. The minions of
Slobodan Milosevich and Saddam Hussein, not to mention
the thousands of Hutus who massacred thousands of
Tutsis and hundreds or thousands of "doctors," sworn to
protect life, who continue to slaughter millions of
unborn babies - all demonstrate that mankind is no more
innately good and peaceful and loving today than a
thousand or four thousand years ago. We mask it
better. We believe we understand human nature better,
and claim the understanding and the actions we take on
the basis of the understanding as evidence of good
coming to the fore. However, I believe in so doing we
deceive ourselves.
I have no academic grounding in psychology and almost
none in social science, but it seems most likely to me
that when people do good apart from the goodness that
God offers us, it is because of knowing the
consequences of not doing so and fearing those
consequences. When we don't steal, it's because we
know that criminal science is advanced and, when
properly staffed and funded, capable of catching and
imprisoning us. When we control our anger, it is
because there might be a much bigger brother nearby who
will shred us to mincemeat if we vent our rage upon the
targets of our frustrations. On the flip side, we
recognize the desirability of being treated fairly and
kindly and hope that, if we act that way, someone will
reciprocate for us. Education and experience have
taught us that many people are willing to put away
selfishness or hatred because the hope of longevity and
a pain-free life are improved when larger numbers of
people adopt that approach to living. But none achieve
full suppression of the sin nature that we all share,
and even after turning to Jesus we still stumble from
the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the
pride of life" (I John 2:16, KJV).
I fear what I know I am capable of doing, or not doing
when I should, because I understand something of what
God expects of me and wants for me. I learn more
daily, but will never understand all in this life.
I think I am far beyond the 200 words, but the future
remains, should the Lord tarry. I am a born-again
Christian, and if you want good explanations of what
that means beyond the Bible itself, I recommend MERE
CHRISTIANITY by C.S. Lewis and EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A
VERDICT by Josh McDowell as starting points. If you go
the Bible, you must take all of it in order to really
understand the parts. Later. ecb3
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From: Norma (Loescher) Boswell, boswelln@owt.com
Dear Sandman,
The inaugural edition of the SANDBOX just arrived in my
box. You have chosen some good starters. Your question
about little Lewinsky goblins on our front porches on
October 31 may push a few buttons. I, for instance,
signed an email petition for censure rather than
impeachment a few days ago. I agree with the
petitioners: let's move on to the greater problems our
country faces and call closure on the immoral sex life
of President Clinton.
The British-American magazine The Economist says,
"Monicagate is closer to Britain's Dianagate than to
Watergate." In Watergate the President ordered a
C.I.A.-assisted burglary and illegal wiretapping. He
had the F.B.I investigate newsmen. There was a cover-up
with bribery of witnesses. Watergate was impeachable
because of its political nature. As Alexander Hamilton
said in the years of our founding, impeachable offenses
"relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the
society itself." Lying under oath demonstrates
miserable morals and is a bad example for the youth of
our country, but it is not impeachable. Censure will do
the job.
Norma Loescher Boswell, Class of '53
boswelln@owt.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your thoughts seem well constructed, Norma and to the
point. I would be interested in hearing feedback from
some of legal professionals out there about the
following. What would be the likely legal consequences
to an ordinary citizen if found guilty of the 15 or so
allegedly impeachable offenses the President has
"accused of" so far? Also, I am interested in what
some of you think about 60% or so of Americans wanting
the "jury" to render a decision, as it were, before the
investigation is complete, before the "trial" begins.
(Should justice be withheld just because we are all
getting tired of hearing about all of this "cat
fighting?")
In addition, there seems to be almost a nationwide
concensus that it is pretty much OK to lie under oath
in a court of law about sex because it is a "natural
thing" to do in order to save embarrassment to you, and
other(s), and to protect your family. If a person
committed murder, wouldn't it also be a "natural thing"
to want to save embarrassment to yourself, and others
involved, and stay out of jail (or the lethal injection
lounge), in order to protect and provide for your
family? Many people would lie under such pressure.
But should the legal consequences of such a felony, if
discovered, be set aside just because you are "doing
what comes natural?" One thing we surely don't need is
a break down in the integrity of our court system.
Let's not join the accelerating trend of other nations
who are rapidly succombing to anarchy and all the
deadly consequences of the breakdown of justice and
government. -ap
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Driving Privilages and Age
From: jinnie@owt.com (Jinnie Stephens) (1958)
Please bear with me on an issue that greatly troubles
me. I am speaking of aged parents. Mine happen to be
85 and 80. At what point do driving privileges cease
to be something that they should have. I remember
'Uncle Dick' handed over his keys in his mid eighties
but it broke his heart. He told me that it was the
most hurtful thing in his life as he was giving up his
last bit of real independence! Both of my parents are
very independent people. They pride themselves on not
relying on others for most everything. While they have
not had any serious driving incidents they are becoming
extremely frail and my Dad has some serious health
issues that could potentially cause him to have an
accident.
I know this isn't political but it is an issue that a
lot of us must face. Any feedback appreciated.
-Jinnie Stephens
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Sandbox
From: cookiejo@msn.com (mike cook)
Please add me to your list. Thank you. Mike Cook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Rick Maddy USMC/Ret (med.)/0311
1st Div 3/5 Kilo Co (1968)
tyedyed@earthlink.net (tye)
Wow, it has been over FIFTY YEARS since we have made a
mushroom cloud in someone's front yard, but wars have
gone on. Wait... there is a police action or two in
there, too.
So, I thought I would start out on a cheery note with a
poem. A poem about my experience with the police action
called Vietnam. Here I was a Richland, Washington boy,
certainly not from the ghetto's of Detroit, New York,
or Chicago; not from the blue North, or the gray South,
but a Pacific Northwesterner, in the Marines, and
dumped out in some shithole that I to this day do not
know the reason why.
If anybody knows why, let me know.
In Vietnam I found out what it had been, 130 something
years earlier, for a soldier from the South, who had
participated in their great loss during the War of
Northern Aggression (Civil War to the folks in the
North) and to come back home to an ungrateful nation.
[And having a booby-trap almost blow off both my arms
and fill my ass, and every where a flak jacket and
helmet wasn't, with shrapnel was just a little added
bonus to the melee.] And I must say here, it really did
feel like a war, and not one of those "Police Action"
things. Enough said, Now on with my poem, that I leave
with all Col Hi Bomber's that served their time in hell
and would again tomorrow.
Does anybody ever see those rare treats, the Goliath
Moth, anymore? And where did those diving, bug eating,
Nighthawks go? Gawd, I loved those guys.
WELCOME HOME
Young and restless, so many different places
Be a Marine, see the world, a multitude of faces
Freeways and flyways, boot camp, I'm taken aback
I've waited a long time to hear "Semper Fi, Mac"
Black, white, all the races - boys - the all-American
Come one, come all, let's help our fellow man
There is trouble, let's go and be a big brother
We're off to kill, to hell with love of one another
The hippies back home are carrying signs
If you're in uniform, you're out of line
Abbie's back home burnin' the flag - political tool
We're putting another boy in a body bag - political fool
They say we are killing babies: God, how come?
By the people, for the people, they call us scum
NO! NO! We're just dying in the mud: that's all
Khe Sanh, the Mekong, Hill 881: patriots standing tall
Home again. Survivor's guilt. No justice for the dead
A little sleep here, some there, no comfort in the head
Screaming inside, looking for release. Please come out!
We never lost a battle, only the war: defeated no doubt
Twenty years later I hear applauding and "Hurray"
Your parades and "WELCOME HOME" - too late I say
Be proud? Because in battle I lived and did not fall?
Just welcome those on that cold, black granite Wall
Rick Maddy USMC/Ret (med.)/0311
1st Div 3/5 Kilo Co (1968)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: THE MEANING OF PEACE
Reply-to: (Norma Loescher Boswell)
I was cleaning my email inbox and found this item from
Maren, which struck me as an excellent rationale for
the existence of The SANDBOX. Its tone is serious
rather than the light touch you will confer, but it may
serve.
The Meaning of Peace
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist
who would paint the best picture of peace. Many
artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but
there were only two he really liked and he had to
choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect
mirror for the peaceful towering mountains surrounding
it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect
picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains too. But these were
rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which
rain fell, and in which lightening played. Down the
side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This
did not look peaceful at all. But when the King
looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing
in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had
built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of
angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest...........
perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize?
The King chose the second picture. Do you know why?
"Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to
be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard
work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those
things and still be calm in your heart. That is the
real meaning of peace."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT NEXT?
Did any of the comments in this issue of The SANDBOX
strike a cord, or discord with you? Do you want to
talk back? Do you have something to add? What we talk
about here, Fellow Bombers, is entirely up to you.
In the SANDBOX, you may argue passionately,
satirically, or hysterically on almost any subject
without interruption unless you go way beyond 200
words, say something a little too prurient, or rudely
curse. You can admonish, cajole, or joke. You can try
to poke holes in someone else's views, if you wish.
Whether hilarious or serious, IF WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY
IS WORTH SAYING ANYWHERE, I T'S WELL WORTH SAYING HERE!
Adamstreet@aol.com is YOUR ADDRESS for SPEAKING OUT!
How often The SANDBOX comes to a screen near YOU
Depends ENTIRELY ON How OFTEN I hear from YOU. So Step
Right Up, Partner. YOU are in the SANDBOX next!
-Al Parker (53)
Send your impressions and expressions to: Adamstreet@aol.com.
-2-
***************************************
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********************************************
Like tiny grains of SAND, we are scattered
all over the world, even as we gather here!
Welcome to THE SANDBOX
Issue #3 ~ October 17, 1998
==============================================
Today's Honorary SANDBOX Subtitle Is:THE ONLINE SPUDNUT SHOP
Acknowledging the many hours of conversation and
bonding that has continued over the years between so
many of us in Richland's legendary Spudnut Shop.
Most of us can't get to The Spudnut Shop
every day, but we can always meet right here!
-------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to offer an idea for a one-time or
rotating SANDBOX Subtitle, send your suggestions
To: Adamstreet@aol.com
Subject: Subtitle
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: Barbara Chandler, BCHANBCJR@aol.com
Thank you for a forum to spout off, to go within, to
speak out, to get out those things that we all have in
our hearts and sometimes don't have that "someone" to
speak them to. I have been very moved by this, our
second, edition and vote to keep it working, moving, in
our lives. Thank you all for your contributions. I am
listening and learning. Also, I would like to suggest
that all who can, visit the Vietnam memorial in DC. It
is the most beautiful memorial I have ever visited.
Not any of my close relatives or friends died in
Vietnam, but to see and read the names, to see and read
the letters that people leave there is a heart
rendering experience and one it is very important to
have.
Take Care, Barbara Chandler.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: MEHINGE@gcpud.org (Marcia Ehinger)
Thank you.
----------
You're welcome!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subj: Why we dropped the [second] bomb.
From: Ray Stein (64)
Reply-to: raystein@ior.com
After reading Robert Shipp's contribution about whether
the U.S. should have dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki,
I remembered something I read about events surrounding
the decision to drop the first bomb. This information
is from "The Blunder Book" by M. Hirsh Goldberg.
"The Japanese were upset about Truman's call for
unconditional surrender, so they decided to forego
responding for the present to the unconditional
surrender terms, hoping further diplomatic moves might
bring about the negotiated peace they desired. In
their statement to the world press they used the word
"mokusatsu," which can mean (1) to ignore, or (2) to
refrain from comment. The Japanese translator
mistakenly used the first meaning and wrote that Japan
would "ignore" the demand for unconditional surrender.
American leaders were incensed that Japan would
"ignore" their unconditional surrender terms. Although
the mistranslation was not the only cause of the
increasing friction of the time, it spurred an
escalation of tension between the U.S. and Japan. Less
than two weeks later, on 8/6/45, the U.S. dropped the
atomic bomb on Hiroshima."
(The above is condensed from the book)
-Ray Stein
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: Steve Carson (58) SteveNitro@aol.com
The arguments about the symbols we used on our school
rings and publications seem tame by today's standards.
We were proud of the role Richland played in ending the
Second World War and, for us, the mushroom cloud
symbolized the saving of the lives that would have been
lost in a protracted campaign to take the Japanese
Mainland. The Bombers of later generations, being more
"Sensitive" and not understanding our era, are free to
do what they want with the exception of changing our
history.
Does anyone remember the "strike" in 57 or 58 as we
rebelled against the administration because they
wouldn't let us wear Bermuda shorts. Serious stuff.
Steve Carson (58)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: Barbara Seslar Brackenbush '60
radman@gte.net (Brackenbush)
Al Parker: I am not a legal type but I want to thank
you for your response regarding the Monicagate
(Billgate?) issue. I think it was well said.
Jinnie Stephens: On aging parents driving - my parents
are 78 and my father has had to give up driving and my
mother drives a little but prefers to leave the driving
to someone else. Fortunately, my sister is usually
available which really helps the situation. In fact,
there are three of us sisters who are willing to
respond when they need something. I was amazed that
your parents are still able to drive at 80 and 85! I
still have a grandmother living at 95 but she could in
no way drive (in fact, she neverdid learn). You must
come from very good stock! :)
Barbara Seslar Brackenbush 1960, Richland
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subject: Driving Privileges
From: Mina Jo Gerry Payson (68) payson@owt.com
In Reply to Jinnie Stevens re driving privileges:
We in the "sandwich generation" with senior parents and
children still at home know exactly where you are
coming from. My own mother is 70 and I have refused to
be a passenger when she is driving for at least the
last 10 years. In her case, I think she is overly
defensive in her approach to the road, plus she learned
to drive an automatic with one foot on the gas and one
on the brake. That makes for interesting trips. It is
the worst thing you can ask of a senior, to give up
their keys. Our parents were raised not to be a burden
on anyone, even their children, who are willing to take
on the task. In the desire to remain independent, they
loose sight of common sense. There is no answer to
this problem. There is no exact time when a person is
no longer fit to drive. It varies from person to
person along with health and mental faculties. My
neighbor, at about 82, took a driving test three times
before he passed and is still in possession of his
license at 85. But how do you tell someone that they
areno longer allowed to have the freedom to come and
go? I wish there was an easy answer.
[Mrs. John Dam, of Richland, when I knew her, probably
in her late 80's, had some limitations, but was
"licensed" to drive during daylight hours within the
city limits. That enabled her to run errands, go to the
doctor and get items like groceries on her own. -ap
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subj: Dupus Boomer
From: mbra@gonzo.wolfenet.com (Mike Bradley) '56
Hi everyone. If anyone knows where I could get a copy
of the Dupus Boomer book I would certainly appreciate
it. For the younger set, Dupus Boomer was a cartoon
character that appeared in either the Columbia Basin
News or the Tri-City Herald which depicted humorous
happenings in our fair town. The book was compiled from
all of these cartoons.
-Mike Bradley
[Seems like the son of the Dupus Artist and Author was
in my class at Col-Hi... trying to remember his name.
I certainly remember enjoying those great cartoons,
myself, many of them involving the roofs being blown
off of prefab houses by the infamous "termination"
Richland-Hanford winds. --ap]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>From Joe Largé, JosephDan@aol.com
To: tyedyed@earthlink.net
Dear Rick:
I enjoyed your poem. It is very thought provoking.
I was one of those people that ended up with mixed
emotions -being for the war and yet also against.
Although I hated the war, I felt that the soldier was
the victim, having being let down by a government that
was attempting to walk a tightrope of appeasement and
not willing to get it done and over! We suffered the
same things in Korea, and the soldier suffered.
In my opinion, you did not receive a "hero's welcome"
because we were all victims in some respect of that
war. We were all injured in some way. We all sat
around licking our wounds. I regret heartily that you
didn't have a hero's welcome when you returned.
I can't help - now - but look upon the Vietnam Vet with
a sense of deep respect, both for being the one in the
front-line and for also having to endure the hell that
you came home to, not to mention the whole issue of
Agent Orange and those who have to endure a Government
that won't even support you in this!
For all that happened there, The Vietnam Vet is one
that should be held in Honor.
-Joe Largé JosephDan@AOL.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subj: Robin Cody Book
From: RMat683939
What's in the sand? Find out in a wonderful book by
Robin Cody called; Voyage of a Summer Sun. The entire
book is worth the reading, but chapter 11 lands him in
the Hanford reaches to the class reunion of the Bombers
of the class of 70, at the Shilo Inn. In his book, he
canoes from high in the Canadian Rockies and follows
the currents of the mighty Columbia, even noses into
the Yakima a bit. So, get it in your local library, if
they don't have, they can get. Bombed Bob 64
Al Parker asks Bob: Was Cody a member of the class of
70, or did he just "float in" and crash the party?
Bob answers: No, he isn't a Bomber, just floated into
the Hanford reaches, mentioned the wildlife, warning
signs posted along the shores, and meeting some
outspoken people in a complex culture of a strange
community. My daughter's class at Portland State is
using the book in their studies.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Vern Blanchette Class of 64, vernon@digital.net writes:
Okay, whose idea was it to name the place where ex-
Bombers express their opinions after the device used to
allow cats to ... ah... well... take care of their
needs? Was that a sly attempt to cast an opinion
about our opinions? How about we change the name to
the "Target". (Bombers drop their ideas on 'target'...
get it??) Until then I have only one thing to say...
meyowwwwww!
As for my opinion, I think you guys are all aliens
disguised as Richland Bombers and you are trying to
mess with my mind. You remind me of the man driving
down the road at 55 mph when a chicken zoomed by him.
He followed it down a farm road into a barnyard where
stood anotherfarmer. "Did you see that really fast
chicken?" the man asked. "Yup."the farmer replied.
That's one of the three legged chickens my wife and I
bred in order to get more drumsticks." The man
complemented thefarmer on his success and then asked
"Do the drumsticks taste good?" The farmer quickly
replied... "Can't tell. Haven't been able to catch one
yet."
Well, I'm off to catch a three legged chicken. Our
Loving Father's peace to you all and may all your
opinions be "on target". Vern Blanchette Class of 64
(the best!)
Hey, Vern... 1. Wattayamean, "you guys?' Aren't you
one of us? 2. The SANDBOX is not a Cat Box. The Sand
In The Box is Us and I sure don't want your cats doing
Either Number on me. 3.. May all your cats hit the
right "targets" in your house. (Cats can be bombers,
too!) 4. Only those of us who have no belly buttons are
aliens who have flown to this planet from outer space.
The rest of us are walk-ons. 5. You just stole my
favorite chicken joke. 6. Loved ya in "Vern Goes to
Summer Camp!" (Know what I mean, Vern?) Just joking!
6. Thanks for joining the fun! 7. Alright, people...
any more chicken jokes, anyone? Or duck jokes? Or pig
jokes? Or thirsty rope jokes? Counter attack! But
please, keep your jokes under 200 words! -ap
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Creede Lambard writes:
Ann McCue Hewett mentioned places we've lived that were
pretty high up onthe list of where the bombs would
fall. Some days it seems like that could be pretty
much anywhere in the West. I lived for several years in
the Billings, Montana area. Someone once told me that
the big rail yards just west of Billings were on the
list for obvious reasons (disrupting transportation).
Seattle of course is no doubt marked because of the
Boeing plants. I also lived in Austin, Texas for
several years but don't remember there being much in
Austin in the way of defense industries, except maybe
for the microprocessor fabrication plants. The Houston
area and its refineries would certainly have been hit.
Actually, though, come to think of it the Austin area
might have gotten a disproportionate amount of
protection because Lady Byrd Johnson lives there! Hard
to say.
-- Creede
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Don Ehinger (55)
Couple of thoughts and opinions on the bomb topic
I went into the navy in Jan of 55 and went almost
immediately to Japan for a 2-year tour. One of the
first things I saw upon arriving at the naval base in
Yokosuka was a hollowed out mountain. Insidethe
mountain was a huge industrial complex with machine
shops, staging areas and bunkers. When I arrived in
Sasebo, where I was to be stationed, one of the first
things Isaw were concrete bunkers, built into the
hillsides and positioned defend against invasion either
from the beaches or roadways.
As time went on I had opportunity to hike into the
countryside and the here again the hills were
honeycombed with a maze of tunnels where people could
fight and defend their position. The hills between
Sasebo and Nagasaki hadmany bunker and storage areas
that would have been suicide to try to capture, and
there was no way around them.
After living as a gai jin in that country, at that
time, I have no doubt that hundreds of thousands of
lives would have been lost had we sent troops to
invade. Not that they were bad or evil people, it was
for them, a matter of defending their homes and
country. It has been my experience that cultures in
that part of the world are very homogenous and
nationalistic andwould defend their country to the end.
Just as we would.
One of my coworkers, who had been to Japanese language
school, and I would ometimes take a weekend and visit
some of the rural villages had occasion to spend a
weekend in a small fishing village, not far from
Nagasaki. In small villages there were usually one or
two residences, that had room enough and would provide
lodging for visitors. In this village the local Inn,
was owned by a man that also owned several fishing
boats, and had been the captain of a destroyer escort
vessel during the war. We spent two nights there with
he and his wife. Over some sake and orange vodka
(ughhhh!) we had some interesting discussions of what
might have been, if the war had ended differently. One
of the things he said, that I have always remembered,
when discussions of the bomb come up, is that the
Japanese people had fared much better than they had
expected, and much better than Americans would have if
the war had gone the other way. We watched the Sumo
championship matches at the local stand bar, who had
the only TV in the village, got totally smashed and
came away with a better understanding of what might
have been if it hadn't been for the bomb.
I've seen what the bomb did to Nagasaki and Hiroshima,
the sand and dirt melted to glass, and imprints left by
bodies. Even though it was more than 10 years after
it happened and most of the debris had been cleaned up,
it is something you will never forget after having seen
it.
At that time there were research hospitals at Nagasaki
and Hiroshima where studies were being conducted on the
patients suffering from long term effects of the bombs.
I had opportunity to observe some of the patients when
one of the ships I was stationed on made a goodwill
stop at Nagasaki.
The ship was opened to visitors, and a bus load of
patients from the hospital came to tour the ship. Many
of those people suffered from cancer and carried the
scars and disfigurements resulting from injuries
suffered during the blast. I remember one elderly man
that was standing up on the bow looking at anchor
windlass and the huge links in the anchor chain. When
he turned, one side of his face was missing and there
were large areas of skin that appeared to be covered
with thick layers of burn scar tissue. Really not a
very pleasant sight.
While it was a terrible thing to do, I have no doubt
that it saved hundreds of thousands of lives, on both
sides. I'm all for getting rid of such weapons,
but.... as long as there are the Sadam Husseins and the
Slobodan Milosovich's of the world, I want to be sure
that they have gotten rid of theirs before we get rid
of ours. And that, I think, is a sad commentary on
human nature.
As for the bomber and mushroom cloud logo's let it be a
reminder for how it might have been and the way it is
today. You're alive, I'm alive, we have it much better
than our parents, and while the world isn't perfect
it's better than it used to be.
I wish every American could spend some time in a
foreign country. It's enlightening. It seems like
every country suffers from bad leadership from time to
time. We are fortunate that ours has been better than
most. And that's a whole discussion in itself.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: SLBURBAGE@aol.com
My husband works in the plywood industry and we have
been trying to think of some ways to earn more money
for our retirement. Thanks to all of you I now have an
idea. Steve can get me plywood at cost and I can make
a bunch ofsoapboxes. I will paint them green with a
gold "RHS." If you order one, I will also paint the
year you graduated on another side. As soon as I can
comeup with a fair price, I'll let you all know.
To Bob DeGraw -I didn't know my sister had taken a trip
to Alaska but it sure sounds like her!!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Art Hughes, athughes@gte.net writes:
Subj: Censure
It may be news to some people that there is no legal
provision for anything called censure for alleged
crimes. The only legal options open to Congress are
either nothing or impeachment proceedings. Censure is
just a neat idea for ignoring the real facts of felony
charges. What most people forget isthat the act of
having relations with a subordinate that you have
managerial authority over, consensual or not, is
considered sexual harassment under federal law and any
corporate executive having such relations can be sued
or fired for this infraction. Many, in fact, are fired
for this every year when something goes wrong in their
little inappropriate relations."
-Tom Hughes, Class of 56
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Gene Gower, g_gower@owt.com writes:
The message from Bob Degraw sounded just like the lady
that he described on the bus.
Bob... LIGHTEN UP!
Gene Gower ('82)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subj: Censure is the last thing Mr. Clinton needs.
From: tonys@citylinq.com (Tony Sharpe)
Al, Great reply to the "Clinton Apologist" remarks of
your classmate Norma.
Censure is the last thing that Mr. Clinton needs. What
America needs is for Mr. Clinton to show the same
respect that Richard Nixon had for the office of the
Presidency had and resign!! But alas, I do not believe
he has the courage to do so, because he has not
demonstrated that he is one to accept responsibility
for his actions.The simple fact is that our President
committed A CRIME when he lied under oath about his
sexual affair, n the oval office, with a twenty-one
year old intern. It is irrelevant that the lie took
place in a Civil Lawsuit deposition. This affair and
the cover up that followed only reveal the worst
elements of Mr. Clinton's public and private character,
reckless and irresponsible private behavior, habitual
lying, and abuse of power. This man has defiled the
"Office of the Presidency of the United States." What
he has done DOES constitute injury to society itself as
Alexander Hamilton wrote. The character of our
President matters just as much as the economy. No one
is above the Law, and the President must play by the
rules. Adultery is a big deal, it shouldn't be
commonplace, and yes I will hold my President to a
higher standard! It is not okay to lie under oath under
any circumstance I refuse to accept any Apologist
argument that defines Americans down. I will not
accept a lower common denominator of leadership than
the American Presidency requires. As William Bennett
writes: "These arguments about Mr. Clinton's current
problems represent an assault on American ideals, and
they must no take root in American Soil." Do us all a
favor "Say Goodnight," Bill.
Tony Sharpe
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: "Dan G. Day"
Organization: Chemical Professionals, Inc.
Re: Clinton's future.
I would hope that he receives the same treatment as the
LA police officer (Mark Ferman) who was convicted of
perjury and fired for his denial that he had ever used
the "N" word. Not likely to rise to the level of
embarrassment that Monica has caused Bill.
Bill committed a greater offense and had a greater
reason to lie. Ferman's little lie was sufficient to be
prosecuted as perjury becausehe embarrassed his
department. (Read that Politically
motivatedprosecution.)
Clinton should suffer the same fate.
Dan Day(62)
P.S. As for his actions causing immediate harm to the
Nation, IT HAS!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bombers, Please Note: If you have sent something that
hasn't appeared in The SANDBOX yet, look for it appear
in another Issue in just a few days. Your
participation has been so great that some of your
valued opinions, ideas and thoughts are still waiting
in the hopper to be entered into a future edition soon.
Because of YOUR tremendous response and the number of
submissions coming in every day, I may need to return
items over 400 words in length and ask you to condense
them for us. I hope this doesn't happen often because
I would rather spend my time "spreading" your good
words than "counting" them! Thanks for your
consideration and help! Also, if you have sent several
separate comments in at once, I may spread them out
over several issues of The SANDBOX. Enjoy life!
-Al Parker
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT NEXT?
Did any of the comments in this issue of The SANDBOX
strike a cord, or discord with you? Do you want to
talk back? Do you have something to add? What we talk
about here, Fellow Bombers, is entirely up to you.
In the SANDBOX, you may argue passionately,
satirically, or hysterically on almost any subject
without interruption unless you go way beyond 200
words, say something a little too prurient, or rudely
curse. You can admonish, cajole, or joke. You can try
to poke holes in someone else's views, if you wish.
Whether hilarious or serious, IF WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY
IS WORTH SAYING ANYWHERE, IT'S WELL WORTH SAYING HERE!
Adamstreet@aol.com is YOUR ADDRESS for SPEAKING OUT!
How often The SANDBOX comes to a screen near YOU
Depends ENTIRELY ON How OFTEN I hear from YOU. So Step
Right Up, Partner. YOU are in the SANDBOX next! -Al
Parker (53) Send Your Impressions and Expressions to:
Adamstreet@aol.com.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Want to be Inspired? Check this site out:
http://www.empowerment-now.com/inspiration/motivators/
-3-
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The RICHLAND ALUMNI SANDBOX
Issue #4 ~ October 30 1998
Point & Counterpoint / Humor / Free Advice
We are the children of a city that built a bomb that
ended a war. We are the Richland Bombers, graduates of
Columbia / Richland High School, Richland Washington,
USA. We shared hopes and dreams then. We share hopes
and dreams now. And we have some concerns.
Though scattered as drifting sand throughout the world,
we are gathered together Today In THE SANDBOX, in order
to express and share some hopes, some dreams, some
humor, and all manner of current concerns. The Bomber
Spirit Lives!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE NOTE: BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF YOUR
CONTRIBUTIONS, NOT ALL ITEMS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR
THIS ISSUE OF THE SANDBOX WERE ABLE TO BE INCLUDED THIS
TIME. ISSUE #5, EXPECTED TO BE READY IN ABOUT TWO DAYS
WILL CARRY THE REMAINDER. After you receive Issue #5,
Please let me know if something you have sent has not
appeared yet. Thanks. Al Parker. Adamstreet@aol.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Patty Stordahl, Patty@exhibitd.com writes:
Hats off to all the volunteers for this project. I
think it will prove very interesting. I really love
lively debates & appreciate how others share their
views. I think that this will open a lot of peoples
eyes to new ways of rethinking old problems. Maybe
together we can solve some of the issues at hand.
Thanks & I will be reading this one for sure. Probably
participating as I am an activist in my own right. I
think it is called a soap box queen. This will also
bring out the real thinkers & the correct information.
Anxious in Seattle
Patty Stordahl
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subj: The bomb
Date: 10/18/98 5:06:51 PM PST
From: teresam@oneworld.owt.com (Teresa Morgan) (Class of 73)
RE: Don Ehinger (55) Couple of thoughts and opinions
on the bomb topic Many good points you made. I keep
having to remind certain friends of mine who haven't
grown up with some of the same influences that to
completely understand history re: the why's we did
what we did not by hindsight, but by the state of mind
and the state of reality at that time. Many men women
and children DID commit suicide rather than face being
captured by the our soldiers. All those tiny little
islands in the Pacific that took so many thousands of
American lives to gain control of a few square miles
shouldn't be forgotten. The culture is different. To
them it was an honor to die for country and emperor.
Our society values life itself. How many men would
have armed their women and children with whatever
implement is available rather than give up a bit of
ground and regroup and attack.
It would have been a blood bath, trying to take the
Japanese mainland. Keep in mind, too, that more people
were killed in the fire bombing of Dresden than in both
Atomic blasts. True, many people were affected by the
radiation illness of their parents before they were
conceived. Many died after months of radiation
sickness. Dying from untreated burn wounds is no picnic
either.
War is rotten, no matter how you look at it. We didn't
start that horrible war. But how much more unfair is
it to our soldiers totell them that their lives are
less valuable than Japanese lives, because we don't
want to use a weapon we think might be inhumane, even
though we know it will end the war sooner.
One other thing: folks have been insisting that we
apologize for using the bomb. After all, THEY
apologized for pearl harbor. The two are entirell
different. Their attack was in time of peace during a
time of active negotiations. We even warned them ahead
of time. Entirely different, sez me.
---Teresa Cook Morgan, whose dad was on his way to his
second tour of duty in the Pacific after a "vacation"
in Germany and France
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Talking Point: Does a lack of concern regarding
character imply a lack of character?
Talking Point: How many of our fathers would have died
without The Bomb; how many of their children not been
born?
From: rbrewer@home.com (Rodney C. Brewer)
RE: Clinton. He has no Character. If you voted for
him, or support him today, you either don't know what
the word means, couldn't care lessand/or have no
character yourself.
RE: The Bomb(s). If we don't drop the bomb, my Dad
goes in to Japan, with a few others, to end the war on
the ground, and probably doesn't return. You'll never
get me to apologize for doing everything possible to
win that war. Rod Brewer
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Alan Sargent yo11@telisphere.com writes"
Many have commented how unique it was too grow up in
Richland. I agree! But, as I look back on it I am
struck by just how jaded my view may have been. I
loved my childhood surrounded by good friends,
neighborhood parties, great hunting and fishing, never
having to lock the house or car and always feeling safe
and secure. I sometimes wish my grandchildren had the
same luxury. But in many ways (my own fault) I was
woefully prepared for real life. I never questioned
the lack of blacks in Richland, then along came the
Brown brothers and showed us a new exciting brand of
Basketball. Magically their family now lived in
Richland. After graduation I attended UW and was not
prepared for such a huge school. I was in a lecture
with more students than my graduating class and I knew
no one. I ran and joined the Air Force and was
promptly sent to Texas. I saw my first "Colored Only"
doorways, restrooms etc. I truly did not know that
existed! To this day I continue to learn just how naive
and uninformed I allowed myself to be. Oh well, you
live and learn.
================================================
I was quite naive myself about "racial matters" in the
50's and 60's, Alan. In 1956, while stationed at
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne Wyoming, I
saw for the first time a lot of businesses with signs
in windows and doors that said, "No Negroes Allowed. I
had believed that kind of thing was only going on "down
south." When I checked into a downtown hotel one time,
just to get off the base for a night, an Hispanic was
checking in just ahead of me. The manager eyed him
suspiciously and asked, You are not trying to sneak any
niggers in here are you?" He replied, "What? No. Of
course not. You are insulting me, lady." A couple of
years after graduating from the Air Force in 1960, one
of my AF buddies, a black man named Carl Jordan, came
to Richland to visit and stay with me for a few days.
Some people in Richland expressed "admiration" at my
"courage" for letting a black man stay in my house.
When Carl was in the AF he was a programmer-operator
for UNIVAC, one of the first really big computers used
in the late 50's by the Air Material Command.
At the time of his visit, Carl had a high paying job
with Boeing in Seattle. One of the saddest things to
him about racial prejudice as he expressed it to me
then was how his black friends in "the old
neighborhood" looked down on him and scorned him for
trying to look like "Whitey" by being so successful.
-Al Parker
After Thought: There is something else I just
remembered that Carl said to me during that visit with
me, just about 36 years ago. He knew about my interest
in writing and suggested that maybe someday I could get
involved in some kind of "forum" type venue that would
include feedback from others and an exchange of ideas,
insights and experience. Thanks, Carl. What a cool
idea!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: ecb3@compuserve.com (Earl Bennett)
Responding to previous comments by Joe Large'
Right on! While I qualify as a Vietnam era vet (USAF,
'65-'69), the closest I got to that conflict was the
island of Crete, in the middle of the Mediterranean.
The closest I came to combat was walking the fences of
Iraklion Air Station on Crete with a 45 on my hip (no
ammo -not designed to make one confident) on the night
watch after the Prince of Greece and his wife were
forced to flee the country and we weren't too sure how
good US relations would be with the new government. In
theory the local police were supposed to take care of
any disturbances before they got to us, but I would not
have blamed them much had they been reluctant to side
with us against their own countrymen. Anyway, I shared
a house with other vets in Seattle '70-'73, all
students at UW. One of them was an Army radioman in
Vietnam, and in the three or so years I knew him I
watched him struggle with his attitudes, starting from
rabid pro-administration/pro-war, then slowly starting
to mellow and realize the administration wasn't
handling things too well and the military appeared to
be misrepresenting a few facts. A thinking soldier has
a bit of a quandary to deal with. On the one hand, the
only reasonable approach to preparing for combat is to
instill instant, unquestioning obedience in all
military personnel. There has never been a war where
either party had the luxury of being able to explain
the legitimacy and rationale of every action to all
participants. Yet afterwards, we find that some of the
decisions imposed upon us were not only ill advised,
but indefensible in light of all the facts..... This
could ramble on for a long time - Al, how can we treat
serious topics seriously in 200 words? Anyway, we owe
a lot to those who were willing serve their country,
even when it wasn't socially acceptable to do so. I
feel privileged to have been able to serve in some
small measure. Later. ecb3
=================================================
Thanks for sharing your valuable experiences and
personal insights, Earl. Regarding the suggested word
limits of 200 - 400 words: The SANDBOX is intended to
be a Free Speech Forum, so let's see how we can do
without mandating word lengths, at least for now. What
you said here, as an example, was done quite
effectively without any wasting of words at all, in my
view. I would just remind everyone that keeping your
responses as short and to the point as possible while
still saying all you feel you need say on any given
subject will usually have the most POWERFUL IMPACT and
INTEREST to all who are reading your comments. We can
often achieve this fairly easily by reading our "first
draft" and seeing which words or phrases we can
eliminate or change for greater effect. Don't worry
about being professional journalists, though, folks.
This is a "family forum," not 60 Minutes or Meet The
Press. I have already noted, however, that the quality
and depth of Richland Alumni contributions to The
RICHLAND ALUMNI SANDBOX often exceeds some of the stuff
I've seen offered by participants on many TV Forums, so
KEEP IT UP, EVERYONE! And Remember: If what you have to
say is worth saying anywhere, it's well worth saying
here! So tell us about your concerns, your feelings,
your hopes your dreams; things that bother you; things
that give you hope. Or respond to something someone
else has said. -Al Parker
Send What YOU HAVE TO SAY Today to: Adamstreet@aol.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Leo Bustad, aflbb@UAA.ALASKA.EDU writes:
How long would the president of Stanford remain in
office after a similar non-sexual encounter with
someone like Ms. C. Clinton? How 'bout the commanding
officer of West Point, were he to have a similar affair
with a first year cadet and then lie to the Joint
Chiefs? Just wondering how parents with young kids
explain this to their children.
Leo Bustad, Class of 64
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subj: Senior drivers
Date: 10/19/98 10:32:26 PM PST
From: CPAWolf@compuserve.com (Fran Wolf)
To Jinnie Stephens: My father-in-law will be 90 on
November 28, 1998 - this year. He is extremely anxious
about taking his next drivers license test. His eyes
are good, but he requires a walker to get around. In
July of this year he went out and bought a brand new
car. The last trip my husband took with his father and
mother, father-in-law insisted he was going to drive
part way. When he wasn't speeding over 85 (no joke)
m.p.h. he must have gotten bored and fell asleep at the
wheel. This only happens on the highways, in-town he's
pretty good. I could save him some anxiety - I've
already called the Dept. of Licensing - he won't be
getting another license.
On my brother Tom's behalf; HI to Robert Ship ( say HI
to Debby for me) and Vernon Blanchette.
-Fran (Teeple) Wolf
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
BeegByte, a loyal Bomber Sympathizer and Friend, is our
guest today. Although attending Richland schools in
his early years, Lee barely missed becoming a Bomber by
the unfortunate accident of moving with his parents to
another city before he could enroll at Col-Hi. In his
heart, however, he has never been far away and has
always been a Bomber Fan and Athletic Supporter as you
will see in his letter below.
Just perused the third edition of the SANDBOX and
enjoyed it immensely. I was hoping to see some witty
conversation from some of my childhood friends, but
alas…there was none. Today's edition, 10/17/98, of the
Tri-City Herald (that dirty yellow sheet) had a bold
headline on the front of the sports section,
Proclaiming "UNBEATEN PASCO KEEPS RICHLAND WINLESS."
And to rub salt in the wound they had a huge full color
picture of Pasco running with the football. It is
apparent that winning is more important to Pasco than
showing some compassion for a team that has only known
shame and humiliation this season. Pasco is roughly
half the size of Richland; this just shows the world
how a few callous people can trample on the feelings of
many. I am going to have the Columbia River rerouted
to the west side of Richland and Kennewick thus leaving
the Pasco waterfront high and dry. Until that happens,
tollgates will soon be placed on the three bridges
linking the towns; only Pasco residents will have to
pay the toll. We are also arranging with Rand-McNalley
to strike the name Pasco from their maps of Washington
State. It is the duty of all Bombers and supporters to
boycott the Pasco textile mills, the automobile
assembly plants, and the cough drop stand on 3rd
street. Until Pasco comes to its senses I remain yours
truly…Lee Johnson
-------------------------------------------------------
Stay tuned for more of the ongoing drama, "For Whom the
Bridge Tolls" and the ever-burning question on
everybody's mind, "Will The Spudnut Shop Validate Toll
Bridge tickets?"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION YES
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Radioactive Ants, Flies and Gnats Reported at Hanford.
The radioactive ants, flies, and gnats at Hanford are
not a joke; they are real. The news media across the
state and nation have reported this.
Irene Hays
===============================================
Do you think Irene is joking? Well, see for yourself!
You can learn more about the above reported phenomenon
by referring to the following sites selected from the
Top Ten matches to the Web Search: [Hanford and
Radioactive and Flies] using AOL NetFind.
The Glowing Insects of Hanford Bug Spreading Radiation?
The Glowing Insects of Hanford & “Any contamination
outside a controlled radiation area is unacceptable.” —
Robert Shoup The Associated Press R I C H L A N D,
Wash., Oct. 7 - It sounds like the plot of a 1950s
horror film: Bugs may be spreading radiation at the
Hanford nuclear reservation. Thirteen spots on the
former nuclear weapons...
http://www.abcnews.com/sections/science/DailyNews/radioactiv...
Aug. 30, 1997: Scientists' keen eyes find new
micromoths at Hanford Other sources: This story was
published Aug. 30, 1997 By JOHN STANG Herald staff
writer Birds do it. Bees do it. Even teensy-weensy
little moths do it. This is a story of sex and science.
It's all about how scientists have found out Hanford is
home to nine previously undiscovered species of
micromoths.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/DOE/1997/aug44.html
Insects may be spreading radioactive contamination at
Hanford Insects may be spreading radioactive
contamination at Hanford 6.26 a.m. RICHLAND, Wash. (AP)
— It sounds like the plot of a 1950s horror film: Bugs
may be spreading radiation at the Hanford nuclear
reservation.
http://www.foxnews.com/news/wires2/1008/n_ap_1008_115.sml
UPDATE ON CONTAMINATION SPREADS GENERAL DELIVERY
MESSAGE October 7, 1998 TO: All FDH and Subcontractor
Company Employees FROM: Bob Shoup, vice president,
Environment, Safety and Health, FDH, AND Bob Frix,
president and general manager, DynCorp Tri-Cities
Services
http://www.hanford.gov/safety/conspread/announcements/100798...
seattletimes.com: WSU scientist finds new species at
Hanford WSU scientist finds new species at Hanford:
With occasional help, WSU scientist Richard Zack has
collected more than 40,000 insects in the largest
entomological survey in state history.
(seattletimes.com)
http://www.seattletimes.com/news/health-science/html98/altbu...
CONTAMINATION SPREAD OUTSIDE OF CONTROLLED AREAS
GENERAL DELIVERY MESSAGE October 8, 1998 All FDH and
Subcontractor Employees Bob Shoup, vice president,
Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality, FDH, and Bob
Frix, president and general manager, DynCorp Tri-Cities
Services
http://www.hanford.gov/safety/conspread/announcements/100898...
EXCLUSIVE SANDBOX QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:
What kind of threats might these radioactive little
critters pose to the public at large? Will the gov. go
after them with a can of Raid or another billion or so
of your tax dollars? Will radiation induced mutations
spawn new and exotic generations of bugs?
-------------------------------------------------------
bugs flies ants bugs flies ants bugs flies ants bugs flies angst
-------------------------------------------------------
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subj: Re: Peggy Main
Date: 10/21/98 11:36:23 AM PST
From: Patty@exhibitd.com (Patty Stordahl)
Dear Peggy & all. This is after all the sand box.
What cats usually leave behind can be found here & a
lot of it. From my understanding this was developed
for the more, let's say "intense" group. I hope that
if I respond & someone has read my feelings whether
they are a bit extreme, respect my input no matter how
strong as I intend to respect others. Fun, fluffy, &
memory shaking is on the other channel. This one is
for strong debate & personal views no matter how direct
or misguided, mine included. Let's have a great time
getting to know the deeper side of the bombers & the
great people we have all become. I am ready.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Send your impressions and expressions to:
Adamstreet@aol.com. If what you have to say is worth
saying any where, it's well worth saying here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note: After Issue #5, If you sent something in and it
hasn't shown up in The SANDBOX yet please re-send if
you still have a copy. No one's contribution has been
left out intentionally, but there could have been some
items inadvertently lost during the orgnanization
process.
-4-
***************************************
***************************************
********************************************
Welcome to The Richland Alumni SANDBOX
Issue #5 ~ November 8, 1998
Submit your Vet's Day Thoughts and Memories for a
special edition of THE SANDBOX to be published November 11.
===============================================
To help all of us feel more at home regardless of where
in the world we are today, here is Richland's current
Weather Outlook:
SUNDAY MORNING, 11/8: mostly cloudy with a chance for
rain mainly in the morning. Highs in the mid and upper
40s. West wind 10 to 20 mph.
SUNDAY NIGHT 11/8: Partly cloudy. Lows 25 to 30.
MONDAY 11/8: cloudy. Highs near 50. West wind 10 to 20 mph.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subject: Lewinkski
From: Joe Large'
Dear Sandbox,
Just wanted to paraphrase some comments my wife made
about this whole thing. She read for a while, the
"Starr" Report and saw this:
1. The president had been asked if he had ever had
Sex, with Monica Lewinsky. In his comment, he had said
"No" due to the fact that he had never had
"Intercourse" with her. The interpretation of "having
sex" apparently involved intercourse. So, in that
interpretation his answer would have been correct. He
had not had "sex" with her.
Who in their right mind (Monica) would hold on to a
stained dress for months and months, especially if you
had been the willing, consenting 2nd party!?
2. Which one of us, when caught in an act of
"Immorality" such as what the president was caught in,
wouldn't want to somehow attempt to save their marriage
and their position instead of seeing their life
instantly go down the tube.
What he did was wrong, but I can understand his desire
to not see his marriage end in a shambles. The best
thing he could have done was to stay away from the
little bedhopping, power-hungry tramp: she had vowed
that she would "sleep her way to the top"!
I, too, vote for censure. If we convicted the
President for having "sex," we'd also have to convict
John F. Kennedy for bedding down Marilyn Monroe, J.
Edgar Hoover for being a transvestite and cross-
dresser, and Franklin D. for having an affair. There
would also be a lot of other people in power who would
be convicted, i.e., Teddy Kennedy for one.
Bad personal choices are not necessarily a crime.
Lying can be, but not in this case, at least not in the
regards of Impeachment. I doubt that this could be
compared to an act of Treason. Do you?
Joe Largé
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: jvache@lawschool.gonzaga.edu (James M. Vache)
Subj: IMPEACHMENT?
Hi, all. I can't resist a few comments about
impeachment, having just "played" Henry Hyde in a mock
Judiciary Committee hearing here at my school. I was a
close watcher of the Nixon matter, and have followed
the current controversy from the perspective of one who
teaches American politics, criminal law and
constitutional law. I must say that my personal opinion
waivers back and forth. But, besides that, I would like
to point out a few issues that in my judgment need
clarification. First, the meaning of the term
"...Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and
misdemeanors" is not entirely clear from the historical
record. Perhaps the best careful exposition of the
meaning and intent of the Founders is found in Raoul
Berger's book, Impeachment. The book was written just
before the Nixon matter broke and explores quite
carefully the historical origins of the term, as well
as devoting short chapters to several impeachment
proceedings, including that of Pres. A. Johnson. As a
lawyer, I would take a common interpretive approach,
and say that "high crimes and misdemeanors"must be of a
like kind to Treason and Bribery given the word "other"
in the phrase.
You may recall that one of the charges laid on Pres.
Nixon was that he violated criminal laws associated
with income tax evasion. The House committee did not
send that one forward to the House, in part, I thin
because there was considerable doubt about whether
criminal tax evasion was a H C or M.
Second, it is accurate to say that the standards for
impeachment are (mostly) political, but since so far
the House Committee and Judge Starr seem to be focused
on the alleged crimes of the President, one would think
that some judgment should be made as to whether
"crimes" as defined by the Federal criminal code were
committed by the President or more properly whether
such crimes could be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
From what I have seen of the evidence, which is
admittedly not a complete look, this is far from clear.
It is the reason, I think, why the preliminary report
of the Committee Counsel suggests that instead of
bribery, a lesser crime of lying under oath is what is
at issue. Similar problems of proof would come up in
proving obstruction, etc.
Again this is not to say that the House must find
criminal behavior to impeach, but rather to say that if
the premise is that the President committed crimes,
then we ought be fairly careful in reaching that
conclusion. Of course, the House could impeach without
finding such crimes.
It certainly did so in the case of A. Johnson, as well
as several federal judges. It could also decide not to
impeach even if there was clear evidence of criminal
behavior. The interesting question to me is how far we
are going to import criminal law standards into the
impeachment process. The introduction of the Special
Prosecutor suggests that there has been attempt to
channel the impeachment process by criminal law
standards, but I think that is a mistake. (I have
thought from the beginning that the case upholding the
law was badly decided). On the other hand, if an
impeachment becomes purely a partisan political
excercise, as it did with A. Johnson, then we are at
peril of turning to a Parliamentary form of government,
certainly not what the Founders anticipated!
Another thing I am interested in is the tendency, not
seen here yet, but common in our paper at least, to
conclude that if anyone even slightly defends Pres.
Clinton, that person is a moral pariah. It seems to me
that one could quite appropriately conclude that the
whole set up has been a fairly partisan political
process in the guise of a legal one, and that if that
is so, even tho. the Pres. is a cad, a bounder, etc.,
it is not appropriate to impeach. Also, I think that
those who claim that if a boss did this, s/he would be
fired immediately have not read the Title VII cases
that I have read... Though the behavior is morally
indefensible, it is probably legally defensible. I
don't mean to suggest that a person who had consensual
intimate relations with a subordinate could not be
fired, but rather that firing that person would not
fall into the realm, necessarily, of being compelled by
the law. Once again, I think there is a confusion
between the legal and the moral. Not all immoral
behavior is punishable by legal action, thank
goodness, or we would all be in jail. Well, maybe not
some of the CK kids I went to school with....
This week end I was reading a fabulous analysis of the
Iran-Contra affair, fairly balanced, written by a
journalist with the London Economist. It reminded me
that the whole issue of expecting "moral leadership"
from the President is quite problematic, particularly
in an age where there are no secrets. How many of us
have changed our minds about Wilson, FDR, Ike, JFK
based on revisionist analyses of their disordered
private lives? And, if we want moral paragons in the
White House, we had better be sure to strike Harding,
among others from the rolls entirely, to name just one.
Part of the problem here is being consistent when the
rules of the game have changed dramatically. Pres.
CLinton's biggest political mistake was his hubris in
not recognizing this to be the case.
Thanks for letting me play in the Sandbox....I have
been tempted to jump in on a few other issues, and may
yet do so. I am interested eventually in talking about
the classism that pervaded Richland in the good old
days....Jim Vache , '64.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Ron Richards, G1A1S1@aol.com
To: Rod Brewer:
Right On, Rod! When you can't attack Clinton on
his policies, attack him on his character. When you
can't argue the issues with Clinton's supporters, just
attack their character, too. It's real mature, Rod,
and its bound to prevail all the time.
Ron Richards ('63)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: margelt@3-cities.com (Marguerite (Groff) Tompkins)
RE: Elderly with driving licenses -
My first entry to the Sandbox - Normally, I'm not
into controversy, but this is something I feel very
strong about. However, I need to explain why I feel so
strong, even though I'm nearing the age when I may or
may not have driving difficulty. I only hope when the
time comes that I'm willing to do what I'm suggesting
be done for others.
During the last several years of my mom's life she had
severe dementia. She continued to drive far beyond
when she should. I knew her driving was atrocious, but
there was nothing I could do about it. It wasn't until
she had an at-fault accident that I found it was her
3rd.. Within a span of 18 months, she had a total of 5
at-fault accidents, the last one totaling her car and a
young teenager had minor injuries. My then she was 80.
I went to the Department of Licensing and told them
about it and begged them to recall her license. The
man I talked to said something about the strong senior
citizen lobby and how they couldn't take her license
that easily. My question was what would they do with a
younger person who had 5 at fault accidents in an 18
month period. He couldn't answer me. Mom's insurance
company was canceling her insurance; the cancel date
was 3 days after the she totaled her car. With her
dementia she was in total denial about the number of
accidents (she couldn't remember most of them) and
always blamed the last one on the kids in the pickup
she rear-ended. She even bought another vehicle
(without my knowledge) and was able to get insurance
(very expensive). In the meantime, I talked to the
Richland Police Department and they promised to do
something. Mom's doctor even sent a letter to the
state, telling them of her dementia and her inability
to drive, citing the accidents she had caused.
Eventually mother received a letter from the state
saying they were doing "random" testing of licensed
drivers and she was to come in and take the written and
driving tests. I was not aware of this. She tried the
written test 3 times without passing - then gave up.
Shortly after that she moved into a Senior Retirement
home and she allowed me to sell her van. She was 81
before the state finally sent a letter asking her to
send them her license. By that time I was basically in
charge of her life and received her mail. I had the
license and mailed it to them. But I was angry. My
mother changed lanes without looking - she ran stop
signs -she pulled out in front of people - she was a
terrible driver. As a result of dealing with my
mother, I believe strongly that all states should have
mandatory retesting of all senior citizens, starting at
age 70 or 75. If I'm still driving at that age, I
wouldn't mind being tested. Sometimes we aren't aware
of our own driving problems. My mom sure wasn't,
despite the accidents. They were always "the other
person's fault." If I think I'm a good driver, then I
shouldn't be afraid to prove it to the state.
An additional argument for testing the elderly, there
was the accident in the Tri-Cities - Easter Day, 1997,
that killed a young boy and left his mom and sister
with lasting injuries and emotional scars. An elderly
man, driving the wrong direction on a 4 lane divided
highway. Then just recently the elderly women that
pulled out in front of a van - injuring several people.
This isn't just local -it's happening all over the
country. I just thank God that mom finally stopped
driving before she killed someone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: jeperry@supersat.net (JIM PERRY...)
To: Adamstreet@aol.com
Hi to all Bomber's, in a study we have been doing and
as I look back over my years, we all grew up knowing,
the pledge of allegiance to the republic for which we
stand, yet somehow we have all slipped into letting our
Government tell us we are a democracy, which stands for
mob rule. Borrowed a 1828 Webster's Dictionary, which
does explain the difference. We had several lawyers
from our class and some judges too, but appears they
too followed mob rule than to stand up for what we all
should still believe in. Of course now with the laws
the way they are we can be arrested for not being
politically correct, isn't that a hoot from our growing
up years. Thank you for listening.
Eva (Clark) Perry - Jim & Eva
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: HELP SOUGHT IN RESTORING WEAPONS SKILLS
From: RMat683939@aol.com (Bombed Bob, class of '64)
Well, the call goes out. I can't remember just how to
fix the spring held wooden clothes pin strike anywhere
wooden match shooter anymore. I tried to remember last
week over at a friend's house to impress the boys, but
I failed to pull it off. I took one side out and
reversed it upside down, it looked good but wouldn't
cock. I must call upon other gray matter deposits.
There must be someone out there that can refresh my
memory and get me in the spotlight again. Bombed Bob 64
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TALKING POINT: Should the Mushroom Cloud Go Away?
From: Jenny Loper Buchanan (87)
mailto:leglesseye@earthlink.net
Comments from a Bomber Guest Book:
I've heard a vicious rumor that there's an anti-cloud
sentiment going around. Does anyone know if it is true
that the school is getting rid of anything involving the
mushroom cloud? Please let me know if you've heard
anything - any thoughts on a protest/petition?
PROUD OF THE CLOUD Class of '87
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
IN THE ISSUES JUST AHEAD:
(Remember... the more you send in, the more often you
will receive opinions, ideas, and interesting comments
from other Bombers all over the world!)
============================================
ISSUE #6, planned for Nov. 11: Your Comments or Ex-
periences that make Vetran's Day meaningful (or not) to
you. Is Veteran's Day a worthwhile American Holiday?
Why?
ISSUE #7: Anything you want to talk about PLUS a
review of an Article by Historian Richard Pierard, Col-
Hi Classs of '52, published in Christian History
Magazine. Dr. Pierard, Professor of History at Indiana
State University, takes a personal look at the
beginning of the atomic era and Christians' involvement
in it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SEE YOU NEXT TIME. TALK TO US! WE'RE LISTENING! mail
your comments to: Al Parker, Adamstreet@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-5-
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THE RICHLAND ALUMNI SANDBOX
Issue #6 ~ SPECIAL VETERANS DAY ISSUE NOV 11 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Gary Horton (59)
mailto:hortonge@msn.com
Accounts of our (Bomber) lives from past
communications brings forth many memories of days past.
One I would like to share with you because I'm reminded
of this experience many times throughout each year,
especially Memorial and Veterans Day. As mentioned, we
all have days we remember where we were, the time of
day, etc., when an event in our lives happens, i.e.,
Kennedy's assassination, the first moon landing, Mount
St. Helens, for those of you who lived down wind from
the eruptions, plus many others.
I remember being out in my front yard, we lived on
Farrell Lane in a "B" house at the end of the cul-de-
sac, Farrell Lane had an abundance of Sycamore trees
and most of the leaves blown from the March winds would
end up in my front yard. It was early March, a nice
sunny day, I was raking leaves when Richland's finest
drove up, got out accompanied by an Army officer, they
headed for the next door neighbor's house, when the
wife of Danny Neth (57) stepped out on the porch they
handed her a telegram informing her of her husbands
death. It's a moment in time that has forever changed
my life. Prior to that point in time I had not
understood nor appreciated the sacrifices made for us
(U.S.).
Looking back, youthfully thinking most of us
were ten feet tall and bullet proof, we would probably
live forever. Danny, one of the first Bombers to be
killed in Viet Nam and others weren't so fortunate. I
give thanks to all you Bomber Veterans and my utmost
appreciation to those who lost their lives defending
our country.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: b_rector@owt.com (Bob Rector)
You know, I have not written to Rick Maddy yet, but need
to send a real message. Rick has offered much to our
history and memories, and is a Viet Nam War Vet, in a
wheelchair. I do not believe he has ever mentioned it,
nor have I heard any complaints. *he only joked that he
did not have a job. I Need to say thank you (thank you
Very Much) to Rick, and remind him that we, or at least
I, have not forgotten. He mentioned the loss of Dan
Wagoner in Viet Nam. Dan's mother had come to work at
Western Sintering to earn money for college upon his
return. That dream never came to pass. She put
together Dan's letters and it's published, "Letter's
from Nam." So, I'm just feeling a bit thoughtful
tonight. Special thanks to some special Bombers. Rick,
I owe you a few beers. Just where in the hell south of
Olympia, are you?
Bob Rector, '62
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Veteran's Day
From: Donald Winston Class of '63
Reply-to: dwinston@ditell.com
For people of my generation, one only has to spend a
quiet evening at The Wall (a sacred place in my opinion)
to realize that Veteran's Day, if viewed as a day to
honor our Veterans and not as a day for the latest pre-
Christmas sales, is completely relevant.
Don Winston
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Vet's Day
From: Mari "Leona Eckert" Leahy '65 Me12147@aol.com
Nov.11 was always a special day for us school kids, as
we always got it off. For many years I thought we were
getting it off because it was my brother Don's,
birthday! Happy Birthday, Don Eckert '64
......love ya bro.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Proud to Honor All Bombers Who Served
>From Shirley Collings Haskins '66
Mailto:asking@worldnet.att.net
As Veteran's Day approaches I would like to say that we
are proud to honor all Bombers who served our country.
Our prayers are offered for the families who lost a
loved one in death, especially the families of Mark
Black and Kerry Love. Both Mark and Kerry were with the
class of 1966.
God bless,
Shirley Collings Haskins '66
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Let's Remember All Veterans
From: Patti (Snider) Miller (class of 1965).
Mail To: TME391@aol.com
Hi Al Parker and Bomber friends.
Is Veterans Day a worthwhile holiday? Why? Yes, it is
a worthwhile holiday for the reason to remember all who
fought and died for us in each of the wars (some they
don't call wars, but they were as far as I am
concerned).
From the class of 1966 Mark Black died so young in Viet
Nam. I belong to the church he and his family went to,
Richland Lutheran Church (corner of Van Giesen and
Stevens) where the Mark Black Memorial Fund was set up
and is still in effect to this day. My daughter, April
Miller (class of 1992) was very fortunate to have
received this scholarship and attended Eastern
Washington State University and graduated in 1996. She
was very proud to receive the Mark Black Scholarship, as
I told her about Mark and how he died. My brother, Mike
Snider (class of 1962) was in the Air Force and
stationed in Thailand during Viet Nam, my husband was in
the Navy during Viet Nam and on a ship, I had a cousin
from Tacoma who was a paramedic in Viet Nam, and also
anyone remember Roy "Mack" Brand (class of 64)? In Viet
Nam he lost a leg (I see him when he comes through my
checkstand at Albertsons' on Lee blvd.) memories of Viet
Nam really come back when I see him. He is as nice as
ever kind of shy, but I get him to say a few words;
these were just some of the lucky ones who didn't die in
the war, but have a lot of scars. My Dad was in the
Navy in World War II, and was lucky enough to come home.
I feel we should think of all veterans who made it
through the war and the ones who did not. I am proud
that all of them fought for our country. Needless to
say, Veterans Day brings back a lot of memories.
Several years ago a Viet Nam Memorial was built and
dedicated with all the tri-city veterans names on it and
is located on the Kennewick side of the Ed Hendler
bridge (used to be the Pasco/Kennewick bridge), I
remember the day it was dedicated to this day. My
husband and I were there and you just get choked up. At
Einans' Cemetery (off the by-pass highway) they still
have the parade of flags and a special ceremony with the
guns salute and that gets me choked up too, even now.
As far as I am concerned every veteran who is working
should have that as a paid holiday to honor them.
Let's remember all veterans on Veterans Day. Thank you
for listening
Patti (Snider) Miller (class of 1965)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Veteran's Day
From: Carol Wiley-Wooley (63)
Reply To: Rowein@aol.com
I grew up in a home where respect for veterans was
taught. I am sure that it was due to my parents
experiences during WW II. As a result I was aware of
some elementary facts about remembering those who had
served in their country. However I think it all became
really a big deal when my boyfriend quit high school and
went into the Navy. (total understatement) As the 60's
happened, I was more interested and aware of what was on
the news about Vietnam and how many people I knew were
in some way involved.
One day I woke up and was a Navy wife with a small child
and one on the way, and a husband in Vietnam. Life was
strange and frightening. The war was on TV in the
newspapers and friends and neighbors were talking about
it everyday. Bizarre thing I remember clearly....You
could get a letter faster from a Vietnam combat zone
than from a relative in the states... It seemed like
all the people around me were applauding my husband for
"serving his country"... No one where I was had any
negative comments about our country sending my
classmates and cousins to Vietnam. I really didn't come
into contact with any "guys who had been there" until my
husband returned from Vietnam and we moved to
California. He was still on active duty.
As I became a part of the military community I met a lot
of "vets" and their families. Funniest thing, they
didn't think they were heroes...They had a number of
different feelings. Some guys wouldn't talk about it,
others talked at length about buddies they had become
friends with and a lot of silly fun. There were others
who left buddies behind, both alive and dead and felt
guilty for leaving.
I observed first hand, the National Guard and the tanks
in Berkley. I saw people throw tomatoes and eggs at
soldiers returning from overseas. I saw the young men
at the Oakland Naval Hospital, that had lost their legs
and arms. One of the most difficult experiences I've
ever had in my life, was walking into an elevator that
had three young guys in wheelchairs with no legs. That
was a long ride down to the lobby..They were my age and
could have been the guys I went to school with...This
was really confusing to an over protected girl who grew
up in Richland...
I made it my business to get involved. I joined an
organization called VIVA. It was one of those that
passed around petitions for people to sign to send to
the Vietnamese government, demanding better treatment of
our POWs. I listened to anyone who would talk about
Vietnam and came to some conclusions that were not real
popular with my husband's C.O. I was the president of
the enlisted wives club and I talked to the other wives
and encouraged them to look beyond the surface stuff
that was on the news.One of my friends from California
gave his life for "freedom"....whose I don't know. But
his nineteen year old wife and his little baby girl
didn't understand and I don't think they ever will. As
the years have gone by I have continued to care about my
own generation and the bill of goods that they were sold
by "our fearless leaders in the other Washington"...
Finally, after a lot of years of advocating I was
privileged to meet Col. Ray Merritt USAF, Ret. He was
the guest speaker at a Vietnam Veterans of America
meeting here in Bremerton. He spoke to a room full of
vets for over an hour. No one moved, coughed or made a
remark. His talk was spellbinding. When he apologized
for talking so long all the guys told him that he had
not talked too long and they wanted to hear more. He
made reference to the fact that the petitions from VIVA
had, in fact caused the Vietnamese to afford better
treatment to him and those with him in the Hanoi Hilton.
(he was there 7 years). I was so amazed to hear him
mention that organization, which I had belonged to so
long ago. It gave me a renewed conviction to keep on
doing whatever I can do to help my generation who gave
"their best" for whatever reason.
Over the past 14 years in Bremerton, I have done Crisis
Intervention with Vietnam Vets and their families. It
has been a really rewarding experience for me. I have
talked to literally hundreds of guys, just like you that
I went to school with. In some cases I have been able
to help, sometimes just by listening.
On this Veteran's Day, I will remember with respect all
of those who have served their country, overseas or at
home and to all the Vietnam Vets, late as it is-
"Welcome Home"...and thanks.
Carol Wiley-Wooley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Fields of red
From: 0311 Bob Mattson USMC
Reply to: RMat683939@aol.com
Nothing seemed to matter. The sack, still on the
ground. Never to move, lay, waiting for choppers, that
couldn't land. Pop a yellow smoke, and so did they, no,
it didn't, it wasn't me. Two days, then three, it
wasn't me. A swarm of choppers filled the sky, Heueys
guarding Chinooks, like a wing of honkers in an autumn
sky, wings set, guiding by. Death, standing by the
sack, waiting. Where was the comfort in knowing? I was
to say it, and weep, for me, for my sorrow. The gunny
plucked one from the sky, we laid the sack at the feet
of some new meat, a green lieutenant squawked at me as I
left, he and his chicks, mother to his own ass. Fuck
that shit I hissed, not recognizing the command, it
wasn't me, God help me but I hated him for his breach of
silence. A grunt had come aboard. The newness of them.
The colors, not yet faded by the Nam, lit up like neon,
much more than I could ever tell. But they saw me. I
see the shadows in step, the parades are for those who
will always be, for as long as there will be a day of
tribute to those that did what was asked. A day like
mine, when the shadows are in step, everyday, in step
with them. Always Faithful. 0311 Bob Mattson USMC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LISTED BELOW ARE A NUMBER OF WEBSITES RELEVANT TO
REMEMBERING AND HONORING OUR VETERANS. To access any of
these sites, copy and paste the web address into you web
browser and hit "return."
THE WALL:
http://grunt.space.swri.edu/thewall.htm
This gallery contains pictures and stories of the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. Known
simply as "The Wall," this monument is one of the most
visited sites in the city of Washington. Here are five
of the pictures from Larry Powell's book, "Hunger of the
Heart: A Communion at the Wall."
VIETNAM VETERANS HOME PAGE
Officially Opened on Veteran's Day, November 11, 1994
http://grunt.space.swri.edu/index.htm
The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial-This is the official
National Park Service page for The Wall. Friends of the
Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Homepage - This site provides
services of interest to veterans and their families at
no charge. "In Touch" is a locator service which
connects the families, friends and fellow veterans of
those listed on the Wall.
http://www.ojc.org/gunny/links/memorial.htm
Lost and Found: This section is a World Wide Web
Vietnam Veteran Location Service. The purpose of this
section is to help other Veterans and friends of Vietnam
Veterans locate Veterans and others who served in
Vietnam during the war years.
http://grunt.space.swri.edu/lostfnd.htm
UAW Onlline Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,
D.C. Designed by Maya Ying Lin, the dark reflective slab
contains the names of Americans who lost their lives
fighting in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. Listen to music
and search for names and information about everyone
named on The Wall.
http://www.uaw.org/special/memdaylinks.html
Air Force Memorial: A salute to the Millions who have
served. Join us in making the Air Force Memorial a
reality. Arlington National Cemetery Official site.
"Our Nation's Most Sacred Shrine." Arlington National
Cemetery: Unofficial site. "Where Valor Proudly Sleeps."
http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~dmdragon/memorial.html
Korean Veterans Memorial
DC Pages / Memorial Day / Memorials / Korean War Vets
Memorial Location: 900 Ohio Drive, S.W. Dedicated to the
returning veterans of the Korean War, the first
Americans not to receive a heroes' welcome.
http://dcpages.com/Memorial/korean.html
Korean War Veterans' Memorial Homepage They went not for
conquest and not for gain, but only to protect the
anguished and the innocent. They suffered greatly and by
their heroism in a thousand forgotten battles they added
a luster to the codes we hold most dear: duty, honor,
country, fidelity, bravery, integrity. . . .
http://www.nps.gov/kwvm/index2.htm
WWII Memorial Planned. Gifts are being sought to create
a memorial on the UW campus in Seattle honoring
students, faculty, staff and alumni who fought and died
in World War II. The Classes of 1944, 1945 and 1946 have
taken the lead in establishing a World War II Memorial
fund.
http://www2.cac.washington.edu/alumni/columns/june96/memoria
Personal Legacy: The Healing of a Nation AN EXHIBITION
OF OBJECTS LEFT AT THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL A joint
exhibition of the National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution and National Park Service
Department of the Interior.
http://photo2.si.edu/legacy/legacy.html
WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL (AFL-CIO Executive Council
Statement 10/14/98) More than 50 years after the end of
World War II, our nation is now building a national
memorial to recognize the courage and sacrifices made by
a generation of Americans who served their country
overseas and on the home front, united in a bond of
common purpose to win the war that changed the course of
human history.
http://www.aflcio.org/estatements/oct98/memorial.htm
NPF Guide, Korean War Veterans Memorial Korean War
Veterans Memorial Washington, DC Designed to memorialize
the veterans of the "Forgotten War," the Memorial pays
tribute to the men and women who served in Korea (1950-
53) when the Cold War got hot.
http://www.nationalparks.org/guide/parks/korean-war-v-1719.htm
Washington State World War II Memorial Installation in
progress This memorial is inspired by themes from the
first stanza of Katherine Lee Bates' song "America the
Beautiful."Elements of the memorial are representative
of "O Beautiful for spacious skies...amber waves of
grain...purple mountains majesties...above the fruited
plain...from sea to shining sea."The memorial honors all
those in Washington State who...
http://leginfo.leg.wa.gov/www/admin/legis/vetmemrl/ww2mem.htm
Washington DC Monuments and Memorials Just southeast of
the Lincoln Memorial stands the Korean War Memorial,
dedicated July 27, 1995. The memorial features 19
statues in a field, symbolizing a squad on patrol on the
Korean peninsula, as well a granite wall with the images
of thousands of servicemen and servicewomen etched on
it.
http://www.his.com/~matson/monument.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-6-
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The Richland Alumni SANDBOX
Issue #7 ~ November 13, 1998
From: Byron Logman (56) ByronL@aol.com
Been reading most of the Sandstorm and Sandbox
regularly. So far as I've checked the net, these are the
only high school alumni "memory lane" and forum that
I've come across. Though I have lived officially in
Richland since 1950, most of my schooling was a boarding
school near Kenmore, WA. Since I attended the last half
of my senior year at Col Hi--and graduated in 1956-- I
do consider myself also a full Bomber!
Ran across the attached the other day...another insight
to the Hanford era.
This is a great work in progress!!! Byron Logman (56).
==============================================
The article Byron refers to is an article by Dr. Richard
V. Pierard published in HISTORY TODAY entitled,
CHRISTIANS MAKE THE FIRST BOMB. The article begins with
the author's 1944 memories as an almost-10-year old
making an arduous trek in an aging family car from
Chicago to the arid, bleak and windswept barren reaches
of the Richland-Hanford environs.
Pierard then goes on to describe in vivid detail the
early housing arrangements, and the senses of mystery
that surrounded this super secret government project,
the sudden population influx and other interesting
details as seen through a 10-year-old's eyes. He also
describes some of the downsides resulting from the
project, and perhaps we could say, the enigma of
Christians unwittingly building a bomb that could become
ultimately so vastly destructive to mankind.
Since many of the details of Richard Pierard's early
views of the Hanford and Richland scene were similar to
those related by many Col-Hi grads in the cyber pages of
the online Alumni Sandstorm I had to wonder if he might
also have become a Col-Hi graduate. I did remember a
Dick Pierard from my class of '53 years. So via the
World Wide Web, I visited Indiana State University where
Dr. Richard Pierard is a Professor of History. Indeed,
via an exchange of E-mails and a cordial phone
conversation between Maren Smyth and Pierard's wife,
Charlene, another Col-Hi graduate was found and added to
the Alumni Sandstorm and Sandbox list!
I enjoyed reading Dick Pierard's article very much and
wish that it could in some way be made available to all
of you in it's entirety. There is a point of view to be
considered. Some will agree with that point of view.
Some will not. There is also a lot of interesting
detail and historical reference that I consider to be of
value and informative. Some libraries may have the
magazine and/or article available. Although I am not
aware of the exact publication date, it was copyrighted
in 1995. Published in CHRISTIAN HISTORY Magazine. Many
libraries have access to a vast number of publications
via computer links with printout availability for
personal use. Most city and college librarians will be
happy to help you with the search.
-ap
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following message is not from a Richland graduate,
but the subject is something that could concern all of
us so I am offering it as a possible item for discussion
or individual action. -ap
Subj: DON'T Let Them Tax The Internet!!!
From: tbe29p@cci-29palms.com (Thomas W. Brown)
Tell everyone you know about this....
There's a movement afoot to slap a tax on all of us
users of the Internet. This would be done by adding
extra charges to your local telephone bill for using the
Internet.
We don't have much time....you must act now and get your
opinion to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
email addresses that follow.... Maybe if we all swamp
them with e-mail it may make a difference. We have won
before so don't think your email can't make a
difference....it Can!
Chairman - wkennard@fcc.gov
Commissioner - sness@fcc.gov
Commissioner - hfurchtg@fcc.gov
Commissioner - mpowell@fcc.gov
Commissioner - gtristan@fcc.gov
Send an email today telling them you don't want to be
taxed to use the Internet.
Thomas W. Brown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Senior Driving
From: Pam Ehinge Nassen (Class of 67)
Reply To: nassenj@adsnet.net (Jerry D. Nassen)
Hi, this is my first time in the Sandbox, but I just had
to reply to Marguerite's comment about the elderly
driving. I too hope when the time comes for me to quit
or give up my driving, I will know it or listen to
others who tell me it's time.
This is a very big problem, that our government does not
seem to acknowledge. I'm no politician and I'm very
ignorant when it comes to the laws and whatnots. But
someone out there should know how we could get a
petition started to have retesting a mandatory thing at
the age of 70-75.
Lets face it none of us are spring chickens any more and
our time is coming near too.
Just my two cents on the old age drivers!
Pam Ehinge Nassen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: senior drivers
From: radman@pcez.com (John Fletcher) (Class of '64)
John Fletcher wrote:
Marguerite (Groff) Tompkins sure brought up a
nonpolitical (I think) subject I can comment on. My Mom
and my wife's Grandfather would not give up driving. My
Mom was paying hundreds of dollars a month for
insurance, because of repeated fender benders. Becky's
granddad just drove at 30 miles an hour and didn't seem
to hit anyone. We probably can't get all the seniors
(anyone class of 63 and before!) who no longer possess
the capacity to drive safely to give up their licenses.
I saw a 20/20 show on the problem in Florida, and it was
unbelievable. The message I get from witnessing senior
citizens is: we baby boomers need to take inventory now
and start learning how to grow old gracefully. What we
will lose is our independence. Let's nurture the
relationships of those near us so that we can help them
and more importantly learn to ask for and accept help
when we need it. I am generally passive and not a do-
gooder, but when someone asks me for help, it doesn't
occur to me to not offer assistance. I think most of us
are like that. If we are jerks now, we will become
worse jerks.
It's time for us to mellow and simply be kind. Perhaps
we won't be unsafe senior drivers and will turn in our
licenses when the time comes.
John Fletcher '64
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: It's About Character
From: Rod Brewer (Class of '65)
Mail To: rbrewer@home.com (Rodney C. Brewer)
To: Ron Richards
Gee, Ron, Sorry I upset you, but you are right. This
whole sordid affair is not about policies or issues,
it's about character, and in the case of your
indefensible Bill Clinton, the lack thereof. -Rod
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Observations and Opinions on Sandbox #5
From: depler@pdx.oneworld.com (Dick Epler) (Class of '52)
After many years, I may finally be at an age where I can
offer general opinions (about things I know nothing
about) with some conviction. Just a couple of months
ago, for the first time in my life, I even wrote a
"Letter to the Editor" of our local newspaper, and now
here I am contributing to THE SANDBOX --which seems to
be a pretty tough group.
When I was younger, I had all the answers and wondered
why my parents "didn't get it." Later I became too busy
to form opinions, but fortunately it didn't matter. In
the interim, TV news became dominate (the 4th branch of
Government) and provided me with more than enough
opinion. Sadly, little of it made sense to me and I
resisted internalizing much of it. Later, in the late
'80s, however, I discovered the Internet and was
surprised to find there are a number of independent
thinkers, all over the world, whose reasoned analysis
appealed to what I intuitively knew was correct.
Hurray! I was not alone!
Regarding opinions expressed in THE SANDBOX, #5,
however, I'd like to offer mostly observations, along
with just a few opinions.
For Joe Large' regarding Clinton's indiscretions: While
I agree with you that most people read the Starr report
primarily for the sex part, a more careful reading would
reveal that Starr's case is *not* about sex. It's about
perjury, lying, and abuse of power which, if decided to
be valid, should be a little easier to judge.
Unlike most people faced with irrefutable evidence,
Clinton has never to admitted to any of the allegations
against him. Starr's report indicates that if Clinton
would just have admitted to lying under oath, he would
*not* have found it necessary to present any of the
sexual stuff. As Starr wrote: "The details are crucial
to an informed evaluation of the testimony ... [because]
the President's defense to many of the allegations is
based on a close parsing of the definitions that were
used to describe his conduct."
What we probably need to recognize is that Clinton is an
extremely aggressive liar -- which is not to be confused
with the sort of lying most of us do to spare the
feelings of a friend. As Bob Kerry of Nebraska (a
democrat), said in the campaign of '92: "Bill Clinton is
an unusually good liar." Well, that's putting it
mildly. In any case, I would think most of us are
susceptible to believing "very aggressive" liars,
especially if they are POTUS (President of the United
States). Hence the need for the details, to show
discrepancies between Clinton's testimony and fact
(unchallenged by Clinton).
Congress doesn't need Clinton's admission to "prove"
perjury in the face of unchallenged fact. Clinton's
perjury to avoid indictment in the Paula Jones case, is
a no-brainer, but I doubt Congress is interested,
because, as many have stated, the impeachment process is
more political than substance.
On the other hand, Starr's strategy probably made sense
to most reasoned thinkers, but obviously he neglected to
consider the powerful impact of SEX on the rest of us.
As a typical male, I have to agree -- it's very hard to
get sex off the brain. But when I do, I wonder about
the long term consequences of selective justice, where
we penalize some but not others for identical crimes.
Worse, I worry that, when it comes to lying, and certain
other operational aspects, Clinton will become the
poster child of all aspiring politicians.
**************************
For Jim Vache regarding the Impeachment process: I
enjoyed parts of your analysis. Since you teach
constitutional law, I'm assuming you're more interested
in truth than in a defense strategy which seeks to parse
statements for alternative word meanings, which is why I
have the following questions/observations:
1. Regarding grounds for impeachment, rather than
trying to parse the statement "... Treason, Bribery, or
*other* high Crimes and Misdemeanors" for the
significance of "other," I have to say it's more
intuitively satisfying to go with the grounds provided
in the Rodino report (which cited Raoul Berger
extensively).
As you no doubt know, this report analyzed some 400
years of impeachable offenses going back into our
English heritage. Rodino listed six categories as
grounds for HC&M: a) corruption, b) abuse of official
power, c) neglect of duty, d) betrayal of trust, e)
encroachment of Parliament's [Congress'] prerogatives,
and f) misapplication of funds. From this, It would
seem that while an impeachable act for a public official
need not be a crime, it does need to be particular kind
of conduct -- which has nothing to do with policy
differences. Further, the Federalist Papers (Alexander
Hamilton), seems to reinforce this view. Question: Does
Gonzaga [University Law School] do much with the
Federalist Papers in constitutional law?
Incidentally, it seems many of Clinton's EOs (Executive
Orders) would fall into category e: encroachment of
Congress' prerogatives, but obviously the Republican
leadership is not interested in pursuing it. Perhaps
they look forward to "encroaching on Congress'
prerogatives" when their turn comes.
2. Regarding dropping the "tax evasion" charge against
Nixon, it's hard for me to believe that could not be
thought of as a suitable HC&M. One of Berger and
Rodino's Abuse of Power examples cites the Earl of
Oxford as being charged with "... greatly diminishing
the revenues of the crown and subjecting the people of
England to greves [sic] taxes." Rather, I suspect
Nixon's tax evasion charge was dropped primarily
because, under our present system, it would likely
require proof of intent to defraud in a criminal court
*before* Congress could consider it for impeachment.
That would take a long time and be very hard to prove.
Incidentally, it's been reported that most serious
scholars, including Leon Jaworski, believe Nixon would
have survived impeachment in the House (not enough
evidence). It seems Nixon resigned primarily because
the Press made his government ineffective, which is
still one of the greatest victories for the 4th branch
of Government.
3. (Last comment). Many of your comments confused me
in the sense that they dealt more with nonlegal issues
than with substantial legal principles. As far as I can
tell, there's no justification in presenting any
impeachment arguments based purely on sex, morality or
even criminal law. Impeachment is *not* a criminal law
issue, it *is* a constitutional law issue and one which
I contend is reasonably well defined in spite of the
general confusion among the populace. In addition,
criminal law procedure does *not* apply to impeachment
proceedings in the House.
As I understand the process, the House impeaches for bad
conduct, but the Senate is where the trial (penalty)
phase is held. At that point the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court acts as a referee (as do all judges in our
legal system). But even then, no penalty is mandated.
If one is desired, however, the only penalty available
is removal from office (no censure!) and this requires a
2/3s vote (67 out of 100 senators I believe). I don't
believe anyone thinks this would happen to Clinton.
Bottom line: The house could justifiably impeach Clinton
just for lying under oath -- but he *would* stay in
office. My opinion, however, is that the House won't
impeach. The Republican leadership is just not there.
*************************
For Ron Richards regarding Clinton's Policies vs. his
Character: Constitutional law dictates (in this country)
that policy can *never* be an issue for impeachment (as
they were in England ... where they often executed the
offender). Only bad conduct (a byproduct of bad
character), and then only while in office, can be
considered legitimate issues for impeachment. That's
because trust in those who hold public office is
critical to our way of life.
I doubt many Clinton insiders really trust him (the real
reason Monica kept the dress), any more than the Mafiosi
trust their don. These people are in it for the power,
but they know the rules. When required, they know
they're expected to take the fall for their leader.
Most of the men have adhered to this, the capo's honor
code, but not the women. I think only Susan McDougal
took the fall (possibly for a presidential pardon), but
then I don't believe she was sexually involved with Bill
so that's a little different.
I must say, I regret the comparison of Clinton's
operation with the Mafiosi, but it seems appropriate.
Clinton's use of his lieutenants to advance his agenda
any way possible (generally involving work that is
clearly illegal), along with his extensive intimidation
of non-FOBs (using private detectives, IRS, FBI, and
various legal procedures), along with the rewarding of
those in prison who do take the fall, is remarkably
similar to Mafiosi's operation and code of honor (the
omerta). You might say other Presidents have done some
of these things, but clearly none have not been as
organized, nor as aggressive, nor have their excesses
been nearly as extensive. Clinton is truly unique!
************************
For Marguerite (Groff) Tompkins regarding licensing
elderly drivers: I agree with your views for licensing
elderly drivers, but I would expand it to include almost
everyone. I've contended for many years that most
accidents could be prevented if all machine operators
(including auto drivers) simply strove for
professionalism -- not only on the job, but in our
private pursuits as well. I've been told the reason we
don't is that we've come to believe the automobile is an
integral part of our "pursuit of life, liberty and
happiness." With so many accidents, however, maybe it's
time to rethink this view.
I've known "professional" drivers in their 90's (some of
my relatives) who function quite well with NO accidents.
And I'm talking about driving cross-country as well as
in town. Sometime I should write the story of Tacoma
Sam who was a centurion when he bought a motor home and
toured the country with his 3rd wife. I believe he was
featured on the Johnny Carson show when he was 112. On
the other hand, I've known "causal" drivers in all
decades who've had an unusual number of "casual
accidents." I'm convinced there are many more drivers
out there who shouldn't be licensed than just the
elderly.
By professionalism, I don't mean defensive driving
(generally presented as a cookbook/rules approach).
Rather I mean someone who constantly strives to learn,
and to be better at operating their vehicle in all
environments! This might mean giving up talking on the
car phone, and listening to loud music with earphones.
Specifically, good drivers understand the capabilities
of their vehicle, all the various environments provided
by weather and time of day, as well as their own
capabilities and physical limitations. Every once in a
while, all this knowledge must be instantly integrated
into an appropriate action given a special situation
presented by other drivers on the road. In the absence
of advance preparation, most people simply have
accidents ... and thus require seat belts and multiple
airbags to be "safe."
*******************
For EVA CLARK PERRY, regarding being a Republic vs. a
Democracy: Good observation, Eva. We're supposed to be
a Republic and not a Democracy (like France). The
confusion comes, I think, when we confuse the democratic
process used to elect our representatives with our form
of government. That process is rather like being a
manager and hiring good people to do a defined job. But
you don't want to micromanage your people, or you'll
wind up with chaos. Ideally, you want your people to do
their job with a minimum of interference. Which is to
say, it's a mistake to justify bad decisions by the use
of polling data? The most polls can tell one is whether
your message, however wrong, is getting across.
While I would like to carry this analogy further by
saying it's best to fire your representatives if they're
not doing a good job, it doesn't often work that way in
politics. Professional politicians are very ingenious
at finding ways to maintain power -- primarily by using
the power of the office to buy the votes that count
(maybe 35% of the total). And this is why we need
"national term limits" -- for the rest of us.
Sorry for the long message, but I was on a roll and it
all seemed important. Most will find it hard to agree
with much of what I write, but at least I've given the
subject extensive thought. Given my past history,
however, it'll be next August before I do this again.
But thanks for this opportunity.
-Dick Epler (52)
depler@pdx.oneworld.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Monica
From: Sherry Dupuy
Mail To: Granshery@aol.com
Responding to Joe Large' who asked: "Who in their right
mind (Monica) would hold on to a stained dress for
months and months, especially if you had been the
willing, consenting 2nd party!?"
Sherry Dupuy Responds:
Joe, On the shallow end of comments made....Monica was a
groupie as in rock groupies who save things like this
and worse from their idols....young and dumb.
Sherry Dupuy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: RE: Help sought in restoring weapons skills
From: ChrisB@cadwell.com (Chris Bolkan) (Class of '72)
Notch the spring radius on the clothespin with a pocket
knife. This will form a ledge for the spring to catch
when cocked. Remember to secure both clothespin halves
with a rubber band to form the barrel of the gun. The
gun is cocked with yet another clothes pin half. The
stick match projectile is inserted into the barrel match
head first so it will ignite when the gun is fired.
Hope this helps. Have you showed them match and foil
rockets?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: If he won't serve, how can he lead?
From: JaniceMcCurdy@prodigy.net (Janice McCurdy)
I have to jump in here with my feelings about President
Clinton. His morals are his own business, and what he
does in bed with anyone is also his own business. Lying
shows his character as well as his dealings in the past
as a governor. I of course didn't vote for him when he
ran for office the first time. I feel if he draft
dodges and won't serve his country... why should he lead
it ???
-Janice McCurdy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: More Veterans Day Thoughts
From: Wanda (Wittebort) Shukay (Class of '53)
Reply To: 112067.3054@compuserve.com (Wanda Shukay)
I've printed off all the web sites [Veteran Memorial Web
Sites listed in the Veterans Day Issue, Sandbox #6] and
hope to get time to visit them on the net.
Well, here I am in the Nations Capital and I'm not
visiting Arlington Cemetery today, but I do on and off
during the year, and the Viet Nam Memorial, etc.
My memories go back to 1942 in Pittsburgh PA, selling
poppies on the corner for vets, collecting foil
wrappers for the war, etc. Having some of my 8 uncles
serving in WWII, my grandma having flags in her windows
with stars for each son serving. They all came back and
lived good lives only 3 remain and only one that did
serve. The two oldest 90 this year and 89, were too old
or had disabilities and couldn't serve.
I then remember end of war - I was living in Lake
Arrowhead CA and there was quite a celebration in the
Village.
I then remember at school in Richland when Korean war
took off and a lot of our friends were either called up
or volunteered. I remember some of them coming back to
finish school - can't remember their names. I could go
on and on, but I have some work to do now, even tho a
holiday, brought work home. Is that an ethic we learned
in Richland? The "work ethic"?
Best to you, Wanda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: More Veterans Day Thoughts
From: ecb3@compuserve.com (Earl Bennett) (Class of '63)
Currently on my annual reserve duty, I've been too busy
to get a note in on time for the Veteran's Day issue,
but I got a little time off today, and if I don't MAKE
the time for it, shame on me.
Today I want to honor all who have sacrificed something,
anything, in service to their country. Let me start
with my father, Earl Charles Bennett, II, who flew P38s
in the South Pacific during WWII. I never did get him to
talk much about those experiences. He died two years
ago, and we cherish all the memories of this rock-solid,
God-fearing man who understood and imparted to us the
concepts of duty, honor, and service. He sacrificed the
first three years of his marriage - I was the immediate
result of his return.
Dad and I never knew Earl Charles Bennett, who died in
France in WWI a few months after Dad, his first child,
was born. We still have some postcards from him, and
the telegrams arranging shipment home for burial.
Grandma remarried and four of her additional six
children are still with us. Uncle Alden Oyen served in
the Army, as did Uncle Newell and late Uncle Dean.
My wife's father, William Barton, served in the Army
Medical Corps in Europe during WWII. Her stepfather,
Charles Shore, served in the Navy after the war. I went
to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial - THE WALL - and twice
traced the name of Mark Black, who gave his life in
service to our country.
He was three years younger than me and attended Richland
Lutheran Church, as I did. One tracing I kept, the
other I sent back to the Church. I had heard about the
fund that was set up in his name, and was pleased to see
the note from Patti Snider Miller about the fund
continuing. I never thought much about the sacrifices
of military duty, especially for the families left
behind, until eight years ago. My four years in the Air
Force, while technically making me a Vietnam era
veteran, was primarily a very rewarding time, doing
interesting work with a new language (Arabic) that I
found challenging and fascinating. I walked the fences
of Iraklion Air Station on Crete with a .45 on my hip
(unloaded, no ammo - can you believe it?) after the
Prince and Princess of Greece were forced to abdicate
and we were not too sure how the new government would
relate to the U.S. Even then I was only vaguely aware
that my life could be on the line.
As a Navy Reserve officer I was asked in February of
1991 if I wanted to go to Saudi Arabia to work with the
document exploitation team processing captured
documents. All of a sudden, asking my wife, Barneata,
how she felt about it, I realized this was not just
another interesting trip. There had been a SCUD missile
shortly before that had killed and wounded a lot of Army
Reserve and National Guard soldiers a few miles from
where I would be working. They had committed to serve,
just like me. They had no choice about going, whereas I
was asked. Here I was, anxious to do some interesting
work, asking my wife how she felt about me going to a
war zone. She acquiesced, but not without serious
trepidation. I love her deeply and honor her here
before you all for her sacrifice in agreeing to my
departure - for I would not have gone if she had said
she couldn't handle it. My time there was very
rewarding and led to other fascinating opportunities
later, while she took on sole responsibility for our
home and the issues of everyday life, with no guaranteed
termination date. When I got back, I made her a medal
bar (Southwest Asia Service Medal and National Defense
Service Medal) to put on her desk at work in honor of
her contribution to Operation DESERT STORM.
I received the following recently in a broadcast email,
don't remember from whom. Medals are nice, but not
everyone gets them who deserves them. Thank you,
friends and colleagues, for your service and sacrifices.
ecb3
VETERANS DAY
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: A
missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye.
Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding
a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg or
perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally
forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades,
however, the men and women who have kept America safe
wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a veteran just
by looking. Who is a veteran? He is the cop on the
beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two
gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers
didn't run out of fuel. She - or he - is the one who
prevented ethnic cleansing, inhumane treatment,
starvation, and gave life, hope and liberty to the
peoples of Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Bosnia and Haiti.
He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden
planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed
a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of
exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel. She is the
nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep
sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang. He
is the POW who went away one person and came back
another - or didn't come back AT ALL. He is the
Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat -
but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-
account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and
teaching them to watch each other's backs.
He is the carrier pilot landing on a rolling, pitching,
heaving flight deck during a rain squall in the pitch-
black night of the Tonkin Gulf. He is the parade-riding
Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a
prosthetic hand. She is the career quartermaster (Army
Supply Corps) who watches the ribbons and medals pass
her by without complaining of the long hours, impossible
requests, or thanklessness of those she keeps warm, fed,
and supplied with the equipment needed to survive and
return to their families.
He is the Army Ranger who humps endless miles of burning
sand for three days with no sleep or food and very
little water to designate targets for laser guided bombs
or swims through a disease infested swamp and crawls
over poisonous snakes under the cover of darkness to
conduct intelligence on a foreign government hostile to
our own and our cherished way of life.
He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The
Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National
Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the
anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them
on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep. He
is the old man bagging groceries at the supermarket -
palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate
a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his
wife was still alive to hold him when the nightmares
come.
They are ordinary and yet extraordinary human beings -
people who offered some of their life's most vital years
in the service of their country, and who sacrificed
their ambitions so their fellow countrymen would not
have to sacrifice their own. They are soldiers and
saviors and swords against the darkness, and they are
nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on
behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served
our country, just lean over and say "Thank You." That's
all most people need, and in most cases it will mean
more than any medals they could have been awarded or
were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot: "THANK YOU"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ISSUE OF
THE SANDBOX: KEEP THEM COMING! Sandbox # 8 will
feature comments from Daniel Gire, John Allen, Tom
Matthews, John Wingfield, Joseph Dan, Rob Teats, Irene
Gostnel Goodnite and others, perhaps you! Send your
ideas, comments and replies to: Al Parker at:
Adamstreet@aol.com See you next time!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-7-
***************************************
***************************************
********************************************
The Richland Alumni SANDBOX
Issue #8 ~ November 14, 1998
Bombers talking to Bombers-
"...*in notes, by distance made more sweet..."
*phrase borrowed from William Collins, 1721 - 1759 in
his "The Passions, an Ode for Music."
==============================================
Subj: Three Special Veterans Remembered
From: Irene Gostnell Goodnight
e-mail: irene@bendnet.com (Irene Goodnight)
To: Adamstreet@aol.com
Re: Veteran's Day (Belated thoughts......)
Not having any close relatives or friends who are war
veterans, I am left with the realization that there are
three guys who have played a great part in my life, who
are veterans, and were able to take what they got from
the experience and turn it into something beautiful.
Three former bandleaders of mine. The first, Andy
DePaul, living in California, played bass and sang with
a raspy voice, and made everyone laugh with his witty
comments from every bar stage. He had the shakes from
shell shock so bad that I always wondered how he
repaired and built the instruments he did as income for
his small family. He loved music and his family and
people, and he had been a field cook in Viet Nam. He
also set us up with gigs at some Army bases along the
coast. I learned how to stand up to a club owner who
tried to stiff the band's paycheck from Andy. In later
years I would use that lesson......
After him was Bob McComb, ex-marine, who also played
bass, sang lead, and made people laugh. He got us gigs
at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. His band was
my first "on the road" band, and I traveled to places I
never would have seen in those days, including the Grand
Canyon. The band would live as "locals," not tourists,
thereby making friends with people we worked with at the
club, who would turn us on to, and host us at local
flavor events. Bob's organizational abilities were
awesome.
And later in Oregon was Gary Battles, bandleader who
bought a bus, had it painted and designated it as the
Band Bus for our travels north and south. He played
mean rhythm guitar, wrote great songs, and sang with his
heart up front. He could charm a snake, and his big
smile and jokes got everyone going, but sometimes these
were replaced by very sad or very wild behavior. That
part gave him a lot of trouble. He had seen combat and
the worst war had to offer, I believe, and had escaped
physical wounds, but the mental and emotional ones were
evident over and over again.
So these are the veterans I honor, (though I do not
honor the wars that used them. But that's another
column, one I'm not ready to write yet....) These three
men shared vision, going out and getting things done,
not being afraid to go for it, and best of all, shining
out to people. There are so many people who were
touched by their bands, and particularly by these guys
who turned their WAR experience into something so
positive it surely made even Spirit laugh with pleasure
to see them sing........ Thanks so much, Andy, and Bob,
and Gary, wherever you are now.
From Irene Smith Gostnell Goodnight ('59)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: About Veterans
From: From Joe Largé
Mail To: JosephDan@aol.com
Thank you, All, for your comments about Veterans Day and
Vietnam Vets! What a thought provoker, what a message,
filled with reasons to be thankful for!
What was it that Lincoln said:
"Yet in a greater sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot
consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. Those brave
men who died here have hallowed this ground far above
our poor powers to add or detract... " The Holy Water
poured out was their blood! -from all wars!
Joe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Responses to Vet Related URLs
From: Cyndy Brooks Cowman) (Class of '68)
e-mail: cynbrooksc@yahoo.com
I want to thank Bob Mattson for the *URLs concerning our
Veterans. I posted some of them on a message board that
I frequent and had 2 responses. One long letter stating
that parents should not send their children to war,
etc... And, another from a Vet., simply thanking me for
the URLs. Controversial subject. I respect and in some
cases love (my nephew and brother in law) for choosing
the military. But, if there was to be another conflict
like the one in Vietnam, or police action, like the one
in Korea or declared war, like WWII I am not so sure I
would want any of my loved ones to be involved and
Canada sounds like a good place to live. However, all
of those who have and are serving deserve our respect
and recognition.
Note: *URLs were supplied via editorial net surfing, not
by Bob Mattson. However, his, and other inspiring
contributions to the special Veterans Issue of The
SANDBOX compelled me to find and share those sites. -ap
Subj: Should we release all now imprisoned for lying
under oath about sex? From: cynbrooksc@yahoo.com
(Cyndy Brooks Cowman)
About Clinton. There are approximately 115 people in
prison for lying under oath concerning sex. Shall we
set them free? Clinton has done OK with our country I
guess, but when it comes to personal matters he lies.
But, these lies effect the view I have of him and I
can't listen or look at his face anymore. So there :)
Cyndy (68)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Address Request
From: wkw@u.washington.edu (W. Kenneth Wright)
To: ADAMSTREET@aol.com
Al,
Read the submission from Byron Logman (56), re:
Dr. Richard V. Pierard's article "Christians Make the
First Bomb". Would like to contact him via Email, could
you send me his address? Thanks Kenny
Kenny Wright
Locke Computer Center
a man who likes to play with mice Health Sciences is a
man whose mind you can easily entice UW Box 357170
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7170
if opportunity doesn't knock...build a door (206) 543-9275
*******************************************************
Dr. Pierard's Email address is: hipier@ruby.indstate.edu
********************************************************
A partial review of Richard Pierard's article appeared
in Issue #7 of The SANDBOX. In a future SANDBOX I plan
to offer for your consideration and discussion some of
the problems to which he reffers that have been
associated with Hanford projects and products through
the years. Thank you all for your great contributionsto
this, as well as past and future editions of The
Richland Alumni SANDBOX! Keep them coming!
TALK TO US. WE'RE LISTENING!
Reply To: Adamstreet@aol.com -Al Parker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Violations of Trust
From: Daniel Gire (Class of '83)
E-mail: Daniel.Gire@PSS.Boeing.com
To: Joe Large', Subject: Lewinski
Joe, I read your note with great interest and would like
to add a few points of my own, respectfully. I think
you're getting the issues confused. Bill Clinton's
actions violated two trusts: The first being moral -
having "sexual relations" (whatever THAT means) with
someone other than his wife (married partner). The
second, legal - lying under oath to a Grand Jury.
Perjury. A Felony Offense. We could spend all day
debating Bill's carefully "word-smithed" answers, and
whether there was entrapment used to catch him, but how
many separate instances of "entrapment" does it take to
equal a lie??? He didn't just lie to the Grand Jury,
Joe. He lied to his family, his staff, his party, and
to every one of us - the American public. It wasn't
just a little "white" lie, was it? He was bluffing,
lying to the bitter end, until his bluff was called. By
then it was too late, though, Perjury had been committed
not once, but SEVERAL times, and over a long period of
time. One final question... What do we tell the
children?
Dan Gire ('83)
P.S. - if anyone sees my father-in-law, Ken Johnson
('65), around Richland, say Hi to him for me. He's a
great guy...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: The More Things Change.....
From: John M. Allen
Mail to: miles2go@cheerful.com
Over the last several years, and in particular since the
first of this year, I have been intrigued to observe
how, AS A SOCIETY, we have changed our behavior so
imperceptibly since the year before, or the day after,
we graduated from high school.
This summer in Portland, Oregon, we had a situation
where the student body president of Grant High School
decided it would be worthwhile summer employment if he
and a handful of his classmates would engage in the
armed robbery of several convenience stores around town.
While the identity of the perpetrators DID escape the
Portland Police for several weeks, it was eventually
revealed that their identity did NOT escape many Grant
High students, most of whom were not involved in the
robberies. These students knew the truth of what was
going on but the student body president was an EXTREMELY
popular kid and an effective leader (from the standpoint
of getting people to follow and believe in him), and the
students who knew about his activities, somehow
rationalized not holding the boy's feet to the fire for
his felonious behavior. Does any of this begin to sound
vaguely familiar? It should.
The truth is, whether we like it or not, within the
greater society there will normally be precious few
leaders. The vast majority will be quite content to
remain lemmings. One of the most (formally) educated
graduates of RHS Class of '66 has, over the past few
years, taken great relish in pointing out to me that he
is in "the mainstream of American political thought" and
that I ........... well, I'm somewhere else. Beyond the
fact that "the mainstream of American political thought"
has itself become a tired, "herd mentality" phrase, this
individual is, in reality, saying how proud he is to be
a part of that herd. I worry about pride like this, and
when you warn your children (and grandchildren) about
"peer pressure," remember that it is nothing more than
the fear of not being a member of the herd.
So now, as a society, we are faced with the dilemma that
like some other societies in history, we have by any
REASONABLE standard, made a really bad choice in a
leader. Unfortunately, like those students at
Portland's Grant High School, we have to date chosen to
accept a plethora of sorry rationalizations rather than
hold this man's feet to the fire for HIS felonious
behavior.
We are told by Bill Clinton's legal lackeys at ALL
levels (even in the SANDBOX), that his behavior does not
rise to the level of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors."
Personally, I find it impossible to argue that there are
two more crucial factors to the survival of any
democracy than the Nuclear Family and the Rule of Law.
But Clinton, with his behavior and his lying about it,
has assaulted both of these institutions to their very
core. Moreover, having been caught like a rat in a
spotlight during a Saturday night's sport at the local
dump, he has sent forth his lesser rats to offer the
American people the most pitiful of justifications for
retaining his services. We are told for example, that
there is somehow a correlation between Clinton's long
history of philandering and Franklin Roosevelt's
"wheelchair romance" with Lucy Mercer; a decades long
friend of the Roosevelt family. And in the face of
absolutely no evidence beyond innuendo, the same
argument is made about Dwight Eisenhower and his WW II
aide, Kay Summersby. Fellow citizens, THIS is what is
meant by "defining deviancy down." That is, when a man
can't measure up to acceptable standards, he attempts by
ALL MEANS AVAILABLE to bring everyone else down to his
personal hellhole in the gutter. Those "means" include,
but are not limited to, repeating lies loudly and
frequently enough that the herd eventually accepts them
as truth. And finally we are told by the virtuous likes
of Geraldo Rivera and other fallen lawyers, that "this
is all about sex," when everyone knows it is perfectly
acceptable in our country to lie UNDER OATH to a Federal
Grand Jury, so long as the lie is about sex.
Interestingly enough, we have yet to see a single lawyer
reciting this mantra, who has also had the personal
courage to introduce legislation codifying the
proposition that it is OK for the president to lie under
oath about sex (providing of course, that he is a
POPULAR president). But this IS the very soul of Bill
Clinton; divide and conquer. Who will argue that
Clinton, shamefully, and by himself, divided the
American people with his escapades, his arrogance, and
his complete lack of personal honor. Personal honor,
after all, is defined by what we do when no one is
looking; and we now know for certain what Bill Clinton
has been doing when he thought no one was looking.
Until recently, I have allowed myself to be pretty
discouraged by the swollen herd which is so willing,
even eager to be deceived by the "popular guy" rather
than confront the unfortunate choice it has made; not
once but two times. However, I am now heartened by the
unusually high number of leaders I see who are unwilling
to have this sociopath spit in their face and then tell
them it's just raining. I encourage those of you who
are still in the herd to buck up and shed your
politically correct aversion to being "judgmental." Have
a little faith in your country which was well and
specifically designed by its founders to withstand the
loss of any one "leader." This great nation has
weathered far greater losses in the past, and we and our
precious mutual funds can certainly weather the loss of
Bill Clinton.
John M. Allen Class of '66
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Older Driver Testing
From: Tom Matthews (Class of '67)
e-mail: tjmatt@serv.net
I agree with Marguerite Tompkins about State of
Washington Department of Licensing procedures with the
elderly. There definitely needs to be some procedure
based on medical checks or notification by relatives.
The problem is that there are those who continue to
drive safely into their 80's, and it is possible that
some dysfunctional relative might try to stop a person
from driving for other than safety reasons. I was
totally surprised when my Father, in his late 80's, was
able to renew his drivers license without any testing
other than the usual eye test. He has no car and no
longer wants to drive but likes to have the license for
identification. I'm wondering if he will be able to
renew again now that he is in his 90's (without telling
them he just wants identification).
Tom Matthews (57)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Lies, Secrets and Toxic Waste
From: John Wingfield (Class of '66)
Reply-to: unity@gaia.com
I want to say I appreciate Jim Vache's lesson on
impeachment and the presidency. For these past weeks
and months I have listened to and read other people's
commentaries and criticisms and Jim's is one of the most
intelligent insights from a legal perspective I have
received. What has bothered me, upon hearing people
complain about the President not telling the truth about
an affair is that we have been lied to for decades by
Presidents while they have been under the oath of
office. We were lied to about American Indians being
savages and less that human. We were lied to about
slavery being morally acceptable. We were lied to about
women not being capable of voting. We were lied to
about the Japanese needing to be rounded up and put in
prison camps. We were lied to about Black people being
inferior. We were lied to about the Red Scare during
the McCarthy Era. We were lied to about Viet Nam and
the "Domino Theory," by JFK, LBJ and RMN. Not that they
were giving us false information, but they were giving
us only partial and/or propagandized information.
President Clinton has not killed anyone, has not started
any war and has not committed us to a policy or
direction of our country that would lead to unlimited
debt and economic or military turmoil. He made a stupid
mistake, but he has been the first president to admit
it. (I know Jimmy Carter admitted lusting in his heart.)
Another thing that has bothered me about the national
debate has been all those individuals who have tried to
seize the moral high ground. Certainly Jesus'
admonition "He who is without sin cast the first stone"
has been ignored or twisted to the heights of WWF
Wrestling standards. And remember, there are sins
(mistakes) of commission and omission. I must say that
I have enjoyed the many comments and stories of
neighbors about my home town and days gone by. But for
me it has been tempered by the awareness that the idilic
childhood that I enjoyed with a Father Know's Best
environment all happened on top of a secret that has led
to the largest toxic waste depository in the world. Was
that secret, in the name of national security and
patriotism healthy and the best thing for us and our
nation? Who knows. But now it is up to us to pick up
the pieces and clean up the mess and make the best of it
in our lives and in our world. It is our world and we
are responsible for it. Peace, John Wingfield ('66)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joe Largé (68) wrote:
Dear Eva Clark Perry,
DEMOCRATIC: Government by the People
vs:
REPUBLICAN: Government through Representation
Joe Largé (68)
JosephDan@AOL.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Re: Fwd: Alumni Sandstorm ~ 11/9/98
Date: 11/11/98 3:10:16 PM PST
From: Rob Teats (Class of '70)
Mail To: PARUMC@aol.com
In light of the recent elections my thoughts went back
to one peculiar political event that I attended with Ray
Nelson ('70). This was our senior year and as the
Student Body President I was interested in politics.
Ray and I somehow were invited over to a meeting of the
Young Americans For Freedom chapter in Richland. I am
fairly certain we met at Loren Sharp's (70) home.
I discovered that evening that the Young Americans For
Freedom was the youth division of the John Birch
Society. I remember there being about fifteen high
school kids, most of them wearing their green and gold
bomber jackets, and some adult from the John Birch
"headquarters."
We saw a political movie and heard a presentation. I
was stunned by what I heard. First of all President
Dwight Eisenhower was a stooge of the communists and so
was our current President Richard Nixon. They were both
under the spell of the United Nations which was a front
for the communists.
Then we heard how the Supreme Court was controlled by
"Reds" and how they were destroying White Man's America.
They were selling our country to the "coons," their term
for African Americans. By now I was really beginning to
feel uncomfortable.
The presentation went on to conclude that we needed to
win the Vietnam War and that the generals needed to use
nuclear bombs in order to get rid of the "Reds" in
Hanoi. Further, they said it was essential that we
unilaterally drop H-bombs on Communist China, because
they were by far worse than the Russians, since they
were the "yellow menace." There were some other
comments about fluoridation being a communist plot and
some other really way out ideas.
Ray and I were totally freaked out. We knew that we
were never going back to one of those meetings. A few
weeks later, one of the more thuggish looking members of
the group cornered me and asked why I had come to their
meeting and insinuated that maybe I was a spy. I
assured him, that the Young Americans For Freedom just
wasn't my thing and so what was he going to do, beat me
up? Anyway nothing further ever came of it, and thank
God no one has dropped any H-bombs! I still wonder if
any of those kids grew up and still have such a
paranoid, extreme politics of hate?
-Rob Teats (70)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Affordable Internet Access Crucial
From: tom@emeraldseas.com (Tom Hemphill) (Class of '62)
Hello Sandbox Playmates:
I didn't think that I would ever jump into this sandbox,
but the issue of the FCC and potential taxes or any
other fees for Internet access concerns me. My prime
concern is keeping the cost of internet access low so
that senior citizen and children would be encouraged to
communicate and take advantage of educational
opportunities. So I did send the following letter, via
email, to the FCC Chair and Commissioners:
Dear FCC Chairman and Commissioners, I am opposed to any
action, taxes included, that could discourage the use of
the Internet by children and senior citizens.
I am 54 years old and my wife is 53. We have four
grandchildren ages 3 to 10, and more on the way. We
have several close family members in their 70s and 80s.
Because of the Internet and email, we are now
communicating weekly, and sometimes daily, with our
family members, some of which are more than two thousand
miles away. We have been able to re-kindle our
relationships and many old friendships, because of
email.
We are also very aware that here in the United States,
the most powerful country in the world, many of our
children are not getting the education that is needed to
ensure the world status of our nation. Affordable access
to the Internet is of paramount importance to the
educational development of our youth.
Any action that will increase the cost of the Internet
for communication and education, will most certainly
have a very negative impact on our senior citizens and
our youth. Communication is crucial to keep our families
emotionally healthy. Education of our young people is
most important for the future of our country.
Please consider all of the negative consequences that
will result from a tax or any other action that may
increase the cost of Internet access.
Sincerely, Tom Hemphill Friday Harbor, Washington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: Are Drug Users Putting Needles in Telephone Coin Returns?
From: Al Parker, Adamstreet@aol.com
I have seen two separate warnings regarding this come
over the Internet so far, and seen one E-mail dismissing
the warning as a bit far fetched. I'll just paste in
some of what I've seen and let you decide for yourselves
to whence you want to let your fingers do the walking,
"A very good friend of mine is in an EMT certification
course. There is something new happening that everyone
should be aware of. Drug users are now taking their used
needles and putting them into the coin return slots in
public telephones. People who are putting their fingers
in to recover coins or just to check if anyone left
change, are getting stuck by these needles and infected
with hepatitis, HIV, and other diseases. This message
is posted to make everyone aware of this danger. Be
aware! The change isn't worth it!"
"P.S. - This information came straight from phone
company workers, through the EMT instructor. This did
NOT come from a hearsay urban legend source."
THE FOLLOWING CAME FROM ANOTHER INTERNET SOURCE:
"A friend of mine who is a anesthetist wrote me back and
said: 'Speaking as someone who works with all sizes of
needles, daily, there is no size that could be concealed
in the coin return slot of a telephone. Most (not all)
people who get HIV, get it from UNPROTECTED SEX and
sharing drug needles. As far as I know, there has never
been a documented case of a health care worker getting
HIV from work activities. And we get stuck with used
needles quite a few times during our careers....'"
AND FROM ANOTHER E-MAIL ON THE SAME SUBJECT:
"Sometimes I wonder where people get these warnings
from. However, it did make sense to me about the chance
of needles being in those slots. Just today I made a
phone call and when I hung up, I put my fingers in the
slot! Sure glad there were no needles."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Keep the Bomb!
From: Joe Large'
Mail To: JosephDan@aol.com
Dear Jenny Loper Buchanan,
I'm for keeping the Bomb! Not that I'm in love with
Nuclear War and have a appearance like that of *Dr.
Strangelove (which, by the way, was a character
patterned after Edward Teller), but that it was a part
of our history that brought the war with Japan to an
end.
If we were looking for a mascot at this current time and
RHS had never had one, I would probably choose something
like - "The Rattlers", or "The Scorpions", more keeping
in-line with the "Desert" motif. [Note: According to
Historian Richard Pierard, Col-Hi-'52), the original
Col-Hi teams sported a Beaver as their logo. Do some of
you remember a few beavers in some of the irrigation
ditches around Richland years ago?-ed.]
However, Richland will always be known by that bit of
history along with Oak Ridge, Tenn. and Los Alamos, NM.
Because of the Nuclear Bomb, we also have things such as
Nuclear Medicine, Carbon Testing, Chemotherapy, just to
name a few. However, I CAN'T see Richland High Students
called by: "The Chemotherapists"! It JUST doesn't have
the same ring! Don't you think?
Carefully I state my claim, HUMBLY PROUD to be a Bomber!
Joe Largé (68)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: driverztests@70.yes?
From: Joe Large'
Mail To: JosephDan@aol.com
To: Marguerite (Groff) Tompkins,
Here, Here! I agree wholeheartedly with what you said
about the suggested Mandatory post-70 Year testing. My
dad FINALLY stopped driving around 84 or so. As it was,
it was a frightening experience to be in the car with
him when he was driving. Fortunately, he would always
have me drive him around when he went places. My
cousins and sisters would come away with white knuckles
whenever he drove, a pretty good feat being that our
skin color is a good shade of olive.
Joe Largé (68)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Due Process and Bermuda Shorts
From: irene@bendnet.com (Irene Goodnight) ('59)
To: Steve Carson
Yes, Steve, I do remember the big Bermuda shorts issue
at Col. Hi. I've thought of it many a time and used it
as a measurement of where we've come from, (or to?) in
the last 40 years. Those were definitely important
practice issues for us. Seeing you guys argue and
debate the "authorities" for your "rights" seemed kind
of scary to me then, but it made sense and probably
served as precedent in other later issues for us. The
importance of due process, wherever possible, and as
long as possible (which can hold some kind of order) vs.
revolution (which can cause great fear) was well
demonstrated.....
-Irene Smith Gostnell Goodnight ('59)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Observations and Opinions on Sandbox #5
From: ray@transcribing.com (Ray Wells) (Class of '54)
I agree with Dick Epler's comments in Sandstorm #7, save
one. According to Ken Hamblin, Bill Clinton had a 10
year affair with Susan McDougal with the full knowledge
and permission of her husband.
According to the Today show and it's counterpart in the
evening, there are 110 Americans in prison, right now,
for lying under oath. They interviewed 3 women, two in
prison, and one confined to her home by electronic
surveillance device, who are where they are because they
lied about sex under oath. One of these women, a
psychiatrist, has been forbidden to practice her
profession again. We are supposed to have equal justice
for all so why is Clinton exempt? A president who is
above the law is a despot.
-Ray Wells ('54)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Talking Points
From: Joe Large'
Mail to: JosephDan@aol.com
Just some suggestions, (should people be running out of
things to fight over):
How about topics like:
Christian Bashing, Fact or Myth! (I'm a born-again
Christian). Do you really think that Christians are
attempting to force their beliefs on the non-christian
world - especially in the light that the Christians are
forced to be happy and accept the beliefs of the non-
christian world. (That ought to bring out the steam in
some people's ears).
[I respect your claim, Joe, of being "Born Again." To
some Christians, however, becoming "born again" is a
process that begins with "impregnation" (in a spiritual
sense), by God's Holy Spirit via Baptism. Directly
paralleling the mortal model we are given to begin with,
a spiritual gestation period follows, with all due care
and nurturing, culminating ultimately, in a spiritual
resurrection, (or rebirth) from a corruptible mortal
human into an incorruptible and immortal member of the
very family of God. -ap]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More Possible Subjects for Discussion Suggested by Joe Large':
Should we really be allowing our kids to sleep with
someone when their 18 years of age (or younger), or
should we be promoting sexual abstinence in an attempt
to sway our kids away from the idea that Sex is a
Teenager Contact Sport. Don't get me wrong -I Love Sex!
I wouldn't have been here without it!
OR:
Whatever!
Joe continues, "I could get SHOT just for suggesting
these things! Anyway, just thought I'd throw a tire iron
into the works. For as you know, you can open any door
if you only have the key! lololol!"
[And, as Kenny Wright says above, "If opportunity
doesn't knock, build a door!" -ap.]
Then Joe signs off as, "Joe Largé (68) - alias: The Pot
Stirrer .... Which, he says, brings to mind another
issue....
But the issue isn't described. So, I guess that means
the next topic to be discussed is Entirely Up to YOU!
SO LET'S HEAR FROM YOU TODAY TALK TO US
WE'RE LISTENING!
-8-
***************************************
***************************************
********************************************
The Richland Alumni SANDBOX
Issue #9 ~ November 21, 1998
BOMBERS TALKING TO BOMBERS -- From all Around The World!
The Free and Informed Expression of Opinions and
Ideas of Columbia / Richland High School Alumni,
Richland, Washington, USA
"Quot homines tot sententiae: suo' quoique mos." (There
are as many opinions as there are people: each has his
own correct way.) --Terence c. 190-159 B.C.
================================================
Subj: Innovative teaching prepared us and encouraged
us to THINK and PARTICIPATE in the Free and Informed
Expression of Opinions and Ideas.
Such as: The pros and cons of portraying the Mushroom
Cloud as one of our School's Symbols.
From: Rhonda Miller Williams (Class of 78)
mailto:Rjlaughin@aol.com
Jim Deatherage has been mentioned often; he also was a
fairly new teacher when I had him for English my senior
year (1977-78). I don't think I've ever talked to
anyone who was in one of his classes that didn't come
away with some excellent memories: daily journaling,
interesting reading and class exercises, being allowed
to study outside if the weather was particularly fine
and, maybe most importantly, an atmosphere that allowed
and encouraged the free expression of a truly wide range
of ideas.
His promoting the continued discussion surrounding
retaining the mushroom cloud logo is exactly in keeping
with his character as I remember it, one of strong
convictions and no fear of speaking out, even when his
opinion is not popular. Though I don't agree with him,
he certainly presents a clear, well thought out
argument. I'm all for spirited debate of the issue,
whether you believe the mushroom cloud should stay or
go. Whatever your point of view, it's reasonable to
expect you should be informed and intelligent enough to
defend it.
I took the "Free to Be" class from Ms. Hayes around that
time also, probably my junior year (1976-77). It was a
very different type of class from the traditional
(occasionally boring!) English classes offered at the
time. She, too, was an innovative teacher, emphasizing
the thinking process as being at least as important as
the "answer." I always enjoyed teachers who weren't
afraid to let their students actually THINK!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Location - Location - Location!
From: (Barbara Seslar Brackenbush (Class of 1960)
e-mail: radman@gte.net (Brackenbush)
Someone mentioned "...and what he (the president) does
in bed with anyone is also his own business." Just a
reminder, it was in the Oval Office. That is what
bothers me.
I think it is very helpful to be able to talk about
things. Thanks for the "Sandbox."
Barbara
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: No Wallflowers or Dummies In This Town!
From: Margaret A. Hartnett (72)
e-mail: highdesert@theriver.com (A modern hotel in a timeless town)
My, oh, my, they didn't raise a bunch of wallflowers or
dummies in A-City now did they? I am beginning to think
that Sunday perusal of the SANDBOX is a better contact
sport than football! Where to begin, there were so many
topics, I think I'll take one that maybe wasn't intended
as one in John Allen's (66) contribution. John, you
almost had me and I couldn't agree more with you vis a
vis "herd mentality" because I have been so far out of
the "mainstream" for so long that it looks like alien
territory to me, but I have to take exception with you
on the case of the 2 most important factors in saving
democracy. Rule of Law, you bet, but are you really
sure you want to give the nuclear family that much
credit? I am wondering where that puts me in the scheme
of things. You see my parents both died when I was in
my mid twenties, my siblings and I was followed very
different paths, which isn't to say we are alienated
from one another but we aren't n close proximity to one
another, physically, politically, spiritually.
Furthermore, I am not able to have children. So, is
there no role for me in this society? I run a business,
pay tons of taxes, employ people, engage in hospice work
and other run of the mill charitable activities, but I
guess since I can't take the kids home to see the folks
this Christmas, I am undermining the safety and sanctity
of society. Thanks for letting me know.
And since you brought up gutters and other hellholes in
which we may find ourselves, I always remember Oscar
Wilde's view from there: "All of us are in the gutter,
but some of us are looking at the stars."
Re: Veterans' Day-- I appreciated all of the
heartfelt and well written tributes. I find it hard not
to feel profoundly sad and seriously angry whenever the
subject of Viet Nam comes up. My closest and most
profound contact with veterans of that conflict came
through counseling, crisis intervention and as part of
teams of veterans and anti-war activists that visited
high schools in Oregon to discuss the war, the
opposition to the war and mandatory draft registration.
It was a lively group to say the least. One of the
areas that we discussed amongst ourselves but doesn't
get covered much was how veterans, who had been sent to
help stop the communist spread in SE Asia, felt when
Nixon went to China. No one I knew believed that was
about anything but future economic relations. I
certainly saw a lot of anger and frustration on the part
of vets who were recently home, had left friends still
there and the President was having tea with Mao. Did
that bother anyone else?
Re: Rob Teats (70) Thanks for the memories and the
cautionary tale. How can you doubt that those young
people, or at least their counterparts, grew up with
paranoid, hate-oriented world view, gays don't get tied
up to freeze in Wyoming nor African-Americans drug
behind cars in Texas as acts of love.
I was in Scotland when that last event occurred, try
explaining American ehavior/sensibility in light of that
sort of event, it ain't easy. And that isn't an
America-bashing sentiment, we don't have the corner on
the market of hate acts. Someone much wiser, once told
me to stop trying to understand such behavior, it defies
comprehension beyond acknowledging that evil exists.
Re: Joe's Suggested Topics: Christian Bashing Wow, what
a new twist, from where I have found myself in the past
it appears to me that Christians are pretty practiced in
being the basher not the bashee! I live in AZ and our
governor Jane Hull decided that she should decree next
week Bible Week. That is totally inappropriate, she
candidly replied that she was responding to the requests
of Christian groups and Bible publishers, enlighten me
if I am blind here, but I get a bit nervous when I see
my governor granting special consideration to specific
religious groups and their economic interests. I wonder
when we'll see Koran Week. Those of us who feel a
greater deal of security with a greater degree of
separation of church and state, acknowledge the
Christian hegemony that exists but don't expect us to
nourish it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Sandbox Fodder
From: Dave McAdie (79)
e-mail: dmcadie@televar.com (David McAdie)
To: Fellow Bombers, Everywhere!
Re: Seniors and driving
Reading all this information about seniors driving
reminded me of a very funny thing I once read;
"When I Die
I want to go like my grandfather,
Peacefully in his sleep,
Not kicking and screaming
Like the passengers in his car"
My parents are both approaching 70 and have everything
intact, so they keep telling me :) They drive
thousands of miles a year doing what they love to do. I
only hope I recognize the signs of trouble before it is
too late.
Re: Veterans Day.
I grew up in an era that did not require my service (I
only had to register). I will always believe that, no
matter the circumstance, if you are required to put your
life in harms way in defense of your country, you
deserve nothing but the highest amount of respect. It
does not matter that the war or "conflict" is shrouded
in political deceit - that is the last thing on your
mind with shrapnel flying. I salute you all!
Hey Joe Large', was your Pot Stirrer comment a veiled
attempt at a heated discussion on our states' latest
initiative that legalizes the "Wacky Tobaccy" for
medicinal purposes. I think I feel chronic backpain
coming up.....................
Dave McAdie dmcadie@televar.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Special Veteran's Issue
From: Heather Pedlar
e-mail: hpedlar@iorworld.com (Heather Pedlar)
Thank you for this special issue. I do not read this as
much as I read the Sandstorm, but it was quite moving
for me. My father served in Vietnam for about 1 year
before I was born, and I forget how important it is to
recognize it sometimes. This was a great reminder!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Freedom
From: jinnie@owt.com (Jinnie Stephens)
While I personally think inventions like seat belts and
helmets are good, I don't think they should be a law. A
recommendation certainly but not something for the
government to be involved in. Unfortunately we did not
object when it became law to wear helmets. Nor did we
object when it became mandatory to wear seat belts. Nor
when cigarettes became such an issue that they could not
be advertised at sport events or on the air. Plus the
price being raised to include a 'sin tax' (what about
alcohol, fast food, etc.)? Then mandatory air bags.
And the list goes on. While all good ideas with good
reasons and results I believe these things should be our
choice. But alas, they were decided by the government
which continues to regulate the way we live our lives.
Now our over worked police have to watch for smokers
that our government decided were too young. Again
trying to curb young smokers is good but this is an
issue that a family can and should handle. To quote
Jeff Jacoby who writes for the Boston Globe "Do you
think the lifestyle police will stop goose-stepping when
they get to something you do care about?"
We appear to be giving up our freedom piece by piece.
Every day there are new rules and regulations that have
nothing to do with running the government. When do we
say stop? We have minds, we can think. Recommendations
are great. But give us back our freedom of choices. To
further quote Mr. Jacob "eternal vigilance is the price
of liberty. Not because liberty is easy to shatter.
But because it can be softened and dismantled with the
acquiescence Of the men and women from whom it is being
stolen. Many Americans no longer understand this, which
is why the government now dictates everything from the
words that may appear on wine labels to the volume of
water toilets may flush." I urge you all to think about
this and write your local and state political figures.
Let them know enough is enough. Next they will tax the
Internet or God forbid "the government should subsidize
the sale of healthy food, increase the cost on non-
nutritional foods through taxes and regulate food
advertising to discourage unhealthy practices." Who
knows, if the government stays out of our personal lives
maybe taxes won't continue to escalate....
--Jinnie Stephens
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Another Bomber Found
From: David G Wittenbrock
e-mail: D_S_Wittenbrock@compuserve.com
I just wanted to say thanks for adding my name to the
Sandstorm list. And to the McMurray Street gang that
supplied you my e-mail address.
I have to admit that my initial reaction was: Oh-God not
more e-mail. I get enough at work to satisfy my e-mail
cravings. I sometimes find the weight of the e-mail
pouring out of the computer at work a little
overwhelming.
However, after ignoring the Sandstorm for a week or so I
started reading it and am really enjoying the memories
and even some of the political commentary [in The
SANDBOX].
And my one thought on the political commentary is; I
wonder if we and our legislators may have lost the
vision of why we send people to Washington? It is fun
and easy to follow the sex, lies, and games that are
being played. But shouldn't we get back to the business
of governing the country and leading the world?
Dave Wittenbrock
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Drive or aim
From: Driver Bob
e-mail: RMat683939@aol.com
Here in *Oyrgun there's a retesting of drivers. Older
drivers do not face the loss of the of the last freedom
until there is a problem, it seems. The death and
damage ratio is higher with them because of age. But
then, the spokesman for the DMV states that age isn't
the real problem. Often, older drivers seem to be able
to remain calmer and make educated decisions when in
traffic. The other side is that age can be a spaced out
adventure like Mr. Magoo's "A Trip To The Store." And,
Mr. Magoo is out there. So is Nick Nimrod waiting to
get cut off and empty his 9 mm red rider. What's my
point? Only that there has to be a point of no ramps,
off or on. Many older folks are taking a nomadic
adventure, selling the house, kids are grown and don't
come to visit, off and meeting new friends and going new
places in a big 35 foot land yacht. Cool. Wouldn't
mind doing that myself. The only thing is that I'll be
ready to do that in another 15 years or so. Hummmmmm.
Insurance premiums don't seem to be a deterrent. It
would be a burden only on the pocket book. Who is up to
taking the last freedom? Where's the decision to be
made? At home, the one I would prefer. The enforceable
power lays in the ability of the DMV to pull the plug on
the senior drivers via a battery of tests that will
convince the drivers themselves that everyone is in
harms way. But not a video game test, maybe pinball
huh? Driver Bob 64
[Note: *Oyrgun is a western U.S. state located just
below Warshington -ed.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Columbia River Beavers plus Advice for Republicans
From: G1A1S1@aol.com
To: Joe Large':
There used to be quite a few beavers in the
Columbia River. They would build their homes along the
bank and not even attempt to dam the river (God created
the Army Corps of Engineers). There was a rather big
beaver home on the Richland bank across from the First
Island. I suppose that before the dams were built there
were far more beavers. Perhaps this had something to do
with the choice of the former mascot of Richland High
School.
To Rod Brewer:
I don't know where you got the idea that your
arguments upset me. I thought I was very complimentary.
And I believed your arguments would prevail every time.
I guess the November 3rd election proved me wrong in
that regard. But the Republicans shouldn't let that
deter them. They should keep on attacking Clinton all
they can. It's great for Starr to show the House
Judiciary Committee evidence concerning Kathleen Willey.
That will give Henry Hyde more of the gratification that
he is looking for and will bring back recollections of
his old times. It's also great for Starr to bring 15
more criminal charges against Webster Hubble. Heck,
because Webster was a friend of Bill's he probably
deserved to have 45 more criminal charges brought
against him, not just 15. The Republicans just have to
keep this up. It won't fail them again. It is really
what they need to do to beat the Gore/Clinton ticket in
the year 2000. In the meantime, it will really help
solve the problems faced by our country and the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Repentance: A Prerequisite for Forgiveness
From: Patty Stordahl
e-mail: Patty@exhibitd.com
Regarding Cyndy (68)
Cyndy you couldn't be more correct. How many of the
wives out there would forgive & forget their mate for
habitual affairs & habitual deliberate bare face lies
year after year? Not only to you as the wife but to
your children? No one with an ounce of confidence in
them say that they would be that great a martyr. To what
gain & evolution of womanhood would it lead. Should we
all say poor baby, he wasn't understood? Poor baby, she
was just such a conniving fox that he couldn't resist &
honor his vows, nor his position, nor his daughter's
feelings, what type of abuse in marriage is Hillary
setting Chelsea for anyway?
Internal integrity is & should be demanded in all people
regardless of their position. I know how I felt when I
found my husband cheating with a judges daughter & the
response I got from that Benson County Judge regarding
his daughters conduct. It was pro close your eyes &
forgive.
Sorry. I have way to much going for me to close my eyes
to someone who can take a vow before God & witnesses &
then deceive & plan & connive their way to secret
affairs. Even God himself in the scriptures commanded
that the guilty party was to be punished by stoning them
to death & the innocent party was then free to get on
with their life.
Forgiveness is a virtue but there comes a time it is no
longer a virtue, it is a weakness. Hillary shows either
lack of character & self esteem or she is just as power
hungry to be the "PRESIDENT'S" wife & doesn't give a
rats _ _ _ about the sanctity of marriage vows.
Acceptable in man's eyes or not. What woman out there is
so weak that the $$ & prestige her husband hands out
would cause her to sell out to her heart & to the common
good of women every where. This farce of a man has been
& still is a coward. Without Congress & the House,
nothing that Hillary started & Bill put his signature to
would have ever been accomplished. Remember out there-
only weak women would side with a snake or maybe it
makes you all feel better about your own cheating
husbands or your self righteous religious experience to
turn the other cheek. Even Jesus who taught us to
forgive said that the requirements to receive true
forgiveness was a contrite heart & broken spirit. He
said. "Go & sin no more." Not, "Go & sin with someone
else." There can be no forgiveness if there is no
repentance. I am not a religious person but I am in awe
of what I deem to be my creator. I also stepped out of
an adulterous marriage with 4 small children & walked
through tremendous hardship to retain my integrity so
that I could instill strength of character in my
children, You break your word & every one suffers but
you can all be winners if you chose to be. My girls &
my boys know that they don't have to accept less than
the best & less than 100% honesty.
I could go on for a very long time but I won't. I
remain unmarried to this day as I work in the traveling
sales circle & I have yet to meet with or hear of a
married man who hasn't tried or successfully scored
while on the road. Women, believe me, even the sweetest
salesman slips off his wedding band when 500 miles away
from home. I am in the Trade show industry business.
Do your husbands, or for that matter, do your wives
attend these business functions? Better hire a
detective. That is, unless you are like Hillary the 1st
lady Ostrich.
PS. I do date & enjoy the company of men. They are
fabulous creatures if you don't try to own them. I
never ask if they are married nor do I ask for a phone
number. I feel that a married man should not be trying
to take me dancing & dining & whatever else he may have
on his mind. Unfortunately I usually find out the
majority of men I am asked out by are married with a
strong religious background. Breathe, ladies, I do not
sleep with them, but that is my choice, as they are all
willing. Sad but TRUE.
I vote impeachment. Implied deceit is the same as
deceit in my book. No, I didn't vote for him. I saw
through him when he first came to bat.
Patty Stordahl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK - Happy Thanks Giving!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-9-
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The Richland Alumni SANDBOX
Issue #10 ~ November 30, 1998
BOMBERS TALKING TO BOMBERS -- All Around The World!
The Free and Informed Expression of Opinions and Ideas
of Columbia /Richland High School Alumni, Richland,
Washington, USA
"He who cheats with an oath acknowledges that he is
afraid of his enemy, but that he thinks little of God."
-Plutarch A.D. c.50-c.
================================================
Members of the Bomber Family Appearing Today: David
Rivers, Ray Wells, Bob Mathews, Arthur Roberts, Kathy
Alder, Irene Smith Goodnight, and Rick Maddy. You have
opinions and ideas too, so let's hear from you soon!
Send your opinions, responses and ideas to:
Adamstreet@aol.com (Al Parker) We're waiting to hear
from you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Thanks for Vet's Day Issue
From: katyalder@juno.com (Kathleen Wersen Alder) ~~~
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who sent entries
about Veteran's Day. My son and I both had the day off
from school and work and it was helpful to be
remembering the Vets we know. I found reading the
entries to be very meaningful that day, as well as being
reminded about what the honor was that day.
Thanks a
lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Freedoms
From: irene@bendnet.com (Irene Goodnight)
Right On, Jinnie Stephens! My family knows well how I
have railed against losing my freedoms of choices of
seat belt or no seat belt, et.al. I have taken a lot of
flack from friends on the subject. Guess you might say
it's one of my favorite old soapboxes....... In fact,
just before opening my email today, I was on the phone
with my sister, saying I have decided to put money into
expensive repairs on my car (with 132,000 miles on it),
just because the alternative is buying a new car or even
a used one with all the bells and whistles on it that I
don't want, and the highly offensive AIRBAG system for
sure!
I don't need someone else to tell me how (and force me,
by law!) to "protect" myself if I have taken the
responsibility to 1) live as impeccably as possible,
accepting events that happen as meaningful for whatever
reason (my job to figure it out) and; 2) care for my
spiritual development to where I KNOW I am already
protected. No need for pesky man-made devices peddled by
brain-washing, consumerism-, greed- and fear-oriented
agents of commerce and government! Of course, on a given
day, when I just have that feeling, I can choose to wear
that seat belt, but that's my choice. Should still be.
We can stop giving up our rights and freedoms any time
we realize hey are insidiously being slipped away from
us. Usually under guise of fear: ".......statistics
show.... more deaths.......not wearing seat belts......"
Which statistics? Whose study? Well, the only serious
carwreck I was ever in, rolled the car, my two daughters
were actually thrown out, car was totaled - long before
seat belts were installed in cars. Guess what? No one
was hurt! That lesson still sticks, and my sure knowing
that it wasn't anyone's time to go just then. Clear
then, clear now.
Think about it. We must learn to recognize fear, and
identify it when it is being used to get us to give over
our personal power to - ? To whom? Jinnie, I'll re-quote
your quote, because it well shows how we need to learn
to think: quoting Mr. Jacob of the Boston Globe:
"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Not because
liberty is easy to shatter. But because it can be
softened and dismantled with the acquiescence of the men
and women from whom it is being stolen."
I'd better get off the soapbox (oops - er, out of the
Sandbox) now so someone else can get in.....
-Irene Smith Goodnight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: The Case For Presidential Chaperones
From: Ray Wells ('54)
email: ray@transcribing.com
I have to wonder if Bill is going to reach over to pick
up the red phone while he is having sex in the oval
office. I also have to wonder if he might be influenced
by an offer of sexual favors from someone or some
country that is trying to influence his decision in
their favor. People with a background like his are prime
targets for bribes and blackmail. Leaving him in office
unless he is always chaperoned, is risky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Some Get Caught / History is History / The Cloud
From: David Rivers (65)
MailTo: NeverTowed@aol.com (David Rivers)
Gee, guys, what's all the debate? If a guy commits
perjury...and gets caught...there goes the ball
game...if he doesn't get caught... it's the old tree
falling... If there's no one to hear it...When we were
kids we weren't supposed to drink...most of us
did...some got caught, some didn't. The ones that got
caught...got in Trouble!!! It's kind of the way it goes.
It doesn't make the guy who got caught more
culpable...just makes him the unlucky guy that got
caught...but he doesn't get off because the others
didn't get caught.
At least it's better than when we were kids...I had a
teacher over at Spaulding in 5th grade...she used to hit
us with a rubber hose. Most of the time we didn't do
anything to get hit. A lot of the kids wanted to turn
her in. I was sure one of them. As decent citizens,
Craig Davis and I decided it was our civic duty to save
the rest of the kids from this lady (I assume we were
usually the hittees)... my mom wouldn't help us... she
said for every time we didn't deserve it... there were
probably 10 we got away with that we should have been
hit. So I guess ol' mom would have whacked his pee pee
at the first mention of [related] wrong doing.
I for one would hate to see the mushroom cloud go. Not
so much for the hideous way it ended the war, but more
for the symbol of what brought us all together in the
first place. For most of us, our folks were only in
Richland for one reason. My dad was the only survivor of
an accident out there that killed the other two in the
room and scarred him for life. They weren't there to
make milkshakes.. they were there to make the bomb...it
is a fact...not a myth or a folk legend...just a fact
that contributes to history as it was...There are some
things we just can't change absent fahrenheit 451. There
was a civil war. There was a Hitler. There were Indian
wars. At a point in time, the Japanese were our enemies
and the bomb resulted from that war. We can't make that
go away by changing the high school logo. The cloud
symbolizes the underpinnings of the Richland most of us
grew up in. I remember the celebration and the fake bomb
in the vacant lot around where Bromley's place is now
(2bits)...that left a huge crater we used to play in
after the show...that was back in '58 and Keeney still
hangs out there! All part of history. When I came home
from Vietnam, I wanted to put that behind me... I
thought I had till they built that monument in
Washington. I hated that thing...too little, too late
for me...but it wasn't mine to hate or like or anything
else...it was for the lost and their families...for Bill
Dowd and Mark Black and all the other kids from all the
classes that didn't come back...it happened...it really
did. I was very angry when the Pres opened up Vietnam
for trade...very angry...but that was then...this is
now....I was surprised, however, when the Beaver's mom
went there on Freaking vacation!
The list goes on and on. I was one of the very few
American Indian kids to grow up in Richland back
then...in fact, when my dad first went to Hanford, he
couldn't drink at the community house bar...
really...but the Indians lost and there came a time we
had to get over it and get on. That doesn't mean we
don't celebrate our haritage, but you can't kiss some
boo boos and make them well. They were... we cannot
change that. If we keep rewriting history to accomodate
everyones' feelings, we'll have no history...The whole
country will be like Las Vegas...just tear it all down
every 10 years and build new.
The cloud is where we all came from. Those of us born in
Richland, especially back then, have no reason to be
ashamed of what our folks did there. It was... and we
should be very proud of what they accomplished.
Never thought I would participate in the Sandbox...
Never say Never!
David Rivers ('65)
PS: Rodney... what ever you said to spark people off...
way to go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: tyedyed@earthlink.net (Rick Maddy) ('67)
To: Bob Rector
Just came across this. Thanks Bob.
I just want to say that there were a lot of Vietnam
Vets that did not get hit with boobytraps. I think the
word came from the British meaning "fool's trap." So,
basically speaking, I was a fool, foolishly fooled, and
there is not much glory in that.
Also, I want you to know that what's left of me is NOT
in a wheelchair. Close, but no cigar.
RM 67
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: tyedyed@earthlink.net (Rick Maddy)
To: Patti (Snider) Miller (class of 1965)
Re: anyone remember Roy "Mack" Brand (64)
In the early 70's I had the pleasure of hanging out with
Mack, Godwin (65?), and Gary Nelson (67) for a couple of
days of heavy suds and smoke, just prior to Mack's
spectacular crash in his new car - I believe it was one
of those hemi-powered Dodges or Plymouth's. Mack had
almost finished his tour in Vietnam and going out just
one more time in the field, loses his leg and an arm to
the cause. During these two days I came to realize how
fortunate I was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: You can't judge a bottle by its label
From: RMat683939 (Bob Mattson) (64)
Well, I still have a bunch of Olympia beer labels with
the four dots on them and have treasured them over the
years. And after a 24 year marriage ended, I showed my
date one and Duh! They used to work, right? Oh, and
Reffer Maddness inspired me to play the piano, I mean
that guy really enjoyed it, and I don't think he ever
took a lesson in his life. Bombed Bob 64
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: Seat Belts
From: Arthur Roberts ('49)
To Jinnie Stevens.
If I remember correctly, you said you think seat belts
are a good idea, but you are against mandatory seat belt
laws. I can sympathize with your feelings to a certain
degree. Our freedoms, it seems, are constantly being
eroded in too many ways.
However, It is my understanding that half of the kids
killed in automobile accidents in the United States last
year were not using seat belts at the time of their
accidents. So, is it a good idea to legally require
adult drivers to be sure that underage occupants are
buckled in? This includes responsible adult parents,
guardians and soccer moms taking others kids, as well as
their own, to and from the game.
Also, do you feel insurance companies, whose claim
costs are covered by premiums paid both by you and and
me and all of our complying neighbors should be allowed
to reduce benefits to claimants who have chosen not to
use their seat belts? Should tax payers and medical
service users such like you and I and our more
responsible neighbors be forced to pick up the
difference between what insurance pays and does not pay
for those whose injuries or deaths become greater, or
more frequent because they chose to "exercise their
"inalienable rights" to refrain from "buckling up?
Well, I look at it this way. When people hurt, I'll
always want to help in whatever way I can. But I wish
non-belting folks would think of their neighbors, too,
as well as themselves, saving everyone a share of pain
and economic grief.
A good friend of mine was stopped at an intersection
one day, waiting for the light to change. No seat belt.
A car hit him from behind. His face and the windshield
essentially tore each other apart. The cost to him and
his family after many plastic and other surgeries to try
to remedy bodily and facial ldamage: inestimable pain
and suffering. Whether the family escaped bankruptcy or
not, and had to go on welfare, after their limited
insurance did it's part, I really don't know. Cost to
the tax payers: Posibly 300 grand or more. (Medical
costs were cheaper, then.) If there had been a seat belt
law then, and he'd obeyed it... Well, I guess I wouldn't
be writing this now.
All of us are involved together in an interrelated
community of friends, family and neighbors. Everybody
suffers in one way or another, as an integral part of
the aggregate when accidents happen and seat belts are
not used. When we do choose to use them, we all stay
collectively healthier and the economic strain on our
insurance premiums, our taxes, our family income, our
morbitity and mortality becomes dramatically less as
well.
I certainly agree that our own personal choices should
not be interfered with as long as no one else is hurt by
the choices we make. But when it comes to whether we use
our seat belts or not, that old familiar saying, "No man
is an island," leaps to the forefront of my mind! For
the kids' sake, for our family's sake, for our
neighbors' sake, for the sake of us all, maybe there
ought to be a law.
-Arthur Roberts
PS If anyone is interested in taking a look at a few
studies on the value of seat belts, you might want to
check these out: CTF Selected References: Prevention of
Motor VehichleAccident Injuries
http://www.ctfphc.org/References/Ch44bib.htm
From there you will find links regarding morbidity and
mortality with/without seat belts as well as reports
about accidents involving older drivers and accidents
involving alcohol and other impairments. Below is a
sampling of the links to studies as shown on that site:
9. Newman RJ: A prospective evaluation of the
protective effect of car seatbelts. J Trauma 1986;
26(6): 561-564
10. Orsay EM, Turnbull TL, Dunne M, et al: Prospective
study of the effect of safety belts on morbidity and
health care costs in motor vehicle accidents. JAMA 1988;
260: 3598-3603
11. Viano DC: Limits and challenges of crash
protection. 1988; 20(6): 421-429
12. Margolis LH, Wagenaar AC, Liu W, et al: The effects
of a mandatory child restraint law on injuries requiring
hospitalization. Am J Dis Child 1988; 142: 1099-1103
13. Chenier TC, Evans L: Motorcyclist fatalities and
the repeal of mandatory helmet wearing laws.
14. Kelly RB: Effect of a brief physician intervention
on seat belt use. J Fam Pract 1987; 24: 630-632
15. Reisinger KS, Williams AF, Wells JK, et al: Effect
of pediatricians' counselling on infant restraint use.
Pediatrics 1981; 67: 201-206
16. Macknin ML, Gustafson C, Gassman J, et al: Office
education by pediatricians to increase seat belt use. Am
J Dis Child 1987; 141:1305-1307
~ In closing, I am tempted to say, "God helps those who
buckle themselves in." But who am I to put words in
God's own mouth? A. R.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Send SANDBOX entries to:
Al Parker ~~ ADAMSTREET@aol.com
-10-
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The Richland Alumni SANDBOX
Issue #11 ~ December 6, 1998
==============================================
Col-Hi / RHS alumni appearing in The SANDBOX today:
Patty Snider Miller, Rod Brewer, Wanda Wittebort Shukay,
Curtis Russell, Joe Largé, Patty Eckert Weyers, Ray
Wells, Tony Tellier, Bob Mattson and David Sherrard.
Send your opinions, responses and ideas to:
Adamstreet@aol.com (Al Parker)
We're waiting to hear from you!
Please include your First, Maiden, Last Name and Class Year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only
one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would
be no more justified in silencing that one person, then
he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing
mankind."
---John Stewart Mill 1806-1873.
==============================================
Subject: Buckle Up With Pride
From: Patty (Eckert) Weyers (68)
Reply to: pln5509@montana.com
To: Arthur Roberts and Jinnie Stephens
Well written also; yet another side very well taken, and
I can see I have to believe you Arthur Roberts on this.
We here now in Montana have experienced 'our decision
making powers' to remain responsible citizens by still
maintaining a rate of travel even though we have been
given a green light to drive at any rate of speed we so
want, (during the day, provided weather is permitting).
Besides our insurance companies and our driving records
concerned, I feel it is beyond our own likes to avoid
the obvious ramifications to ignore or 'feel the
freedom' to not be a responsible driver. And that goes
for the speed limits we give ourselves; the times we use
our high beams; the times we reach to change the radio
station or light a cigarette (yuk!!) as well as buckle
up or drive with our windows down or wear a helmet...
All very clear to be "risks" when we chose to ignore all
the tons of statistics of causes of accidents and deaths
recorded in our country's history. (All there for
anyone to take into account for the viewing on those
sites you also furnished).
Road rage and our right to carry arms are some
freedoms/and seat belts as well as an open speed limit
should still be termed a responsibility for our safety.
As Arthur you say, the safety of our passengers and the
families waiting at home and the other drivers on the
road or even the pedestrians that bless our streets; All
are affected by our decision making. I will quote you,
no man is an island," which clearly says it all. So I
have to agree with Arthur Roberts here, Jinnie Stephens,
=Chose to leave off your seat belt and open yourself up
and others for a lack of concern or use of the knowledge
given out just for the reading on fatalities and broken
families and higher insurance rates for just such an
attitude.
Freedom still has to be deemed with
boundaries/responsibilities. It should go beyond the
level of being termed in our minds as the law, but the
right thing to do for ourselves and for all. If this is
still perhaps a hard choice to make when feeling the
need to flex some freedom and ignore the law on seat
belt use for the mere feel of freedom across ones lap;
drive straight to the Richland Life Care Center on your
next visit to Richland, and visit a young man of perhaps
21 yrs of age now, but since the age of 18 he has lived
in an iron lung type life support system and will remain
there for the rest of his life, if he had worn his seat
belt his chances for some type of life beyond this would
of been possible the experts claim, after viewing the
accident. (paralyzed from the neck down). He could be
our own son or brother or husband. Does it take this to
happen inside a family (our family), to make all of us
see the wiseness of wearing our seat belts and not feel
we are being infringed upon for our lack of making that
choice ourselves? I am not in allegiance for much more
of our freedom of choices being taken from us by our
government and the laws, but this has to fall into the
category of common sense, so please 'Buckle up America'
with Pride.
Patty (Eckert) Weyers (68)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Website To Check Out
From: ray@transcribing.com (Ray Wells) (Class of '54)
Please check out the following web-site:
www.judicialwatch.org
This has to due with a lawsuit that was filed by Larry
Clayman, Chairman of "Judicial Watch," on November 24,
against the Clintons, various White House staff and
others, alleging the transferring of critical missile
guidance technology from the USA to China (Chinagate) in
return for illegal contributions to the Democrat
campaign funds.
If true, this is much worse than the Ken Star stuff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Tony Tellier (57)
Reply to: Tony_Tellier@compuserve.com
Subject: To Buckle or Not to Buckle, Is That a Question?
In reference to the following comment seen in an earlier
issue of The Sandbox: [Quote: "The only serious
carwreck I was ever in, rolled the car, my two daughters
were actually thrown out, car was totaled - long before
seat belts were installed in cars. Guess what? No one
was hurt! That lesson still sticks, and my sure knowing
that it wasn't anyone's time to go just then." Unquote]
All I can say is that you're one lucky sucker. Or,
rather, the kids are. Getting "thrown clear" is an ill-
founded construct. Based on blind chance. I have read
about sky-divers who have survived a chute failure but I
would never count on that. There are plenty of one-off
lucky breaks but the wise person would never pass up the
chance to be sorta safe. Like strapping and wearing a
helmet while motorcycle riding. Getting thrown from a
car can result in hitting something else REAL HARD or
getting rolled on by the car ... since both the vehicle
and the passengers tend to be traveling in the
direction, the chance exists that something heavy may be
right behind or on top.
Of course, your idea of rolling the car may be different
than my impression of over 100 miles an hour, pitch-
polling and endo-ing, shedding doors, hoods, glass,
wheels and body panels.
TT In Yuma ('57)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Seatbelt Knucklehead
From: RMat683939@aol.com (Bob Mattson) (64)
To start with, I have been in a few crashes, not my
fault, other than driving among those who aren't as
fortunate as I am, in regard to being cool to what's
going on around me. Check this out. I have a friend
that walks the red iron. Now, this guy is walking
around in real nose bleed hights, slapping iron girders
together like a kid with a construction set for
Christmas. OSHA, a state run safety overseer, makes sure
that everything is in compliance with the strictest
codes of Occupational Safety on all job sites in Oregon.
When he is twenty stories up, pulling ropes to align
sixty foot beams, he wears a safety harness, which must
always be attached to whatever. If he is caught without
his safety gear in top shape, and being used in the
proper manner, all hell breaks loose. He could be kicked
off the job, and the firm could face a healthy fine as
well. But he refuses to wear a seat belt while in his
car and has been cited twice for his non compliance with
the state law.
Well, there's my case. I escaped serious injury because
I did wear it, he accepts it in the work place for job
regulations. But he doesn't get the connection for his
own protection, and feels as though his tickets are a
badge of defiance. He too sees his personal freedom
being taken from him. All I can say to this is that
he's lucky in that he makes good wages.
- Driver Bob
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: TME391@aol.com (Patti Snider Miller (65))
To: NeverTowed@aol.com (David Rivers (65))
Re: Some Get Caught/History is History/The Cloud
Your writing was excellent on all three subjects, I
couldn't have said it better. I am proud to be from the
class of 1965!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Reply to David Rivers
From: Rodney C. Brewer
ReplyTo: rbrewer@home.com
Welcome to the sand box. Now I remember why I liked you
so much at Spalding. -Rod
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Wanda (Wittebort) Shukay (53)
ReplyTo: Wanda Shukay@aol.com
It's hard for me to address any of the messages received
in this "Sandbox." I just lost my best friend "Barbara
Foster," age 68 because she was afraid of Doctors or
afraid of knowing she might have something "wrong." I
have watched her deteriorate over the past 7 years.
She had a silent stroke "seizure" was 911'd and after
two weeks in the hospital was told of artery blockage of
80 percent in the neck and 100 per cent in two heart
arteries. But, the open heart surgery and neck surgery
would give her another 40 years. She, "scared to death"
had the surgery. Six surgeons and a wonderful staff of
cardiac nurses on Wednesday - day before Thanksgiving.
Doctor called - was the most difficult heart by-pass
surgery they had ever done -her arteries were the most
diseased they had ever seen. She lived "on max
medication and help" until her heart stopped 2am, Sat 28
Nov. That call was one I never wanted to receive.
Barbara Foster was one of the kindest friends and sister
anyone could wish for. "I miss her so much."
Yes, after all the tests, we could have convinced her to
come home and not do it, but if we had, she could have
had a massive stroke and been an invalid for the last of
her days. Yes, we could have not called 911 and "maybe"
she would have been here for a little longer. We don't
know. We only know she is in a better place. (I hate
that last sentence). I feel the better place was here
with the ones that loved her.
Driving issue: No, she shouldn't have been driving. She
could have had a stroke and not only killed herself, but
others. But, she was a very capable driver.
What I'm getting to is, we all must make decisions based
on individual cases. Barbara chose the surgery hoping
for a better quality of life. She chose a living will
to ensure "no one" kept her living as a veggie (as she
put it).
Our loved ones cannot always make the right decisions
and we need to be there for them and do all we can to
encourage them to: seek preventative medicine, enjoy
each day of their life, make sure they look to death and
prepare for it.
Love to all of you. Wanda Shukay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: What's happening to the cloud?
From: cbr22@email.byu.edu (Curtis B Russell) (Class of 98)
I'm from the class of '98, and I was wondering what's
happening to the mushroom cloud? It is slowly being
phased out of Bomber life without one word to any of the
students. I understand that it's extremely
controversial, especially in this day and age, but still
- it's such a powerful symbol. What can beat a mushroom
cloud? A lion? A brave? I wouldn't even mind so much
that it's being taken away if the students were involved
in the decision. The school is beginning to put the
bomber plane on EVERYTHING. I wouldn't be surprised to
see the tile cloud taken out of the gym in the next
couple years. I think serious consideration should be
made involving the students and the community as a whole
before the cloud is taken away. Our mascot is a matter
of national recognition - it's on display in the
Smithsonian, for crying out loud. I'm proud of our
mascot and would hate to see it changed.
-Curtis Russell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From JosephDan@aol.com (JoeLarge') (68)
Dear David Rivers,
Concerning: "We can't change what was, we just have to
go on from here:"
Here! Here!
By-the-way, what tribe? My lineage includes Whiterock
Ute and Jicarilla Apache.
Joe Largé (68)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Underground Newspaper
From: David Sherrard '(71)
ReplyTo: Desherrard@aol.com
Interesting to hear Rob Teat's (12/4) memories of
underground newspapers. That must have been a golden
age of free spirited journalism. I don't recall what
Grant Ranlett called his underground rag. I remember
Ray Nelson, some other folks (who's faces I can
visualize but whose names escape me), and I (with
technical assistance from Patti Norton's mother) put out
a couple of issues of "The Goods" in 1970. I think we
also put out a few in '71. One of my fondest memories
was interviewing Principal Nash about his reaction to a
(then famous) piece entitled "Student as Nigger."
(Speaking of acceptable language.) I recall that Mr.
Nash handled that rather challenging question with some
measure of good humor. The confiscations during
distribution added to the sense of adventure. I also
remember, Rob, a disputation we had (on some weighty
subject) while standing on the bollards of the parking
lot down at Howard Amon Park. (Or was it just me who was
standing on the pedestal in a (vain) attempt to give my
argument more stature.) Ah, those were the days.
- David Sherrard '(71)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DO YOU REMEMBER: Coonskin caps, Hula Hoops and Pop-It
necklaces? "Cat" "dig" and "hip"? Bomb shelters in the
backyard? Sock hops at the gym? Burma Shave wisdom on
the highways? Liz, Eddie and Debbie? Donna, Margaret
and Harriet? Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Darin?
Kookie, Clarabelle and Hoss?
Silver, Trigger and Nellybelle?
If so, or even if not, you might really enjoy checking
this website out:
TheFifties http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fifties.htm
REMEMBER This Also:
WHENEVER YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND, OR ON
YOUR CHEST, AND YOU NEED TO GET IT OFF, YOU CAN ALWAYS
TALK TO US. WE'RE "HEAR FOR YOU!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Send your stuff to: Adamstreet@aol.com
We want to hear from YOU! -Al Parker
New Ideas - Old Ideas - Your Ideas - Opinons and Response
-11-
***************************************
***************************************
********************************************
Sand can be scattered,
Sand can be gathered,
Sand can be melted-
To make a mirror of ourselves.
Welcome To: THE SANDBOX
Issue #12 ~ December 13, 1998
=============================================
Col-Hi / RHS alumni or spouses Participating in The
SANDBOX today: Mike Franco, Fred G. Ranlett, Dick Epler,
Jinnie Stephens, Jenny (Loper) Buchanan, Arthur Roberts,
Jim House, Hal Burger, Hank Oviatt, Jim Blackwood, Chuck
Monasmith.
Classes Represented: 1948, 1970, 1969, 1952, 1958, 1987,
1968, 1963, 1962, 1974, 1964, 1965.
=====================================
From: Mike Franco (70)
ReplyTo: Bmbr70@aol.com
To: Rob Teats, Crigler, other 70 era Bombers....
Interesting to hear some of the "Bomber social /
political issues" of the time come bubbling up,
underground papers, etc. I am a little disappointed
that we haven't heard any "straights - bentz" history.
Remember this division we "endured" between two pretty
distinct groups of us? And how things really never came
to true confrontation, but when we all decided to meet
head on ...we did it the right way: The Staights-Bentz
Football Game !!! I would like to hear memories of all
this. Also, Rob Teats....the Bomber name/symbol
controversy resulted in votes, publicity, etc., during
our senior year (as I recall). Was this the first time
these issues really surfaced?
Also, who out there remembers our "sit-ins ." I
remember no-sit in was complete without a visit from
"the Shell Answer Man" and other great social spokesmen
of the time. I think we put social awareness back about
5 decades!!! I remember my idea of being socially
oppressed was that not ALL Richland kids had our own ski
boats (many of us had to double up with those more
fortunate !!!) and that my family could not afford a
pool service and (unlike others) had to vacuum our own
swimming pool !!! (tongue firmly in cheek, kinda).
Oh yea....during the great Caesar Chavez farm worker
inspired boycotts of grapes, lettuce, etc., of the late
60's - early 70's did anyone ACTUALLY forego their Zip's
Salad Burger even once !?!?!?
Very best wishes to ALL TRUE BOMBERS
Mike Franco (70)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Underground papers
From: bf857@scn.org (Fred G. "Grant" Ranlett - 69er)
To: Desherrard@aol.com (David Sherrard)
Hello David Sherrard. Don't you remember "The Goods"
planning sessions that both you and I were at? I think
both our memories have gotten a little hazy after all
these years. Sorry for not having given you credit for
your contributions. Ann Norton, Patty Norton's mom was
a co-writer. I remember she did a film review of "Easy
Rider." Ray Nelson and I got the idea to publish "The
Goods" after "The Nitro Express" was met with such
opposition. Ray and I were looking to a paper that
wasn't quite so obnoxious. Later, Grant Ranlett
Fred G. Ranlett (bf857@scn.org)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: Seat Belt Perspective
From: Dick Epler (52)
ReplyTo: depler@pdx.oneworld.com
Reading the spirited opinions of Bombers on the seat
belt issue provides hope that the day is near when we’ll
be able lump this particular issue into the ever growing
class of Federally mandated practices, so that we can
gain enough perspective to make some intelligent
decisions. The real issue of seat belts is not whether
they are good (of course they are); and it’s not whether
government should be involved in some manner either.
Rather it’s whether wearing them should require the
force of the Federal government for compliance. The
fact that there is so much disagreement in the Sandstorm
is a clear indication that something's wrong with this
picture.
I suspect the problem revolves around the fundamental
question of what government should do. Generally
speaking, most of us fall into one of two belief groups.
Those who are fairly self-reliant want as little
government as possible, while the other seeks the
comfort and protection of government to "level the
playing field." It's both a security and a competitive
issue. The question many ask is: “who's going to protect
us from the bad guys, AKA "over-achiever competitive
types." Logically, you either have to become
competitive yourself, or you have to lobby government to
weaken your competition for you. And by competition,
I'm also referring to such things as sex, race, and
religion.
Self-reliant doer types tend to trust the process
whereby decisions are made by individuals, generally
based on self-interest, which, in the aggregate, works
to benefit the whole of society. In which case, a
small, non-intrusive government is best. The security-
conscious, however, tend to focus more on the needs of
society than those of the individual. Such people feel
that society-based decisions are so "right" that they
advocate dragging all others screaming and kicking into
the better world they envision. In which case, a strong
central government is best.
The “small government is best” scenario tends to favor a
productive society. Further, the activities of busy
people produce the self-correcting behavior of common
interest, which builds trust, so that the need for lots
of laws are minimized, and are reserved primarily for
gross behavior. Local police and courts dominate the
legal scene, and justice is both predictable and swift.
Per the Constitution, the role of the Federal government
is reserved primarily for international and interstate
matters. A government that allows people to pursue
their own self-interest tends to produce a general
feeling of satisfaction and well being among the
governed.
The “large government is best” scenario tends to produce
bureaucracy as a necessary component to central
planning. Lots of laws and lots of police are required
to force compliance from the ever-diminishing productive
segment. Local police and courts are reduced to agents
of the central politburo. The frustration of
inconsistent goals tends to drive the people crazy,
which in turn leads to increased drug and alcohol abuse.
For several generations now, but particularly in the
Clinton years, the United States has been gravitating to
the large government scenario. As a result, we are
seeing, more and more, societal problems unheard of in
past years. Drug and substance abuse are more prevalent
than ever. Our public schools are a disgrace. And
there's no doubt that we continuing to drive each other
crazy big time (going “Postal,” road rage, etc.). When
pressed, our politicians generally explain their failure
to “unanticipated” consequences, where the solution is
always more taxpayer money. But we are a resilient lot,
and so we cope. We like to tell ourselves we’re making
progress, but in our quiet moments, we find it difficult
to ignore the nagging suspicion that such a pervasive
government could make it all go away with the stroke of
a pen. And so, as things continue to deteriorate, at
some point, any people will rebel and unpredictable
changes will be forced, much the same as in the USSR
today. This is, no doubt, the main reason behind
governments desire to disarm the American people. Of
course, that's likely to take generations as well, but
the process is alive and well … in spite of our
Constitution.
Maybe the government envisioned by our founding
forefathers was best after all: most issues decided
locally, with only a few specifically enumerated issues
decided on the national level. The influence of the
Federal government on local level would be specifically
restricted to minimizing impediments to self-directed
progress. The point here is not that seat belts would
be decided on the local level; rather it’s that the
issue would never come up in such an environment. Seat
belts would be used because they are a good idea;
airbags would not. All products would have to stand on
their own merit in a free market. In this environment,
the influence of the insurance industry would be
minimal, as the idea of insuring against failure is a
non sequitur (accidents are not inevitable). Assuming we
would still need productive people, late-term-abortions-
for-convenience would never even be considered.
I suspect that both the Internet and School Choice will
be the primary agents of change in this process, as both
empower people to make self-directed choices based on
what they intuitively know is right.
--Dick Epler (52) epler@pdx.oneworld.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Seat belts - Arthur Roberts
From: jinnie@owt.com (Jinnie Stephens)
To: Arthur Roberts
Please notice I took the time to spell your name
correctly. Another pet peeve of mine, but that is for
another column. I do not disagree with a lot of what you
say. My point, and seat belts were only one example, is
that our government was not meant to police so many
aspects of our lives. The political folks need to stick
to running the government and not our lives. Might even
find it would save some tax dollars if government would
stick to what it was originally set up for. I
personally choose to wear seat belts and I have chosen
to teach my family to do the same. Notice the words
choose and chosen. That is what freedom is -choices!
Anyone with a bit of common sense and/or intelligence
can access the pros and cons of recommendations and
maybe even come up with the same conclusions that 'they'
demand. With our busy lives it is often easier to let
someone else do the thinking and thus the deciding. I
respect that you have 'chosen' to go along with the
dictates of government and not feel that you are having
your choices limited. I chose to think for myself and
came up with the same conclusion basically that you did
by command. The point is that more and more we are being
told how we will live. Our choices are dwindling daily.
Yes, they may be small concessions but they are adding
up to a bigger and bigger loss in freedom of choices.
Thanks to you and to Irene Goodnight for your thoughts.
I always enjoy hearing other folks' thoughts and
opinions. Now and than I even find myself changing my
beliefs - but not this time. Arthur, you have certainly
researched the subject of seat belts and I am sure I
would agree with a lot of what they say. But again my
point is not seat belts - it is the right to choose for
myself and my family!
Jinnie Stephens (58)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: mushroom cloud
From: Jenny (Loper) Buchanan, class of 1987
MailTo: leglesseye@earthlink.net
To Curtis Russel, '98:
Since you graduated recently, maybe you have more
information on what is being done with the cloud. Was
there ever any vote or opinion poll taken of the
students as to whether or not the cloud was still wanted
I've been hearing talk of the school completely getting
rid of it, but slowly, apparently, so no one will
notice.
If anyone has any ideas or more information on what is
being done, share it! Maybe a petition could be started
to help save it.
PROUD OF THE CLOUD!!!!
Jenny (Loper) Buchanan, class of 1987
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: The Symbol
From: djh@digisys.net
Daniel Henry wrote: (68)
To Curtis B. Russell. The only way to preserve what you
feel is important is to fight for it. Talk to your
friends, get involved. If you don't feel that you are
getting anywhere, call in the old farts. Coming from the
60's we're used to fightin for it. Seriously, the whole
country will change without any mention to anyone if we
don't pay attention. So stand up for what you believe.
I love the mushroom symbol even if some people take it
the wrong way.
Dan Henry, class of 68.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: Symbols, Choices and Changing Times
From: Arthur Roberts
Mail To: Fluffdry@hotmail.com
I think most of us think of the cloud symbol with a
sense of pride, first of all... simply because it was
our school symbol, (one of them), wherever we went. It
was our banner, our icon. It represented us. It went
with us to football games and basketball games, as well
as to all other sports and other competitive and
performance events. It represented our school spirit,
our enthusiasm, our desire to be and to be seen as
competent, competitive, striving for excellence. We
didn't always think, on the surface, of The Cloud as
representing something so horribly destructive as what
The Bomb had already proved itself to be.
When we did think of it as representing such a powerful
force though, most of us thought of it as a wonderfully
positive force, a product of our town, something that
ended a horrible war, saving in the balance, millions of
lives, allowed our surviving loved ones to come back
home and bring our families back together again. We
thought of that as something to be very proud and
grateful for as well. Many of us, I know, thanked God
that we were able to develop and use that bomb before
the enemy did.
Yes, it is a terrible shame that so many were killed all
at once by The Bomb. But the perception was, the war
had to be stopped with all the destructive power we
could muster in order to save millions more who would
have died, had the war kept going on. The bomb, that
horrible bomb, accomplished an end to that war.
Let us all be thankful at this moment in time that our
children, grand children and great grand children have
inherited the blessings of a free and independent
America and were not born and raised in some city in
Iraq, for instance, whose school icon might well be
considered to be a giant drum of Eboli, Anthrax,
Bubonic, Seran Gas, Small Pox, or some other deadly
airborne plague. Maybe we'll be induced to use The Bomb
again, in an effort to save us from the distribution of
those plagues into our very cities and homes.
You know, part of the irony of all wars, past, present
and future is this: I really believe if we, as a nation,
were to totally place our faith and trust in God,
choosing of our own free will to walk as He prescribes,
we would never have to fight another war... But until
then.....
See Deut. 30:19 and beyond. It's all about choices.
-Arthur Roberts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Answer to a Quiz
From: Jim House (63)
Mail To: JCHOUSE32@aol.com
I think I have the answer to Rod Brewer's (65) clever
quiz regarding Steve Dale. I am vaguely familiar with
the biography of the great American hero ahead of him.
He overcame a difficult childhood to eventually excel at
a prestigious university. A student deferment allowed
him to avoid the draft during the Viet Nam war. His
charisma and charm inspired enormous support across the
nation. Publicly he was supportive of women's causes
(although we eventually learned his private actions
seemed to exhibit total disrespect or hate for women).
Then, after he reached the pinnacle of his vocation he
was accused of some indiscretions in the privacy of his
own house. The accusations, and his denials, were
followed by proceedings of overzealous investigators and
prosecutors who some said were so politically motivated
that they overstated their case. We had to endure daily
summaries of the proceedings on TV and listen to pundits
debate the seriousness of his indiscretion for more than
a year. Finally, even though many Americans seemed
outraged, a poll of randomly selected citizens concluded
(12-0) he had committed no crimes (nor impeachable
offenses). Ultimately he made a financial settlement
that acknowledged he had been a bad husband and father
so he is now free to go about his business.
Gee, I'm confused. Was Steve a tailback at USC or Vice
President?
Jim House (63)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Seatbelts
From: Hal Burger (62)
MailTo: hburger@bendnet.com (Hal Burger) (62)
To all: The following was taken from the Bend (Or)
Bulletin on Monday, December 7, 1998.
"Two men die in highway wreck. WARM SPRINGS-- Two Warm
Springs men were killed and another was injured early
this morning in an accident that sent their vehicle
rolling several times over an embankment along Highway
26 near milepost 106. Oregon State Police say Jordan J.
Pratt, 20, and his front seat passenger, Clifford
Pamerien, 19, both of Warm Springs, died at the scene.
The men were not wearing their seat belts and were
thrown from the vehicle.
"A third man, Jonas A. Miller, 19, also of Warm Springs,
was wearing his seat belt and walked away with minor
injuries. Police say Pratt was driving a 1997 Volkswagen
Jetta westbound around 1:30 a.m. when he struck a
concrete barrier causing the vehicle to roll several
times.
"Oregon State police, Warm Springs Police Department and
the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office are investigating
the accident."
Seat belts save lives. A statistic that has been proven
over and over again. Maybe not everyone but enough to
warrant there use. If an individual as a driver chooses
not to use them it is still there responsibility to
insure their passengers do. Its called responsibility.
Regards and Bomber cheers
Hal Burger (62)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Christy Lynn Hubbard Oviatt (74)
From: Hank Oviatt
MailTo: hoviatt@gateway.net (Hank and Christy Oviatt)
OK folks.
I get all these messages on my computer but haven't
heard a thing about my dear wife. Does anyone have any
good stories on Christy Hubbard (Her dad, Vic Hubbard
was a chem teacher)? Some good dirt that I can use in
time of need would be interesting.
Carolyn Burnam (Polentz), I know you've got some. Lets
hear 'em!!
-Hank Oviatt (Bomber Spousal contribution)
[Better buy your wife some flowers, Hank! -ap]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Straight Into The Fog
From: Jim Blackwood (64)
MailTo: blackwoj@u.arizona.edu
Riding up Swift (actually -- not the metaphor mentioned
by R. Stein) one A.M., late 50's, Gramps at the wheel:
Gramps: Damn fog, can't see where we're goin.
Me: Pretty bad.
The fog is thicker, the cars that pass going the other
way are not clear.
Gramps: Haven't seen it like this much.
Me: Getting worse. Can't see anything outside the cab,
not even shadows.
Gramps: Hell, we'd better pull over, can't see the
damned road.
Me: Can't get much worse than this.
Gramps: Roll down that side window, tell me where the
curb is.
Rolling down the window I notice it's not foggy out the
side, just the front. Out the side it's cold and clear.
Startles me, so I don't roll it down all the way.
Gramps is still pulling over, says:
How are we? I reach over, turn on the wipers and
defrost and the fog lifts out front, too.
Nowadays driving up Swift (this time the metaphor), I
notice that older drivers are usually only dangerous
because they're living at a different pace and seeing
things differently. Cute little ole guy this evening
pulling out, like in a tank, real slow, just crossing
the lanes, looking straight ahead, going 20 when
traffic's doin 45, everyone stopping quickly to avoid
him -- a little like braking for a rabbit or cat, or
something that nobody wants to see hurt.
Anyway the point is, where's all the misfits, lunatics
and nitwits from band class? Drop me an email.
blackwoj@u.arizona.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: Belts and Freedom
From: Chuck Monasmisth (65)
MailTo: msmith@owt.com
I've been reading with very little interest the
discourses on personal freedoms and seat belts. Now
there is an oxymoron! How many of the personal freedom
fighters did I just loose?
Personal freedoms are an issue that is reflected in a
much larger topic than seat belts.
Seat belts are a method of personal survival. The two
are not related.
I am a passionate patriot. I will risk my life for my
freedom, but I will do it fighting for my freedom, not
by ignoring my personal survival. Come on now get a
grip on reality.
I race sports cars because it's fun and a good way to
keep from having any money in the bank. We drivers
espouse several witticisms. Wear a helmet that reflects
how much you value your head. My helmet is a carbon
fiber/kevlar composite. Very expensive.
Next saying: Do away with air bags and lap belts, all
vehicle occupants should wear a five point harness.
They work better than air bags. I can personally
testify to that! Turn six at Portland, OR and turn one
at Mission BC. (Both concrete walls at 100mph+)
I will support almost any political action that will
decrease government involvement and increase my personal
responsibility for my own well being. (Didn't you ever
really listen to Mr. Blankenship!) But, I'll not ignore
a life saving device to do it! Come on now all of you
personal freedom activists, put your energies in a more
sane issue. You'll then have my support!
Chuck Monasmith
~~~ CMM ~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's it for this issue of The Sandbox, folks Share
your opinions, your feelings, your ideas with all of us!
-12-
***************************************
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********************************************
Welcome To: THE SANDBOX
Issue #13 ~ December 15, 1998
=============================================
Col-Hi / RHS alumni or spouses Participating in The
SANDBOX today: John Allen, Glenna Hammer Moulthrop,
Jinnie Eckert Stephens, David Rivers, Tony Tellier,
Kelly Weil Austin, Cheryl Simpson Whitaker, Dick
Pierard.
Classes Represented: 1966, 1958, 1965, 1957, 1981, 1957,
1966, 1964, 1952.
=============================================
Subj: Replace the Mushroom Cloud?
From: Ghammerm@aol.com (Glenna Hammer Moulthrop (66))
Replace the mushroom cloud? You've got to be kidding!
It is plain ignorance that leads people to think it
should be dropped. We aren't using it to celebrate
lives lost due to bombings and any real Bomber knows
this. It's a symbol, strictly a symbol. What shall we
replace it with? A Brave? A Lion? A Dog? Gee, those
are original! The mushroom cloud distinguishes us from
all other High Schools, let's face it, just like the
mushroom cloud we Bomber Alumni ARE different from all
other kids from other High Schools! We are the RICHLAND
BOMBERS!!!! And proud of it!
-Glenna Hammer Moulthrop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Dick Epler (52)-Sandbox #12
From: jinnie@owt.com (Jinnie Eckert Stephens) (58)
Thank you for your very insightful words. I personally
think you said it all and very well I might add.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Seatbelts and Murder
From: Nevertowed@aol.com (David Rivers)
Here I go again, sticking my two cents worth in the
Sandbox. In '63, my folks were coming back from the
Elks club in whatever town it was in (Kenn. or
Pasco)...anyway, as they took one of the ramps,
something rolled in front of their car. It was one of
those yellow concrete poles that divided the ramp from
the highway. Naturally they hit it and it did some front
end damage to their car.. more importantly was the car
on its side at the bottom of the ramp with the door open
and the man (Johnny Goggins) lying beside the car. He
had been ejected into the pavement head first so all my
dad could do was cover him. Goggins did not have
seatbelts. They weren't standard in his year car. When
I got home later that night, I was met by my dad. (Oh
crap...what Have I done now!). He slapped down $20.00
and told me to go someplace (he named the place) I think
it was near Tasty Freeze and get seatbelts installed in
my car. It had to be serious...my dad was giving me
more money than he'd ever given me in my life! He was a
believer and I am a believer, having survived a few
rollovers back in my drinking days.
That was a personal choice by my dad to wear them and
the local authority telling me to wear them. So far so
good. I don't know if I used them or not back then.
However, seat belts somehow appeared in cars...not as an
option, but as a mandated cost to the consumer. How did
that happen? Who made that decision? Not the consumer.
So you say the "Gubment done it"...but how did the
gubment decide for me that I had to have this device in
my car.. I can choose most of the extra stuff in my
car...Later, for a while at least, the gubment would
tell me that my seatbelt would have to lash out at me
and grab me whether I wanted it to or not...it would
tell me I had to drive with my lights on without doing a
thing...it would tell me lots of stuff. It would tell
my State what to mandate on its highways, as well....but
how did the gubment do that? A law? Congress shall
pass no law that abridges my right to life liberty and
the pursuit of happiness...so it couldn't be a law...the
Commerce Clause allows congress to pass such a law?
Pshaaww...Okay, I guess we can live with that....You say
The feds are now prosecuting murder? But murder is a
local offense.. You say the feds are saying no prayer in
the classrooms? But Education is a local decision left
to the various states to determine! You say that I
can't see that movie because some people don't want to
see it? You say my kids can't make a book report on
that book because some people don't want their kids to
read that book? You say you want a chip in my TV
because Mrs. Jones has to work and can't keep her kids
from watching that show without it? You say the lady
living in the Apartment complex whose little girl was
snatched wants to sue because she thought "someone" else
would be watching out the windows of their apartments to
make sure her kid was safe? You say the people in the
HUD housing lost their home because they were "mislead"
into believing they could afford to live there by the
low move-in cost...you say they didn't realize it wasn't
an "entitlement" to live in a house ...they didn't
understand about mortgages? You say it isn't the war
department...its the department of defense... you say
the mushroom cloud offended someone and it just
disappeared? You say the Bombers are now the Pixies...
There was a delicate balance to be maintained between
the feds, the states, the counties, the towns and the
individuals occupying those towns. I am responsible to
my neighbor to refrain from imposing my "freedoms" upon
his. I do not dictate my morals to him. The town is to
maintain order among the folks...the county among the
towns and the state among the counties and the feds
among the states and with other countries.
Somewhere...most say during the depression, there
appeared to some, a temporary national need...then it
wasn't temporary...then it wasn't a need ... it just was
and is.
Its not about seatbelts. Its about the balance of power
between local and national. It's all out of balance.
There are no lines. Kidnapping became a federal offense
over a single child...it was awful but a local
crime...until one incident tipped another side of the
scale. We have all learned the hard lesson that the
gubment do lie to the people. My favorite line from the
movie Armageddon is: "They'd like to know who really
killed Kennedy." Wouldn't we all. We can't tell the
difference between national security and some guys sex
life. National security is what "they" say it is. And
you want "them" to tell you to wear a seatbelt?
David J. Rivers ('65)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Tony_Tellier@compuserve.com (Anthony Tellier)
Re: comments by Dick Epler in Sandbox #7 "I suspect that
both the Internet and School Choice will be the primary
agents of change in this process, as both empower people
to make self-directed choices based on what they
intuitively know is right."
Dick:
Your discussion (of which I have pasted a portion so
that we can tell of which I refer) was very well thought
out and presented.
I wish that I had the wherewithal to have made those
thoughts come across so well on (electronic) paper.
Tony Tellier ('57) ~ Yuma, AZ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Seat Belts
From: kaustin@austin-home.com (Kelly Weil Austin) (81)
In reference to Chuck Monasmith's entry in the 12/13/98
Sandbox regarding seat belts, I, too, agree with you.
My husband also is an avid race car driver. He has not
"hit the wall" going 100+ mph, but he has spun his car
on Laguna Seca raceway, as well as driven very safely on
Portland International Raceway. I thank God for seat
belts, in race cars, and in our personal vehicles.
If I may interject an interesting note.... Since my
husband is an avid car enthusiast, he has subscribed to
Autoweek magazine. In one past issue (I'm not sure which
one), there was an article about seat belts,
specifically for cars built in Europe and importing into
the U.S. The article stated that in high performance
European cars, 5- and 6-point harnesses are standard
equipment. When those automakers import their cars to
this country, our "seat-belt" laws/regulations require
them to replace these more secure seatbelts with the
type of seat belts that we, as Americans, are typically
used to, the lap/shoulder belts, which may save lives,
but not as securely as the 5 or 6-point harnesses. God
forbid you ask a woman in a business suit or dress to
strap herself into a car using a 5-point harness -how
unlady-like! Which would you rather be? Fashionable
and lady-like or DEAD?
I'm in favor of restraint systems that hold us securely
in place. Even my son's car seat holds him more safely
in our car than the seat belts that secure my husband
and me.
I feel that until we, as responsible individuals, decide
to take our survival seriously, there will always be
those who would choose to have the government make those
decisions for us. Our forefathers didn't come to this
country to have government choose for them. They came
to establish a country where they could escape the
tyranny of those who would choose unwisely, and allow
their decisions to adversely affect entire nations.
They came to establish a country where we would have the
freedom to pursue life, liberty, happiness, and to
worship as each individual sees fit. You cannot pursue
these things if you leave it up to the government to
choose for you. I choose personal responsibility!
Kelly Weil-Austin (Class of '81)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: "Got a $10.00 Head?
From: Tony_Tellier@compuserve.com (57)
Responding to Chuck Monasmith in Issue #12 who said: "I
race sports cars because it's fun and a good way to keep
from having any money in the bank. We drivers espouse
several witticisms. Wear a helmet that reflects how
much you value your head. My helmet is a carbon
fiber/kevlar composite. Very expensive.
Next saying: Do away with air bags and lap belts, all
vehicle occupants should wear a five point harness."
Chuck:
10-4 on that. Remember the Bell Helmets ad? "Got a $10
head? Then wear a $10 helmet." I race off-road cars
and have been upside and everyside down. No harm, no
foul .. just 5-points. The auto industry does not want
scare people into thinking that an accident is even
possible. Same with the commercial airlines ... I'd
rather be inside a steel cocoon when we are tumbling and
smashing and crashing. If others do not wish to use
belts, hey, OK. That's freedom. Just don't tell me
that belts are not best.
Tony Tellier ('57)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: THREE QUESTIONS (Just to Stir the Pot a Little More)
From: miles2go@cheerful.com (John M. Allen) (66)
Dear SANDBOX,
1. If people are so concerned about what happens to
Bubba's backside, where are all the hippie protesters
and their placards on the eve of his possible
impeachment? Of course, by the time you read this, I
guess we'll know if he has been extended membership in
the very exclusive Andrew Johnson Club.
2. If Clinton mouthpieces and defenders are correct in
claiming that where he did or didn't touch Monica is no
better than a "he said/she said" argument, how is it
that Bubba didn't perjure himself when he testified that
he was never alone with the little homewrecker? Just so
you libs don't have to stretch your powers of logic too
far; only if there WERE witnesses to the "improper
activity" he has almost admitted to, could he truthfully
claim he was never alone with her.
3. By the time this appears, will Bubba have told us
yet again that he is really, really, seriously, no
foolin', honest to God (?), cross his cheatin' heart,
SORRY??? Will the Holy Land have given him a character
transplant?
---John Allen ('66)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Petition for Censure
From: bchome@icontech.com (Cheryl Simpson Whitaker (64))
Cheryl Simpson Whitaker relayed the following:
Countdown to the impeachment vote From: "Browning, Jane"
Dear MoveOn Petitioners,
I know you're furious -- and maybe a little sad for our
country. I am. The only cure for this feeling is
action.
Over this weekend, email may be the best way to reach
Congress. As outlined on our webpage, an email version
of your petition has been automatically sent to your
representative. But you can do more.
We've set up a special group email address to make it
easy to forward a note to swing votes. The email
address is: swingvotes@list.moveon.org If you send a
letter to this address, we will automatically bounce it
to three dozen Members of Congress on our swing list --
the ones who have email. You can see our swing member
list at http://www.moveon.org/swingvotes.htm Compose an
email and send it to "swingvotes@list.moveon.org" --
there is a sample letter at the bottom of this message.
You will feel better, and it could make a real
difference. We have one week left before a House vote on
impeachment. We can turn this around. The three day
call-a-thon we promoted this last Wednesday through
Friday delivered 94,659 anti-impeachment calls through
the 1-877-TO-MOVEON number. This isn't counting tens of
thousands of direct calls made by our members. The
phones on Capitol Hill are ringing off the hook. The
Capitol Hill switchboard has been incredibly busy. And
swing members are listening. A staff member from Speaker
Elect Bob Livingston's office told me they've been
swamped with pro-censure calls in the last three days -
- that's us, folks. And as censure becomes the key
issue in impeachment discussions, our efforts and
message have received great media attention, both local
and national.
Because of the overwhelming success of the toll-free
campaign, another organization, People For the American
Way, has agreed to fund the toll-free line until the
House convenes. THE 1-877-TO-MOVEON NUMBER WILL REMAIN
LIVE THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY. [12/16] The call campaign
will begin again on Monday. [12/14] ... You can find
instructions at http://www.moveon.org/actions.htm
And as we begin the final countdown to the House vote,
moveon.org has posted a live simulcast of all the
comments entered in the petition drive -- all 150,000.
Giving four seconds per comment, this simulcast will
take an entire week to play all the comments -- from now
until the House vote. If you have a Java enabled browser
you can view the simulcast at:
http://www.moveon.org/thepeople.htm
These comments are great. They speak volumes on the
diversity of our backgrounds, yet unity of our message
and purpose. -Wes.
SAMPLE EMAIL TO ALL SWING VOTES -- REMEMBER: Short
personal messages are best
To: swingvotes@list.moveon.org
Subject: Don't impeach -- censure and move on
As a leading member of the House, I ask you to show
leadership and openly support the option of censure over
impeachment. I am deeply concerned that a trial in the
Senate will continue to divide our country. At a time
of global economic uncertainly and international
challenges, we must unite. We have better work to do as
a nation.
It's time for healing. It's time for true statesmen to
lead the way.
Sincerely,
Wes Boyd.
http://www.moveon.org/swingvotes.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Brother Wants to Get Plugged In
From: hipier@ruby.indstate.edu (Dick Pierard) (52)
Howdy,
My brother Burt Pierard ('59) would like to get plugged
into this empire of Bomber chat lists. Could one of you
industrious guys/gals take care of this? His address is
BPierard98@aol.com Many thanks for your maintenance of
an amazing enterprise.
--- Dick Pierard '52
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Editorial Note: How many of you Bomber guys and gals
out there still have brothers and sisters, or other
kinfolk, and other Bomber friends, who are not yet
"plugged in" to the online Bomber Scene? How many
previously not on line will, in just a couple of weeks,
be plugging in new computers, perhaps for the first time
in their lives? Help them know the great fun of
communicating with Bomber brethren worldwide, sharing
memories, voicing opinions and ideas, visiting the
Websites, reacquainting with old friends and gaining new
ones, and in general, just KEEPING THAT LEGENDARY BOMBER
SPIRIT ALIVE! Start asking around. LET YOUR PEOPLE
KNOW! Tell every Bomber you know, every bomber you talk
to on the telephone, send a card to, meet on the street,
send a letter or an e-mail to, about this "amazing
enterprise," as Dick Pierard refers to it. "If you tell
them, they will come!" -ap
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's it for this issue of The Sandbox, folks Share
your opinions, your feelings, your ideas with all of us!
-13-
***************************************
***************************************
********************************************
Welcome To: THE SANDBOX
Issue #14 ~ December 17, 1998
=============================================
Col-Hi / RHS Alumni or Alumni Mothers Participating in
The SANDBOX today: Patty Eckert Weyers, Viola Parker,
John Northover, Steve Carson, Dick Epler, Mari Eckert
Leahy, Mina Jo Gerry Payson, Mary Collins Burbage, Ray
Wells, Patty Stordahl.
Class Years Represented: 1953, 1968, 1959, 1958, 1952,
1965, 1968, 1963, 1954, 1972.
=============================================
HISTORICAL REFERENCE POINT:
Dec 16, 1998: President Clinton orders Bomber Strikes On Iraq.
Impeachment Hearings Are Delayed.
Dec. 17: Bombing and bombasting continues.
===============================================
Subj: Helmet Usage
From: Patty Eckert (68)
(Thank You Al Parker for your time and energy in getting
this site open and going and thriving! Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year!)
I too want to say I was most impressed with the SandBox
#12 issue from Dick Epler and Arthur Roberts, very
interesting reading. Also, in #13's issue, the 5-6 point
harness standard equipment in European cars and for race
car drivers, I learned from those articles on the
advantages of them verses our standard belts, lap and
shoulder style. Thank you David Rivers & Kelly Weil-
Austin. Its a shame our U. S. of A. isn't also
equipping our vehicles with those harness styled belts
to save our lives. I personally would love to have a
mandatory helmet law (in all states) for All Bicycle
Riders. (and motorcycle riders). A safety course
written and designed to educate and clearly show why
having that "option or choice" NOT Available any longer
for the riders. Unprotected heads verses safety helmets
worn by law if need be to enforce the lack of helmet
wearers. If there were more education on these safety
aids in our schools right up there with sex education
and protection advantages from first grade clear up
through twelfth grades to insure its instilled in our
children's growth. The amount of head injuries and
disabled Americans would lessen in our country as would
senseless deaths. I recall now having a name (fellow
Bomber) in the Sand Storm 12/14 issue; a beautiful woman
who was close to my older sisters growing up, becoming a
young mother and riding her son's bike one day and that
ride ended with the loss of her life..... This issue
should be strictly taught as importantly as vaccinations
and immunizations laws in this country? How many of us
would want to have a child or friend injured in the head
and disabled the rest of their lives, never to be the
same again? Where are our priorities? A law was made
and enforced to take prayer out of our schools, (which I
don't believe should ever have happened!), (puh
leeese!!!) the prayer was taken out like it was an act
of bodily harm in our schools, for the so called
betterment of our children's rights, so why isn't a law
or mandatory education classes in our children's
curriculum created just as importantly on this safety
issue? To me its as important as our law and
responsibility of seat belt wearing!
Patty Eckert Weyers (68)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Northover Does Makeover of Censure Petition
From: jnorthov@spawar.navy.mil (john northover)
FROM dentover@funtv.com [John Northover '59]
In Response to: The Petition for Censure Appeal
I have modified the email [suggested format that the
petitioners want sent to congressional members] ... to
reflect what should happen: For those that want the
scum-bag out of office please send this to as many of
those spine-less panjandrums that you can.
Send this to all your friends, we cannot stand by and
allow this moral-dwarf to remain in office!!
************ MODIFIED version *****************
To: EMAILADDRESS OF YOUR CONGRESS[WO]MAN
Subject: Impeach -- Kick his ass out now!!!
As a leading member of the House, I ask you to show
leadership and consideration to the law that is meant
for all [wo]men I believe we are a strong people and
will be able to survive this impeachment.
Our forefathers saw into the future and realized that
something like this would happen. The process is there,
the deeds and actions taken by this president make it
necessary for you to take the necessary action of
casting your vote for IMPEACHMENT!
All those that have served, given their lives and worked
for FREEDOM and LIBERTY will have worked for naught if
you fail to vote for IMPEACHMENT!!!!
If we do not do what is RIGHT, our children, our
grandchildren and all man kind will suffer forever.
LIBERTY, JUSTICE and EQUALITY will not be able to look
our children in the eye. Our lives will be cheapened.
It's time for IMPEACHMENT. It's time for true statesmen
to lead the way. Do not become a member of the morally
bankrupt individuals in this nation that would over look
the seriousness of these charges.
Sincerely,
(Your Name), ... protector of peace, freedom and right
is might!!!!
************ MODIFIED version *****************
I thank you for your time and effort.
john northover '59
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Lying to a Grand Jury Means Jail Time
From: Steve Carson (58)
MailTo: SteveNitro@aol.com
In Chicago three (former) Northwestern students have
been convicted of lying to the Grand Jury. They are
awaiting sentencing which looks like it will be 2-5
years in prison. The lie? These former football players
lied to the GJ about betting on their own teams games.
It's just a game (sex). How do we justify giving Mr.
Clinton a pass on such a serious issue. He took an Oath,
he repeatedly violated his Oath and continues to plead
that he didn't. Video tape, phone tapes, compelling
evidence compiled by the special prosecutor and his own
"partial" admissions belie his position. If we are to
be a country of laws, we must follow them for everyone.
Mr. Clinton has destroyed his own credibility. The
House of Representatives must do their duty given the
evidence. He will have an opportunity to defend himself
in the Senate.
Personally I don't think it will be good for the country
in the short term to remove him from office but
sometimes doing the right thing is uncomfortable.
On a lighter note, If the Senate does elect Censure
(which only that body can), the penalty should include a
fine and grounding. Take Air Force One away from him.
--- Steve Carson (58)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Impeachment vs. Censure
From: Dick Epler (52)
MailTo: depler@pdx.oneworld.com (Richard Epler)
Those who know me realize that my main political
interest when discussing controversial issues is in
minimizing sources of mischief. Accordingly, I'm
primarily interested in promoting clear thinking,
meaning that our conclusions need to be traceable back
to foundation documents or to first principles.
I'm a registered Democrat but lately I find myself
voting Republican. I find most Democrats to be likable,
fun-loving types; while I find most Republicans to be
relatively humorless, and overly serious." When "caught
with their pants down," we tend to forgive the former,
while prosecuting the latter --because we know
Republicans know better! Few would disagree, I think,
that given the same circumstances, a Republican
President would have resigned by April 1998, and indeed,
we, as a Nation, would have "moved on."
Along with Cheryl Simpson Whitaker (64), I'm interested
in moving on. But in Clinton's case, the only way I
know to do that, while minimizing obvious sources of
mischief, is to transmit the clear message to Clinton
that we, as a Nation, are prepared to follow the
Constitution.
This is not a complicated issue. Censure is clearly
unconstitutional. To preserve a separation of powers,
it's unconstitutional for one Branch to censure another.
Each branch can censure their own, but not those of
another branch. If censure is important, then Congress
needs to go through the amendment process, which would
provide the appropriate focus. What is really
interesting here, is that censure is Clinton's preferred
solution ... and that should tell you something.
One last thing. This morning's news reports that
Clinton is getting ready to attack Iraq which will
necessarily require a postponement of the impeachment
vote. I hate to be overly suspicious, but this seems to
be just a timing thing. There is no clear and present
danger from Iraq. We are not being attacked and no one
is currently being threatened by Iraq. It's as if
Clinton is using Iraq as a trump card -- as a weapon to
delay congressional impeachment. This seems to be
another clear abuse of power (impeachable).
Accordingly, I would advocate sending the following
letter to the swingvotes list:
To: swingvotes@list.moveon.org
Subject: Your Oath of Office to uphold the Constitution
As a leading member of the House, I ask you to show
leadership by openly announcing your intention to
support the Constitution of the United States by voting
to send Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. I am
deeply concerned that any attempt by one branch of
Government to censure another is a clear violation of
the Constitution’s separation-of-powers doctrine. Each
branch of Government MUST remain independent of the
other, taking their authority and direction only from
the Constitution.
At this time, a House or Senate Censure of the President
for improper use of the Executive Office is
unconstitutional, and even more so when driven by the
Executive Branch. If you still feel strongly about
censure, you should propose an amendment to change the
Constitution.
For our future survival, there is NEVER any more
important work for any branch of our Government than to
uphold our Constitution... which you have taken an oath
to do.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Epler
IMPORTANT: To insure your message gets sent, it might be
better to go to the swingvotes web page
(http://www.moveon.org/swingvotes.htm) to get their
email list of Congressmen and use that. I've tried, but
the site has been too busy.
--Dick & Lynn Epler
depler@pdx.oneworld.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Keep the Cloud
From: 12147@aol.com (Mari Eckert Leahy (65))
Totally agree that the Mushroom Cloud needs to STAY. It
is as unique as the students that have used it for all
these years as their logo. It doesn't reflect death and
destruction, but the end of such! Bet there isn't
another school in the country like ours was and is. We
ARE one of a kind, and I for one, am very proud to have
the Mushroom Cloud as our symbol.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Christmas Music in Schools
From: Mina Jo Gerry Payson (68)
MailTo: payson4@owt.com
It is the time of year for me to get onto my favorite
soapbox and sound off about Christmas music in schools.
Each year at this time I read an article in the paper or
hear a story on the news about how a school is dealing
with Christmas Carols. Case in point: Last week a story
about a school in Oregon that has traditionally ended
its holiday program with the singing of "Silent Night."
Teachers had gone out of their way to include as many
cultural beliefs as possible in the annual program.
Still there were complaints about the religious nature
of the closing song. Finally, cooler heads prevailed and
"Silent Night was allowed as representative of the
Christian culture.
As a musician, I am aware of the high place that
religious music occupies in western culture. If not for
the church, we would have little in our musical heritage
from the earliest times. Even our most highly revered
composers spent most of their careers writing church
music. The three Bs are a good example. Bach,
Beethoven and Brahms all wrote brilliant hymns,
oratorios and masses.
I respect other peoples' beliefs. As I tell my
students, that is why we live in America, to have the
choice. What I resent is the father who wanted
alternative lesson plans for his child, because of their
beliefs, when I was teaching over 200 other students
each week and making plans for four different grade and
ability levels. A student told me that he was told by
parents not to participate in singing Chanukah songs
since they weren't Jewish. How can our children learn
to respect the beliefs of others if they cannot
experience some of their culture?
I have to chuckle when the most requested song on free
choice day is "Children, Go Where I Send Thee," a
spiritual. It has ten verses. What a good song to sing
to help memorizing skills. One year, all my 3rd graders
could sing the verses in correct order without even
opening the book! Learning to sign "Silent Night" or to
sing it in German are two great ways to introduce kids
to other languages. Besides, sign language is a
learning tool for those who are not hearing impaired--
another memory builder.
Maybe there are other things we could substitute and
granted I only allow Carols after Dec. 1 (I get tired of
hearing the limited selection in the music texts), but
why can't tolerance go both ways? I go out of my way
not to insult other people. So don't insult me.
---Mina Jo Gerry Payson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj We Are The Government
From: slburbage@aol.com (Mary Collins Burbage (63))
In response to the discussions about government
intervention in our lives (i.e., seatbelts). I would
like to remind you that WE are the government. We elect
those that represent us in the state legislature and in
congress. It would be interesting to know how many have
actively campaigned for candidates who share the same
political philosophy they do. Have your doorbelled for
your candidate? Urged friends and family to vote for
your candidate? Donated time or money to the campaign?
And most importantly, did you vote?
Too many people complain about the way government is but
think they are powerless to change it. We do have the
power but we must use it and not count on someone else
to do it for us.
---Mary Collins Burbage (63)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: What Impeachment Means
From: ray@transcribing.com (Ray Wells) (54)
Impeachment of Bill Clinton would essentially be a
Constitutionally appropriate censure by the House (a
rose by any other name is still a rose). Everyone I
have questioned believes that impeachment means removal
from office, a recent poll of the American people
revealed the same thing. Au contraire! Impeachment is
the equivalent of indictment. Impeachment merely
instructs the Senate to hold a trial of Bill Clinton to
see if the articles of impeachment are true and viable
reasons to remove Bill from office. Since Bill
(unfortunately) has more support in the Senate than in
the house, Bill will probably survive a Senate trial.
---Ray Wells
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: The Constitution and The Law, Today and Tomorrow
From: Viola Parker (Bomber Mom ~ Mother of a '53 grad)
c/o Adamstreet@aol.com
If the law and the constitution mean anything today or
tomorrow, we must impeach President Clinton for lying
under oath and for his indecent behavior. The most
serious behavior was desecrating the sanctity of the
oval office with his sexual misuse of that office.
Some people say that we should let President Clinton
stay in office because the economy is so good. We must
realize that it is the Congress, not the President, that
has made the good economy that we have today.
President Clinton is in deep deep trouble. An apology,
that he tried to avoid, was too little, and too late.
He finally admitted that he had sinned. He sinned
against himself, his wife, his daughter, the American
people, the office of the President, but most of all, he
sinned against the law of the constitution. An
impeachable offense.
It does not matter, so much, of what he lied about, but
does matter, very much, that he lied under oath. The
President cannot be above the law, any more than you or
I can be above the law.
The President should not be allowed to resign, he must
be impeached, in order to enforce and uphold the law and
the constitution.
Morality is at stake here, all the way from being a
draft dodger and many other scandals and sexcapades in
Arkansas, then onto other scandals, misuse of the oval
office because of his sex problems, on government
property and on government time. These are unforgiveable
and disgraceful abuses of the oval office, and surely is
very much an impeachable offense. I other jobs in the
country, a person behaving this way would be fired, and
that is just what we must do, get him out of office as
soon as possible.
What a horrible example President Clinton is for our
people, especially for our young people, who could feel
that if it is O.K. for the President of our country to
get by with "living and acting that way then it must be
O.K. for me also."
With our President as an example to live by, it is no
wonder that we have so much crime in our country today.
I will not vote for anyone, in upcoming elections, who
will not vote for IMPEACHMENT NOW.
-Viola Parker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANNOUNCING A NEW SANDBOX FEATURE:
"WHAT BOMBERS ARE DOING NOW"
Updates on the Who The Why The When And Where of Bombers
Everywhere and Anywhere
Subj: Patty Stordahl changes address, enjoys her
career, wants you to know she's still around.
From: DZIGNRITE@aol.com (Patty Stordahl) (72)
Not going far. Just invested some real bucks into a home
design computer with lots of bells & whistles so that I
could work even harder for my clients. I still am at
exhibit Design Consultants, Inc. Seattle WA but that is
just a home base. I live on lots of leashes, pager,
cell phone, a lap top & now home computer.
Next step is a computer chip in my brain that makes me
think of you prior to you even knowing it? I love what
I do. It takes me far away from home a lot but that is
OK I will be going to the UK to complete a project for a
very large company. Have one going to Brussels, Paris,
Heidleburg, 3 to Mexico, & one to do a circuit in Asia.
That is just part of my 99 schedule I have many days I
will be all over the US. Actually my favorite place to
travel. I speak the language but have to get serious
about my romance languages. 99 means tighten up on my
Spanish, Italian, French & what ever else comes my way.
But I really love the crude rude good old American
English. No language quite like it. I am by far not a
master of any language but I am working on the get-by
version of them all. One of my partners is going to
teach me his native tongue Icelandic this coming year
also. Hope my brain can keep them separate.
Thanks for the best wishes I will need them. I am going
to be a busy girl.
Love & Holiday wishes to all in 98
You can send this out to every one if you have room. I
would hate for people to think that I am going away from
Washington for any permanent stay. Not at least for 3-4
more years Lord willing. By then I want to start my
very own consulting firm & find my place as a National
Trade show trainer.
Patty Stordahl (72) alumna
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-14-
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THE SANDBOX
Issue #15 ~ December 19, 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Col-Hi / RHS Alumni and Classes Participating in The
SANDBOX today: Dick Epler (1952), Rich Henderson (1962),
Marc Franco(1970), Lee Johnson, Jim Hamilton, (1963),
Ray Wells (1954), Cheryl Moran Fleming (1966), Arthur
Roberts, (Whenever).
You will also find two poems, with virtually the same
name, each approaching the events of our day in a
somewhat different way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HISTORICAL REFERENCE:
December 18, 1998: Clinton Impeachment Debate Begins in
The U.S. House of Representatives. Bombing of Iraq
Continues.
December 19: Vote Expected on four Articles of
Impeachment.
==============================================
Subj: Impeachment And Our Ability to Communicate
From: Dick Epler (52) (depler@pdx.oneworld.com)
Recent private communications from Cheryl Simpson-
Whitaker (64), and Ray Wells (54) have given me new
insight into the current impeachment debate.
It occurs to me, as I read the thoughts of reasonable
people (all Bombers), that to many, the Constitution and
rule of law is passe' -- that the principle of
relativism and multiculturalism is what's important
these days. The law is whatever we, as a people, want it
to be ... which is why the polls are so important. When
the liberals say the Republicans just don't get it --
they're right! But the reverse is also true when
conservatives say the same about Democrats.
I'm suggesting that what many are referring to as
"partisanship" is nothing of the sort, but rather is a
symptom of a major communication problem in this
country. It's as if the two groups are from different
worlds with entirely different cultures. Each use the
same words to mean entirely different things, that to
one makes perfect sense, but to the other is total
gibberish.
Communication, it seems, is effective only within the
groups but not between the groups. And so ... it seems,
we're losing our ability to communicate as a nation. The
result is the beginning of real hatred of the one for
the other ... hatred that, in my opinion, is unjustified
as both have honest motives. Both are concerned about
the direction of our nation, and sincerely want to make
it better as they visualize it.
The problem is that the meaning of the words used by
liberals are derived primarily from "the emotion of the
moment," while conservatives continue to depend on the
same dictionary they used in high school or college for
meaning.
To understand what liberals are saying conservatives
need to throw away their dictionaries and instead try to
understand the emotion of liberals ... and that's hard!
It's not unlike asking men to understand women. Both are
hard, but the conservatives (and men) need to try.
On the other side, I would hope that liberals could
agree that while emotion is useful for the establishment
of goals, it needs to be set aside during the process of
implementation (rule of law stuff).
I would suggest it's quite possible to solve this
problem on the local level. Once we can admit to the
problem, all we have to do is to agree on a dictionary,
a culture, and the meaning and purpose of law. That's
not unlike what was done 150 years ago. And then we
simply ask our local schools to implement a self-
consistent curriculum that produces the desired result.
Currently a significant number of our educators seem to
have forgotten that the purpose of language is
communication, and that the purpose of law is an ordered
society. By teaching "relativism and multiculturalism"
we are effectively destroying our foundations, and
thereby sowing the seeds for conflict much as now exists
in Northern Ireland, old Yugoslavia, and, of course, the
Holy Land. I can't believe anyone really wants that.
We can say that the impeachment process of Bill Clinton
is all about power, and certainty there's some of that,
but it's also a harbinger of things to come. We, as a
nation, need to be careful. We need to consider the
consequences on future generations of our current
rhetoric and political decisions.
Both our rhetoric and our decisions need to reflect the
irrefutable principles that have made our nation great.
If our votes, and the polls, and the petitions, are
important then this is another way we can make a
difference as individuals.
-- Dick Epler (52) depler@pdx.oneworld.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: The Night Before Impeachment
From: grassroots3@earthlink.net (Richard Henderson) (62)
T'was the night before impeachment
and all through the House;
nary a member was sleeping,
not even their office computer mouse.
The four articles were hanging
o'er the House chamber with care;
Clinton, knowing his presidency
would soon be decided there..
When out of the media
there arose such a clatter;
all the Capitol was a
buzz with the latest
rumors and chatter.
T'was it the White House?
T'was it the media?
No one would confess;
must be another FBI file to stir up a mess.
Names were leaked
and stories abounded;
no accuracy, no sources,
upon which it could be founded.
This was the stage
that now had been set;
the names, the reputations
that members would protest or protect.
So this is the story of how it must be;
the House, the Constitution,
and the truth that
will keep America free.
--- Rich Henderson Class of '62
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Republican president resignation
From: mfranco@uswest.net (Marc Franco) (70)
Dick Epler made a remarkable observation that "Few would
disagree, I think, that given the same circumstances, a
Republican President would have resigned by April 1998,
and indeed, we, as a Nation, would have "moved on."
I would love to know how he arrived at this truly
unusual conclusion. The only two presidents of recent
memory who have had anything to resign about are Richard
Nixon, who never did resign, even with all the tapes,
etc. until after the smoking gun was found and the
impeachment hearings had voted in favor of impeachment-
exactly where we are now as I write this, and Ronald
Reagan, mixed up with the Iran- Contra affair. I believe
he did not resign either, even though his administration
claimed the record for most employees indicted. I think
most people would admit that Watergate was far more
serious than this tawdry affair is, although I know at
least one person who disagrees with that, and the Iran-
Contra affair would seem to be at least as serious.
Nixon did not resign, even under the weight of far more
serious evidence, until he absolutely had to, and nobody
else has EVER resigned. I would like to ask why anybody
thinks that a Republican president is more likely to
resign than Clinton. I see no evidence of that as yet.
As long as I'm here, I might as well add one more thing.
I have been somehwat bemused by the total hypocrisy of
the Republicans in this mess. I'm ot talking about the
obvious hypocrisies that seemingly half of the
Republican party has had affairs of their own. I'm
probably exaggerating a little, but I'm sure everybody
knows what I'm talking about. The fact is that most
people are aware that the real issue is that Clinton
lied under oath. Nobody can, or should, forgive him for
that. My bemusement concerns the reactions of
Republicans in general during the Iran- Contra affair
when Oliver North lied under oath to the Congress, and
was promptly hailed as a hero by no less than Henry
Hyde, present chairman of the Judiciary committee, and
by numerous other high- ranking Republicans. later, when
Newt Gingrich lied in his testimonies a few years ago to
the Congress, he was promptly re- elected as Speaker.
Seemingly, to the Republicans, lying under oath is only
a crime if you disagree with it. I do not intend to be
partisan, because I tend to vote independent, but I
think that the evidence is there. In reality, everybody
who lies under oath is guilty, and should be punished.
---Marc Franco
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Panjandrums
From: Lee Johnson (BeegByte@aol.com)
In Reference to: Northover
Does Makeover of Censure Petition (as seen in Sandbox
#14) which was sent by jnorthov@spawar.navy.mil (john
northover) which is quoted, in part, within the brackets
below:
["I have modified the email [suggested format that the
petitioners want sent to congressional members] ... to
reflect what should happen: For those that want the
scum-bag out of office please send this to as many of
those spine-less PANJANDRUMS that you can."]
AL: You must be distracted by something. You are not
going to let the word PANJANDRUMS slide by without
comment are you? Take care...Lee
Al Responds: Glad you called this to our attention, Lee:
So I looked the word up: And what a spiffy word it is!
According to my trusty Funk and Wagnals Standard Desk
Dictionary, a Panjandrum is: a mock title for an
official of exaggerated importance or great pretensions.
[Coined by Samuel Foote, 1720-1777, English dramatist
and actor.] Would you say then, Lee, that there's been a
lot of panjandrumony going on lately, in high places?
I'm not saying there is or is not, mind you, just asking
if you think there is. We may have to give Mr. Northover
the "Cool Word of the Month Award" for using
"Panjandrum" in a sentence so effectively. Then you
should get the "Cool Special Investigator Award" for
calling that word to the attention of all who might have
glossed over it without appreciating the full intrinsic
value of its nuansic essence. The plaques are in the
mail! -Al Parker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Dick Epler's Message in Sandbox #14
Also: An Invitation to Hear Bill Clinton Sing
From: ray@transcribing.com (Ray Wells) (54)
Dick Epler's message is right on -- worth re-reading
several times.
BTW, If anyone would be interested in receiving an email
".wav" (audio) attachment of Bill Clinton voicing his
confession to music in very graphic, humorous terms,
send your email request to: ray@transcribing.com and I
will email it free of charge.
Ray Wells (54)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Impeachment
From: CHERYL MORAN FLEMING (66).
Mail To: jfleming@iea.com
After reading all the entries regarding the Impeachment
Hearings, it warms my Bomber Heart and renews faith in
our process, that so many fellow Bombers agree on
Impeachment and removal of office as the only solution.
Today's Spokesman Review announced the Special White
House Christmas Show, and said Vice President Gore and
his wife, Tipper, will replace Bill and Hilary in their
display of the decorations at the White House. This
small announcement confirms in my mind of the power loss
of our president. Even if he is not found guilty and
removed, there are those of us who already look at him
as a non-credible leader. He would do himself, his
family and the entire country a huge favor by
voluntarily leaving quickly and quietly.
Thanks for your HUGE EFFORTS in providing us the
Sandbox. It's been very educational.
---CHERYL MORAN FLEMING (66)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Musings on a Saturday Morning
From: Jim Hamilton (jhamilton@wspan.com)
While Christmas always conjures up all kinds of
memories, this year I've had a new "Ghost of Christmas
Past." With the television impacted with all kinds of
overblown rhetoric, to the point that nothing else seems
to be coming out, I've given thought to individuals I've
known of Honesty, Integrity, and High Moral Purpose.
For several Christmas Vacations and summers, I had the
opportunity to be a clerk at Dawson Richards. I think
back to these times with Grover Dawson as some of the
more enjoyable working experiences of my life. Grover,
while as complex as a person can be, could always look
you straight in the eye and give you the time and
council you or he thought was necessary. A true Icon,
and one of the last TV Dads, Grover was passionately
devoted to his family and community. One of the driving
reasons for our great memories of growing up in
Richland, was Grover and men like him.
Much later in life, on a trip to Louisiana, I first
heard a term that now reminds me of Grover's philosophy
toward family, friends, community and business. No, not
"Let the good times roll," but he would have given that
some consideration. But, Lagniappe, "Something Extra."
The world is a much better place because of Grover
Dawson. It's been quite a few years since he was taken
from us, and I think of him often. Thank you Grover, for
being my friend.
---Jim Hamilton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: 'Twas The Night Before Impeachment
From: Arthur Roberts (fluffdry@hotmail.com)
'Twas the night before Impeachment
And All Through the House,
The Impeachers were saying,
"The Pres' is a louse."
"Just let him be censured,"
The others did cry,
Fine him a mill,
And let the bombs fly!
The votes were then counted,
Before they were cast,
Like stockings they hung,
In the chambers so vast.
The nation had heard,
Refrains of regret,
But admitting of lies?
You'd better not bet.
But when all had been said,
And all had been done,
Regardless what remedy
Should really have won,
The results would just be
Only one battle done,
In a war not won,
By anyone.
~~Arthur Roberts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANNOUNCING A NEW SANDBOX FEATURE:
"WHAT BOMBERS ARE DOING NOW"
Updates on the Who The Why The When And Where of Bombers
Everywhere and Anywhere
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's it for this issue of The Sandbox, folks.
Share your opinions, Your Feelings,
Your Ideas and News About YOU with all of us!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-15-
***************************************
***************************************
********************************************
THE SANDBOX
Issue #16 ~ December 21, 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Col-Hi / RHS Alumni and Participating in The SANDBOX
Today: Bob Rector (62), Tony Sharpe (63), John M. Allen
(66), Teresa Cook Morgan (73), Dick Epler (52),
JosephDan (68), Richard Wight (52), Ray Wells (54), Lee
Johnson (54), Ray Stein (64)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Historical Reference:
Sat, December 19, 1998, President Clinton Impeached,
Bombing of Iraq halted pending evaluation of mission's
success.
Mon, Dec 21, Stocks soar. Techs rally to new records.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Thank you for collecting the thoughts.
From: b_rector@owt.com (Bob Rector) (62)
To: ADAMSTREET@aol.com (Al Parker) (53)
Have enjoyed the banter in the box.
"None of us is as smart as all of us," 'cept maybe the
lady who thought seat belts were a Communist plot. Keep
up the good work. -Rector '62
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: And So did yo MAMA
From: tonys@citylinq.com (Tony Sharpe) (63)
To: ADAMSTREET@aol.com
Right on Dick! Your observations in the Dec 19 Sandbox
issue as to the difference in language between
Republicans (conservatives) and Democrats (liberals)
were right at the heart of the problem. One need look
no further than Mr. Franco's comments that followed. We
see the classic Democrat defense in "and so did your
mother." I don't recall any evidence that Ollie lied,
and by the way was he under oath before a Grand Jury?
If Richard Nixon only resigned after the "smoking gun"
of his own tapes, why didn't ol' Willie do the same
after the salvo of the Blue Dress. O that's right he
didn't inhale, or was it exhale or "EJ" something.
Richard Nixon used the power of his office to cover-up a
break in at the Demo. Natl. HQ. Mr. Clinton used the
power of his office to cover up an affair with a 21 year
old gaga intern in The Oval Office on MY TIME, and then
perjured himself in front of a Grand Jury. "Mr.
Clinton, were you ever alone with Ms. Lewensky in the
Oval Office" Bill- duh I don't recall ever being alone.
Get Real! Any man will tell you that he would remember
every sordid moment of encounters like that.
The only thing that I can figure, Dick, is that being a
liberal must automatically qualify one for the never
have to admit I done wrong club. The man (Wm. Jefferson
Clinton) has immense political savvy and charisma, but
absolutely no integrity. PS Mark, It's OK To admit
you're a democrat, but don't say you're not partisan
after laying out the patented Democrat apologist line.
There are only 10 people I am reasonably sure that are
truly "Independent," and they are the 5 Republicans that
voted "No" and the 5 Democrats that voted "Yes." Come
on Ron R. I'm sure you're just itchin' to say something
on this.
Tony Sharpe, Class of 63
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: How Smart Is He, Anyway? (for the SANDBOX)
From: miles2go@cheerful.com (John M. Allen) (66)
Bill Clinton possesses at least one faculty that is
truly spectacular and NOBODY disputes it. He has a near
photographic memory. It certainly is an enviable quality
to have and plenty of people inside the beltway do envy
it. Most of them are the political pundits who tell us
how bright a guy he is.
BUT IS HE? I say this is a situation where these
pundits (who are no more lacking in ego than the pols
they cover) are saying To themselves, "How DOES he
remember all ten of my children's ages? I'm a smart
guy and their FATHER. I can't do that; how does HE do
that? He must be an unbelievably smart guy. Gee, I wish
I were that smart." I suggest they are mistaking his
fantastic memory for true intelligence, and the reason I
say that is because without exception, every one of
these pundits (even the most liberal of the liberal lap
dogs like Al Hunt and Eleanor Clift) have also accused
Clinton of being "terminally indecisive."
They say that he can and does sit and discuss the
minutia of policy ad nausium, but when it's time for the
rubber to meet the road, he simply can't make up his
mind. And even when he does occasionally make a
decision,he then very often waffles on that decision.
SO, if a chief executive possesses the memory qualities
of a Bill Clinton but can't make a decision with the
knowledge he has acquired, what good is that memory
except to impress the majority of society which doesn't
have its equal?
He graduated from Georgetown and Yale Law during the
Vietnam War when both schools were using a Pass/Fail
system to avoid sending students to the draft, and when
he arrived at the one school which actually kept track
of his academic progress (that would be Oxford where he
"sort of" attended on his Rhodes Scholarship) Clinton
failed to graduate.
When confronted with this fact during the '92 election,
he claimed that many Rhodes Scholars were caught up in
protesting the War and the graduation rates in that time
window were much lower. The real truth (as opposed to
the Clinton truth) is that his Oxford class graduated
the same 80% of Rhodes Scholars it normally does - war
or no war.
The point of all this is that I fail to understand why
libs are making such a stink about keeping this guy
around. Certainly no one in their right mind is going
to claim that the man possesses even a modicum of common
sense, and his recently departed Press Secretary, Mike
McCurry, is telling BBC television audiences about his
considerable doubts concerning Clinton's fitness to hold
the Office of President; pointing to the alarming
recklessness of his personality. Do the Democratic
Party and libs in general want to waste their political
capital defending a reckless, terminally indecisive
president who possesses a tendency to lie when telling
the truth would literally be much easier, absolutely NO
common sense, but has an excellent memory? Does he
really make the "feel good" party feel THAT good when he
flips the political bird at the Supreme Court, the
judiciary in general, the House of Representatives, AND,
not least of all, the American people?
But Clinton does possess one other amazing quality
which, more than any other, has kept him in office. As
Democratic Senator Bob Kerry from Nebraska said in an
interview after the '92 election, "Bill Clinton is an
exceptionally good liar. You know that, exceptionally
good!"
---John Allen ('66)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Out of Touch?
From: Teresa Cook Morgan (73) teresam@owt.com
I guess I've been sheltered living in Richland for a
large part of my life having moved here with my family
and then following my engineer husband around the
country where he works in nuclear plants. One of the
advantages of being a writer of fiction is that I can
write anywhere. I was stunned, however, when I began to
hear from editors as I submitted one of my books.
A little background. The book dealt with a woman
returning to her government built home town where her
grandfather and his brothers had founded an engineering
consulting company, now headed by her father. The town
was, of course, Richland, and the mystery dealt with the
selling of classified documents from the 1940's to 1977.
Almost without exception, the editors loved the plot,
characters, conflict and crafting. Not an editor would
touch it. Too controversial. They couldn't take a risk
in the present market.
The book didn't push nuclear power or nuclear weapons.
It was just the subject matter that was being pirated.
My question: Am I so sheltered, so out of touch that I
never realized that the mere mention of the existance of
the Manhatten Project and its role in ending a horrible
war is horrendously offensive to the majority of people
in our country? Obviously, I am.
Come on, the content of the stories we choose to read
boggles my mind. And on occasion renders me so
frightened I'm afraid To sleep.
Has anyone else come across this depth of offense at
what our parents and grandparents worked so hard on to
save this country? I knew that there were some that
insisted we should apologize for dropping the bomb. I
knew that nuclear power evokes a lot of heated debate.
But I never knew our Manhatten Project was so WIDELY
offensive.
I realize editors are a wary lot. They have to worry
about what will sell and make their company bucks. I'm
not offended.
Really. I'm just stunned that I was so out of touch
with what the rest of the country may think.
Thoughts anyone?
Teresa Morgan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Seatbelts and Safety
From: Dick Epler (52) depler@pdx.oneworld.com
Be careful what you wish for because you just might get
it … and then some. More “safety” laws mandating the
use of various products are generally not the answer.
The best safety device we have is still between our
ears.
Having said that, however, some of the products
discussed in the SANDBOX do more to confuse the safety
issue than help. For example, when discussing 5 and 6-
point restraint systems along with Kevlar helmets, I
think we need to keep in mind what these things are for.
They're for surviving hi-impact crashes involving high
performance vehicles. While we’re at it, we should also
consider the use of engineered tubular-steel crash cages
that break away from the rest of the vehicle at 60 to
100G forces. And we mustn't forget the use of special
fire protective clothing (Nomex and the PBI/Lenzing
blends). After the impact, the biggest danger to life
is fire. And yes, with the proper equipment, Princess
Diana could have survived.
Flying single-engine jets teaches that. Also the
activities of my oldest son teaches that. He’s a
professional race car driver.
His current specialty is the ear splitting, nitro-fueled
funny cars. Jim Epler was the first funny car driver to
go over 300 mph from a standing start in the quarter
mile. But he’s raced almost everything from motorcycles
to the alcohol-fueled limited hydros. I have a shelf of
videos of his more spectacular crashes. It’s amazing
what you can walk away from … so long as you use the
proper equipment.
What we need to recognize here, however, is that none of
this has anything to do with being safe. It has to do
with pushing the limits of both yourself and your high
performance vehicle.
We’re talking about survival under extremely hazardous
conditions.
Use of the word “safe” in this context is not helpful.
Real safety is having a X2 or X3 margin, considering
your skills, your vehicle and the environment (which
also includes the speed-limit laws of the land). ALL
cars manufactured for use in the U.S., in the last 5
years or so, have at least a X2 margin.
There is no good reason for an average driver to have an
accident with a recent model car in the U.S. But many
do … mostly because they’re simply not focused on their
driving and because they’ve never learned how to recover
from common driving situations. And so, seat belts
become important.
Having Government involved in the research and design of
seat belts could be a good idea. Having Government
mandate the use of seat belts is not. Mandating seat
belts tends to give many a false sense of security, and
accidents go up, even though expensive hospital stays go
down. Its a rather perverse psychology that increases
the accident rate up with the introduction of each new
Government mandated “safety” device.
Could it be that lowering the accident rate is not the
Government's primary objective?
I've read in the SANDBOX where some think the insurance
industry is driving the seat belt thing. They're partly
right.
It’s more a loose consortium consisting of insurance,
medical, auto and Government entities. It’s to the
advantage of all these entities to manage the accident
rate in this country. What is desired is a reasonable
increase each year in the accident rate with little or
no increase to any long-term hospital stay. We don’t
want any double or quad paraplegics … very expensive.
We DO want “safety systems” that either kill people
outright (or at least within 30 days) or result in costs
that are within the insurance industry’s carefully
calculated limits.
Understand what’s at stake. If the nation’s accident
rate decreased by 5% for two or more years in a row, a
major growth industry would be in real trouble. We'd
have lots of insurance claims adjusters, underwriters,
emergency room, and auto body repair people out of work
(but the number of Government regulators would probably
increase). New car buying would probably take a
nosedive. There’s lots of economic reasons to want the
accident rate to increase each year. After all, a
percentage of your pocketbook has already been included
in the balance sheets of each.
*************** I feel compelled to discuss one last
related thing: the “list mentality” of well meaning
people.
Many activists in search of a cause have a list
mentality. This is where you’re given a list, generally
prioritized using statistics, of things the Government
wants to control. As an example, a partial list for
automobile safety might read: 1) Seat belts; 2) Air
bags; 3) ABS brake systems; 4) AWD systems; 5) Child
restraints; 5) Helmets for all passengers; 6) SUVs vs.
compacts; and 7) center-mounted vs. side-mounted gas tanks.
The activist’s objective is to proceed through the list
by organizing and building support as necessary to get
as many laws passed as possible.
Now, a mandated law is generally very expensive to the
industry, but activists always justify the cost on the
basis of saving lives. Are lives saved? Well, when
you're managing a list of many items, its very hard to
know which of the many was really effective. More
important, however, is the effect of transferring
responsibility for personal safety from the individual
to the Government, which invariably leads to more
accidents along with a possible increase in net deaths
as well.
Nevertheless there is a way to quantify the issue using
the principle of acceptable risk. The idea is to
establish an economic threshold (cost) below which the
risks to people in not mandating a particular safety
program is acceptable. We would be asked, for example,
whether the risk to sub-compacts in allowing SUVs on the
road is acceptable given the cost to industry To shift
production, and to SUV owners who would be required to
switch to full-size trucks to preserve their desired
margin of safety.
Most activists, however, are well meaning people. But
for those who make these lists (lobbyists and the
bureaucracy), and for those who supply the statistics,
(academians for hire), the initial profit potential is
predictable and quite large, as each item on the list
involves a product guaranteed by the Government To have
little or no competition. Of course, the profit becomes
less as time goes on … at a point when it no longer
matters.
To many activists, being able to cross items off the
list provides the illusion of progress. The problem,
however, is that the “list mentality” relies on using
the force of Government as a consumer buying incentive.
In so doing, it distorts the free market and results in
the misallocation of scarce resources.
Worse, each item on the list takes on a life of its own
and never goes away even after more effective solutions
are found.
The common element in both these discussions is simply
this (from Watergate): “… if you want the truth, you
must follow the money.” Anyone want to apply this
principle to the Desert Fox Military Operation?
***************** Back to the future. In a different
world, safety would be a matter of teaching people “how
to become experts at making mistakes.” By that I mean
the ability to make mistakes that are easy to correct
and that tend to avoid catastrophe. These days, it is
popular to shield our children from making mistakes of
any kind, thereby postponing a very important part of
their development. We teach them, in the schools, to
never attempt anything they’re not qualified to do.
Call an expert (licensed by the government, of course) …
don’t do it yourself. I suppose this is a consequence
of our liability laws, but it is an unnatural
expectation with dangerous consequences. Much better to
teach our children how to make mistakes.
It wasn’t always this way. When most of us were growing
up, we roamed far and wide using our natural curiosity,
experimenting and freely discovering the world.
Remarkably, there were fewer problems than today. For
the most part, no-one ever knew about our “mistakes.”
Reading the Sandstorm reinforces this as we can read any
number of stories where the writer seems to wonder how
they ever lived to grow up. I would suggest their
parents (and the environment) subtly taught them the
practice of making easy-to-correct mistakes.
On a larger scale, we as a nation were capable of some
pretty amazing things. Consider that, in the days of
Will Rogers, the Corps of Engineers commissioned DuPont
to build Hanford, (HEW) under a simple one sentence
contract: "... to build a secret weapon." Understand,
this was a thing that had never been done before and
mistakes were expected. Nevertheless, for a cost of
$349.32 million, in a period of just 22 months (Apr 43 -
Feb 45), DuPont built three nuclear reactors (B, D &
F), three separation plants (200 T, D, and F), the 300
Area Labs, 64 single shell tanks, and the town of
Richland complete with 4300 homes, associated schools,
stores and administration buildings.
As I recall, at the peak, there were over 50,000
employees involved in this effort, yet the safety was
remarkably good. Over this period, I believe there were
11 deaths, 7 when a water tower collapsed, and 4 when
two locomotives collided.
So whatya think? Anyone believe we could we do this
today?
Dick Epler depler@pdx.oneworld.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Joseph Dan Loves the way Mina Jo Paysons thinks.
From: JosephDan@aol.com (68)
To: Mina Jo Paysons
Dear Mina,
Concerning Christmas Carols in school:
I LOVE THE WAY YOU THINK!!!!!
By the way, Merry Christmas to you, yours and all the
other Bombers out there!!!
Joe (Large) (68)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Impeachment et al
From: Richard Wight (52) dwight@nwinfo.net
In reading the last couple issues re impeachment and
"conservatives vs. liberals," "dems vs repubs" etc., I
end up feeling sick, demoralized, frustrated, angry. In
the political spectrum I suppose I've labeled myself
"Republican" over the years, but I'm certainly somewhere
to the left of Genghis Khan.
And I've paid my dues in public service, which gives me
license To have my say.
I feel strongly this way: Humans are flawed ... all of
us. But most people who ascend to positions of high
responsibility (as opposed to high power, such as
wealth) learn to live up to the standards of the
position, to take the responsibilities very seriously,
and to be leaders in word and DEED (if not in thought)!
Clinton has failed to do that. So did Nixon. Both of
them apparently thought their power gave them privilege
to abuse the law, both moral and constitutional. I have
some experience in these matters on a personal level,
and I know that a flawed man can exercise control of his
weaknesses and shortcomings in the pursuit of performing
his duties and responsibilities as a leader. Clinton
obviously does not meet that standard. I want him out
of the leadership of my country, just as I wanted Nixon
out when I understood what he had condoned and tried to
conceal. Nixon apparently finally understood his error
and resigned. Clinton reads the polls and says "I'm
staying."
The defenders of Clinton don't seem to care much about
idealism, about moral standards, about the law. If that
ends up being partisan, then a pox on the democrats (or
liberal or independents or republicans) who support him.
They are the ones who may succeed in keeping him in
office. Other societies have been down the same road,
with the same brand of leadership. They ain't around.
I fear for us as a nation.
Richard Wight '52
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: There is more to Clinton than meets the eye.
From: ray@transcribing.com (Ray Wells) (54)
This morning as I was watching one of the four liberal
networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN), the following
announcement was made:
"Former presidents Carter and Ford are recommending
censure of Bill Clinton to the senate vis-a-vis removing
him from office."
Later I tuned into FOX news and got the rest of the
announcement that the liberal network conveniently
forgot to mention:
"Former presidents Carter and Ford are recommending
censure of Bill Clinton to the senate vis-a-vis removing
him from office if he admits he lied to the American
Public and to the Grand Jury"
Most of the news we hear is composed of misleading half
truths (spin). Is it any wonder the polls are claiming
support for Clinton?
If you still feel William Jefferson Clinton is the
president for you, then I suggest you visit the
following web sites:
http://www.zpub.com/un/un-bc-body.html
http://www.fm-net.com/subrosa/deaths.html
http://www.judicialwatch.org
If you need to see the humor in all this then you will
enjoy this website.
http://www.startpage.com/html/monica.html
---Ray Wells
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[To get to any web address, copy it and paste it into
your favorite web browser (depending on the browser
setup, you can paste it into the address field at the
top of the browser window, or go to the browser File
menu, select the Open Location command and paste it
there). ]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: 5 Kinds of Democrats
From: BeegByte@aol.com (Lee Johnson) (54)
I would like to applaud Dick Eppler...he has pegged the
liberal faction to a tee. This group have taken over
the Democrat Party and have run it into the ground. The
party is now largely made up of:
1. The gimme gimme people (non-producers)
2. Liberals
3. Liberal Socialists
4. Liberal Socialist Extremists
5. Splinter groups looking for a home.
And for some reason they can not seem to deal with
truth, fairness and justice.
---Lee Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Cougars and Huskies
From: raystein@ior.com (Ray Stein) (64)
To: Kenny Wright, Bill Compton and other unfortunate Huskies
I write this for my Bomber-Husky friends who have given
us Cougars such a hard time this year.
Twas Christmas '98
and all over the Palouse,
Not a creature was stirring,
no footballs were loose.
Cougars were resting,
some in their beds
With visions of a Rose Bowl,
still in their heads.
But in the Pacific,
Huskies were abuzz,
A meaningless Bowl game,
Oahu it twas.
Now about this same time,
Santa was ready
For his Christmas deliveries,
in his sleigh so steady.
When he flew over Hawaii,
he said,"sakes alive,
That looks like the Huskies,
but they were 6 and 5?"
Now Santa wears red,
but not for the fashion.
His clothes are all crimson
'cause COUGS are his passion!
When he looked down
and saw purple and yellow,
"Down with the Dogs!",
cried this jolly old fellow.
So the plan he devised,
you wouldn't have believed,
His reindeer had eaten,
but hadn't relieved.
He circled his sleigh
and steered it in low.
When they were over the Dogs,
his reindeer let go.
The sound and debris
made such a clatter,
That Lambright looked up
to see what was the matter.
The brown stuff did fall
on Huard, on Hooker, On Dalan,
on Pharms, on Hairston, on Looker.
It hit thousands of Huskies,
surely no fewer,
It rained from the sky,
this Christmas manure.
As Santa flew off
on this bright Christmas Day,
People who were there
heard this jolly man say,
"Merry Christmas to you
and to you and to you,
Down with the Huskies!
Forever WAZZU!"
Merry Christmas!
-Ray Stein (64)
---------------------------------------
-16-
***************************************
***************************************
********************************************
THE SANDBOX
Issue #17 ~ December 23, 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Col-Hi / RHS Alumni and Participating in The SANDBOX Today:
Ron Richards (63), William L. Porter, Marc Franco (66),
Gary Behymer, John M. Allen (66), Darwin Perkins (69),
Tony Tellier (57), Richard Epler) (52).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Top News Story:
First Cold Wave Of Season Rolls Across U.S.
Richland Weather Today: "Mostly sunny and continued cold.
Highs 15 to 20. Light and variable wind.
Tonight: Increasing clouds by morning. Cold with lows 10
to 15. Light and variable winds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: G1A1S1@aol.com Ron Richards (63)
Subj: Re- Tony Sharpe Remarks
I can't really add much to what you're saying, Tony
Sharpe. Just keep it up! Since November 3rd, the score
is 2 Republicans, 0 Democrats. Can you name the
Republicans? Do you know who is winning?
---Ron Richards ('63), Marc Franco) (66),
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: RE: And so did yo mama
From: mfranco@uswest.net (Marc Franco) (66)
Tony Sharpe made several sharp comments (no pun
intended) about a letter I wrote, and I would like to
reply. An earlier writer had made the comment that most
people would agree that a Republican president would
have resigned by now, given similar circumstances. I
replied to that letter by stating that there is no
evidence of any kind that a Republican president would
resign at all. Nixon didn't resign until after there was
absolute tons of evidence against him, along with the
tapes, and the Judiciary committee had voted the
Articles of Impeachment. Unlike the case today, there
was no doubt in Nixon's case that the Senate would have
convicted him. Thus, he resigned. I also said that
Reagan was guilty in the Iran- Contra affair, but did
not resign.
My point was, then, why would anybody think that a
Republican president would have resigned any faster than
Clinton, since none of them had done it yet.
Mr. Sharpe responded to these comments by saying that I
was using the classic Democrat apologist line and the
classic Democrat defense. WHAT defense, Mr. Sharpe? I
don't recall making any defense at all for Clinton. I
thought that I had said quite clearly (but obviously not
clearly enough) that Clinton lied, we all know he lied,
and that nobody should forgive him for that. It is not
clear to me how that ranks as a defense of Bill Clinton.
Possibly you could explain that. I did continue to say
that the Republicans are hypocrites in this case because
when Oliver North lied to the Congress, he was hailed as
a hero. Mr. Sharpe, you said that you remember no
evidence that Oliver North lied.
Well, North himself stated that sometimes lies are
necessary (I do not remember the exact wording at this
point ten or 12 years later), his secretary Fawn
something or other said that sometimes lies are
necessary so that people do not find out things that
they are not supposed to find out,. and Henry Hyde
himself said that not all lies should be considered
equal. You seemed to think it important that Clinton
lied under oath (well, it IS important, actually. )
However, I'm pretty sure that when people testify before
Congress, they must also take an oath of some sort. I
may be wrong on that, and maybe somebody can correct me.
I do know that it is not normally considered good,
except by the Republicans in this case, to lie before
Congress.
Was there evidence? Well, yes, there was- and the
comments of North, Fawn, and Henry Hyde would certainly
indicate that, yes, North lied- making him a hero,
because he had done all his illegal activities in
service of his country.
I'd like to ask you a question, Mr. Sharpe. IF North did
lie before Congress, as most people are aware that he
did- would you agree then that the Republicans were
hypocritical, as I claimed? We don't need to argue about
whether or not he did lie- but IF he lied, are the
Republicans now hypocrites?
Finally, you scoffed when I said that I vote
independent, and basically said I was a closet Democrat.
I am quite glad you corrected me on that. I had had the
naive idea that just because I routinely vote for both
Democrats and Republicans, depending on the candidate,
that meant that I was independent. I do appreciate your
setting me straight on that. In reality, it must be that
if anybody dares to find blame on both sides, instead of
just on one side, in this mess, then he must be
Democrat.
Marc Franco
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Re: Impeachment, what its done for me.
From: William L. Porter
Mail To: William.Porter2@PSS.Boeing.com
At my level, nothing has changed with the impeachment of
the president on two counts. Even if he is removed or
left in office, nothing has changed. Not even my
confidence in our system of government has changed. The
poor need feed, the homless still need shelter. My day
to day life has not changed. I am not walking around in
an outrage at any group of people. I am not trying to
out manure, I mean manuever, someone elses argument to
justify my position. I am aware of the situation from
the newspapers, TV and radio, but I have not read the
complete text of the Jones trial, the grand jury, or
even contemplated the legal definitions to see if a line
has been crossed. Even if I had studied all this in
depth, what would it matter. I accepted the decision of
ballot for our representation in the House and the
Senate. Constitutionally these are the people who must
make the decisions, first on the legality, and 2nd on
whether any acts reach the level of removing the
president from office!
Even if you have read and studied all the documents,
your analysis is not of consequence to the decision. You
can debate the system of justice and its viability, but
as far as guilt or innocence, that is not your decision.
It is our duly elected representatives and how they
interpret the laws and the constitution. You can voice
your outrage at the actions of an individual and you can
also tell the facts you know. You can let it affect your
life, if you want. You can let it diminish or
bolster your faith in the system. But as soon as people
start inserting irrelevant crap into the discussion, I
start to question the person blabbering, not the process
or even the president. The question is not 'what does
this tell our children', the question is not 'the
character of the president', the question is not
'whether the confidence of a constituent has been
shaken'. I'll trust the checks and balances of the
system, over any concocted half logic pronounced by
another person.
My opinion is, there are a lot more helpful things we
all can spend our time, energy and emotions on.
Sometimes I get the image of a bunch of people sitting
on hill over looking a tragic accident in progress,
discussing the merits of the accident and whose at
fault, while the victims get no assistance. It isn't
because of Bill Clinton's sexual activities that a child
is dying of cancer, but it is our fault if the people
who are working on the cure become distracted by us. I'm
not saying ignore the whole proceedings, but at least I
try to keep it from creating rancor or confusion and try
to place my emotional energy to productive use.
Now, I must go deal with the guilt from spending the
time writing this note, instead of actually doing
something directly productive.
I shall now turn my attention to doing the dishes.
William L. Porter 965-6999 MS 6M-FE
"The right to suffer is one of the joys of a free
economy" -Howard Pyle, aide to Pres. Eisenhower
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Re: e-thepeople
From: Gary Behymer
Try this site.... e-thepeople http://www.e-thepeople.com
[Ed. Note: e-thepeople introduces their site as "your
channel for action and discussion about the issues that
concern you most." This free, nonpartisan service is
the fastest, essiest way to be heard by any one of
140,00 local, state, and federal officials serving 7,000
towns and cities across America."]
So there you are. Another place to go, another way of
letting people who are in positions to make changes know
how you feel about things. Maybe you can make a
difference in your city, your county, you state. Maybe
this is another vehichle through which you can help to
build a better, more positively interactive America.
We just ask one thing, please, while you are doing that.
Please CC copies to Adamstreet@aol.com for publication
in The SANDBOX, TOO! Make you impact really count! -Al
Parker]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: THE MASTERS OF PARTISANSHIP
From: miles2go@cheerful.com (John M. Allen) (66)
Since the beginning of this long Jones vs.
Clinton/Lewinsky nightmare, liberals have been screaming
bloody murder that Conservatives are acting with pure
partisanship and, as a result, the whole process is
unfair, illegitimate, a conspiracy, a coup d'etat and
blah, blah, blah. During the impeachment vote last
Saturday, 28 Republicans voted "no" on Article II and 81
Republicans voted "no" on Article IV. These numbers
equate to 12% and 36%, respectively, of their
membership's vote on those two articles. HOWEVER, no
more than 5 Democrats voted FOR any article of
impeachment. Given the overwhelming evidence in this
case that the President lied under oath, it is simply
not credible that a pitiful 2% of Dems could have voted
a "conscience" which said the President was not guilty
of the offenses specified in the articles. This lack of
credibility is most clearly demonstrated by the language
in the Democrat-sponsored (read that, "White House
sponsored & written") censure measure where the
President was called every negative thing under the sun
except the one thing the text, taken in its entirety,
cried out for; "guilty of impeachable offenses."
This kind of hypocrisy reminds me of one particular
conversation I had with my favorite liberal Bomber Alum.
If I had a nickel for every time he has used some
combination of the words "right wing" and "extreme," I
would be truly wealthy. But one day I proposed to him
that if there WERE such things as right wing extremists,
by definition there must ALSO be left wing extremists,
and I challenged him to name five liberals who would fit
that category. It was truly humorous to watch him
stutter and stammer as he failed to name even one.
Surprise, surprise.
(I might add that this conversation occurred BEFORE
January 21, 1998.)
Behavior like this goes a long way toward pointing out
the true political problem we are currently suffering
through. The truth is that ONLY within the last three
weeks, have the Republicans in the House of
Representatives learned to accept the fact that they
have been in charge of the House for almost four years.
The Democrats haven't even come close to accepting that
they HAVEN'T been in charge for that same period. If
the Dems lose this impeachment and removal battle, they
will have lost the last of the three institutions they
controlled when Clinton took office, and that prospect
is something even a "Lewinsky Party" would have a
difficult time swallowing. So this is a life and death
political struggle for the libs, and the fire is fueled
by their basic belief that only the Democrat Party truly
cares about America and Americans. In general, they
believe that Conservatives are, at their core, wealthy,
uncaring, essentially evil people who want to starve
young children (remember the school lunch debate) and do
all the other unspeakable things Democrats have
fabricated in their never-ending attempts to demonize
the opposition. And if Conservatives don't happen to be
wealthy, then they must surely be the worst of all
things; devout Christians. In this contorted view of
the political world, you need to understand that "evil"
and "devout Christian" are most often NOT mutually
exclusive terms.
Somehow, I can't avoid believing that if 89% of inside
the beltway reporters didn't vote Democrat, press
coverage of these Democrat themes would be significantly
different and consequently their acceptance by the
American public would be significantly reduced.
But that's really a whole 'nother submission to the
SANDBOX.
John Allen ('66)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Conservatives and Liberals Don't Think The Same
From: Darwin Perkins (69)
Reply To: dperkins@3-cities.com
Just another note on the discrepancy of thought between
liberal & conservative views...
It appears to me that when conservatives argue it's
about right vs wrong. There is a 'right' for each
situation, likewise, there is also a 'wrong' for the
situation. When liberals argue it appears to be good vs
evil argument, where libs are declared as good and all
else is evil. That means that any action, right or
wrong, that supports 'good' is, by definition, 'good'.
Project those thought processes on the current
democrat/republican debates and their arguments become
much clearer. For the democrats, the fact that Clinton
may have lied is not the issue. He's overwhelmingly
popular, he's at the head of the party and the country.
Anything that supports and continues his presidency is
'good'. For the republicans, the fact that Clinton may
have lied is the central issue. No one, including the
President, can or should be allowed to willfully break
the law without accountability.
This also means that the possibility of convergence on a
solution is
near zero.
--Darwin Perkins (69)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Re: Manhatten Project
From: Tony_Tellier@compuserve.com (Tony TELLIER) (57)
But I never knew our Manhatten Project was so WIDELY
offensive.
??????
Not that I have ever heard ... lived in Conn., Ohio,
Phx, ... most people figure that it was war and was was
waged.
Period. No tears. No problem.
Tony Tellier (57)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: YAC - yet another contribution
From: depler@pdx.oneworld.com (Richard Epler) (52)
To: Al Parker
You know, it's funny. All my life, I've been able to
ignore newspapers and talk show hosts. But for some
reason, I find it hard to ignore the SANDBOX. *sigh* See
the following:
Re: The Crimes of Nixon and Other Republicans
Fm: Dick Epler (52)
For: Marc Franco (66)
I hope this is not a mistake, Marc, but since we both
consider ourselves to be non-partisan, and are both
Bombers (reasonable people), I'll try to respond to some
of the issues your raised in SANDSTORM #15.
You should know that some of your concerns, Marc, are
shared by Cheryl Simpson-Whitaker (64), so I consider
you to be in good company. I learned some things from
Cheryl. I hope to learn from you as well.
You asked about my assertion that, under the same
circumstances, a Republican President would have
resigned early.
The reason is deceptively simple: what Clinton did
violates the core beliefs of most Republicans. Key
members of the Republican Party would have forced the
issue, even though Democrats might have supported such a
president, much as Clinton is now supporting Livingston.
Most Republicans tend to be doers. As such, they feel
strongly about the rule of law and about those in
responsibility flaunting immoral behavior. No
organization can function effectively when such behavior
is condoned. Just think about your own work environment
to visualize how such behavior by your boss might affect
you and the rest of your organization. I’m sure you see
the problem.
Core Democrats, on the other hand, tend to have a lawyer
mentality. Typically they are NOT doers. The media
tells us that core of the Democratic party is Hollywood
(think Alec Baldwin), the New York intellectuals (think
Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law Prof.), and black America
(think Jesse Jackson). These people tend to use the
worst of the legal profession's machinations to go after
all those who "don't support the right policy." They
have continued to distort the historical record
regarding both Nixon and Reagan.
These days, it’s hard to find anyone that admits to
voting for Nixon, but in 1972 he won in one of the
greatest landslide victories in history. Recent
scholars such as Ann Coulter have gone back to study the
original documents and have provided a little more
balanced account along lines that I remember:
First of all, Nixon really wasn't a bad guy. He may not
have been all that likable, but he wasn't evil.
Contrary to popular opinion, Nixon didn't know about or
approve of the Watergate break-in. He didn't even know
the people who were involved. The tapes have Nixon
referring to the break-in as "it was so dumb -- tying it
to us is an insult to our intelligence." Later,
however, after he discovered the burglars were hired by
the Committee to Re-Elect the President, he got himself
in trouble by trying to cover-up their actions. Near
the end of July 1974, the Rodino committee drafted three
articles of impeachment. By today's standards, only two
would be considered impeachable: Lying to the American
people (on TV, but not under oath), and obstruction of
justice when he tried to invoke an executive privilege
to not release the tapes. The third article charged
that Nixon allowed one part of the investigation to be
delayed for two weeks – certainly not an impeachable
offense today.
Most agree it was the tapes that brought Nixon down.
And it was the House Republicans who forced Nixon to
release transcripts of the tapes, right after the
Saturday Night Massacre, by refusing to oppose
impeachment until he did. That was nine months before
the Supreme Court ruled against executive privilege and
the audio tapes were finally released. Most of Rodino's
report, assisted by Hillary Rodham and Bernie Nussbaum,
was written before the final tapes were available. The
report concentrated on the actions of Nixon's
subordinates, arguing that Nixon "condoned, acquiesced-
in, or failed to prevent" their illegal acts. In
contrast, none of the Articles of Impeachment against
Clinton target the illegal actions of his subordinates.
Nor should they.
Although I must say, no President should be able to hire
an endless stream of questionable characters (those
unable to get a security clearance) to do illegal work,
and then claim he knows nothing about their misbehavior.
Regarding Reagan, you may be right that his
administration has the record for the most indictments.
I could believe that. My, how the Democrats hated
Reagan's policies. But the Clinton administration
surely has the record for the most convictions.
Generally, Republicans don't like to indict unless they
have a clear legal basis to convict. This is a big
problem for Clinton now, even in the Senate. Having
principle and law on your side can be quite compelling.
A major concern of many, however, is the seeming
hypocrisy of the Republicans in calling Clinton immoral.
A few things: First, the Republicans who believe our
President should be more moral than Larry Flint, are the
so-called Christian Right. Other Republicans, who have
been "caught with their pants down" are the moderates.
No hypocrisy here. The moderate Republicans are little
different than the moderate Democrats.
Secondly, and more importantly, we need to recognize
that even moderate Republicans don't openly flaunt their
marital infidelities. This is not unlike Clinton’s
don't ask, don't tell policy. But when "outed," these
Republicans tend to deal with the problem without
resorting to aggressive lying (think wag-your-finger
sort of lying).
Third, without getting into specifics, Clinton’s
extramarital affairs are more involved with "weird sex"
than in any meaningful man-woman relationship. This is
not a good example for our children. Moreover, we all
know this behavior is NOT the same as the examples cited
by Democrats of Hyde, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Roosevelt,
and Jefferson (don't know about Livingston). Clinton
exhibits all the characteristics of a sexual predator
(consensual, of course). No one believes that of Hyde,
et.al.
While I dislike that our children often bear the brunt
of the infidelities of their parents, I realize that's
just a fact of life these days – people can become
temporarily confused or even fall out of love. On the
other hand, having our President become the poster child
for weird sex is a different thing entirely.
When discussing controversial issues, Marc, most of us
probably need to be more specific to be clearly
understood. I realize I'm often not specific enough.
Maybe that's because I depend too much on our common
Richland heritage. What I've written today didn't
address all your questions and may not have changed your
mind but it seemed important to make the effort.
But now I'd like something from you. My biggest concern
is that we need to find a way to defend the Democratic
Party without defending Clinton or his actions. I’m
convinced that tearing down past Presidents and/or the
Republican Party won’t do it. So how shall we do it? We
can’t talk about foreign policy. We might want to talk
about the economy, but much of that has been the work of
the Republican Congress (it frustrates Republicans that
Clinton takes credit for their traditional economic
policies). Clinton’s social policy, though laudable in
some ways, hasn’t led to any real reduction in the
welfare class. We now seem to have a permanent class of
“victims” that depend on Government subsistence … and it
continues to grow. Right now, we can afford it, but
that’s not the point. Better to make people productive
and give them back their pride.
I voted Democratic for many years. In my view, it
wasn’t me that changed, it was my party. Right now, I
don’t know how to defend the party of Alan Dershowitz
and Larry Flint. Actually, Jesse’s not so bad and Alec
is just … well … a little crazy.
Marc, if you, or any other Bombers, have an answer I’m
sure many like myself would enjoy reading it. I ask
only that you are specific and remember that you’re
writing for the unemotional right.
-- Dick Epler depler@pdx.oneworld.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-17-
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THE SANDBOX
Issue #18 ~ December 27, 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Col-Hi / RHS Alumni and Participating in The SANDBOX #18:
John Allen (66), Lloyd Swain (66), Ray Wells (54),
Marc Franco (66), John Northover (59), Bob Mattson (64),
Mike Cook, Rodsoak (67)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: For The Record
From: miles2go@cheerful.com (John M. Allen)
Contrary to popular liberal opinion, Oliver North was
never convicted of, or even charged with, "Lying to
Congress."
Once again, a little honest research (as opposed to
knee-jerk emotionalism) always helps. What's the next
"misleading" misconception?
---John Allen ('66)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Lloyd Swain (66)
Reply To: LSwain6680@aol.com
Subj: New Presidential Prerequisite Proposed
HEY, I'VE GOT IT!
The New Requirement for future presidents of these
United States...They must consent to castration prior to
taking the oath of office......WOW!..... Think about
that for a moment...
Oh yea.... can you imagine this happening to a woman if
she were president?...
I love this country.!!!!!!
Lloyd Swain (66)
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
STRAW POLE: Please Vote Yes or No on Lloyd's proposal:
All in favor of a Constitutional Amendment to implement
the above pre-oath prerequisite, please send your vote,
YES or NO, to THE_SANDBOX@hotmail.com. It will be
helpful if you put the words "Straw Pole - Yes" or
"Straw Pole - No" " in the e-mail Subject Line when you
"cast" your vote. If you care to comment beyond just a
"yes" or "no," you are welcome to do that, too.
Remember--- Every Vote Counts! We will keep and convey
a running tally of the results.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: What am I missing?
From: ray@transcribing.com (Ray Wells) (54)
Over the past year I have accumulated the following
information related to President William Jefferson
Clinton.
1. Arkansas troopers have testified that while Clinton
was governor in Arkansas he had the Arkansas State
Troopers pimping for him.
2. In addition to Monica, and Flowers who were
consenting sexual partners, he has hit on the following
unconsenting women: Kathleen Willy, Paula Jones.
3. Prior to testifying on 60 minutes. Kathleen Willy
couldn't start her car and drive it to work because her
tires had been slashed. When she walked out her front
door on her way to the bus stop she saw her pets lying
on the sidewalk with their throats slashed. As she was
waiting for the bus she was approached by a strange man
who said, "How did you like what happened to your tires
and your pets? And if you don't shut up about Clinton,
the same will happen to the rest of your family."
4. The Judicial Watch Organization has filed suit
against Clinton for having approved the transfer of
missile guidance technology to Red China in exchange for
illegal and huge campaign contributions. The charge:
Treason. The result: China now has the technology to
guide an ICBM to the U.S.A.
5. Over 100 former acquaintances, associates, and
friends of Clinton have died under mysterious
circumstances. Among the more prominent, Vince Foster,
and Ron brown.
6. Vince Foster's death was ruled a suicide. Ken Star
agrees it was a suicide. The facts: Foster was found
lying in the middle of a muddy field, yet the bottom of
his shoes were clean. The gun was in the wrong hand.
The blood from the bullet wound had dripped uphill. His
car showed up in the parking lot half an hour after he
was found in the field. Hillary had a crew shredding
documents in Foster's office while Vince was still lying
in the field.
7. Ron Brown was said to have died in a plane crash,
yet his autopsy showed a 45 caliber bullet hole in his
skull. Ron, by the way, was heavy into the transfer of
the missile guidance technology to China.
8. Dick Morris, Clinton's former advisor, has been on
CNN and Fox News telling us that Clinton has a squad of
secret police, headed up by Cueball Carville, and that
Clinton uses this squad to intimidate those who would
speak up against Clinton.
9. Persons have refused to testify against Clinton
because they feared for their lives. Why do you think
Susan McDougal chose prison rather than to testify?
10. At the same time that Clinton is calling for
forgiveness, closure and bipartisanship, Carville is
telling the press that he is out to get those
Republicans who voted for Clinton's impeachment.
11. Alec Baldwin is interviewed on a major TV network
and shouts that Henry Hyde and Henry's family ought to
be murdered for what Henry has done to Clinton.
12. Robin Williams made the following statement on the
Tonight Show, last night: "Impeaching Clinton and
allowing him stay in office is a bit like electrocuting
someone and leaving them in the chair."
Summary: Is Clinton beginning to look more and more like
a dictator and less and less like an elected official or
have I missed something? At the very least, I'll never
watch another Alec Baldwin movie.
---Ray Wells
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Dialogue with Dick Epler
From: mfranco@sttl.uswest.net (Marc Franco)
(66)
I would like to publicly thank Dick Epler for his long
response to my criticism of his comment about early
resignation of Presidents. I still did not agree with
everything he said, but that is not necessary, of
course. I think that all any of us wants from anybody is
rational, well- reasoned opinions, instead of
hysterical name-calling, and then discussion can go from
there. Dick, your long letter certainly is rational and
well- reasoned, and I thank you for that again.
As for the issues you raised- yes, actually I was aware
that Nixon did not plan or approve of the Watergate
break-in. He was guilty of what happened afterwards,
though.
Concerning which type of Republican has been caught with
his pants down, moderate or extremist- I really don't
know. You said they were moderates- I simply have no
idea. I might add at this point, though, that I don't
doubt for a second that many Democrats are equally
guilty of this. It's just that under these exact
circumstances that some of the Republicans are being
named. Under different circumstances, I have no doubt
that some Democrats would be named as well
As far as the "weird sex" practiced by Clinton-boy, I
couldn't agree more. You named Clinton as a sexual
predator. I certainly see no reason to dispute that,
either. It's really disheartening.
As far as defending the Democratic party goes- in
honesty, I see no reason to do that. I actually do favor
the moderates of either party- (although Tony Sharpe
scoffed at this, I really do consider myself an
independent)- I think both parties are necessary for a
functioning democracy, and I remember telling one of the
most rabid conservatives on this board in 1994 that I
welcomed the Republicans taking over the Congress,
although I had strong doubts about the Gingrich-led
leadership of the party. I think it is important to have
the mantle of power pass back and forth between both
parties. I don't think it helps anybody to have one
party always in power, and the other party always
looking in through the window. I mention this bit of
personal philosophy by way of explanation that the
Democrats will sort things out for themselves, by
themselves. There is no question that Richard Nixon did
tremendous damage to the Republican Party at that time,
and yet, after a few years of Jimmy Carter in office--
(good man, bad President)- the Republicans came back
stronger than ever. The Democrats will do this, also,
and so will the Republicans in their turn. As far as
defending Clinton himself goes- I don't think anybody
is. Everybody is horrified at what he did, both the sex
part and definitely the lying under oath. But some
people are interpreting opposing the impeachment as
defending Clinton. Nope- let him twist in the wind. He
does not deserve defending. Unfortunately, the people
being hurt will be the people of this country. But
Watergate went on a lot longer than this mess has, and
the country recovered, and we will from this as well.
Dick, thank you again for your thoughtful response to my
critical comments (hopefully, not too critical) of your
earlier comment.
---Marc Franco
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: To Make Your View Known
From: John Northover (59)
Mail To: jnorthov@spawar.navy.mil
For those that would like to make their views known to
your[our] senators, lowercase by distinct disrespect ...
, check this site out ... email addresses.
http://www.ojc.org/Webring/senate-email2.htm
I would recommend that each one of us take a few minutes
to compose a short email to let 'them' know exactly how
we feel.
Pass the address to others so they may participate in
this forum.
There are many excellent points that have been made by
the SandBox readers. They all would make a difference.
Washington for the most part thinks we cannot think for
ourselves.
Yet, when they do not want to do their duty ... they
choose to listen to some inane poll that reflects the
lowest common intellectual level possible ... Ignorance
[as in lacking information, unlettered, untutored,
illiterate, unlearned ... ] by choice!!
I ask you how many of those people do you think have
read a book in the last year??? In the last decade???
Our nation is experiencing a blight of cultural
cognizance that rivals the dark ages.
We as a people have reached a low point in our moral
standards.
Our universities, colleges, high schools, junior high
school, middle schools, end schools, ... have about 75%
of the students believe that it is OK to CHEAT! One
student said "How do you expect me to get 'A's?" ...
WHAT??
Where did this attitude come from? [rhetorical
question, answer it if you must]
After graduation ... these people will be handling your
finances, your health, the maintenance of your cars, the
building of houses, offices and stadiums. Imagine a
worker in the back of a restaurant, the dishes have
backed up. The individual cannot keep up with the
demand ... Oh ... Well, I will just rinse the big
pieces off and put them out in the 'clean' pile of
dishes. Or a health worker checking blood samples for
... **you put the malady in here** ... It is time to go
home, but there are several more tests to run. Oh ...
Wellll, do three and generalize the rest...
This is cheating, bending the rules, lying, word-
smithing, putting a spin on it, spinning and
controlling, a controlled spin. It is logic retrorse at
worst! I do not care how many people have 'done' it
before. Just think back to your youth. When everyone
was 'doing' it, I know your parents said "Would you jump
off a bridge just because everyone else was doing it???"
I know I thought about doing it a lot and actually did,
just because everyone else was doing it.
You can call it do-dooo, poo-poo, ca-caa, defication,
excrement, fertilizer, a doggie-loggie, droppings, ...
anything you want ... it is still SHIT and it stinks!!!
"I did not inhale," When smoking, does one have to
inhale to complete the act??? Is that not the formal
definition that exists in "BLACKS BOOK OF LAW" for
smokers?
"I did not have sex with that woman ... yatty, yatty,
yatty."
When sexing... is a passive participant not having sex?
"I did not tell a lie," When lying, does one have to be
chopping a cherry tree down??
"What is the meaning of 'is'?" When ''ising' it, does
one have to swallow this crap???
If 60% is an accurate number of people that believe,
[not sure that is the proper word, because if one
'believes' in something, that implies a firm conviction
as to the reality or goodness of something...which is
not the case here.] That Clinton should be kept in
office and only be censured. Then we are only allowing
the Washington puss-bubble to build to a larger size.
We are now finding that a few of our leaders have gone
astray.
I am sure that many more will come out of the bedroom to
confess in the public market place of forgiveness. They
will have to make a hard choice, now that Livingstone
has confessed and retired.
Yes, this has been going on for a long time ... but that
does not make it right. Washington's puss-bubble is
reaching major zit size ... it is time to pop the rot
and let he who is without a rain coat stand aside.
Breaking a promise is lying. Breaking an oath is lying.
Lying is lying and no matter what kind of a spin you put
on it ... it just makes it hard to pin down.
Our nation is heading for a hand basket. We do not have
to accept anything less that the ideal, we can always
reach for what is perfect. We may not reach it, but as
long as we reach in the right direction we cannot reach
in the wrong.
If we do not strive for perfection, in ten, twenty, or
so years, our children and our grandchildren will ask us
some very perplexing questions. "Grandparent, Why did
you not care enough to keep truth pure and clean? How
could you have let truth get so run down?" How are you
going to answer that question???
Send an email to your senator and demand [do not ask,
remember they are "working?" for us]. Tell them you do
not want to answer any hard questions from your
grandchildren.
Tell them we want to pop the zit now and we can have
things cleaned up by the time our children and our
grandchildren grow up.
Thanks for letting me kick some sand around .... It was
fun.
Yours in perpetual confusion john '59 ... gee I just
noticed, that is almost biblical. I said 'almost' and
was kidding!!!
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
[Note: The Sandbox would love to display copies of the
letters you folks send to legislators as well as the
responses you might get back! -ap]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Soldiers Christmas
From: RMat683939@aol.com (Bobby Mattson (64))
I received this from my cousin, retired Army. Thought
the rest of the vets might enjoy these, especially at
this time of year. God bless you all and have a Merry
Christmas.
THE SOLDIERS NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
By Major Bruce W. Lovely
(With Apologies to Clement Moore Who First Wrote the
Story for His Children in 1822 also credit given to
M/Sgt Noah Brazos Ross, a US Army 18th Field Artillery
survivor of Utah Beach, France, Luxembourg, Belgium,
Battle for the Ardennes, Deutschland; "Daddy's
Christmas" (Soldier's Christmas) written as a Bonita,
Montague County, Texas, highschool exercise in 1937.)
Twas the night before Christmas,
he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house
made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney
with presents to give
And to see just who
in this home did live.
I looked all about
a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents,
not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire,
just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures
of far distant lands.
With medals and badges,
awards of all kinds
A sober thought
came through my mind.
For this house was different,
so dark and dreary,
I knew I had found
the home of a soldier,
once I could see clearly.
I heard stories about them,
I had to see more
So I walked down the hall
and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping
silent alone,
Curled up on the floor
in his one bedroom home.
His face so gentle,
his room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured
a United States soldier.
Was this the hero
of whom I'd just read?
Curled up in his poncho,
a floor for his bed?
His head was clean shaven,
his weathered face tan,
I soon understood
this was more than a man.
For I realized the families
that I saw that night
Owed their lives to these men
who were willing to fight.
Soon; round the world,
the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate
on a bright Christmas Day.
They all enjoyed freedom
each month of the year,
Because of soldiers
like this one lying here.
I couldn't help wonder
how many lay alone
On a cold Christmas Eve
in a land far from home.
Just the very thought
brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees
and started to cry.
The soldier awakened
and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa don't cry,
this life is my choice;
I fight for freedom,
I don't ask for more,
My life is my God,
my country, my Corps."
With that he rolled over
and drifted off into sleep
I couldn't control it,
I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours,
so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered
From the cold night's chill
So I took off my jacket,
the one made of red,
And I covered this Soldier
From his toes to his head.
And I put on his T-shirt
of gray and black,
With an eagle and an Army patch
embroidered on back
And although it barely fit me,
I began to swell with pride,
And for a shining moment,
I was United States Army deep inside.
I didn't want to leave him
on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor
so willing to fight.
Then the soldier rolled over,
whispered with a voice
so clean and pure,
"Carry on Santa, it's Christmas Day, all is secure."
One look at my watch,
and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend,
and to all a good night!
Author's Note: I wrote this poem for Christmas Eve 1993
while assigned to US Forces Korea ---Lt Col Bruce
Lovely, USAF.
(Printed in the Fort Leavenworth Lamp, 1995)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Bill and the Bull
From: Mike Cook
Mail To: cookiejo@email.msn.com
Bill Porter put it all in perspective. Like most of the
country, I believe we need to get on with the realities
of our country. We can wax eloquently and passionately
but Bill C. is staying and the problems remain! Bill C.
understands that and the rest of us should too. Way too
much time, energy and money has been spent.
--Mike Cook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: There Are Airbags and There are Airbags RODSOAK@aol.com (67) says:
Please remove me from your list. I've had enough
politics by airbags, excuse me, and airbags and
seatbelts and helmuts ..... to last me for the rest of
my life. I plan to live mine and not sit in front of
some sreen and read these "opinions."
Seems like everyone has at least two things in common.
Got things to do. Bye!
Your wish is our command, Rodsoak. Too bad you didn't
feel you were able to introduce subjects to The SANDBOX
of interest to you, that might have been interesting and
beneficial to the rest of us as well. I think we all
have a lot more in common than the two things you
obliquely refer to here, Rodsoak, especially with our
common Bomber heritage. To paraphrase another Bomber's
contribution to The SANDBOX, "All of us together are
smarter than any one of us alone."
You are certainly welcome to come back any time,
Rodsoak, even if for just a short visit now and then..
Maybe you will think of something of positive value to
all of us that you'll want to share with your fellow
Bombers in The SANDBOX at some future time. After all,
what you get here depends quite a bit on what you give.
--Al Parker, Sandbox Coordinator
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW ABOUT THIS IDEA, FOLKS. As many of you as would
care to.. How about sending in THE TOP FIVE NEW TOPIC
IDEAS YOU would like to see discussed during the coming
year. Even if you don't elaborate on your own
suggestions, YOUR ideas could inspire a great response.
Here are some items you might want to start talking
about right now:
1. YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR.
2. HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR Y2K?
3. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE ONCOMING YEAR 2000
COMPUTER GLITCH? BIG PROBLEM OR SMALL?
4. IS Y2K REALLY A FULL YEAR AWAY OR ARE UNPLEASANT
THINGS GOING TO START HAPPENING IN APRIL, 199?
5. GOT SOME BOMBER TRIVIA QUESTIONS TO PROPOSE?
6. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FAMILY MOTTO?
7. WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROPOSE TO SOMEONE IN THE
SANDBOX?
8. HAVE YOU READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY YOU WANT TO
TELL US ABOUT?
9. SOMETHING FUNNY HAPPEN ON YOUR WAY TO THE CLASS
REUNION?
10. SOMETHING SPECIAL YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
11. THE MOST INTERESTING PERSON YOU EVER MET?
12. BEEN KIDNAPPED BY A UFO? (Or know anybody who
claims they have?)
13. ANY HOT TIPS ON HOW TO PEEL A HARD BOILED EGG?
14. YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT?
15. MAKING MONEY FROM A HOBBY?
--- TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT --- AND
PLEASE REMEMBER THIS: PARTICIPATION IS NINE-TENTHS OF
CONVERSATION! IF WE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS YOU
ARE INTERESTED IN, WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BLAME?
BEST WISHES TO ALL DURING THE COMING YEAR FOR YOUR
HOPES, YOUR DREAMS, YOUR VALUES, YOUR PROSPERITY AND
GOOD HEALTH, AND FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE YOU HOLD
DEAR.
--Al Parker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANNOUNCING A NEW SANDBOX FEATURE:
"WHAT BOMBERS ARE DOING NOW"
Updates on the Who The Why The When And Where of Bombers
Everywhere and Anywhere
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's it for this issue of The Sandbox, folks.
Share your opinions, Your Feelings, Your Ideas and News
About YOU with all of us! Please include your class
year in all contributions. Thanks!
Tune in next time for comments from: Tony Sharpe (63),
Ray Wells (54) and more!
-18-
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That's it for 1998.
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Go to JAN and FEB, 1999