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OUR VIEWSNeeds investigationEither the city of Birmingham paid too much in 1994 for a piece of property in Center Point or it sold that same land for too little in separate transactions this year and last. And it's possible the city both paid too much and sold for too little.Whichever is true — City Councilman Don MacDermott thinks the 1994 purchase price was too high — there needs to be a council investigation to find out how the city could allow itself to lose more than $683,000 in the transactions. A promised report by interim Mayor William Bell can be the starting point. There has been no major decline in property values in that area during the past five years. If anything, land values should be up. The city paid $890,725 in 1994 for 3.107 acres along Center Point Parkway, which is also Alabama 75. Last year the Alabama Department of Transportation paid $125,250 for 0.76 of an acre, which is needed to widen Alabama 75. The remaining 2.347 acres were sold to a developer last month for $80,000.
While there may be times when the city would be wise to sell property for less than its original purchase price — for example, as part of an incentive package to attract a major new industry — that does not appear to be the situation in this case. So the question remains, why did the city make such poor business decisions concerning this property? With an answer, it may be possible to prevent such poor deals in the future. Awe-inspiring raceIt was extraordinary enough that Lance Armstrong did not die from the testicular cancer that climbed into his lungs and then reached treacherously into his brain. But what is more than extraordinary — what is really awe-inspiring — is the fact that he went on after his recuperation to win what is surely one of the most grueling competitive sports events in the world, the 2,200-mile Tour de France.Improved medical techniques that included chemotherapy and surgery certainly played a mighty role in Armstrong's recovery from the advanced cancer discovered in his body just three years ago. The doctors themselves are quick to say, though, that Armstrong thwarted his predicted death largely by dent of his spirit, of his determination, of his faith in what he could do, and it should be evident to all that he became a better bicycle racer than he had been — in fact, the best in the world — by dint of those same attributes that are available to all of us. The message here from someone who has been free of the disease for two years now is as loud as can be and as clear as can be: Cancer victims, have hope. Believe in yourself, have courage, fight back.
The message is to others, too. The image of this 27-year-old man pedaling, pedaling, pedaling up steep mountain slopes, establishing an average speed there and on flat ground that would surpass the previous Tour de France record, should vivify the hearts of the healthy as well as the sick. When something threatens defeat, crushing defeat of funereal finality, think of Armstrong and what he did, a true-life story that should and can inform this culture of ours for a long, long time. Louts on the looseWoodstock '99 took place 30 years after the original Woodstock rock concert and some 200 miles from the site of that historic event that seemed symbolic of much of the '60s. At least in the way it concluded, it was distant as well in mood and manner.The original Woodstock, a massive gathering that showed how rock-inebriated and culturally rebellious many of the baby-boomer generation had become, was marked by drug use, long hair, sporadic lovemaking, outbreaks of unashamed nudity, intense involvement in the music and, above all, many felt, by its peacefulness. A message, it seemed, was that, whatever else you might make of these young people, they seemed sincere in their preachments of brotherly love. Woodstock '99 was also a gentle affair for most of its duration, but toward the end, it went rotten. Members of the concert audience set fire to parked vehicles, vandalized stage equipment and looted merchandise from vendors. To judge by published reports, the scene was more one of marauding mayhem than one of buoyant brotherhood.
It would probably be a mistake to read too much into the contrast of the two events, such as by saying that today's generation of young people has somehow gone to the dogs. The earlier generation did not exactly cover itself with glory, and the fact that the recent concert had louts on the loose provides no deep insight into today's young people. What can be said is that a portion of those who showed up for the 1999 version of the concert acted in such a way as to dishonor something positive in the 1969 version. YOUR VIEWSBush isn't enough of a changeTHE MAILThe fact that George W. Bush has been treated so well by the ruling-class journalists is a sure sign he is "acceptable" to the globalist insiders. Add this to the fact Bush is to the left of Texas Republican conservatives and is in bed with Republican politicians against campaign finance reform and you know a lot about this candidate for president.As Bush began his campaign with rallies in Iowa and New Hampshire, presidential candidate Gary Bauer questioned Bush whether he would appoint pro-life judges. Just as expected, Bush failed the test. Bush refused to say whether he thinks the Constitution allows abortion! This is the lack of resolve that is undermining American families. Bush made it clear that if he is in the White House, he will be the same as Clinton-Gore. He will not devote political capital to saving even one of the 1.5 million children that are aborted every year. For more than 30 years, more and more of our political leaders have abandoned the sanctity of human life and permitted the ACLU and liberal judges to systematically remove God and faith from public life, while at same time allowing Hollywood to fill the minds of our children with images of sex and violence. It's past time for a big change in Washington. Howard F. Stearns 109 Sterling Drive Northwest
Huntsville Search justifiedWere the search efforts for John F. Kennedy Jr.'s airplane justified? Consider this:It used to be that when a ship or plane went down at sea it was lost forever. Also left unknown were the causes. Now, using side scanning sonar and a remotely operated vehicle it is possible to locate wrecks like the Titanic, the lost Explorer space capsule, the wreckage of TWA Flight 800 and, yes, even John F. Kennedy Jr.'s small aircraft. Moreover recovery of such wreckage is helping to reveal the cause of accidents. This should make travel safer for everyone in the future. How valuable is a human life? The way I see it, the money spent in the search and recovery of John-John's airplane will ultimately make air travel in small aircraft safer for all citizens. This is true even if pilot error contributed to the crash. Pilot error or misjudgment may indicate novice pilots should receive more training on flying by instruments before they are allowed to fly under certain conditions with passengers and without a copilot. I would much rather millions of dollars be spent to discover what went wrong with John F. Kennedy Jr.'s flight into the history books than meet the same fate myself! Those who quibble jealously about this matter are just playing politics as usual and could care less about the safety, health and welfare of the rest of us. Terry Lynch P.O. Box 241035
Montgomery All too commonMost pilots, upon hearing the initiallly broadcast circumstances related to John F. Kennedy Jr's fateful flight, which briefly addressed his flight experience vs. existing flight conditions, would immediately scent an all-too-common voyage to disaster.Most pilots could verbally (with hand-in-air motions, of course) take you through the equally common initial fateful stages of this voyage, of inadequate flight planning, weather evaluation and flight experience consideration, to the resultant fatal stages of the initial spatial disorientation upon entering the soup, the resultant aftward tenseness on controls precipitating the climb to stall, the resultant loss of lift and vertical "spin" to earth. Sadly, it looks as though JFK Jr. executed this well worn "scenario-to-avoid" that is pounded into all pilots: Religiously avoid flight conditions for which you are not trained to navigate. Any pilot will recognize, accept and log into his brain, owing to this tragedy, this ultimate "aviation safety class" — the only positive to this tragedy. Armond "Si" Simmons 104 Wadsworth Lane
Pell City Must do for allI read with interest the article in the July 3 Religion section about opposition to the Army's policy of sanctioning meetings on its bases for soldiers who practice the religion of Wicca.It's amazing to me that at the end of the 20th century, 223 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and 208 years after the ratification of the Bill of Rights, some people still don't get it. Freedom of religion means freedom for all religious and separation of church and state means the government cannot favor one faith over another. If the Army allows services or provides chaplains for soldiers of one faith, it must do so for all faiths, no matter what any one holy book may approve or condemn. This land of freedom has provided fertile soil for the growth of a variety of religious expressions. The same freedom and government neutrality that preserves the rights of witches does so for Christians and all other faiths. Unfortunately, a few of my Christian co-religionists continue to use a narrow and partial reading of the Bible to justify intolerance and to demand an exclusive status and preferential treatment by the state. Well they are wrong. Kudos to the Army brass for their affirmation of tolerance, diversity, and American liberty. Steven Holt
8720 Ninth Court Circle South Won't stopDid the Gideon Bible in his motel room prevent Rep. Henry Hyde from committing adultery? The Gideon Bible has the Ten Commandments in it.Did the Ten Commandments keep Gov. Kirk Fordice from lying to his wife and the state of Mississippi about not committing adultery? Now that Fordice got caught, he is filing for divorce. These are only two of the many conservative Christians who support the posting of the Ten Commandments in government buildings in direct contradiction to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It never stopped them from being immoral, and it won't stop a child. Which version should be the official United States version of the Decalogue? The Jews' second is the Christians' first. The Catholic version does not have the graven image clause that Protestants have as their second. Unlike the Protestants and Jews, Catholics split the coveting Commandment into two parts. Let's not mention the version in Deuteronomy 5:7-21. There 15 verses make up the Ten Commandments, and the wording is different from Exodus. If we are talking about the tablets of stone, then it must be the version in Exodus 34:14-26. The three major United States religions cannot agree on what should make up the Decalogue. The Decalogue will not stop youth crime, but it might get an incompetent politician reelected. Rev. Hank Shiver P.O. Box 115
Talladega OTHER VIEWSMost will be poor for a time By Mark R. Rank
The issue of poverty has recently been in the news with President Clinton's four-day visit to several of America's most impoverished areas. The image from this trip has been that of poverty in someone else's backyard. Yet the surprising fact is that the majority of all Americans will experience a year below the poverty line during their adult lives. |
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