Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 29, 2003 Page: 4 of 22
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Page 4«Cedar Hill Today*Thursday, May 29, 2003
OPINION
A few tips for newly
minted grown-ups
ALLEN
TAYLOR
Today Staff
It's that
fabulous
time of
year again
when teens
and their
parents are
preparing
for the
next chap-
ters in their
lives.
Adult-
hood is full
of many
joys and disappointments, and
its important that young men
and women go into it fully
prepared I hope your parents,
ministers and teachers have
prepared you well: neverthe-
less. it never hurts to hear
from someone uho doesn't
know you
I lerc is ;i short list of prac-
tical suggestions I offer gradu-
ating seniors as they embark
upon their journev into the
future and leave behind these
halcyon da\s of slumber par-
ties,. who's- datmg-uho games
and late-night homework
I list, set some goals for
\ourselt It you have not
alreadv done.so. think about
where von want to be m five.
10 .mil 20 years. It is impor-
tant to chart a course and go
back evcrv now and then to
check vour progress. Ask any
successful person m anv busi-
ness and they will tell you it
strong Iv increases your chance
of success.
Me sure to vv rite it all down.
Secondly, don't count on
success Work toward every
goal as it it will come, but
stav tuned in to reality
l.vervone experiences failure
It is time now' that you learn
how to deal w ith it.
Have a backup plan.
Sometimes things just happen.
If you have a skill that has
already opened doors for you,
don’t rely upon that to get you
through in life. There are
countless stories of people
who have been injured or met
w ith a catstrophic emergency
only to find themselves with
no backup plan.
Know what you’ll do if the
unthinkable happens.
Also, know your limitations
and stay within them. This
will save you many
heartaches. You cannot be
good at everything. So know
what you are good at and be
aw are of your w eaknesses;
play up your strengths and
keep your sights on clear
goals
Oh yes. and be sure to
honor your parents.
Everything you do is a reflec-
tion of them Make them look
good and life will be good to
you.
If vour relationship with
your parents has not been a
model to behold feel Ihe pain
and get over it You’ll be glad
you did.
l ife is not easy and it
won t be any easier w ithout
the support of loving parents,
but don’t hold a grudge. That
w ill only make your life more
difficult, and they are not the
blame for your failures no
matter how they treated you
History is full of men and
women w ho have ov ercome
tremendous odds to become
great examples to the rest of
us Some of them were
American presidents and dil-
letantes. You could be one too,
if you set your mind to it.
And please, do not
deceive. It is a bad practice to
get into.
One of the biggest prob-
lems in the world today is
leaders in all areas of life
lacking the proper integrity to
be role models. We have seen
these people fall: Corporate
executives, Catholic priests,
school teachers, presidents and
other leaders, too.
To yourself and all others,
just be true. That alone will go
a long way.
Remember this: Relation-
ships are more important than
money. Monyy will buy you
things, but right relationships
with the right people will buy
you happiness.
In everything you do, be
responsible and take responsi-
bility for your actions. No one
likes a whiny loser who makes
everyone else responsible for
his failures
It you get into trouble,
accept the blame and move on
li will hurt for a little while,
but the pain goes away. Learn
the lesson and do better next
time And make no excuses.
You have no-one to answer
to but yourself and (iod. Yet,
allow ing yourself to be held
accountable is the greatest joy,
especially if your intention is
to do what is right. Do not be
distracted by life’s false trea-
sures
f orget the mishaps of yes-
terday and focus instead on
tomorrow : Learn the many
ways it won t happen because
each failure is one step closer
See GRADS, Page 8
Start looking at ways to
save for college early on
for mil-
lions of kills,
summer vaca-
tion is almost
here
If you
have children
m school,
you're now
CHARLES ”
PEYTON C^>SCI the
mancial Focus
time when
vou send
them oft in college. If vou
havcu t started >av mg for that
dav. now is del initclv the time
to start because college
costs keep going up
I et s lot>k at tlie hard facts,
as repotted bv the < ollege
Hoard In the 2002-03 acade-
mic vcar. the avcragc tuition
and tees at a tour-vear private
college was S|\.2”v the cor-
responding f igure for a tour-
vear public school was $4.ON I
Know mg that college is
expensive and likely to
become more so what can
vou do about it *
()f com sc. youi child may
well ijiialilv for sonic f inancial
aid m the form of grants and
scholarships It's m vour best
interests to look tor as many
of these as vou can I or help
in finding out what's available,
contact your local college's
f inancial aid off ice, or |list do
an Internet search
Still, even if'your child
does get some grant or schol-
arship money, it probably
won't be enough to cover all
college costs. That's why so
many students take out loans.
Initially, you might think
that taking out a loan or two
isn't such a bad thing. After
all. the rates are competitive,
and the interest may be tax-
deductible But consider this:
In pursuit of their degrees, stu-
dents now borrow, on average
$27,600. according to a new
survey by Nellie Mae. a major
student loan agency.
No matter how you look at
it. that s a lot of money and
it’s an especially heavy burden
for y oung people to bear as
soon as they leave school I his
debt load can keep college
graduates from buy ing houses
and making other important
investments in their lives.
So. how can you help keep
your college-bound kids as
debt-free as possible? Start by
sav ing early C onsider tax-
advantaged vehicles such as a
Section 529 plan or a
C overdell education sav ings
account
W hen you establish a
Section 529 college sav ings
plan, your earnings’and w ith-
drawals are exempt from fed-
eral taxes, as long as the
money goes toward paving
qualif ied college costs. You
can contribute large amounts
to your 329 plan In fact, some
plans allow you to put in as
much as $250,000 per benefi-
ciary You also have the option
of setting up a Section 52.9
plan as a prepaid tuition pro-
gram.
You might also want to
look at a ('overdell education
savings account, formerly
known as the Education IRA.
Depending on your income
level, you can contribute up to
$2,000 annually per beneficia-
ry to a C overdell account. As
is the case with a Section 529
plan, your earnings and with-
drawals are tax free, prov ided
you use the money for quali-
fied education expenses. Also,
you can now use qualified
withdrawals for kindergarten
through high school, ns well as
college.
( overdell accounts and
Section 520 plans can go a
long way toward reducing
your child's dependence on
student loans By making the
right moves, you can help your
children get off to a debt-free
start m their adults lives. And
that’s a great graduation pre-
sent.
( Itarles Peyton is an invest-
ment representative with
Taiwan! Jones in Cedar Hill
I don't cans
if Greenspan is
waving us off...
we’re goin’in'
A, A/nkitiii
Uninspected cargo could
be our ‘Trojan Horse’
KAY BAILEY
HUTCHISON
Special to Today
Many of us
have heard
the tale of the
Trojan Horse,
an instrument
of war used
by the Greeks
to gain access
to the ancient
city of Trov.
The story is
one of a peo-
ple caught off
guard - innocently opening
their gates to the enemy, who
were hidden inside the giant
wooden horse. Ultimately this
seemingly innocuous gift led
to the downfall of Troy w hen
the Greeks emerged from the
belly of the beast and con-
quered the city.
Now the term “Trojan
Horse" is synonymouswith
the risk of danger in plain
sight. Since Sept. I I. 2001,
our nation has made great
strides in aviation security
with improved screenings and
checked baggage inspections,
but air cargo continues to be
the proverbial Trojan Horse
that could be employed by
those who wish us harm.
Almost 22 percent of all air
cargo travels on commercial
passenger flights, but only a
tiny fraction is inspected. So,
while you and the bags you
carry on and check have been
thoroughly screened before
boarding a flight, the cargo
riding in the belly of that same
plane has been stowed without
inspection, leaving a gaping
hole in our aviation security
system.
The General Accounting
Office, the investigative arm
of Congress, found that air
cargo is vulnerable to tamper-
ing during land transport or at
cargo handling facilities.
Regulations governing ship-
pers and haulers are lax and
the newly formed Transporta-
tion Security Administration
(TSA) lacks the authority to
rev oke the licenses of compa-
nies found to have question-
able practices.
Fortunately, we have acted
to close this loophole. In May.
the Senate passed my legisla-
tion. the “AirCargo Security
Act." to finish the task of
securing our nation’s flights.
The bill goes a long way to
empower TSA to secure cargo
facilities, better track shippers
and regulate the personnel
involved in the shipping
process from loading the cargo
to flying the planes.
Among its many provisions,
the legislation would:
• Direct TSA to work w ith
foreign countries to conduct
regular checks at facilities
transporting air cargo to the
United States.
• Require all-cargo air car-
riers to develop an approved
security plan for their facili-
ties, operations, cargo and per-
sonnel. The plan must include
background checks and tam-
per-proof identification cards
for employees, training for all
personnel and contractors with
security responsibilities,
screening of all flight crews
and others onboard flights, and
security procedures for cargo.
• Give TSA the power to
revoke the license of a shipper
or freight forwarder whose
practices are unsound, or who
has engaged in illegal activity.
• Require background
checks for all non-citizens
who want to undergo flight
training.
Last fall, when I posed a
question about air cargo secu-
rity in my annual constituent
survey, two-thirds of readers
felt that cargo on passenger
flights should be inspected.
The'Scnatc passed the legisla-
tion last year, but unfortunate-
ly the session ended before the
House of Representatives
could act.
Hopefully, this year, the
House will work with us to
send a bill to the president that
closes this loophole and pro-
tects the American people.
Kay Bailey Hutchison is a
US. Senator representing the
state of Texas.
CEDAR HILL TODAY INFORMATION
Cedar Hill Today Staff
Richard Collins
Publisher
Rohin (»ooch
Managing Editor
Kim Pells
(</>ertismg lhreetor
Jon Whitcomb
(iriulatton ( 'oordmutor
Kirk Dickey
\<nv Editor
Anjjel Jenkins Morris
People Editor
Brian Allen and Aaron Barker
Stull W riter
Chris Hudson and Das id Coodspeed
Photographers
Michelle Easlts
Typist
Cherise Burnell
Retail ad sales
Betty Bell and Heather Hawkins
( lassified ad sales
Troy Peoples
Distribution ( 'oordmutor
Deadlines
Classifieds:
Display classified ads - 5 p m
Tuesday. Line ads - 5 p m Tuesday
Retail Advertising
5 pm Monday; 5 pm Friday for
People Advertising rates mav be
secured upon request
Editorial:
School news - 5 p m Friday
(ieneral news noon Monday
I leadlines are subject to change due to
holiday v and will be published in advance
Subscriptions
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tising and subscription rates at any time
(ieneral Information
Foday Cedar Fhll is an independent
newspaper published weekly in the inter-
est of Cedar Hill Any erroneous reflec-
tion upon the integrity or reputation of any
mills idual will be corrected if brought to
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Digests run on a space available basis
Letter Policy
Ihe Opinion Page of Foday News-
papers is an open forum for all view-
points. Letters to the editor and guest
columns are encouraged.
Deadline is noon Monday in person
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mail to PO Box 381029. Duncanville.
TX 75138
Letters must have an original signa-
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Today Cedar Hill (USPS 095640.
ISSN 0704-0428) is published every
Thursday by Today New spapers, 1126
Explorer, Suite A. Duncanville, lexas
75137 Second class postage paid at
Duncanville, lexas 75138-1029 Post-
master: Send address changes to Today
Cedar Hill. PO Box 381029, Duncan-
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T«M Piana
Mar* * last Thm /
>i»i» A——in—
\N/V
Founding fathers had the right idea about individual rights
JOHN
Innocent
until proven
guilty Be-
yond a rea-
sonable
doubt Mens
rea. Probable
cause Grand
jury Indict-
ment_
“Innocent until proven
guilty” is by no means a given
in legal systems elsew here. In
many countries, a criminal de-
fendant is guilty until proven
innocent The burden of prov -
ing the case is on the defen-
dant. w ho must investigate the
facts of the case, produce wit
nesses and disprove the ,'illopa- able person could have any
put on any case at all. relying
instead on the weakness of the
government's ease.
That strategy can only work
because our government has to
prove its case "beyond a rea-
sonable doubt” — that is. the
government must prove Ms case
so completely that no reason-
certain Our justice system
requires certainty if a person
risks losing his freedom, only a
probability if a person risks
losing money.
And it isn't even enough
that a jury concludes that a
defendant did a criminal act —
a defendant must also have
“mens rea ” or criminal intent
Where shodld the line be
draw n w ith young or retarded
offenders and what should
be done with them when they
have done horrible acts if we
decide they should not he pun-
ished like mentally competent
adults? These are serious ques-
tions, and lawyers and legisla-
tors have been struggling with evidence has pr
defense lawyer will tell you
that juries in some conservative
jurisdictions come into a crimi-
nal trial with a feeling that the
defendant is guilty — regard-
less of the fact that they are
told they are to assume he is
innocent. The number of
recent cases in which DNA
oven the inno-
POLEWSKI These are
Special to Today all phrases
tions of the government Given
the inevitable difference be-
fhaf apply
only to criminal court proceed-
ings, and they sav a lot about
how our Founding Fathers
weighed the power of the gov-
ernment against the rights of
individuals.
tween Ihe’power and resoiirces
of an individual v ersus the
power and resources of a gov-
ernment. that's a big deal.
Here, a defendant need not
(indeed, often docs not) choose
to testify in his own defense or
doubt of ihe defendant’s guilt at
all This is quite a contrast to
the rule in civil litigation,
where the plaintiff need only
prove his case by a “preponder-
ance of the evidence” defined
as the greater weight of credi-
ble evidence — or what is
probable, as opposed to what is
In the newpapers recently there
have been many stories about
defdrid^ht^ w'ho wef£ either so
young or so mentally chal-
lenged that many commenta-
tors felt that they were unable
to form the criminal intent nec-
essary for them to be held
responsible for their actions.
them for decades without com-
ing up with any clear answers.
The entire system is weight-
ed in favor of the defendant —
at least on paper. Of course,
there is a world of difference
between what is said on paper
and what actually happens in
the real world. Any criminal
cence of someone who had
been imprisoned for a crime he
didn’t commit sitriply under-
scores the point — and the
importance of actually giving
the defendant the rights which
our Constitution has always
See RIGHTS, Page 8
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Gooch, Robin. Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 29, 2003, newspaper, May 29, 2003; Duncanville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth601892/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Zula B. Wylie Memorial Library.