Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 28, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 11, 1998 Page: 2 of 18
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"Page 2A
Thursday , June 11,1996
Port Aransas South Jetty
Murray and Mary Judson
Opinion
Mamber:
South Texas Press Association
Texas GuN Coast Press Association
Texas Press Association
National Newspaper Association
access to
*
guns is deadly
7 Have you noticed how quid the National
•Rifle Association has been lastly** Whenever
young people are discovered practicing their
marksmanship on then ctassmasev the NRA
clams up.
This, it says, is because it doesa't want to
lake advantage of
personal tragedy to
make an ideological
point. Sure.
- The NRA has had
g lot of opportunity
K>lie low. lately. The
.latest and most cel-
ebrated incident cen-
ters on Kipland
Kinkel.the 15-year-
old who murdered . .
his parents in Spring - DONALD KaUL
field. Ore., then CTr4xjnr Sct>k»
turned his guns on___
*. .his fellow students.
T killing one and wounding 23 others This
*-’-followed close on the shootings in Jonesboro.
Ark . where four students and a teacher died
l*.1 when a pair of youngsters ambushed them
* ;wuh high-powered weapons Guns. Nor does
”thai exhaust the list of recent shooting mci-
-'-dents.
V* Earlier this month, a high school senior shot
a school mate to death in a school parking lot in
Fayetteville. Tenn.. a 19-ycar-old was gunned
*,;down on a Los Angeles high school campus
.7 and a 15-year-old Houston girl was shot in the
. Jeg while in class. A month ago, a 16-year-old
L.boy opened fire at an eighth grade graduation
-"ceremony, killing a teacher and mounding two
•'-students
V And the NRA keeps saying that guns don't
/;-Jtill people’’ Gimme a break These people
".^aren't dying of diphtheria, you know.
T The Kinkcl case is particularly disquieting
because the young man doe-sn i fit any of the
'..'accepted profiles of teen-aged lullers. Kip. if
•"reports are to be believed, was neither abused
•m iior neglected. His parenLs. both teachers, were
»well-thought-of in the community and were
terribly worried about their son. who was
exhibiting a disturbing tendency toward vio-
r Tence as he entered adolescence They tried to
do something about it.
They sought medical help, putting him on
drugs to deal with his hyperactivity They got
him psychiatric help. They took turns teaching
him at home in order to keep him from the
influence of hoodlum friends They discon-
nected the TV to shield him from violent
* programs.
; They gave him karate lessons; he went to
t school and kicked a kid in the head
- Nothing worked. They were at their wits'
* end
They bought him a computer; he down-
■ loaded instructions on how to build a bomb.
; So, as a last resort and against their better
judgment, they decided to give in to his plea
; for a gun; they bought him a semi-automatic
. 22-caliber rifle and a couple of handguns.
LJhat proved to be a mistake, a fatal one. The
guns were the catalyst that brought tragedy
upon them all.
Which is really the chief argument against
easy access to guns; not that guns kill people
al I by themselves - that’ s stupid - but that when
they are introduced into a volatile situation,
disaster follows.
Some people - children as well as adults -
can handle guns. Some - adults as well as
children - can’t. To pass these weapons of
destruction out indiscriminately, on the basis
of right, means you find out which is which
only when it's too late
Having said that. I’m beginning to have
second thoughts about the influence of our
culture the level of violence in our society,
particularly among children.
I had argued that because violent games -
war games, cowboys and Indians - had always
been a part of American boyhood, without
making mass murderers of us all, the evil
influence of “media” could he discounted.
I’m no longer sure of that. As a psychiatrist
pointed out in the wake of the Oregon incident,
never before in our history have children been
subjected to so relentless a diet of violence-as-
entertainment as they are today; literally hours
a day.
Then a woman from Dcs Moines called to
report that a new theater complex in the area
has a video arcade that features a game in
which the players win points by shooting out
images of people, making them disappear
That’s entertainment?
Add to that the myriad cop shows on TV. the
cartoons, the rap music, the action films in our
theaters and other video games that urge play-
-ers to destroy things, and it's no wonder that
^children might think that killing and shooting
;are a wholesome leisure time activity.
Z It seems to me we don't pay enough alien-
ation to what our kids do for a good time. And
-we don't protest enough about the creeps who
;will do anything to make a buck off of them.
7 And, yes, guns do kill people I wish they
Zdidn't, but they do.
&
The South Jetty
(946:020) pays
Periodicals postage at
Port Aransas, TX
POSTMASTER:
Cenp address
CHANGES TO’.
P.O. Box 1116
Port Aransas 78373
Get grip on the future -- now
Last week in this space,
changes over the past 1 5
or 20 years were dis-
cussed - some of them
good, some of them not
so good. It was noted
that change is inevitable,
and it is a process.
One of the difficulties
with change is knowing
when it is happening.
Most of the time we don't
know what's happening
to us until it's already
happened.
Here's a "heads up".
I can say with relative certainty that Port
Aransas is now in a state of change.
"Hel lo!" as the kids say.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to observe
that we are in a "development mode". The
economy is good. Just look at all the construc-
tion going on in both the residential and
commercial sectors. We went through this in
the late 1970s and early '80s. "Green space"
requirements and other "quality of life"
issues, if they came about at all, came late
during that "boom".
We're even a little late this time, but now
is the time to take a look at city codes and
make sure we don't "get caught with our
pants down".
One of the most frequently mentioned
concerns to come out of Vision Port Aransas
was enforcement of existing codes and initia-
tion of codes that will ensure our quality of
life and the beauty of the island. Often
repeated was the desire for landscaping,
walking and biking trails throughout the
"village". The desire for attractive, land-
scaped entries to the village was one of the
strongest expressed in the visioning process.
Too many rules and regulations and red
tape make fora sticky mess - but I can tell you
from experience that the only reason rules
are made is because someone pushed the
limit, abused the privilege. Seldom are rules
made in anticipation of that happening.
This would be a good time to note the
recent and projected development, and take
steps to cut off the potential problems before
they occur. It's called pro-active government,
rather than reactive, and it is, in fact, less
restrictive than the latter.
The process should start with the Planning
and Zoning Commission, which has the
support of the community as evidenced by
Vision Port Aransas, and move through the
city council.
The sooner the better.
Memories of our island home
For every sea shell a memory of life long
visits to Port Aransas. The first one .so long
ago the memories like the smoky air from
Mexico...hazy. I remember the fishing pier
reaching out far into the Gulf and then
stretching an arm towards the south jetty.
Mother and Dad weren’t very impressed
with P.A. The trip across the courage testing
causeway rattled them. Overnight facilities
were simple and sparse in creature comforts.
People referred to this fishing village as Stag
Island...more for men than women.
When I came hack again I was 12. 1
discovered tarpon...the silver kings. I saw
them flashing in the sun as they tossed the
hook and bucked their way to freedom. The
wild mustangs of Mustang Island. I was
hooked, too...and ever since this has been my
fishing hole.
When I grew to
manhood I brought
my family here and
let the children bap-
tize themselves in the
shallows of the Gulf.
Now we bring our
grandchildren and
watch them succumb
to the magical lure of
salt water and sand.
The saddest trip , the day after Hurricane
Carla. Beloved Mathew’s dock and other
structures scattered like match sticks across
the harbor front. As we flew in we were
shocked at the sight of roofless
houses...grounded boats. Holding forth on
Cactus Pryor
the porch of still-standing, proud Tarpon
Inn, Bill Ellis was dispatching news to the few
reporters who made it through the debris
dogged water to a town now not serviced by
a causeway.
As a member of the Texas Tourist Devel-
opment Agency Board we lured the
northerners and gave them a new name,
Winter Texans. Now like the whooping
cranes, permanent migrators.
The tarpon left, the kingfish came..xir
were they always out there waiting their
turns. Also, departed the mother of my
children. I’ve introduced my Arkansas wife
to P.A...she was meant for sandy beaches.
We’re now P.A. taxpayers...our second
home...where it’s always been “home".
Letters to the editor
Changing focus
With spring time over, we've had elections
during which the majority placed a sane, sen
sible and more cohesive group of people on the
city council l^t’s hope that they can appreci-
ate the responsibility of their duties and use
our taxes wisely. The advertising propaganda
didn’t work fora few candidates, since the past
history of performance was noted by the vot-
ers, thus we have some thinkers who are more
conscious of duty and reliability.
More people than ever have been quite
concerned about both the JFK Causeway to
the south and the slowpoke bottleneck of the
ferry system across the Corpus Christi Ship
Channel. These avenues of travel have been
long neglected, merely taken for granted, so
we have decades-old headaches to solve, and
the solutions to both won’t he found overnight.
The ferry landings will require a lot of
careful thought, since placement is critical
(and expensive) to commerce and a fast flow
of traffic off the island, remembering that a
storm surge can make the ferries useless far
ahead of a hurricane landfall. With that in
mind, I hope most folks aren’t so complacent
they ignore a warning, since lime is paramount
for safely.
For Memorial Day, I did my yearly honor to
‘‘Jerry Mac", (three decades so far), decorated
his resting place with flags and flowers, along
with his mother Doris, who joined him only
recently. Said goodbye to them again, then
helped a WWII VFW veteran raise the big flag
from half-staff to full staff, was invited to their
meetings as a guest Noted that the South Jetty
Newspu/x-r did a beautiful job of Jerry ’s his-
tory week before last. Still can't comprehend
why Karl Marx, long gone, can influence men
to kill each other for daffy
politics. I'm just glad that
all our deceased Vets
haven't died in vain in
war.
Enjoy the summer, the
beach, the fishing, and
stay sober'
Gilbert Gibhs
Port Aransas
Miss island friends
Sending our renewal for South Jetty. Enjoy
it very much. Miss all our friends of Port
Aransas, especially the St. Joseph Parish and
Father Rory Deane all the people at Sea Isle.
Would love to he with you all. but not to be.
God bless and keep up the good work.
Beverly and Bernard Kadolph
Iowa Falls. IA
Right to work denied
I am a private citizen who just wants the
right to work for my living I sell produce.
(Watermelons, canteloupes, vegetables.) I
don’t want pity or sympathy - just the right to
Letters to the editor
Letters endorsing political candidates are considered political
advertising and should be submitted and paid for as such. Letters
should be limited to approximately 300 words and contain valid
signatures, mailing addresses, as well as day and evening telephone
numbers where the writers may be feached. Names ct persons writing
letters will not be withheld from publication. Mass-produced form letters
be publishedr-Qaiy one tetter per pci sun will be piiblisTiec
during any 30 day period Letters of thanks should be submitted with
payment to the Classified Adv. Department.
Mail letters to the editor to:
P.O. Box 1116
Port Aransas, Tx 78373
Write, Call
or Fax’em
•Sen. Kav Bailey Hutchison
U.S. Senate
Washington, O.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-9922 FAX: 202-224-7775
Washington, O.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-2934 FAX: 202-229-2856
•Rep. Solomon Ortiz
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, O.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-7742 FAX: 202-226-1134
Victoria is favorite
trig' city in Texas
Thoughtful curmudgeon: • “1 live in a
small city, and prefer that it not become
smaller.” -Plutarch
SURPRISING, INDEED startling, the
lead piece in the June 8 U.S Newa and
World Report refers to what it describes as
"Smart cities". Most astonishing. Curitiba,
Brazil, of which 1 must confess, was unheard
of before by me.
Smart refers es-
sentially to
management,
growth, devel-
opment and
population.
Others are
Tidemarks Tilburg, Neth
r I a n d s ;
work
My right hip and part of my leg (arc made of)
steel My back has been broken in four places
I moved to the City of Port Aransas in April
I went to city hall to get a city permit I was told
I could not get a permit to sell produce off my
truck in the city. I had to have a building in the
business district. I got permission from a busi-
ness owner I was told by a city officer it was
O K as long as I had permission from the
business manager. About 20 minutes later a
very nice officer came and told me his boss
said because I was selling something the store
did not sell I could not sell my watermelons.
Does that make any sense? I only want to work
as long as I can. The president said anyone
who wants to work should have the right to
work at whatever they are able to work at
instead of being on welfare.
I am past 70 years old and I am a veteran of
World War II. I also had two brothers who
fought in that war so the people would have the
right to freedom to work and worship any
place they could make a living The City of
Port Aransas has flat denied me the right to
work in their fair city but nobody offered to
pay my wife’s medicine hills or any of my
other hills. Oh. by the way, my wife is a
crippled who cannot even get in or out of the
house without help. Where I come from people
appreciate the farmers and people who help
sell their produce while it is fresh.
Wmdcll C Kennedy
Port Aransas
C.M. Henkel Jr. Melbourne!
Australia;
Vancouver, British Columbia; here in the
States, only Minneapolis, Minn, and Chatta-
nooga, Tenn. Explaining reason for these
circumstances would require more than this
space allows. Failure to include such a great
Texas city as San Antonio is the matter of the
city’s annexation of so many smaller commu-
nities, especially those extending well into
the Hill Country, and there not ignoring
those other small surrounding communities
which have chosen to retain their indepen-
dence.
My favorite big Texas city is Victoria
which perhaps sadly continues too much
growth. My fancy for the city is its beauty,
charming people and history.
With a college affiliation with the Univer-
sity of Houston, opportunity for higher edu-
cation is evident. Also, citizens appreciative
of good theater and music, demonstrating
Victoria citizens’ appreciation for the finer
things in life. Although without restaurants
of national fame, there are enough to satisfy
gourmet taste. Always of special charm to me
is the downtown business area in the vicinity
of the old courthouse. Sadly I nowadays
seldom find opportunity to visit the city, and
especially meeting and enjoying their charm-
ing hospitality. Of course, the city’s newspa-
per is by long odds South Texas’ best, despite
its insularism, so typical of all in the state.
Despite that, its daily editorial page is supe-
rior, there in no small measure because of the
evident intellectual caliber of most of it’s
readers’ letters to the editor. To be found
regularly on the page, such outstanding <pl-
umnists as William Saftre, Georgie Anne
Geyer and David Broder.
LOOKING BACK, I recall today’s India
and Pakistan as once British India, a part of
the once British Empire, now sadly gone.
Since, I have too often heard that millions
among residents of the empire, so many
never once laid an eye on an Englishman.
Even as Winston Churchill, 1 today rue the
end of the empire. Simply put, one is hard
pressed to think of many, almost any, people
who are today better off than they were than
in their years under the crown.
To tltat, dare it be added, in what we now
consider to be the modern civilized world,
can anyone think of any place or nation,
other than Ireland, where people so deter-
minedly hate and fight, eternally engage in
mortal comhat over religious differences?
Certainly it dare not be implied that there are
no other countries in some measure divided
by differences in Christian and other reli-
gious concepts, most often not mortal com-
bat. Only as recently as last week I again
rejoiced over the election of a first Roman
Catholic to the American presidency, despite
my not voting for him, but not because of
religious reasons, although there were even
among usthose whodid. Instead my nay vote
because I thought him not prepared for the
post. Certainly as all who know me under-
stand, I’d unhesitatingly support anyone I
believed qualified for any position, Baptist,
Hindu, Muslim, whatever. Religioun should
never have a place on the American electoral
political scene. There not to deny facts to the
contrary, although usually only amongst the
bigoted and ignorant. Lix>k back and ask
Thomas Jefferson, still even today first among
all great men of our nation.
SO NOW A few lines on Slick Willie’s not
so funny visit to Tiananmen Squaretwhere
China’s military ruled government is ex-
pected to lay things on in a not untheatrical
way. Without denying nor defending China’s
monetary support for the U.S. Democratic
Party in the last presidential election, I must
support the Arkansan’s endorsement for
continuing endorsement for Favored Nation
status for China. There my reasons are too
myriad for inclusion in this space.
In debunking the China visit, the impos
sihle must be noted. Time at least does not
allow Slick to beforehand absorb more than
the most minimal knowledge of that ancient
land and its people. That because, to no small
degree, he doesn’t really give a damn. On that
account, except that he is so closely watched
and guarded, he’d likely he pleased with
whatever female diversion Peking would
happily and readily provide.
C.M. Henkel is a retired newspaper pub
limng in RwfcpGFt. --
Noon Tuesday
Deadline
FOR NEWS AND ADVERTISING IN THE
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Judson, Mary. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 28, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 11, 1998, newspaper, June 11, 1998; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623563/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.