The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 109, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 9, 1999 Page: 2 of 12
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The West News - Thursday, December 9,1999
Page 2
West Police Department gives...
Holiday safety tips
The West Police Dept, would
like to wish everyone a safe and
happy holiday season.
We offer these shopping tips
to help make your holiday shop-
ping safer.
• Avoid carrying a purse. If
you must carry a purse or hand-
bag, carry it close to your body
and always zipped.
• Don't carry purses with
shoulder straps, as you could be
injured if the purse was grabbed.
• Never show large amounts
of cash when at the checkout.
• Do not carry car keys and
house keys together. If your car
keys were stolen or lost, the thief
would also have the keys to your
house.
• Carry keys and credit cards
separate from each other.
• Be extremely careful of ATM
machines. Use them in popu-
lated places and be aware of who
is around you. If someone looks
suspicious, don't use the ATM.
Avoid using ATMs after dark.
• Use an escort or security if
you have too many packages or if
leaving at or after the store
closes. Ask for security or an
escort anytime you feel the need.
• Park as close to the store as
possible. Park in well lighted
areas.
• Be careful, "look" for some-
one hiding between and under-
neath cars parked next to you.
Be especially aware of vans and
trucks with campers.
• Avoid shopping alone.
• Place all packages out of
sight, preferably in the trunk.
• Approach your vehicle with
your keys inyour hand. You won't
have to stand next ^o your ve-
hicle and hunt for your keys.
• Always look inside your ve-
hicle before entering. Check your
back seat. If something does not
look right, leave immediately and
contact security or police.
• When driving in stop and go
traffic, keep your windows up
and doors locked.
• If you think someone is fol-
lowingyou, drive to an area with
lots of lights and people. If pos-
sible, go to the nearest law en-
forcement office.
• Don't walk between cars. If
you see someone loitering, turn
around and go back into the store.
This is the time of year that
we all celebrate the joy of giving.
Help make it a safe and happy
time of year by being more aware
of your surroundings.
Robbers and assailants count
on you being distracted when
carrying packages out to your
car and on the fact that shoppers
don't pay much attention to pos-
sible danger.
Home safety tips - don't put
packages where they can be seen
from the street.
Don't hide keys under door
mats, flower pots, etc. The crooks
know where to look.
Child safety - Never let chil-
dren go into public washrooms
alone. If you have to let the child
to in alone, wait at the door for
his/her return.
• Know what your child is
wearing.
HERITAGE
NEWS
FORUM
http://www.heritage.org
214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E. • Washington D C. 20002 • (202) 546-4400
Car Control
By Edwin Feulner
• Have recent photographs.
• Ifyou and your child become
separated, get help from store
employees or security.
• Don't wait, ifyou think your
child is lost. Call the police.
• Keep a Close eye on your
children . Your eyes are their best
protection.
Texan Audie Murphy to be
featured on U.S. stamp
WASHINGTON - Texan
Audie L. Murphy will be one of
four Americans honored next
year when the U.S. Postal Ser-
vice issues a block of four "Dis-
tinguished Soldiers" commemo-
rative postage stamps. Senators
Phil Gramm and Kay Bailey
Hutchison, and Congressman
Ralph Hall, of Texas, joined
Postal Service Governor Sam
Winters in a brief Capitol Hill
Ceremony to unveil the stamp
images.
"This stamp will assure that
this and future generations of
Americans will remember Audie
Murphy and the other distin-
guished soldiers depicted on
these stamps," said Winters.
Commemorated for their hero-
ism and leadership in World War
I and World War II. these four
stamps honor distinguished sol-
diers Murphy, Alvin C. York,
John L. Hines and Omar N. Bra-
dley. Murphy received the Medal
of Honor for saving the troops in
his company and single-
handedly breaking up a German
attack toward the end of WW II.
York was awarded the Medal of
Honor for his single-handed cap-
ture of German soldiers during
WW I. General John L. Hines,
also a veteran of WW I, was
awarded the Distinguished Ser-
vice Cross and the Distinguished
Service Medal for his bravery
and leadership in combat. He
went on to become Army Chief of
Staff. Bradley commanded the
First Army during the 1944 Al-
lied landing in Normandy, later
serving as Army Chief of Staff
and the first Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Commenting on the stamp,
Senator Gramm remarked,
"Audie Murphy represented ev-
erything that is at the heart of
Texas. He was a legend who
never forgot his humble roots in
Hunt County. He loved and
served his country with un-
matched courage. He worked
hard all his life, never resting on
his laurels. Audie Murphy's
achievements represent the best
of Texas and America."
Senator Hutchison added,
"Audie Murphy risked his life in
battle for freedom's cause. This
son of Texas was a genuine
American hero and rightly de-
serves this honor."
And Congressman Ralph Hall,
who represents Texas' Fourth
District which includes Murphy's
Hunt County roots, stated, "The
image on this stamp reminds us
of a most courageous young man
who was a legend in his own
time, and a hero for all times. He
was a native Texan and a per-
sonal friend of mine. I am hon-
ored to be a part of this special
tribute on behalf of Americans
everywhere who have asked for
this special stamp honoring his
memory."
The stamp art features black
and white photographs of these
four men. Color photographs of
shoulder sleeve insignia are used
as design motifs to indicate units
the soldiers served in during
their illustrious careers.
iHijc Plsst 'Nefas
"An Award winning newspaper"
"The oldest business in West, established in 1889"
214 W. Oak • P.O. Box 38 • West, Texas 76691 • 254-826-3718
The West Times The West News
Established in 1889 Established in 1909
Consolidated January, 1913
Larry Knapek Linn A. Pescaia
Editor Publisher
USPS 677-060
Published weekly each Thursday, Second Class Postage paid at West, Texas.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The West News, P. O. Box 38, West,
Texas 76691.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY: Letters to the Editor should not exceed 200
words. Letters that exceed the word limit may not be considered for publication. Letters
should be signed and include address and daytime phone number, for clarification or
confirmation. We reserve the right to edit all letters and we may condense letters that
are accepted for publication. We do not publish form letters, letters written for other
publications or anonymous letters. Poems and letters political in nature are considered
advertising and will be charged for_
Texas Press Association member
Cars are a menace to society Every year they lead to thousands of
deaths. Criminals use them in committing crimes. And when mixed with
drugs or alcohol, their deadly potential increases. In short, cars should be
banned.
Sounds crazy, right? But substitute “guns” for “cars” and you have the
gun-control argument in a nutshell.
Gun-control advocates will argue that the comparison is unfair, and it
is: To guns. The truth is, cars are more dangerous than firearms. In 1997
there were 43,458 motor vehicle deaths in the United States, according to
the National Center on Health Statistics. By comparison, there were 32,436
firearms deaths—and fully half of those were suicides.
Notice I said motor vehicle deaths, not motor vehicle accidents. Some
will say that gun victims are murdered while car-crash victims are
“accidentally" killed, an argument designed to make guns look “bad" and
cars "neutral." But 39 percent of all fatal crashes involve drunk drivers
using their cars as deadly weapons. By the numbers, criminals kill about
15,000 people a year with guns, and drunk drivers kill about 15,000 people
a year with two-ton machines that can travel at more than a hundred miles
per hour. Perhaps we should pass a law banning “Saturday Night
Chryslers.”
Not only do guns cause fewer deaths than the activists would have us
believe, they can also be life-savers. According to John Lott, a professor at
Yale, as many as 2 million crimes a year are prevented in the United States
because the potential victim is armed. In Canada and Great Britain, for
example, where gun controls are stringent, 50 percent of all break-ins
occur while the victims are at home. In the United States, where many
homeowners own weapons—and the criminals are aware of this—87
percent of all home burglaries occur when the residents are away, Lott
notes in his book “More Guns, Less Crime.” Is there a lesson here?
1 or his contribution to the gun-control debate, Professor Lott has
become an intellectual pariah. Elite opinion-shapers, who have embraced
gun control with religious fervor, want nothing to do with him In their
view, if you have something nice to say about guns you’re one of those
people—the kind who hunt ducks with bazookas, worry about
Communists invading their cul-de-sac, and name their kids “Smith” and
“Wesson.”
Of course, gun-control snobs are seldom at risk of serious crime
themselves. It’s easy to preach against guns from gated communities
protected by private police forces. But suggest that the $8-an-hour rent-a-
cop who guards these neighborhoods be allowed to have a gun to protect
his own family, and the gun-control zealots wax hysterical.
Witness today's political debate, which is rife with talk of rights—a
“Patients' Bill of Rights" for those w ho want their insurance plans to cover
liposuction, an “Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights” for those who want
more (or fewer) peanuts in their in-flight snacks. Mention constitutional
rights, however, including the right to own a gun, and you’ll be accused of
being a Neanderthal.
In Maryland, Attorney General Joseph Curran can’t be bothered with
the Second Amendment. He wants laws that would ban all handguns in the
state. Never mind that Curran is sworn to uphold the Maryland
constitution, which guarantees Maryland citizens the protections of the
U.S. Constitution. When it comes to the Bill of Rights, some politicians
defend only the parts they like.
That's the way the gun-control crowd wants it. No 225-year-old scrap
of parchment w ill stand in the way of their drive to banish guns—but not
cars, rocks, knives, baseball bats, or any other object used to inflict harm—
from the face of the earth. It's that kind of thinking that poses the real
threat to Americans
Police Report
Three criminal mischiefs
highlight the police activity in the
city during the past week.
The first w(as at Molly B’s
Antiques at 1:10 p.m. on
November 28. Several glass items
and plants were destroyed. There
was no forced entry in the building.
Another criminal mischief was
on December 3 at 8:35 p.m. in the
West High School gym parking
lot. The right front window was
broken out.
A third criminal mischief was in
the 400 block of Shook street on
December 8. A vehicle was
scratched on both sides by a sharp
object.
The West police arrested Roberto
Caballero, 43, of West. He was
discovered intoxicated in a a-d 1986
Ford F250. The vehicle was
impounded and he was taken to jail.
A telephone harrasment call was
reported to police in the 400 block
of S. Davis at 8:05 a.m. on
November 28. The person called
and used obscene language. The
return number was blocked from the
complainant’s Caller ID. The call
was traced but no charges were
filed.
A gas drive off was reported to
police at 9:19 p.m. on November
28. The driver of a black GMC van
paid S20 for gas and pumped
$26.02 and drove off north on the
access road.
Michael Conn, 22, of West was
arrested for unlawfully carrying of
weapon in the 1200 block of N.
Davis. The individual was
discovered with a large butcher
knife in his back pocket.
¥
Scientists figure that the famous star that guided the Wise Men to
baby Jesus was either a comet recorded about 4 B.C., or the conver-
gence of Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces in 6
B.C.
*<^*-Arts andAnticiues Crafts Show
Last minute Christmas Show
Saturday and Sunday • Dec. 11 & 12
iir
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
&
m «•
Country Junction in Elm Mott
1 mile from Dairy Queen, heading south
254-799-7426 for more information
refreshments provided!
Another Point of View
The World Trade Organization
(WTO) officially is four years old.
On Tuesday, November 30 the
nations will meet to decide some
of the issues that face that body.
The meeting will take place in
Seattle. As a confirmed
conservative, I am for free trade,
but there are some things about
this organization that makes me
wonder.
The first thing to catch my
attention was the number of
groups and individuals that are
protesting this meeting. The
largest group is the AFL-CIO.
There objection is that its
implementation will destroyjobs
in the USA. Some of the other
groups are the
environmentalists, the Human
Right activists and the anti-
sweatshop activists. The ones
that should be lined up as
opposing the growth of the
monstrosity is Congress and the
voters. When you remember that
he is an avowed “One World”
advocate, it would appear that,
this is a step toward that goal. If
the organization is approved as
it is contemplated, the USA will
surrender some more of its
sovereignty and non-citizens will
be making our trade decisions
for us. It is conceivable that they
could decide that they would
manufacture only high profit
items rather than the necessities
that are dictated by the market.
If we are so stupid as to abdicate
our sovereignty, we could become
a third world nation in a few
years. That wouldn’t be much
fun!
I haven’t checked this with
any of my eschatology experts,
but according to the way I
interpret the Bible, a “One World”
government is in our future. If
that is God’s plan, there probably
is not much we can do to avoid it.
Perhaps we can postpone it for
awhile ifwe will thwart the plans
of those who would saddle us
with a World TradeOrganization.
I am sure that this will be an
issue next year during the
presidential campaign. Let us
make certain that the man we
elect does not support the WTO.
Another item that makes me
leery of this organization is
China’s eagerness to join. I can’t
help but ask, why? China has
lost all of the credibility they had
as far as I am concerned. Any
action they take or any support
they seek from us is suspect. Not
only did Bill Clinton sell them
our nuclear secrets and take
illegal contributions to his
campaign from them, but also he
has supported their desire to join
the WTO. As of now, they are not
a voting member, but if you think
that will last very long, you have
forgotten how they worked to get
on the Security Council of the
UN.
Our elected representatives
and we voting citizens have to
increase our vigilance or we will
seem ore of ou r preci ous freedoms
go down the tube.
D
If anyone knows
of a great cook,
male or female,
who would be
interested in being
in the West News'
Kitchen Corner,
call 826-3718.
Complete
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Knapek, Larry. The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 109, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 9, 1999, newspaper, December 9, 1999; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth715396/m1/2/?q=a+message+about+food+from+the+president: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting West Public Library.