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Apparently, the complex always cleans their pool on Mondays, no matter
what. No matter that Monday was a national holiday, and many of their
residents didn't have to work. No matter that some of their residents
could be military veterans who hadn't been killed in action. Maybe that
apartment complex is secretly being run by the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah
Independent School District, since they also snubbed veterans and held
classes on Monday. (*Note: That was a semi-joke, I don't really believe
PBT ISD runs anything but the schools).
I don't know about the personal histories teaching staff, but I do know
that several veterans currently have or in the past have had children in
this school district. Those veterans feel pretty let down when the day
set aside to honor our country's fallen war dead is ignored this way.
In the week leading up to these occurrences, I wrote stories about flags
being stolen from various locations throughout the town and about trees
which were ripped out of the ground at a recently constructed
playground. These are much worse slights, because they were definitely
intentional. I won't comment on the school calendar, but the apartment
complex management could have forgotten about the holiday.
What in the world is going on around here?!! Did somebody declare May to
be National Dis All The Vets and Volunteers Month and not tell me or
something?
For those not familiar with the term "dis" it is a slang term that
pretty much means disrespect. If you watch Ricki Lake enough, you'll
hear the word and be able to figure out its various nuances. If you
don't know who Ricki Lake is, you must be way too busy to watch
television much.
Actually, you don't have to be a military veteran to be unhappy about
these recent occurrences.
Cary Hannsz is the Pecos High School Environmental Science teacher whose
students built the playground that was vandalized. When I first asked
him for his comment on the trees being stolen, he told me that there was
no way we could print it. Then he gave me what he called his "official"
comment:
"We have a lot of students who worked real hard, and the Pecos Housing
Authority has put a lot of money and effort into this project, and we
fee this very disrespectful to everyone who worked so hard on it, and to
the town as a whole."
I suppose you could change a few key words in that sentiment and it
would be about how veterans feel when holidays like Veterans Day and
Memorial Day are forgotten about, or when flags are stolen or desecrated.
I was also told by a PHA worker that if it was proven that one of their
residents took the trees that Nellie Gomez, executive director of the
housing authority, would immediately begin eviction proceedings. Is a
senior prank, something to do to kill time, or whatever this was, worth
losing your home over?
What happened to respect for other people's rights and property? I often
wonder this when I see children in the toy aisle at the discount store,
playing with toys that I know their parents have no intention of buying.
If these kids aren't being taught to keep their hands off other people's
things now, will they turn out to be the flag and tree thieves of
tomorrow?
Editor's Note: Cara Alligood is an Enterprise writer and advertising administrator.
The look is evident in the washed out looks and poses of models in
fashion advertising and as they walk down the runway at fashion shows.
We agree with what the President has had to say and the fashion industry
needs to examine itself closely and what it is doing to the young people
of our nation and the world, for that matter.
There is nothing glamorous about doing heroin or any drugs. It is
obvious this is a "sick" look and should not be used.
The fashion industry is already under the gun for using anorexic looking
models in a world where eating disorders are plaguing our young people.
It's time fashion people act more responsible in peddling their wares.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Pecos Enterprise was unaware that there was a
memorial service planned at the Santa Rosa Cemetery. Had the paper been
given previous notice, an effort would have been made to have a
representative there. We apologize for not covering the event and urge
others to please notify us in advance of any special events worthy of coverage such as this.
To start with, Pecos was devoid of flags this morning, when they should
have been flying proudly. The second heart-breaking event came in the
way of the memorial service at Santa Rosa Cemetery, only six men and a
high school boy had the PRIDE and forbearance to go and HONOR those who
had fallen. The Catholic church had no service as in previous years,
even the Pecos Enterprise failed to show up.
WAKE UP PECOS, what are we becoming? We do not care about anything or
any one, just our own selfish needs. Is this the kind of people we want
others to think we are? We need to demand better from those we have
elected to run our city, and COMMITMENT from the rest of us. We tend to
kick-back and criticize the few who do all the work, and like today,
when it is not done, it is greatly missed.
I close with this thought, as a town full of INTELLIGENT, well-educated
people, we need to get that PRIDE back and give HONOR where it is due.
Because, after all is said and done, each and everyone of us has been
affected and touched by one of these BRAVE men whom we choose to ignore
today.
Let's not let this happen again next year, together we can overcome!
Sinceramente,
JANIE N. RODRIGUEZ
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_
Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
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