Tourism|__|News|__|Sports|__|Scores|__|Lifestyles|
Golden Years|__|Living off the Land|__|Subscribe Enterprise|
Advertising|__|Alpine Avalanche|__|Monahans News|__|E-Forum|__|Lotto
Links|__|Photos|__|Archives|__|Classified|__|ENTERPRISE HOME PAGE
Many people don't know about or remember or else don't understand what
the word means in our history.
It was 25 years ago this week that Democratic Party National
Headquarters located in the Watergate Hotel were burglarized.
The burglary was bungled and incidentally is part of the movie "Forrest
Gump."
As it turned out, the Republican Party was behind the burglary. I don't
know that we'll ever know who's idea it was. From my information, the
purpose of the burglary was to place an eavesdropping "bug" in the
office of the head of the DNC. A bug had been planted in the DNC earlier
but apparently that too was bungled and it was placed in the wrong
office. So, the instigators of the plan had to go back in and redo their
work.
This happened during the campaign for president in 1972. George McGovern
soon afterward was named as the Democratic nominee and it was obvious
that Richard Nixon was going to be renominated by the Republican Party
to make a run for a second term in the White House.
Whether or not Nixon knew that the burlgary was going to take place is
not certain. However, if he didn't, he learned about it soon afterwards
and tried to cover it up, denying any connection to the White House. It
was obvious that the people in the White House were involved.
As I saw in a televised interview this past week, some of those involved
pointed out that in 1972, things were different from what they are now
with lots of civil unrest due to the Vietnam war and many racial
problems including civil rights demonstrations. I'm sure it is difficult
for young people who either weren't around or were too young to
rememeber those times to understand just what was happening.
Many of those involved have said they did not feel they were doing
something illegal, only that they were being patriotic.
I couldn't believe that Nixon or others in the White House were involved
in something so ridiculous. I railed against the liberal eastern press
establishment including the Washington Post for their continued
allegations that came about almost daily.
That just shows you how wrong and how deeply divided this country was
during that time in our history. Thanks to Woodard and Bernstein of the
Washington Post and the as yet unidentified "Deep Throat," the depth of
the crime was uncovered.
Nixon, after declaring that he was not a crook, was forced to resign or
else face impeachment. I well remember watching the Watergate hearings
before the Senate judicial committee. It showed that our system works
although it was painful to see some of our highest officials caught
lying.
Nixon was the first president who resigned from office.
What seems to me to be even more important about the whole escapade is
that Watergate following on the heels of the Vietnam War destroyed any
trust the public had in government and elected officials. That's a real
shame because we have some really good people in government along with
rascals, just like in any other profession.
It's important that people know about and remember Watergate so as to
fully understand why government seems to be under attack. We need to
remember, too, that even though our government isn't perfect, it's the
best thing going in our world. We need to also remember that we, the
people, are responsible for the people who are elected and what they do
in office.
If we don't like the people, elect new ones. If we don't like what they
do, tell them about it. As the old saying goes, silence is consent. And
the squeaking wheel gets the grease. If you want something changed -
squeak!
Editor's Note: Mac McKinnon is editor and publisher of the Pecos Enterprise. His column appears on Friday.
In his letter Jones stated that he will be competing against 100
countries this coming July. He said, "I have managed to go to school and
train through the support of myself, student loans, and grants.
Unfortunately, the summer is upon me and federal financial aid is only
available during the Fall and Spring semesters. I do no have any
problems with holding a summer job, but it's not that easy."
"What would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you have the
determination to push on above everyday problems and live your dreams?
Now I put myself in your shoes: would I help out a young man giving
every day his best, rising up to the top, but pinned beneath the
struggle to support himself? I'd be willing to bet my gold medal on it I
would. Thank you for your consideration and time."
Anyone wanting to help Russell in his quest to represent Pecos and the United States can do so by sending it to 1802 W. 4th, Pecos, Tx. 79772.
QUESTION: How can I acquaint my junior high schooler with the need for
responsible behavior throughout his life? He is desperately in need of
this understanding.
DR. DOBSON: The overall objective during the preadolescent period is to
teach the child that his actions have inevitable consequences.
One of the most serious casualties in a permissive society is the
failure to connect those two factors, behavior and consequences.
Too often, a 3-year-old child screams insults at his mother, but mom
stands, blinking her eyes in confusion. A first- grader launches an
attack on his teacher, but the school makes allowances for his age and
takes no action. A 10-year-old is caught stealing candy in a store, but
is released to the recognizance of his parents. A 15-year-old sneaks the
keys to the family car, but the father pays the fine when he is arrested.
You see, all through childhood, loving parents seem determined to
intervene between behavior and consequences, breaking the connection and
preventing the valuable learning that could have occurred."
Thus, it is possible for a young man or woman to enter adulthood not
really knowing that life bites - that every move we make directly
affects our future - that irresponsible behavior eventually produces
sorrow and pain. Such a person applies for his first job and arrives
late for work three times during the first week; then, when he is fired
in a flurry of hot words, he becomes bitter and frustrated. It was the
first time in his life that mom or dad couldn't come running to rescue
him from the unpleasant consequences.
Unfortunately, many American parents still try to "bail out" the grown
children even when they are in their 20s and live away from home. What
is the result? This overprotection produces emotional cripples who often
develop lasting characteristics of dependency and a kind of perpetual
adolescence.
How does one connect behavior with consequences? By being willing to let
the child experience a reasonable amount of pain or inconvenience when
he behaves irresponsibly. When Jack misses the school bus through his
own dawdling, let him walk a mile or two and enter school in
mid-morning, unless safety factors prevent this. If Janie carelessly
loses her lunch money, let her skip a meal.
Obviously, it is possible to carry this principle too far, being harsh
and inflexible with an immature child. But the best approach is to
expect boys and girls to carry the responsibility that is appropriate
for their age, and occasionally to taste the bitter fruit that
irresponsibility bears.
QUESTION: Do you believe love at first sight occurs between some people?
DR. DOBSON: Though some readers will disagree with me, love at first
sight is a physical and emotional impossibility.
Why? Because love is not a feeling of romantic excitement.
It is more than a desire to marry a potential partner. It goes beyond
intense sexual attraction. It exceeds the thrill at having "captured" a
highly desirable social prize.
These are emotions that are unleashed at first sight, but they do not
constitute love.
Real love, in contrast to popular notions, is an expression of the
deepest appreciation for another human being.
It is an intense awareness of his or her needs and longings-- past,
present and future. It is unselfish and giving and caring. And, believe
me, these are not attitudes one "falls" into at first sight, as though
we were tumbling into a ditch.
I have developed a lifelong love for my wife, but it was not something I
fell into. I grew into it, and that process took time.
I had to know her before I could appreciate the depth and stability of
her character--to become acquainted with the nuances of her personality,
which I now cherish.
The familiarity from which love has blossomed simply could not be
generated on "some enchanted evening across a crowded room." One cannot
love an unknown object, regardless of how attractive or sexy or nubile
it is.
These questions and answers are excerpted from the book Dr. Dobson
Answers Your Questions. Dr. James Dobson is a psychologist, author and
president of Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
the preservation of the home. Correspondence to Dr. Dobson should be
addressed to: Focus on the Family, P.O. Box 444, Colorado Springs, CO
80903.
(c), 1982, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail: news@bitstreet.com
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing.
Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
We support Newspapers in Education