The Independent-News, Volume 106, Number 21, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 30 October 1980 — Page 4

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- THE INDEPENDENT NEWS - OCTOBER 30, 1980

EDITORIALS V

A PRIVILEGE THAT SHOULD BE YOUR DUTY Il is sure by this time that anyone who doesn’t know that next Tuesday, November 4, is General Election Day in our nation, state and county, they must have been silently tucked away in some out-of-the-way place. However, despite the fact that everyone is aware of this election and also should be aware of what is at stake from the President of the United States right on down through the line to county offices, many people will not take advantage of one of the greatest freedoms in the world today, the right to a secret ballot vote for the person of your choice in all the contested offices. This is a priviledge that should be in everyone’s minds, a duty. You have a duty to yourself and your family to take part in the running of the most sound government in the world. It is that simply because of the imagination and creation of our constitution some 200 plus years ago by a group of men who had freedom not only on their minds, but knew the disadvantages of not being free and were willing to do something about it at any cost. To say our system of government has stood the wrath of time seems a little far fetched when one considers that as countries go, the United Stales of America is almost an infant. And yet, the system of free government devised by our ancestors in the 1770’s has stood longer than about any other government in the world even though the countries range back in time for centuries and centuries, not just a couple of hundred years. One might ihink then why do we abuse this privilege. Not going to the polls to vote is an escape people use for only reasons they themselves know. The excuses, and that is just what they are, excuses, range to about every phase of imagination possible. The sad part about America’s low voter turnout in elections over the years is that we are still the main country that has a free system of government for the people and by the people. Maybe some do not want to take the blame for what they may think is not adequate, or maybe they actually do think that their one vote doesn’t count. Possibly they are just lazy and are the type of person that would rather let someone else do it in not only this responsibility, but any responsibility they may have. This certainly would change if our nation was torn up by internal stress and fighting for control of the governments like some countries we read about all the time. The unstable type of governments around the world has not only drawn attention but has also rubbed off on other countries as a few situations in the world today clearly typlifies. The Iranian situation, not only with the hostages, but also with the border war now with Iraq. The Russia invasion of Afghanistan touched off more feelings around the world through such as the Olympic protest that it must be seen that eventually, in an effort to retain world peace, all these possibly far out situations can and do affect us. That is why we must keep America as the number one country in the world, and regardless of what people may say about the United Slates no longer being a top respected nation, come the time of real trouble and you can still bet the U. S. would be the one almost every nation would rather have on their side than against them. Your vote in Tuesday’s election may not end world troubles. In fact it may not even end or help to end the troubles we face right here at home, inflation, energy, unemployment, etc. You can go on and on and on. However, your vote and millions of other votes just like yours might have a definite say in settling such problems. Your voice certainly won’t be heard if you stay away from the polls on election day. Our country has had problems before and has risen above them. In one way or another, this will happen again, but you do have an obligation to yourself and your family, to take an active part in this very simple way ... by voting. How you vote for or against, who you choose to run your government from the top spot right on down is your business . . . but let your business be a part of your country’s business, your state’s business, and your county’s business ... be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 4. It is a privilege that should be your duty!

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE If the law protects students from abuse by teachers, why docsn i it protect the teachers from abuse bv students? Recently a physical education teacher was giving his class a lesson in tennis at the Walkerton tennis courts This class was made up of 13 seventh grade girls During this time, the teacher was hit bv something as sumed to be a pellet or HB from a gun A second pellet or BB sped between the teacher and a student at head level Ihe teacher's first

reaction was to get the class out of there and that is what he did As they were leaving, the teacher noticed a boy darting between houses in West York. The teacher notified the police and two bovs were questioned but no gun was found What would you have done? What would you have done if your child would have been hit and lost an eye'* There were five girls in the path of the BB or pellet so this could have happened very easily' How are teachers to live up to teaching expectations if they can not even finish their lessons or go to an area tn Walkerton because of fear that someone will be hurt

What happened to the slogan. "Walkerton, a nice place to live"? Teachers have had their tires sliced, their houses damaged, their property damaged and their family members cursed and abused. However, nothing can be done because the teachers cannot prove who has done it. Teachers cannot take physical action due to fear of law or loss of their jobs. Parents of students who are suspected of causing damage often do not support the teachers. What are teachers to do? How much are teachers expected to put up with? Here is an answer to these questions: From this day forward. teachers should hold you. the parents, responsible for your child's actions. What is done to the teacher should be done to you! l et's put the shoe on the other foot and let you. the parent, prove who did it! If you are a parent who opposes this suggestion, you are probable a parent of one of the children being described as a "trouble maker '. If this is true, trv to help your child. Sticking up for his mistakes does not teach him anything. It only reinforces more bad behavior Those parents who have problem-free children should not oppose this suggestion since thev have nothing to worry about! Let's trv to solve these problems ... NOW! Concerned Citizen I am getting a little tired of this "hometown boy" image that the Hiler campaign has constantly presented to the voters of Walkerton. Rep. Rhodes said during his recent visit to the area that perhaps one day a plaque might be erected at John Glenn High School saving that. "John Hiler Slept here". If I remember correctly. John Hiler never attended a single class in that building, as he opted to be educated in a private institution rather than in the Walkerton public system. Evidently. Walkerton docs not offer high enough educational or social credentials for a man seeking high political office, because I haven't seen hide nor hair of ol' "Jackie" since about the eighth grade. That is until now when he needs our votes. Now, our favorite son has returned telling us about the values of, "thrift, independence and self-reliance", he learned while growing up here. It looks more to me like he learned that if you want to get to Washington. first you've got to get out of Walkerton. Mr. Hiler constantly refers to Walkerton as his hometown and symbolized this by opening his campaign here. Yet. he chooses not to live amongst us. If he feels that his "hometown" community is such an outstanding place to live and raise children, why does he have a LaPorte address? Perhaps, like any g<xxi parent. Mr Hiler wants a better life for his children than he had. and so he doesn't want to make it hard for his kids to get ahead by getting them off to a naa start witn seven or eight years of basic education from our school system. Os course. Mr. Hiler has stopped by Walkerton regularly to work in the office for his father down at the foundry, and I'm sure that he is quite competent at his job. Still, just because he can handle the b<x>ks for the Walkerton Foundry, that doesn't mean he is automatically qualified to set policy for the largest and most complex economic machine in the world. He has certainly given very little indication to the public about how he plans to go about it. I feel I have followed his campaign as closely as the media allows the average person, but all I every hear from Mr Hiler is three things "It s lime for a Change", that we will cut federal spending (but still spend more on defense with no explanation of how the two can be combined), and of course the proverbial political promise to cut taxes I feel it is vers important during

the dosing week of the campaign that Mr. Hiler addresses the issues of the campaign and makes available to the average citizen of Walkerton responsible and precise explanations of how he plans to bring about more defense spending while reducting inflation and taxes. We have all heard his Martin Luther King-like "I have a dream" speeches, but now it is time for him to tell us exactly how he plans to put his preachings into practice. Despite the campaign rhetoric of Rep. Rhodes, anyone familiar with the framework of our government knows it is very difficult for a freshman Congressman to even be heard on the floor of Congress, let alone produce any major legislation Yet. I’m supposed to believe that some rookie accountant "from Walkerton" with no prior political experience is going to march into Washington and produce millions of dollars worth of tax cuts and direct them back into the South Bend business and industrial area. If things are as bad as Mr. Hiler says, can we afford to send him up to Washington for a few years of on the job training while he learns the ropes? With the present economic condition of our country, it is important to have a good reason for pushing the Hiler lever on Nov. 4 other than, "h's Time for a Change”. Mr. Hiler has no political office holding experience of any magni tude to base any expectations upon, and his speeches have given little insight into what those "Changes" will be or how they will be brought about. Until Mr. Hiler stops talking in generalities and starts talking proposed policies, then I feel it isn’t enough to vote for the man simply because he used to live around the block While Mr. Bradcmas max have faults. I know what to expect from him and know he already has needed political experience. Things aren't so bad that I'm willing to blindly throw those traits aside for a "hometown boy" that I know nothing about. Another Hometown Boy Just recently the U. S. Chamber of C ommerce has publically endorsed John Hiler for Congress, as reported by the Tribune and the local radio and television stations. In response to this endorsement. David Major, executive director of the South Bend Mishawaka Area Chamber of Commerce attempts to downplay this endorsement. Also, m the evening news telecasts. South Bend Mayor, Roger Parent rebutts the same endorsement while lauding John Bradcmas' efforts bv stating that his job would be ten times harder if it weren't for Bradcmas. Maybe Bradcmas should run for mayor of South Bend. I sincerely hope the intelligence of the electorate in the 3rd congressional district is at a higher level than Parent and Bradcmas assume it to be. I cite as an example Roger Parent's dilligent effort to stop the Hilton project on S. R *23. A project that would have created numerous jobs, a project that would have been financed through the private money sector with the use of industrial revenue bonds, and a project that would have broadened the tax base for Clay township of the city of South Bend if the shotgun annexation holds up in the courts. Instead. a federal grant in the amount of seven-and-one-half million dollars is obtained through the efforts of John Bradcmas for the downtown hole project. This grant (our tax dollars) is for the benefit of a bank, a motel, and the city of South Bend. Ihe people of the entire 3rd district do not share in this overly generous grant. Instead, as taxpayers. it is our tax dollars that arc paving for the project. lax dollars. that are not there as long as the federal government continues to dole out more than it takes in. But the John Brademases just keep

the printing presses rolling prur ing more money. That's why w have rampant inflation, not b, cause of OPEC, or any of the oth. factors cited by John Bradema These other factors are men catalysts that have brought t| problem of inflation to the surfan A problem that 2b years of Denu cratic majority in the congress h.i created. The city of South Bend may I benefiting from the Bradcmas gi\. away, but the entire 3rd distn does not. it should now be obvioi, why the South Bend Mishaw ,o Chamber and Roger Parent fa\< Bradcmas. h's simple math' matics. They offer the largt s’ block of voters and thus they n ceivc the most, by far. But th, remainder of the chambers in tl district are more apt to feel th same as the U. S. Chamber of Con mercc. The records speak t themselves. According to tl N.F.I B (National Federation Independent Business) the Brail mas voting record was favorable i business less than 30 % of the tin based on their latest statistics ai has been much lower in preskm. sears. The U. S. Chamber stati tics, based on IK key bills, showt Bradcmas voted favorable II 0 ' the time. Who arc Roger Parent an David Major trying to fool? Y, the U. S. Chamber is a special n terest group looking out for then selves, and so are thev. I am not questioning the need ■ ■ federal assistance in some ii stances. I do. however, qucsti, the priority and the timing of th Bradcmas giveaway. It alwav seems to happen around the tun' he's running for re-election. Is the downtown hole proje more important than badly nccdi sewage disposal treatment plant that many rural communities hav been under mandate to install b Federal and State agencies for a many as 11 years? While South Bend has the largest population of any city in the district it would stand to be reasonable that the. should receive a larger amount of needed assistance, but not at th< expense of the rest of the distrut unless, of course, it becomes pro port ion a I Now when it becomes necessary tor Bradcmas to become re-elected he tries to bus our votes with our own money. But not this time, nor for me any wav. or the Walkertoi Area Chamber of Commerce. Our board of directors voted unam mously to endorse John Hiler Our message is this, when you go to cast vour vote on Nov. -4th think not of whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, but think of your moral obligation as a citizen of the United States. It John Bradcmas. as a 22 seat veteran, the 3rd ranking democrat and responsible for the congres sional leadership is to be held ri sponsible for rampant inflation, rc cession, high unemployment, higf taxes, and international disrespect then we should not re-elect John Bradcmas. We then can show th< rest of the nation that we of the 3rd district are truly responsible citi zens and lead the wav to a change You see a congressman has mori of a responsibility than to just his constituency in his district. That much we expect. He has a respon sibility to the nation, especially it he's the 3rd ranking democrat and house majority leader. In the words of another famous Democrat. "Ask not what vour country can do for you. but what you can do for your country ". It's time for a change. Respectfully Regg F Williams. President — Walkerton Area Chamber of Commerce (continued on page "’) Drive Safclv The "art" of predicting the future in a crystal ball is called screeology.