Spokesmen USA Volume 1 Issue 5

Iococca calls for nation to act
Page 3
Alamogordo, New Mexico
What do teachers make?
Page 5
By Carolyn Delone, Alamogordo, NM
CAPPED Needs Help
Holloman Air Force Base volunteers are
creating “cookies in a jar” cookie mixes to
raise money for CAPPED (Cancer
Awareness Prevalence Prevention & Early
Detection). CAPPED will use funds raised
for offices in their Center for Integrative
Health Care, scheduled for an August 10th
opening. To help out, please donate glass
quart jars, with or without lids.
CAPPED is also in need of a machine
called a "clicker press". If any businesses
have one to donate, the gift would be very
helpful.
For more information or to make a
donation, call Tresa VanWinkle at 575-434HOPE (4673).
Cactus Patch Humor
Page 12
Page 6
E
FREE — TAK
Volume 1 Issue 5
School Sponsors Lap Quilt Project
Who would have thought that stopping for
some ice cream and conversation could lead to
a project to help others? Well, that’s exactly
what happened when NMSBVI employee Roy
McCollum stopped for ice cream one day at
the Basin Trading Company in Tularosa. He
ended up having a conversation with Terri
Bilke who owns a shop in the area. It so
happened that Terri had several things that she
wanted to get rid of and one of those things
was fabric. Roy told her that he worked at
NMSBVI and that the home management
teacher at the school could probably use the
fabric because her students learn to sew each
year.
When Roy approached Wanda Raney, the
home management teacher at NMSBVI, about
the fabric, she was excited about receiving it.
“My biggest shock was how much fabric Terri
actually had”, said Wanda.
When Terri
dropped off the fabric, it took up a large
portion of a room and was all quilted fabric on
large rolls. “Once I saw how much was
donated, I wondered what we could do with all
this fabric’, stated Mrs. Raney. She ended up
talking to Roy about it and he suggested that
maybe her students could make lap quilts for
burn victims. Roy knows how much these can
help those victims because he is a member of
the NM Legion Riders that support Operation
Wounded Warrior. Their major focus is to
A Bone to Pick?
ONE!
Lawmaker Vows Not
to Complete Census
By Spokesmen Staff
NMSBVI lap quilts are in demand. Roy
McCollum and Terri Bilke admire the
quilts made by NMSBVI students.
provide personal care items to Brooks Army
Medical Center in San Antonio as well as to
veteran’s homes around the state. And that is
how the project was born. “How best for our
students to learn to give back,” stated Wanda.
“So much is given to them, now it can be their
turn.”
Early this year, Wanda’s students began
work on the lap quilts. She thought it would
be great for the recipients to have a personal
connection to their quilt maker, so Wanda
enlisted the help of Lee Rohovec, the Audio/
Visual Specialist at NMSBVI. Lee video
taped each student during the months it took to
make the quilts. He also taped each student
making an introduction of their quilt and
themselves.
From pinning to cutting to
working at the sewing machine, all aspects of
the project were covered.
The quilts were unveiled for all to see at the
annual Fashion Show held at the school. All
16 students in the class made one quilt to
donate and along with that quilt, a DVD of the
student and their quilt will be delivered to
veterans at Brooks Army Medical Center
during the Legion’s annual trip in October, as
well as to veteran’s hospitals in New Mexico.
Everyone that attended the Fashion Show
could see the pride on each student’s face
about the quilt that they made. NMSBVI
would like to thank Terri Bilke for her
generous donation that will help so many
deserving veterans.
Representative Michele
Bachmann said she will
refuse to fill out anything
more than the number of
people in her household
when the national census
taker visits her house next
y ear.
Bachmann, a
Minnesota Republican, said
the questions have become
"very intricate, very
personal" and she fears the
information in the census
will be misused. Bachmann Census “very personal”
is also concerned that claims Minnesota conACORN, the community gressperson Miichele
organizing group that came Bachmann.
under fire for its voter
registration efforts last year, will be part of the Census
Bureau's door-to-door information collection efforts.
"I know for my family the only question we will be
answering is how many people are in our home," she said. "We
won't be answering any information beyond that, because the
Constitution doesn't require any information beyond that."
Shelly Lowe, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Census Bureau,
said Bachmann is "misreading" the law. Lowe claimed that
U.S. laws require a response to every census question and that
anyone over 18 years of age who refuses to answer "any of the
questions" on the census can be fined up to $5,000.
The Constitution requires a census be taken every 10 years.
Questions range from the number of people in the household to
race, employment status, and whether anyone receives social
services such as food stamps.
Bachmann said she's worried about the participation of
ACORN, the Association of Community Organizers for
Reform Now, in next year's census.
"They will be in charge of going door to door and collecting
data from the American public," she said. "This is very
concerning." Bachmann isn’t the only one troubled by
ACORN’s role in the census. Other Republican lawmakers
and several public interest groups have expressed concern over
their involvement.
ACORN has applied to help recruit workers to conduct the
census. ACORN staffers have been indicted in several states
on charges of voter registration fraud stemming from the
organization's efforts to register voters last year.
THE SPOKESMEN
2
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
Rupp Seeks District Court Nomination
David I. Rupp, long time Alamogordo
attorney has announced he will seek the
Republican nomination to serve as District
Court Judge, Division IV in the 12th Judicial
District, Otero County, New Mexico.
This position is currently held by the
Honorable Sandra A. Grisham.
Judge
Grisham was appointed to the bench by
Governor Bill Richardson, following the
retirement of the Honorable Frank K. Wilson
on January 1, 2009. This position will be filled
by the voters in the General Election,
November 2010. Candidates from each party
will be chosen in the primary election in June
2010.
Rupp is currently in the process of closing
his private law practice after nearly twenty
nine years as a practicing attorney in
Alamogordo. He opened his first law office
on the corner of 11th Street and New York
Avenue in the Alamogordo Title Company
building on October 1, 1980. During the
course of his legal career he has handled many
types of legal matters including civil cases,
domestic relations, child custody, child
support, real property, contracts, bankruptcy
and most recently criminal law cases.
Rupp feels he is fully qualified to serve as
a district court judge for the citizens of the 12th
Judicial District. In addition to his years of
board based legal experience he is a licensed
New Mexico high school teacher with
certification in Language Arts and Social
Studies.
In the early years of his legal practice he
owned and operated the Western Bar in
Cloudcroft, NM.
Rupp has served the
Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce as
President in the early 1980's and he was also
selected as Cloudcroft Citizen of the Year
during this time.
Rupp is a decorated Vietnam veteran
having served with the United States Marines
as a Navy Hospital Corpsman. He served with
Whiskey Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines,
1st Marine Division in Vietnam from
September 1967 through September 1968. He
was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries
received as a result of enemy fire and the
Navy Achievement Medal with Combat "V"
for heroic achievement during the war.
Rupp feels very strongly about the rule of
law and the protections afforded citizens of
this country by the United States Constitution.
He believes that no man is above the law and
there should be no tolerance for unequal
application of the law.
During the current economic climate all of
the services provided to our citizens are facing
pressure from budget cuts and reduced
funding. Like many areas of government, the
court system in New Mexico is feeling this
same pressure from a legislature trying to fund
essential services with fewer and fewer
resources. Rupp's background as a private
businessman makes him uniquely qualified to
aid the current district court judiciary with
careful use and allocation of the reduced
funding that maybe expected from our
legislature and the Governor. A thoughtful
review of funding sources and the allocation
of those funds for our local courts, including
Drug Court should be conducted to insure that
available resources are being used to provide
the best possible justice system to the citizens
of the 12th Judicial District.
Rupp has practiced law in the courts of all
the current judges in the 12th Judicial District.
He has earned their respect with his
professionalism, courtesy and knowledge of
the law. He feels this long history of mutual
respect will allow him the ability to quickly
become an integral part of the 12th District
Court Judiciary.
The Wind Beneath Our Wings
Without our sponsors, The Spokesmen newspaper would not
be possible. They are the wind beneath our wings, lifting us
up and making it possible for us to soar. Thank you for your
generous support of this community newspaper.
This Month’s Sponsors
Robert Pollock
Pat Sale
If you have been blessed by The Spokesmen newspaper,
please tell our sponsors above how much you appreciate their
support.
Library Foundation
Requests Help
By Flori McElderry, Alamogordo
The Alamogordo Public Library Foundation, Inc. is in
urgent need of your immediate assistance. We are looking for
donations of banquet tables, bookcases, doors with legs, saw
horses, and any kind of shelving that will hold books. We also
need chairs, benches, grocery carts and rolling carts with
shelves. Ideally if a business was replacing any of these or
similar items that would hold books, we would be glad to take
their hand-me-downs.
The Foundation has entered into a rental agreement with
Michael Shyne that will allow the Used Book Sales to
continue to be held in the old IGA Building until such time the
property is sold or otherwise used for a commercial activity.
Book Sale volunteers are working there now in preparation for
the next sale. The record breaking sale held this past spring
brought in-excess of$12,000.00.
While the city has no immediate plans for a new library
building, the Foundation continues to support that effort as
well as a renewed emphasis on supporting the existing library.
The city budget only covers operating costs for the facility and
does not allow for upgrades or new equipment as needed by
library personnel and patrons. The most urgent needs at this
time include additional internet security, more library
bookshelves and new carpeting in the Multi Purpose Room.
Money raised through used book sales is one way we can
support the library with these needs.
When the city returned the old IGA property to the Shelton
Estate, they removed all of the furniture and equipment they
had stored in the building. This included a number of tables,
used for Used Book Sales in the past, when the city did not
otherwise have them in use. Our current table inventory only
numbers about 30 that have been purchased over the years
with Foundation funds, plus some others that have been
brought in.
We would appreciate any support you can offer with
regards to this request. If used furnishings are not available,
we will gladly accept financial contributions allowing us to
purchase additional tables. To make a donation, contact Flori
D. McElderry at 437-6616 or 439-8858 or
[email protected].
Publisher, Charles W. Bush, 575-551-1771
Editor, Troy Estes, 575-921-9203
Disclaimer
Items in The Spokesmen are contributed by various independent and
unpaid correspondents. Each is required to accept responsibility for
the content they submit. Although all articles are screened by the
editor for any content that is openly contrary to proper moral ethic, it
is not judged for it's political bias or Scriptural interpretation.
These articles do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint and opinion of
the publisher, editor, or other correspondents. It is the opinion of this
publication that out of a variety of viewpoints and presentations on
any given subject, the "TRUTH WILL SHINE FORTH LIKE A
BRIGHT LIGHT". Therefore, you are openly invited to offer your
viewpoints, criticisms and inspirations for possible inclusion in
future publications of The Spokesmen and become another
SPOKESMEN within our American community. Such offerings may
be e-mailed to [email protected].
THE SPOKESMEN
3
A Call to Action
By Lee Iacocca
Am I the only guy in this country who's fed
up with what's happening? Where the hell is our
outrage? We should be screaming bloody
murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos
steering our ship of state right over a cliff,
we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind,
and we can't even clean up after a hurricane
much less build a hybrid car. But instead of
getting mad, everyone sits around and nods
their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned,
'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I
have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in
handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody
seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking
hard questions. That's not the promise of the 'America ' my parents and yours
travelled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for
leaving.
We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.
We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies
are getting slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy
policy. Our schools are in trouble.
Our borders are like sieves.
The middle class is being squeezed every which way.
These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders
gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of
character, courage, conviction, and common sense?
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us
take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions
of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to
things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.
Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or
demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours
after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't
happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan.
Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can
restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that
there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car
companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do
about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the
debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The
silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country
and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses
and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our
greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That
some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't
you guys show some spine for a change?
Had enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm
trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope—I believe in America.
In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest
moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The Great Depression,
World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy Assassination, the Vietnam War, the
1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.
If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the
sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better
car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. So let's
shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
Back on Uncle Sam's Plantation By Star Parker
Six years ago I wrote a book called Uncle
Sam's Plantation. I wrote the book to tell my
own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.
I said in that book that indeed there are two
Americas -- a poor America on socialism and a
wealthy America on capitalism.
I talked about government programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF), Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS), Emergency Assistance to Needy Families with Children (EANF), Section 8 Housing,
and Food Stamps.
A vast sea of perhaps well-intentioned government programs, all initially set
into motion in the 1960s by Democrats, that were going to lift the nation's poor
out of poverty.
A benevolent Uncle Sam welcomed mostly poor black Americans onto the
government plantation. Those who accepted the invitation switched mindsets
from "How do I take care of myself?" to "What do I have to do to stay on the
plantation?"
Instead of solving economic problems, government welfare socialism created
monstrous moral and spiritual problems -- the kind of problems that are inevitable when individuals turn responsibility for their lives over to others.
The legacy of American socialism is our blighted inner cities, dysfunctional
inner city schools, and broken black families.
Through God's grace, I found my way out. It was then that I understood what
freedom meant and how great this country is.
I had the privilege of working on welfare reform in 1996 which was passed
by a Republican controlled Congress.
I thought we were on the road to moving socialism out of our poor black
communities and replacing it with wealth-producing American capitalism.
But, incredibly, we are now going in the opposite direction.
Instead of poor America on socialism becoming more like rich American on
capitalism, rich America on capitalism is becoming like poor America on socialism.
Uncle Sam has welcomed our banks onto the plantation and they have said,
"Thank you, Suh."
Now, instead of thinking about what creative things need to be done to serve
customers, they are thinking about what they have to tell Massah in order to get
their cash.
There is some kind of irony that this is all happening under our first black
president on the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.
Worse, socialism seems to be the element of our new young president. And
maybe even more troubling, our corporate executives seem happy to move onto
the plantation.
In an op-Ed on the opinion page of the Washington Post, Mr. Obama is clear
that the goal of his trillion dollar spending plan is much more than short term
economic stimulus.
"This plan is more than a prescription for short-term spending -- it's a strategy
for America 's long-term growth and opportunity in areas such as renewable energy, healthcare, and education."
Perhaps more incredibly, Obama seems to think that government taking over
an economy is a new idea. Or that massive growth in government can take place
"with unprecedented transparency and accountability."
Yes, sir, we heard it from Jimmy Carter when he created the Department of
Energy, the Synfuels Corporation, and the Department of Education.
Or how about the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 -- The War on Poverty
-- which President Johnson said "...does not merely expand old programs or improve what is already being done. It charts a new course. It strikes at the causes,
not just the consequences of poverty."
Trillions of dollars later, black poverty is the same. But black families are
not, with triple the incidence of single-parent homes and out-of-wedlock births.
It's not complicated. Americans can accept Barack Obama's invitation to
move onto the plantation. Or they can choose personal responsibility and freedom.
Does anyone really need to think about what the choice should be?
THE SPOKESMEN
4
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
Simply Say No
Pelosi Windfall Tax
By Wes Bush
By Bud Barnick
Government, Church, Service Clubs and,
sad to say, our local businesses have all seen
fit to WORK THE CON! It seems that simple
honesty and straight forwardness are gone
forever.
When did we get so in need of “FREE”
that we lost our ability to reason that
“Someone is paying for the free ride?”
Gasoline is a prime example of the basic
deception. You never see $2.50. The price
will forever be $2.49, or $1.99. To round out
the penny would be unthinkable; and, after
all, when you buy a tankful, that penny
amounts to a whopping $.22 cents! Or in a
year’s time, perhaps it might become $22.88
if you fill up twice a week for the entire year.
BIG DEAL!
Folks, when will we get honest with
ourselves and quit this childish witch hunt. It
is time we said no to this deception and began
to demand that business, government and
church clean up their act.
Charity begins at church. When will we
quit buying the cakes and cookies and simply
begin to obey God, giving to those who ask
and visiting the widows and infirm to
discover their need even before they ask.
THIS IS THE FIRST DUTY OF THE
CHURCH!
When will we, as a society, wake up to the
fact that ‘GOVERNMENT CAN’T GIVE US
ANYTHING!”
Folks, government cannot possibly give
anyone anything. Government only has that
which someone gives to it. That someone is
you and me!
The fraud begins with our failure to fulfill
our basic, God ordained responsibilities in the
first place, forcing government to appear to
fulfill our welfare responsibilities, when in
reality, it only scratches the surface of the
need, while spending the money we give it for
salaries, buildings, conferences, and on and
on and on; never quite fulfilling the mission
we gave it the money to fulfill.
Isn’t it the same with every government
bureau? In every instance hasn’t government
failed to actually do the job to the extent that
it is $.99 centsing us to the death? Take a
close look at what it has done.
Every penny of what you are “FORCED”
to pay to IRS is paid by our government to the
Federal Reserve toward the interest our
country owes the Federal Reserve on the
National Debt. The Federal Reserve is a NonGovernmental entity controlled by a few.
Why are we doing this?
Have we lost our right to say, “NO?”
Were enough of us to stand together and
refuse to any longer participate in FDR’s
income reporting system of taxation, we could
bring the Federal Reserve to a halt and
expunge the trillion dollar plus debt on which
we,
as
taxpayers, are
paying with
our
sweat,
blood, tears
and FEAR OF
FAILURE!
After all,
The Federal
Reserve has only the money that we give it!
LET’s SAY, “NO!” Let’s take back the
trillions of dollars these few have stolen from
us and straighten out the mess they have made
with it. Let’s simply say, “NO!”
Say, “NO,” to IRS. Say, “I will no longer
complete the myriad forms you demand. I will
no longer attempt to understand the books
filled with stupid rules and regulations that
even your own agents are overwhelmed by. I
will no longer participate in this
unconstitutional fraud! When you come up
with a system that no longer forces me to
report when paying my fair share, I will again
participate.”
There are at least two systems that require
no report from the people.
The first is a simple sales tax; however,
sales taxes impose on every merchant to
report, making it somewhat vulnerable to
fraud and completely imposing on every
merchant.
The other is a simple system of deducting
the tax each time money is deposited in a
bank; or, perhaps, each time a check or credit
card transaction clears the bank. This would
be called a “transaction tax.” Every dollar
finds its way into a bank sooner or later. Only
the very poor can deal with cash only.
You see, each bank is required to maintain
exact records of every penny deposited in it.
The tax would be so simple for the bank to
collect, report and transfer to the Government;
and, the citizen would never be asked to
report an income which he cannot in truth
discover, even if he hires a CPA!
Why not simply say. “NO!”
“I will if enough of you will. Won’t you?”
Let me hear from you. Mail your answers and
comments to:
The Spokesmen
PO Box 1
Alamogordo, NM 88311
Or email [email protected]
Madam speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to put a Windfall Tax
on all stock market profits, including retirement funds, 401K
and mutual funds! Alas, it is true - all to help the 12 million
illegal immigrants and other unemployed minorities!
This woman is frightening.
She says, “We need to work toward the goal of equalizing
income …”–didn't Marx say something like this?—“… in our
country and at the same time limiting the amount the rich can
invest.” I am not rich, are you?
When asked how these new tax dollars would be spent,
she replied: “We need to raise the standard of living of our
poor, unemployed and minorities. For example, we have an
estimated 12 million illegal
immigrants in our country
who need our help along with
millions of unemployed minorities. Stock market windfall profit taxes could go a
long way to guarantee these
people the standard of living
they would like to have as
'Americans'.”
Read that quote again and
again and let it sink in. She
wants to lower your retire- Speaker Nancy Pelosi
ment and give it to others who announces plans to tax
have not worked as you have windfall profits.
for it.
Is It NBA Or NFL? Contributed by Billy Dales
Using the clues below, can you guess which organization
it is … the NBA or the NFL?
 36 have been accused of spousal abuse
 7 have been arrested for fraud
 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2
businesses
 3 have done time for assault
 71—repeat 71—cannot get a credit card due to bad
credit
 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
 21 currently are defendants in lawsuits, and
 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last
year
Why not email this to your friends and
encourage them to email it to theirs. We can
cover the USA with this in days. Saying ‘NO’
can make the difference.
I do not advocate doing this without warning.
It is important that you let your local
representative and senator know your intent;
then, come April 15, 2010, say ‘NO’ to IRS.
Can you guess which organization this is? Is it the NBA
or the NFL?
Give up yet?
Neither!
It's the 435 members of the United
States Congress. The same group of Idiots that crank
out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest
of us in line. This is another GOOD reason for term limits.
THE SPOKESMEN
5
What Do Teachers Make? Contributed by Sandy Sandage, Llano, TX
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.
One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to
learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" To stress his point he
said to another guest, "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I
make?” She paused for a second, then began...
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever
thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the
Congressional Medal of Honor winner. I make kids
sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents
can't make them sit for 5 without an I-Pod, Game
Cube or movie rental.”
“You want to know what I make? “ She paused
again and looked at each and every person at the table.
“I make kids wonder. I make them question. I
make them apologize and mean it. I make them have
respect and take responsibility for their actions. I
teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read,
read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made
calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English
while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel
safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.”
“Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their
hearts, they can succeed in life…” Bonnie paused one last time and then continued. “Then, when people
try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and
pay no attention because they are ignorant.”
“You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”
The Miracle of the Brother s Song
Contributed by Jerre Bolin, Ft Worth, TX
“You are My Sunshine, My only Sunshine.”
Like any good mother, when Karen found out
that another baby was on the way, she did what she
could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare
for a new sibling. They found out that the new
baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night
after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's
tummy. He was building a bond of love with his
little sister before he even met her.
The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen,
an active member of the Panther Creek United
Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. In
time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five
minutes, every three, every minute. But serious
complications arose during delivery and Karen
found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section
be required?
Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little
sister was born. But she was in very serious
condition. With a siren howling in the night, the
ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal
intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital in
Knoxville, Tennessee.
The days inched by. The little girl got worse.
The pediatrician had to tell the parents there was
very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.
Karen and her husband contacted a local
cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a
special room in their house for their new baby but
now they found themselves having to plan for a
funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents
to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he
kept saying.
Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral
would come before the week was over. Michael
kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are
never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to
take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he
didn't see his sister right then, he might never see
her alive.
She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and
marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking
laundry basket.
The head nurse recognized him as a child and
bellowed, “Get that kid out of here now … no
children are allowed.”
The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the
usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right
into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. “He is
not leaving until he sings to his sister,” she stated.
Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside.
He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to
live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure
-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: “You
are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me
happy when skies are gray.”
Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The
pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.
“Keep on singing, Michael,” encouraged Karen
with tears in her eyes.
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
Today’s Lifescope
Watch where you're going!
Lifescope says,
"Many traps are on the path of life!"
A person never knows what will happen to him
next. He is like a fish caught in a cruel net. He is
like a bird caught in a trap. In the same way, a
person is trapped by bad things.
Flattery is a trap; evil men are caught in it, but
good men stay away and sing for joy. Fear of man
is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means
safety. The rebel walks a thorny, treacherous road;
the man who values his soul will stay away. A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and
suffers the consequences.
An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of
his lips, but the righ-teous will escape from trouble.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that
one may avoid the snares of death. The teaching of
the wise is a fountain of life, to turn aside from the
snares of death.
A man is a fool to trust in himself! But those
who use God's wisdom are safe.
The wicked have set their traps for me along
Your path, but I will not turn aside. For though I did
them no wrong, yet they laid a trap for me and dug
a pitfall in my path. Let them be overtaken by sudden ruin, caught in their own net, and destroyed.
But I will rejoice in the Lord. He shall rescue
me! From the bottom of my heart praise rises to
Him. Where is His equal in all of heaven and earth?
Who else protects the weak and helpless from the
strong, and the poor and needy from those who
would rob them?
I look to You for help, O Lord God. You are my
refuge. Don't let them slay me. Keep me out of
their traps. Let them fall into their own snares,
while I escape.
O Jehovah, my Lord and Savior, my God and
my shield - hear me as I pray! Don't let these
wicked men succeed; don't let them prosper and be
proud. Let their plots boomerang! Let them be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me.
Let burning coals fall down upon their heads, or
throw them into the fire, or into deep pits from
which they can't escape.
Taken from Ec. 9, Pr. 29, 22, 12, 14, 13, 28, Ps. 119,
35, 141, 140, The Everyday Bible, The Living Bible and
The New American Standard.
For free Lifescope book, write to Box 1575, Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage/handling.
“You never know, dear, how much I love you,
please don't take my sunshine away...” As Michael
sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained
breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr.
“Keep on singing, sweetheart.”
“The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I
dreamed I held you in my arms.” Michael's little
sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to
sweep over her.
“Keep on singing, Michael.”
Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy
head nurse.
Karen glowed.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
Please don't take my sunshine away.”
The next day ... the very next day … the little
girl was well enough to go home.
Woman's Day Magazine called it The Miracle of
a Brother's Song.
The medical staff just called it a miracle.
Karen called it a miracle of God's love.
THE SPOKESMEN
The
Bone
Yard
6
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
What Path Are We Taking? by Pam Geller
I am a student of
history. Professionally, I have
written 15 books in six
languages, and have studied
history all my life. I think there
is something monumentally
large afoot, and I do not believe
it is just a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit
crisis. Yes, these exist but they are merely single facets
on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a
sharper focus.
Something of historic proportions is happening. I can
sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks
like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may
be brewing, but there is something happening within our
country that has been evolving for about 10 - 15 years.
The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.
We have spent two or more decades intentionally deindustrializing our economy. Why?
We have intentionally dumbed down our schools,
ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding
documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are
worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write,
think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not
revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards
continue to back mediocrity. Why?
We have now established the precedent of protesting
every close election (now violently in California over a
proposition that is so controversial that it wants marriage
to remain between one man and one woman. Did you
ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?). We
have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing
unelected judges to write laws that radically change our
way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like
ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a
banana republic. To what purpose?
Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing
prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our
banking system is on the verge of collapse, Social
Security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire
government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I
teach college and know precisely what I am talking
about.) The list is staggering in its length, breadth, and
depth. It is potentially 1929 x 10. And we are at war with
an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of
the same religion who cannot wait to slit the throats of
your children if they have the opportunity to do so.
And now we have elected a man no one knows
anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy
Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska . All of
his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their
chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn
about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright
scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to
create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force
stronger than our military for use inside our
borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never
play that for you over and over and then demand he
answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000
wardrobe is more important.)
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my
children as I am now. This man campaigned on bringing
people together, something he has never, ever done in his
professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us
along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to
realign the pieces into a new and different power
structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes,
you will never see the same nation again.
I thought I would never be able to experience what the
ordinary, moral German felt in the mid-1930s. In those
times, the savior was a former smooth-talking rabblerouser from the streets, about whom the average German
knew next to nothing.. What they did know was that he
was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and
pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he
edged his way onto the political stage through great
oratory and promises.. Economic times were tough,
people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And
he smiled and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers,
were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts"
would bully them into submission.
And then he was duly elected to office, with a fullthrottled economic crisis at hand [the Great
Depression]. Slowly but surely he seized the controls of
government power, department by department, person by
person, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The kids joined a
Youth Movement in his name, where they were taught
what to think. How did he get the people on his side? He
did it promising jobs to the jobless, money to the
moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial
complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children,
advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages,
better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in
the country, across Europe, and across the world.
He did it with a compliant media - Did you know
that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ...
change. And the people surely got what they voted
for. (Look it up if you think I am exaggerating.) Read
your history books. Many people objected in 1933 and
were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made
fun of. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious
in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in
England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed
into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was
right, though .
Don't forget that Germany was the most educated,
cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art,
museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And in
less than six years - a shorter time span than just two
terms of the U.S. presidency - it was rounding up its own
citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning
children against parents, and neighbors against
neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The
road to Hell is paved with them.
Pamela "Atlas" Geller began her publishing career at
The New York Daily News and subsequently took over
operation of The New York Observer as Associate
Publisher. She left The Observer after the birth of her
fourth child but remained involved in various projects
including American Associates, Ben Gurion
University, and The Brandeis School .
If you have a bone to pick …
THE SPOKESMEN
7
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
The Truth
Emergency
Denture Alert
By Wes Bush
ATREE OF SIN HAS DIED!
From age 10 his destiny was foretold. A life of drugs, sleepless nights,
smoking and depravity. Where would it all lead? To a short, tormented few
years and a miserable death, of course,
The Word of God says, “Ye shall know a tree by its fruit.” The fruit of
his tree was all bad.
The Word of God says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The
thoughts of his heart were continually on drugs, wanton women, pedophilia,
rebellious living; never a thought of God and His Word.
Every newspaper in the land has carried page after page of pictures and
story, all of which try to belie the above truth; but, to no avail. Night clubs,
booze, sleepless nights and failed relationships are all the truth that can be
told of him.
Who is he? Why Michael Jackson, of course.
Which one of you would like for your child to pattern their life after him?
'Gay' Day Coming to California Public Schools?
By Chelsea Schilling, Sacramento, California
A California committee passed a bill proclaiming
that the state's public school children will take a break
from learning every year to celebrate Harvey Milk – a
homosexual icon considered by some to be "a martyr for
gay rights."
The California State Senate Education Committee
passed SB 572 today on a 7-2 vote. The bill encourages
all California public schools to "conduct suitable
commemorative exercises … remembering the life of
Harvey Milk and recognizing his accomplishments as
well as the contributions he made to this state."
It requires no parental consent for student
participation.
SB 572 states, "Perhaps more than any other modern
figure, Harvey Milk's life and political career embody
the rise of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) civil rights movement in California, across the
nation, and throughout the world."
"If signed into law, SB 572 will mean an official day
commemorating homosexuality, bisexuality, and
transsexuality in California government schools,
without parental permission," said Randy Thomasson,
president of SaveCalifornia.com, which has been
generating citizen phone calls and e-mails against SB
572.
"It's absurd that government schools teach children
not to smoke or use drugs, yet would teach children as
young as kindergarten that homosexuality is good and
healthy and maybe even for them. That's just not true.
Homosexual and bisexual behavior causes up to 82
percent of all HIV transmissions in California,"
Thomasson said.
Last year, the same bill (numbered AB 2567) passed
the Democrat-controlled Legislature, but was vetoed by
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The text of the bill states, "It is the intent of the
Legislature that the exercises … be integrated into the
regular school program, and be conducted by the school
or institution within the amount otherwise budgeted for
educational programs."
The announcement comes only days after WND
reported a California school district launched a website
to "meet the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender
and questioning youth."
Thomasson said SB 572 is just one more reason why
parents should rescue their children from the "antifamily" public school system. He encourages parents to
visit RescueYourChild.org to learn about other
education options before it's too late.
"With public schools becoming sexual indoctrination
centers, homeschooling and church schools are no
longer parental options, they're parental imperatives," he
said.
Thomasson warned that the bill would impact
children as young as 5 years old and positively portray
homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality and
anything else that's "in the closet."
"This bad bill will teach impressionable
schoolchildren the anti-religious, homosexual-bisexualtranssexual agenda of Harvey Milk," said Thomasson.
"For the love of God, respect for parents, and defense of
impressionable children, Governor Schwarzenegger
must veto SB 572 if it reaches his desk."
Seat Belt Law Hazards
By Anthony Buono, Alamogordo, New Mexico
My feeling and opinion is most of the time
enforcement of seat belt laws creates more of a hazard
and breaks more laws than the violation, sometimes
causing death to people by their actions.
The fine citation system is to make money, steal
property, and subjugate the citizens.
From many years of being an emergency driver, I
know a seat restraint can kill you just as often as save
critical injury.
I feel 60% of the DMV laws are violating the rights
and privileges of citizens as guaranteed not to be
abridged in the Constitution. The driver’s license was
not to be used for identification; an identity card is.
… do it here … in the bone yard!
By Joe Hart, Alamogordo
I recently became aware that there
is a need for greater competition in
the dental lab business.
I am approaching 80 years old,
and have worn dentures for the past
30 years, and during that time I have
had several complete dentures made.
My first dentures cost $895 but
included extracting all 25 remaining
teeth. I have had 3 other complete set
of dentures, and none cost more than
$600. None were made in Otero
county where I have resided for the
past 30 years. Until I retired in 1992 I
worked as a vagabond engineer
usually outside of New Mexico
which is why when I broke my lower
denture and went to a dentist in
Alamogordo I went into shock when
I learned the cost to make the lower
denture only.
Are you ready for this?
The cost is as follows: standard
fee $1450, adjust down to $1305,
NM gross $97.87, total=$1402.87.
I was first told it would be 6
weeks before the lab could make my
denture. I protested, and got it up to 1
week.
I know the above charges are
exorbitant because I had the same
lower denture repaired, and relined 3
years ago by Desert Dental Lab on
New York Ave in Alamogordo for
$195. I sought out Desert Lab to
make a new lower denture but
unfortunately he has gone out of
business, and returned to Nebraska.
I suspect the labs drive the cost in
Alamogordo, if not there is definitely
a conspiracy with the local dentist. I
tried several dentist before I got one
that would let me make an
appointment. I am convinced that my
desperation for a lower denture had a
big bearing on the denture cost. I
would have gone to Mexico where
cost and quality is very good so i am
told by some former customers but I
didn’t have a passport.
My advise to people that may
need dentures that don’t have
insurance coverage, go some where
else besides Alamogordo to have
your dentures made. Having had
dentures made elsewhere I got caught
because I didn’t ask the price until
after work had began. Big mistake,
but my only excuse was I relied on
past experience, and cost.
THE SPOKESMEN
8
Bill Gates Speaks to
Graduates
Contributed by Jerrene Dixon, Albuquerque, NM
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about
eleven things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks
about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a
generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in
the real world. Here are Bill’s eleven rules for success.
 Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
 Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to
accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
 Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a
vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
 Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
 Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different
word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
 Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes,
learn from them.
 Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They
got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk
about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the
parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
 Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.
In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY
TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance
to ANYTHING in real life.
 Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few
employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
 Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the
coffee shop and go to jobs.
 Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Cancer Retreat in Glorieta
By Dr. Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu
The Cancer Services of New Mexico provide a FREE Family Cancer Retreat in September
and April every year for adult cancer patients/survivors and their families. It is held in Glorieta,
New Mexico. ALL expenses are paid including meals, lodging, and educational activities. The
Fall 2009 retreat is from September 11-13.
I present a session on finding cancer information on the Internet each time the retreat is
held. I have found this program to be very well-organized and of high quality. It's a great
opportunity but space is limited to about 250 people or so.
For more information about the retreat, see
www.cancerservicesnm.org/pages/9/index.htm
To apply, see the Fall 2009 brochure at
www.cancerservicesnm.org/docs/
Fall2009RetreatBrochure-internet-final.pdf
Many thanks to A.A. “Web” Webster, Jr., for sponsoring
this issue of The Spokesmen. Web is an associate broker
with ERA Simmons Real Estate, LLC, at 918 E. 10th in
Alamogordo. Web will help you find your dream house.
If interested, he can be reached at 575-437-9927.
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
Drink, Steal, Swear and Lie Contributed by Logan Roots
I met this guy who has a motto he lives by everyday. He
said, “Listen carefully and live by these four rules: Drink,
Steal, Swear, and Lie.”
I was shaking my head no, but he then told me to listen
while he explained his four rules. So here they are:
Drink from the 'everlasting cup' every day.
Steal a moment to help someone that is in worse shape
than you are.
Swear that you will be a better person today than
yesterday.
And when you lie down at night, thank God you live in
a country where you have religious freedom.
Get Rid of Unmanaged Anger!
Anger may rear its head at any
time. It is a spirit that has tormented
men since the beginning of time. BUT
IT DOESN’T NEED TO REMAIN
“UNMANAGED!”
Attend the free anger management
course now being presented every
Tuesday Evening at 6:30 PM at
Freedom House, 104 Delaware Avenue, Alamogordo, New
Mexico.
The basic course consists of 10 vital lessons for anyone
dealing with issues of anger, whether you are a victim of
someone’s anger or yourself subject to expressing uncontrolled
anger.
Those completing the full 10 weeks will receive a certificate
of completion and will become eligible to continue the full 30
weeks to graduation.
Remember, these courses are free. Why not register next
Tuesday?
Addiction Free in Christ
Helping people find true freedom
from addictions.
Monday, July 13, 6:30 p.m.
104 Delaware (Freedom House)
When Jesus sets you free,
you’re free indeed!
Full Gospel Businessmen’s
Fellowship International
Now meeting at Margo’s
Saturday’s at 7:30 a.m.
Buffet breakfast $8.00 including
gratuity and tax
THE SPOKESMEN
9
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
Excerpts from Norma McCorvey’s Testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee I am the woman once known as the Jane Roe of
Roe v. Wade. But I dislike the name Jane Roe and
all that it stands for. I am a real person named
Norma McCorvey and I want you to know the
horrible and evil things that Roe v. Wade did to me
and others.
I never got the opportunity to speak for myself
in my own court case. I am not a trained
spokesperson, nor a judge, but I am a real person –
a living human being who was supposed to be
helped by my lawyers and the courts in Roe v.
Wade. But instead, I believe that I was used and
abused by the court system in America. Instead of
helping women in Roe v. Wade, I brought
destruction to me and millions of women
throughout the nation.
In 1970, I was pregnant for the third time. I was
not married and I truly did not know what to do
with this pregnancy. I had already put one child up
for adoption and it was difficult to place a child for
adoption because of the natural bond that occurs
between a woman and her child. And after all, a
woman becomes a mother as soon as she is
pregnant, not when the child is born.
Instead of getting me financial or vocational
help, instead of helping me to get off of drugs and
alcohol, instead of working for open adoption or
giving me other help, my lawyers wanted to
eliminate the right of society to protect women and
children from abortionists. My lawyers were
looking for a young, white woman to be a guinea
pig for a great new social experiment, somewhat
like Adolf Hitler did. I wanted an abortion at the
time, but my lawyers did not tell me that I would be
killing a human being.
Abortion is a shameful and secret thing. I
wanted to justify my desire for an abortion in my
own mind, as almost every woman who participates
in the killing of her own child must also do. I made
up the story that I had been raped to help justify my
abortion. Why would I make up a lie to justify my
conduct? Abortion itself is a lie and it is based on
lies. My lawyers didn't tell me that abortion would
be used for sex selection, but later when I was a pro
-choice advocate and worked in abortion clinics, I
found women who were using abortion as a means
of gender selection. My lawyers didn't tell me that
future children would be getting abortions and
losing their innocence. Yet I saw young girls
getting abortions who were never the same.
In 1992, I began to work in abortion clinics.
When I began to work in the abortion clinics, I
became even more emotionally confused and
conflicted between what my conscience knew to be
evil, and what the judges, my mind and my need
for money were telling me was OK. I saw women
crying in the recovery rooms. If abortion is so right,
why were the women crying? Many women will be
in denial and even pro-choice for years like I was.
But participating in the murder of your own child
will eat away at your conscience forever if you do
not take steps to cleanse your conscience. I saw the
baby parts, which are a horrible sight to see. I saw
filthy conditions in abortions clinics even when
"Roe" was supposed to clean up "back alley"
abortions. I saw the low regard for women from
abortion doctors.
Finally, in 1995, a pro-life organization moved
its offices right next door to the abortion clinic
where I was working. I acted hatefully towards
those people. But those people acted lovingly to me
most of the time. One man did angrily accuse me at
one point of being responsible for killing 40 million
babies, but he later came to me and apologized for
his words and said they were not motivated by
love. The answer to the abortion problem is
forgiveness, repentance, and love.
Many of the women who abort their babies ask
the little babies to forgive them. The web is filled
with post-abortion recovery and grief sites.
Abortion is not a simple medical procedure that is
safer than childbirth; it is the killing of a human
being. It produces severe psychological and
emotional consequences. We can ask the children
to forgive us, but the children are dead. They say –
Alone, I was born. Alone, I shall die.
We must also ask Almighty God to forgive us
for what we have done. We must repent of our
action as a nation in allowing this holocaust to
come to our shores. We have to turn from our
wicked ways. He sent His own son Jesus Christ to
die on the cross for my sins as Roe of Roe v. Wade,
and for our sins in failing to act to end abortion and
to truly help women in crisis pregnancies. I finally
asked the Lord Jesus to forgive me in 1995 and
immediately dedicated my life to saving children's
and women's lives.
The Rev. Martin Luther King and the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference helped lead
America non-violently to end the scourge of
segregation. When slavery was constitutional, we
treated one class of humans as property. We are
treating the humans in the mother's womb as
property and less than human when we say it is OK
to kill them. How can we have life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness, when we have death by
abortion?
On February 22, 2005, the Supreme Court
declined to take my case. I was good enough for the
courts when they wanted to impose abortion on
America, but I wasn't good enough when I asked
them to look at the hard evidence of what they have
done to America. The Supreme Court of the United
States should be ashamed of itself. It has taken this
matter of abortion away from the states, the people,
and the legislatures, but it refuses to look at the
evidence of what it has done. How shameful is
that? How can we have liberty without life? The
Supreme Court has hurt me and millions of women
and children. If new evidence comes before the
court, then the court should be willing change its
old precedent, as it has many times. Roe v. Wade is
not in the Constitution. It is just a bad Supreme
Court decision with bad effects and needs to be
reversed.
Some things should never be allowed, even if
we want to do them. Murder is one, child abuse is
another and allowing abortionists to harm women is
another.
Choose Life unborn baby is a human life.
Many that were pro-choice have now received a
true knowledge of the importance of the sanctity of
life.
I would have preferred to have had my child. I
was not aware of all the assistance there is for those
individuals that choose to have life.
If anyone is in turmoil, struggling, uncertain of
what to do, what will happen ... go to a pastor of a
church, a priest, a good friend, family member, a
person that you will be able to speak freely with
about your pregnancy, so that they will guide you to
the right people and places to make the right
decision of choosing life.
I know I am forgiven by our creator-God. Only
through Jesus Christ are we able to know that we are
loved and forgiven. For those needing peace from
past choices, call out to God, receive Jesus Christ
and be truly forgiven and know His peace and love.
God is able to make good of anything and
anyone.
Cherokee Rite of Passage
By Alice Cuevas, Alamogordo, New Mexico
We know that killing a human life is wrong. It is
murder to kill the innocent. One of the ten
commandments is: "Thou shalt not kill." Even if
one does not fully have an understanding of God's
way there is still our conscience. We have an
awareness of what right and wrong are.
My Catholic upbringing helped with my
knowledge of right and wrong, but, ultimately, I
knew inwardly that it was not a good thing to do
before and when the abortion had occurred.
The taking of another human life is not
tolerated. People are incarcerated for killing another
human being. The protection of all human life
should be of utmost importance.
There are many testimonies of doctors and staff
that had worked in the abortion clinics that had a
change come over them, as to not being able to
perform the abortions, because a realization that the
For a Cherokee youth to become a man, his
father takes him into the forest—blindfolded—and
leaves him. He is required to sit on a stump the
whole night and not take off the blindfold until
dawn. He is all by himself, unable to cry out for
help to anyone. Once he survives the night he is a
MAN. He cannot tell the other boys about it for
each lad must come into his own manhood.
The boy will be terrified. He will hear all kinds
of noise from the beasts all around. The wind will
blow the grass and shake his stump. Finally, after a
horrific night, he will feel the warmth of the sun on
his face. And when he removes his blindfold, it is
then that he will see his father—sitting on the stump
next to him—where he watched the entire night.
We are never alone. Even when we do not know
it, our Father is protecting us. He is sitting on the
stump beside us. All we have to do is take off our
blindfolds.
THE SPOKESMEN
Summer Time
Meal with
Southern Flair
By Heathern Brooks, Texas Pit BBQ
I want to share a summertime inspired dish that makes an
affordable and healthy family meal. During the hot summer
days it is important to serve a healthy one-course meal. It is
too hot to eat too much, yet an appetite must be satisfied.
I adapted this recipe from a meal that my PawPaw served in
the summer back in Alabama after he would catch catfish on
the Tensaw River. PawPaw would deep fry the catfish outside
in a big boiler and serve them with some cheese grits. In my
recipe, though, I opted for grilled fish and rice instead of grits.
Garlic Citrus Grilled Catfish with Asparagus (serves four)
8 frozen or fresh catfish filets (thawed)
½ tablespoon lime juice
Bundle of asparagus (boiled)
½ tablespoon lemon juice
½ tablespoon minced garlic
Dash salt
Half stick of butter or margarine
Roll of Tin Foil
Prepare your grill as usual. Boil asparagus for 5 minutes
and remove from water. Make a large foil bowl that will hold
all the filets flat. Lay your fish on the foil flat and not on top of
each other and put asparagus on top of filets. Sprinkle lemon
and lime juices, salt, and garlic on your filets. Put in the butter
and cover the filets with another piece of foil and connect the
foil so the foil bowl has a lid. When your grill is ready, place
your foil bowl on the grill. Close the lid and your meal will be
ready in 6 minutes! Serve over brown rice.
Take it up a notch
National guidelines urge all Americans to engage in
"moderate physical activity" at least 2.5 hours a week, but if
you’re walking, do you stroll or stride?
A new study provides the answer: It's a brisk walk, or about
1,000 steps every 10 minutes, said the study's lead author,
Simon J. Marshall, an assistant professor of exercise and nutritional sciences at San Diego State University. He suggests that
people use pedometers to figure out if they're exercising at a
high enough intensity.
The researchers found that moderate exercise amounted to
92 to 102 steps a minute for men and 91 to 115 steps a minute
for women. "Imagine you're late for a bus … you're in a hurry,”
Marshall said. “It's not a leisurely stroll. It's a brisk walk."
The researchers said that three 1,000-step walks in a day,
five days a week, would meet national exercise guidelines.
"Even walking below that threshold will usually have some
benefit to your overall cardiovascular balance sheet," Marshall
said. "But for reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease and
other complications, 30 minutes of moderate exercise seems to
be important."
David Katz, the director of Yale University’s School of
Medicine Prevention Research Center, said he suspects that
some people will discover that they "need to take it up a notch."
"On the other hand, our advice has long been that 'moderate'
is a pace that noticeably increases heart and breathing rate while
still leaving you capable of speaking in full sentences," he said.
"That is still about right. No pedometer required."
10
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
The Scent of Rain
Contributed by Dee Swope
A cold March wind danced around the dead
of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the
small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She
was still groggy from surgery. Her husband,
David, held her hand as they braced
themselves for the latest news.
That afternoon of March 10, 1991,
complications had forced Diana, only 24weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency
Cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter,
Dana Lu Blessing.
At 12 inches long and weighing only one
pound nine ounces, they already knew she was
perilously premature.
Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like
bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it,"
he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a
10-percent chance she will live through the
night, and even then, if by some slim chance
she does make it, her future could be a very
cruel one."
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana
listened as the doctor described the devastating
problems Dana would likely face if she
survived. She would never walk, she would
never talk, she would probably be blind, and
she would certainly be prone to other
catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to
complete mental retardation, and on and on.
"No! No!" was all Diana could say.
She and David, with their 5-year-old son
Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they
would have a daughter to become a family of
four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream
was slipping away.
But as those first days passed, a new agony
set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's
underdeveloped nervous system was
essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only
intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't
even cradle their tiny baby girl against their
chests to offer the strength of their love. All
they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath
the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and
wires, was to pray that God would stay close to
their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Dana
suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went
by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight
here and an ounce of strength there. At last,
when Dana turned two months old, her parents
were able to hold her in their arms for the very
first time. And two months later, though
doctors continued to gently but grimly warn
that her chances of surviving, much less living
any kind of normal life, were next to zero,
Dana went home from the hospital.
Five years later, when Dana was a petite
but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes
and an unquenchable zest for life, she showed
no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical
impairment. Simply, she was everything a little
girl can be and more. But that happy ending is
far from the end of her story.
One blistering afternoon in the summer of
1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana
was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers
of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's
baseball team was practicing. As always,
Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother
and several other adults sitting nearby when
she suddenly fell silent.
Hugging her arms across her chest, little
Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"
Smelling the air and detecting the approach
of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it
smells like rain."
Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do
you smell that?"
Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I
think we're about to get wet. It smells like
rain."
Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her
head, patted her thin shoulders with her small
hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells
like Him. It smells like God when you lay
your head on His chest."
Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily
hopped down to play with the other children.
Before the rains came, her daughter's words
confirmed what Diana and all the members of
the extended Blessing family had known, at
least in their hearts, all along. During those
long days and nights of her first two months of
her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for
them to touch her, God was holding Dana on
His chest and it is His loving scent that she
remembers so well.
Folk-artist Richard Carpenter crafted this bear from pine needles … several hundred
thousand pine needles! He gathered, sorted, washed, trimmed and hand wove them
into the art you see here. A life-sized bear takes about 8 months to create. For more
information, contact Richard at [email protected].
THE SPOKESMEN
11
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
Our Community Reaching Out To Help Agencies Providing Assistance Berean Independent Baptist
2300 Puerto Rico Dr.
437-8202
Food Pantry—people who attend their services are helped with food
Calvary Baptist Church
1200 Indian Wells
473-0110
Clothes Closet Tues & Thurs 2-4 pm
Christ Community Church
2960 Scenic Dr.
437-4241
Provide help on a case-by-case basis, please
speak with staff
Community Action
755 Granada Shopping Center, Suite 755
437-1364
Contact person: Mary Beth Reynolds
Emergency assistance for rent, utilities, and
prescriptions
Must meet guidelines
M-Th 8:00-4:00
Commodities from Las Cruces
Call 532-4390 for qualifying and more
information
Corinth Baptist Church
400 Delaware
437-0988
Food Pantry T-W-Th 11 am-3 pm
Eternity Baptist Church
1205 E 25th St.
439-1734
Needy receive two-week supply of shampoo,
bath soap, toothpaste, dish soap, laundry
soap, toilet tissue, and paper towels
Father James B. Hays Thrift Store
1640 N. White Sands
434-5450
M-S 9am-4pm
Low cost clothing & household items
Furniture when available
First Assembly
10th & Florida
437-8922
Monday only 9am-Noon
Food Pantry
Grace United Methodist Church
1206 Greenwood Lane (16th & Cuba)
437-7640
Saturdays only—meal 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Funds for food, rent, & utilities
House of Prayer
437-7880
Homeless Only—hot meal, clothing, showers, washer/dryer
Immaculate Conception Church
705 Delaware Ave.
437-3291
Have a “Poor Fund” as donations are made.
May do gasoline vouchers.
Cuba Avenue Church of Christ
1300 Cuba Ave.
437-4795
M-F 10:00-11:30 am
Food Pantry
Immanuel Baptist Church
1107 Adams
430-6881
Angel Food Ministry—affordable food
Our Savior Lutheran
1212 Washington St.
437-2970
Helping Hands—Tues & Thurs 9-11 am
Primera Iglesia Bautista
1711 Ocotillo Dr.
434-8650
Food pantry/clothes closet
Wednesday 9 am-Noon
Salvation Army
1900 1st St.
443-0845
Food Pantry—30 boxes / day
M-Th 10-12 & 1-4
St. John’s Episcopal Church
1111 Indiana
437-3891
Community Kitchen—free meals
Tues & Thurs 5:00-6:30 pm
St. Jude’s Mission
1404 College Ave.
437-0238
Community outreach program
Tuesdays 10:00 am-Noon
Trinity Lutheran Church
1505 College
437-1482
Pastor Bill Heithald
Benevolence Fund
Tularosa UMC
585-2314
Emergencies 585-3204
Food Bank—Tues only 9-11 am
Must live in Tularosa or Bent zip codes
Other Resources Ben Archer Health Center
1501 E. 10th St.
443-8133
M-F 8am-5pm
Will take any medical insurance as well as people without insurance. We go to sliding scale
fee.
Childbirth Class
Conference room at GCMRC
443-7640
CHINS
434-3013
Counseling for children and family
COPE
434-3622
24 hour crisis line 437-2673 or toll free 1-866350-2673
Counseling
Counseling Center
1900 E. 10th St.
437-8630
Crisis line 437-7404
Disability Resource Center
439-1112
Michael Murphy
Rita Martinez
English as a Second Languarge
1328 Scenic Drive
437-9987
Free classes for improving English speaking
Lion’s Club
Assistance with glasses
Contact persons:
Bob Hamilton 437-3402
Frank Simpkins 437-2602
FEMA Disaster Assistance
Apply by phone 1-800-621-3362
Low Income Phone Service
Contact local service
Health Office
1207 8th St.
437-9340
Parenting Classes
ZIA Therapy 437-3040
Head Start—Tularosa 585-4818
Human Resources Department
901 Alaska
437-9210
Housing Authority
437-5621
Rent assistance as funds available
Tularosa 585-9848
Income Support Division
437-9260 ext 116
Utilities
LIHEAP 1-800-637-3134
Legal Services
1-800-376-7665
Pregnancy Help Center
1222 N. White Sands
437-9800
Social Security Administration
1-800-772-1213
Las Cruces office 575-523-0771
Social Services
2200 Indian Wells
CYFD Day Care Services 434-9770
Child Abuse 1-800-797-3260
United Way
1600 E. 10th St.
437-8400
Weatherization
1-888-624-1660
For updates to this page, email [email protected] or call 505-921-9203.
THE SPOKESMEN
12
Acquainting Alamogordo with Alamogordo
The Cactus Patch
Blonde in the Bayou Contributed by Joe Gaut, Nacogdoches, TX
A young blonde woman was driving through south Louisiana while on
vacation.
She wanted to take home a pair of genuine alligator shoes in the worst
way, but was very reluctant to pay the high prices the local vendors were
asking.
After becoming very frustrated with the attitude of one of the shopkeepers,
the young Blonde declared, "Well then, maybe I'll just go out and catch my
own alligator and get a pair of shoes for free!"
The shopkeeper said with a sly smile, "Well little lady, why don't you go
on and give it a try?"
The blonde headed off to the swamp, determined to catch an alligator.
Later in the day, as the shopkeeper was driving home, he spotted the same
young woman standing waist deep in the murky water, shotgun in hand. As he
brought his car to a stop, he saw a huge, 9-foot gator swimming rapidly
toward her. With lightning reflexes, the Blonde took aim, shot the creature
and hauled it up onto the slippery bank. Nearby were seven more dead gators,
all lying belly up.
The shopkeeper stood on the bank, watching in silent amazement. The
blonde struggled mightily and managed to flip the gator onto its back. Rolling
her eyes heavenward, she screamed in frustration, "CRAP! This one's
BAREFOOT, too!"
The Power of Prayer
Contributed by correspondent Mary Dalton, Fort Worth
A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night.
"Yes, sir," the boy replied.
"And, do you always say them in the morning, too?" the pastor asked.
"No sir," the boy replied. '"I ain't scared in the daytime."
A rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, "So your mother says
prayers for you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?"
The little boy replied, "Thank God he's in bed!"
The preacher's five-year-old daughter noticed that her father always
paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day,
she asked him why.
"Well, honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his
messages, "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."
"How come He doesn't do it?" she asked.
Cows and Politicians
Bureaucrats!
Contributed by Tom Prendergast, San Antonio, Texas
This Department of Water Resources Representative stopped at a Texas
ranch and called over the old rancher who ran it. “I need to inspect your ranch
for your water allocation,” he said
The old rancher replied, “Okay, but don 't go in that field over there.”
The Water Representative puffed out his chest and said, “Mister, I have the
authority of the Federal Government with me.. See this card? This card
means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land. No
questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you
understand?”
The old rancher nodded politely and went back to his chores.
Later, the old rancher heard loud screams and saw the Water Rep running
for his life from the rancher's huge Brahman bull. The bull was gaining with
every step.
The Rep was clearly terrified, so the old rancher immediately threw down
his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs ... "YOUR CARD,
SHOW HIM YOUR CARD!!!"
Contributed by Sandy Sandage
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it
amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our
government could track a single cow, born in Canada
almost three years ago, right to the stall where she
slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked
her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to
locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our
country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just
give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for
over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a
courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not
Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of
lawyers, judges and politicians … it creates a hostile work environment.