The Gettysburg Times from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania • Page 4

A4 GETTYSBURG TIMES FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2002 Opinion Published daily, Monday through Saturday by the Times and News Publishing Company Copyright 2IM12 1570 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325 Internet: www.gburgtimes.com Email: Cynthia A. Ford President Thomas Ford, Director of Operations Robert Wright, Advertising Director Randy Gardner, Production Manager Kristi Cramer, Commercial Printing Coordinator Rohert Small, Editor John P. O'Dnnncll, News Editor Kenneth A. Picking, Sports Editor Donna White, N.I.E. Coordinator The Gettysburg Times, founded in 1 902.

continues The Stur Sentinel I The Compiler (1818), The York Ciimvl 1 1873). The (hjunl Item 1X791. and The Ha.it Berlin News (1880). Keystone I'rexs Awtml in 21)02 Pennsylvania Associated Press Afatuinini; Kttilors Award in 2(102 readers see it Remembers Queen Mum's words Editor, Gettysburg Times: When I taught in England in 1975, as part of the marvelous Fulbright Exchange Teacher Program, we were all invited to tea at Buckingham Palace. A detailed list was given to each telling us various instructions, such as to wear a knee length dress, as that was the length being worn by the royal family on that day.

We were told to hold out our hand and bow or curtsy, but at no time were we to speak to the royal family unless addressed first. The Queen Mother headed the receiving line with two of the royal corgis, and the teachers from the various states quickly went along, with no conversation whatsoever, until the Queen Mother saw my name lag which had my state on it. She grabbed my hand, as I nervously reversed the curtsy and hand holding out order, and said. "Mary-land! What a beautiful part of the world!" 1 was dumbfounded to find she was speaking to me. Though I'm usually quite talkative, all I could do was pull my hand away from her firm grasp and say.

"Yes," as we both smiled. Queen Mum will be missed, and in her own words, she was a beautiful person. Mary-Elizabeth Buckham Fairfield Considers Israelis, Nazis, justice Editor, Gettysburg Times: To kill innocent people quickly by means of bombs is inexcusable, even if one kills oneself. Equally inexcusable is to kill innocent people slowly by means of self righteously and' smugly cutting of their water, razing their homes, and imposing total humiliation and loss of dignity on whole towns and nations. Our poor excuse of an administration is blaming most of the Mideast problems on Arafat and the Palestinians.

May I remind us all that Israel set the example? The state of Israel was established as a result of the terrorism practiced by the present prime minister and his friends in the postwar years. The example they set was potent: Every nation concerned, princi- pajity? Great Britain, succumbed to the charms of terrorism and granted Israel natidrihbbd. The Israeli administration and army would have made great and efficient Nazis. Have they forgotten the rule of "10 conquered people for every Ruth C. L.

Gritsch Gettysburg Vet says Platts went to bat Editor, Gettysburg Times: I am a member of a small minority group, i.e., Former Prisoners of War of World War II and subsequent military conflicts. There are approximately 42,000 of us alive not a large segment of the population. The VA has historically failed to generate medical programs to establish the effect of the former POWs incarceration and the subsequent development of heart disease, strokes, and other maladies. In fact, even when statistical data is available in establishing a link between the POW experience and heart disease in former POWs, the VA stalls and refuses to act on the data established as a result of VA sponsored medical studies. The only way to lobby the VA in such matters is at the secretary level.

The only way for a citizen to have a dialogue at that level is to be assisted by your local representa- tive. I was able to initiate such a dialogue with the assistance of Congressman (Todd) Platts. This was not a one letter effort but a series of letters and responses at the secretarial level. A bill 11.R. 3430, entitled: "Prisoners of War Act," has been introduced by Congressman Bilirakis of Florida.

Congressman Platts was the first cosponsor of this bill. As previously staled, former POWs are not a large constituency nationwide and even much smaller in Pennsylvania. Yet, Congressman Platts has gone to bat for us. Paraphrasing Patrick Henry. 1 know not what course others may take but as for me, I'll support Congressman Plans for re-election based on his demonstrated record.

Wcldon V. Lane liiglerville Opinion Reduction deduction 4 will never fly' Should weight loss expenses be allowed as medical tax dedications? "As many officials and doctors have designated being overweight as a national epidemic, then maybe we should explore options that may increase people's motivation to lose weight. With weight loss comes a much healthier nation, which could save people thousands of dollars each year. "Whether or not a tax deduction is the answer, though, may be controversial and possibly nor the best area to be investigating in. Once you give overweight people the riiihi to write these expenses off, another group will immediately jump into the mix, trying to achieve the same for themselves.

Then the question becomes, where does all of this end? So for now, (he deduclon idea may be a wcll-intcnlioned measure, but it will never fly." M. Hunts, Shelbyvilln, Mel. "0inion E-mail your thoughts to: Be sure to include your name, home town and phone number. Augusta National, one of the "cathedrals" of golf, was lengthened for the Masters. Was it the right thing to do? Hillary the legislator By MARIE COCCO WASHINGTON This is when the Hillary lore meets Hillary the legislator.

Welfare reform is back. It was one of those arguments six years ago in which Hillary Rodham Clinton could not catch a break. To the right, she was the shadowy operative of a leftist cabal in the White House, bent on keeping her own husband from fulfilling his promise to end welfare as we know it. To the left she was a traitor, willing to sell out the women and children she professed to care more about. "There were people in the White House who said, 'just sign you know," the New York senator said in an interview.

"And I thought that was wrong. We wanted to do it in a way that kept faith with our goals: End welfare as we know it, substitute dignity for dependence, but make work pay." She sits now in the seat filled then by Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, The famous expert on poverty and welfare famously predicted that there would be deeper impoverishment, and greater suffering, of perhaps a million more children after welfare revision. Moynihan could not have foreseen the outcome: A robust economy that helped the legislation to work, just about the way it was supposed to. The welfare rolls have been cut in half.

Child poverty has dropped. Poverty overall is down. Work, overall, is up. "Now that we've said these people are no longer deadbeats they're actually out there being productive how do we German killed?" Didn't work then, either. If one is to be killed, does it matter whether it be quickly or slowly? Occupation since 1967 (35 years!) with water, electricity, transportation, groceries all at the whim of the occupier to say nothing of the daily humiliation of check-points, searches, arrests, treatment as sub-humans.

How many Americans would tolerate these conditions without rebelling for 35 years? In WWII we applauded the French and other nations' underground for their acts of terrorism against the German occupying power. The Germans destroyed villages in revenge. They too used the excuse of "self defense." Hail to U.S. sense of justice! Hail to our administration's grasp of Mideast reality! Won't it be nice to go to war keep them there?" Clinton said. Congress must now reauthorize the landmark 1996 legislation.

President George W. Bush released his own plan a few weeks ago, pushing states to require even more work, from more recipients, as a condition for receiving federal money. Bipartisan opposition from the nation's governors seems likely to bury this idea. Two-thirds of former welfare recipients already work 35 hours week or more, according to research by the Urban Institute. Many of the 2 million people still on the rolls have health problems, drug problems or disabilities.

Even the House Republicans tempered the president's get-tough approach a bit in their own bill, unveiled Wednesday. Even they are trying to get real. The former welfare mothers are working. But they are still poor. About a third of those who left welfare report that they shrink their meals or skip them altogether because they haven't enough food.

Even more say they can't pay the rent or the utility bills every month. The U.S. Conference of Mayors, in its annual report on hunger and homelessness, says welfare revision is an engine driving the working poor to the food pantries. As Clinton sees it. the national shouting match over welfare should become a conversation.

Because it finally can. "Now the conversation should be about how do you make work pay? How do you reduce poverty?" the senator said. "Before it was about this terrible welfare system and that was a conversation stopper. It just blinded people to what some of the underlying problems were." The underlying problems are still the underlying problems. Child care for the working poor remains scarce, and scarcely affordable.

Transportation to jobs in the suburbs is spotty. State health insurance coverage for poor kids often is unavailable to their mothers, who must, nonetheless, stay healthy to stay at work. And to care for the kids. Legal immigrants, who contribute $50 billion more in taxes than they receive from government, still can't get welfare if they stumble. In New York, the state and city pick up the tab, but they shouldn't have to, Clinton said.

These are the things that nag her now, just as they did then. They are still the focus of her famous advocacy, and her energy. Clinton does not sit on the Senate Finance Committee, which is crafting a bipartisan welfare measure. But other Democratic senators, seek her counsel. Republican staffers call her aides.

They want to know the history, they want to know why this or that idea made its way into the legislation her husband finally accepted. They want to know where the first lady who was present at the creation is going to come down, now that she is a senator who gets to help re-create welfare again. This time, Hillary Rodham Clinton doesn't have to speak in whispered voice. She's got an official microphone. And the vote that gaoes with it.

2002, NewxeJuv Inc. in history By The Associated Presx Today is Friday, April 12, the 102nd day of 2002. There are 263 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began as Confederate forces fired on Fort Suinter in South Carolina. On this date: In 1606, England adopted as its flag the original version of the Union Jack.

In 1862, Union volunteers led by James J. Andrews stole a Confederate train near Marietta, but were later caught. (This episode inspired the Buster Keaton comedy "The In 1934, "Tender Is the Night," by F. Scott was first published. In 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, at age 63; he was succeeded by Vice President Hairy S.

Truman. In 1955. the Salk vaccine against polio was declared safe and effective. In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to fly in space, orbiting the earth once before making a safe landing. In 1981, the space shuttle Columbia blasted off from Cape Canaveral on its first test flight.

In Sen. Jake Garn of Utah Doonesbury became the first senator to fly in space as the shuttle Discovery lifted off. In 1989, radical activist Abbie Hoffman was found dead at his home in New Hope, at age 52. In 1989, former middleweight boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson died in Culver City, at age 67. Ten years ago: After five years in the making, Euro Disneyland, a Iheme park costing $4 billion, opened in Marne-LaVallee, France, amid controversy as French intellectuals bemoaned the invasion of American pop culture.

Five years ago: Undaunted by a cache of explosives found on his (ravel route, Pope John Paul II plunged into a peace mission to Sarajevo, wading into crowds and declaring, "Never again war." One year ago: The 24 crew members of a U.S. spy plane arrived in Hawaii after being held for 11 days in China. Cincinnati Mayor Charles Luken declared a stale of emergency amid the worst outbreak of racial violence in Ihe city since the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The Philippine military rescued U.S.

hostage Jeffrey Schilling from Muslim rebels who had threatened to behead him. Today's Birthdays: Actress-dancer Ann Miller is 79. Country singer Ned Miller i.s 77. Actress Jane Withers is 76. Opera singer Montserrat Caballe i.s 69.

Actor Charles Napier is 66. Jazz musician Herbie Hancock is 62. Actor Frank Bank It to is 60. Rock singer John (Steppenwolf) is 58. Actor Ed O'Neill is 56.

Actor Dan Lauria is 55. Talk show host David Letterman is 55. Author Scott Turow is 53. Singer David Cassidy is 52. Actor Andy Garcia is 46.

Country singer Vince Gill is 45. Actress Suzzanne Douglas is 45. Rock musician Will Sergeant (Echo the Bunnymen) is 44. Rock singer Art Alexakis (Everclear) is 40. Country singer Deryl Dodd is 38.

Folk-pop singer Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) is 38. Figure skater Elaine Zayak is 37. Rock singer Nicholas Hexuni (311) i.s 32. Actor Nicholas Brendon' the Vampire is 31. Actress Shannen Doherty is 31.

Actress Claire Danes is 23. "Eternal truths will be neither true nor eternal unless they have fresh meaning for every new social situation." President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) BY GARRY TRUDEAU "This is a battle for survival of the Jewish people, for survival of the state of Israel." Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "We just hated, that time after time, pulling out a sand wedge or pitching wedge to par 4s." Masters chairman Hootie Johnson on changes at Augusta National. They said it "Maybe the public will be pleasantly surprised." ACEDC director Catherine Cresswell on the proposed truck distribution center in Straban Twp.

"We'd rather see the fire companies donate the money to the center if that's what they want to do." Highland Twp. supervisor Gil Pringle on contributions to the emergency training facility. "They have made a joke out of the zoning ordinance in our neighboring township." Freedom Twp. resident Norma Calhoun on the Boyds Collection facility being built in Twp..