Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • Page 2

2A Soap Box Joo Murray On the Road vhgme atSlhie Hirst BapM said. one thing the King James is wrong about Even strict interpretation has iis limits. This is your chance to speak out In the Longview News-Journal. The rules are simple: No personal attacks. Keep submissions to 50 words or less.

We do not require your name, but if you want your name included, please give us your phone number for confirmation purposes. It will not be published. To make a submission, simply call 758-1275. If you don't want to call, you can fax us at 757-3742; mail us at "Soap Box" co Longview News-Journal Newsroom, P.O. Box 1 792, Longview TX 75606; or e-mail us at: newsjoumalcoxnews.com.

Dr. Langley, now quoting Tho mas Jefferson: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just." And for those of us who would 1 seek to walk with Him: "He is holy, we are sinful. He; is nlmiehtv. we are frail. He is I read in the church bulletin that the preacher of the.

day, filling the pulpit in the absence of a full-time pastor, was Dr. James A. Lan-gley, executive omniscient, and our knowledge is humbly with thy God?" The words may appear so simple, Dr. Langley said, "but they are so demanding." And while not every Baptist preacher would attempt mixing Mark Twain with Micah, such is the leeway granted editor emeri-tuses. Quoting Mr.

Clemens: "It's not what I don't understand in the Bible that troubles me," Dr. Langley declared. "It's what I do understand." So it was that the preacher would have us to understand the enormity of the task prescribed: "God does not merely require justice and mercy, but that we love mercy," he said. This in a nation that discriminates in employment, in housing for minorities, in pay for women, in capital murder convictions where the accused is later found to be innocent, in stricter penalties for certain types of cocaine, in a justice system that favors the rich and punishes the poor, he ASHINGTON It was Sunday morning in our nation's capital, and I was spending it as I have countless Sunday mornings, boy and man, occupying a pew at the First Baptist Church. The first time for me at this, the First Baptist of Washington, D.C., but I felt right at home.

Never mind if the surroundings appeared a bit high church for a down-home Southern Baptist: Ministers in flowing robes dueling pulpits, one for Scripture reading and another for the sermonizing the choir set off to one side of the altar instead of facing the congregation Creeping Methodism was in our midst. Thank goodness when we recited the Lord's Prayer it was the blessed Baptist version, asking for forgiveness of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, not our debts as we forgive our debtors. That's like unto a few grains ot sand. "How else can we imagine walking with God," Dr. Langley asked, "except with humility?" We sang a hymn of invitation, we passed the plate, and afterwards we came together in the 1 church basement for a potluck lunch, not so different from different places of worship most everywhere.

It was Sunday morning in our nation's capital Sunday morning in America. Joe Murray, editor-publisher emeritus of the Lufkin Daily News, is senior writer for Cox Newspapers. Mailing address is PCX know should not be the reason you're allowed to play ball. I'm a Lobo football fan who complained about the coaching staff before, during and after the team went to the state game. They didn't win the game because of poor game planning.

When the fans from Dallas start asking me about the coaching staff, I just look down with no answer. There is no left turn into the mall from McCann Road coming south from the loop. We used to be able to turn there, but now we can't. This is a dangerous intersection because of director editor emeritus of the D.C. Baptist Convention.

A title of nobility, editor emeritus is. I expected the best from his sermon. Sure enough, we were in the Book of Micah, Chapter 6, Verse 8, as Dr. Langley noted, often considered "the very essence of the Bible." "And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk Box 151108, Lutkm TX b9io; e-mail, jmurraylcc.net. People Stars Neighbors WluMQILflS FSgHflGP Sears pulls dolls bearing comparison to gunmen Heston says he was wrong about arming teachers Charlton Heston acknowledges that he was careless in suggesting that more guns in the hands of school authonties could help The Sears action figure The Villain' has been removed for sale because of complaints that the character resembles the teen-age gunmen at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

The dolls come with a ski mask, black coat, body armor, shotgun and rifle. AP photo end classroom violence. The actor and president of the National Rifle Association was in Byram, for an invitation-only skeet shoot Monday at the ranch of a businessman. He later talked with more than 500 law enforcement officers in Jackson The purpose of pre-game prayer or any other public prayer is to lead in individual meditation and bring solemnity to the event. I have no problem with someone of the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or other religion expressing hisher praise to his god while I silently talk to mine.

Question: If this country guarantees freedom of religion, then why are Christians being forced to walk on egg shells in public places? I think the trade off in excluding prayer of any kind before something innocent is that there is plenty of prayer after something horrible. "Don't bring any more Yankee business to Longview?" "This is the Bible Belt, we treat people like people, not as dirt?" Except Yankees! The vast majority (even us Yankees!) are Christians. Others can pray silently while the majority prays aloud. Love more. Hate less.

Hats off to Kevin Stoddard for his well conceived and well-written letter in response to Ms. Anderson's recent letter concerning "angry white males." Congratulations also to Mike Hvezdos and the editors for displaying courage in printing it. Keep up the good work, Kevin! Why does Longview allow a gun and knife show, where anyone can buy, trade or sell these items? Don't we support our president's efforts to control guns on the streets? With all the recent shootings and killings, do we really need to give the shooters easy access to firearms? Every sport in Longview ISD except football has been dumped on. Football was the athletic director's main concern. The other sports are just as important every one does not like or live football.

Thank you for the inspirational picture of the prayer at sunset at the Pine Tree High School football game Saturday. We see and hear so many negative thinp, it was so good to see heads bowed and arms around each other. I thank Mr. Primo for standing up for people of Gregg County. But the people were told about these things before the last election and paid no attention.

Mr. Walker shpuld have been elected. As a native Texan, I'm tired of hearing "Yankee go home." What happened to Southern hospitality? Some of those Yankees are my friends. You forget they pay taxes and help support our communities. ki Please tell me it is not so that Lojigview planned Dalton Days the same weekend as the Gladewater Arts and Festival show.

If so, some planners really goofed. Obviously, it doesn't matter how good a football player you are or how much you love the game at Pine Tree. The same varsity boys walk the sidelines every Friday night. Who you are or who you Heston for an NRA-sponsored CHICAGO (AP) Sears has stopped selling "The Villain," a gun-toting, 12-inch action figure in a black trench coat, because of complaints that the character resembles the teenage gunmen at Columbine High School. The $29.99 doll, recommended for children ages 5 and older, comes with a ski mask, black coat, body armor, shotgun and rifle.

It appears in Sears' holiday catalog as part of a series called "Heroes and Villains." Other dolls in the set represent soldiers from World War II and Vietnam. Fifteen dolls were sold before Sears decided to stop selling them last week because of complaints from three people, Sears spokeswoman Jan Drummond said Tuesday. "Their concerns were very sincere and heartfelt," she said. The maker of the doll, CaUfomia-based 21st Century Toys is redesigning it and plans to remove the trench coat. The company removed the doll's image Tuesday from its Web site.

Drummond said Sears never intended to conjure up images of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who shot and killed 12 schoolmates and a teacher in Littleton, before taking their own lives in April. The gunmen were members of a group called the Trench Coat Mafia. "I think some people who collect these thinp or want it will be disappointed," she police shooting competition. "Arming teachers is perhaps not a good idea," Heston said following the skeet shoot. "Perhaps that was a careless statement on my part." After the Columbine High tragedy in Colo- which left 1 5 dead, including the two teen-age gunmen, Heston said there should be armed guards in schools.

"If there had been even one armed guard-, in the school, he could have saved a lot of lives and perhaps ended the whole thing instantly," he said at the time. the hilL so please uphold the law. Keep us all safe. For everyone's information, waiters and waitresses at restaurants earn only $2.13 an hour. They depend on tips.

They have families and bills just like you. Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself. It's the Golden Rule. The Longview Doll Club gave a Madeline Party recently, and there were quite a few little girls in attendance. They stayed the full two hours and conducted themselves wonderfully.

They were extremely polite and thanked every member before they left. We do have some wonderful children in our area. Despite what some would have us think about today's kids, I agree with you. Editor People claim that Clinton was elected by "the people." If my memory serves me correctly, just barely more than a third of the voters voted for Clinton. The majority of the voters voted for one of the other two candidates.

So does that mean that nearly two thirds of the voters are not "the people." I couldn't agree more with the person who wrote in asking about a crisis center. I am a single mom of two, I work, and I still can't make it. And you're right, you are turned down for working. Maybe we should be like others, be lazy, don't work, don't care what our children have, and then they will help us. People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.

Love them anyway. Do not discount the power of a child in your church. I have seen many a parent come to church to his child baptized and come away accepting Jesus Christ as his savior. My father was one of them. Instead of debating about slums, help raise standards.

Don't like to tithe? God also says feed my people. Charity begins in the heart, not in the mouth. To all stepmoms: Bless you! There are more mothers out there who are choosing not to care, support or visit their own children then wondering later why they are excluded. It's time to lose the "wicked" in "wicked stepmother." Maybe Mom is the bad apple in this story. said.

"But we just didn't think it was appropriate this year' Kim Carpenter of Longmont, said she complained to Sears after her 8- and 10-year-old sons saw the action figure in the holiday catalog and told her it looked like a "Trench Coat Mafia doll." "I could not believe that anybody with a pulse and a conscience could make a decision to put this in a catalog that's marketed to children," she told The Denver Post. Scott Allen, vice president of 21st Century, called the comparisons to the Columbine gunmen unfair because the toy was designed more than a year before the shootings. Date Book The World Wrestiing Federation wants to get Playboy in the ring over some nude pho- tos of former women's champion Sable. Rena Mere, aka Sable, has twice, appeared in Playboy and wants to do it again-in the Oct. 19 newsstand issue, which isn't mailed to subscribers.

But the WWF filed a lawsuit Monday seek-. ing to block release of the issue and demanding the profits from an appearance Mero made in Playboy last month. The federation claims it created the sex-kitten Sable image. Playboy had no comment. Mero, who lives in Amelia Beach, filed a $1 1 0 million lawsuit against the WWF in June.

She accused the federation of trying to degrade her with plans for a lesbian story line, exposure of her breasts on television and appearances in sexually degrading shall Longview. Speaker Sarah Radulescu, CASA executive director. Information: 757-4601. VFW Post 4002, steak night, p.m.; dance, 8 p.m.-midnight Friday; also dance, 8:30 p.m. a.m, 401 Ambassador Row.

Band: J.R. Primm. Information: 753-2413. VFW Post 1183, steak night, 6-9 p.m. Friday, 6001 W.

Marshall Longview. Meal: $7 adults, $5 children. Information: 297-3652. Bone marrow drive, p.m. Friday, Spring Hill homecoming, Spring Hill High School.

No charge for tissue typing. Sponsor Because I Care. Information: Amy Hill, 297-2757. American Legion Post 281 country dance, p.m. Friday, American Legion Hut, rodeo grounds off U.S.

80, west of Gladewater. Band: Country Express Band. Admission: $3. Information: Fred Rowan, 845-5135. Single Hinges, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Kilgore Community House, U.S. 259 and Texas 42, Kilgore. Caller. Tim Tyt. Information: Vennle Earte, 753-3712.

tjon: 843-5001. American Red Cross, blood drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Gregg County Courthouse, 101 E. Methvin Longview. FN chapter PEO, 2 p.m.

Thursday, at home of Juanita Thrasher. Topic: "Exemplification of Initiation and Chapter Procedures." Information: 643-2148. Parkinsonians of East Texas, 2 p.m. Thursday, Mother Frances Hospital Conference Center MB, 800 Dawson Tyler. Program: Split group discussion, patientscaregtvers.

Information: Don Withers, 876-3158; Laura Turner, 593-7235; Charlie Dale, 849-6731. Knights of Pythias, Longview Lodge No. 26, 6 p.m. Thursday, 206 N. Center Longview.

Information: Arthur Fort, 759-5581 Amateur radio examination session, 7 p.m. Thursday, Red Cross Building, Texas 31. Information: Jerry Combest, 753-3641 East Texas Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, self-help group, 7 p.m. Thursday, Good Shepherd Physical Therapy, 103 W. Loop 281.

Speaker Louise Johnson, attorney. Program: "Workers' Compensation." Information: Sherry, 668-3617; Becky, 753-8468. FRIDAY Longview Kiwanis, noon Friday, Johnny Cace's, 1501 E. Mar- TODAY Longview Lions Club, 1 1 :45 am today, Johnny Cace's, 1501 E. Marshall Longview.

Speaker. C.H. Collins. Topic: Texas State Park Ministries. Information: Dean Miller, 757-6864.

American Red Cross, blood drive, noon-6 p.m. today, First Presbyterian Church, 301 N. Center Longview. Klwanls of Greater Lakeport, noon today, Elderville Presbyterian Church, Elderville. Information: Carolyn Matter, 643-3969.

Longview High School Class of '56, 1 p.m. today, Sally's Fine Foods, 203 S. Mobberly Long-view. Information: Ubby McBroom, 758-4548. Parkinson support group, 1-3 p.m.

today, Longview Regional Medical Center, fifth floor, 2901 N. Fourth Longview. Speaker Cynthia Axtell, massage therapist. Information: Pansy Wagner, 757-8192. Singles Mingles, ages 40 and older, tonight, Cactus Canyon, 508 N.

Eastman Road, Long-view. Information: 759-8147. THURSDAY Story Time, 9 a.m. Thursday, Upshur County Library, 702 Tyler, Texas 154 West, Gilmer. Stories: "Clifford, We Love You," by Norman Blrdwell; "Rumpelstirtskin," by Pul 0.

Zellnsky. Video: "Morris Goes To School." Open to public. Informa- Today's local birthdays: Karen Angle, Edith Barnett, Christine Bostick, Cindy Bos- ton, Pat Box, Viola Cain, Bebe Church, Ash--, ley Crittenden, Jean George, David Gillespie, Trudy Godsey, Taylor Goll, Brian Hiett, Hill- -ary Hunt, Genie Kem, Torrie Leath, Gail Mar tin, Norma McCulloch, Virginia McKnight, Bif McLendon Bear Reynolds, Doug Ruth-; ven, Jim Sawyer, Sylvia Shelan, Jenny Shields, Judith Smith, Mary Jewel Stepp, Polly Wagster, Bob Wells, Dickens Wilkin- son, Greg Wright. Todav'a local anniventflrtas- Tim anrl Corrections i Dee Ayn Cromer, Munay and Lorene Stidham. Belated local birthdays: Richard Driver, Ebonique T.

Dudley, Brandon Holden, Ramona Trunk. Today's celebrity birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is 72, Sinaer-musician Joan Jett is 39. Actress A story on Page 3A of Monday's Longview News-Journal incorrectly reported which of the two vehicles involved In a fatal accident Saturday had 'veered Into the oncoming lane. The Department of Public Safety reported the southbound Geo Metro driven by Susan Marie Wells of Kilgore, who died in the accident, crossed the center stripe into the path of an oncoming northbound pickup driven by Matthew Hammond of Gainesville. A story on Page 1 A of Saturday's Longview News-Journal incorrectly reported that Texas Rep.

Paul Sadler of Henderson is a Republican. Sadler is a Democrat. East Texas data book appears each day. Items should be typed or printed on 8Vi-by-11-Inch paper and Include a daytime phone number. Releasee may be mailed to East Texas Calendar, P.O.

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Vol. 68 No. 265 Main Phone 757-3311 Dnnnrtmant Fax Numbers Editorial General Calls 237-7744 East Texas Calendar 237-7744 Answer Line 758-4527 Letters to Editor 237-7793 Business News 237-7759 News Tips 237-7746 Church News 237-7744 Opinion Page 237-7793 CRyDesk 237-7746 Photography 237-7764 Club News 237-7744 School News Entertainment 237-7752 Sports 237-7762 The Longview News-Journal (USPS 319-000) is published daily including Sunday by Longview Newspapers Inc 320 E. Methvin Longview, Texas 75601. Periodical postage paid at Longview Texas.

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