The Daily Journal from Vineland, New Jersey • 15

The Daily Journal EDITORIAL BOARD Charles W. Nutt, editor and publisher John Garrahan, editorial page editor www.thedailyjournal.comopinion Wednesday, June 10,2009 A15 OPINION In 'nanny' state, people lose creativity OUR VIEW Joseph Former President Ronald Reagan said, "This country has a government" Someone else Donchez said, 1 his government has a 7 country!" Searching for skills a school chief needs The factors responsible for the growing truth of the latter, that "this govern per owners, foreign TV operators and foreign bookstore owners out of Canada in the interests of "cultural protection" In doing so, it is assuming the right to police the ideas disseminated through those newspapers, bookstores and TV networks! It is all part of our growing indolence, the loss of self-reliance and the desire for a "super nanny" to take care of us! I do not mean to imply that it is the deliberate plan of the government to "infan-tize" the American people, but rather it is the direction in which we, the American people, the country, is pushing the government Think about it: is this what we want? I don't! and their thoughts. If we look to the state to cure us, it surely has an interest in preventing you from needing treatment in the first place This is what is happening in Europe! Under Britain's National Health Service, the obese in Suffolk are refused hip and knee replacements, and the smokers in Manchester have been denied treatment for heart disease. When the state becomes the guarantor of all your basic needs, it becomes increasingly comfortable with regulating your behavior and your decisions. We are increasingly tempted to relinquish our liberties for a quiet comfortable and irresponsible life! The federal government now owns General Motors! Will GM be like Airbus, subsidized by France, England, Germany and Spain, and produce an A-380 for which there are few if any runways in the world that can accommodate it? The Canadian government keeps foreign newspa dom to make decisions about faith, life and family.

The more we abandon the animating ideas of the American "idea" of limited government of a self-reliant and responsible citizenry and the opportunity to pursue our talents to the fullest the more the state becomes "nanny" and we become children in the nursery! And shouldn't "nanny" tell you what to do, what to think, how to live, and what you can and can't do? When the people agree to becoming wards of the state because they have lost the spirit of self-reliance, self-initiative and productivity, and because they no longer wish to deal with the issues of life, it is a mere difference of degree for the state to start regulating their life ment has a country, are owing both to the people and the government The older a nation becomes, the more it loses that creativity and productivity that helped to make it great in the beginning of its history. In our desire for government to take care of all our problems, whether they be your health, the economy, your kids, your elderly parents and your primary responsibilities of adulthood, it is not surprising that the average citizen ceases to function as an adult life becomes a sort of extended adolescence. A government that is big enough to provide everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have, including your free- Dr. Joseph Donchez has a doctorate in ministry from Princeton Seminary. He is owner of American Transport Systems in Vineland and a former member of The Daily Journal's Community Advisory Board READER VIEWS Vineland has seen a steady stream of school superintendents over the past decade.

The next one to replace Charles Ottinger when he retires in October will face some particular challenges. It's critical that the Vineland school board choose the right person. Those in leadership positions will set the tone and help chart the course for the school district This is especially true this year because several principals are also retiring, and their replacements will have to be hired or promoted. The new superintendent has to be an innovative educator with the vision and experience to ensure students learn the skills and receive the quality education they need for today's and tomorrow's job market. And he or she will have to accomplish that task despite economic constraints that are likely to grow worse.

The school district has turned to the N.J. School Boards Association to help find the best match for staff and students. As part of the search process, the association plans to hold separate meetings with the staff and community to get their input on the issues facing the district and the leadership skills and personal characteristics the new superintendent must have to meet those challenges. First and foremost, we believe the next superintendent has to be a good communicator who is willing to listen to teachers, parents and students on how best to improve education in our schools. A person who listens to and considers all opinions, even if they are contrary to his or her own, is more likely to make better decisions and recommend better courses of action than a person who ignores those voices.

The characteristics don't stop there, by a long shot The state received the green light from the Supreme Court to cut extra aid to the special needs school districts such as Vineland and Millville. This means cutting staff or programs, raising property taxes or a combination of both. So the next superintendent must be more than inspirational. He or she will need foundations in financial matters and teaching to get the most out of staff and students. He or she must be an innovator who can accomplish more educationally with less financially, someone who will reach out to other school districts to share and possibly consolidate services to save money.

These are just some of the challenges a new superintendent will face in the next three or four years. There also are safety issues and concerns about small learning communities. Finding a person who can successfully meet those challenges in a no-nonsense, effective and efficient way won't be easy. But students and taxpayers deserve no lesa opportunity to make it to the big leagues, I say go for it I do not know Mike or the Trout family, but I am sure of one thing: That whole family has sacrificed for many years to help make this dream come true for Mike and now the day has come How many kids from Millville grow up in the different youth athletic programs the city offers with the hopes of someday making it pro? Now those kids can see, with Mike Trout's success, you don't have to have money or come from a big city to succeed in sports; the only thing you have to have is the drive and the belief in yourself that you can do it What if Mike decided to go off to college next year instead of going to the major leagues and then he gets hurt in his junior or senior year, then what? The dream is lost But if he goes into the major leagues and he does have a career-ending injury down the road, he then at least got the opportunity to realize his dream and make some money. Then he can go back to college and get his degree and still will only be in his 20s.

College will always be an option no matter how old you are. I am sure that the Trout family has spent countless days and sleepless nights considering all the pros and cons of this huge decision that will affect the rest of their son's life, so to question that isn't appropriate. Good luck, Mike, with whatever the future holds for you You have already made Millville proud! Liz Carr Millville have made the sacrifice to be able to achieve such high status, and we should encourage all young people to work as hard as Mike Trout has to attain their goals Mike Trout has proven that with hard work and determination anything is possible. for one, am extremely proud to have had the pleasure of seeing this firsthand Mike Trout has worked hard both on and off the field to become one of the outstanding young people this town should be proud of. Tim Shannon Mayor Millville PS: Mike, I need some tickets! Have faith in God's word, not in false science Being a minister of the gospel, I do not commonly enter the fray of the public forum However, being also associated with the ical laboratory field for many years, and more importantly, concerned lest some young minds tender in the faith be misled by misinformation, I will speak The letter to the editor titled "No Evidence of Evolution?" (DJ-64) presents as evidence of present and ongoing evolution the development of strains of microbes resistant to certain antibiotics.

A good example of such resistance development is the causative agent of the well-known "staph infection" Trout is a leader who will succeed in chosen path After reading the letter to the editor in The Daily Journal, (DJ-69), I felt it necessary to respond to Mr. Anderson's concern for Mil-Iville's Mike Trout I have known the Trout family my entire life, and Jeff and Debbie's son's future will be secure no matter what path this young man chooses. We should not forget that Mike will benefit from his father's baseball experience in which his parents and Mike's grandparents Nelson and Phyllis Trout also guided him. It should be noted that this young man has demonstrated not only his athletic abilities, but also his outstanding classroom excellence Let us also remember that this studentathlete is not only a member of an elite athletic group in this fine country, he also is a member of the National Honor Society. He, along with his family, will make the choice, after the Major League Baseball draft, between the professional ranks or East Carolina University (Mike has received a full scholarship) to continue his education both in the classroom and on the field I can only say how proud I am of Mike and wish him the best of luck Mike has been a leader in every aspect of his life and it has been a wonderful experience to watch this young boy grow from a very small child to an outstanding young adult.

We should embrace young people who itself with the menacing face of MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus). But despite such "adaptations," this threatening microbe remains still a bacteria; indeed, it is yet a staphylococcus. Should it suddenly (or gradually) become a streptococcus, the causative agent of "strep throat," scientists would surely be quickened with interest if not alarm By definition, evolution is a process in which lower forms of life (less complex) change into higher forms of life (more complex). The natural antibiotic resistance process cannot be correctly described as a process of evolution As stated in an earlier letter by Dr. D.L.

Seibel, there have yet to be found those "missing links" between species, critical to any genuine evidence for the theory of evolution From the beginning of God's creation, each creature had "brought forth after his kind" and not another. For better or for worse, bacteria are still bacteria. Let our faith remain fixed in the unchanging Word of God, rather than theories of "science falsely so-called" Lester H. Weaver Pittsgrove Don't miss the. opportunity for major leagues Why should Mike Trout put college before a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? This is probably the biggest thing that will ever happen to this kid We all know college is important but when a standout athlete like Mike is given the Sharing your opinions We welcome comments on Daily Journal editorials, columns and news stories or any topics important to you.

Letters should be 300 words or less, and all submissions may be edited for length, accuracy, and clarity. E-mail to djopinionthedailyiournal.com; fax to (856) 563-5308; or mail to 891 E. Oak Road, Vineland, NJ 08360. Letters, articles, opinion and editorial columns submitted to The Daily Journal may be distributed in print, electronic or other forms. Today it may present President Obama is having a positive influence on the Muslim world i i j.

i minds of civilization burning dur the "generations of Mus of international affairs is Eugene Robinson hearts and the Muslim world The Associated Press reported Sunday that the Iranian-backed Lebanon-based guerrilla group Hezbollah, an influential radical Saudi cleric and the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood all warned followers not to be taken in by Obama's seductive words which suggests a fear that Obama had been dangerously effective. The fact that many Muslims now see a sympathetic figure in the White House creates new possibilities. It turns out that being Obama matters more than I thought I used to fear that President Obama was overestimating the power of his personal history as an instrument of foreign policy. Now I wonder if he might have been underestimating. In several interviews during the long presidential campaign, Obama mentioned the potential impact in other countries of seeing an American president with an appearance and a life story like none of his predecessors.

He spoke of how the Muslim world, addressed by a president who had a Muslim father and who spent years of his childhood in a Muslim country, might be more inclined to believe that the Ignited States is nc an enemy of Islam. ing Europe's Dark Ages and mentioned the Quran that Thomas Jefferson kept in his library. Obama was speaking the language of Islam in a tone of respect What a concept. The rest of his speech consisted essentially of a summary of U.S. policy in the Muslim world, and in truth there were no real departures from traditional American policy.

But familiar policies sounded different coming from Obama, though not just because of his identity but also because he showed a little humility. Perhaps the best indication of how Obama played in Cairo.is the reaction of his competitors for the iims" in his father's Kenyan family, his early years in Indonesia and his experience working in Chicago communities where "many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith." The most important word in that sentence, however, came at the end: By saying "revealed" rather than "born," Obama was acknowledging Islam as a divinely given faith. Obama quoted liberally from the Quran, drawing applause. Perhaps more important was that he opened the speech by putting Islam in the historical context that many Muslims believe the West willfully ignores. He spoke of how the Islamic world helped to keep the light of never wrong.

But it's also wrong to ignore the spectacle of an audience member, at Obama's Cairo University speech, interrupting an American president to shout, "We love you!" You will recall that the last memorable presidential appearance in the Arab world was the news conference in Iraq at which George W. Bush had two shoes hurled at his head. Not being Bush was a big factor. But at least as important was being Obama and being able to say, as the president did in Cairo, that "I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed" Obama was referring to But nations tend to act on the basis of perceived national interest not personality. I thought that in the final analysis, if Obama became president which seemed a very long shot when I first heard Obama mention this theme in a March 2007 interview he would be seen as friend or foe depending on how he conducted US.

foreign policy. Now, after Obama's trip to the Middle East I think we were both right Taking a cold-eyed view Eugene RiMnson is columist.