Chillicothe Gazette from Chillicothe, Ohio • 4

Opinion gaznewsnncogannett.com Thursday, September 4, 2008 Chillicothe Gazette 4A Your Daily Gulda to Life. T1 Uffv Rick Szabrak Publisher Mike Throne Tom Pisrcell Columnist General ManagerManaging Editor Chris Balusik Local Desk Editor The Chillicothe Gazette is a consolidation of the Scfoto Gazette, established in 1800, the Chillicothe News-Advertiser, established in 1831, and the Chillicothe Ohioan, established in 1938. All contents Copyright 2008 by the Chillicothe Gazette Editorial Paints have given the fans, town lots of memories With the end of Wednesday's game at V.A. Memorial Stadium, a tradition came to an end. Since June 1993, the Chillicothe Paints brought an up-close style of baseball to the Scioto Valley complete with great games, fun promotions and an inexpensive night of America's Favorite Pastime.

The Paints have always been a novelty a small town with pro baseball but novelty only goes so far. In the end, Chillicothe became a victim of the same problems that all small-market teams in pro sports fall to too small to be a home for too long. And when other AND WHAT'S MOKE, MY SOURCES TELL ME, THE PAL1N FAMILY WILL SOON BE BLESSED WITH A SECOND SHOTGUN WEDDING!" Letters to the Editor Judge Obama only on the facts teams started building new stadiums and drew 3,000 or 4,000 fans a night to them, the handwriting was on the wall. So it is that the Frontier League will leave Chillicothe the last remaining I sense a possible disregard for these college students on the part of the letter's author. Please understand these idealistic students are the future of our country, and that change and progress, whether won in this election or another, are inevitable.

There is one lone issue I agree with the author on and that is to take a look at Sen. Obama's record. Read about his real record on www.barackobama.com or responsible, objective news sites like CNN, NPR or BBC. Please do not judge a candidate based on false nuggets of information that have been planted by political operatives. Sadly, the author has fallen for these tactics hook, line and sinker.

I would like to briefly address these unfortunate and unfair attacks. Obama's wife, Michelle, is obviously proud of her country, the same as Cindy McCain is proud of her country. This is evidenced by Michelle's life work and story. She misspoke once and has clarified multiple times that she was speaking of her pride in the political process not pride in her country. On the issue "of Rev.

Jeremiah" Wright, Obama has condemned his remarks countless times. As a matter of fact, McCain himself said, "I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Rev. Wright's extreme views." I find it interesting that American hero and cultural icon Oprah Winfrey also attended this church, yet there has been no outrage over her attendance. McCain, too, has a hateful preacher in his past. Rev.

John Hagee has made such outrageous claims as the Catholic Church conspired with the Nazis and that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for homosexuality. Hagee went so far as to even introduce McCain at a campaign event. Finally, McCain has condemned his remarks. In closing, I ask people judge Obama on the facts and the facts alone. The time has come for the narrow-minded discussions about his race, patriotism, religion, sincerity in protecting the homeland, etc.

to end. I also ask that people stop this disease of what I call "separation disorder." People can support the troops but be against the war. People can criticize the political process and be proud of their country. Finally, I ask that the liberal elite of southern Ohio speak up, make their presence known, and challenge the closed-minded and divisive attitudes that abound. After all, there is" nothing wrong or bad with the words liberal or elite.

Go ahead and look them up in the dictionary. Shawn Bland Columbus Editor, the Gazette: I would like to respond to the letter "McCain will be a leader who will act, not just promise" dated Sept. 1. I find it striking the author offers no reasoning or examples of how McCain will lead rather, than promise. Given this glaring omission, I thought I would fill in.

McCain will take action, that is for sure. But will it be the kind of action our country and world need at such a fragile time in our history? The fact is, McCain has acted as one of Bush's biggest Iraq war supporters a war that costs us $10 billion a month while Iraq sits on a $79 billion surplus. A war that was fumbled from its inception with no clear plan of execution. A war that was started under false pretenses with a country that had no link whatsoever with 911. A war that is a national security issue itself in that our troops are stretched too thin to respond to other world crises and that has resulted in recruitment of a whole new generation of terrorists.

Need I say more? The fact is this: The Washington Post Votes Database states, "John McCain has voted with a majority of his Republican colleagues 88.3 percent of the time during the current Congress." So, you see, this is why those college students are wearing Obama t-shiits. Of the two candidates, he is clearly the agent of change. How about me for president? Now that Barack Obama has a good shot at the presidency, I hold out hopes that maybe I could make it, too. Though our experiences and talents are entirely different, too, came from humble circumstances. The only boy, with five sisters, I had no brothers to teach me to fight My sisters taught me.

One day when I was 12, the neighborhood bully was roughing me up. I gave him my meanest look and said, "You are soooooo immature! Get a life!" I was humbled by a lack of money. Despite having no brothers, my father, always looking to save a buck, made me wear hand-me-downs. It wasn't too bad most of the year, but Easter Sunday was unpleasant. It was near impossible to outrun the neighborhood bully with my pantyhose bunching up and my bonnet flopping in the wind.

Unlike Barack, I had no early interest in politics, the presidency or my studies, and with good reason the kids who were interested in such things frequently got wedgies. Instead, I threw myself into sports and extracurricular activities. My efforts paid off. My lack of studying and devotion to extracurricular activities were the ideal preparations for Penn State University. It was there that I was introduced to my first love: Rolling Rock Beer.

By the time I was a junior, I had attained, to quote comedian Frank Nicotero, a 3.2 (blood-alcohol level). My father was panicked about my future. I was a liberal arts major, after all. Worried I'd never find a job, he persuaded me to take more practical courses. I was the only person ever to graduate from Penn State with a major in English and a minor in air conditioning and heating.

Despite my ways, I received my degree. Unlike Barack, I didnt forgo a lucrative career to become a community organizer. I took the first job one fool company was crazy enough to offer me. I've been stumbling along ever since. Today, I'm an independent writer who hacks out a living one brutal word after another to pay the onerous taxes that people like Barack have imposed on us.

It is true I never went to Harvard Law. I certainly wasn't elected president of the law review, as Barack was. I never held elected office in state politics and never even tried to run, let alone win, a seat in the U.S. Senate. But as far as experience for the presidency goes, I'm not a heck of a lot less qualified than Barack.

He has only 143 active days in the Senate more than I do (his job has mostly been to run for president the past two years). He never ran a prof it-or-loss enterprise of any kind. His record as a community organizer, lawyer and politician give little indication of boldness, leadership or results. It's anybody's guess how he might act as president. Sure, he gives an incredible speech and inspires millions with his presence.

His campaign has been remarkable in numerous respects. He's drawn millions into the political process. Sure, despite his relative youth and inexperience, he toppled the Clinton machine. He is the first black to be nominated for the presidency no small achievement and worthy of celebration no matter what one's politics are. But when you consider the incredible criteria that must be met before taking on the world's most important job when you consider that many of Barack's "solutions" involve a much more expansive government you wonder why the press isn't probing his experience, abilities and ideas a great deal more.

I'm inspired that maybe I could be president, too. I could win votes by promising stuff to some people by using the might of the federal government to take money from others to pay for it. I easily could win Pennsylvania and Ohio, two pivotal states in the upcoming election. I'd promise federally subsidized Rolling Rock to every beer drinker who trades me his vote. Even an inebriated fellow in a pub would know that we're the drinkers we've been waiting for.

original franchise of the league that grew out of its true roots. Chris Hanners, the visionary who believed Chillicothe could support a pro baseball team, deserves a great amount of credit for his efforts to keep that dream alive here. Time will tell if the new baseball league will be a success, but Hanners has proven he can make it work. He got help from General Manager Bryan Wickline, a local product who started at the lowest rung of the team's ladder and worked his way up, and Shirley Bandy, the person behind the scenes who helped it all come together. A strong booster club and a great group of host famihes and game-day workers pulled it all together.

And while the league can take Frontier League baseball from Chillicothe, it cannot take the memories: Great players such as Gator McBride, Mitch House, Scott Pinoni, Rick Blanc, Darin Kinsolving, Mike Cervanek, Travis Garcia and Brian Tollberg, among so many others. 1 Fun-loving characters such as Bobby Chandler, Woody Fullenkamp, Matt McCay, Kris Buirley and locals such as Mike Straus-baugh, Tim Tackett, Justin Brown and Billy Schmeider. Great moments, including the filming of a baseball movie in 2002, first pitches by Reds legends Pete Rose and Johnny Bench and fun with radio host Gary Burbank. The stadium also hosted a concert by the Boston Pops, high school baseball tournaments and numerous veterans events, all of which endeared the Paints to fans and casual observers alike. The one regret we have is never winning the title, having made it to the FL Cup six times and falling short each time.

How sweet a championship would have been. Nevertheless, the Paints have given us a lot to proud of in the past decade and a half. We owe them a final standing ovation. Child support system not doing enough to go after fathers who won't pay Editor, the Gazette: I'm a grandmother who is confused about the way the child support system works. I have a daughter who is receiving child support for one child whose dad pays like he should.

dad doesn't pay. How can this be true? Why is there a law to make them pay for their children, yet if there is more than one dad between the two children, one gets nothing either? This is their main means of income. I feel whatT Meanwhile, these people who get a paycheck for "helping out" still continue to get a paycheck each payday, regardless of what's going on. Do you think they would do a better job if they had the same terms determining their pay? I want to know how this is fair to all the families out there depending on their child support check. Are people aware? Do they care? See why I'm confused? We can't seem to get an answer that explains this.

Can someone help me make any sense of this? If so, please do. Brenda Stevens Chillicothe 1.SM 1 The other child father has never paid $1 for his child, who is 13 months old. He has been ordered to pay, but doesn't obey this or any other law we have. Yet he's going to court like they are all being punished because of a man who refuses to pay for his child. There should be a law against this because they all lose because of him.

I think people should What do you think? Write a letter to the editor and e-mail it to gaznews nncogannett.com this month for this, and once again, this holds up any money being paid to the one grandchild because this deadbeat be more aware of why our crime is so high. Gives you something to think about, doesn't it? Snapshot I THE LOOKS OF VN Childless women1 on the rise 1976 2006 36 i 34 22 23 eh 17 19 10 10 10 "fi No One Two Three Four or children more Note: Exceeds 100 because of rounding Source: Census Bureau repon, August 2008 1-Ages40-M Anne Carey and Veronica Sataar, USA TODAY Visit Fax E-maH Write It's The Gazette welcomes your views. Here's how to share what you think with readers: You may drop off letters to the editor at our offices, 50 W. Main St. Gazette's E-mail address for computer users is gaznewsnncogannett.com.

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