Lancaster Eagle-Gazette from Lancaster, Ohio • 4

Page 4 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Tuesday, February 9, 1993 Letters to the editor welcomed pinion phone number for verification purposes. Letters will not be published without a signature. Mail your letter to PO Box 848, Lancaster, Ohio 43130. The Eagle-Gazette is interested in what you think. If you wish to comment about something in a letter to the editor, sign your letter and include a daytime Lancaster Eagle Gazette If it's for Fairfield County, we're for it Gregory Ptacin, Publisher-General Manager Roy Youst, Managing Editor Ron Johnson, Opinion Page Editor go acini if msin An adage says the good die young.

It proved true Saturday with the death of Arthur Ashe at 49. The serene, erudite tennis star was struck down by a disease, AIDS, he did not earn by promiscuity, a drug addiction needle or a way of life, but rather by a blood transfusion during brain surgery. Ashe, an African American, rose to the heights from the ashes of poverty and racial discrimination to claim tennis greatness, winning both the U.S. Open and prestigious Wimbledon. Forced from his profession by a series of heart attacks, Ashe proceeded to teach not in the classroom, but in daily life.

He taught young people, especially from minorities, they could achieve whatever they dreamed by hard work. When stricken with AIDS, he again was the teacher, stressing the need for understanding and diligence. He crusaded quietly and persistently for help in finding a cure. Still, it was not so much what Ashe dedicated his life to battling as the way he so effectively waged his fights. He spoke eloquently but calmly for reason among all races to achieve equal rights for minorities in America, human rights for all peoples of the world and, in the end, brought a greater understanding of the AIDS problem.

Throughout his life Ashe strode the stage of fame with grace. He died with the same grace. His persistence in tearing down the barriers of intolerance achieved more than force and bitter words. The number of young people from all walks of life and races whom Ashe steered onto the right path can't be known, The people of all ages whom Ashe touched with his strength of character, decency and depths of perseverance also is unmeasurable. He tore down barriers without violence or acrimony.

Had he lived his full life, what he would have achieved in easing the pains in a still-maturing American can't be imagined. Too often when a person of Ashe's stature passes, it's said they were a credit to this or that cause, this or that race. In Ashe's case, it's another example of his achievements. Arthur Ashe was a credit to the human race. -ffeV fertairvW WOT Flayi our 09'.

Odd, the people who affect your life A'. 1 McClintock gratuitous fight sequences appeared at roughly 20 minutes past and until the hour. George Reeves was the black and white, shoddy special effects version of the late Man of Steel. Although George looked a little chunky in tights, he was still more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and was commonly mistaken for a bird or plane. I recently watched an old Superman clip on television and noticed something rather peculiar.

After a villain emptied his revolver at our hero, who defiantly stood with his hands on his hips as the bullets ricocheted off his massive chest, the crook threw the spent gun at Superman who promptly ducked out of the way. Bobo Brazil When Big Time Wrestling filled the airwaves on Saturday's and large men would beat one another incessantly, Bobo Brazil was always a crowd favorite. Each wrestler had a finishing move, designed to their in ring character, which they would use to end a match. Brazil had the "Coco which was essentially taking his forehead and cracking it against his opponent's head. Being young, impressionable and not overly bright, we would imitate our favorite wrestlers in the heat of battle.

Bobo was emulated quite often. Unaware the performers on television were not actually striking their heads together with locomotive force, we were constantly butting our young heads together and during the ensuing headaches, pretending it did not hurt. Author Michael H. Hart has recently released a second addition of his 1978 publication "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History" (Citadel $25). In "The 100" Hart (who has a degree from New York Law School, is an astrophysicist and also earned graduate degrees in a variety of fields from Cornell, Adelphi and Princeton) has assembled a list of people whom he, in his learned opinion, believes have most influenced the history of mankind.

His list is not only comprised of people the majority of us would consider "heroic" (such as No. 11-Lois Pasteur, No. 81 -John F. Kennedy and No. 91 -Henry Ford), but also includes a number of rather infamous, albeit influential jokers (No.

29-Genghis Khan, No. 39-Adolf Hitler and No. 66-Josef Stalin), who have slaughtered a bloody path through world history. The wide majority of Hart's 100 is on a more positive note, however. It is a grouping of a wide variety of theologians, physicists, mathematicians, philosophers and inventors without any of which our world would probably only resemble this one topographically.

In Hart's view, the top ten of his list of most influential people are: No. 1 Mohammed; 2. Isaac Newton; 3. Jesus Christ; 4. Buddha; 5.

Confucius; 6. St. Paul; 7. Ts'sa Lun; 8. Johann Gutenberg; 9.

Christopher Columbus and 10. Albert Einstein. A pretty impressive group that I would be proud to claim as lodge brothers. The teachings of Mohammed and Jesus Christ, and the discoveries of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein have formed the myself. Tarzan movies impressed me to the point in which I fancied myself as he and Jane's jungle love-child, who was personably known as "Boy." My parents gallantly tolerated this brief obsession by only calling me for I would not answer to anything else.

John Wayne Hey, what list is complete without the Duke? John Wayne brought his loud and proud personality to the silver screen in literally hundreds of westerns. In his last film, "The Shootist," Wayne's character was essentially a blending of his more memorable on screen heroes, not that you qould actually tell any difference between the characters anyway. Midway through the movie he spoke a classic line which succinctly displayed the simple philosophy which made him an American icon, "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them." David Carradine While most of my contemporaries were considered "Trekkies" (that is, they followed the Star Trek series like the Pied Piper of Hamlin) I was one of the original By "Fooie" I am of course referring to Kung Fu, the early 1 970's series with Carradine as the Shaolin Monk, Cain. The hour-long program was filled with Eastern philosophy contrasted against a wild western background.

To keep up viewer appeal an episode was usually laced with two brutal fight scenes juxtaposing Cain's economical and fluid style of self defense against a group of plodding, brawling cowboys. The Humane Society benefit success To the Editor: Lancaster-Fairfield County Humane Society wishes to thank the following people and organizations for their contributions that made the second annual benefit dance for the Humane Society a very big success: The Moose Lodge, The Big Band Sounds of the Nostalgics, Sheridan Funeral Home, Dodds Modem Living Center, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Fairfield Federal, Mt. Pleasant Flowers, Stan Robinson, Z-103 and WLOH and all the beautiful people who attended. See you next year! William Westenhouser, president Lancaster-Fairfield County Humane Society Alan McClintock is an employee of the Eagle-Gazette. basis for the religious and scientific laws of the last two millennium.

While contemporary man in undeniably affected by the folks on Hart's list, I was rather curious as to who, in our rather casual society, had the most direct, conscious influence upon middle-America. As a baby-boomer in my 30s, I fall within a broad cross-section of American males. So, using my own experience as a reference point, I decided to list those whom I feel are responsible for the free thinking philosophies of a generation. These are the deep thinkers whom we pass on the street at night, driving with their headlights off. Fess Parker "Davy, Davee Crockett, King of the wild As Davy Crockett, and later as his buckskinned clone Daniel Boone, Fess and Disney were indirectly responsible for the death of many a polyester raccoon, which went to cover millions of youthful, crew cutted trail blazers.

Johnny Weismuller Brought Edgar Rice Burrough's vine swinging illiterate to life to life in a series of 1932-1948 Tarzan films. His ape-man was especially appealing to an ape-tot such as 10 YEARS AGO Liberty Union-Thurston School District voters defeated a 4-mill operating levy in a special election. Two new taxi cabs and a small transit bus were purchased, partly by federal and state grants, for the Safeway Cab Co. 20 YEARS AGO The Lancaster-Fairfield County Hospital Board of Trustees announced afternoon visiting hours at the hospital would be eliminated. A 1964 station wagon of three Kirkersville bank robbers was found just north of Lancaster where they switched to another vehicle to escape capture.

30 YEARS AGO Ohio Gov. James Rhodes proposed institutions such as Fairfield County's Boys Industrial School be put under charge of a commission within the Mental Hygiene Department. Fairfield Garden Club and City Federation Of Women's Clubs selected Mrs. Francis (Betty) Noecker for Ohio Mother of the Year. 40 YEARS AGO Lancaster Chamber of Commerce selected Charles Wilkins as its new president.

Three area Boy Scouts, John W. Pickering, Chester P. Swett Jr. and Jack L. Burnside, received the "God and Country" award at First Methodist Church.

Cabinet picking interesting process David Hobson enforcement officer. After being inundated with calls for several days, many senators began publicly announcing their intent to vote against the President's nomination for Attorney General. In the face of growing public pressure, Zoe Baird withdrew her nomination. Many people in Ohio's 7th Congressional District also expressed their opposition by contacting my office and the offices of our Ohio senators. By making their views known to members of Congress and the administration, Americans created the wave of public anger which eventually led lawmakers to conclude that Zoe Baird was not an acceptable candidate.

If you have questions on this or any other matter, please contact my office in Springfield at (513) 325-0474 or in Lancaster at (614) 654-5149. The momentum in Washington is building as the members of President Clinton's team of advisors gradually take their positions and begin implementing new policies. During the past several weeks, I have watched with interest as most of the president's appointees have successfully completed Senate confirmation hearings. The one exception, thus far, has been the nomination of Zoe Baird as the attorney general. The majority of President Clinton's appointees have gone through the confirmation process without major objections from the Senate.

With the exception of Baird, it has been a smooth process for President Clinton to gain the Senate's approval of the individuals he selected to help him shape domestic and foreign policy through the next four years. Throughout our nation's history, the president has been given great extensive investigations of personal and financial histories. For example, former President Bush's nomination of John Tower as secretary of defense ran into resistance in the Senate. A lengthy, partisan dispute over his qualifications resulted in the majority of the Senate voting against his nomination. In the case of Ms.

Baird, background investigations revealed that she had knowingly broken the law by hiring two illegal aliens. Once that revelation made headline news, thousands of Americans began to register their strong opposition to the Baird nomination by flooding the Capitol and White House with telegrams and calls. It was the American people, not Washington insiders, who understand the true impact of Zoe Baird's immigration violations that you could not have someone who knowingly broke the law serve as the nation's top law U.S. Represenative David Hobson represents the 7th Congressional District, inclduing Fairfield County. leeway in selecting his advisors and subordinates.

In the Constitution, the president is required to seek the "advice of consent" of the Senate when appointing top government officials. Currently, 1,163 political appointees require Senate confirmation. The House of Representatives does not have a role in the confirmation process. When reviewing the nominations of the president's cabinet members and other senior officials, the Senate is particularly careful to ensure the overall quality, competence and integrity of appointees. Recently this review process has expanded to include PRESIDENT Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Washington, D.C.

20500. U.S. SENATE John Glenn, U.S. Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510.

Howard Metzenbaum, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES David Hobson, 7th District, 1 507 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

GOVERNOR George Voinovich, Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio 43215. OHIO SENATE Steven Williams, 3 1 st District, Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio 43215. OHIO HOUSE Jon Myers, 78th District, Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio 43215..