Thursday, September 12, 2002 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA EDITORIAL A year of suffering, learning about ourselves and others As the one-year anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks passes, Americans are enveloped by a morass of reruns, tributes and mawkish commentary about the single worst loss of life ever in a foreign incursion on our soil. It may not be wise to add to the pile, but I think much of it misses the point, and the sheer volume of it masks some inalienable truths about our society. The tragedy and its. aftermath struck most horribly in New York City, whose champions like to call it the capital of the world. That claim may be tiresome American braggadocio, but there's no disputing New York as the cultural and com- mercial hub of the nation that is — at the moment — un- questionably the most powerful and influential on Earth. Giv- en that, toppling the World Trade Center towers was a re- markably stunning feat that surely brought perverse joy to the hearts of millions of envious people around the globe. That singular moment also destroyed the complacent sense of entitlement we developed over decades spent watching less fortunate people starve, suffer and die from the comfort of our living rooms. : “Did we bring these attacks on ourselves?” some have asked, seemingly ready to answer affirmatively in the next breath. The answer, of course, is no, we did not. One of the foremost strengths of our culture is the great value we place on personal responsibility, whether in the realm of work, family or religion. The concept that killing thousands of inno- cent civilians could be justified by their nation’s misguided or misunderstood policies simply holds no currency with us, or with any reasonable people who live in the modern world. That truth, though, doesn’t let us completely off the hook regarding our relations to the rest of the Earth’s people, or even with our own citizens. Our prosperity and freedom don’t come without a price, whether it is counted in the lives of sol- diers defending the nation, the loss of rainforest to feed our material desires, or our responsibility to hold fast to the prin- ciples that have carried us so far, even when it means tempo- rary inconvenience or expense. 9/11/01 was an enormous tragedy for the more than 3,000 individuals who died that dark day, their families, and the nation as a whole. But we have responded and largely recov- ered with remarkable swiftness. Now, in addition to rebuild- ing the World Trade Center site, we must assess what we have learned from that horrific day, both in a technical and human sense, and plan how we will respond. We know this: * We don't want to again go through a tragedy like 9/11/01, yet the fear that we will iurks in the back of our minds. * No one deserves our respect and gratitude more than emergency service personnel, whether paid or volunteers. They are best personified by the Fire Department of New York, which lost 343 members who died trying to save others in the Trade Center. The firefighters are paid a fraction of what many of the people they were charged with saving earn, but we now understand more than before that the value of their work cannot be measured in currency. * The resilience of the American people and our system of government and commerce is the best evidence that, while far from perfect, our nation offers a superior example to peo- ple who are caught in the grip of dictatorship, whether by an individual or a belief system. Americans of all colors, creeds and status have joined to honor the lives lost and defend the nation against future attacks, a far cry from societies in which fathers murder their own daughters for the slightest moral failing. One lesson should be crystal clear. The United States is strong because we as a people can choose our leaders and means of support and we can influence the most fundamen- tal national aims and goals. It is you and I, not a handful of religious, ethnic or corporate elites that ultimately decide what kind of nation we will be. We may be unhappy with our government and its policies, but we know change is possible — even likely — if it strays too far from the desires of the ma- jority, as long as we exercise the rights granted in the Consti- tution and Bill of Rights. That knowledge tempers our anger, and assures that, with the exception of a lunatic fringe that is present in every culture, we will not blame others for our own failings. There is another obvious point that seems lost on our Pres- ident and his closest advisers; that we are at our best as an example of freedom, not as a bully who enforces its will on weaker nations. We have no divine right to tear down Iraq or other societies with which we disagree, nor should we prop up ossified monarchies like Saudi Arabia for the sake of sta- ble oil prices. Instead, we must take a leadership role, not only in military might and global commerce, but in humani- tarian affairs, developing and supporting innovative ap- proaches to age-old problems such as famine and disease, which still haunt the majority of the people with whom we share this planet. We cannot ignore the hatred that spawned this tragedy, and neither can we condone or excuse it. There may be rea- sons — even irrational ones — why so many people want to see the U.S. brought to its knees, but there is no justification for the actions of 9/11/01. As we rebuild the brick and mor- tar and restore the lives that were shattered on that morning, we also must hold fast to the ideals on which this nation was founded, and be prepared to face the fury of those who would tear us down, rather than build up the hopes and lives of their own people. The Dallas Post TIMESeLEADER Cagmunity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALLA A 18612 * 570-675-5211 Ronald Bartizek Erin Youngman GENERAL MANAGER REPORTER Kari L. Wachtel Claudia Blank ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Darlene E. Sorber Terry Quinn OFFICE MANAGER PAGE DESIGN Photo contributed by Nancy Baird, Dallas. LETTERS ‘Public’ missing from PA utility commission Editor, Everything is for sale; it's just a matter of agreeing on the price. It seems this has become the motto for Northeastern Pennsylvania. With the sale of our watershed in early 2000 for $300 per acre and now the sale of our local water utility (PAWC) to a German firm (RWE) a conti- nent away, it seems that we have traded our future and se- curity for a few dollars more (ac- tually a few Euros more) In litigation before the Penn- sylvania Public Utility Commis-. sion, Defend Our Watershed! and Penn Future asked simply for the permanent protection of the 500-foot buffers around our reservoirs in the form of ease- ments. We also requested money be set aside for the purchase of watershed land. (Seemingly not a big deal for a company with control of assets in the billions.) These easements would have protected this land from devel- opment and helped protect our water supply from possible cont- Fair organizers Editor, On behalf of the Luzerne County Fair Committee we would like to thank everyone who helped make the Luzerne County Fair a rousing success again this year. On several days we had record breaking attendance and we es- pecially wish to thank everyone attending on those days. To the vendors, we hope you had a very successful fair and made lots of money. See you next year. Carol King The Back Mountain Memorial Library is again offering comput- er classes to its patrons. A ses- sion on Microsoft Word will be held on September 16 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and repeated on September 19. A class on the use of the Internet will be held amination. Instead, the PUC ig- nored the concerns of the citi- zens, legislators, and business interests who spoke out at the public hearings. It seems we misunderstood the role of the “public” in the Public A Utility Commission. Let's recap our current situa- tion. The water supply of North- eastern PA and its distribution system are now in foreign hands. The watershed is in the hands of a mystery owner. These are assets of “strategic economic importance.” Does our future seem secure? At the Huntsville reservoir development has al- ready occurred at the water's edge. Our new German utility friend wants to keep this option open since it rejected the idea of easements and wants to allow the “unencumbered ownership and control” of this land. Why has the PUC ignored the voices of so many in the Northeast? Where do the true interests of the PUC lie? It's clearly time for a change in the PUC and its decision making process. If the hours of public testimony at the hearings can be so blatantly ignored, then it's time to reconsider the mission and purpose of the PUC. Its in- terests obviously do not lie in the public realm. State Rep. George Hasay was on the right track when he recommended that “we have to get some envi- ronmentally minded members on the PUC in the future.” If Pennsylvania is to be “open for business,” then its agencies, such as the PUC, must not sac- rifice the safety and security of its citizens in the process. Defend Our Watershed! and its growing list of allies will con- tinue to fight this battle. As the list of injustices grows, so does our commitment. Our goal re- mains a safe, secure water sup- ply and permanently protected watershed. Defend Our Water- shed! Paul Niezgoda Defend Our Watershed! Jackson Township grateful for support, turnout To the people who make this a county fair, the livestock and Arts and Craft people, you did another great labor of love. The committee appreciates the time and effort you have put into the grooming and preparations for the fair. To the public, thank you for help making this county fair what has become. A family event in the truest form possible. To the media, thank you for all the coverage you gave the fair. To the 500 or more volunteers, you are the backbone to the fair. Without you we would be noth- ing. We may get aggravated with some people. We know deep in our heart you are the glue that binds. If we have left anyone out, it is not. intentional. Northeast and Central Pennsylvania, and points far and near, thank you. Donna Cupinski, Fair Chairman Susan Stephens, Public Relations, Chairperson Computer classes start soon on the afternoon of October 1 and repeated on October 8, 15, 22, and 29. It will also be pre- sented in two morning sessions on October 10 and 24. Registra- tion is now going on for both classes. There is a limit of five persons per class, so sign up early by calling 675-1182. Golf tournament: The Sixth Annual Par 4 Cafe’ Golf Classic for the benefit of the Back Mountain Memorial Library will be held on Monday, Sept. 30, at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas. Registration will start at 11 a.m., with'a 12 noon shot- gun start. The format is Captain and Crew. The entry fee of $100 per person includes a cart, greens fees, lunch, dinner, bever- ages throughout the day, and chances to win great prizes, in- cluding a sunroom from Bittner and Company for a hole-in-one on #17, and a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche from Valley Chevrolet for a hole-in-one on #7. Entries are limited to the first 30 four- somes, so sign up now for a good cause and a day of fun. The library has copies of the en- try form. Gift to library: Marshall Rumbaugh, the artist who sculpted the beautiful mural See LIBRARY, pg 7 ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - Sept. 9, 1932 COUNCIL DROPS POLICE CHIEF; HIRES O’KANE Dallas borough council in a meeting dismissed Elwood El- ston, borough police officer by a 4 to 3 vote and elected Leonard O'Kane, high constable in his place. Dallas borough school board at its meeting voted to pay off all teacher's back salaries and ap- proved action of the teachers committee in cooperation with Kingston township in the ex- change of teachers. Some of the items you could get at the A & P stores,: peas, 3 cans 23¢; pineappple 2 cans 23¢; potatoes, 15 lb. peck 17¢; Red Circle coffee, 1b. 23¢; nut bread, loaf 15¢. 60 Years Ago - Sept. 4, 1942 YOUTH SAVES LIVES OF TWO LAKE SWIMMERS Leo George, seventeen-year-old kitchen boy at Lakeside Inn, Harveys Lake, saved the lives of two children from drowning when he jumped off a dock in front of the inn and broke the strangle hold one of the children had on the other. A.N. Garinger's racing pigeon came in first in the 100-mile race from Harrisburg, conducted by the Wyoming Valley Racing Pigeons Association. First Back Mountain phyusi- cian to enter military service is Dr. Charles A. Perkins of] trucksville, who has been com-| ® ® missioned a First Lieutenant in!’ % the United States Medical Corps. | 50 Years Ago - Sept. 19, 1952 GIVE $500 DOLLARS FOR NEW FIRE TRUCK Members of Dr. Henry M. laing Fire Company Auxiliary voted to give $500 from their reserve: fund toward the purchase of ‘aj new fire engine. . i The promotion of Col. John P.! Kirkendall, deptuy winmg com-' mander at Keesler AFB, Miss., to rank of brigadier general has. been aannounced by Headquar-: ters, USAF, Washington.=, D.C.; Gereral Kirkendall is native of] Dallas. 1 » © Louis Banta, Kingston Town- ship police offficer for the past five years and recently the center. of controversy which led to his being given a hearing on charges’ of insubordination by Kingston! Township Supervisors, has re-. sifned. : 40 Years Ago - Sept. 13, 1962 GROUND BREAKING FOR NEW COLLEGE BUILDINGS College Misericordia’s ground-: breaking ceremony for the Alum-: nae Residence Hall and Merrick. Student Center was held on the! campus site, adjoining Hafey! Science Building. ; Frank L. McGarry, Main Street, Dallas, rammed his car; though two plate-glass windows’ and cracked another in the front of Gosart’s Appliance Center. An additional 26 acres of land; and another roadway were; added to the Dallas Township, Community Forest. Attorney, Frank Townend, solicitor for the! Board of Supervisors, and Attor-: ney James L. Brown solicitor for} Back Mounti=ain Protective Aso-. ciation, will carry out the final arrangements on the contract. 30 Years Ago - Sept. 7, 1972 INMATES PLEAD NOT GUILTY | TO CHARGES OF MURDER | At a hearing in front of District: Magistrate Leonard Harvey two! inmates at the Dallas Correc-; tional Institution, Glenn X, Jor-} dan and Freddy X. Butler, were: held over for grand jury action’ on charges of murder. Charges were stemmedfrom the death of Thomas Wilson, also a Dallas in- mate. victim of an alleged stab-| bing incident at the prison. | The Flood Victims Action Com-! mmittee voted to send President Nixon a telegram requesting that See YESTERDAY, pg 7 | ol ¥ |
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers