WYNNE HOME COSTS SKYROCKET
It has been reported that the cost of turning the historic Wynne Home into an Arts Center will be $600,000. Community leaders refused to utilize the local talent pool in choosing an architect for the project. Local preservation specialist, George Russell, who has restored many of Huntsville's most historic homes said that he was "shocked" to learn that an out-of-town architecture firm was hired to oversee the project when "James Turner, a highly skilled architect who was already intimately familiar with the Wynne Home has offices just a few hundred yards away and thus would have overseen the project on a daily basis at much less cost".
EDITORIAL COMMENT
We will never cease to be amazed at the lack of sound judgment and fiscal responsibility exhibited by Huntsville's oligarchy. The architectural staff of Huntsville's TAO Limited are dedicated to our community's quality of life and preservation of our architectural heritage. Furthermore they have already made a thorough study of the Wynne House and would have been on site every day to oversee the work had they been selected. The cost savings associated with TAO's high quality architectural services as well as their personal dedication to our community make the selection of a Central Texas firm instead, even more ridiculous. This type of irresponsibility of the part of community decision makers is just another example of why the old regime must be replaced by citizens truely dedicated to the best interests of our community rather than the best interests of out-of-town and out-of-state consultants.
VIOLENCE BEGETS VIOLENCE
From time immemorial humans have committed acts of violence against one another. Such violence has almost always resulted in retaliation, thus “Violence Begets Violence”.
The Judeo-Christian-Muslim Tradition upon which most Western religions have been based attempted to deal with the issue by declaring that God wished retaliation or revenge to be limited a no more serious act against the offender than that which had been the original offense. Thus the Old Testament Law of “an eye for an eye”.
This law was actually meant to prevent escalations of violence, which had been the unfortunate tradition of the more primitive past. Mis-interpretation and mis-application of this limitation has resulted in people believing that the law of the Old Testament demands retaliation equal to the original violence committed.
Jesus, in the New Testament, attempted to completely change the old law to a law of forgiveness and ‘turning the other cheek’. This effort on Jesus’ part to stop infinite exchanges of violent acts has thus far not been successful as evidenced by the evil acts of violence committed against thousands of unsuspecting Americans yesterday in New York and Washington.
If human historical tradition holds there will be calls for severe retaliation which will result in the loss of life of innocent citizens residing in the country or countries which have been harboring the terrorists.
The Ethician answer to yesterday’s tragedy is to very carefully determine exactly who was behind the attack on America and single them out for appropriate, yet humane, punishment or removal from society where they can do no further harm. The death penalty is certainly not the answer as it would lead to an escalation of violence to revenge the deaths of the so-called ‘martyrs’. Remember, even Sam Houston did not apply the death penalty to Santa Anna after the massacre at the Alamo.
If during the course of first offering the terrorists the opportunity to surrender and later, should they fail to surrender, they resist and are killed—their deaths will have been their choice and not ours.
Ethicians pray that our President and Congressional Leadership, make world peace, their most important mission rather than the present path of escalating the exploitation of God’s fragile biosphere which results in floods, global warming, desertification, and ultimately starvation, war and the death of millions of innocent people and the extinction of thousands of God’s plant and animal species.
Editorial column by ETHICIUS I
Prelate of THE UNIVERSAL ETHICIAN CHURCH
HUMMINGBIRD MIGRATION
Over 100 hummingbirds have been visiting a feeding station at The Holy Trinity Wilderness Cathedral on Lake Livingston since the first of September.
These amazing examples of God’s Creation are preparing for the difficult journey which lies ahead of them, as they must fly across the Gulf of Mexico non-stop.
Sue Russell, who has been mixing up over a gallon of sugar-water solution per day to feed the ravenous birds, encourages people everywhere to help the birds build up enough stamina to make the long flight to Mexico.
The proper mixture for feeding the birds is four parts distilled water to one part sugar plus a little red food coloring to attract the birds.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Hummingbirds are threatened by irresponsible human activity which include the unnecessary use of pesticides and the destruction of wild flowers. The Huntsville “Weed Police” have issued vicious threats in recent weeks to residents of Huntsville who have been propagating trumpet vines and other flowers which help hummingbirds survive. One of God’s most beautiful creatures will one day become extinct if people continue to despoil Creation. The mayor, city council, tourism council, city manager, chamber of commerce officials and other power brokers should encourage the protection and preservation of our wonderful hummingbirds rather than work toward their destruction.
WEED AND OVERGROWTH POLICE GO BESERK
A $28,000 report on how to attract tourists to Huntsville determined that tourists would arrive in vast hordes and unload millions of dollars if only there weren’t so many trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and other native flora to block their view.
A denuded Huntsville would expose hundreds of shopping opportunities to the tourist which have been sequestered behind what the study termed “overgrowth”.
Desperate for a new infusion of cash, City Hall unleashed their special “Weed Police SWAT Team” to harass any citizen found to be harboring birds or butterflies.
Threatening letters were sent out to offending citizens warning them that their property would be subject to condemnation, attachment, or other dire fates unless immediate action was taken to open Huntsville up to the lucrative tourist trade.
The storage shed utilized by Historic Preservation Specialist, Milburn Cox, was under threat of demolition by the City because vandals had knocked out a couple of windows and the grass hadn’t been mowed to suit the taste of City Hall.
Cox, who is retired, and crippled with post polio syndrome, attempted to avert the destruction of his storage building by mowing and trimming and in doing so fell and broke his hip which had to be replaced.
Mr. Cox is currently receiving therapy at Huntsville Memorial Hospital and hopes to go home soon.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
It is disgusting that tax-paying senior citizens of our community would be harassed to the point that they would endanger themselves. The “Huntsville News” feel that City Hall not only owes Mr. Cox compensation for his pain and suffering caused by their unwarranted threats, the Mayor owes him a personal visit and personal apology as well.
We further cannot understand how the City and Chamber of Commerce had the audacity to go almost insane just because an ‘out-of-state’ consultant has an unfounded bias against the beautiful native vegetation of Texas with which our fair city has been blessed.
