news
to bring success
Dear editor,
Those who use violence or the threat of violence in an attempt to influence debate usually accomplish several things, none of which are favorable to them.
• The victim of their threat becomes sympathetic and the undecided will rally to their support.
• Threats will strengthen the resolve of the courageous. The victim becomes more steadfast than ever.
• It demonizes the very cause the perpetrator was promoting, painting everyone as militant fanatics.
Threats under the guise of anonymity are the acts of the cowardly and stupid.
Unfortunately, as the great country philosopher Ron White pointed out, “You can’t fix stupid.”
Paul Whitehead
Tremont
Tremont students bring
pride to loyal supporter
Dear editor,
As I sat down to write a simple letter to tell the students of Tremont High School how very proud I am of them, so many thoughts and emotions filled me that I just had to try my best to express them.
First, to the students who were interviewed by WCBI - you rock! Most people your age would have just said forget it when the first tear fell, but as I watched you try to compose yourself just enough to speak to the camera, the prouder I became. (I do wish I could have hugged you up and tried to take away some of the pain.) Even though the lady told you that you could stop and start all over, you were never ashamed of your tears and kept going. My only wish would be for everyone to be able to see all that I saw, not just the edited versions that made it to the news. If everyone had the same passion for keeping Tremont School open, we would have nothing to worry about. Of course, I realize that you are not alone, that you were only seven of a school and community full of “fighting Eagles.” It just amazes me to see these young people taking charge and standing firm in their beliefs and not backing down! I want to mention one other thing while I am on this subject, and that is how the students are meeting, at least once a week for a prayer for their school … organized by the students.
I know it has already been said, but I would like to say again, these decisions that are being made are not just affecting the students, teachers and parents. It is affecting our entire community. I have not been blessed with children, and I have been asked why I even care. Over the years, I have always participated in as many activities as I can, and I can honestly say that I love those kids like they were my own. I am ready every October for Halloween week and love it when it’s time to get ready for the homecoming parade, not for all the hard work, not for the money raised to make repairs on the school buildings, but for the children and for the effect that those two events have on our community as a whole. It breaks my heart to think of someone taking “my babies” away, and I pray that the school board would keep in mind just who all this will affect.
Again, I want to say how proud I am to be a part of such a wonderful community.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Windy Brewer Abbott
Tremont Town Clerk and Proud Eagle
Why tamper with success?
Dear editor,
I am a concerned citizen of Itawamba County and Tremont and to make a long story short, I am going to tell you what I think of Tremont High School.
I attended and graduated from Tupelo High School and ICC. My children have attended and graduated from Tremont High School.
My oldest son, Nathan is working for Walmart in Loss/Prevention and my youngest son, Neal is also working for Walmart in Loss /Prevention, but he was also in the Marines and went to Iraq and fought for our country. My daughter, Tasha, is a social worker in Huntsville, working for the Madison County Mental Retardation Center.
All of my children have done very well for themselves after leaving Tremont School, and I give the credit to our great school and teachers. They played baseball and basketball and were all in homecoming their senior year. Tasha was on the annual staff and editor and in many other clubs. She was chosen Miss THS.
When I attended Tupelo High, I was on the newspaper staff only - you know why? I was not the best to play sports or to be in homecoming or to be Miss THS at Tupelo or any part of the social activities of the school otherwise. We did not have the name or the funds to be part of the best.
My kids were able to be part of all of this because you don’t have to have money to be a part of the Tremont High School functions. All you need to do is just be a all-around good student and you can participate in anything at Tremont. My kids played sports from the time they were in grammer school to high school as long as they wanted to do it.
Do you know what I would have given to play basketball or softball at Tupelo? I would have been good at them, and I know that now. But then I would not have considered at all because only the best played.
Please do not close the school that gives so many children opportunities to play sports and be a big part in the school functions plus the great education our children get from coming to a small school and getting such one-on-one help from the great teachers who care about the students so much.
We have had great students who have graduated from Tremont High School and continued their educations to become teachers, employers, lawyers, judges, social workers, administrators, doctors and etc. We could continue on and on. So please keep Tremont School for children like mine who have made wonderful decisions with the help of Tremont High School. I love Tremont High School and thank God for it.
Shelia M. Garrett
Tremont
Tremont school – we love it!
Dear editor,
As transfer students from IAHS and Tupelo High School, we think closing Tremont is a critical mistake in many ways. Transferring to Tremont has had a positive impact on our lives because of the ideals it has instilled in us that were absent at a larger school. It has made us realize exactly how far we can go in our lives. Here, we have had a chance to succeed in activities that we were not able to participate in at our former shcools, such as athletics, clubs and other school-related activities. After we moved to Tremont, we had a chance to be a part of the Tremont Eagles boys’ basketball, baseball, cross country and bowling teams. We have had the opportunity to experience sports we had never considered before and developed a love for them in the process, which we would never have been able to do at our old, much larger schools.
At our former schools, we didn’t have the opportunity to be a part of the major sports team because not everyone was given an equal opportunity to become a better athlete. Although we may not be star athletes, we have continued to become better athletes and learn the valuable life lessons that sports can teach, such as leadership, respect for others and work ethic.
While Tremont athletics has not earned the respect that other schools have, we are continuing to get better each day, with the help of such great coaches as Brady Ramey, Jeremy Pierce, Jamie Edwards, Clint Vanasselberg, Traci Crenshaw, Tamara Todd, Sandy Johnson and D.J. Chumbley. Closing Tremont would cancel the opportunity to show other schools how much better our athletics have become. Between the two of us, we have played all major sports at Tremont, and every day we continue to get better at each one, whether it be basketball, where we broke a 70-game losing streak; baseball, where we are now tied for second place in the division; or bowling, where in its first year, we finished fourth in the state.
One impact that sports has on the school is the financial assistance that it gives the school. With more wins than ever before, fan attendance is increasing, and revenue is skyrocketing, bringing more money to the school than it ever has.
Tremont provides more than just athletic opportunities; it provides academic and social opportunities as well. At Tremont, teachers seem to be more caring about their students, and every teacher seems to go out of his or her way to ensure that we obtain the best education possible. During our time at Tremont, we have flourished because of the limitless opportunities we have here for individual and small-group instruction. Students at Tremont have a stronger relationship with teachers than at larger schools, and we believe that because of this, students have a stronger desire to succeed. Seeing these wonderful teachers, along with our great coaches, dedicated administrators, and caring staff possibly unemployed next year is a thought that we can’t fathom.
As seniors, we can see Tremont doing great things in the future because of the seeds we have been planted this school year. If left open, Tremont will flourish in the next few years because of our great coaches and extraordinary teachers. With the increased revenue from sports, there will be more money for better supplies, such as new desks, computers, textbooks and other necessary classroom items.
We simply ask you to give Tremont a chance. Even today, as you read this, we are continuing to grow, learn and achieve. We chose to attend Tremont for our senior year, and neither one of us regrets our decision. We love our school dearly and would do almost anything to ensure that it will be here in years to come.
Sincerely,
Justin B. Hale and
Matthew B. Hare
Tremont seniors
Healthcare reform not Socialism
Dear editor,
Jamie McFadden says he is for Obamacare and admits it is a socialist plan. The Obama government is also now admitting the goal is “socialism.” Anywhere in the world that socialism has been tried, it failed. The government always, in time, takes over and enslaves the people. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We see terrible corruption in our government now; when socialism is completed, it will be horrible. Some people think “socialism” is just another word but when we are powerless and living under the whip, we won’t think so.
It was stated we should go the “European” route to socialist health care. In our country, when someone is sick, they can go see the doctor. In Europe, the government is between you and the doctor; there are extended waiting lines, and because of cost, the government decides the care you need.
We all know health care is too expensive, and there are ways of fixing the problem without giving the government control of our economy. That’s what it is all about; government take over of the economy, not health care for the people.
Jimmie Lucas
Tremont
Good job in standing against immorality
Dear editor,
As a former resident and pastor of Itawamba County, I would like to commend the Itawamba County School Board and superintendent of education for standing on Christian principles as given in God's Word. Our nation needs Christians to stand against immoral sins of today. All pastors and churches should support these leaders. The Bible says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so." Psalm 107:2. It's time for Christians to stand up and speak out!
Bro. S.E. O'Brian
Green Cove Springs, Florida
If it has failed every time it's been tried because "the government takes over and enslaves people," how come it's still humming along just fine in Sweden and Norway? How come the government of Canada hasn't enslaved its people yet?
You are wrong about access to health care. In the United States, when people are sick, the RICH and the INSURED go and see doctors. The poor either die of perfectly preventable diseases or go into bankruptcy to pay for their care. Are you seriously proud that a wealthy nation like your own allows this to happen?
Your understanding of Europe is a joke. The government is not "between you and the doctor," and the government does not "decide the care you need." The only difference between Europe and the USA is that, in Europe, you get the health care need for free, because people believe that you should be entitled to your health regardless of whether you're rich or poor. And no matter what you've been told about line-ups for treatment, I can assure you, as a Canadian, that if I need to see I doctor, I can go to a walk-in, no-appointment-necessary clinic right this second, free of charge. And if I need emergency surgery, I'll be in the hospital in minutes...also free of charge.
All that stuff you get told about how "terrible" the systems in Canada and Europe are is just propaganda from insurance companies who have been bilking you for millions for years and who are pissed of at losing the opportunity.
They must rejoice that America is full of people as stupid as you are who will fight tooth and nail for the right to be fleeced by profit-seeking corporations and who will scream bloody murder at a government that tries to do what's genuinely good for people.
"Oh my god! Don't do it! It's socialism! Whatever the hell that means! It must be bad!"
You people are priceless.
Socialism is not an all-or-nothing proposition any more than any other political ideology is. The United States is so far from being a socialist country that it's hysterical to hear people even suggesting that Obamacare is socialist. When your government raises your taxes to 50% of your income and starts running all the hospitals, banks, daycare programs, quit-smoking programs and other social services, then we'll talk about socialism.
All that happened with Obamacare is that your country finally became a tiny bit civilized.
Bigotry, especially when it's back by religion, has been condemned by every court in the land, and bigotry based on sexual orientation and gender identity is no exception.
This is the 21st century, SE time to join it and it's discovery that sexual orientation and gender identity is just as much a part of humanity as hair and eye colr, as well as handedness.