Roses and thorns
A rose to all the fathers out there on this day set aside to celebrate the importance a father plays in the lives of his children. Father’s Day is not quite the emotional celebration that we find in Mother’s Day. In fact, we tend to remember dads on this day for who they really are than the ideal that we imagine them to be. And that’s fine with us dad. As Mark Twain once wrote: “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” Happy Fathers Day!
A rose to all those who participated in Saturday’s Great Tombigbee Duck Race. Proceeds from the fund-raiser go to Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity. Now in its 25th year, the local Habitat chapter is currently in the process of building its 42nd house in the community. Habitat helps people who, for a variety of reasons are unable to purchase a home. The prospective home-owner takes classes and provides sweat equity while Habitat uses the money it raises from events such as the duck race to buy all the building materials. With the help of volunteers, Habitat constructs new homes at no cost to the home-owner. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built or restored more than 800,000 houses nationwide.
A thorn to the Starkville Police Department for its dubious investigations into parody Twitter accounts that have targeted city aldermen Roy A. Perkins, Henry Vaughn and David Little. Although SPD insists no complaints had been made to their department (an assertion we find difficult to swallow), the SPD says it will continue to use its discretion in deciding whether to investigate parody Twitter accounts directed as public officials in the city. If board members are held up to ridicule, it should be considered an occupational hazard. Clearly, the only thing that is hurt by these accounts are the tender feelings of city officials who routinely earn the mockery directed toward them. This SPD has better things to do than play nurse-maid to a bunch of babies. Can’t stand the heat? There’s the door, aldermen.
A rose to Lowndes County Sheriff Mike Arledge for the compassion he shows toward the female inmates at the county jail. According to a member of a ladies Bible study group that meets with the females inmates each Monday evening, this past week’s gathering was “interrupted” by a visit from Arledge. The Bible study group member said Arledge stayed with the group for close to 45 minutes, encouraging them and telling them that their lives had meaning still and that a happy future was not beyond their grasp. “You could just see in their how encouraged they were by what he said,” she said.
A rose to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, which was named a top hospital by the March of Dimes for its efforts in reducing the number of elective-induced and cesarean section births performed by 39 weeks of pregnancy. The March of Dimes says efforts to bring pregnancies to as near as full term as possible, gives more babies a healthy start in life.
It’s a serious issue in Mississippi, which ranks first in infant mortality.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.