By Staff
Sela Ward's Homesick'
To the editor:
I want to commend The Meridian Star on a very nice review of Sela Ward's book, "Homesick." I bought the book last week and read it over the weekend, truly enjoying every word from this talented actress and accomplished woman. Sela is coming to Dallas/Ft. Worth this week as well, and I'm excited to meet her and discuss that point about getting back to one's roots. I was really struck by her remarks, because of their accuracy in my case as well.
I was one of the campaign leaders trying to save Once And Again. One of my duties was signing the contracts for the three trade ads as well as the billboard in West Hollywood. I wish we had been successful in our efforts, but Sela's memoirs clearly showed just how much was on her platter.
Marc Levenson
Ft. Worth, Texas
Bush takes courageous stand against Saddam
To the editor:
President Bush should be applauded for taking a courageous stand against Saddam Hussein's outlaw regime and its reckless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. As the president noted in his recent address to the nation, the riskiest option for dealing with Iraq is to do nothing. Inaction would only give Saddam Hussein time to complete his malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons and would embolden tyrants and terrorists everywhere.
Acting now to disarm Saddam Hussein, using military force if necessary, is the only way we will keep America safe from weapons of mass destruction that fall into the hands of freedom's enemies.
President Bush is right our nation cannot let world events be dictated by brutal and lawless dictators.
Gene Bond
Union
On Meridian's high gas prices
To the editor:
Gas prices. I have written letters to the editor before questioning local gasoline prices. We are a terminal for the gas pipelines and why is gas higher in price than anywhere around here. We went to the game in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday and gas over there was ten cents per gallon lower than Meridian.
Bill Stallworth
Meridian
Applauds Shows
To the editor:
On Oct. 13, you published a letter by Rep. Steve Buyer that minimized the vital role Congressman Ronnie Shows played in restoring the promise of lifetime health care for our nation's military retirees. I'd like to set the record straight.
Congressman Shows sponsored two bills in the 106th Congress (H.R. 2966 and H.R. 3573) to restore health care coverage to military retirees. Endorsed by the leading military and veterans organizations and cosponsored by 290 and 305 Democrats and Republicans respectively, these bills were the focal point of the grassroots effort that forced Congress to confront the issue.
As members of the Blue Dog Coalition, Congressman Shows and I crafted a budget alternative that provided $16.3 billion for military health care. In contrast, the Republican Budget Resolution proposed to study the issue and set aside only $400 million over five years for improving military retiree health care  far below what was needed to pay for Tricare for Life.
Congressman Buyer proposed merely to extend existing retiree health care demonstration projects for three more years. Over the objection of the Republican leadership, I offered an amendment to provide military retirees with health care on a permanent, nationwide basis. My amendment prevailed by a vote of 406-10. The House also rejected an attempt by Congressman Buyer to substantially weaken my proposal.
This vote put pressure on the Senate to follow suit. As a result of the efforts of Ronnie Shows and others, the final Defense Authorization bill established, in TFL, the permanent entitlement to health benefits that had long been promised to military retirees.
Although he ultimately came around, Mr. Buyer was a reluctant warrior. Ronnie Shows was with the military retirees from the beginning to the end of the battle to provide them their promised health benefits.
Gene Taylor
Member of Congress, Mississippi
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Military Procurement
House Armed Services Committee
MCC Cares Day a big success
To the editor:
We want to thank Meridian Community College and its students for sponsoring MCC Cares Day. About 25 students came to Oakland Heights Elementary School last Thursday and provided many needed services to our school.
Dr. Jeannette Murphy and Kenneth Carroll were the MCC instructors sponsoring the students. Some of the students read with children and helped with office duties. The majority of the students helped with yard beautification. They planted flowers donated by the Oakland Heights' PTA, cleaned out the greenhouse, cleaned the established flower beds, raked and cleaned the grounds.
This was also a good opportunity to mentor to the students of Oakland Heights, demonstrating to them that "It takes a village to raise a child." It also exemplified good citizenship and leadership activities to the younger students.
Thank you again for your service to our school.
Mrs. Margorie Alexander
School Site Coordinator
Mrs. Georgia Jackson, Teacher
Mrs. Lynn Florriech, Teacher
Meridian