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In Tuesday's GwinnettForum, an article about the English language was attributed to one person, and now we learn that the original piece was written by another, way back in 1989.

We have learned from a reader in Palo Alto, Calif. that the original author is Dr. Richard Lederer, an English scholar, now living in San Diego, Cal., where he is a writer, lecturer, and public radio host. He is the author of 19 books, and an expert on the English language. His original four part series on "Crazy English" was picked up by Reader's Digest several years ago. It has circled the world many times on the Internet, often attributed to others.

For more information on Dr. Lederer, go to www.verbivore.com. GwinnettForum regrets this error.

TODAY'S ISSUE
Congressman Scott disturbed by recent FCC action
By U.S. Rep. David Scott
13th District of Georgia
Special to GwinnettForum.com

JUNE 6, 2003 -- I am very disappointed and deeply disturbed by the recent action taken by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to weaken media ownership restrictions.

Our great country was founded on several important freedoms, none of which are more important than the freedom of the press and freedom of expression. This action by the FCC restricts these freedoms by concentrating media ownership in just a few hands.

This decision effectively thwarts differences of opinion and viewpoints while limiting the expression of true community interests and values from being expressed. Small business owners and entrepreneurs will have little chance of media ownership and Americans will have far fewer different sources of news and information.

Immediately after the FCC took this unwise action, I took to the floor of Congress and I strongly spoke out against this decision. We in Congress must over turn this unfair FCC rule. Our failure to do so will result in perhaps, as few as six major corporations in complete control of our news information, opinions, music, and entertainment as well as veto power over what our families watch, hear, and read.

I am concerned with several changes in the rules, especially the rule that increases the national television ownership gap reaching 35 percent of the U.S. population to 45 percent of U.S. population. I am also concerned with the "cross-ownership" rule, which restricts one company from owning television stations, radio stations, and newspapers in the same market, would be eliminated for most of the country. Finally, the "duopoly" rule, which limits ownership of multiple TV stations within a single market, would be revised to allow ownership of two stations in a six-station market and three stations in larger markets by one owner.

Our local broadcasters and local newspapers are essential voices in our nation's political discourse and the economic and cultural life of our local communities. We must protect these vital voices. When smaller radio and TV stations and newspapers are bought up, jobs and business opportunities are lost. What is going on with the local school board, the city council meetings, the state legislature and other local events is every bit as important and essential to local communities as what is happening nationally.

Thankfully, any FCC regulation can be overturned by Congressional action. In this regard, I am cosponsoring H.R. 2052, the Burr-Dingell bill. This legislation will preserve the 35 percent national television and newspaper ownership gap.

The FCC's rule is only the opening salvo in a long debate over how much media consolidation should be allowed in communities across America. Because increasing media consolidation restricts small business ownership, local community coverage, diversity of opinions and ultimately freedom of the press, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to overturn this FCC decision to ensure that the American people have the broadest diversity of access and ownership possible in the media.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Change in school police reporting central to recent flap
By Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com

JUNE 6, 2003 -- There's an underlying philosophical position that is part of the recent flap concerning Gwinnett County's School Board under-reporting of statistics to the Georgia Department of Education.

It was back during Alton Crews' tenure as school superintendent that it was decided to start having a policeman within the school. When this procedure began, the officers selected were required to have a college degree and at least 10 years police experience to join the school force.

At the beginning, the school police were not part of each school's staff, but reported to higher administrative authorities within the school system. It is important to note that at the beginning, they did not work under, nor report to, the school principal. This is a key point.

Later on, during George Thompson's tenure as school superintendent, the school police became known as "school resource officers." Then when Sid Faucette was school superintendent for a short time, prior to his resigning under pressure, a major change took place.

It was Dr. Faucette who decided that the resource officers should be supervised and report to individual principals. It apparently was a decision based on "control" and practicality, since the officers worked at that school. This may not seem to be a major item but it can have a far greater impact than it may seem at first blush. Dr. Faucette wanted all administrative matters, including policing, the responsibility of principals.

Before Dr. Faucette made the change, any disturbance involved something deemed against the law was handled by school police through the criminal justice system. School matters that did not involve breaking of the law was handled by the principals and proceeded through school discipline channels.

However, with the resource officer supervised by the principal, you see the possibility of pressure arising in some "close-call" incidents. The upshot could be less criminal infractions, more matters handled by the school authorities, and fewer cases reported to higher criminal justice authorities.

Never think that many students are not disciplined by the schools when school infractions occur. But how many of those matters should have been referred to the criminal justice system rather than handled by the schools?

For the record, understand that once a student is the subject of a discipline matter within the school system, there are formal rules which apply. The School Board can conduct hearings, a tribunal can be concerned, and the students can be strongly disciplined. Items coming before such review are not considered criminal in nature, but have been deemed as breaking school regulations, not breaking the law.

You can see that a possible conflict of interest can arise by the determination of how individual cases are handled.

Our School Board may not have realized the impact of the decision made years ago by Sid Faucette. It is part of the reason Gwinnett has been singled out in these school matters, and could be the key to the eventual outcome of the situation.

McLEMORE'S WORLD

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NEWS
Gwinnett Magazine cops honors in the Southeast

Gwinnett Magazine was recently recognized for its editorial and design excellence by the Magazine Association of Georgia and the Southeast. Bringing home a gold and two bronze awards, Gwinnett Magazine competed with over 300 other publications in the association's annual GAMMA Awards competition.

For its May/June 2002 feature written by Frances Maguire Paist, "A Survivor's Story: An inspirational triumph over breast cancer," Gwinnett Magazine was awarded the highest honor, gold, in the Best Feature category.

The magazine captured a bronze award for Best Single Cover for the July/August 2002 issue featuring education in Gwinnett, and another bronze award was brought home in the General Excellence category. This category judges the publication over the course of a year in areas such as overall quality, design, writing and content.

Gwinnett Magazine was founded nearly five years ago as a business and lifestyle publication focusing on Gwinnett County. The magazine has a readership of more than 100,000 and is highly regarded among the business, political, civic and education leaders of the county.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
A consideration on looking at your fellow man

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him."

-- Galileo Galilei, Renaissance legend

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