TODAY'S ISSUE
America: Wake up and stop watching trash on television
By Roger Hagen
Special to GwinnettForum.com

(Editor's note: The author is a native of California, and has manages a telecommunications firm in Atlanta. He has lived in Atlanta since 1995 and is a board member of Deerbrook Homeowner's Association in Lilburn. -eeb)

LILBURN, Dec. 7, 2004 -- A recent letter in the Gwinnett Forum from Roy McCreary of Dacula concerned the trash which poses as entertainment on cable TV these days. While I generally agree with his assessment of the degenerative nature of television programming in general, he actually claims there is bestiality on basic cable these days.

Mr. McCreary fails to provide any examples of such bestiality, were it to exist. I think it is equally irresponsible to make such outlandish claims without any references to what I think are false claims about what is on television, as it is to air the trash we see posing as entertainment these days. Television programming has been reduced to the lowest base appeal at a human level.

But let's be fair and lay the blame where it should be laid. Recently on Monday Night Football, ABC ran its usual intro skit but this time they successfully promoted one of their own disgusting shows called Desperate Housewives. In the skit one of the said desperate women from ABC's new show attempts to lure Terrell Owens away from his game ten minutes prior to starting time by dropping her towel and only piece of clothing and jumping into his arms.

While only three complaints were actually received by the Federal Communications Commission, and none sent to ABC the night of the broadcast, the right wing scare mongers went to work in the following days and proceeded to organize a campaign of outrage where none had really existed before. I personally thought the whole thing was a truly tasteless attempt to plug ABC's new show on one of their more popular venues. It worked, as the Nielsen ratings for Desperate Housewives have increased significantly since then and everyone on TV has had a comment on the scene in public. All in all it was great bang for their advertising buck at ABC.

But it was not bestiality. I'd like to challenge Mr. McCreary and the Gwinnett Forum to provide such an example. Does Disney's movie classic of Beauty and the Beast‚ qualify? Please explain this egregious accusation as it lends a lack of credibility to both the Forum and certainly Mr. McCreary's statement.

This type of grandstanding is what removes the focus from the truth, which is that television programming is tasteless as well as mundane and appeals only to the very base of human instincts. It also misses the mark on the source of the problem, which is advertising and the targets of the ads.

The use of sex in advertising has become almost shameless today. The NFL allowed Miller Beer to run ads last year all season long of two women fighting in a pool with nothing but underwear on. I have not yet seen a commercial for shaving cream or electric shavers where sex is not the focus. One woman complained after last year's Super Bowl halftime wardrobe malfunction that the real problem she had was explaining to her four year old daughter what a four hour erection was after the little girl had seen one of the plethora of erectile dysfunction ads.

There has been a slow erosion of truth in advertising over the past 50 plus years. I won't even go into the latest fad of so called "reality television." But let's keep the truth out front and maybe we can effect change not by screaming at the FCC and hoping for fines to be paid by the multi-billionaire owners of the multi media. This will stop nothing.

Stop watching the trash television shows, America, and stop buying the products of those companies who advertise on these shows. Of course one can always turn the channel or even turn off the box and do something productive with your life.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Hurry to get UGA undergrad degree at campus in Gwinnett
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

DEC. 7, 2004 -- If you want a degree from the University of Georgia, and want to attend classes in Gwinnett, better hurry.

UGA Provost Arnett Mace said recently that the UGA campus at the Gwinnett Universisty Center would not accept undergraduate students after the fall of 2005. This was not unexpected, since by spring, 2008, the University of Georgia must terminate all its undergraduate programs, and the institution is expected to become Gwinnett State College.

Therefore, Mace said, this will give students time to finish school at UGA in Gwinnett before the programs are terminated.

At present, there are 350 UGA undergraduate students at the Gwinnett campus. In addition, there are 640 UGA graduate students. The UGA graduate program at the Gwinnett campus will continue after it becomes Gwinnett State College.

Since its inception in 1987, Gwinnett University Center has operated with Georgia Perimeter College providing undergraduate instruction.

That first year, the Center opened with 732 students. That included 294 from Georgia Perimeter College, 262 taking courses from Georgia State University; and 176 in University of Georgia classes.

Enrollment this fall (2004) was 8,000 total students at the campus, with approximately 7,000 of them Georgia Perimeter students. Another 50 students, 25 each, are enrolled in Southern Polytechnical or Medical College of Georgia classes.

Growth of enrollment at the Gwinnett campus has, in reality, been nothing less than spectacular. Students have increased by 1,000 in the last two years, with 7,023 enrolled in fall 2003, and 6,004 in fall, 2002. Acting President Rob Watts says that the enrollment has been "quite dramatic."

The Gwinnett campus now ranks as the ninth largest (of 34) campuses in Georgia. It has its sights on moving up the ladder, as both Valdosta State and West Georgia universities have enrollments of approximately 10,000.

There is one other hurdle for Gwinnett State college. While the Board of Regents have recommended its establishment, still the Georgia Legislature must give its stamp of approval. It is expected to be a topic for the coming Legislature. With Gwinnett voting Republican over the last few years, and Republicans now in control of the Legislature, it's anticipated that the approval will be coming this spring. Then there's one other formality: the first president of Gwinnett State College is expected to be named by the Regents to take office about July 1, 2005.

Meanwhile, the student growth of the Gwinnett campus causes a major problem: space. The College currently has two facilities, the 110,000 square feet in its signature building, designed by John Portman. It also leases 124,000 square feet in its main classroom building, the "L" shaped facility between the Portman building and Highway 316, which the college will own in 20 years through a lease-purchase agreement.

The campus seeks to get around the current space problem with ingenuity and innovation, as Rob Watts says, by "stretching the day." One accounting class begins at 6:30 a.m., while some classes do not end until 11 a.m. at night. There are also Saturday classes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The campus hopes for relief with a $25 million 14-classroom building of 30,000 square feet. But this is way down (No. 21) on the Regent's priority list. Groundbreaking on this building is perhaps 3-5 years out. Besides classrooms, the campus is also crowded on faculty offices, with many sharing office space.

All in all, the Gwinnett University Center is like many other aspects of Gwinnett: exploding with growth, and anticipating more students each year, as it moved toward being its own college campus.

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FEEDBACK
12/7: Greening of university area may be at root of proposal

Editor, the Forum:

One of Bill Clinton's first acts in office was the infamous "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, intended to protect gays from discrimination.

University of Georgia President Michael Adams has attempted to use the same premise while turning the concept completely upside down. Adams favors not only asking and telling on race and ethnicity (one race only), but promises to use that information to discriminate in favor of one race over all others for admission to UGA.

This is similar to the infamous bumper sticker, "diversity just happens." Using it as a cover to manipulate college admissions is criminal. I suspect that money lies at the root of Michael Adams' compassion, likely the federal variety, and his intentions are to pave the streets of Athens in a homogeneous shade of green.

-- Brian Luders, Duluth

NEWS
"Drugs don't work" firms eligible for insurance savings

Start the New Year off right, become a member of the "Drugs Don't Work" Program, and save your company money!

The "Drugs Don't Work" Program will help your company receive certification as a drug-free workplace, which will allow your company to receive a 7.5 percent discount on Workers' compensation premiums in Georgia.

Here's why firms get a savings:

1. Simply stated, drug-free employees have fewer accidents.
2. The injuries they do have are generally less severe.
3. Drug-free employees have fewer absences from work.
4. Drug-free employees are more likely to effectively communicate with their employers-and vice versa.
5. Companies with drug-free employees frequently have less turnover.
6. Certified drug-free workplaces in Georgia receive a 7.5 percent discount on workers' comp insurance premiums!

Drug-free certification is a simple five-step process. For more information on how your company can achieve drug-free workplace certification, contact Delaine Snell at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce at (770) 232-8812 or delaine@gwinnettchamber.org.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION
From Cindy Evans, Duluth

"My husband and I both read The Two Sides of Love by Gary Smalley and John Trent. It was extremely interesting and insightful and really helps with relationships. The knowledge can be applied in marriages, family, friends and even work relationships. I don't know of anyone who couldn't benefit from the information and stories shared.

"We are both now reading Love is a Decision by the same authors."

• An invitation: What books have you enjoyed? Send us your best recent book along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus what you plan to read next. --eeb
  

ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBIT
12/7: Fort Stewart is largest military installation in eastern USA

Fort Stewart is located about 40 miles west of Savannah. It was created in 1940 as an antiaircraft training facility. In 2004 the 280,000-acre facility, the largest in area in the eastern United States, is the base for the Third Infantry Division (Mechanized) and the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Rapid Deployment Force. Hunter Army Airfield, located at Savannah, is also part of the fort.

The effort to locate the antiaircraft training facility to the Savannah area was led by U.S. congressman Hugh Peterson of Ailey. In the spring of 1940 he introduced a bill that led to the creation of the facility. The new installation was named Camp Stewart, after General Daniel Stewart, a Revolutionary war hero from Liberty County.

The government acquired the first tract of land in July 1940. A location one mile from the small town of Hinesville was selected as the main entrance to the facility. The land was level and the climate favorable for year-round training. The V-shaped layout of the camp assured maximum safety for firing practice-200,000 acres were needed for the primary firing ranges. When all of the land was secured, the installation encompassed almost half of Liberty County and parts of four other counties: Bryan, Evans, Long, and Tattnall. Three small villages-Clyde, Taylor's Creek, and Willie-were soon abandoned. The Department of Agriculture estimated that more than 1,500 families were displaced by the camp.

During World War II (1941-45) Camp Stewart was also used as a training site for other personnel and as a prisoner of war camp. In 1943 a section of the reservation was used to hold German and Italian prisoners of war (POWs) captured in the North African campaign.

With the start of the Korean War in the summer of 1950, the camp was reactivated. After the end of hostilities in Korea in 1953, Camp Stewart remained active as a tank training facility and received the permanent status of fort in 1956. Although there was some discussion about closing the facility in the 1960s, the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and the Vietnam War (1964-75) ensured its continued operation. In the 1980s the facility became the home for the military's 24th Infantry Division, Mechanized Rapid Deployment Force.

The former World War II antiaircraft artillery training facility is used in the 21st century for tank, field artillery, helicopter gunnery, and small arms training. Almost 16,000 military personnel are currently stationed at the fort, and more than 3,000 civilians are employed by the military.

• To access the Georgia Encyclopedia, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
  

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
We all must have patience, for principles are at stake

"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolved, and the people recovering their true sight, restoring their government to its true principles. It is true, that in the meantime, we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war, and long oppressions of enormous public debt. ... If the game runs sometimes against us at home, we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost. For this is a game where principles are the stake."

-- Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1798, via Howard Fore of Atlanta.

• Another invitation: What's your favorite saying? Share with others through GwinnettForum. Send to elliott@gwinnettforum.com.
  

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