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TODAY'S ISSUE
Eyewitness gives account of rally against Iraqi war
By James Bray
Special to GwinnettForum.com

NEWBORN, Ga. March 22, 2005 -- Military families, Iraq Veterans against the War, and Veterans for Peace, spoke out against the war in Iraq in Fayetteville N.C., home of Ft. Bragg, on March 19 to show support for these families who do not want to fight with President Bush and his vision of empire.

At least 3,000 people were on hand protesting against the war. Demonstrators carried hundreds of signs declaring "End the War Now" and "Bring Our Troops Home Now." (Information on the march and rally is at www.ncpeacejustice.org). Security was present…from nine states, though all I saw was peaceful. About 20 hecklers were protesting the demonstration. There were no incidents, and no one was arrested in the area where I was.

Those in North Carolina who drew this together are to be commended. Two busloads of people from the International Action Center in Atlanta were present.

The most beautiful aspect I saw was a two-block long "Peace Dove," made of white sheets. It took about 12 people to hold it up, It was assembled on bamboo posts and stood about 10 feet high.

Why the protest? More than 1,400 U.S., soldiers have died in Iraq and more than 10,000 soldiers have been wounded casualties are now nearly 1,000 a month. Because of the nature of the fighting in Iraq a high percentage of the injuries are serious and permanently disabling. More than 18,000 Iraq civilians (more than five times the number of Americans killed on September 11) have died in the war.

The terrible events of September 11 have been used as an excuse to dismantle our own civil liberties and as a justification for the war in Iraq. There is no connection between Iraq and September 11. There were no weapons of mass destruction. Far from "Mission accomplished," the chaos in Iraq is rising---the number of attacks on U.S. troops every month has more than doubled in the last year. Americans are seen as occupiers, not liberators. The more brutal our actions, the more brutal the response will be. President Bush was wrong to invade Iraq. You can't correct a mistake by repeating it.

Resistance to the war is growing within the military: more than 5,000 troops have already deserted, and military recruitment efforts--which target poor youth and people of color--are falling short. To quote Martin Luther King "Our government would ignore needed domestic programs as long as war continues to draw men and money like some demonic destructive suction tube."

My nephew is a career Marine, who has spent two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and is scheduled to be sent back in six months. This is just one of the reasons I am passionate against the war. He is against the war, too but must go back.

The media is just beginning to realize the growth of the anti-war movement. We are so polarized as a country, and only God knows what will happen. I support the troops and our military, but this is a senseless war. We need a peaceful end to it.

We, the people, civilian and military families alike, declare that Bush has no mandate to pursue an illegal occupation in Iraq and ignore human needs at home. We demand an end to the Iraq war/occupation and fund health care, Social Security, and education here at home. We must put a stop to this war machine. In this, the richest country in the world, soldiers return home from war to an uncertain economic future. The President says "Bring them on." But it is our loved ones that are facing the bullets and we say "Bring Them Home!"

ELLIOTT BRACK
It's great to be living in such a vibrant county as Gwinnett
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

MARCH 22, 2005 -- So much is going on in Gwinnett County these days that it staggers the mind. It's hard to keep up with all that is happening.

Perhaps I am just remembering Gwinnett as it was before, when it was much smaller, much simplier, but let's face it, much more difficult in some ways.

We sometimes forget that before 1984, if we wanted to go to Sears or Rich's, it was a trip out of the county. If we wanted decent restaurants, another driving trip. If we wanted significant recreation, there were not the myriad of parks we have close to us now. Swimmers made daily trips to practice into DeKalb County (remember the Dynamos?).
We didn's have the indoor pools for them to practice year-round

That was before we had many left turn lanes at traffic intersections, which speeds the traffic flow. Traffic was bad, not just on interstates, since our secondary roads were nearly all only two lanes, impeding the flow.

That was before lots of jobs relatively close to us, though many Gwinnettians still make a significant trek to their jobs. But today there are 291,859 jobs in Gwinnett (Georgia Department of Labor, 2003.) The county wasn't always in such good shape for jobs.

That's a meager review, but many of you remember such days. But look at Gwinnett today, and you are flooded with first one significant change after another, most of them positive. Most of this is because of the influx of so many more people, who yes, bring the congestion, but also bring funding to pay for these improvements.

These days, virtually every weekend, there is some sort of event, often charitable in nature, for you to attend. These fund many of the amenities of Gwinnett, whether in the arts, in medicine, in schools, or church, or other elements of society. The recent Hi-Hope Ball, the annual Heart Run, the upcoming Jazzy Cajun, the always-big Relay for Life, the Crusader's Ball…..all have become significant events. Each year new events come onto the scene.

Even during the week, there are meeting that have overflowed the noon hour. Even breakfast is now a finely-tuned time to meet. It helps start the day on a positive note.

Another aspect of Gwinnett is concentrated in our 15 cities, each with their own identity. Nearly all of these are now hosting at least one annual event to bring together the entire larger community than just those living within the city limits. Most communities have one fall and now often another spring festival. Such events help enrich and introduce us one to another.

A significant development in the last few years has been the growing influx of people from other countries, who have been pulled to the United States from all over the world. Gwinnett has become a melting pot of this cultural diversity, to our benefit. Where would the county be without these newcomers?

Some aspects do not change: Gwinnett has for years had a good school system. And even though it continues to grow, the quality is upheld. Now there are also not just more public schools, but a growing private school community to add to the offerings. And each school has annual events that help complicate our calendars.

From time to time, new events crowd in. The success of the Button Bash, held just last weekend, is a good example. Now it is has picked up additional sponsorship, and serves as another way to pull the Gwinnett community together. What is significant about the Button Bash is that it's one of the few events that you attend where no one puts the financial bite on you, something really different these days!

Gwinnett is truly amazing, and getting even more amazing each year. We are thankful to live in such a vibrant community.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's featured sponsor is MTI Whirlpools (Mr. Tubs) of Sugar Hill. MTI specializes in creating luxury acrylic bath and kitchen products offering many customization options, such as the patented "Jentle Jet" jetted laundry sink and the "Fill-Flush" System. This system allows the user to flush out the internal whirlpool lines with the detergent of his choice. With over 100 bathtub, whirlpool and air bath models, 10 kitchen and utility sinks and 25 shower base models available, MTI's selection provides a wide range of shapes, styles and prices suitable for any budget and décor. President of the firm is Kathy Adams. Check out their web site at http://www.mtiwhirlpools.com/.

I know you are soliciting non-needed traffic signals, but let me tell you about an intersection that I predict someone will die at within the next three months if a signal is not placed there immediately. The intersection is Hamilton Mill Road. and Sardis Church Road, close to the Exit 120 on Interstate 85.

There is current construction near that intersection and I believe they'll re-route Sardis Church Rd. and make improvements towards the end of the year. I'm just afraid that'll be too late.

Almost on a daily basis, I witness drivers, many of whom have small children in the car, cheat death at that intersection. I and my neighbors are starting a letter writing campaign to Gwinnett County urging them to install a traffic signal at that intersection immediately. I think you and your readers will agree, the life of a precious child is worth $50,000-$100,000, even if it is only a temporary fix.

We were wondering recently, when did the early left turn arrow, allowing one to turn before the oncoming traffic gets the green light, first come into use?

I remember as a kid in the late 50's before the early turn arrow came into use, a person had to scramble to turn left quickly, often dangerously. Sounds like the Stone Age, doesn't it? This is a nice development, but I cannot find a person who remembers when it began. It's one of those neat things that always seemed to be there but must be of fairly recent origin, maybe 40 years back, 60's or 70's?

And did you notice, a couple of weeks ago the inventor of the interval windshield wiper died. I do not recall the fellow's name. They mentioned him on CBS Sunday Morning. He tried to sell the idea to the big auto makers and they seemed disinterested, even though they were unavailable on cars at the time.

However, they apparently ripped off his idea and he sued and got a few million from Ford and Chrysler. That is a nice feature, to be able to adjust wiper intervals for mist or drizzle conditions.

Anyone out there old enough to remember vacuum wipers? When you let up on the gas, the wipers flapped furiously. When pulling a hill, the wipers would actually stop while you "floorboarded" the accelerator in an underpowered car.

A lot of "little stuff" we take for granted. But traffic, bad as it is, would be a lot worse without the turn arrows, yield signs, right turn on red, and other improvements. Yes, for years you had no help turning left and it was illegal to turn right on a red. Amazing, isn't it.
Marshall Miller, Lilburn

Dear Marshall: We're checking with an expert on the left turn history. But we found this from the Washington Post obituary about Bob Kearns, inventor of the interval wiper: "Kearns had a doctorate in engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and had taught engineering for 11 years at Wayne State University in Detroit. He was no weekend tinkerer. A native of Gary, Ind., he grew up near the giant Ford plant in River Rouge, Mich., and always thought of the auto company as a place that welcomed someone with ingenuity."--eeb

Editor, the Forum:

This is just my own personal opinion of the Theory of Evolution:

If we all came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys running around? If monkeys all came from one cell creatures, why haven't any of these one cell creatures evolved into something else? Why haven't any of the species that man discovered hundreds of years ago, evolved to anything new? Why are they all the same species that they were hundreds of years ago? Another thing, if we all evolved from one cell species, why don't we all look the same?

Evolution absolutely makes no sense, unless you are on hallucinating drugs or something!

I used to have a neighbor that got so drunk that he saw all kinds of wild animals in his front yard. When the cops came out, nothing was there. It's the same with evolution, nothing is there !

Congressman David Scott (D-GA) is participating in the 24th Annual High School Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery. High school students of the 13th District are invited to submit art work for the competition.

The Congressional Art Competition was created in 1982 as a way to showcase the artistic talents of young people throughout the country. To date hundreds of thousands of high school students from around the nation have been able to participate at the local level. The winning entries from last year's successful competition, including a painting by the 13th District's Brandon DeLoach of Lovejoy High School, currently hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol. This year's first-place winner will be invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 14, 2005.

Students may obtain entry packets from their High School Art Teachers. All entries must be delivered to Congressman Scott's Jonesboro District Office located at 173 North Main Street no later than 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 6, 2005.

On Saturday, May 14, 2005, Congressman Scott will host a reception to recognize all participating students of the competition and announce the top three winners at the Arts Clayton Gallery. Residents of the District are invited to come out to support area students and view an exhibit of all of the entries. During last year's reception, scholarships to the Art Institute of Atlanta or the Savannah College of Art and Design were offered as awards to the winners. The Art Institute of Atlanta presented the first prize winner with a $10,000 scholarship, the second prize--a $5000 scholarship, and the third prize--a $2000 scholarship. The Savannah College of Art and Design offered a $3,000 scholarship renewable for up to four years for first prize.

For more information about the Congressional Art Competition, including competition guidelines, contact Chandra Harris at 770-210-5073.

A benefit for the Roy Rogers Memorial Statue Fund and Happy Trails Children's Fund is set in downtown Buford on May 28-30. A vintage car show is being planned, along with an car exhibit from the Georgia Hall of Farm. Live entertainment and games for families are anticipated.

Meanwhile, the event plans an art show open to students from the North Gwinnett area. The winning design will be used to promote the events on posters and t-shirts.

Entries are to be delivered to the Tannery Row Mercantile Artists Colony by April 15. Judging will be by artists of the Buford Artists' Colony at Tannery Row. For photos of the Roy Rogers Statue and more info about the event see the following websites: www.tributeamericanmade.com (statue and history of Buford); www.royrogersautoroundup.com (about the event).

Former Harvard School of Government Dean Joseph S. Nye Jr. gives an insight into what it's like to be a high-level presidential appointee in his first novel, "The Power Game: A Washington Read." Nye, a former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Clinton Administration, tells the story of Peter Cutler, a professor-turned-State Department official who battles bureaucrats and politicos in an effort to halt nuclear proliferation. Not only does the book explore loyalty in personal and professional relationships, it offers a backdrop of power mixed with a little fly-fishing. Upon finishing the novel, one may fell a little unsatisfied. But further reflection reveals the ending more closely mirrors real life than books where everything works out like you want it to.

ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBIT
3/22: C-5 Galaxy aircraft made in Marietta can carry 135 tons

The Lockheed-Georgia C-5 Galaxy can carry 135 tons of cargo, making it the largest production aircraft built in the United States and a vital part of any military action in which large amounts of material need to be airlifted around the world. It has a wingspan of just under 223 feet (compared with just over 195 feet for Boeing 747s; and is 247 feet long and 65 feet high. It has four engines; each engine pod is nearly 27 feet long and capable of producing 43,000 pounds of thrust. Until the release of the Soviet Antonov An-124 Condor in 1982, the C-5 was the largest and heaviest plane in operation.

The first C-5, built at Lockheed-Georgia (now Lockheed Martin) in Marietta, first flew in 1968. Delivery to the U.S. Air Force started in 1970 with the C-5A model and ended in March 1989 with the C-5B model. In 1998 dollars, each C-5A cost about $152.8 million, and each C-5B cost about $179 million.

At the turn of the century the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command had 126 C-5s in operation. The plane was designed for carrying large amounts of cargo and personnel. Its upper deck can carry 96 passengers and crew members. At both ends of the aircraft large doors can swing open to the cargo deck, and two rows of vehicles can drive on and off at the same time. This lower cargo deck can carry a wide range of cargoes, such as a 74-ton folding mobile scissors bridge; or two M1-A1 Abrams main battle tanks; or seven UH-1 Huey helicopters; or 270 personnel (reserved for emergencies and special operations); or 135 tons of cargo.

With refueling it can fly as long as crew fatigue allows; therefore the planes commonly carry relief crews, and six bunks are located near the cockpit for the off-duty crew to rest.

In January 1999 the $454 million C-5 avionics modernization program (AMP) was awarded to Lockheed Martin at Marietta. In 2001 Lockheed Martin was also awarded a $1.1 billion contract for the system development and demonstration phase of the C-5 reliability enhancement and reengineering program, which will develop the changes needed to retrofit C-5s with a more reliable and efficient engine that can provide more than 50,000 pounds of thrust.

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone."

-- Chinese author and philosopher, Lin Yutang, (1895-1976 ), via Cindy Evans, Duluth.

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