Q&A Panelist Shamsa Ashraf
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Everything (Almost) You Want to Know About Islam
C O M M U N I T Y, Vol. 21 No. 022
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A Long History of Leftist Hatred
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N E W S June 22-29, 2017
LONGVIEW: Muslims Seek Peaceful Co-Existence Islamic Center Packs House, Displays First-Rate Hospitality
By Joycelyne Fadojutimi and Kelly Bell Longview business leader Tariq Bashir also serves as president of the Longview Islamic Center. He is quiet and reserved, and runs a thriving business in the Longview Mall. When his place of worship held an open house, his daughter was one of the volunteers assisting guests in any way needed, answering questions and making sure they felt welcome. The mosque on Amy Road was not built without resistance. “The people in the neighborhood gave us a hard time,” Bashir said. “But God himself did it, and now we get along with each other.” Neighborhood resident Richard McLeroy said people with the “Jesus sign” asked him to sign a petition. He turned them down because of how the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Moreover, they said they would not be doing a prayer call.
See MUSLIMS on Page 3
The Health and Human Services Commission is notifying people about the accidental loss of protected personal information. The breach may affect 1,842 people in the Houston area.
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UT Tyler’s Veteran Aid Program
The University of Texas at Tyler has helped create a beneficial program that gives area business discounts to veterans, Dr. James Lumpkin, College of Business and Technology dean, announced.
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Q & A: Everything
(Almost) You Want to Know About Islam By Joycelyne Fadojutimi and Kelly Bell Abdullah Bayomi commenced the question-and-answer session with a song in Arabic which he translated as, “Do not insult one another, welcome your guests, too much assumption leads to sin.” Panelists who answered questions from the include: one woman and three men namely: Shamsa Ashraf, Answar Khalifa, Abdullah Bayomi and Saleem Shabazz.
QUESTION ON SEPARATION OF THE SEXES IN THE MOSQUE
Why do men and women not worship together? Members are clear on why men and women worshippers are kept separate inside the mosque. Anwar Khalifa of Pyramid Homes in Tyler explains that women worship behind the men to decrease distraction. Dr. LaTonya Goffney
Longview business leader Tariq Bashir, in front of the new Islamic center.
See ISLAM on Page 3
2017 Regional Superintendent Announced
Region 7 Education Service Center has announced that Dr. LaTonya Goffney, Lufkin ISD Superintendent of Schools, has been selected as the 2017 Regional Superintendent of the Year.
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A room inside the center, showing the intricatelydesigned carpet. At left, young women who volunteered for the event: Amna Tariq, Bisma Khan, Noor Khan, Noor Badar, Amber Noman and Sanam Shahid.
Fo r t h e LOR D i s g o o d ; hi s m e rc y i s e v e r l a s t i ng ; an d hi s t r ut h e n d u re t h t o al l g e n e rat i o n s . Ps a l m s 1 0 0 : 5 ( K J V)
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Local News
June 22-29, 2017
Q & A: Everything
(Almost) You Want to Know About Islam From Page 1
Because Muslims bow down to worship, a woman kneeling in the Islamic prayer position could make a man lose his concentration on Allah, and focus on the woman instead. Men are more visually oriented, you see. He pointed out that everyone is created to serve God. We serve God by serving others. Muslims also believe in heaven and hell. “The way to heaven is by God’s grace and mercy,” he said.
QUESTION ON JIHAD
According to Khalifa a jihad is intended to make oneself better. The lesser jihad, he explained, is intended others to help the oppressed. A main path to self-improvement is believed to be for someone to look at how he treats others. He also summarized the migration of Muslims to the United States. There are now about 13 million Muslims living in America. Khalifa (who is of Egyptian ancestry) is a graduate of Texas A&M, and loves his state. “I am a Texan,” he said. Saad Noman is planning to attend medical school, and listed Muslim accomplishments and contributions. These include algebra, medicine and life-long learning. Khalifa explained the five pillars Islam and what it means.
The panelists who answered questions: Shamsa Ashraf, Answar Khalifa, Abdullah Bayomi and Saleem Shabazz
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
1. Shahada: Faith- Believe in Allah 2. Salat: Prayer-Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca 3. Zakāt: Charity-Give away 40% of your earnings at the end of each year while taking care of your immediate family--parents and children. The 40% given away at the end of the year does not include taking care of immediate family members 4. Sawm: Fasting-Fast during Ramadan 5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca if possible in your lifetime
QUESTION ON WOMEN ISSUES
How does Islam treat women? The widespread belief that women are ill-treated in the Islamic world is called into question by how Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan have had female presidents. Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive not because of religious, but cultural considerations. Women are to be well-treated because Islam teaches, “Heaven is at the feet of your mother.” According to Shamsa Ashraf on the panel, Islamic women wear modest apparel for modesty reasons, period. Muslim women practice modesty to such an extent that they avoid eye contact with men. Khalifa explained a man is allowed to marry up to four wives and treat them equally. However, Moslems obey the law of the land where they live. In America for example, you can only have one wife at a time because that is the law of the land. Furthermore, he stressed that no country enforces Sharia laws. He stated, “The killing of infidels is taken out of context. The verses before and after need to be read to understand that it is taken out of context.”
QUESTION ON VIRGIN BIRTH
Do Moslem believe in the Virgin birth? Khalifa also stated that Islam teaches that Jesus Christ was indeed born of a virgin, and that God created the Earth ex-nihilo. Islam denies that Jesus Christ is God. He is, however, Messiah, a creation of God, and He is returning.
QUESTION ON SEGREGATION
Is the day of prayer in the mosque one of the most segregated day like Sunday in the Churches?
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Saleem Shabazz is an African-American, a veteran and a former Christian. He declared that Islam is color-blind. He is one of the leaders in the mosque. “Islam does not see color,” he said. “It looks for the best-qualified person for Allah’s work. I converted to Islam because of the egalitarian position Islam has.”
QUESTION ON TERRORISM
What has ISIS done that Mohammad has not done more? The Iman said ISIS does not represent Muslims. They are killing innocent people, and this is wrong. According to him, Islam does not condone killing anyone. Islam teaches to worship Allah and to live in peace with all others, animals included. He acknowledges that Islam teaches to not drink liquor or eat pork, but admits there are Muslims who do. Khalifa condemned the recent murders of Christians in Egypt. He vehemently denounced the Egyptian government for not doing more to prevent this tragedy. “The governments of Muslim countries should do more to protect innocent citizens from being killed by extremist groups,” he said. “I am ashamed of what happened.” Bayomi said, “Mohammed did not kill his enemies. Rather, he forgave the people who wronged him.”
PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE QUESTION
Did Mohammad allow Christians to worship in mosques when they did not have access to a church? Yes! he did. There was a time in history when the three main world religions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam lived in peace co-existence. Moving the discussion forward, Khalifa said no one should use derogatory terms for others. He recently challenged two persons he overheard using the work “Jew” as a verb. “Jew”, he points out, is a noun, not a verb. “When you hear someone talking derogatorily about someone else, do not participate,” he said. “Better yet-say something.” Shabazz added that when we see everyone else as fellow human beings instead of labeling them, society will be a better place for all of us. Shabazz who has been part of the Longview Interfaith Coalition said he is open-minded to questions pastors and all Christians have on the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam.
QUESTION ON ADULTERY
How does Islam see adultery? Like Christianity, Islam regards adultery as an abomination. Four witnesses are required before anyone can be indicted for adultery. Theft is forgivable for those who steal for such a powerful motive as hunger.
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Local News
June 22-29, 2017
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The house was packed with Longview residents eager to get to know more about Islam and the Islamic center
Tariq Bashir and daughter Amna Tariq
Tayseer Ali, Rehan Tariq, Fahad Noman, Anwar Khalifa, Zain Khen, Saad Noman
LONGVIEW: Muslims Seek Peaceful Co-Existence
From Page 1 “I believe in live and let live,” said McLeroy. “Let them worship the way they want. They don’t bother anyone.” Bashir says some Muslims do give Islam a bad name. “We call these people extremists,” he said. “ We want peace. Everyone wants peace. The people who disrupt peace in the name of Islam are not Muslims.” Bashir reports his congregation is building an open-to-the-public basketball goal. Anyone can use it. The goal of the Center is to reach the community, so they invited the public to the open house. “We want the community to know who we are,” he
said. “We are humans, and we have the same blood flowing in our veins. We respect every religion, and we want to tell the community who we are.” The mosque has emerald green and creme-colored carpets imported from Turkey. They are there because nobody is permitted to wear shoes in the main mosque where prayers are spoken and worshippers listen to the Imam. In addition, the event included a question-and-answer session(see separate stor y). Guest Jean Wheatfall was impressed with the open house. “It was very informative [I’m] quite surprised,” she said. “All I can say is we need to understand each
other. I enjoyed it all” Another guest, Gail Cochrane, lived in Washington for 25 years, and is shocked by the racism prevalent in Longview. “There is so much ignorance about other people and cultures,” she said. “We need to do more of this.” The packed house was delighted by the sumptuous cuisine the hosts provided. There were both Far Eastern and homespun American offerings. Many carried heaping plates home with them. Most important of all, it ended as an evening of genuine fellowship. Guests were armed with true knowledge of Islam; not what news pundits tend to feed their audience for ratings.
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Opinion
June 22-29, 2017
Political Violence: ‘As American as Cherry Pie’
Someday, I hope, I’ll sit a couple of grandkids on my lap and tell them about the days when Americans abstained from political violence and settled all our differences peaceably through the democratic process. Or maybe I’ll pick a different fairy tale. Wednesday’s attack on Republican members of Congress by a gun-wielding Bernie Sanders supporter was an occasion to wonder what we have come to when political differences are seen as grounds for killing. What we have come to, in fact, is the place we have always been. Our history is spattered with the blood of people targeted for political reasons. It goes back to the American Revolution, which we mistily remember as a noble enterprise navigated by high-minded statesmen. In fact, it incorporated terrorism against suspected loyalists, who were subjected to beatings, torture and lynchings. The goal was not merely to punish the guilty but to intimidate those who might share their views. The republic was born in political violence, and political violence has figured prominently in every chapter of our national story. We slaughtered the Indians to make room for whites. We fought a brutal civil war over slavery. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by a political opponent. President William McKinley died in 1901 at the hands of an anarchist; another anarchist fired at President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, missing him but killing the mayor of Chicago. John F. Kennedy was gunned down by a communist sympathizer. His brother fell victim to a Palestinian aggrieved by Bobby’s support for Israel. Martin Luther King was murdered by a white racist. Two different women with political motives tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford. It’s not exactly new for at least a few Americans to see violence as a legitimate way to resolve political disputes. Do you think of the 1950s as a safe, tranquil era? During that decade, civil rights activists
were beaten and killed; King’s home was bombed. In 1954, Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire in the House of Representatives, wounding five members. In the 1960s, radical leftists carried out thousands of bombings, some of them deadly. Blacks rampaged after King was killed, and various groups advocated armed revolution. Violence, announced black militant H. Rap Brown in 1967, “is as American as cherry pie.” Even in our era, it remains a feature of the landscape. Anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people when he bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Attacks on abortion clinics and doctors have long been commonplace; since 1977, according to the National Abortion Federation, there have been 11 murders, 26 attempted murders and 42 bombings. The Anti-Defamation League recently published a study documenting 150 right-wing terrorist acts over the past 25 years. Islamic extremists have committed terrorist attacks from Orlando to San Bernardino. In 2015, neo-Nazi Dylann Roof killed nine people in an African-American
Steve Chapman
church in an attempt to spark a race war. Last year, a black sniper angry over police shootings of black men killed five police officers and wounded nine in Dallas. The case of James T. Hodgkinson, killed by police after he shot four people in Alexandria, Virginia, is shocking but not surprising. Conservatives can blame inflammatory anti-Trump rhetoric, just as
liberals have faulted the president and his supporters for their often threatening tone — both with ample cause. But our political climate has not suddenly grown conducive to bloodshed. Our political climate is perpetually hospitable to extremism. Most Americans, most of the time, have eschewed violence. But there have always been individuals and groups with a fervent faith in the purifying value of guns, ropes and bombs. And there have always been political allies willing to ignore or downplay these dangerous impulses in the interest of a common cause. If we hope to end this habit of violence, we can’t interpret it as the fresh product of new political battles. We can’t take it as a response to Trump, pro or anti. We have to recognize that it has deep, tenacious roots in a political culture created over time by both the left and the right. Violence is part of our collective political DNA. This is one of those moments when we can mourn a mythical time of innocence or acknowledge that America’s good has always been liberally mixed with bad. This grotesque outbreak of political violence was a tragedy, but it was not an aberration. The first step to overcoming our flaws is to admit how deep they go.
The Latest in a Long History of Leftist Hatred
James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, who aspired to end his life as a mass murderer of Republican Congressmen, was a Donald Trump hater and a Bernie Sanders backer. Like many before him, Hodgkinson was a malevolent man of the hating and hard left. His planned atrocity failed because two Capitol Hill cops were at that Alexandria baseball field, pro-
viding security for House Whip Steve Scalise. Had those cops not been there, a massacre would have ensued with many more dead than the gunman. Recall. There were no armed citizens at that Tucson grocery in 2011, when six were murdered and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was gravely wounded along with a dozen others. The nutcase doing the shooting was only wrestled to the
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ground when he dropped a clip trying to reload. The Alexandria attack brings back memories of long ago. A day before my 12th birthday, when I was in Children’s Hospital with a broken leg, my parents brought me the news that Puerto Rican terrorists had just attempted to assassinate Harry Truman at Blair House. A heroic cop, Leslie Coffelt, died stopping them. In my second year in high school, blocks from the Capitol, Puerto Rican nationalists entered the visitor’s gallery of the House and began firing semiautomatic pistols. Five Congressmen were wounded. Democratic politics has often proven a dangerous calling. Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and JFK — one in every 10 of all our presidents — were assassinated. Attending a service for a South Carolina Congressman in the Capitol in 1835, President Jackson survived twin misfires of two pistols. Old Hickory used his cane to attack his assailant, who was collared by Congressman Davy Crockett of Tennessee. As a third-party candidate for president in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest. “It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose,” Teddy scoffed, and finished his speech. In February 1933, Pres-
ident-elect FDR, in Miami, was the target of would-be assassin Giuseppe Zangara, whose arm was jostled at the moment of firing. The bullet killed Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. Between the assassination of JFK in 1963 and near-mortal wounding of President Reagan by John Hinckley in 1981, Martin Luther King was murdered in Memphis in April 1968, and Sen. Robert Kennedy, two months later, in Los Angeles. Presidential candidate George Wallace, campaigning in Laurel, Maryland, was shot five times in May 1972 by Arthur Bremer, who had spent weeks stalking President Nixon. President Ford was the target of two attempts on his life in 1975, the first by a Manson Family hanger-on Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, the second by radical leftist Sara Jane Moore. What drove the assassins? In the early 20th century, it was anarchism. McKinley was killed by anarchist Leon Czolgosz in Buffalo, New York. In 1919, Carlo Valdinoci tried to assassinate Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer with a bomb on his porch at 2132 R Street. Valdinoci tripped on a wicket and his dynamite bomb exploded prematurely, blasting Carlo’s body parts all over the neighborhood. Palmer’s neighbor across
the street, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt, rushed over to help. Palmer ordered a roundup of anarchists in what came to be known as “Palmer Raids,” and put in charge of field operations a 24-yearold lawyer and D.C. law-enforcement prodigy by the name of John Edgar Hoover. Hoover’s career flourished. But the career of America’s most famous anarchist, Emma Goldman, faded. She and ex-lover Alexander Berkman, who had tried to kill Carnegie Steel’s Henry Clay Frick during the violent Homestead Strike of 1892, were rounded up and deported in 1920 with hundreds of anarchists to the new Russia of Lenin and Trotsky in a ship the press dubbed “the Red Ark.” A. Mitchell Palmer did not get the 1920 presidential nomination he was seeking. But neighbor FDR did make it onto the ticket. As radical anarchists were the principal terrorists of the first quarter of the 20th century, and Puerto Rican nationalist-terrorists dominated the 1950s, the 1960s and early 1970s were marked by the seemingly endless violence of the hard left, beginning with the Communist Oswald, who had tried to shoot Gen. Edwin Walker in Dallas before killing JFK. The campus violence and urban riots of the de-
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Patrick Buchanan cade, from Harlem to Watts to Newark and Detroit, to Washington, D.C., and 100 cities after Dr. King’s death, were not the work of the Goldwater right. Those were the days of the Black Panthers, Students for a Democratic Society, Weatherman and the Symbionese Liberation Army. It was America’s radical left shooting cops and burning down ROTC buildings. Leftist violence propelled the political careers of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. As for James Hodgkinson, he was a Trump-hating leftwing terrorist. And those who incite sick minds with images of a bloodstained decapitated head of the president, and cheer Central Park productions of “Julius Caesar” with the assassinated Roman Consul made up to look like the president, cannot evade moral culpability.
Business
June 22-29, 2017
Watch Out for “Greenwashing” Claims
Considering “going green” and buying environmentally safe products? You’re not alone. As an increasing number of consumers consider the environment when they shop, many are compelled to purchase an environmentally friendly or “green” products. Unfortunately, many companies who claim to be “green” do not have the facts to back up those claims. Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to watch out for “Greenwashing”, green marketing claims which may be misleading. “Saving energy and reducing waste has become an important part of our mindset as consumers,“ said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB serving Central East Texas. “Just keep in mind that not all environmentally friendly products are created equal.” According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), many marketers use “greenwashing”—the act of misleading consumers regarding environmental benefits of a product—to convince consumers their products are environmentally friendly. The FTC advises consumers look for specific information on packages and products that explain why the product is green. So, how do you differentiate real “green” products from those claiming to be eco-friendly? BBB and the FTC advise consumers seeking green products to
watch out for the following red flags: • Products advertised as “Free Of.” Companies that use claims such as, “free of,” “non-toxic” or “ozone-friendly” may be a concern. Products that are “free of” a chemical or ingredient should be able to prove that the product doesn’t have any more than a harmless trace amount of it—and that the product is free of any other ingredient that poses the same kind of risk. If a product’s label indicates that it is “non-toxic,” the product should have proof that it’s safe for both humans and the environment, or should specifically state which one the claim applies to. • Products that claim to use less waste. A company stating their product produces less waste should have an example, statistic or comparison to back up their claim. The label should use language like “package is made from 85 percent post-consumer recycled material.” • Biodegradable or compostable material. Lots of products claim to be “degradable” or “biodegradable,” which means they break down into elements found in nature when exposed to light, air and moisture. Others claim to be compostable, which means they should break down in a home compost pile. If a product says it’s degradable or compostable, the company should have proof that it will break down completely. • Made with renewable
materials, renewable energy or carbon offsets. Manufacturers should be able to tell you what percentage of the product or packaging was made using renewable materials or renewable energy.
Money Dishonesty By Sharon Naylor
Friends may laugh about how they went on a shopping spree at the mall and hid their purchases in the backs of their closets, but hiding purchases from a spouse is not a laughing matter. There’s never been a more dangerous time to be financially dishonest with your spouse, as things are tough, household budgets are stretched and bills have to be paid. If you’re indulging and hiding your buys, that is financial dishonesty. Any kind of dishonesty in a marriage or relationship causes a deep wound when the dishonesty is discovered. This is especially true when it is discovered in the form of collections calls, warnings about a mortgage balance or any other result that is a terrifying shock to the partner. And constantly living with the fear of being found out takes a toll on your well-being and your health, leading to anxiety, overeating, bickering or lack of intimacy. People often get divorced over money issues. They may lose their homes, their retirement money or their kids’ college funds when secrets are kept about money. Tina B. Tessina, who is a psychotherapist and the author of “Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting About the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage,” says, “Money dishonesty can cause huge troubles in marriage, including financial infidelity -- where one or both parties spend money out of resentment, jeopardizing the couple’s financial security.” Whether you are a newlywed couple or have been married for a long time, now is the time to come clean about your financial standing and financial habits. Here’s how to put an end to financial dishonesty and repair the damage caused by it: • Be brave. It takes courage to say: “I’ve been irresponsible with money. I never meant to hurt you. I need for us to work together to make things better before I cause an insurmountable problem.” If your spouse has mentioned that your spending is a concern, he or she will -- of-
• Official-looking seals and certifications. Some products may contain official-looking seals and certifications with words like “Earth Smart.” But what does that mean? Look for information on packaging
that indicates connections the company has to the organization behind the seal. Consider doing some research of the seal and organization online. For a copy of the FTC Green Guides, go to ftc.gov.
ten after an initial angry or hurt response -- join you in making a new financial plan of complete openness and repairing any damage caused. • Be completely honest. Shaving $10,000 off the actual total of your credit card bills just to make this moment a bit more comfortable is dishonesty again, and will destroy your partner’s trust in you when discovered. •Make a new plan for paying bills. After the revelation, often the “cheater” faces the difficult result of no longer being in charge of the accounts. That hurts because it can feel as if you’re 10 years old and your spouse is punishing you as a parent would. But you must accept that this arrangement can be best until you learn new money-management skills, and until you earn your spouse’s trust again. • Get counseling. A qualified family counselor can guide you both through this difficult time, revealing and explaining your money issues and fears, and helping you handle the emotional aspects of working together to recover your financial issues and trust. • Don’t react; respond. Tessina reminds you that your family system is like your work culture. You wouldn’t argue or insult a co-worker or manager. You may be angry, but “when you’ve had a chance to think about the situation, you’d develop a better way of handling it,” and propose a solution. • Create an organized system. Consider arranging automatic bill payments taken from your joint banking account, so that no one is late or misses a payment. • Meet regularly to discuss progress. This is where trust grows again, when you sit down for a weekly financial summit and discuss the household budget, credit card pay-down progress and the smarts of splitting the bills more equitably. Over time, you’ll find that this new financial management plan is helping you both achieve your goals faster than if you hadn’t undertaken it.
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6 Gospel Spotlight Help When You Need It The Most
By Michael A. Guido, D.D.
We are all grateful for our “first responders.” They save lives, bind wounds, bring food, give clothing, provide shelter and restore power. They have become our “rescuers.” And, indeed, they fulfill a critical role. But as Christians, when we face a time of trial or tragedy, we have One who has been waiting for us to call upon Him when we need help. He is always waiting for an opportunity to prove His power whenever we face a difficult situation. One morning, about four o’clock, Peter was in serious trouble. He and a few of his friends were in a small boat far from shore when a fierce storm arose out of nowhere. Fearing for their lives they became even more frightened when they saw what they thought was a ghost. They screamed in terror. And over the howling wind came a stern voice that said, “Stop being afraid.” It was Jesus assuring them that there was no reason for them to fear for their lives because He was there to save them when they needed Him the most. “If it is really you,” said Peter, “tell me to come to You – let me walk on the water!” “Certainly,” said Jesus, “come on. You’ve nothing to fear!” He got out of the boat, felt the wind and the waves, lost His faith and began to sink. He shouted, “Save me, Lord,” and He did. It is never the eloquence or length of our prayer that counts, but our simplicity and sincerity. It is never a formula but our faith. He will always come to our rescue if we call on Him in a faith that believes in Him. Prayer: Lord, we do indeed believe in Your power and Your promises. Increase our faith whenever we doubt. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Scripture for this week: Psalm 12:1 Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
June 22-29, 2017
Why Is Doing What is Right Always Best? (Part 1 of 2) By Carey Kinsolving
“When you have a baby sister, and sometimes you trick her, then God will not like that,” says Victoria, 8. Baby sisters seem to have radar for discovering they’ve been duped — at least my baby sister did. Parents also possess this same radar, as Katelyn, 8, can testify: “I was faking sick, and I got grounded for three weeks. I got in trouble with my dad, and that’s bad.” Katelyn, your life will be much more peaceful and fun if you do the right thing. Take a tip from Keeleigh, 11: “If you do right all the time, you won’t get in trouble, you won’t get fussed at, and you will have more fun. That means you will make God happy and have a better relationship with Him.” Doing the right thing and having fun may sound contradictory, but the Bible calls this fun state “blessed.” Many people think fun comes when they break rules. Many movies depict lawless people having all the fun. Remember the movie “Bonnie and Clyde”? Robbing banks looked like so much fun in the movie. In
Too much television time for children: Good or bad?
real life, the “fun” ended when Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow drove into a hail of bullets fired by lawmen waiting in ambush along a tree-lined Louisiana road. Shortly before her death, Bonnie Parker gave a poem to her mother, which proved to be prophetic. Here’s how the poem ends: “They don’t think they’re tough or desperate./ They know the law always wins./ They’ve been shot at before/ But they do not ignore/ That death is the wages of sin. “Someday they’ll go down together/ And they’ll bury them side by side./ To
few it’ll be grief/ To the law a relief/ But it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde.” You don’t have to be a bank robber to know that the Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” We’ve all earned those wages. Many times, the second part of that scripture is not quoted: “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). If Bonnie had known the second half, she might have avoided a life of crime. “Doing what is right is always best because once you do it the first time, you almost can’t stop doing it,” says Cecile, 10.
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Psalm 23 speaks of the Lord leading his people in paths of righteousness. A biblical proverb promises that the Lord will direct the paths of those who acknowledge him in all their ways (Proverbs 3:6). Doing good or evil begins with the decisions we make. Paths, the directions we travel in life, start with pathways in the brain. Whatever we fix our minds on will influence our brain’s pathways and our life’s paths. The results of a 17-year study in the journal Science reported that 5.7 percent of youths who watched less than one hour of television a day committed aggressive acts against others in subsequent years. That figure jumped to 22.5 percent for those who watched one to three hours a day and 28.8 percent for those who watched more than three hours a day. Think about this: You are what you think. Parents who consider television a benign babysitter should think again. Children are vulnerable to the strangers who invade your home through television. Doing right begins by thinking right. Memorize this truth: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Ask this question: If you feed on a diet of television violence, what are you prone to do?
June 22-29, 2017
Local/State
DeVos Announces: Pell Grants Available Year-Round From Page 1
“This decision is about empowering students and giving them the flexibility and support needed to achieve their goals,” said Secretary DeVos. “Expanding access to the Pell program, so that students who need additional resources can graduate more quickly and with less debt, is the right thing to do.” This change in the Federal Pell Grant Program will allow an eligible student to receive up to 150 percent of the student’s Federal Pell Grant Scheduled Award beginning with the 2017–2018 award year. To be eligible for the additional Pell Grant funds, the student must be otherwise eligible to receive Pell Grant funds for the payment period and must be enrolled at least halftime. For a student who is eligible for the additional Pell Grant funds, the institution must pay the student
2017 Regional Superintendent Announced From Page 1
7
HHC Clients’ Personal Info Breached in Houston From Page 1
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks recently at the launch of new Education Choice and Competition Index at Brookings Institute.
all of the student’s eligible Pell Grant funds, up to 150 percent of the student’s Pell Grant Scheduled Award for the award year. Unless the student has remaining eligibility from the 2016-2017 award year,
the Department strongly recommends that institutions award Pell Grant funds for this summer out of the 2017-2018 award year since the additional funding will be available later in the year (e.g., spring
or summer of 2018). Although institutions have the flexibility to assign crossover payment periods to either of the relevant award years, the new law provides that an institution must make the assignment
“as it determines is most beneficial to students.” Therefore, that decision should be based on what is in the best interest of the student and maximizes the student’s eligibility over the two award years.
“Keep Tyler Beautiful” Gets Anti-Litter Grant Keep America Beautiful recently announced that Keep Tyler Beautiful is the recipient of a 2017 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Grant in the amount of $5,000 to combat cigarette litter in Tyler. Keep Tyler Beautiful is one of 37 organizations to receive grant funding for 2017. Keep America Beau-
tiful is sponsoring a total of $297,500 through the 2017 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. Communities that implemented this program in 2016 saw an average of 60 percent reduction in cigarette litter, or an eight percent increase in comparison to 2015 results. Keep Tyler Beautiful will use this grant to improve
Dr. Goffney will now go on to represent the entire region in the pursuit of being named 2017 Texas Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Goffney was named Lufkin ISD Superintendent in 2013. A native of Coldspring, Dr. Goffney began her career as a language arts teacher in Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated Independent School District. Additionally, she Michael P. Cichowicz of TyFrom Page 1 served as assistant prinler. “Our work on the projcipal and principal before Graduate students in Dr. ect would not have been serving as superintendent Kerri Camp’s Advanced such a success without the at Coldspring-Oakhurst for Marketing Fundamentals collective leadership of our five years. course collaborated with professor Dr. Camp and Dr. Goffney earned a the East Texas Veterans Jim Snow from the East Bachelor of Arts degree in Alliance and Tyler Area Texas Veterans Alliance. I history and English, a Mas- Chamber of Commerce on am excited to see this proter of Education degree in the “Recognizing Our Ser- gram continue to grow.” administration, and a Doc- vicemembers Everyday” or Officials will announce its torate of Education degree R.O.S.E. Veteran Discount launch at 10 a.m. Thursday, in Educational Leadership, Program. June 22 at the Armed Forcall from Sam Houston State “UT Tyler prides itself es Reserve Center in Tyler. University. on providing students with More than 50 businesses Dr. Goffney, said, “It is experiential learning. My have already enrolled to ofwith great humility and master of business admin- fer discounts through the appreciation that I receive istration students applied program, which took a year this award. I am blessed marketing concepts to to develop. to work with a supportive create this veteran disFor information on how board where students are count program for local a veteran or business can veterans,” said Camp, an top priority. I am also privassistant professor of mar- participate in the R.O.S.E. ileged to work with the keting. “What a great op- Veteran Discount Promost giving community portunity for them to not gram, contact the chamber, who knows the importance only learn, but also to make 903.592.1661. of education. I accept this a difference in this commuOne of the 14 campusaward on behalf of our nity.” es of the UT System, The teachers and staff who “I appreciate the oppor- University of Texas at Tywork tirelessly to make tunity to be a part of the ler features excellence in sure that at the end of the R.O.S.E. Veteran Discount teaching, research, artistic day, value is added to all of Program that is able to performance and commuour students. Thank you give back to our communi- nity service. More than 80 to those who have made a ty veterans because of the undergraduate and graddifference in my life, who Marketing 5320 Advanced uate degrees are availhelped me to realize that Marketing Fundamentals able at The University of education is everything.” course,” said MBA student Texas at Tyler.
the Tyler community by installing 26 cigarette waste receptacles throughout the town, especially the Downtown area and areas where foot traffic is predominant. Research by Keep America Beautiful has shown that for each cigarette waste receptacle installed, cigarette litter is reduced by nine percent. “Cigarette litter is detri-
mental to our environment,” says Keep Tyler Beautiful Community Coordinator Angela Cardoza. “We hope to bring more awareness to this issue through education for the public. We are also giving out pocket ashtrays and cup-holder ashtrays for an easy alternative to throwing cigarette butts on the ground.”
A box of forms containing client information was found beside an unsecured dumpster in Houston at the E. 40th St. complex, an eligibility office. The lost forms contained confidential information including names, client numbers, dates of birth, case numbers and phone numbers. Other potential information includes mailing addresses, Social Security numbers, health information and bank account numbers. We are providing one year of free credit monitoring services to individuals who have been affected by this privacy breach. If you believe you may have been affected, you may call 1-855-904-5740 toll-free and speak to an investigator or visit enroll.allclearid.com. HHSC is committed to ensuring that our clients’ confidential information is secure. The agency is investigating this event and taking steps to secure confidential information and reduce the chances of this event happening again. HHSC is reviewing its processes and procedures for disposing of and destroying documents that contain private information, and making any changes needed to prevent this type of event in the future.
UT Tyler Creates Tyler Library Selected As Family Place Veteran Aid Program The Tyler Public Library has been Linda Gray, MLS. “Parents and careawarded a $6,000 grant through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), funded through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), to become a Family Place Library (FPL) site. A FPL is established through a network of children’s librarians nationwide who believe that literacy begins at birth and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families. Now, children three and younger and their caregivers will have designated activities and programs at the Tyler Public Library specifically designed to lay a strong foundation for literacy. Multiple studies have shown that developing early literacy, or “pre-reading” skills in the first three years is a predictor of later academic success. “Literacy development begins in infancy,” said Tyler Youth Services Librarian
givers are the primary teacher in these years and the Family Place Library model provides a place for children to learn with their caregivers through developmentally-appropriate activities and play.” The $6,000 award will help transform the Library’s children’s area through the addition of new educational toys, collections of books and audio visual materials. Workshops will also be added to further enhance the program. The new materials are designed to encourage literacy development as well as be a resource library for parents and caregivers. These items will be available in-Library use or for checkout. In addition to materials, the grant funds sent Tyler Library staff members to receive multi-day extensive training in the FPL concept and tour other FPLs to see the concept in action.
Area's Best Business Review
Presented by: Metro News ©2017 All Rights Reserved. 1-800-580-1039 Spending more and buying less? Maybe you should be shopping at WALMART where your dollar goes a lot further! Conveniently located at 4006 Estes Pkwy, in Longview, phone (903) 236-0947; this full line department store offers something that most other stores can’t compete with… the area’s very lowest prices on EVERYTHING! Food to feed your family, toys to entertain your children, school supplies, sporting goods, tools, and auto accessories. Nearly every little thing you can think of! Most “regular” retail department stores feature “full retail” prices. At WAL-MART, this is not the case! Here you get the service you want, the quality you look for, and prices you can afford! Open 24 hours, they can meet all of your needs at any given time day or night. If you are shopping for appliances or furniture WAL-MART offers you the kind of quality you deserve. We, The editors of this 2017 Area’s Best Business Review, offer this suggestion to the people in our area: So, whether or not you need a big grocery shopping trip, get your tire changed or pick-up a prescription, do what smart shoppers do…make WAL-MART your one-stop shopping headquarters for the best products, the largest selection and the ultimate in everyday bargains!
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8
Health
June 22-29, 2017
Local Physician Talks
Dr. Christopher Yancey
D
By Joycelyne Fadojutimi and Kelly Bell, East Texas Review r. Christopher Yancey is a local. He attended Mozelle Johnston Elementary School, Judson Middle School and Longview High School. His brothers became engineers, but when the oilfields stopped producing, one of those brothers advised Christopher to take another route--specifically the one leading to medicine. He had the grades and did indeed take this direction. He has spent the past 20 years as a beloved specialist in delivering babies and treating some forms of infertility. He loves his work, and his patients love him. Yancey has served as Chief of the Division of OB/ GYN at Longview Regional Medical Center. He matriculated from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. He is a member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, and the Wiser Society. In addition, Yancey is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “I love delivering babies,” he says. “My work has diversity of what I do. There is more than delivering babies in my practice. I have delivered everybody, and have walked with some to the grave.” Still some of his patients are have difficulty having children. This condition is known as infertility. Infertility is the inability of a sexually active, non-contracepting couple to achieve pregnancy in one year. Some of his patients cannot become pregnant, while others cannot carry a pregnancy full term. The emotional heartbreak of this state is crushing. When couples cannot conceive, it is vital that both husband and wife see the doctor because in 30% of cases, the problem lies with the man. Age is another factor. A 21-year-old woman has time on her side, but if a woman is 38 and still childless, she needs to attend to her biological clock while it is still ticking. There are many factors to consider.
Smoking, specific lifestyles and some medications can cause infertility. Women who smoke increase the chances they will be unable to become pregnant or will suffer miscarriage. Yancey urges them to wisely manage their lifestyles so as to not work against themselves. “Healthcare is a relationship,” he says. “So, I do my part and you do your part so the couple can achieve the goal of having a baby.” Yancey treats specific aspects of infertility, recommends other infertility specialists if necessary, and sends husbands to urologists for examination and treatment when needed. He also has personal reasons for pursuing this calling. “My wife and I always wanted a large family, but wanted to wait until I finished school,” he says. “The prospect of starting a family was exciting. First bath, first words, first steps, riding a bike, coaching little league, dance recitals, pinewood derby, fishing, bedtime stories, tea parties, playing dress up, building forts. It was all too exciting. When do we start? Sign us up.” It did not work out as expected. One year, two years, and then three with no babies. When they went to an infertility specialist he could find no problem to treat, and told them they would likely never have children. Knowing she would be crushed, Yancey did not share this last bit of information with his wife. The loneliness of infertility set in--the sensation of having lost something precious before even having had it. It is a problem one has to experience to understand. The afflicted must resist becoming embittered, especially around those blessed with children. It was doubly difficult for Yancey because of the medical capacity in which he served. “I was an obstetrical resident in a large, inner-city hospital. We cared for people who did not want to get pregnant,” he says. “We cared for people who did not need to get pregnant. We cared for patients with serious drug problems, prostitutes, people angry at their unwanted pregnancies. I didn’t understand. It just wasn’t fair.” Yancey gave his wife a yellow lab puppy--Sadie Haw-
kins Dance. This wonderful canine became a substitute child. Climbing fences, climbing onto furniture and climbing onto them. She was priceless therapy, going everywhere with them. “She loved riding in the car. We would never dream of putting her in a kennel if we went on a trip, so she went with us,” he says. “She was our child and she was our therapy, but what she did most for us was be there. She would be there as we suffered the pain of infertility. She never spoke, she never gave advice, she never told us she knew ‘how we felt.’ A lesson in unconditional love.” In time the couple’s problem was solved, and they were blessed with two wonderful children who came to love Sadie as much as their parents did. She was their first child. Their struggle with infertility taught them the value of life, and Sadie taught them the value of “being there.” Yancey’s devotion to his work and a compulsive fixation on doing everything in his power to help his patients has actually led to him being labeled “overcautious.” He readily admits to this, and that this tendency stems from his own, personal experience with the heartbreak of infertility. His treatment of childless couples and his success in treating them means he has no interest in case numbers. “I’ve never kept up with how many babies I’ve delivered because then they just become a number,” he says. “Every delivery is its own story, life and family--not just a number.” He knows well how infertility infuses its victims with a life perspective incomprehensible to those who have never experienced it. “This life perspective deepened for me because of a yellow Labrador who provided comfort and taught empathy,” he says. At age 13, Sadie developed a tumor that slowly crippled her. As she slipped away, all Dr. Phillip Yancey could do was “be there” for her. He was. For more information or to contact Dr Christopher Yancey, please call (903) 757-6042.
With every heart we help, we help another heart keep smiling. That’s why our patients say their heart belongs to Longview Regional Medical Center. Our cardiac care team 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We offer: Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Chest Pain Center Heart Risk Assessment P.A.D. Coalition Stroke Center
2901 N Fourth Street • Longview • 903-758-1818 • www.LongviewRegional.com Longivew Regional is recognized as Certified Stroke and Chest Pain Accredited facility
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