December 6, 2007

I’m just saying . . .
Signs of the 'season' are changing
By James Cook, Times Editor

Once again Old Man Winter has let his presence be known, while Mother Nature seems to move on to warmer climates. That is just the way it is in our little part of the world this time of the year.
Everywhere you look there are bright shiny stars on roof tops. In almost every neighborhood there are lights adorning roofs, gutters, porches, bushes and even dog houses. Yes, Virginia, it is Christmas time and as the old song goes, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go.”
There are more Santa’s than you can shake a stick at and some do not really do the Jolly Old Elf any justice. But at least they are trying to spread a little joy. Even I have worn the old red suit to help St. Nick out. If you want to see a change in yourself and see the sparkle in a child’s eye, along with a big smile – you should try it.
But the season is not all about Santa, reindeers and iPod’s. In fact, it is a time we set aside to celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Now I know that no one can say for certain exactly what day he was born on, but they can not really tell the exact day God created the world and yet they still celebrate Earth Day on April 22.
I know that it is a day that has been changed a couple of times, but now those who either want to save the planet, Al Gore, environmentalist and tree huggers have chosen this day to celebrate. They have even bombarded me with reasons I should not eat cows, not drive SUV’s and conserve air by only breathing when I have too ( OK I may have went a little overboard on the last one.) But can you see the point I am making. No one gets all worked up about who and when Earth Day is celebrated, or the reason why.
But when it comes to Christmas, that is a different matter.
Christian groups want to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but there are those among us who say that by doing this we are infringing upon their right to not believe in Jesus or God. I say fine, don’t believe, but don’t infringe upon our right to celebrate. If you don’t want to enjoy Christmas and believe, like most atheist groups do, that it is religious holiday made legal and is unconstitutional – then feel free to volunteer to work for all your Christian or God fearing co-workers so they can have the day off.
For years, we, the Christians, you know the nearly 90 percent who answer poll questions and say we believe in God (though believing and following are two different things, but that’s a theological question and we’ll move on), have allowed our rights to worship and celebrate be challenged and taken away.
At first, atheist groups challenged the placement of Nativity scenes on courthouse lawns. Courts ruled that other religions had to be recognized under the First Amendment. So local politicians began placing other Christmas symbols in the yard too. A Menorah and Santa Claus with reindeer were added, the courts were happy and everyone seemed to get along. No problem here, I thought it was great to show the Jewish tradition and to let kids see Santa.
But that did not satisfy some. Soon they pressured retailers to wish you a Happy Holiday, not Merry Christmas. By saying that . . . word . . . you were offending them. They would like to see the letter “x” more than the “c” word. That worked for a while, but retailers realized that once the majority found out, their profit margin was in danger. So now Merry Christmas can be heard again in the stores filled with holiday shoppers.
Did this stop the antagonists? Why, no. Atheist’s organizations have begun to modify their strategy, much like they are trying to trick your children with the movie “The Golden Compass”; they are working on us as well.
The first sign of the “change” has appeared in Philadelphia. There, according to Margaret Downey of the Atheists Alliance International and a member of the Free Thought Society, an evergreen tree has been placed in the “Free Speech Area” of the city government property. Please note the “free speech” and “free thought” references, because you can’t argue with them about the rights to free speech and free thought. Those are rights that need to be protected, but not manipulated as they have chosen to do.
The tree Downey and her group are putting up, though it looks like a Christmas tree, they call it a Tree of Knowledge. Does that sound familiar? Check out Genesis. Their tree is being placed by a nativity scene and a menorah. On the tree they have laminated book covers to let people know that they do not have to believe what they are told, but check out other beliefs. On the tree are a Bible cover and a Koran cover, but then most of the books are from atheists writers. That’s right; they want you to check out their Tree of Knowledge.
Downey said in a television interview that no so called Christian should be “intimidated” by her group. In fact she said, “If you belief in your faith so much, then we should not be able to intimidate you at all.” She hopes to place the tree in a parade and try to come up with something for the Easter holiday.
They have chosen to use the modified method of winning hearts and minds, in hopes of once again pulling off another coup as they did in Murray v. Curlett. That was the 1963 decision that banned what was called “organized prayers in schools.”
Am I saying that we should not let the atheists choose to not worship God? No, just the opposite. If they choose to be free of religion or God that is their right. That is what the First Amendment is really about. It is about the right to worship or not worship as you see fit. Not the way it has been manipulated to supposedly mean the right to be free of religion period. And then to impose that belief upon others.
My family and I will continue to celebrate Christmas, both the gift giving and Santa side as well as the real reason for the season – Jesus, the greatest gift of all time. As for those of you who choose not to celebrate and want to take Christ out of the equation that is your right. But I know two things. One, I will not be manipulated and I will not quit standing up for what is right. Secondly, if you choose to believe there is no God, you may want to read Psalms 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”
I’m just saying . . .

View from the Mountain...
It was a black and white night
By David G. Griffin, Times Reporter

Last Saturday night after a very exhausting day, my wife and I finally returned home and had just retired for the evening when Kentucky Educational Television began to air a special called, A Black and White Night. It is a performance of Roy Orbison’s early hits. The black and white program was taped approximately one year before his death in 1988.
Orbison was joined on stage for the PBS broadcast with some of his famous friends: Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, K. D. Lang, Jennifer Warnes, Jackson Browne, Tom Waits, and T. Bone Burnett. It is a performance that I have seen before, but it never fails to knock my socks off.
The press called the program a “late-in-life comeback.” Whatever it was called, it captured the music-loving public. The song, “Oh Pretty Woman,” performed by Orbison and Springsteen, won the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The show has proved to be the single most successful fundraiser in PBS history.
As a dedicated fan of Roy’s from the time I was a very young man, I purchased all of his early 45’s and his first album for Monument Records, which was released in 1961. The album was titled Lonely and Blue. It includes the song “Only the Lonely,” which is one of my all-time favorite Orbison tunes.
At that time I was dating a girl named Sandy, who spent her summers in Mt. Vernon even though she actually lived in Florida. When she announced to me that she had to go home, I purchased a copy of the album for her going-away present.
That same album has recently been re-released by Orbison’s wife, Barbara, who made sure the CD received the re-mastering treatment it deserved. It demonstrates his fine-as-silk voice accompanied with the Anita Kerr Singers, Floyd Cramer on piano, and Boots Randolph on saxophone. Orbison wrote or co-wrote seven of the 12 original tracks. One of his songs, “Blue Avenue” is difficult to obtain, except on this CD.
Elvis Presley once called Roy, “The world’s greatest singer.” Most of the teenagers of the early ’60’s agreed with Elvis. He has also been called “One of the most distinctive vocalists in the history of rock and roll.”
It is hard to believe that it has been 46 years since I purchased his first album. “Only The Lonely” jumped out of AM radios and record players all over the world to the excitement of American teenagers. As you listen to the newly released album, the songs become fresh all over again. Roy’s voice never sounded better. Legacy Records has done a beautiful job of keeping the integrity of the original recording as well as the liner notes of the 1961 album.
Shortly after recording the Black and White Nights soundtrack, Roy was working with Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra for a new album. He joined Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty to form a new group called The Traveling Wilburys, which was extremely successful. He also recorded a new solo album called, Mystery Girl.
On Dec. 6, 1988, at the age of 52, Orbison suffered a fatal heart attack while visiting his mother in Nashville, Tennessee. At the time of his death, he was the first person since Elvis to have two albums (Mystery Girl and Traveling Wilburys) in the top 5 of the rock and roll charts.
When the word of Orbison’s death was reported by the media, my son Todd (who later died in an auto accident in 1992) immediately called me and said, “Dad, did you hear that Roy Orbison died today?” He had called merely to say he was sorry since he knew how much I loved Roy and his music. It is one of the sweet and tender memories I have of Todd. I will never forget receiving that call on Dec. 6, 1988.
In 2004, Rolling Stone named three of Orbison’s songs (“Only the Lonely” – “Oh Pretty Woman” – “In Dreams”) on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of all Time”. That same year, Rolling Stone ranked Orbison #37 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of all Time”.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame explained Orbison’s voice in this way, “The melancholic intensity in his voice resonated with listeners of all ages, but especially heartsick teenagers who know how unrequited love and loneliness felt.” Roy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
It was a real treat to finally locate a copy (re-mastered CD) of Roy’s Lonely and Blue album. As soon as I discovered the disk, I purchased a copy for my collection. I have always considered Roy to be one of the few breathtaking vocalists of the Rock and Roll era. I sure hope that Barbara releases more of Roy’s original albums because she can count on me to purchase each one!

(You can reach me at mtnman@mis.net Thanks for your responses to my column.)