4A
June 17, 2004
Opinion
The Cuba
Free Press
He shook hands
More to story
Your Thoughts
r, rl - "
the Mexicanbn the skateboard with a gun
still here? We don't know. A friend of
like a real man
Like many of you, I was moved by the televised
coverage of President Reagan's State funeral in
Washington, D.C. last week.
The solemn procession taking Reagan's body by
horse-drawn carriage to the Capitol Rotunda,
where mourners were given a brief chance to say
goodbye, seemed a fitting tribute for this larger-
than-life character. The image of wife Nancy speak-
ing to her husband before the coffin was removed
from the Capitol Building was difficult even for me
to watch without tearing up.
President Reagan served his country well and
will certainly be remembered as one of the most
important world leaders in modern American histo-
ry, certainly the most influential--and politically
effective---president since the days of FDR and
Harry
Truman.
What I |
In the 1980s, he
pushed the conserva- Think|
tive movement far
enough to the political Ch I
center to bring
case
Democratic voters into [J
the fold, but somehow
managed to appeal to his Right Wing base, too. I
was just a kid living in Louisiana during the
Reagan years, but I can't recall my parents or any
of their friends from either political party voting
against the Gipper. Like bad weather, everyone
seemed glad to see Carter go in 1980, even though
he was from the South. A political commentator
called Reagan's inauguration a "new morning in
America," and maybe it was. He certainly brought
back a certain national swagger and a faith in
America's power to lead the world.
Reagan was by no stretch perfect. He had his
shortcomings, and the Iran-Contra scandal proved
to be a mole on his presidency. But his legacy is
undeniable, the respect displayed in full last week
by esteemed members of beth parties.
,A'r% bjm r detest him,? writes. Kenneth T.
Walsho penned a biographyf the 40th U.S.
president in 1997, "Reagan presided over a remark-
able shift toward cultural, political, and economic
conservatism, much of it brought on by ideas that
Reagan had promoted for two decades with an
incandescent charisma and the performing skills he
had perfected as a Hollywood actor."
Expanding the traditional base to draw in new
voters was a lesson Bill Clinton learned well, con-
verting it into two turbulent presidential terms in
the nineties. George W. Bush, with a platform of
"compassionate conservatism," has tried the same
approach, thus far with little of Reagan's success.
We forget how close the country came to losing
President Reagan when John Hinckiey Jr. shot him
in March of 1981: He arrived at George Washington
University Hospital with a bullet in his chest and
vital signs weak. The old man beat the odds and
pulled through, of course, as he did later during the
colon cancer operation. He was hard as nails, and
only old age could've taken him out, even if the
Alzheimer's" took him down for a spell.
Reagan was a cowboy, a tough guy, and not just
in the movies either. He lived a life much larger
than all the roles he played on screen, and in some
sense our nation grew stronger because of Reagan's
shining example as a forceful leader. Not everybody
liked Renald Reagan's policies, but most people
respected his leadership.
I had the pleasure of shaking hands with the
president during his '84 reelection campaign, when
he stopped off in Monroe, La. and spoke at a
Republican rally inside a tin-walled airport hangar.
I was 13 years old, and at the time it seemed like a
big deal to shake hands with a president. I guess it
still is.
As you might expect, he held a firm handshake, a
man's shake. I gave him a hard one right back, and
he cocked his head with a smile when he told me I
wasn't old enough to vote yet, then went on down
the line of hands.
I was impressed by how strong he was for an old
man--even more so when he stayed longer than
planned to make sure he'd made contact with each
person who wanted a brief touch or to say hello.
This is what politicians do, but with Reagan it felt
as if he liked it.
CUBA FREE PRESS
I I0 SOUTH BUCHANAN
CUBA, MISSOURI 65453
PHONE 573-885-7460
Publisher & Editor
ROB VIEHMAN
Circulation
JANICE RANSOM
Advertising
SANDY MORICE
Printing
RUSS NEW
O
Post Office
Publication
No. 565-180
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
For the past nearly three years you
have written articles concerning the mat-
ter I am currently dealing with.
You state in your paper time after time
Diosdado informed the police that
Diosdado is safe in Mexico, so, according
to a call I made to the police, "We don't
have to worry anymore." Double wow!
The article also stated that Police Chief
that this murder of Gene Allen Ray of
Cuba in November 2001 was done cause of
the offer of money and property.
If you are going print the information
concerning this issue, then get your facts
correct.
The murder of Gene didn't take place
because I wanted it. I did what any father
would do.
Alvin Ray made a threat towards my
son, that he'd see to it my son lived the
same lifestyle I received from Alvin as a
child.
Why did I act upon his request? I could-
n't allow my son to be subjected to the sex-
ual assaults, physical and mental abuse I
received as a child.--
I didn't know who to talk to in regards
to his request. ARer I reflected the vision
of my son's face in my pain and agony I so
well remember. To make mat-
ters worse, as a child I told five
adults what Alvin was doing to
me and no one lifted a finger to
help me. That was what made
me choose the choice I did.
So if you plan to print more of
this issue, get your facts
straight.
While I am on the issue of
facts, there's some other issues
I'd like to discuss.
The Crawford County Jail
and staff members. Every new
place is going to have problems.
The staff members here are
some of the best you'll see and
find in this area.
I've been here for 13 months
straight and I see they have
days just as us inmates do.
Before you go printing nega-
tive issues against these indi-
viduals, you need to ask your-
self, would I want their job?
Someoneho. ts article
that belongs in veelcly tab]olds
more than likely couldn't handle
their job!
Get your facts correct!
Daniel L. Ray
Steelville
EDITOR'S NOTE: Prosecuting
Attorney Sid Pearson confirmed
this week that the prime motive
in the shooting of Gene Ray was
for financial gain. If there were
other reasons for the crime, they
have not been made public and
are only now coming to light.
Much more to story
Tim Bailey said these two had an ongoing
feud for two months. This is a lie. Joshua
did not know this man or anything about
him until the week before when he pulled
his gun on several other people. When
Joshua asked Chief Bailey about this, he
was told those were not Chief Bailey's
words, but those were Brandy's words.
Brandy, the wife of a man, who shot some-
one for calling him names. But then,
Joshua didn't call him names until he con-
fronted him, unarmed.
It is said that Diosdado Tello was a
Mexican Police Officer. Does this have
anything to do with the house that eyewit-
nesses (more than one!) saw Diosdado in,
after the shooting, was not surrounded
while a search warrant was being
obtained?
I am aware that there were many resi-
DAY IN,
DAY OUT- ! M TH'
KII;)S' FAVORITE
TARGI00T...
dents there and a certain amount of offi-
cers were needed in "Little Cuba" to keep
the peace. However, with city, county and
state officers all present, couldn't we risk
sending one for the search warrant and
maybe 2-4 to surround the house, rather
than all of them surround the upset and
angry white man? Thank you to the one
officer, air 20 minutes of begging from
the residents, for knocking on the door
and asking "Is Diosdado here?" Too bad
they said "no." You may be the next parent
in Cuba to receive a phone call that your
child ,was just shot.
Furthermore, Joshua was not stable,
treated and released.
Joshua was shot two times by a 9ram
handgun. The first bullet required surgery
to stitch his colon. The second bullet hit
his pelvic bone, fractured it, and is lodged
in the bone, whereas it may cause perma-
nent damage to remove it. His stomach
Share your views...
had to be completely sliced open to
ate and repair his damage. Then
remained in intensive care for a
half. Then he was moved regularly to
ferent rooms because the hospital
"attempted murder" was serious enough
a criminal action to necessitate "worry."
Joshua is at home now, but he has a
of healing to do over this, uh, what was
uh, oh yeah...assault. Wow!
Kathie
EDITOR'S NOTE: Our report that the
tim was in stable condition,
Louis hospital for his gunshot
and later released, was not intended
minimize the extent of his injuries.
it was meant to indicate the injuries
not life threatening and he was no
in the hospital.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I am writing in regards to the article
written last week where Diosdado Tello
shot Joshua Evans. It states Joshua was
shot "as he fled the residence." There were
many witnesses. Each witness stated the
same. Diosdado and Joshua were both in
the street.
Yes, Joshua went to Diosdado's home.
He went unarmed. He asked Diosdado
why are you putting a 9ram handgun to
my friend's head? Diosdado and his wife
Brandy, of Cuba, told Joshua to leave. He
did. Diosdado went inside and then came
out to the street, waving his hands and
yelling at Joshua to come back. As Joshua
turned, he saw a gun pointed to his head,
ducked and was shot in his left abdomen.
He ran and was shot in his right buttock.
Did I mention Joshua was unarmed?
Another Mexican was on a skateboard,
gun in his shorts, heading for Joshua.
This all sounds like a drug deal going
bad, right? Wrong! Several days before the
shooting, a father of one of the other kids
who had a gun put on his head, confronted
Diosdado. Diosdado said he was "tired of
all the name-calling of Mexicans, Mexican
wetbacks, etc., and he just couldn't take it
anymore."
Wow! No drugs. No rip-off. No theft.
Name-calling is what this grown 27-year
old man could not deal with. Not even
with an unarmed 17-year old man. This is
scary, Cuba.
Is Diosdado still in our community? Is
Special thanks
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I would like to take this opportunity
thank Doug, Scott and Mitizi of
..'CEPT ON
FATH00:R'S DAY
--WHEN I'A00 JUST
THE.IR
FAVORITI00!
DOYA
LIKI00 TH' TII00,
DADDY?
odist
h-in:
Crawford County Ambulance Distri¢[.til 1 8
They are paramedics and excel in the!iNG O
field. Also Sharon Tucker, and Steve of tl [7, 7(
Air Vac crew. b, MC
On May 6 they were dispatched to # eople
home, they were very prompt. The lence
knowledge told them I was in trouble a L at
they knew what to do and they preformd tOn. M
life saving measures on me. I will be f
ever grateful to them. or 8
In this day we often do not take RY 2
time to thank those who do a good job a older
do so much for us, not just these tl#0 a.:
young people but the EMT's, the volunt0 tbyter
fire department and the police departm¢
Thank you all for being there when ]
need you. rawford County is very luck
To Doug, Scott, Mitizi, Sharon, Ste
4Thank you again and God bless. 0 t
Jeanne Da*
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Submit your Letters to the Editor to:
Cuba Free Press Fax: (573) 885-3803
PO Box 568
Cuba, MO 65453 news@cubafreepress.com
, J
June 17, 2004 --Volume 45 Number 4
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