Today, I heard that Charlie Wilson, who had served as Democratic Congressman from Texas from 1973 to 1996, died at a hospital in Lufkin, Texas, of cardiopulmonary arrest. The news reminded me, once again, of just how important that period of the 1980s was to constructing the surreal reality of not just Pakistan, but the world today. And just how little we actually talk about it.
It is quite clear that he did not intend or expect things to turn out quite the way they did. But they did. I do not really know what he felt – at the end of his days – about what he did, what he should or could have done, and about all that happened because of what he did. I wish we knew. We probably never will. But here, in what must have been amongst his last political statements, is a glimpse:
SO SALEM BACK FENCE
The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, VA) June 13, 2008 So Salem? How about Go Salem!
Salem Avalanche fans and stadium employees Jeanne Dillman (photo above left, on right) and Betty Parks (on left) pose with their Salem vanity plates. Parks wrote in to us about her plates, and her son, Hunter, a sophomore at Roanoke College, knew exactly who had “Go Salem” — his friend Bradford’s mom, Jeanne!
The Bradfords and Dillmans have lived near one another since their sons were children, and they have worked for the Avalanche together since Betty joined seven years ago. Dillman has worked at the stadium since it opened in 1995. Dillman’s husband, Wayne, pictured above right, actually owns the “Go Salem” vehicle.
For more photos of people with their Salem license plates, see The Notebook on sosalem.com. If you have a Salem license plate, take a picture and send it to us at news@sosalem.com and we’ll use it in an upcoming issue.
Salem student appears in Mill Mountain Theatre show Hallie Newcomer, a student at Salem High School, is performing in the Mill Mountain Theatre production “Into The Woods.” Hallie appears as Sleeping Beauty.
The show opened June 4 and runs through June 29. It’s a musical by Stephen Sondheim and features many fairy tale characters.
Hallie, by the way, appeared in another Mill Mountain show earlier this year — “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stoopid Tales.” Tabernacle sets Vacation Bible School Tabernacle Baptist Church will hold Vacation Bible School June 22- 26. this web site keenan and kel
Snack supper will be from 5:30 to 5:50 p.m. with the program running from 5:50 to 8:50 p.m. each day.
The theme is Outrigger Island. You can register your children online at www.tbcsalem.org/vbs.
The church is located at 1923 East Main St. in Salem.
Watch a movie on the church lawn All sixth- 12th-graders are invited to Tabernacle Baptist Church on June 16 to watch the movie “Good Burger” on the church lawn. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. The film was produced by Nickelodeon back in 1997. It stars Keenan and Kel. The church is located at 1923 East Main Street in Salem. For information, contact Bradley Stump at bstump@tbcsalem.org.
3 Salem riders qualify for State Three Salem 4-H riders competed in the 4-H Northwest District Qualifying show on May 31 at the Equestrian Center at Green Hill Park.
Hannah Whitt, 14, left, won third in the Intermediate Hunter Rider Walk-Trot class, and sixth in the Intermediate Hunter Rider Walk-Trot-Canter class. Corey Hayes, 15, center, won second in the Model Hunter Horse Class. Participation in at least one class is required to qualify for the State 4-H show at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington September 18-21.
The two, along with Lynsey Wyatt, 11, right, are members of the Salem 4-H Riders. The club meets once a week at Hopetree Family Services in Salem to provide riding lessons to Hopetree’s youth. Wanda Hayes and Shara Wyatt are the organizational leaders for the club.
Senior pro bowlers vie for honors at Lee-Hi Lanes Lee-Hi Lanes in Salem housed the Suntrust Senior PBA Open May 31 through June 1. The finals were on that Sunday, where 65 of the biggest names in senior pro bowling, including Roanoke’s Ed Quinn, competed for tour points and prize money. Quinn placed 10th after losing to Bob Kelly.
Before the tournament, 114 amateurs and juniors had the chance to compete alongside some of the pros.
David Kneas, Senior PBA bowler who placed 16th the next day in the PBA tournament, was situated on the end lane that night with amateur Timmy Byers from Iron Gate and junior Johnathan Smith of Roanoke. “It’s no different than being home in league,” he said of the Senior PBA tour. “we all travel together and cheer each other, and laugh at each other’s mistakes … and I love getting beat by the amateurs!” Andrew Rotenberry of Fieldale took first place for the junior tournament, winning a trophy and a new bowling ball. Brothers Jordan Smith and Johnathan Smith of Fieldale took second and third places, respectively. The Smiths each won a trophy. go to web site keenan and kel
Kyle Crawford placed first for the amateurs, taking home a cash prize of $1,000. Willis Webb took second, and Amanda Thomas took third place. Around $3,200 was distributed to the first 16 places in the amateur tournament.
Snake enthusiast brings a friend to graduation Here’s something other graduation speakers this year might want to keep in mind about how to keep your audience’s attention: Bring a snake. Drape it around your neck. Restless graduates and their parents are bound to pay attention then.
That was the formula that eighth-grader Alex Bentley of Salem used, anyway.
He’s a student at Community School — a private school near Hollins University that goes through eighth grade. (There’s a related Community High School in downtown Roanoke.) It’s the tradition at the school for each eighth grader to give a going- away speech at the school’s year-end Celebration event. And, as previously reported in So Salem, Bentley likes snakes. Lots and lots of snakes.
So maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise June 5 when Bentley took the stage for his remarks, carrying a small box — from which he produced a bald python named Lola, which he draped around his neck.
Bentley then devoted his graduation speech to a lecture on snakes, and how they’re really swell creatures that people shouldn’t think such bad things about.
He apparently didn’t persuade one person, though. School director Holly Hirst typically hugs each graduate. And she hugged Alex. But she also warned him: “I’m not hugging the snake.” Shorter gets MBA from Duke Jonathan Edward Shorter has graduated from Duke University with an MBA.
He is the son of George and Margaret Shorter of Roanoke and the husband of the former Jenna Hipp of Salem.
Bamford graduates from Wake Forest Robert Bamford of Salem, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosphy from Wake Forest University during commencement exercises May 19. E.J. Dionne Jr., a Washington Post columnist, gave the commencement address to approximately 1,500 graduates. Robert is a 2004 honors graduate of Salem High School. He is the son of Jodi Henrickson of Salem and Chuck Bamford of Winston-Salem, N.C.
Cummings graduates from Radford Kara L. Cummings of Salem graduated from Radford University on May 3 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting. She works at Lotz Funeral Home on Main Street.
Heslep completes master’s at UVa Mallory Heslep completed the two year Masters of Education in Exercise Physiology from the University of Virginia. She had previously received a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia. She is now enrolled in the PA program at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. While in Charlottesville, Mallory volunteered over a thousand hours at the Martha Jefferson Hospital Cardiac Care Center. She was also employed at the Cavalier Day Camp for two summers. Mallory is a 2003 graduate of of Salem High School. She is the daughter of Roger and Myrteen Heslep.
Furry receives award from Virginia Tech Anna Furry of Salem, a student of Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, was recently presented with the Honors Program Scholarship. The Honors Program Scholarship is given to an undergraduate student based on academic achievement. The dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences presented 61 students with scholarships and awards. The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech.
Nichols wins accounting award The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants has chosen Rachel Nichols of Salem High School as one of the winners of the 2008 Award of Achievement for academic excellence in accounting studies.
Tunnel vision?
Jennifer and Dewaynne Barger sent in photos of their 26-month- old son, Bryan Barger, at one of his favorite places, Longwood Park in Salem. They wrote, “We both grew up in this area and wanted to raise a family here too.” Jennifer Barger is a fourth-grade teacher at Glenvar Elementary and Dewaynne Barger is manager at Lowe’s of Christiansburg and volunteer Salem High School girls volleyball coaching assistant.
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Former Congressman Charlie Wilson died, at 76, earlier today in his native Texas.
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Todays problems are also a direct result of the lack of intellectual discourse that challenges the radical interpretations of Islam. We have ceded too much mental space to the mullahs and they have wrecked havoc through their uneducated and unsubstantiated views.
Had US not abandoned Afghanistan after the Soviets left, we might not have had 9/11 and the Afghan mess and Pakistan would have been living peacefully with Afghanistan and India.
Almost two years ago there was a controversy in Texas when Temple foundation decided to endow a chair for Pakistan Studies at UT Austin. This was going to be the first independent chair of Pakistan studies that was not funded by Pakistan gov’t nor was paid by the state dept. The University had the right hire a senior scholar working on Pakistan. The only condition was that the 500k grant be matched. The local Pakistan community was mobilized and than came the controversy from people outraged by the prospect of Wilson chair. There was a lot of hue and cry about honoring good time Charlie, without looking at the nature of funding in the academy. The debate last year showed a real need for the Pakistan academics to think through the politics of academic funding and also to be wary of double standards when it comes to Pakistan studies in the academy. Follow this link for my reflections-
http://crunkistan.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/charlie -wilson-and-pakistan-studies/
Allah es mard-e-momin ko mard=e=haq kay saath jagah day…..aameen
His world view was a little too simple and frankly this whole Afghanistan thing is what got teh world into this mess.
Owais,
Are you still in Karachi. Can you do a post on Naseem Hameed and another pakistani who won Gold medals.
Despite crisis, we keep rising.
@Jay.
Which is better: the Soviets massacring Afghans or the Americans massacring Afghans?
The Afghans get massacred either way. And the whole region remains messed up!
Would you rather the Soviets kept massacring millions of Afghanistans who were pouring into neighboring Pakistan and Iran. Stop looking at history and judging Charlie’s achievements with 20/20 hindsight.
During the Soviet invasion, Pakistan’s military was on a constant state of alert in case they along with India attacked them. The PAF shot down dozens of invading aircraft and secretly threatened Moscow and Delhi with nuclear retaliation if invaded. Its a little known fact, one that can’t compellingly be proved or disputed.
It took the courage of a few individuals such as Charlie to support a covert war to drive the savage Red Army out of Afghanistan and bring the evil empire to its knees, changing the course of the world. Charlie was one of the biggest supporters of Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly as a lobbyist after his retirement from Congress. If anything, we should be celebrating his life and not mocking him in death.
Go study history before posting like a fool. The taliban were the result of a power vacuum created after the red army withdrew. They were financed and supported by the ISI who saw the pro-India Rabbani regime as a threat to Pakistan’s national security. It is primarily for this reason that they were able to overthrow Rabbani and the Northern Alliance.