A4 - THE PERKINS JOURNAL, Thursday, March 1,2012
Opinions
: ; : By CeciLAcuff
HGH is a'new acronymjn town; not really newl but
popular enough to merit media's attention, Add to Amer-
ica's Feel Good', efforts of plastic surgeons to enhance
appearances and egos; a 'heWomer on the block, HGH,
Human Growth Hormone. Now American's have found
the Fountain of Youth, both outside and inside.
• Hollywood, or any place actors and actresse's faces
are displayed 0n' a 70,foot screen, are concerned that the
public may not accept the displayed magnified body. All it
takes is a self-injected needle, and a doctor's prescription.
And, an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 yearly. Many public
performers sing high praises for HGH, "I feel stronger,
sharper, younger, more balanced, more energetic, better
skin-tone, and, no more gray hairs.
HGH usage is largely the domain of those performers
who wish they were 35 again. Anyone of those over 50
who have rippled stomachs and veins in the forearm are
probably using HGH. Actors who use HGH have a major
advantage over athletes - there's no stigma attached.
After all is claimed, said, and paid for, a vast majority
of endocrinologists agree; It is all baloney. They agree
the therapy is effective for HGH-deficient patients. But
that's fewer than 5 out of every 10,000 people. Two of the
country's leading clinicians in the field of endocrinology
agree that only a tiny fraction of the population actually
need HGH. Are American's unaware of the Power of
placebos?
• For every one "singing in the rain," there is another
person who is just out in the cold rain. Medical experts
acknowledge most users will see some small benefits.
They lose a few pounds and gain a bit of lean muscle, but
they won't gain any strength.
• Juan Ponce de Leon, 1460-1521, about 5 centuries
ago, sailed with the Columbus second trip, then stayed
in Santa Domingo. He later organized his own expedition
in March, 1513, near St. Augustine Florida (Spanish for
Land of Flowers), to begin his search for "The Fountain
of Youth."
• He made the trip with 2 ships and 200 men. They were
met by a large number of native Americans shooting
arrows. Ponce died of wounds from one of those ar-
rows. Now, it may be known where Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow!s arrow fell; not in the heart of a friend, but
in Ponce's body.
Is it a fact that millions of American's are descendants of
Ponce de Leon, predisposing them to forever seek youth?
Actually, doesn't everyone expect to live forever, or die
trying?
may be the key to a cure.
Donate any car you own to the
American Cancer Society. It's hassle-
free, tax deductible, and will help us
fund cancer research, education,
advocacy and patient services.
1-877-999-CARS / www.ca ncer.org
: Perkins,
at the Perkins Post Office as
Group.
and entered
1 CommNeafions
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By Representative Lee Denney
The challenge of combating methamphetamine was a
major focus of lawmakers this week. Two significant bills
were voted on in House committee. One failed, and one
progressed.
Legislation to make pseudoephedrine products prescrip-
tion-only narrowly failed to pass.
House Bill 2375 would have made it illegal to sell pseu-
doephedrine products without a prescription. The drugs
are often used to produce methamphetamine, and propo-
nents said the bill would deny moth cooks access to the
ingredients needed to make the drug.
The bill was supported by law enforcement officials
who said it would reduce meth production, but opposed
by medical officials who said it would needlessly punish
law-abiding citizens by making it difficult and more
expensive to obtain allergy medicines.
House Bill 2375 failed on a 6-7 votein the House Public
Health Committee. A similar measure was also killed in
a state Senate committee.
On the other hand, legislation designed to identify meth
cooks and deny them access to pseudoephedrine passed
out of that same House committee.
House Bill 2941 would require any pharmacy that sells
pseudoephedrine or ephedrine maintain an electronic log
of the sale and access a real-time electronic methamphet-
amine precursor tracking service that will be operated
through the Bureau of Narcotics.
Under the legislation, a pharmacy could not complete a
sale of pseudoephedrine if the tracking service generates
a stop-sale alert.
The legislation also lowers the quantity of pseudo-
ephedrine product a person may purchase to 3.6 grams
per day, 7.2 grams per 30 day period or 60 grams within
a 12 month period.
Individuals who attempt to exceed that limit would be
flagged by the proposed tracking service.
Violators would face a fine, and those convicted of
manufacturing methamphetamine who attempt to pur-
chase pseudoephedrine within 60 days would face up to
14 years in prison.
House Bill 2941 passed unanimously out of the House
Public Health and Safety Committee. The bill now pro-
ceeds to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representa-
tives.
It is important that we strike the right balance between
protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens while also
finding efficient ways to deter crime.
On a different topic, the Oklahoma House of Repre-
sentatives has begun posting Twitter updates containing
up-to-the-minute information on floor activity.
As bills are called for hearings on the House floor, tweets
containing the bill number and links to information on the
bill will be automatically posted in real time on the House
Twitter page, @OKHouseofReps.
This is just one more way to help keep the public
informed of legislative activity.
As always, feel free to contact me at (405) 557-7304 or
at leedenney @okhouse.gov.
................. : ili[i i!iil i! ilii iiii
"Frov'w My Desk'
By Superintendent Janet Barresi
One of the best books I read in the past year was "The
Help," by Kathryn Stockett. The book details the lives
of several black women who served as housekeepers and
childcare workers during the volatile Civil Rights era of
the 1950s and '60s. I laughed and cried as I read of their
fictional struggle.
It's hard to believe that just one generation ago, real,
flesh-and-blood African Americans were fighting battles
to sit wherever they wanted on public buses or in restau-
rants or even to use the same restrooms as white people.
They also were fighting to gain admittance to white's-only
schools and universities. Too often these battles turned
deadly, as in the case of the horrific Tulsa Race Riot of
1921, in which estimates of death range from 50 to 300
and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed.
We owe a debt of gratitude to professors of history,
such as John Hope Franklin for chronicling this important
chapter in our past. As a young boy, Franklin witnessed
his father's law office burn down in the Tulsa Race Riot.
METH
He went on to report decades of abuse suffered by African
Americans. Today, it's easy to think we've come so far,
but many in the African American community would say
we still have much work to do.
As we celebrate Black History Month in February, and all
of the triumphs of our many black heroes, we must commit
to remain vigilant to build on their hard-won successes.
As state superintendent of public instruction, it's my job
to take a close look at the progress of African American
Students in our schools and make sure that our academic
standards are meeting their needs. National reports for
tests such as ACT, SAT, AP and NAEP show that we
are doing a better job of testing more African American
students, but there are still achievement gaps in test
scores. As educators we must make sure that children in
our state are receiving the best education based on their
individual need.
I would like to commend the many educators in our state
who work tirelessly every day to make sure this happens.
I also would like to commend schools that have helped
celebrate Black History Month with special assemblies or
by offering selections of black literature in their libraries
or through classroom lessons.
By studying these lessons from our past, we can build
a brighter future for every student.
Continued from Page A1
Battle was staying at
his residence with three
others and that he sus-
pected them of making
meth, Nack wrote in
another affidavit.
With the owner's
permission, the sheriff's
deputy searched the
house on Feb. 19 and
found items used to
manufacture metham-
phetamine, the affidavit
alleged. Tammy Keeler,
Richard Keeler and
Juanita Munoz were
then arrested, the affida-
vit said.
After all four were
inteviewed, a search
warrant was obtained for
the property on which
they were staying -- that
was served by the deputy
and the Stillwater police
officer on Feb. 21, an
affidavit said.
In a shed behind the
house, three one-step
methamphetamine labs
-- also called "shake and
bake" -- were located, the
affidavit alleged.
In a grain bin near the
shed, ingredients were
Roger Stevens
found that can be used to
make methamphetamine,
the affidavit alleged.
In the bedroom of
Munoz and Richard
Keeler, varous items
of drug paraphernalia
including syringes were
found, the affidavit
alleged.
All four were charged
together with three counts
of endeavoring to manu-
facture methamphetamine
-- between Feb. 1 and
Feb. 2 f, between Feb. 15
and Feb. 21, and between
Feb. 20 and Feb. 2.1,
All four were also
charged together with
trafficking methamphet-
amine, possessing the
drug without a tax stamp
and possessing drug para-
phernalia, all on Feb. 21.
In a separate charge,
Battle alone was accused
of endeavoring to manu-
facture methamphetamine
on Feb. 19 by allegedly
buying a cold pack
containing ammonium
nitrate, and also lithium
batteries containing
lithium metal, with intent
to manufacture metham-
phetamine.
In another charge,
Munoz, Richard Keeler
and Tammy Keeler were
accused of endeavoring
to manufacture metham-
phetamine on Feb. 19 by
possessing a pickle jar
with methamphetamine
residue, an empty cold
pack which had con-
tained ammonia nitrate
and a funnel with meth-
amphetamine residue,
with intent to manufac-
ture the drug.
If convicted of all of
their charges, the four
could each be given a
life prison term plus 86
years and fined $611,000,
according to documents
filed by Payn e County
prosecutor Jack Bowyer.
