Letters to the editor - Jan. 17

Roanhaus retirement marks end of era

When an era ends that was part of my life, I have sentimental thoughts that cause me to reflect for days or weeks.

Coach Eric Roanhaus’ recent resignation as Clovis High football coach was one such occasion.

In 1972, I was hired to be a ninth-grade football coach at Marshall Junior High. I learned I would be working with newly hired coach Dunny Goode.

I soon realized I was fortunate to be working with an experienced, knowledgeable, veteran Texas football coach who had been baptized in fire.

Goode molded a group of non-achievers and semi-outlaws into a group of winners. Shortly after that season, he followed Rex Hennington as the head football coach at Clovis High.

One of Goode’s first actions was to bring in a young coach from Canyon, Texas. Roanhaus had played for the legendary coach Joe Kerbel at then-West Texas State University.

Goode put Clovis on the path to football greatness, winning state championships twice.

When Kerbel died in Dallas, Goode was asked to be a pallbearer at his funeral.

Goode asked me if I thought he should go since Dallas was a long way and it would require him to miss a day or two of his duties at Marshall.

I told him it was an honor to be a pallbearer for a successful coach who had mentored NFL greats Mercury Morris, Duane Thomas and others.

Goode decided to attend Coach Kerbel’s funeral.

After five years as Clovis High coach, Goode accepted the head football coaching position at Eastern New Mexico University and Roanhaus became Clovis’ head football coach.

I have followed, with keen interest, every football game Clovis has played since 1972.

I have more fond memories of living and working in Clovis than any city where I’ve ever lived.

Dwight Crenshaw

Tatum

Defending against bias is entirely appropriate

Rube Render’s Jan. 11 column headlined “Sports, government bad combination,” is an accurate description of how sports organizations manipulate officials to fund their endeavors.

The Texas Rangers baseball team is a good example.

Where I disagree with Render is his position on sports organizations taking action on discriminatory laws.

When “behavior modification” involves defending a minority against an uninformed, biased law, I think the action is entirely appropriate.

The majority of major medical experts agree that a person’s sexual orientation is determined prior to birth. It is not a “lifestyle.”

Do you remember making the decision about which sex you were going to be drawn to?

There was no decision to be made.

There have been claims made of religious “cures” of sexual “deviants.” They have never stood up to investigation.

Some other forms of “behavior modification” that should be addressed are the various laws to address “fraudulent voting.” Numerous investigations have revealed about three or four fraudulent votes out of millions.

The laws are intended to keep down the number of “those votes” to sustain the status quo. Some of “those” people live in public housing.

Another position Republicans take that cannot be supported by science or facts is opposition to addressing global warming.

In scientific circles there is no debate whether or not global warming exists and human activities are the cause of it. Not addressing it will be far more expensive.

Leon Logan

Tucumcari