Dorothea Youngblood (Lucas)

Beverly , yes China is and always will be a communist country. But they have realized that they can not pay for over a billion people so basically they began turning capitalistic when Nixon open China up and took gold away from the dollar. Many U.S Factories migrated to China for cheap labor. In 1989 the labor was paid 30.00 a month, live in dorm like rooms except 8 to a room, common eating area as a cafeteria and common bathroom facilities which stunk to high heavens and once you got the smell in your clothes you had to go home and shower. I began there when people were riding bikes, four on a modeped, and very few cars. Heck they did not have street signs nor traffic lights and dirt for roads.The real purpose of opening up China was to move the country from a third world to our standards in which in the last 32 years not only have they by pass us but are considered number 2 power in the world. They are taking full advantage of the world trade not only here but all over the world. Thier goal is to be number one! I have many stories of China and that is just one of them. I had to always watch by peas and cues but I had very good guards to watch over me and protect me. They would always carry my purse  when I went in public. One of the adventures was visiting most American factories over there. I went to Nike factory and saw my sneakers for $5.00 that I paid $50.00 here in the states (1989). What was very impressive was the children went to school all year round, they were tested for explicit field of education they would excel and they wore uniforms and English was the second language. That is why the Asians have been successful in Education. Another interesting story was the Barbershop's red and white light that we had here in the US knowing that you enter a barbarshop for a hair cut and shave. Over there it was a whore house. Also TGIF was male dancers for females. LOL! The one thing that I learned is that Education is the most important asset we can teach our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren because the Asians and Indians (from India ) will surpass them if we do not!

Johnny Arnold

Tommy, Betsy, Beverly, Susan, 

Thanks for your contributions to this discussion. When I read over them I feel grateful that I was in this class. Good People. People with courage to stand up to injustice.  I do not know Dorothea. I see what she writes.  

Over the past 5 years I have been trolled by many including QANON cult. In 2016 I began writing on Con Strategies I saw being used on the Media and people. You know the phrase Rachel Maddow uses "Watch What They Do Not What They Say" I wrote that in 2016 and sent to her show multiple ways and multiple times. She first said it on January 25, 2017. 

I explained how the media is being conned and used as they have not needed to handle a situation where propaganda not facts are goal. I predicted in 2017 and 2018 the strategies. The Media was being played. Media reports on what they see, hear, experience. The main stream media was being played by reporting propaganda as that put them in a situation where reporting it was spreading it, the propaganda. The dilemma is every time they report it they are inadvertently spreading the propaganda. The Con is to use the credibility fact-based media to make the lies appear true.

QANON is a good example of how a separate alternate reality can be created where a portion of a population believes. QANON uses a game strategy where clues are spread as followers "solve" the clues, there is no real clue or solution, it leads them into what we have come to call a Rabbit Hole. 

What we hear from people is their expression of what they Believe.

Wrote this August 4, 2017
"If a Person's Position is not based on facts but is based on their beliefs, Facts will never change their position" 



Beliefs aren't intrinsically good or bad. They are an integral part of who we are. Questioning our beliefs is healthy. Beliefs usually have some basis in serving the people of a time and place. When arguing talking with, arguing with, interacting with a person holding a different belief if the belief is deep enough you are often not talking with the person but with the Belief. The Belief will defend itself. It can see the person questioning it as the enemy that is challenging it. 

There is long term, 1000s to 100s of thousands of years beliefs that one people are superior to another/others. Building on that Belief the Superior People have a Right to rule over the Other. Much of what we learn in history is who won what from and over who. We are deep in the Belief to this day and probably moving forward. 

There are strategies used by cults, countries, peoples, to shape the people's Beliefs to what the ruling people want them to be. There is a long-held Belief that White People are Superior. Never mind the Facts or Science.  We are in a period where the US cultural makeup is changing. That is very scary to many who tightly hold the Belief that White People are Entitled Because they are superior because they are white. 

Beliefs create reasons that validate the Belief. The farther from facts the belief is the farther from reality based on facts. To counter that they strategy, often used by the Russians is to create a NO FACT cultural This relates to Power. 

If science is used to determine how to handle something then Science, not facts has the Power.  That is a threat to Autocracies like Putin's Russia.  Autocracies Power is based in having a Ruler whether Dictator, King, Monarch. The Power is then based on that Autocrats word, opinion, decree. Disinformation and Misinformation are integral to this strategy..

Rule of Law is based on evidence-based facts. If you can undermine evidence-based facts then you have undermined the foundation of Rule Of Law. Rule Of Law is what makes the US special. Rule of Law in the US means Equal Justice for All. What we are seeing is that a part of the country, appears about 30% ongoing throughout our history does not hold the Belief that Rule Of Law should not be for all Equally. Voter suppression is an expression of that belief. In the US and this is coming from the Belief that White People are superior and others are lesser. The Core Belief of White Supremacy in its many forms. 

I am sooo honored to be here seeing your posts standing up for equality. 

Note to Tommy Nixon: I am still holding to on to the Belief that I am stil growing and will one day be 6'5".. 

Michael Thomas Hutson

I thought this was the Riverside 😉 High Class of '69 message forum not Facebook. Doesn't the Class of '68 have it's own message forum?

Dorothea Youngblood (Lucas)

Michael, coming from Parochial Education in the 10th grade I was in classes and made friends with 67, 68 and 69. 

Michael Ferrara

Sherry Seaward (Clelland) is in our class.. No better person on the planet..Both she and her husband, Bruce, are as good as it gets .   Please take a minute and read this. If any of you would, please contribute something.. Thanks so much 

  https://gofund.me/d4593618

Johnny Arnold

I like to see the flow of consciousnes that arises. The surface waves are in a simplistic way expressions of a person's beliefs. Often when examined the belief comes from a time and place that is not the present time or place. The belief is crazy when examined. 

Like this one.. 

Note to Tommy Nixon: I, Johnny, am still holding on to the Belief that I am still growing and will one day be 6'5".. 

The time, 1960s and place was Junior and Senior High.. 

Michael Thomas Hutson

Dorothea,

 Being friends with is not the same as being a member of the Class of '69 which is what I thought this message forum was for. You have a lot of anger and mean spiritedness that you have been posting here that does not seem appropriate for someone who was not a member of the class. 

Tommy Nixon

Mike, Thanks for posting the Go Fund Me link to help Sherry and Bruce. So very sad to hear about this situation but I encourage all to help if they can. Hope you are well. I heard you're in Mexico. Enjoy! .....Tom Nixon

Michael Ferrara

Thanks Tommy. .Personally, I was about over this thread being hijacked in regards to the school's name change..  I feel that what is going on with our friends and classmates ,good or not so good, is what this forum should be used for. I know Sherry would appreciate knowing she is remembered. Not only that, for  your generous donation helping her family out..I'd also like to thank our other classmates for their contributions. 

Johnny Arnold

Hi Mike,

I agree with you. I like seeing the messages from my classmates, how they are, where they are, shared memories, friends and history.   

Great to be here..

Johnny

Dorothea Youngblood (Lucas)

This will bring back memories! Enjoy! 
Www.YouTube.com Powder Blue 2015

Walter Merritt (Skip) Ford, Jr.

Beverly, Dorothea is mostly correct about China. I married my Chinese wife, Xiaomei in 1992. Best thing that ever happened to me. She and her 6 year old son came to live with me. We toured China for a month the first time I went there. The people are very nice, not much different from us. The roads were paved and very wide. Not many cars. The only cars were owned by businesses, which were partially owned by the government, but managed by indiviguals. Buildings were old, and everyone lived in apartments, about 3-4 stories tall. Airports were small and accomodated about 4-5 flights per day, except of course, the capitals. There is very little crime compared to here. At that time, $30/month was a standard wage. Of course, your rent was free, you could buy breakfast for 3 cents, and students lived at school 6 days a week and the free school fed and clothed them. healthcare was free. Food and clothing was their only expense, so it all works out to be about the same as our incomes. I decided to start a business importing gift items to sell here. Would pay about $1.00 for them and sell them for about $9.00. That industry was destroyed by our Middle Eastern buddies on 9-11. America and the world was pouring money into China for similar purchases. With their government bank accounts overflowing, the government has rebuilt almost all of the country. New highways, new shopping centers, new housing, and planting trees everywhere. They would take whole city blocks and tell all inhabitants to leave and come back in a year. They would raze the whole block and build it back with 20 story high rises. The tenants would come back and get a new apartment with updated water, electricity, the whole schmear, all at no cost to them. New parks, public transportation and hospitals. Businesses were turned over to the managers who started a capitalist tsunami. Now you can buy your own condo for about $1M, or your own car. And folks can afford it! Their small airports were rebuild and make Atlanta's airport look like a third world country. Of course, they have their corrupt politicians, just like we do, but not so much. They are happy with their life there, just as we are here. Only difference, really, is that most of their govt. officials look after the people, while ours  look after themselves. That will change soon enough, though. They are adopting all of our good qualities, while we adopt all of their previously bad qualities. 

Dorothea Youngblood (Lucas)

Skip, China was experience I could never forget. You are right they didn't have much crime because people were killed on the spot. The factories, government buildings and even airports were guarded with men with machine guns. The one thing that amazed me was there was no homeless on the street and no assisted living facilities because in  their culture family takes care of family. Hope one day I can go back and visit with my many friends .

Dorothea Youngblood (Lucas)

The irony of Riverside being a part of Magnolia Plantation. 

Cheryl Linsey Beaugh (Farmer)

Mike, thank you for sharing the link to Sherry’s go fund me page. She and I had such fun in high school.  Our lives went in different directions and I never saw her again. I only made it to 2 of our school reunions, and hoped that she would be there too.  I’m happy to be able to help in a small way. 

Michael Ferrara

Thanks Cheryl. I introduced her to a good friend ,Bruce Clelland back in 1973. It was love  at first sight  . Bruce was a world class surfer . She left the westside for the beach . They moved to Hawaii 12 years ago to live out their dream . She was laser focused on Bruce and her family ever since. I was fortunate to have been in touch with her .  

Beverly Joyce McCoy (Smith)

Hi Skip, I am happy for you. I had no idea China allowed US citizens travel so freely within their borders. I'm sure China is fascinating to visit and maybe even live. The language alone would deter me. If I ever hit the lottery a visit would be on my list. I spent 3 years in Germany. Beautiful country with a very ugly past. Nevertheless fascinating. Thanks 

John Pierre Hill

I was searching online this morning and saw that Mr.Beard passed in December 2020.  He was living at Elmcroft off of Southside Boulevard, where my mother was also living at the time.  Mrs.Beard had died a few years earlier.  I credit Mr. Beard with giving me a real appreciation for history and why it is still my hobby today.

Joleen Drane Gray (Roe)

Does anyone have a yearbook for the class of 69. Im looking for a picture of my mom Joleen Drane Gray for a memory book her daughters are making her. Would anyone share photos with us?

Cheryl Linsey Beaugh (Farmer)

I looked in my yearbook and did not find a picture of Joleen Drane Gray. Are you sure she was class of 1969?  Sorry. 

Susan Victoria Fritts (Burnett)

What's your mother's maiden name, I'm assuming "Gray" is her married name?

Joleen Drane Gray (Roe)

Maybe she was 1968 then? Then she would be a junior in your yearbook?  Her maiden name was Gray. But on this forum they had her middle name Drane on there as well? So I wasnt sure if it was under one of the two names? I would ask her but we are surprising her ☺️ Thank you so much for looking!!

Joleen Drane Gray (Roe)

Correction sorry if she graduated in 68 then she wouldn't be in there.

Cheryl Linsey Beaugh (Farmer)

Is there a classmate from 1969 who married an upperclassman from 1967 or 1968 who would be willing to look into the above request from Joleen's daughter?

Thomas Ray Vittum

I looked in my Lake Shore 1965 & 1966 year books and in my Robert E Lee HIgh School 1968 & 1969 year books for both names last names, in all years and did not find a match.