Pubdate: Fri, 24 May 2002
Source: Logan Banner, The (WV)
Copyright: 2002 The Logan Banner
Contact:  http://www.loganbanner.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1640
Author: J.D. Charles, Staff Writer

PAVLOVIAN RESPONSES AND ROLLED-UP PAPERS OR THE DIRTY BACK DOOR TO AN OVERDOSE

Most of us over the age of 30 remember hearing of Pavlov's Dogs in High 
School. There are two ways to raise a dog. You either smack him on the head 
with a rolled up newspaper, or you rub his nose in a mess he has made. 
Either one works much better than modern politically correct theory that 
you let the stupid mutt do what it wants to do, then you make excuses for 
the mess.

We recieved another whiny letter from Tennis Vance, at the regional jail 
last week. Mr. Vance, as you may recall, complained heavily that he did not 
give anybody permission to write newspaper stories or articles about him 
when he got busted, then sent to the hospital over some drugs he seems to 
have taken that were smuggled in "the back way."

I took time in my column to explain to Mr. Vance that the best way to stay 
out of the paper is by not making news. For the record Tennis, we don't 
need your permission to write about it when you make news and cost the 
taxpayers money.

Mr. Vance writes, "It's me again. I thought I would right you back about 
what you had to said about my letter. That was a good thing you wrote now, 
let me tell you. I don't give a (Explative Deleted) your Banner...." (Note, 
the mispellings and typos and bad grammer are all Mr. Vance. Evidently he 
is not using his incarceration time to improve his education any.)

He drones on,"....I was not arrested this time you put my name in the paper 
so there you go that my grounds for a law suite I was taking to the 
hosptial for a drug overdose I was not charged with any crime or anything 
else so what right did you have putting my name in the paper. 'Tell me'."

Okay Tennis, I will tell you. But first, let me recommend that you stop 
taking drugs while incarcerated if you are so hell-bent on becoming a 
jailhouse lawyer.

Tennis, when you took those drugs hidden in your buddies backdoor, and got 
sick (probably from exposure to fecal matter, not from overdosing) and WE 
had to pay for YOUR hospital visit it and it then became OUR business. We 
got our information from an administrator (Steven Canterbury) who spoke on 
the record.

For those of you not familiar with Mr. Vance career in law enforcement, he 
was involved in an incident including Johnny Workman, 21, of Logan; and 
Chester Collins, 22, of Switzer who were treated at Logan General Hospital 
after taking drugs they obtained that probably didn't smell too good.

According to Tpr. Larry O'Bryan, James A. Brooks smuggled at least 50 pills 
into the jail along with marijuana, a half pack of cigarettes and a butane 
lighter by hiding them in his rectum.

Authorities at the jail said Brooks was fishing the drugs out and sticking 
them back in throughout part of the day. I bet (for obvious reasons) Mr. 
Brooks is very popular in jail. Under the internal disciplinary system, an 
inmate who commits a drug offense may be punished by revocation of time 
awarded for good behavior, up to 30 days in disciplinary detention or loss 
of privileges for up to 30 days.

Tennis, had you not written us, whining about your publicity predicament 
nobody would have written about you till the next time you get in trouble. 
If you didn't get in trouble anymore you would have gotten your wish. Don't 
make news and you won't be in the paper. By taking those stinky drugs you 
made news. How is that our fault? You admit you did it in this letter.

Tennis goes on, "It is not a public record when you get taken to the 
hospital is it no. So about what you had to say about my letter, I tried to 
be nice about it but no you whant to make everything public let me tel you 
I didn't whant it put in the paper what I had to say but go ahead and put 
this in the paper to I know you will."

When a jail official comments about what you have done while incarcerated, 
it is public record.

"So my grounds for my lawsuit is that when you in the paper one your in it 
for life everthings you do so let set it right. I was not arrested for 
anything so it was not a public record this time, was it no. I was just 
taken to the hospital no charged with anything. You told the hole Logan 
that I take drugs out up someones (expletive deleted) and got high righ yes 
was what I was taken to the hospital for a overdose not for taking drugs 
out of someone rectum was I no thank you. You said so bad thing about me in 
your paper so I tell you one think keep my name out of you mouth I say tell 
me how you know that I was taken to the hospital I will get the paper work 
don on the lawsuit soon and you see why."

Tennis, every time you get into legal trouble you damage yourself. You 
admit you did it. We just wrote about it. What we wrote about was on record 
or told to us on the record by jail authorities. Tennis you need to get off 
drugs and get an education and straighten your life out. You need to learn 
to accept RESPONSIBILITY for the bad things you have done and the problems 
you have caused yourself by them.

Until you do, you will continue to be your own worst enemy. You need to 
stay away from drugs. It doesn't matter if they come out of another man's 
butt or not.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D