Starkville, Miss. to pardon Cash annually

This fall, Starkville will hold the 2nd annual Flower Pickin' Festival on Oct. 17-19. The festival was made in jest of an arrest Cash received back in 1965 and in light of the event the city will issue Cash a pardon every year the festival is held.

The article was very interesting and it was surprising because I had never heard of a city praising someone for a public intoxication arrest. Granted yes it was Johnny Cash but out of his 7 arrests, this is the only festival created.

The article could have had a stronger lede. I'm not a fan of using a question in the lede, especially one that can not be answered; like on for the dead. The quotes were very well and I like the angle of getting the family's input. The Cash family is known for not participating in many Cash related functions. Both daughter's quotes were strong but I also would have liked to hear from his son.

"And, despite his having been recently indicted in a 2007 shooting in a Texas Bar, Cash’s old friend and songwriter Billy Joe Shaver will offer up a few tunes himself."

I did not like this paragraph. I thought it was very awkward and upon reading it the first time thought the writer was implying Cash's son-in-law or even Cash in the bar fight. Seeing as Cash passed away in 2002, I reread the paragraph two or three times before i realized it was an awkward attempt to introduce Billy Joe Shaver. I would recommend the writer to rework this.

Over all I thought the article was informative, attention grabbing and exciting. This festival is something I'd possibly attend next year!


http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/10/starkville-to-re-issue-pardon-for-johnny-cash.html

Hawaii Ending Universal Child Health Care

I really enjoyed this article because I was completely unaware that there was even a state in the Union that had a universal health care program. I thought the lede was very good, capturing the reader’s interest as well as giving enough information that I knew exactly what I would be reading.

With Obama up for the presidency and being from Hawaii originally I wonder if this is type of health care is what he had in mind. That being said should the country look at Hawaii’s failed plan and learn from it? Granted Hawaii’s plan was only for children but it still makes senses that people are not going to want to pay for a health care plan if the poor would be able to receive the same plan for free.

I think for a program like this to work, equality for its participants is a must.