Copyright 1995 The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
April 27, 1995, Thursday, ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: NATIONAL NEWS, Pg. 2A
LENGTH: 657 words
HEADLINE: Q & A ON THE NEWS
BYLINE: Colin Bessonette
BODY:
Do you have a question about the news - local, national or international? Colin Bessonette will try to get and answer for you. Call 222-2002 on a Touch-Tone phone and follow the instructions. On Access Atlanta, the AJC's online service, jump: Q&A to ask a question or read hundreds of recent Q&A answers.
Q: Can you print more of the remarks made by President Clinton at Sunday's memorial service for the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing? They were very moving, and not much has been repeated in print since then. -Elaine Morgan, Marietta A: Some excerpts:
> To the families in attendance: "Our words seem small beside the loss you have endured. But I found a few I wanted to share. . . . You have lost too much, but you have not lost everything. And you have certainly not lost America, for we will stand with you for as many tomorrows as it takes."
> To people not at the service: "One thing we owe those who have sacrificed is the duty to purge ourselves of the dark forces which give rise to this evil. . . .
"Let us teach our children that the God of comfort is also the God of righteousness. . . . Let us let our children know that we will stand up against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. Where there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it.
"In the face of death, let us honor life. . . . Wounds take a long time to heal. But we must begin. Those who are lost now belong to God. Someday we will be with them. But until that happens, their legacy must be our lives."
Q: The "Unabomber" evidently has struck again. Where does that word come from? -Edward Davis, Tucker
A: It refers to the perpetrator involved in what The New York Times calls "the Unabom case" (bom, not bomb). The Times printed a letter Wednesday that it had received from the Unabomber. The name is derived from a combination of the words "university" and "airlines" since the mail bomber's first targets included some of both (Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Yale, American Airlines, Boeing Co.) as well as "bomb."
Q: An article about Earth Day on Sunday mentioned an "Environmental Bill of Rights." A lot of us want to sign it. Is it coming to Atlanta? -Stephen James, Atlanta
A: It's not a single manuscript making the rounds of the United States. Several environmental groups nationwide are collecting signatures, which will be attached to a petition that will be presented to Congress on July 4. The Sierra Club is spearheading the project here. Information: Sierra Club, 1447 Peachtree St., Suite 305, Atlanta, Ga. 30309; 888-9778. Q: What are the G-7 nations? -Ray Birdstall, Duluth
A: The G stands for group. It is composed of the world's seven wealthiest nations: United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada. The group holds an annual economic summit.
Q: I know Henry Aaron hit more home runs in his career than Babe Ruth, but can you amplify on that? -J. Collins, Pine Lake
A: In 23 years, Aaron hit 755 home runs in 12,364 times at bat. In 22 years, Ruth hit 714 home runs in 8,399 times at bat. (You didn't ask, but we'll tell you anyway: No. 3 was Willie Mays, who in 22 years hit 660 home runs in 10,881 times at bat).
Q: Where did the phrase "Seventh Heaven," as in "I'm in Seventh Heaven," originate? -Vince Petrell, Kennesaw
A: In the Islamic graded concept of heaven, one goes after death to the heaven he or she has earned on Earth. The Seventh Heaven, ruled by Abraham, is the ultimate heaven, a region of pure light lying above the other six. Anyone in Seventh Heaven is thus in a state of bliss. Another interpretation is that in ancient astronomy, the seventh ring of stars was the highest and, therefore, represented supreme bliss. It also was the title of a play and a movie with Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell in 1927, remade with Simone Simon and James Stewart in 1937.