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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016
Betty Foy Sanders
Take your power back
ATLANTA - Betty Foy Sanders, the
widow of former Georgia Governor Carl
Sanders, at 90, looks regal just like she
always has. Appearing much younger
than her years, she was reminiscing with
friends about her wedding which took
place in Statesboro 69 years ago.
It was hot, 103 degrees at the
First Baptist Church in an era
devoid of air conditioning. As
the ceremony evolved, she saw
tears sliding down her mother’s
cheeks.
Naturally she was touched by
her mother’s emotions but soon
realized the heat was so intense
that the candles were melting
much to her mother’s dismay.
Her tears were not that she was
losing her daughter.
Betty Sanders, among other
heart-warming qualities, has
always had a sense of humor which is a
considerable asset for a First Lady. Betty
and Carl became an accomplished team
with a bent for giving back to the state
and their communities. Carl was a hand
some. well-spoken and cogent leader
whose political skills not only served him
well, but also the state.
During his term as governor, 1963-66,
Georgia prospered so much (the state
enjoyed a $140 million dollar surplus
when Sanders left office), you would
have thought that the voters would have
welcomed him back with open arms four
years later.
Governors in those years could not
succeed themselves. He had to sit out
four years before running again. In that
election, Carl was rejected — which was
reminiscent of the British voters turning
Winston Churchill out of office in 1945
after he played a major role in leading the
Allies to victory in World War II.
Seeing Betty connect with her friends
on her birthday stimulated a reminder
of a nice interlude with her and Carl on
a cold winter’s day a few years ago. A
story on the Governor had appeared in
the Georgia football programs, related to
his underwriting an athletic scholarship
(he had come to UGA as a quarterback
on a scholarship). I volunteered to take
a box of programs to his office. Owing
to the weather, he had left early for his
home on Tuxedo Road which prompted
Betty to extend an invitation to join them
for lunch. The kitchen staff was serving
oyster soup — nothing better on a chilly
day, especially if the hostess included
saltine crackers.
In the warm conversation, which
ensued, Betty offered the view that while
losing is hard to take, especially for a
man of Carl’s competitive ilk, there was
a silver lining in his political defeat in
1972.
Four more years in the governor’s
mansion would likely have kept him
from building the leading law firm in
Atlanta which now is an international
firm. “Sometimes, things work out for
the best,” she smiled.
Betty grew up on a large farm in Bull
och County, one without electricity and
running water, but early on she
was recognized for possessing
an inquiring mind with a deep
and abiding love for drawing
which segued into a cultivation
of art. She became friends
with Lamar Dodd, the celebrated
UGA artist, who headed up the
Art Department at the University,
where she enrolled after a year at
Georgia Teachers College in her
hometown. She would become a
revered artist herself.
In high school, she was about
as well rounded as possible,
playing the piano and basketball. She
was also a cheerleader and marched with
the band; took dancing lessons and knew
how to boil peanuts for her girlfriends
when they came out to the farm.
The rural life was the good life. Even
when her family moved to town, she
maintained a longing for the outdoors and
her rural roots which made her compati
ble with the voter constituency when Carl
ran for political office. Her background
enabled her to converse with people of
all walks of life.
As First Lady she had affection for
underscoring and promoting the arts
throughout the state and utilized her
husband’s political clout to advance her
advocacy of the arts which influenced the
development of museums across the state
along with focusing attention for the arts
in the University system of Georgia.
Once, at Sea Island, when Carl was
hosting out-of-state businessmen, whom
he was recruiting to bring business to
Georgia, he noticed that his one-time
adversary Marvin Griffin was unable to
secure seating for dinner.
When Carl invited one of the most col
orful raconteurs ever to hold office in the
state to join him and his party, it wasn’t
long before Griffin had Carl’s guests guf
fawing with uncontrolled laughter. After
dinner, they remarked, “How in the world
did you defeat a fellow like that?”
These and other colorful stories over
oyster soup on a chilly winter day, always
a reminder that while Carl and Betty
Sanders knew what it was like to enjoy a
champagne lifestyle, they appreciated the
fact that they evolved from humble roots.
They were difference makers, and our
state is the beneficiary of their legacy.
Loran Smith is a columnist for the
Barrow News-Journal. He is host of the
University of Georgia football radio pre
game show.
loran
smith
APC Motorcycle Ride set for Aug. 20
The Athens Pregnancy Center will hold its 12th annual Motorcycle Ride on Satur
day. Aug. 20.
“All motorcycles are welcomed,” organizers state.
Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Cycle World of Athens and the ride will leave
at 10:30 a.m. The full ride will be police escorted.
T-shirts and a Chick-fail-A lunch will be provided free to all riders and passengers.
The ride will last approximately one hour.
The registration fee is $25 for riders and $10 for passengers. Door prizes will be
given and several items will be raffled off.
Pre-registration is available online at www.AthensPregnancyCenter.org/Events.
Proceeds will benefit the Athens Pregnancy Center. For more information, call 678-
753-3180.
I
RIDE TO BENEFIT ATHENS PREGNANCY CENTER
Last year’s event drew a large crowd of riders. This year’s event will be
Aug. 20.
Winder Class of 1961 sets reunion
The Winder High School Class of 1961
will celebrate its 55th year reunion on
Saturday, Aug. 27, from 6-10 p.m. at the
Winder Woman’s Club.
For more information on the reunion,
contact Linda Rice Queen at 843-650-
2813 or 843-450-9933 or by email at lin-
dalqueen @ aol.com
Skinner reunion set for Sept. 11
A family reunion for the descendants of held at noon on Sunday, Sept. 11, at the
W.N. Sr. and Lena Doster Skinner will be Lions Club in Winder.
I was at a birthday gathering this past
weekend with some of my significant
other’s friends when the discussion of
politics came up. Believe it or not, it was
not by my own initiation, but I felt the
need to discuss this in depth so that we
can once again rationalize and
take action in our own elections.
After my significant other
declared that I am very in love
with my Second Amendment
rights, his friend said, “Please tell
me you’re not voting for Trump.”
Why? What does Trump have to
do with my Second Amendment
rights? How is the mainstream
alternative to him any better? And
why who I decide to vote for even
matters at this point?
We just watched Wiki-leaks
release thousands of emails from
the Democratic National Committee that
blatantly showed favoritism to Hillary
Clinton over Bernie Sanders. This is
nothing new, as we saw the same thing
in local GOP conventions in 2012 where
leaders tried to force out Ron Paul sup
porters. The masses declared that there
was no favoritism or voter fraud. We see
now that this is simply not true.
So my question to you is, why are we
discussing who we are or are not voting
for when the ruling class has already
demonstrated that they do not care who
we pick since they will choose their lead
ers regardless of our vote?
Why does it matter if I do or do not vote
for Trump, or Hillary, or Gary Johnson, or
Jill Stein?
Why does it matter who you are voting
for when the party you support already
told you through their actions that your
opinion, your vote, your voice, is com
pletely irrelevant?
Why are we even having an election
if they can have such evidence of their
criminal election fraud wide open to the
public and the public does nothing?
Before you ask who I will or will not
vote for, take your power back. Today I
feel as if there are only two reasons to
discuss who to vote for: a) to preach to
the choir, or b) to publicly ridicule or
discredit the opponent.
“You’re voting for Trump, so you must
be a racist.”
“You’re voting for Hillary, so you must
be stupid."
“You’re voting for Jill Stein, so you
must be a socialist.”
“You’re voting for Gary Johnson
because you must want to smoke pot.”
These are all irrational comments to
make in a rational, intellectual discus
sion. We are no longer asking the right
questions.
We should be asking “How do
we stop political manipulation
from the ruling class? How do
we regain control of the federal
government?
When and where can we meet
so we can unite against tyranny
through such political manipu
lation?
How can we put pressure on
government officials to press
charges against those who take
part in election fraud and how
can we make sure we put them
through due process?”
Hillary Clinton stole the primary elec
tion from Bernie Sanders. This is not an
endorsement of Sanders, but this shows
that Hillary is not only not the choice of
the people, but is also too corrupt to hold
such a high public office and should be
disqualified.
For those of you who were support
ers of Sanders and fell in submission to
the Democratic Party to support Hillary
because you are “Never Trumpers,” how
can you support her now that you know
she does not care what you have to say
about politics?
How can you support her knowing that
she stole your voice? How can you sup
port a criminal?
This is not a Trump endorsement.
This is a message to you all to wake
up to reality that your voice no longer
matters in our system of former self-gov
ernance. Obama can sit on his high horse
all day long and declare “We [the People]
are the government,” but this is obviously
hot air and smoking mirrors.
We no longer rule ourselves if we
cannot even choose who gets elected
to office. Stop donating to mainstream
parties and start investing in local gov
ernments so that you can be protected
against those who refuse to acknowledge
your power over public and elected offi
cials.
Jessica Swords is a local columnist.
She can be reached at jlswords!998@
aol.com.
jessica
swords
Over the Hill?
The bells have all already been rung.
The big fat lady has already sung.
The doors to the place are tightly closed,
and my mind is almost recomposed.
The crowd that was gathered have all gone away.
(Thank God, my wife has chosen to stay.)
The calendar’s tale has already been told
and made me officially ninety years old.
If I am officially “over the hill,”
why does it seem I am climbing still?
If my life is nearly through,
why does it seem there is so much to do?
dr.
cb
skelton
My feet may be slow, but my mind’s in a hurry.
(Thank God, it’s not bogged down with excessive worry.)
My eyesight may be dimmer, but still I can see
more than a glimmer. That’s exciting to me.
There is so much to say (in how much time?)
in my little column, Random Rants In Rhyme.
My plan is to continue looking ahead
until the doctors pronounce me dead.
John Milton’s sonnet, On His Blindness
shows a heart of contentment with sadness
“when I consider how my light was spent.”
My story has a different vent
“when I consider how my life is being spent.”
Whereas Milton did so sadly state,
“They also serve who only stand and wait.”
I hope when I crash Heaven’s gate
to say, “Thank you. Lord. That was great.”
© 2016,cbs
Dr. CB Skelton is a retired Winder physician and author of several books.
Statham Library announces upcoming events
The Statham Library announces upcom
ing events and programs
The Statham Public Library has the fol
lowing programs and events planned for
the upcoming months:
•Saturday, Aug. 20, 10 a.m.: The Home
Depot kids workshop.
•Thursday, Aug. 25, 5:30 p.m.: Adult
beginning computer skills class. Please
call for reservations at 770-725-4785.
•Thursday, Sept. 1, 11 a.m.: Homes-
chool parents organizational meeting.
•Friday, Sept. 9, 1 p.m.: Knitting club
starts back. This event will be held every
other Friday.
•Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m.: Book sale in
front of the library during the Sunflower
Festival.
•Thursday, Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m. Adult
beginning computer skills class. Call for
reservations at 770-725-4785.
•Saturday, Sept. 24, and Saturday, Oct.
1.11 a.m.: “The Book You’ve Been Mean
ing to Write For Years” writing class.
The adult summer reading prize winners
at the library were:
•Bill Brown, gift card
•Rose Vandewark, gift card
•Wilma Casper, gift card
•Sara Beasley, C dozen cookies •Sara
Bahurensky. card
•James Buckner, card
The Statham Public Library is located at
1928 Railroad Street in Statham.