Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016
Random Rants in Rhyme
1 Drought
We take rain for grant
ed until it is withheld,
then realize that without it,
we do not do so well.
It seems so inconvenient when
we have something to do.
We want to reschedule it - in the
A.M. - somewhere about two.
But let the rain fail long enough
for our grass to turn brown,
and the water in our reser
voirs begin to run down,
and they start to put restric
tions on our water use,
then, we begin to ask God to turn it loose.
It’s funny how we have to wait ‘til we’re in a bind
to have the thought of God come in our minds.
It’s funny how humans feel so self-sufficient
until God shows us ways we are deficient.
All flesh would die if it never rained again.
Water is essential to every woman and man.
It is easy for our labs to produce insignificant drops,
but we need a huge supply that never stops.
Man has tried over and over again
to do things to clouds to make them rain.
This writer remembers airplanes seed
ing clouds with dry ice,
an experiment that failed much more than once or twice.
We’ve tried other things, beginning with rain dances
and “spiritual mediums” chant
ing and falling into trances.
Scientists have tried those things that they have learned,
and they still have much “midnight oil” to burn.
The time has come when we must get on our knees
in prayer to God, and ask Him would He please
restore to us the blessing of His rain,
while turning our hearts to serve Him well again.
Every good and perfect gift comes from above,
but we must ask and we should return His love.
Would you join with me in earnest prayer
that God would send us rain - and per
haps, some to spare.
© 2016, cbs
Swords continued from 5A
and began recording it to cel
ebrate the liberty in which he
was witnessing. He wanted to
show the world that instead of
becoming offended—which
people these days so easily
choose to do—he celebrated
the exercise of this right, even
though he did not agree.
This is what liberty sounds
like. This is what liberty looks
like. This is what liberty feels
like.
It is the feeling of being set
free from the bondage of our
emotions and oppression of
both society and government
and it knows no bounds.
If you truly want freedom,
you must first start with the
mind and break free from
dogmatic thinking that con
strains you to only allowing
yourself liberty, because once
we do this, it is only a matter
of time that the power used to
oppress our neighbors who
disagree with us will be used
as a force to oppress us, as
well.
Jessica Swords is an opin
ion columnist for the Barrow
News-Journal. She can be
reached at jlswords!998@
aol.com.
■■
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“Okinawa
Etched Deep
in My Mind”
By Herman Buffington
A Georgia Soldier’s
Recollection of
Okinawa, The Last Battle
of World War Two
This book by Herman Buffington, the long-time pub
lisher of MainStreet Newspapers, is again available in a
limited quantity.
Buffington, who passed away in 2014, was a combat infan
tryman in the last battle of World War II, the Battle of
Okinawa. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 96th Infantry
“Deadeyes” Division and this book is his personal recollec
tion of the Easter Sunday, 1945 Okinawa invasion and other
memories of that battle.
The book is available for $10 plus tax at The Jackson Herald
office, 33 Lee Street in Jefferson.
To have a book mailed to you, send a check for $13.70 ($10
plus tax & shipping) to Helen Buffington, 162 Jett Roberts
Road, Jefferson, GA 30549. For more information, call 706-
614-4354.
Letter to the Editor
Statham police chief responds to criticism
Dear Editor:
Recently we have come
under scrutiny of Policing
for Profit by individuals
due to our enforcement of
impaired driving.
I accept anyone’s com
plaint or allegation and
look into the validity, the
cause and corrective mea
sures if necessary to imple
ment.
I make no excuses or
apologies for the enforce
ment of impaired driving.
I have seen firsthand the
aftermath of accidents
involving impaired driv
ing.
One thing is for sure, if
you are critical I challenge
you to this.
Go out and ride with
us, your local agency, the
Georgia State Patrol or
whoever you wish and see
firsthand what the results
are.
Help me cover up the
dead child, teenage or adult
after being fatally injured
by the impaired driver.
Take the photos on-scene
and in the hospital with me
of the mangled and disfig
ured bodies of the victims.
Make that notification
with me to the devastat
ed mom or dad that their
child has passed in the
accident, to the husband
or wife that the love of
their life has passed in the
accident. Interview the
impaired driver responsi
ble for the accident and
hear the excuses for being
impaired, events in their
life causing them to be
impaired and the shunning
of responsibility for being
impaired.
How it’s their right or it’s
OK because their doctor
said so. Or just wonder
why there’s no response
at all.
Then consider this, was
it their right to useless
ly and selfishly take the
life of another? Deprive
their families of their loved
one? Was it justified by
their current or past life
hardships or horrors? They
can speak because they are
alive. But who speaks for
the dead? We do. It’s our
job.
We aggressively enforce
it and will continue to
aggressively enforce it. If
you don’t want it enforced,
take the law off the books,
take that responsibility
away from us.
One minute we don’t do
enough to stop or curb it
and the next minute we are
doing too much enforce
ment. It’s always a no win
situation.
CBS 46 reported that
according to the Gover
nor’s Office of Highway
Safety we have not had a
problem with serious inju
ry or fatal accidents involv
ing impaired drivers.
They used it as a cut
against us, when in reality
it was a compliment.
We don’t want those
accidents to happen: we
work to stop them before it
happens.
While training in the
NHTSA Standardized
Field Sobriety Testing
course it explains the
impaired driver and the
enforcement goals.
That aggressive enforce
ment is meant to deter such
drivers by fear of being
arrested, to decrease the
serious and fatal accidents.
We have done that.
I will not apologize for
directing my department
to aggressively enforce
impaired driving and I will
not apologize for my offi
cers doing it.
I could care less of what
such enforcement brings
into the budget, or whether
it’s heard in our court or
superior court.
You can’t put a price on
a life.
I or my officers do not
pursue rewards or recogni
tion for arrests of this man
ner. I do not believe such
things are perks or should
be motive for performance.
It’s our job. Personal
knowledge of job perfor
mance and knowing a dif
ference was made for our
little portion of the world
is reward enough.
Let me explain the pro
active approach opposed
to the reactive approach if
you have not got it already.
The reactive approach is
responding to the incident/
accident after it has already
happened.
The proactive approach
takes measures to deter the
incident/accident before it
happens. Which would you
choose if you lived or trav
elled through on a regular
basis?
If you choose reactive,
then you need to hire a
security company to patrol
your city.
If you choose proactive,
then you need police offi
cers/deputies to patrol your
city.
Speaking with a large
majority of residents with
in the city, they chose
proactive measures. They
thanked us for the job we
do and support us.
A small few prefer
the reactive or no active
approach, citing rogue
officers, collusion and cor
ruption. Conspiracy theory
that we are all in it together
to wrong them.
Both opinions I accept,
that’s your right.
But something I learned
long time ago. I have to
value your opinion before
I consider it.
And that’s my right.
You can get caught up
in the drama, opinions and
theories if you allow your
self to.
I personally don’t. It’s
not worth the time, the
effort or the worry that
goes with it. And it’s not
going to change a thing.
I support your right to
voice your opinion. I sepa
rate what’s worthy to con
sider and discard what’s
not.
I stand behind my offi
cers when they are right
and tell them when they
are wrong. I administer
corrective measures and
move on.
I put my life in their
hands and they put theirs in
mine and will lay it down
if necessary.
We lay it down daily for
all. You say it’s our job and
we knew it when we took
the job. You are right.
But what separates us
from the rest is that know
ing death can be just around
the comer, we accept it and
still do the job.
I sleep well and with a
clear conscious doing this
job we do.
Sincerely,
Allan Johnston
Chief of Police
City of Statham
Terrell continued from 5A
describing sexual acts and activities.”
James described the lyrics saying,
“Bey’s broken the mold. And the bed.
And the kitchen counter!”
Beyonce's songs leave nothing to
anyone’s imagination. The lyrics pro
mote four letter words and describe
sexual acts.
Yet the Obamas praise her for what
she is, for what she does and for who
she is.
You would think the First Lady: a
mother of two and a spokesperson for
children could do better.
Pop culture isn’t the only thing
coming from the left. Violence has
become a classic tactic and trademark.
High school and college students
across the country are marching,
demonstrating, burning and destroying
American flags.
Local schools and college campuses
are allowing these acts to occur.
Brown University celebrated Veter
ans Day by tearing up small American
flags. Students at American University
in Washington, D.C., Temple Univer
sity, and Rock Canyon High School
burned flags after Trump’s election.
The left side of the aisle has made
no effort to stop the actions even while
the evidence appears to show the left
being the instigators in creating and
directing the discontent.
You have to ask, “What does the left
really want?”
And, “Where and when do we draw
the line ?”
Jimmy Terrell is a retired law
enforcement official. He can be
reached at ejterrell@gmail.com.
Breakfast with
Santa & IVlrs. Clans
Saturday, December 3, 2016
9:30 am to 1 2:00 noon
Winder First IVIetHodist
$25 per Family
For tickets contact:
Michelle Gilreath 678.227.1750
or Patty Shaffer 770.307.8562
lie sure to purchase your tickets in advance.
You don ’/ want to miss out on the fun!
Santa & Mrs. Claus will arrive at 10:30 am