Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
GED orientation dates scheduled
If you, or someone you
know, needs to obtain a
GED, now is the time. The
Lanier Technical College
Adult Education program
is offering GED classes
in Auburn, Braselton. and
Winder. Classes are free,
and are available morning,
afternoon, and evenings.
To begin classes, students
will need to attend one of
the following orientations
at the Wimberly Center for
Community Development,
163 Martin Luther King Jr.
Drive, Winder:
•Tuesday, April 10,6 p.m.
•Wednesday. April 18, 1
p.m.
•Tuesday, April 24,6 p.m.
•Tuesday, May 8, 6 p.m.
•Wednesday. May 16. 1
p.m.
•Tuesday, May 22, 6 p.m.
Students are required to
bring their state issued ID to
orientation. Anyone that is
16 or 17 will have addition
al paperwork to complete
before attending orientation.
For more information and to
register for orientation, call
770-531-3361.
The Winder classes will
be held at the Wimberly
Center. The Auburn classes
are held at the JD Withers
Building near Auburn Ele
mentary School. The Bra
selton classes are held at the
Braselton Public Library.
Buffington continued from 4A
But that lesson is always lost when a
new protest movement happens. Estab
lishment voices always make the mistake
of overreacting in defense of the status
quo.
That was evident even with the small
protest last year where a few NFL football
players kneeled for the national anthem
as a protest against allegations of police
brutality against black suspects. As far as
protests go. the act of kneeling was minor.
But the reaction to that from the dominant
political and social establishment was
overwrought and often hysterical. Those
voices of overreaction brought more atten
tion to the underlying issue than anything
the silent kneeling players had done.
Now, we see the same kind of thing
happening with the Parkland movement
about gun violence.
The political establishment is having
a come-apart because a small group of
teenagers has managed to challenge the
status quo. The far right, including FOX
and its stable of flaky commentators like
Ingraham, have run the debate over gun
violence into the gutter with personal
attacks on the Parkland survivors who are
speaking out.
History suggests that those personal
attacks are a losing cause. Whether or
not you agree with the Parkland students'
political views, to attack them personally
is little different than what Bull Connor
did to kids in Birmingham with his dogs.
The Parkland students are winning the
gun violence debate because establish
ment voices are showing themselves to be
unworthy of respect. Who the hell makes
a personal attack on kids who survived
a mass shooting where 17 of their class
mates died?
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Many Americans dislike protesting. But
history shows that more often than not, the
protesters are right and the smug estab
lishment was wrong.
Time will tell if the Parkland protests
prove to be a pivotal movement in Amer
ican history, or if it will fade into just a
moment.
Regardless, stale establishment thinking
needs to be challenged now and again.
Protesting — especially by the nation’s
youth — is good for the cleansing of
America’s soul.
Mike Buffington is co-publisher of Main-
street Newspapers. He can be reached at
mike @ mainstreetnews. com.
Random Rants in Rhyme
Hell Air-conditioned?
(A Fantasy)
There’s a story going around — don’t know if it’s true —
but it is my plan to tell it to you.
The story, itself is not X-rated;
but I suspect it may be exaggerated.
In the story, Satan called up God
to report a situation that seemed quite odd.
It seems that a genius, Mr. R. E. Pairwell,
had shown up unexpectedly in his kingdom called hell.
“Mr. Pairwell was angry and complained a lot,
saying,” said Satan, “that my kingdom was too hot.
He told me if I would not nix it,
he was the guy who could actually fix it.
He said he could make any tool you could name,
and make a machine that would run on this flame.
“I told him to have at it, and the first thing you know,
our temperature had dropped to seventy or so,
and we had running water, either cold or hot,
and he had planted a garden that grew quite a lot.”
God said to Satan, “There has been some grave error.
We would never send such a genius to you and your terror.
You pack him up and send him up here right along.
Even you could not condone such a terrible wrong.”
Satan said, “Do you think I would be such a fool?
You know I don’t follow your stupid Golden Rule.
I’ve got the man, and he’s staying right here.
All you can do is go cry in your beer.”
God said, “I will sue you to an inch of your life.
All you ever do is cause trouble and strife.
Look for your subpoena to come right away.
When we get to court, then I’ll have my day.”
Satan replied, “I will not lose any sleep,
I think that’s one threat you cannot keep.
Look over your Kingdom from the foyer to the tower -
just where are you expecting to find a lawyer?”
© 2018, cbs
Dr. CB Skelton is a retired Winder physician and author of several books.
Mitcham continued from 4A
there to at least be some
begrudging respect for
that courage.
But I’ve seen the oppo
site from many. I’ve
frankly been shocked
by the backlash to the
teens. I was on Facebook
this weekend and saw an
acquaintance post a pic
ture of one of the Flori
da high school students
with a Photoshopped arm
raised in a Hitler salute
and a Russian hammer
and sickle behind him.
I couldn’t believe this
acquaintance of mine
wanted her name next to
such an image.
I could tell she felt
very strongly that this
high schooler represent
ed something terrible in
mankind. She wanted to
express this.
And she chose a
provocative image for
that purpose. But what
she did was reinforce my
belief that the teen was
being courageous in the
face of hatred.
I thought more of him
when I saw that image,
not less. I doubt she
intended that. But I rec
Headmaster’s
Corner
by
Steve Cummings
DID HE OR DIDN’T HE -
Christians around the world cel
ebrated Easter this past Sunday.
So, how do we know that Jesus
was raised from the dead?
We know that Jesus was a real
historical figure who was cruci
fied by the Romans and buried
in a tomb. Scripture tells us that
the tomb where Jesus was bur
ied was found empty three days
after His death, and many wit
nesses saw Jesus in His glorified
body following the resurrection.
Soon thereafter, Christianity
spread throughout the world,
with Jesus’ death and resurrec
tion as the central theme.
What does it mean if Jesus
was raised from the dead, and
was who He claimed to be?
Simply put, it can be life-chang
ing for you!
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
ognized the hurt his par
ents must feel. It did not
make me think she was
making a noble stand but
a hateful one.
Major political move
ments in the U.S. have
their own life. They are
wrapped up with good
and bad, just as all peo
ple have good and bad.
The depiction of all
Trump people as horrible
is a judgment much of
the left makes. It’s ter
ribly wrong. I’m not a
Trump supporter, but I
know a number of Trump
supporters who have so
much good inside. Some
are family. I would never
dismiss their goodness
over politics. They matter
more than politics or any
“win” in any argument.
“Wins” in political argu
ments at any dinner table
are so hollow, so bitter.
These major move
ments put deep strains
on all of us, whatever our
views.
We are troubled when
those we love don’t see
things as we do. We hurt
over this and are per
plexed.
So it’s natural to shut
down and keep quiet. It’s
generally preferable, isn’t
it? Sometimes that’s truly
the wise thing to do, no
doubt. But I think there’s
something to be said for
sharing your passion, but
in doing it with the recog
nition that your passion
doesn’t give you license
to destroy those who dis
agree. If your motivation
is to tear apart another,
not to uplift them in some
way, then you need to
question your motives. I
think we are lost in this
way. Perhaps, what I’m
saying is overly quaint or
naive. I sure hope not.
I think the spirit of
those teens who faced
real bloodshed is some
thing that shouldn’t be
attacked, but emulated. I
want to see us voice what
we have to say, to do it
publicly, and to appeal
toward the better nature
in all of us.
I don’t want us all to
handcuff ourselves —
left wing and right —
to the concrete of hatred
while we scream at each
over who’s at fault as we
sink deeper and deeper
into the water. We all lose
that way. We all drown if
we fight. We all live if we
swim.
We have to figure out
a way to swim. I think
it requires each of us to
look at one another as
individuals, not merely as
simple objects of hatred.
It requires a common
goal of common decency.
Is that completely gone? I
hope not.
I hope the effort is
stronger than its opposite.
I don’t know yet.
Zach Mitcham is editor
of The Madison County
Journal, a sister news
paper of the Barrow
News-Journal. He can be
reached at zach@main
streetnews. com.
April 4, 2018 ~ Crossword Puzzle
Across
I. Crow sound
4. Rotary disk
7. Disapproving sound
II. Covenant
15. Your and my
16. Be less than truthful
17. Elaborate solo
18. Far East nanny
19. Summer drink
20. Everybody
21. Unyielding
22. Theatrical part
23. Coward
25. Vittles
27. Belt fastener
29. Carry along
30. Animation frame
31. Diner
32. It comes after pi
34. Entree list
37. Butterine
40. Refuge
42. Munchies
44. A way the wind blows
46. Shady porch
48. Polynesian image
49. Grand bridge term)
50. Achieve
51. Greek E
53. Creche figures
54. Censor
55. Doubtful
56. Policeman
58. Vroom
59. Consume
61. Judge’s demand
62. Gather
64. Dueler’s tool
65. Ship’s record
66. Carnival feature
68. Certain lodge member
70. Fidgety
74. Sheeps coat
77. Slosh through surf
79. Breathe loudly
80. Oxidize
81. Club for Trevino
83. media
85. Grizzly’s lair
86. Irish river
87. Hide-and-
88. Bobble the ball
89. Come and it!
90. Enlarges
91. Engage, as gears
92. Oahu necklace
93. Letter from Athens
Down
1. Glide
2. Pertaining to sound
3. Take by force
4. Loam
5. Hurt
6. Ruckus
7. Knife handle
8. Eye part
9. Salutation word
10. Brazilian dance
11. Package
12. Frenzied
13. Contact
14. Quaker word
24. Butler or maid
26. Donations
28. Sci-fi transports
30. Blame
31. clock
33. Egg producer
35. Qualify
36. Brad
38. Intertwine
39. Wild donkey
40. Window topper
41. Reach
43. Jethro’s relatives
45. Kuwaiti leader
46. Shift course
47. Highest point
49. Jot
52. Minestrone, e.g.
57. Companion of to
59. Heroic tale
60. Fodder
63. Sharp crests
67. Belief in God
69. Flat
71. Duck
72. Hail
73. Busybody
74. Costing nothing
75. Sneak
76. Anglo-Saxon peon
77. Difficulties
78. Egyptian symbol
79. Indian garb
82. Female ruff
84. Bad temper
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