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DawsonOpinion
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022
This is a page of opinion — ours, yours and
others. Signed columns and cartoons are the
opinions of the writers and artists, and they
may not reflect our views.
What would
Rogers think of
todays GOP?
American humor
ist Will Rogers once
observed, “I’m not a
member of any
organized political
party. I’m a
Democrat.” There is
no question that if
ol’ Will was around
today, he would probably be a Republican. The
Grand Old Party gives new meaning to the
term disorganized.
For example, former University of Georgia
football legend Herschel Walker is the
Republican nominee for the United States
Senate, challenging incumbent Democrat Sen.
Raphael Wamock in this November’s general
election. Should he win, it would likely give
Republicans a majority in the Senate.
As you might expect in a race with so much
at stake, Walker is on the receiving end of a
series of attack ads. Some are a result of self-
inflicted wounds. He claims he graduated from
UGA in the top 1% of his class as well as
being valedictorian. Records show that he
never graduated, leaving school after his junior
year to play professional football.
What makes these particular attack ads
unusual is they are not coming from
Democrats. They are coming from - are you
ready?—Republicans.
A group called The Republican
Accountability Project is currently running an
ad of an old interview with Walker’s ex-wife
Cindy DeAngelis Grossman, saying that he
once held a gun to her temple and said he was
going to “blow my brains out.”
The organization says it will spend $1 mil
lion targeting Walker in his race against
Wamock. “Herschel Walker might have been a
great football player, but he clearly doesn’t
deserve to be a senator,” says Sarah Longwell,
treasurer of the Republican Accountability
Project. “That’s why our campaign is built
around the voices of Georgia Republicans who
know that he’s unfit for office.”
So, who or what is the Republican
Accountability Project? Headed up by noted
conservative commentator and author William
Kristol, the group says they represent
Republicans and conservatives intending to
hold accountable those who tried to overturn
the 2020 presidential election. They plan to
spend “eight-figures” across six crucial battle
ground states—obviously including Georgia -
to defeat Republican candidates who support
Donald Trump’s claims that his 2020 election
loss to Joe Biden was due to voter fraud.
An aside: They aren’t having a whole lot of
success to date. Trump-backed candidates have
won various primary contests in Arizona,
Wisconsin, Connecticut, Pennsylvania,
Washington and North Carolina thus far.
Herschel Walker says he is glad the ad has
ran because it gives him the opportunity to
explain that his ex-wife’s comments were
taken out of context and that the state of his
mental health at that time was the reason for
the alleged domestic violence incident. He also
says “The fact is Sen. Wamock can’t talk about
accomplishments. He’s failed Georgia. So he
and his friends will lie and deceive.” Uh,
Hershel, this isn’t Wamock talking. These are
your fellow Republicans saying you aren’t
qualified to be Georgia’s United State senator.
Big difference.
As usual, Republicans seem unable to figure
out who is the enemy. (Hint: I think it’s sup
posed to be the Democrats.) They throw
around RINO (Republican in Name Only) like
a fiisbee. They booed their own governor at
their state convention. Their supreme leader is
on record as saying he would prefer Democrat
Stacey Abrams as governor. If Republicans
don’t stop their internecine feuding, he may get
his wish.
Democrats have to be laughing their heads
off. A group of Republicans are spending a
million dollars attacking their own party’s sen
atorial candidate in an upcoming election
where political control of the U.S. Senate
hangs in the balance. Why waste money on ads
questioning the character and electability of
your opponent when your opponent will do it
for you?
Before you Trump grumps fire off your pre
dictable harrumph dumps, let me assure that I
have not turned into a Chardonnay-sipping,
tree-hugging liberal weenie. I will get to that
crowd in days to come. Right now, I am look
ing at the party of Ronald Reagan and Johnny
Isakson and Paul Coverdell and shaking my
head that it has degenerated into a name-call
ing, finger-pointing, mud-slinging dysfunction
al bunch of myopic RINOs too busy obsessing
over the past to focus on the future.
Will Rogers noted that the Republicans
opened their convention in 1928 with a prayer
and said, “If the Lord can see his way to clear
the Republican Party the way it’s been carrying
on, then the rest of us ought to get by without
even asking.” The more things change, the
more they remain the same. Can Will and I get
an Amen?
You can reach Dick Yarbrough atdick@dickyar-
brough.com; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, GA
31139; online at dickyarbrough.com or on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/dickyarb.
Nickel and diming along
For whatever
reason. Granny
always thought
things stayed
the same price
as the first time
she bought it.
“What the
I can’t write
her next word; it wasn’t lady
like. and she said it in the
middle of the Winn-Dixie
bread aisle when she saw that
bread had gone up to what
she declared to be the sky-
high price of 50 cents.
“This is ridiculous! How
do they expect people to eat
with prices this dadblamed
high?”
She was more or less talk
ing to herself but also eager
to engage anyone she could
in debate and discussion right
there in the store - employ
ees, other customers, it didn’t
matter.
Granny was mad about her
hard-earned money not going
as far as it used to.
“Prices go up. Mama,” my
mother would inform her.
“It’s not the 1940s anymore.”
“Tell that to my paycheck.”
When gas went up to 70
cents, my grandfather guf
fawed at it. “Look at those
greedy jokers, thinking
they’ll get us to pay a dollar.
That’ll never work.”
Granny watched her pen
nies closely and was never
one to make a spontaneous
purchase at the grocery store.
She knew very well the racks
by the cash register were
there for impulse buys and
told me to keep my
eyes and hands to
myself.
She could tell you
when something
went up and by how
much, as well as tell
you what it went for
in 1957.
Never one to miss an
opportunity to complain, we
heard about it daily.
Often at every meal. too.
“Y’all better eat every
dang bite of that,” she’d tell
us. “They’re robbing us at the
checkout lane now, so I don’t
want to see any food thrown
away.”
My grandfather chewed
slowly. “Helen, this beef’s as
tough as my old shoe.”
“I don’t give a dang,
Robert. You’ll eat it. And
you’ll eat it all week if
there’s any leftovers. I’ll
make hash or S.O.S. One
way or the other, every bit of
it will get ate.”
“Oh heck,” my uncle mut
tered under his breath.
I didn’t blame him.
She threatened to make us
eat all vegetables, largely
because my grandfather
thought meat was the founda
tion of every meal.
“Corn,” she declared.
“We’ll eat corn every meal.”
My grandfather shook his
head in disbelief.
When I asked for cookies
one day, I was told they were
a luxury item.
I wasn’t sure when a basic
of Toll House had been ele
vated to luxury but according
to Granny it was.
She was nickel and diming
everything. Pop drew the line
at the air conditioning.
“Woman, I work out in the
heat all day, with the sun
beating down on me. covered
in sweat. I’m not going to
sweat when I’m at home, try
ing to relax and enjoy the
Braves.”
“That light bill’s gonna be
$100 dollars, Bob!”
“It’s worth every penny!
What are we working for, if
we can’t enjoy something
like having cool air? You’ve
done told the baby she can’t
have a cussed cookie. I like
cookies, too, you know.”
In fact, I had probably
asked for the cookies for our
afternoon snack during our
soaps, while he stayed with
me while Bobby took my
Mama to work. We were
always conspiring about the
things we could eat.
Since Granny was so con
cerned about the rising pric
es, I decided to help her by
clipping coupons, assuring
her I was going to save her
lots of money. And, dangit, I
wanted some cookies.
She didn’t say a word
when the total was about $20
higher than what she had
budgeted, all thanks to my
coupons that required the
purchase of two items instead
of one. Instead, she stared,
that lethal stare with the jaw
set so hard she could proba
bly carve granite with it.
“I spent more than I need
ed to at the store,” she
n
SUDIE CROUCH
Columnist
announced when we got
home.
“What happened?” my
grandfather wanted to know.
“Sudie had the idea to help
us save money.”
Pop was confused. “What
happened?” he asked again.
“It costs us more,” she
said. “We can’t keep this up.
I am not working my fingers
to the bone, just to put food
on the table and pay bills.
That’s not life.”
My grandfather agreed.
Heck, even I agreed, and I
was just a kid.
“If we let them get away
with charging what they’re
charging, they’ll never go
back down to a decent price
again,” Granny said exasper
ated.
Maybe that was part of the
underlying purpose of it.
They were blue-collar
workers - Granny, Pop. and
my uncle Bobby - working
in skilled labor jobs. Every
penny was earned through
blood, sweat, and elbow
grease. And when things
went up, it really knocked the
wind out of their sails. Any
little bit of hope of saving
toward something was gone.
It took more just to do less.
So needless to say, they
had even more to be sur
prised and shocked about
prices as the years went on,
and I can only imagine what
they’d be saying now.
Me? I’m nickel and dim
ing, and watching my pen
nies, just like Granny would
do.
Sudie Crouch is an award
winning humor columnist.
DR. ANDERSON
We will not get rid of COVID until all of us do our part
By Dr. Larry Anderson
Anderson Family Medicine
It is hard to tell where to start with
the viruses that confront us today.
Let’s look at two interesting cases.
Polio virus has been found in the
sewers of New York City. Yes, water
departments will routinely do cul
tures on the water just to see what is
there. Not sure of what to make of
this new finding. I will continue to
watch this.
Perhaps if we had paid attention
with Shakespeare and “The Taming
of the Shrew” we would not have to
be dealing with Langya henipavirus.
This is the latest virus coming out of
China. It has mainly upper respirato
ry symptoms. Over 30 people have
contracted this virus from shrews. No
deaths. Just something else to watch.
We now have over 650 people with
monkeypox. The numbers are
increasing. Seriously people, pay
attention to what you are doing. We
do have the vaccine, but the supply is
very limited. We do have the ability
to test for this at the Dawson County
Health Department and in the offices
of the local doctors. No reason not to
get tested. If this turns out to be
another Covid, we are prepared for
this. Chief Thompson has announced
that the EMS (paramedics and
EMTs) are authorized to administer
the vaccine when properly ordered,
Rock Creek Sports Park is always
ready, and my office and nurses are
ready to go to the front line again. No
worries.
The influenza is winding down. It
should be gone soon and then we can
start working on the next season. We
have done well this season. One
death is too many, but we have had
about 28 for metro Atlanta. In about
several weeks we should have the
vaccine for the 2022-23 season. Roll
your sleeve up and get the vaccine
when you and it are in the same
room. Do not wait until whatever
time you think is the best time to get
the vaccine. We see the influenza
virus year round.
Last but not least is COVID. We
have over 500 people in Dawson
County with this virus. The vaccine
and the masks are readily available for
use by people who have the virus and
those who are at risk for getting it.
Do not feel you are safe because
this new variant is not as deadly as
the first. We will not get rid of this
until all of us do our part. Yes, this
means you. Thanks for reading.
LETTERTOTHE EDITOR
America is on right track
Just in the last 3 weeks, this has been
the GOOD news in America:
• Inflation is down by .6%; wages
are up by 5.2%
• The GDP rose and the supply
chain is moving again
• 528,000 jobs were created in
July
• Gas prices have dropped by over
$1 since June
• The stock market is over 33,000
All this happened after the devastat
ing recession which began in 2020
during the pandemic. I will not blame
anyone for that, as the pandemic was
catastrophic. But President Joe Biden
came into office with unemployment
sky high, a deep recession, and thou
sands of people dying daily from
COVID. But under his leadership, we
are coming back—not just in America
but around the world!
Trump’s signature bill in 2017—the
supposed Tax Cut for all, cut taxes for
the wealthy and corporations, not for
low-income or middle-class
Americans. But Democrats have:
• Rebuilt the economy after the
pandemic
• Passed the chips bill investing in
technology and science,
• Expanded the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization to stand
against Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine,
• Pulled troops out of
Afghanistan,
• Passed the first gun safety law
in almost 30 years,
• Addressed the needs of veterans
exposed to toxic bum pits,
• Invested in our roads, bridges,
and manufacturing
• Passed the Inflation Reduction
Act which will finally address
climate change, lower the defi
cit, and cut prescription drug
prices.
There is much more, but our space is
limited. Democrats have shown
Americans that Democracy may be
messy and slow, but it is much better
than the global drive towards
Authoritarianism which is the path
Republicans want to take.
Bette Holland
Dawsonville
Drug prices
I see on the news that our Senator/
Preacher is working on getting the
price of insulin down so more people
can afford it. Seems like he is trying to
use the big stick method on the manu
facturers of that specific drug. He
seems to think that he can get the
power of the federal government’s
buying power to force the price down.
The best way to get prices down for
any item is to increase the supply. He
could start up a company that produces
insulin and make it cheaper than any
one else and sell it for lower prices.
That would be the best way. I do not
believe he has the ability to do that
kind of hard work.
Or he could use anti-trust laws to
break up companies that are acting like
monopolies if in fact they are doing
that. Lots of competitors trying to
make the sale keeps the price down.
He could try and remove any gov
ernment barriers to the entrance of new
suppliers. My guess is that the Feds
make you go through a long and
mountainous process to be licensed for
this kind of drug manufacturing. To
build a factory you have to get zoning
and permits and order the equipment
and hire and train people. And you
need gobs of money for years before
you even start and the interest clock
for the money will keep running.
What the Senator/Preacher is going
to do is take the taxpayers’ money and
money borrowed in the name of future
taxpayers and pay for part of the cost
of insulin. Then he will stand up in
front of the cameras and tell us how
smart and caring he is because “He
reduced the costs of insulin” He will
not say he made the rest of us pay for
it.
I am OK with doing that if some
people cannot pay for that drug that
need it. I simply want people to know
how dishonest the whole thing is.
Gary Pichon
Marble Hill
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