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Send a letter to the editor to P.O. Box 1600, Dawsonville, GA 30534; fax (706) 265-3276; or email to editor@dawsonnews.com.
DawsonOpinion
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 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.
The judgiest of judgers
Thoughts
on random
subjects
If you had the
opportunity to
speak with a typ
ical Russian
family about
how the current
war with
Ukraine has
impacted their
lives, what would you want to ask them? I
may very well have that opportunity in the
near future with a family that lives near the
Ukrainian border. If you would like to be a
part of the interview, get your questions to
me as soon as possible. Don’t ask me how
the interview is going to happen or when. I
don’t know. Because of the obvious risks of
the interviewee speaking freely in a totali
tarian state, the less I know about the
details, the better for all. I can tell you that I
trust the source arranging the interview
completely.
If the Georgia Legislature and Gov. Brian
Kemp’s intentions were to suppress voting
rights in upcoming elections as opponents
claimed, they are doing a lousy job. On the
first day for early voting in Georgia, more
than 131,000 people cast ballots. It was a
record-breaking increase of 85% over 2018,
when 71,000 Georgians voted on the first
day. Also, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution
analysis of election data shows that Blacks,
who account for 29% of the state’s popula
tion, cast 39% of the ballots the first day.
Will somebody let holier-than-thou Delta
CEO Ed Bastion know? He needs to stick
to trying to take care of his unhappy pilots
and flight attendants instead of sucking up
to special interest yappers and looking like
a political stooge.
I have to roll my eyes when I hear people
talk about the good ol’ days. If you were
Black and lived in the South in the 1940’s
and 50’s, chances are the days weren’t all
that good. I have just finished reading
“Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan which por
trays events in Mississippi during those
times and the prejudice and cruelty toward
Black people. Even more disturbing was
the acquiescence of otherwise good people
as to what was happening. After I finished
the book, I turned on the television to watch
football. It turned out to be an Ole Miss
game. I noticed that the majority of players
were Black. Enthusiastically cheering them
on in the packed grandstands were mostly
whites, likely some descendants of those
white supremacists of yesteryear. I would
posit this occurrence comes closer to being
good days than those earlier times.
Speaking of football, I heard someone
say recently that the best job in America is
head football coach at Auburn. You get paid
millions of dollars and you only have to
work for a couple of years.
Two words you need to be careful using
around me: Patriot and Christian. When
you storm and ransack the Capitol of the
United States because you didn’t like the
results of an election, you are not a patriot.
You are a thug. Same thing with Christian.
Right-wing groups have usurped the term
as though they are the Christians and every
one else is not. I wonder if they have read
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, including the
Beatitudes and the Golden Rule and 1st
Corinthians 13:4-8. (Look it up.) I think we
all know the answer to that.
I had the privilege of serving for a num
ber of years on an advisory board at the
United States Military Academy at West
Point. I once asked the superintendent how
they knew an applicant would make it at
West Point since they only accept about one
out of ten that apply. Two word answer:
Eagle Scout. They have the self-discipline,
the motivation and desire to succeed. I
mention because Craig Schwall will receive
his Eagle Scout recognition next week. He
is the son of my friend, Fulton County
Superior Court judge, the Hon. Craig L.
Schwall, Sr. I know personally how hard
the young man has worked for this distinc
tion. He will do well.
Finally, thanks to all of you for your con
dolences on my not winning the Nobel
Prize in Literature again this year. I truly
thought I had a shot and I could have used
the million kroner bigtime. But I do have
my standards and if I had to tell all the icky
things like that Frenchwoman did who won
it, it would embarrass us both. Plus, I
haven’t done most of that stuff, including
kissing a goat on the lips. Don’t believe
me? Just ask the goat.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough atdick@dick-
yarbrough.com; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta,
GA 31139; online at dickyarbrough.com or on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/dickyarb.
Granny made
no bones about
the fact that she
was judgement
al.
She would
openly tell peo
ple what she
thought about
their actions and behaviors, and she didn’t
care if you were related to her, were the
preacher, or her boss.
In her mind, she was performing a public
service.
However, even as strident as she was. her
judgements were often based on something
other than just her opinion. Opinions, she
said, were akin to something else everyone
had and no one needed to hear.
Before she passed away, she often com
mented about how she thought the internet
and Facebook in particular would be the
downfall of humanity and civilization. I
have grown to agree with her point over the
recent years, and if anything, it seems to be
worse.
Because unlike Granny, who was targeted
and exacting in her judgements, people on
Facebook tend to share those opinions con-
standy - who they’re voting for, what their
thoughts are on certain things - all in the
form of a meme, which is really a lower
form of opinion since it makes it so easy for
people to share without giving any thought
into what is written on it.
Despite her laser-focused judgements, she
also knew her diatribes had far more impact
when she reserved it for those select occa
sions where it really mattered.
No, Granny didn’t just go around spew
ing her thoughts to everyone. It felt like it at
times, but she didn’t.
“Y’all need to be grateful that I keep a lot
of my thoughts to myself,” she stated one
day at supper.
My grandfather, uncle, and I all
exchanged looks of shock and silent grati-
Take care of yourself
By Dr. Larry Anderson
Anderson Family Medicine
It gets depressing at times when I look
at the current status of some diseases
that we have to deal with. The deaths
from COVID, Influenza, Monkeypox
(yes, Monkeypox deaths in the U.S.).
Not to mention the food borne illness
from our food and our pets. Cheese,
meat and turtles are still in the running
to make us sick. Most of the depressing
diseases are self-inflicted but sometimes
it is just plain bad luck that we get some
tude.
Even though Granny was quite outspoken
and didn’t attempt to be ‘politically correct,’
she still knew certain things shouldn’t be
discussed.
That was one of her biggest gripes with
social media.
“Everyone sharing their opinion like they
think someone cares,” she grunted when I
tried to explain the phenomenon to her yet
again. “All they doing is showing folks how
dadblamed stupid they are. The Bible tells
you to keep your mouth shut, lest you prove
yourself a dang fool. Now the internet has
got a whole new way for people to prove
themselves foolish.”
She also said another word, but I can’t put
it here.
I somehow thought Granny would have
loved social media had she ever joined the
worldwide web.
It would have given her the opportunity to
elevate her judging to a new degree.
But Granny, even in her harshest of criti
cisms. knew some things didn’t need to be
voiced.
I once overheard her having a conversa
tion with someone who was talking about
someone’s child they knew who had a
drinking problem.
Granny bristled at their words.
“I think if you don’t know something
about it, it may be best to not say anything,”
the old gal said firmly.
“They’re nothing but a chunk,” the other
lady said, her tone bitter and cruel.
Granny’s jaw clenched. “You do know
that’s something they can’t help. They need
us to help ‘em if we can, and to pray for ‘em
if we can’t do nothing else.”
“Oh, Helen, I thought for sure you’d
agree with me on this. When did you get to
be so high and mighty?”
Honestly, I wondered the same thing. I
had heard Granny say worse about others -
but come to think of it. she’d say it to the
person’s face. And, she didn’t talk about
of these. Get the vaccines, wash your
hands, stay away from sick people and
just plain old behave.
Some of these things we have no con
trol over and depend on others to keep
us safe and healthy. The CDC does real
ly do a great job with this. Our food
inspectors are doing their job or we
would not be catching this thing early
and having recalls.
Everyone knows that we should
check the oil level in our cars, change it
at regular intervals, get new windshield
wiper blades, get new tires when the lit
tle tread wear bar appears, and get gas
from approximately 101,000 state
employees to 60,000 in 2021. This means
that Georgians requiring services in men
tal health, unemployment and health care
have to wait for months to get the services
they need. People are dying because of
these unnecessary budget cuts! Yet
Georgia has a huge surplus!
When Congress approved a $1.9 tril
lion coronavirus relief measure last year,
Gov. Brian Kemp denounced it as a
wasteful use of tax dollars. Yet, a year
and a half later, Kemp has allocated near
ly all of the $4.8 billion sent to Georgia
but only $150 million remains for the
next governor. Kemp has gone on a year
long spending spree while at the same
time making criticism of Democratic
President Joe Biden’s economic policies
one of the cornerstones of his campaign
against Abrams.
consideration. Letters must be submit
ted by noon Friday for midweek publi
cation. We do not publish poetry or
blanket letters and generally do not
publish letters concerning consumer
complaints. Unsigned or incorrectly
other people’s kids.
“Let me tell you something, I ain’t high
and mighty, and you ain’t either. Do you
think they wanted to be an alcoholic when
they grew up? No, they didn’t. You don’t
know what your kids are gonna grow up
and be, so you need to keep your cussed
mouth shut.”
On the way home, I asked her why that
had made her upset.
“Because it did,” she answered quietly.
After a few minutes passed, she spoke
again. “I’ve known a lot of good people
who have problems with alcohol. People
who have committed suicide. People who
have a lot of problems that others like to talk
about and make fun of. And guess what?
They don’t know who else is hearing what
they’re saying and thinking they mean it
about them too.”
It was the first time I saw a softer side to
my grandmother - the woman who I am
quite sure had steel running through her
veins. But it struck a nerve with her because
those people she knew were some of her
brothers. Brothers she loved; and brothers
she would have fought someone over, too.
We don’t know what people may be hid
ing from loved ones because they are too
ashamed to share.
What we say is heard.
What we post or retweet is read - and
taken to heart deeply by people we may not
ever mean to hurt. But those harsh, painful
criticisms may very well be taken to heart
and leave someone thinking that’s how
someone feels and thinks about them.
We never know how those words may
make an already burdened soul feel.
She was the judgiest of judgers.
But when it came to the important things,
the matters of trying to get through this
tough thing called life. Granny understood
some judgements were not meant to be
shared, because they caused far more pain
than they should.
Sudie Crouch is an award winning humor
columnist.
when the tank is low. We take better
care of cars than we do of our own bod
ies. We have parts that need to be
checked regularly, levels that need to be
monitored and parts that need to be
poked and prodded. Preventive mainte
nance is great for cars and for humans
also. Turning the radio up louder to
cover the bad sound your car is making
is not a good idea. Ignoring a symptom,
change, discomfort and whatever that is
unusual or not right is not a good idea
and does not make it go away. Take care
of yourself. Be safe. Thanks for read
ing.
It is time to work on next year’s state
budget yet it is expected more cuts will
be requested.
Consequences of this prolonged auster
ity remain clear. Georgia ranks among
the bottom 10 states nationally in state
expenditures per person. Georgia has fall
en behind in K-12 education as one of six
states that does not provide funding for
schools to educate students living in pov
erty.
Furthermore, the state also maintains
the third highest uninsured rate in the
United States because we have not
expanded Medicaid. More hospitals will
close as a result of Kemps policies.
Vote for Stacey Abrams and put
Georgia back on track for all Georgians!
Virginia Matteson
Dawsonville
identified letters will be withheld.
Mail letters to the Dawson County
News, RO. Box 1600, Dawsonville, GA
30534, hand deliver to 30 Shoal Creek
Road or email to editor@dawson-
news.com.
LETTERTOTHE EDITOR
Ga. has revenue surplus
In summer of 2022, Georgia’s
Department of Revenue released its report
of tax collections for Fiscal Year (FY)
2022, indicating that the state will once
again run a surplus that leaves it with a
record level of cash on hand and a full
Revenue Shortfall Reserve (RSR). The
September 2023 Report includes another
23% in excess collections. Much of the
surplus comes from Federal Funds. Kemp
has told state agencies not to expect any
of the cash surplus that could be used to
supply much needed services to Georgia’s
communities. He has told all agencies to
keep their budgets flat.
Because of these policies, Georgia’s
system-wide workforces has been cut
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SUDIE CROUCH
Columnist
