About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2023)
PAGE 7 A 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, JANUARY 4-5, 2023 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 non-resolution intention SUDIE CROUCH Columnist Normally, I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions, simply because I know from person al and statistical experience, they are doomed to fail by some point in February. That said, I also am a big fan of change, especially when it’s change initiated by one's own self and can help us be better versions of our selves. The last few years have been quite stressful and unusual for practically everyone in some way, form, or fashion, and I remember all too well the joke that the 19 in COVID was in ref erence to the pounds gained within the first few months of the pandemic. However, I was chubby pre- pandemic, so that wasn't my excuse. It didn't help, but it wasn't the reason. My chubbiness was some thing I was acutely aware of too, so I didn’t need anyone to point it out to me as they sometimes can. People will treat you different ly when you're a bit heavier than you should be; especially if they knew you when you were thinner, and that can really pack a wallop to your self-esteem. One of the first things I do when I run into someone I knew when I was thinner was announce - as if they don’t have eyes - “I've gained weight.” I think I do this because it also takes out the pre-emptive strike of them saying. “Did you put on some weight” and it also lets them know I'm aware of it, too. You know, in case they think the weight has gone unnoticed by my jeans. Right after Christmas, I ran into someone I knew and saw them give me the once over. It was as if I could read their mind. “Wow, she's gained a bit of weight.” I felt my cheeks bum; not from that person’s judgment, but from mine. Feeling so disappointed in myself made me realize I needed to do something about it. No more thinking “Well, such-and- such holiday is coining up so that's not a good time to start.” I was so angry at myself. I thought about what I would have told someone else in the same situation. I would tell them to be a bit kinder to themselves and to give themselves a bit more grace. Our value as a human being is so much more than what we weigh or our clothing size, I would also think about all the things that the scales couldn’t measure and reflect - things I had accom plished, moments of joy, or even the moments where I had made others happy. The scales didn't reflect all the things I had been through over the last few years. Or maybe it did, thanks to emotional eating, but they didn’t show how I had been resilient and grew with each lesson. The scales didn’t show my worth, what I offered, or any of the potential that I hold. They never have and they never will; not for me or anyone. And losing weight is more than just eating salads or walk ing 30 minutes a day. So much of it - maybe most of it -is men tal and a lot of that is how we feel about ourselves. The confidence we have and the knowing that we can do what we set our minds to. I thought about all of those things and how I would have told someone else not to be angry with themselves but to give themselves that grace and to be kinder to themselves. I knew it was something I needed to give to myself, too. Just like I didn’t gain the weight overnight - well, some times it felt like it did - it would take a bit of time to change my habits and be healthier. I didn’t want to throw in the towel by the time Valentine’s Day rolled around. So I knew I needed to not make any wild, outlandish plan like “20 pounds in a month.” Still. I didn’t want to call it a resolution because there is such an icky connotation to that word for me; I know it’s something that may not stick and I really wanted to create a lasting change. Instead, I think I will call an intention - meaning I am taking a bit more of a meaning ful approach and easing into the process. I know what to do; I just need to do it. So this year, I am going into it, still resolution free - but embrac ing the fact I need a change. Just going about it with a bit of self- love and grace. Sudie Crouch is an award win ning humor columnist. Ukrainians fighting hard for freedom Some advice for new year KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! “Who’s there?” “It’s 2023. May I come in? It’s a bit cold out here. All I’m wearing is a sash and some Huggies!” “Please do. I’m glad to see you but aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for, well, uh, the new year?” “That is what I wanted to talk to you about. Before he left, 2022 told me that one of the first things I should do is to talk to you. He said you know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff. I could use your advice.” “My first piece of advice would be to ditch the outfit and wear something more appropriate. It is hard to take a year seri ously when it is wearing Huggies and a sash.” “Thank you. 2022 was correct. You are one sharp dude. As soon as we are finished here, I’ll see if I can find a set of Bermudas. But does it really matter how I dress? 2022 told me the ice is melting at the North Pole so fast, we are all going to fry pretty soon, anyway. Scared me so bad, I almost soiled my Huggies. Hope it doesn’t happen on my watch.” “I hope so, too. But if I were you, I would stay away from A1 Gore. He will scare you so badly about global warming, you might soil your Bermudas.” “Okay, so noted. But no more talk about a rapid increase in Earth’s surface temper ature and its potential impact on my per sonal hygiene. Let’s get back to the reason for my visit. What can I look forward to during my time here?” “I hate to tell you this but your predeces sors, 2020, 2021 and 2022 did you no favors. We are a deeply divided people in the U.S. We’ve got people who can’t get over an election that has long been over. We’ve also got people who can’t get over a war that’s been over for a century-and-a- half. Sadly, we seem to be at a point where we can’t disagree without being disagree able.” “Oh, my! 2022 didn’t tell me this. I do remember the smirk on his face when he handed me the calendar and said, ‘Good luck, kid’ before he shuffled out the door.” “It gets worse. There were at least 607 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022, includ ing 300 school shooting incidents, which resulted in 637 deaths and more than 2,500 people injured.” “That rat 2022 didn’t say one word about that. Not one word!” I guess he also didn’t tell you that in February of 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. It hasn’t gone well and one of the things you are going to have to watch out for is if Vladimir Putin gets frustrated enough to employ nuclear weapons and start World War III, assuming that little dweeb with the bad haircut in North Korea doesn’t beat him to it.” “Good grief! I’m wondering if there is any way I could get out of this job. Would you be interested? Personally, I think you would look fetching in a sash and Huggies.” “Thanks, but no. I have my own prob lems. I have yet to figure out the difference in ‘who’ and ‘whom.’ I can’t parallel park and I’m always misplacing my cellphone My life is not as easy as make it look.” “Well, it looks like I have no choice but to suck it up and hope I last long enough to hand things off to 2024, that poor unsuspecting year.” “Don’t despair. I predict a lot of good things will also occur while you are here, 2023.” “I could use some good news. Talk to me.” “Well, I am convinced there is more good than evil in this world. There are kindnesses happening all around us every day that won’t make the headlines. But they are there, nonetheless. There will be hugs and tears, laughter and love. There will be those to whom we say goodbye while you are here and there will be new life and new hope. None of this will be your responsibility. It will be up to those of us who will occupy this space and your time. Hopefully, 2023, you will be the year that will inspire us to find our better selves.” “Thank you. I am so glad we had this talk. Now, I am ready to go to work. And just think - no more Huggies or that silly sash! That alone will make me a Happy New Year!” You can reach Dick Yarbrough atdick@dickyar- brough.com; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, GA 31139; online atdickyarbrough.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dickyarb. By Dr. Larry Anderson Anderson Family Medicine Sherman was right: War is hell. I was in a small town that was 6 miles from the border with Russia. It was eerie. The town had been leveled by rocket/missile/ artillery attacks. It was quiet. No people. No dogs. No cattle. No chickens. No birds. No buildings or homes were stand ing. Nothing. What happened? I spoke with the police officer who had lived there. Most of the children were safe but not all. Before the attack, the children had spent 3 days in a bomb shelter and then were moved to a safer area. Then the attack began. The area was destroyed. I LETTERTOTHE EDITOR Evil carbon Every day like a drum, the left wing wokens beat on the drum and chant Carbon is Evil. Carbon is Evil. Again and again. The use of carbon by humans might become a problem. It is certainly not an emergency that requires us to shut down all use of it and try and get by with solar and windmills. But the new religion of “Evil Carbon” will not tolerate anyone who argues against this idea. Records indicate that C02 in parts per million have moved up from about 300 to 400 in the last half century. Those increases probably have been caused by man. But keep in mind these are parts per million. The atmosphere is about 78% nitrogen which is sort of neutral, 21% oxygen which is what we need to breathe, and only about .04% C02. That is 4/100 of a percent. Of that .04% that is C02 about one-third is caused by humans. C02 is a little bitty piece of the whole. By the way C02 is needed by plants to make 02 which is the good stuff. Without plants making 02 we would not have to worry about any of these prob lems But we are reminded by scientists that they are scientists. And these scientists remind us again and again that scientists would never ever be wrong about any thing. They all claim to have gone only to the best schools and they then know bet ter than anyone about anything. But they could be right. We might have could see debris from the homes and buildings, small craters in the fields, and just plain devastation. The officer told me of going through the rubble to recover bodies of adults and children. It was sad. It will make you angry. There was one building that was some what still standing. It was made of rein forced concrete and was a two story ele mentary school. We carefully walked through and up the stairs to what remained of a classroom. No windows and only debris on the floor. Based on the books and student work that we found it was a 4th grade English class. I was called to the comer of the room and told they had found something important and a problem with rising temperatures and rising water in the future if they are right. But today if we stop carbon now we will create much bigger prob-lems than global warming perhaps caused by human use of carbon. I am a skeptic. You should be also. We should make them prove their solutions work for enough green electricity before our lights go out and we have to walk everywhere and eat Kudzu roots to stay alive. Gary Pichon Marble Hill Happy New Year A very contentious election year has ended and there were some great results. The best thing that happened was that Americans all over the country stood up to the extreme right wing of the Republican Party and did not (except in a few cases, i.e., Burt Jones in Georgia) elect Trump’s handpicked extremist can didates. Georgia Sen. Raphael Wamock was re-elected to a 6-year term in the US Senate in a close race against Trump’s Candidate, Herschel Walker. Truth over lies triumphed! Some bad things also happened: 1. Brian Kemp was re-elected as our governor. This was despite the following: a. He signed the Georgia Voter Suppression Bill, SB202 while sitting in front of a civil war era painting of a plan tation that enslaved hundreds of Negroes in the 17th and 18th C. b. He blamed President Biden for the inflation that hurt our pocketbooks when in fact, the pandemic is the major cause I needed to see it. Amongst the rubble I could see a patch of blue with a white star. Carefully mov ing the debris I could see it was a small American flag. It was respectfully and tenderly removed and handed to me. It was damaged, some bum marks were on the edge. Everyone stood quietly and just looked at it. All I could think of was that we do not leave our flag behind. I brought it home. You can see it in my office and yes, you can even touch it if you like. You can also see the video of the find and their handing it to me. The Ukrainians know this may be their last chance at keeping their independence and freedom. They will not let their citi zens or soldiers die in vain. Ukraine will prevail. Prayer requires action. Be safe. of this inflation around the world. c. He claimed that it was his political expertise that helped Georgia realize a $6 Billion surplus when in fact it was because the Biden Administration passed legislation that propped up America dur ing the pandemic. The American Rescue Plan helped millions of Americans feed their families and keep a roof over their heads when the economy shut down (Trump’s shutdown); the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act created jobs in building bridges and roads, installing Broadband, supporting electrification of vehicles, updating ports and railroads, and supporting our hard-working track drivers!! And the Inflation Reduction Act lowered the tax rate for everyone making less than $400,000 for 2023. And by the way, this happened while Democrats reduced the deficit! There is lots of work to do in the upcoming state legislative session. The first item on the agenda is the budget. Democrats and responsible, caring Republicans will fight against Kemp’s idea of giving that surplus to the wealthy through property tax reductions and cuts in income tax. They will instead ask that only public schools be funded with our tax dollars, that Medicaid is expanded so that 500,000 uninsured Georgians can get health care, and that tax breaks are avail able for green energy projects. Democrats are up to the challenge, and we will continue to work to make our country better and stronger for ALL AMERICANS! Bette Holland Chair, Dawson County Democratic Committee Letter policy Letters should be limited to 350 words and may be edited or condensed.The same writer or group may only submit one letter per month for consideration. Letters must be submitted by noon Friday for midweek publication. We do not pub lish poetry or blanket letters and generally do not publish letters concerning consumer complaints. Unsigned or incorrectly 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 edi tor® dawsonnews.com.
