Newspaper Page Text
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February 6, 1997 AUGUSTA FOCUS
Local AARP members
visit Georgia capitol
By Lillian Wan
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
Last Wednesday, two busloads
of AARP (American Association
of Retired Persons) members and
apre-retirement-aged Senior Cen
ter member left Augusta for a day
trip tothe state capitol in Atlanta.
The trip had been coordinated by
the Senior Center and the AARP
so that members were only
charged $5 for theday trip. Among
the planned activities was a short
visit to a local state senator and
representative to present current
AARP issues. The Augusta visi
tors were also encouraged tomake
a brief pitch for any other person
al causes. That part of the trip did
not materialize. The visitors did
manage to pose for pictures, in
two different groupings, with Sec
retary of State Lewis Massey, on
the marble stairs of the second
floor area. It was interesting to
behold the noise and crowd levels
ofthat area where several groups,
as well as numerous hungry legis
lators, were gathered. Catered
meals of fried chicken and mashed
potatoes were served ori paper
plates to the legislators off to the
side. A group of doctors were also
set up to conduct glaucoma and
cataract eye checkups. The Au
gusta AARP groupwas alsoled on
a tour of the fourth floor House
and Senate galleries and then left
to explore the fourth and second
floor exhibit cases.
Here are some of the issues that
the local AARP members would
like to have addressed, which are
noted by the 1997 Georgia State
Legislative Committee Legislative
Program:
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http://www.unitedway.org
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Two priorities:
— Amend Georgia’s Probate
Code so as to provide 100 percent
of the estate to the surviving
spouse in cases where a person
dies without a will.
— Strengthen Georgia’ consum
er protection laws on automobile
repair.
Three areas of support:
— Strengthen laws protecting
the visitation rights of grandpar
ents.
— Amend laws relating to family
violence so as tobeti:>r protect victims
of elder abuse and aliow for warrant
less arrests in certain situations.
— Enact legislation that re
quires new homes to be accessible
to persons with mobility impair
ments.
This was a serious January trip
among other fun monthly trips
that the Senior Center is known
“for. The Senior Center also coor
dinates many different classes,
eye checkups, lunches and other
outings and events, all at reason
able or special costs. If you are
interested. in more information
about the Senior Center, please
callthem at(7o6) 826-4480. Please
alsonote that pre-retirement-aged
folks can become members as well.
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Volunteer of the Year recognized:
United Way ofthe CSRA and Geor
gia Power’s Plant Vogtle will present
the Alvin W. Vogtle Volunteer of the
Year Award, Tuesday,March4, 1997
In existence since 1984, the Alvin W.
Vogtle Award recognizes one indi
vidual each year who has made a
positive impact through service to a
non-profit organization within the
CSRA. Candidatesforthisaward are
individualswhohavegiventheirtime
and talents and have greatly en
hanced the quality of service provid
ed. Nominations for this award are
being accepted until February 16,
1997; call the United Way of the
CSRA office at (706) 8264460 for
nomination forms.
Past recipients of this award in
clude:
Augusta man named outstanding
by national honor program
Johnny Edward Lee 111 of Augusta has
been selected for inclusion in the 1996
cdition of Outstanding Young Men of
America (OYMA).
Since 1966, the OYMA program has hon
ored women and men between the ages of
21 and 40 who have distinguished them
selves in service to their communities, pro
fessionalleadership.academicachievement,
businessadvancement, cultural accomplish-
1984 Evelyn Johnson
1985 Magnolia Donahue
1986 Ruth Crawford
1987 Sue Reimer
1988 Guyton Thompson
1989 Barbara Leatherwood
1990 Mary Oglesby
1991 Rick Pinnell
1992 Amanda Gray
1993 Brian Mulherin
1994 Ed Tarver
1995 Capt. Patrick Kerr
The award will be presented at
the United Way of the CSRA 1997
Annual Meetingon Tuesday, March
4 at noon. The cost for the luncheon
meeting is $15.00; call the United
Way office at (706) 826-4460 for
reservations.
ment and civic and political participation.
Nominations are received from political
leaders, college and university officials,
clergymen, businessleadersandcivic groups
and organizations.
For more information about Outstand
ing Young Men of America and Out
standing Young Women of America
programs, phone Jim Lueck at (703)
749-0010.
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FOCUS IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Historical facts are often
compromised byperceptions
By Lawrence Harrison
Special to AUGUSTA FOCUS
AUGUSTA
History is more than just an offi
cial collection of facts and records.
It is the story of human beings by
human beings. As such, it is subject
to the same shortcomings and limi
tations, which we can try tocorrect.
African Americans can both learn
and teach during the month of Feb
ruary; however, that is only a part
of its purpose. All can truly partici
pate. The history of the world,
America and the South isrich in all
respects.
It is less about what the first
human beings looked like than it is
about dealing with reality, for that
is a matter of perception. The true
“Cradle of Civilization” was on the
African continent, but history
records that many prefer “Eden”
be located elsewhere. Reality and
perception have often differed. The
evidence of reality was shaped to fit
the perception, but that cannot
stand against truth. The correct
history, truth, will in the end al
ways prevail.
Our American history has also
needed correction, politically and
otherwise, in regards to people of
color. Again, it has been a matter of
perception. The first perception,
contrary to popular belief, was not
rooted in slavery but in the same
Jamestown settlement that saw Eu
ropean arrival. The first people of
color in the New World did not
come by slave ship.
Then there is the matter of the
people of color who were already
here. The perception ofthe TV west-
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ernisnot thecorrect one. Theterms
“Indian” and “Native American”
areboth wrong. Thefirst came from'
an explorer’s mistaken belief that'
he had reached India (shows you'
how smart he was), and the second
contains the name of an Italian the’
continent was named for ... by Eu
ropeans, of course. The first people’
of the New World had to come from,
the “Old World.” They are its true_
discoverers. Even our logical think
ing can be twisted and distorted by
wrong notions of reality and per-,
ception.
There are wrong notions also
about African Americans and the
history of the Southern United
States of America. Sadly, we see it
still. ... The “Rhett Butlers” were
just as fictional as what we have
come to know as “Uncle Toms.”
The Civil War was not a genteel
struggle: It was war, and wars are,
dirty, bloody affairs. To glorify it, to.
attach honor to it, does no “honor”,
to any generation of people, regard
less of color. A correct acknowledg-,
ment would be to those who could,
survive so horrible a circumstance,
and time. The surviving still goes.
on. People as property. People at,
war. That would seem to be a dark
history, a history in need of enlight
enment and cleansing.
History is also what is now. It is
nodifferentinits components, real
ity and perception. It may be, how
ever, that we can know the truth a
little more. Our technology makes
accurate information more avail
able, and we can know each other
personally a little bit more. History
is what we make and allow it to be;
that hasbeenitsdefinitionallalong.