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AT THE CROSSROADS By Lamar Rush -
Yourbrain: is it the same as a computer?
ver since the computer,
Deep Blue, knocked
: Kasparov out of their last
chess game, I’ve been won
dering: how much informa
tion is stored in the human brain,
anyway? How many numbers of
numbers and facts, figures and
people, along with their faces and
bodies and names to go with them,
do we really know? How much can
we know? Is there a limit to the
amount of stuff we can stuff in our
brains and still be us?
Can we overload the hard drive
withoutupdatingthe mother board?
And is that the same thing as hav
ing to go to a shrink? Which costs
the most, the mother board or the
shrink?
I’ve been interested in this stuff,
even before anybody in my genera
tion ever heard of computers. Which
is to say, ever since I was a kid. I'm
now inmy 70s and I still don’t know
anymore than when I first started,
but it sureis fun to watch and think
about—and wonder if th’; kind of
GUEST COMMENTARY By Ruth Reddy
Is street renaming necessary?
I protest the renaming of Mill
Street to Bishop Madison Boule
vard and I have very good reasons
not to support the United House of
Prayer’s request.
% To even consider renaming a
street for an individual, one should
make certain that he or she has
made substantial contributions to
the welfare of the people in acity, or
ir: a country. The only modern per
son that I feel that suits the criteria
is the late Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., a minister. He represented all
_people, regardless of race or cir
_cumstance, and sought for a better
America. He was assassinated a
martyr for his sufferings, his love
and his caring for humanity. He
(deserved a street; a holiday.
Now, what did Bishop Grace, the
founder of the United House of
Prayer, do for all people? Nothing.
JHe Jjourneyed from Philadelphia to
Augusta at least once a year in
September. He was treated as a
IgpdA royal carpet was rolled out
or him to walk on, as he stepped
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thinking ever puts people in the
lunatic asylum.
Infact—again, when I wasakid—
T'used to know the exact number of
steps it took me to go from our
house to my Dad’s grocery store,
downtown: 2,917, if walked. It was
about 1900 if I ran real fast. But I
was usually running faster than I
could count—and I never heard of a
pedometerin thosedays. So, Inever
knew that number. But, what I'm
saying is, if I ever had known that
number as a boy, then I'd remem
ber it now. That’s how this brain,
mine, works.
We lived at 1515 Mills Street,
across from the Sarsfield Golf Club,
and behind it, a beautiful expanse
of well-manicured golf course. It
belonged to the rich Yankees, who
had come to Camden, S.C., to be
with their horses.
Back in those days, my Dad’s
store was at 122 Broad Street; the
telephone number on the Grocery
side was 168; the office in the back,
out a luxurious limousine. He was
pampered, fanned by young girls,
and treated with superior concern.
Money trees of hundred dollar bills
and all other means of receiving
money were taken upfor the Bishop.
He did not even baptize the con
verts. He sat high in seclusion and
peered at the baptizing. He did ad
dress the congregation, as all min
isters do. Then, he left. I do not
know of any contributions the
Bishop gave to the community, or
to Augusta-Richmond County.
Neither did Bishop McCullough.
Nothing. He tracked Bishop Grace.
Yet, the church’s townhouse apart
ments are named in honor of this
minister. That is honorable. It is
acceptable that one’s church hon
ors her own in like manner.
What has Bishop Madison done?
Nothing. Now, I am quick to say
that I am sure that all of these
leaders have administered to their
congregation, but renamingastreet
goes farther than tending to one’s
was 169 and to get Mr. Carcass
(Yep, he called himself “Carcass”,
but he wasreally Mr. Carson) in the
Meat Market, was 170.
Mr. Carson said he had cut offhis
index finger with an axe when he
was cutting wood. When it came
time to go the Army in 1916, Mr.
Carson told the recruiting officer
he couldn’t do any fighting since he
had chopped off his trigger finger.
The recruiting officer said he had
good news for Carson; the Army
was going tn let him use his middle
finger instead. But he still assigned
him the Mess Hall at Fort Jackson,
where he sat out the War and
learned the butcher trade. He also
learned how to stretch the truth,
but that’s another story.
Those are some of the numbers
and things I picked up when I was
a kid. Back then, I thought I had a
lot toremember—but I hadn’t seen
anything, then. Later, I finished
high schooi and got a job with West
ern Electric Company as a Job and
flock. That is the message.
Mr. Ferguson, a representative
of the United House of Prayer, has
spoken of the contributions his
churchis makingto the community
now. Ifthisistrue, hischurchisjust
doing what other churches are do
ing. I, however, do not see what his
church is doing for all people, other
than for the members of his own
church. There should be no renam
ing of streets because ministers are
doing what they were called to do.
I wish to remind Mr. Ferguson
and Richmond County what my
church, the Antioch Missionary
Baptist Church, is doing under the
leadership of the Reverend K.B.
Martin. We have an outreach min
istry that goesto Underwood Homes
and the like to bring lost souls to
Christ; we haveaSWAT Team min
istry that goes into the byways and
highways of alleys and the like (the
team hastaken theministrytoother
cities—Savannah, for one); we have
a radio ministry every Wednesday
Payroll Clerk.
There, they had five jobs going;
#29155, #29185, #29193, #30133
and #36017. The first and last,
#29155 and #36017 were my fa
vorites. I could remember those
numbers the best, and they had
some of my favorite people on the
payroll, including that sexy-look
ing Anastasia Turnipseed. She was
on #36017 and to this day, the
number 17 gives mea cool feelingin
the pit of my stomach.
Butjust about that time, wouldn’t
you know it, the Japanese bombed
Pearl Harbor, and as they say on
the evening news, the rest is his
tory. Just when I was starting to
have some fun, the Draft Board
reached out and snatched me. But
they gave me abrand-new nun ber,
one I'll take to my grave—RA
34658319—and it’s versatile, be
lieveme. It canbeused interchange
ably with your own name.
Think maybe I'll useit as a byline
sometime.
at noon to reach all people with a
message of love; we operate an An
gel Food ministry for low-income
citizens (our members pick up, box,
and sometimes deliver the boxes);
we distribute free food bags to any
needy person who comes on
Wednesday to pick up a bag; we
have a Food Pantry ministry to
help others; we have a “Care” min
istry that has helped alcoholics and
drugabusers (wehave financed sev
eral of these people to go for treat
ment at a clinic.); we started HUD
low-income housing; we have torn
down dilapidated houses and re
built family dwellings and apart
ments. We let it be known that we
will help you. We take care of our
members, but we are the church
“that reaches out” with “total in
volvement.”
Should we petition to rename
Augusta Avenueor Florence Street
K.B. Martin Drive? It is an inviting
idea. But I think not. Our minister
and members are working for the
Lord. i il
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3108 Peach Orchard Rd. 13th Street at Jones
796-8599 722-1664
2401 Washington Rd. 3833-A Washington Rd.
Near Calhoun Exp. 667-0950 Martinez 855-5965
AUGUSTA FOCUS JULY 3,1997
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