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The Forsyth County News
Opinion
77tw is a page of opinions - ours, yours and others.
Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the
writers and artists and may not reflect our views.
It’s the closeness
that frightens us
We see the Electric Chair in
terms of who we believe should
go there. Images conjured by
this contraption change some
what after its successful use.
The thread connecting these
images is woven of fright. It
would seem to be something we
would just naturally shun. Then
one reads about the success of
the latest horror movie.
Our frightened views of the
thing are always tightly focused
on one individual. In the fore
ground of the view lies the vic
tim of the convicted. The vic
tim’s family is in the periphery.
We believe a magic wall sepa
rates us from the family of the
convicted. We don’t like to hear
about them. Maybe it’s because
they remind us too much of
ourselves.
There are
things com
mon to all
humans. Our
bodies are
electrical.
The mysteri
ous processes
of our lives
have a con-
Yep, the best
barbeque in
the world is
in Jackson.
nection to the brain. The most
impressive gizmo created by
the greatest intelligence of man
is a paper airplane compared to
the universe in our noggin. The
mystery of our life is that of
small and controlled bursts of
electricity. An overload of elec
tricity will cause an electric
motor to spin wildly for a
moment before its insides are
charred. Imagine what happens
to a man.
I once read about a man who
was pinned for some period of
time to the wet ground by light
' ning. It was a miraculous story,
but horrifying in its imagery.
The man lived. He paid with
one long, frightful payment to
keep his life. The Electric Chair
is much quicker than the light
ning story. It is not the story of
a miracle. It is the story of
death.
■ The Chair is at the end of a
Jong hallway up in Jackson,
; about two hours north of here.
Some folks in Georgia would
• i.
Pn^nPayroiT"^ -
5 / .
/
.‘ I CITY COUNCIL
: Mayor, H. Ford Gravitt, 212 Kelly Mill Road,
Cumming, Ga. 30040. (770) 887-2352
' Mayor Pro-Tern, Lewis Ledbetter, 205 Mountain Brook Drive, Cumming,
;/Ga. 30040.
(770)887-3019
Ralph Perry, 1420 Pilgrim Road, Cumming,
7 Ga. 30040. (770) 887-7474
Quincy Holton, 103 Hickory Ridge Drive,
/ J Cumming, Ga. 30040. (770) 887-5279
/ Rupert Sexton, 705 Pine Lake Drive,
, Cumming, Ga. 30040. (770) 887-4332
John Pugh, 10813th St, Cumming, Ga 30040.
(770)887-3342
• • 1
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
: Chairman Bill Jenkins, 430 Oakleaf Trail, Suwanee, Ga 30174.
(770) 887-0935; office, (770) 886-2809
* WMam “Andy" Anderaon, 9740 Misty Cove Lana
■: Gainesville, Ga 30506.889-1829; office, (770) 886-2806
• John Kieffer, 4403 Pine Tree Close, Cumming, Ga 30040.
(770) 8893255; office, (770) 886-2810
Julian Bowen, 5035 Pilgrim Point Road, Cumming, Ga 30041
(770) 887-0784; office, (770) 886-2802
Mcheel Bennett, 4301 Rost Road, Cumming, Ga 30040
1. (770) 8894515; office, (770) 781-2101
J BOARD OF EDUCATION
; Chairman Ban Benson, 1265 Dahlonega Highway,
;1 Cumming, Ga 30040. (770)889-9892.
; Vtoe-Cheirmun Raul Kroeger, 9810 Kings Road,
’ bunHeSriokaS^^^ 889 * 9971
•J Cumming,Ga 30040. (770)889-2909.
Sherry SaoemMer, 1460 Squire Lane,
- <Eddte Itoytor, 4195 Morningside Drive,
? {Cumming, Ga 30040. (770) 8874405.
i,
# ♦ ■ 4- • 1
SS David
Clark
tell you the best barbeque in the
world is served at Fresh Air
Barbeque in Jackson. A man in
Macon once told me the morn
ing after an execution: “Yep,
the best barbeque in the world
is in Jackson.” He wasn’t talk
ing about Fresh Air.
It was recently reported that
an 18-year-old kid in our coun
ty would plead innocent to sev
eral charges. One of them was
murder. The District Attorney
said he would seek The Death
Penalty.
On the morn
ing of the trial,
the boy entered
a plea. Rather
than risking the
long hallway in
Jackson, he
pleaded guilty
to all counts.
Instead of being strapped in
The Chair and struck by light
ning, he was sentenced to life
without parole, plus life, plus
107 years and six months. He
agreed to never seek parole.
This young man has a Step-
Grandpa. He is an older man
who was married to this kid’s
Grandma. They adopted him
when he was a baby. The
Grandma passed away shortly
after the boy was charged with
murder.
The young man’s Step-
Grandpa is my neighbor. I
know him as a kind man. I
know him as a friend. On our
shared property line is a black
berry patch.
David Clark’s work has
appeared on NPR’s “All Things
Considered," in Southern
Living and Charleston
Magazine. His column is syndi
cated in five states. He may be
reached at dclark@accu
comm.net.
//IV/// ®
Inaugural words: Reality or rhetoric ?
Baby step, shuffle, shuffle. Tippy
toe, crane. Repeat.
It was for me and many others the
move of the day. We were, after all,
on the outside looking in. Sure, I
had press credentials, but it turns out
they weren’t ones that would get me
into the governor's inner sanctum on
his big day.
So instead I stood there, peering
from afar through the panes
announcing “Office of the
Governor.” A newly installed sign
mounted at the entrance boasted its
new occupant, Roy E. Barnes,
Governor. While he was visiting
with family and trying out the
leather on his new inner office
throne, out of the public eye, notable
dignitaries and political elite swirled i
about his outer office in a grand
waltz of hobnobbing.
It was a day of ‘Who’s Who” and I
What Have You Done For Me |
Lately? Those who had worked
hard to elect the victor could at last
bask in the ftuits of their labor and
revel in the day’s glory. Thanks
were doled out in prestige pass
cards, vivid shades of blue, green;
and white.
“That’s Jimmy Carter!” pro-;
claimed a fellow loiterer as a famil-I
iar form crossed the room.
“Lester Maddox! Linda Schrenko!;
George Busbee! Joe Frank! Mark
Taylor!”
Even lower echelon pols tran
scended their servant status and, for
a day, shone as celebrities.
Democrat and Republican mingled
side by side, honoring Georgia’s
80th governor.
‘Well, you would think die pastor
from one of the most notable,
churches in town would be permit-'
ted in,” groused the preacher’s wife!
as they stood and pondered entry. ;
Swallowed by the onlookers, I later
glimpsed them inside the office
gripping hands and slapping backs.
Smiles, everyone. Welcome to
Fantasy Island where everyone
loves each other, at least for a day,
and prestige talks.
A little old lady poked up next to
me with her disposable camera and
began to cajole the guard. “I don’t
mean to get closer, but I’d just like
to get a good shot when he comes
through,” she pleaded. Bemused, he
nodded and promised to step to the
side just a bit when the big moment
arrived.
His was a full plate. The halls were
crowded and everyone was intent on
making their way through “the”
doors to the platform of honor. Only .
a few were permitted past, though
many, many resourceful souls tried.
“I just need to get down there,”
one man proposed. Denied.
“I’m with him,” attempted several
as they tried to Huff past, gesturing
to whatever legislator was passing at
the time. No go.
A tall woman jerked open her coat
huffily to display her nametag when
detained. It was clear she was
Important and Should Be
Recognized. Having proved her
public servant status, she breezed
past The chill lingered.
At last the big moment arrived and
the bigwigs began donning winter
coats. Frantic headset interchanges
clued us in that Something Was
About To Happen. It was over in 15
seconds. The guv’s office emptied
as the bustling parade of politicos
scurried past to be seated in ceremo
nial order on outside platforms.
There was time for one quick
snapshot, maybe two. Flashbulbs
froze in time a blurred image of Roy
and First Lady Marie striding past,
beaming. In the comer of the image
lurks the hulking shadow of the
security guard’s shoulder.
Elvis had left the building.
The moment past, we all filed out
the side door to join the thousands
gathered on the Capitol’s lawn. It
was, by now, far too late to stand
near enough to actually see the inau
guration, but speakers boomed out
the words of promise and exultation
LAST CHANCE NOON FRIDAY,
Cole Ethan Wacaster
October 28,1998
Sabrina & Eric Wacaster
Kennestone Hospital r I/' V 7 V* \ N A
Share The Joy Os Your New Arrival!
On Friday, Jan. 29th, the Forsyth County News Advertising Department
will publish a special page featuring the babies born in 199®. Along
with a picture of the baby, we’ll include the names of the baby and par
ents, birthdate, and birthplace, creating a special keepsake. Fin in the
intormarion on the form below with a picture of your baby along with
the SIO.OO fee and bring or mail It to the Forsyth County News, P.O. Box
Cumming, GA. 30128. Any mother featuring twins, triplets, etc.
pays SIO.OO for the Brst baby and gets the other <meCs) FREE!
DEADLINE IS NOON WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22nd.
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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Thursday, January 141988
to the masses.
I watched a young boy squirm on a
barricade as I jockeyed for position.
Wedging my way into the crowd, I
listened to our new governor’s inau
gural address, one which challenged
Georgia’s youth to lead us into the
next century and invited the rest of
us to remember the future of our
state is embodied in them.
The boy climbed down from the
fence and stood tall, his thin shoul
ders straightening as he listened to
our newest leader, his face turned
towards the speaker. He was
enthralled by the ceremony and the
grandeur of the occasion.
I realized that Barnes was right.
Long after we are gone, there will be
—*l
Cheryl W®
Vaughn
others on these same steps, some
speaking from a platform, others
dancing the inchworm crawl. But we
are all part of the machine of cooper
ation and brotherhood which fuels
tomorrow’s dreams.
Maybe, just maybe, that link will
someday extend far beyond ihetoric.
Cheryl Vaughn is a features writer
and special sections editor. Her
columns are published on Thursday
and Sundays.
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