Newspaper Page Text
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, September 28, 2011, Page 11A
A Government Big Enough to Give You What
You Want is Big Enough to Take it Away
Special to the Ledger
By Kate Scarmalis
Looney’s outside, trotting
down the fence line, telling
me that someone is out
and about outside. Unlike
a lot of dogs, Looney never
really loses his head. He
just makes certain that the
world understands what’s
his and what’s not.
So, Looney’s touring
the fence line, marking
his turf, and, sure enough,
there are Felix and Doo-
Wayne going at it in their
driveway.
As usual, my good old
boy neighbors were raising
a ruckus. Hands awhirling
around DooWayne’s head
normally meant that Felix
was working him over.
DooWayne originally came
from Tennessee, The Land
of the All-Seeing and All-
Knowing. Felix loved noth
ing better than to argue
DooWayne into a corner.
So I decided to pluck at
a few non-existent weeds
on the side of the house
and listen in. I marvel at
the fact that people haven’t
noticed the meticulous
grooming in my land
scaping at that side of the
house.
I couldn’t tell what the
argument entailed at first.
Felix sat back in his ratty
lawn chair, a smug look on
his sly face.
He was saying, “Let’s
pretend that the Chiken
Shak had an ad in the
paper. It says on Friday
night everyone would be
getting free chicken.’’
DooWayne kicked in.
“How they gonna do that?’’
Felix, patient in setting
up his friend for the kill,
“Go with me on this. Ev
eryone who shows up be
tween 5:00 and 11:00 gets
a free chicken dinner. “
“Yeah, so?’’
“Would you get chick
en?’’
“Well, yeah, I guess. You
mean it’s just for anyone?”
“Sure, anyone that shows
up. Would you get chick
en?”
“Of course. You’re
dumb enough to get hit by
a parked car, you know
that?”
Like a spider carefully
weaving its trap, Felix con
tinued. The weaving was
the better part of the fun
for him. Looking intently
into DooWayne’s eyes, his
challenge was a simple one.
“Really? You’d get
chicken.” His continued
stare told DooWayne that it
was a part statement, part
question.
DooWayne, beginning
to sense a trap, answers,
“You mean anyone? I’d
get chicken even if I was a
minorority?”
Felix: “Yep. All people,
all ages, all colors, all
religions, no matter where
they come from or how
they live their lives - they
get chicken. Would you get
chicken?”
DooWayne was thor
oughly confused. “What
are you getting at? If they
said I’d get chicken, I’d get
chicken!”
The argument went on for
quite awhile. Finally Felix
delivered
the point
of the
exercise. It
wouldn’t
matter
whether
or not free
chicken had been offered.
Most people would never
get close enough to the
window to ask for chicken.
The Chiken Shak would run
out of chicken. And then
promptly go out of business.
Or ask for a government
bailout.
Felix’s wisdom ran
beyond his education. In
fact I don’t believe that he
ever graduated from high
school. It didn’t matter.
There was a depth to the
man that couldn’t be de
nied. Felix was slowly and
sagely drawing DooWayne
into a debate about health
care reform.
In Felix’ view there is
nothing so simple that the
government couldn’t mess
up. DooWayne himself had
a native-born suspicion of
government, except if he
could get something for
himself. Free health care
had a nice ring to it in his
mind, especially the free
part.
I tried using the same
approach with my “ed-chu-
ma-ca-ted” friends in New
York City. I so carefully
laid out the same trap as
Felix used with my friend,
Gilbert. Back and forth we
went on the phone until I
delivered the final point.
“You see, Gilbert, the
point is that there is no free
anything in this world. Just
like in the chicken analogy,
health care as we know it
would grind to a halt.”
“Kate, Kate, Kate! What
about the man today who
refuses to go for medical
tests because he just can’t
afford them? Don’t you see
the tragedy?”
“Yes, we certainly need
to look into what is making
medical costs rise to the
point where people cannot
afford to pay for life-saving
treatments.”
“But can we, as human
beings, allow that poor man
to die?”
“Gilbert, I agree. It’s
criminal to wait for some
one’s Visa to clear before
doctors will treat him.”
I tried to seal my point.
“Socialized medicine
hasn’t worked out so well in
Europe. In England govern
ment provides free health
care. I read a story about a
woman who found a lump
in her breast. When she
asked for an appointment to
see a doctor, she was told
that she would have to wait
for six months, more than
enough time for cancer to
take over.”
Hope against hope that
Gilbert would concede the
point, I waited through his
silence. His only words on
the subject were, “Well, no
system is perfect.”
Of the few things left that
I miss from New York City,
the breezy way that the
progressive intelligentsia
will go about dismissing
an argument they can’t win
is simply not one of them.
When reason fails them,
they reframe the issue with
a trivial comment that is
supposed to slam the door
on the discussion.
That is why I get so much
enjoyment about the never-
ending debates between
Felix and DooWayne. Not
every word is a gem, but
they refuse to live in silence
in face of policies that sim
ply don’t make sense.
We’d all do well to fol
low their example. Don’t
let anyone stomp you into
paralysis with a single con
temptuous word or tone.
Make silence the enemy.
Kate Scarmalis teach
ers English to Speakers of
Other Languages in the Lee
County School System. She
has a B.A. in Education
and an M.A. in Forensic
Psychology
Submitted Photo
Butch Watts recently donated the book Billy and the Boys written by L.H. Duke of Shellman,
Georgia, to Lee County Middle School media center. This is the story of the Shellman Wildcats’
run to the 1956 Georgia Class C High School Baseball Championship. Because many of the
names and places in the book are familiar, LCMS students and staff should enjoy reading
this local author’s story about determination and the desire to win as a team. Pictured from
left: Audrey Taylor (7th grader), Butch Watts and Sala Ellington (media specialist).
Short Insurance Group
Chad Little
Get Ready to Logon for Leaf Color
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Specicd to the Ledger
Cooler temperatures and
scattered bursts of autumn
color have outdoor enthu
siasts anticipating “leaf
peeping” season across
north Georgia. Again this
year, the Georgia Forestry
Commission is partnering
with the state Department
of Natural Resources to
provide updates on leaf
color changes and the best
locations to enjoy them.
Beginning October 1, the
information can be found
at GeorgiaStateParks.org/
Leafwatch and GaTrees.
org.
“Now is the time to plug
those addresses into your
smart phone and com
puter favorites,” said Ken
Masten, Coosa District
Manager for the Georgia
Forestry Commission.
“On October first, those
links will be activated, and
Georgians will have instant
access to the week’s best
locations for vibrant fall
color.”
According to Masten,
leaf color changes are
triggered by cooler night
temperatures and sunny
days, which are beginning
to occur. Masten said the
long, hot, dry summer
has already prompted
some poplars to drop their
leaves. However, normal
changes are starting to
occur, with sourwoods
starting to exhibit some of
their bright reds and bur
gundies; dogwoods show
ing yellows and reds; and
red maples beginning to
hint at their many shades
of scarlet.
With more than two-
thirds of the state now
experiencing “severe to ex
treme drought,” according
to the state climatologist,
Masten says the trees are
likely experiencing some
degree of stress. At this
point, however, they are not
showing any outward signs
that might indicate a less
than showy fall, Masten
said.
Whatever the weather,
autumn is the most popular
time to visit the north
Georgia mountains. On
the Georgia Forestry
Commission and Depart
ment of Natural Resources
websites, visitors will find
the latest information about
that week’s tree species’
color changes, optimal
vistas and suggested travel
routes for enjoying fall
color. In addition, the DNR
site offers information and
reservation links to state
parks and camping facili
ties.
For more details on
forestry in Georgia and
services of the Georgia
Forestry Commission, visit
GaTrees.org.
229-395-4900
Email: clittle@shortinsurancegroup.com
K1IS AM
ItMKftMl
Learn, Excel, Lead Through
Southwest Georgia Farm Credit
Summer Internship Program
Special to the Ledger
College students major
ing in Business, Finance,
Accounting or Market
ing may now apply for
Southwest Georgia Farm
Credit’s Summer Intern
ship Program, designed
to challenge students,
develop skills, engage in
meaningful experiences
and learn what being part
of a team is all about.
The Summer Internship
Program offers hands-on
training in business and
finance, with a com
prehensive overview of
four key modules: Credit
Analysis, Sales, Ac
counting/Operations, and
Executive Leadership.
The goal is to provide
students with experience
in a fast-paced financial
environment.
“Our objective is to
give students a true-to-
life business experience,”
said Allison Godwin,
Assistant Controller
and Internship Program
Coordinator. “That means
our interns will not only
develop their analytic
skills, they’ll develop
their leadership potential,
as well.”
These internship op
portunities are paid
positions, and will be
offered through South
west Georgia Farm
Credit’s Bainbridge of
fice. Students should visit
S WGAFarmCredit .com
for program details and to
apply. Deadline to submit
your resume/application
is November 30, 2011.
For more information,
contact Liz Nogowski at
229.493.0149 or lnogows-
ki@swgafarmcredit.com.
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