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Page 4A, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, August 28,2019 When Evil Flaunts Itself Before Our Very Eyes Special to the Ledger By Kate Scarmalis Good versus evil - these are topics not very popular these days. In modern thinking these concepts have become the domain of family and church, where they must indubitably remain. Traditionally the nuts and bolts of our commu nity - schools, churches, families - all worked in concert to promote the “good” in our culture. Together we shaped the moral compass in our children. That was then. The “nuts and bolts” of soci ety have broken down. What is good or bad has become a subjective appraisal, rendering an individual’s judgment inconsequential. To progressives, making judgments is not the prerogative of the individual. All in life is subjective; all has its jus tification. The power of the individual has been stripped clean of his/her rational ability to make objective evaluations of events around them. Our opinions, such as they exist, must remain within our persons. That immutable rule stands for we elfen- folk, those little people whose labor supports the same society that would silence them. The exclusive members, “the elites” thrive under a different set of rules. We live in a two-tiered society. Those mostly out-of- touch progressives have shaped our habits to suit their leftist agenda. Ac cordingly it is their goal to shape laws to follow suit. Furthermore it is their intent to rewrite history. When the reality of our historical narrative has been remodeled to sustain the agenda of a subversive faction, the good can no longer be distinguished from the bad. The potential damage this will do to our children is immea surable. If this sounds radical, consider the following example. History traditionally has dealt with the story of Genghis Khan rather colorfully. While his key accomplishment was the unification of the Mongol tribes, and even tually China itself, his definitive goal became world domination. In the long run his actions and that of his son, Kublai Khan, had the effect of advancing Chinese culture. Modern accounts of that era happily report the advancements to China’s civili zation due to Khan. What has become less conspic uous was the bloody trail he left behind while achiev ing his goals. The fact that Khan’s sweep ing crusades were responsible for the massacre of as many as 40 million people is often buried in the progressives’ glowing reviews of his “der- ring-do”. That little detail is an inescapable reality. Still it is easy enough to put a slant on its interpreta tion. Multiple progressive sources construe Khan’s exploits in this manner: “As he wiped out entire civilisations he scrubbed 700m tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, which is roughly the quantity of carbon diox ide generated in a year through global petrol consumption . . . [P] reviously populated and cultivated land returned to carbon-absorbing forest after his soldiers slaughtered everyone.” It concludes: “I guess the 1939-1945 era produced a handful of candidates too.” Such malevolent victors are construed as heroes who massacred millions to support the true battle against global warming. To permit the progres sive element to mirror the truth through their own self-selected facts is offensive. To allow them to carve such ill-con ceived notions in stone is a perversion. In this manner, The New York Times has made its own contribu tion to the cause. In the tried and true tradition of yellow journalism, its editors have resolved to defeat President Trump’s 2020 campaign, using any manner at its dispos al. The Times hoped and prayed that the Russian scandal would enable them to accuse Trump of collusion. Unfortunate ly for them that never surfaced. They shuffled the deck and brought out that electoral tarot card of death - the race card. At an employee town hall meeting, Dean Baquet, the executive editor of the New York The lee County Ledger Established August 24,1978 lcledger@bellsouth.net P.O. Box 715 (126 4th Street) (229) 759-2413 Leesburg, Georgia 31763 USPS 470-310 Official Organ of Lee County SUBSCRIPTION RATES Lee and surrounding counties $20.00 year Elsewhere $25.00 year Publisher Derryl Quinn Editor Jim Quinn Layout and Design Zan Twiggs Advertising Manager Tina Maples (USPS 470-310), is published weekly for $20.00 per year in Lee and surrounding counties, and $25.00 per year else where by its offices at the May Office Building, 124 - 4th Street, Leesburg, Georgia 31763. Periodicals postage paid at Leesburg, GA. POST MASTER: Send address changes on Form 3579 to, P.O. 715, Leesburg, GA 31763. Printed On Recycled Paper MEMBER OF GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION Times, announced its new focus - racism. He stated openly, “The Times must “write more deeply about the country, race, and other di visions.” In other words, the New York Times (whose slogan is “All the news that’s fit to print”) is now undertak ing to support the Dem ocratic cause to shift the focus of its coverage from the Trump-Russia affair to the president’s alleged racism. Kate Scarmalis The Times has staged a wide-ranging major initiative ostensibly to observe the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery - aka “The 1619 Project”. The Times has picked that date because that’s the day when “20. and odd Negroes” (sic) were off-loaded from a Dutch man-of-war in Jamestown, Virginia, and slavery first came ashore in what became the United States.” The goal is to reshape the country’s history, to frame 1619 as the date of the true founding of our nation. In other words, the United States was founded through the auspices of slavery. That whites have ben efited from the injustice of America’s founding is pure poppy cock! The Times foments the ill-considered notion that all American great ness and exceptionalism is rooted in slavery. Accordingly, the only intent behind the staging of the Revolutionary War was to preserve the legality of slavery in America. While it is the stated intent of the NYT to present history from a balanced racial perspec tive, the true intent is to destroy the United States as founded. The sad thing is that Project 1619 is not only being presented through public media settings, but the New York Times is putting forth a public school curriculum to im plement Project 1619 in as many public schools as possible. Who speaks against this distortion of reality? Who is there to object to the rank corruption of the truth? Beware that grisly gang that furthers the leftist wicked design. They are here, and they want your children. Kate Scarmalis retired from teaching in the Lee County School System. She has a B.A. in Foreign Languages, Elementary and Gifted Education, and an M.A. in Forensic Psychology Sharing the Word Harry R. Martinez By Harry R. Martinez, Ph. D Promises Kept One of the characteris tics of those seeking po litical office is their rhet oric to fulfill promises if placed in leadership. History records, with a few excep tions, the unfilled promises made in the heat of campaigns. However ... “the LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” (Ps 145:13 NIV). Moses reminded the Israelites ... “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands” (Deut 7:9 NIV). Yet, having seen the faith fulness of God, the nation of Israel forsook their God, forgetting the warning given by Moses ... “But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him” (Deut 7:10 NIV). God in His faithfulness would send His prophets to warn the people of coming de struction and call them to repentance. Isaiah announced seventy years of captivity to Judah at the hands of the Bab ylonians. Would God abandon His people? The nation deserved divine punishment for her sins of idolatry and disobedience in observ ing the Law regarding the Sabbath years. Yet, in his prophetic message, Isaiah told of God’s faithfulness to bring the people back into their land. “For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for noth ing, and without money you will be redeemed.” For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them. “And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the LORD. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. Therefore my people will know my name” (Isa ~~ 52:3-6a NIV). God, fulfilling His promise of deliver ance raised up Cyrus who would allow the Jews to return to their homeland under his protection. The nation would all over the world into their land. The prophet used the phrase “in that day.” It would be a day yet future but sure to come. God promised the return of Messiah, the Christ, to this earth to establish His earthly kingdom. John wrote... “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True” (Rev 19:11 NIV). This Christ is the same One spoken of by Moses ... keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands” (Deut 7:9 NIV). Editor’s note: Dr. Martinez is an ordained minister and was a professor and head of the music department at Florida State University School from 1975 to 2003. He is the father of five adult children and resides in Lee County with his wife, Sara. again prosper, but later come under judgment again for her rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah. God would use an unbeliev ing ruler to state truth. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified” (John 19:14b-16a NIV). Within forty years, Rome de stroyed Jerusalem and took the people captive. The Jews had forsaken the Scriptures, for in them Isaiah had revealed God’s plan to bring the Messiah into the world. He would go to the Cross and offer Himself a one-time sacrifice for the sins of all man kind. Anyone receiving His sacrificial work on their behalf would have eternal life. That was the message of John ... “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17 NIV). Israel rejected God’s offer and within forty years the nation was destroyed. Would God abandon His people? In announcing the Bab ylonian judgment and return of the Jews to their land, the prophet looked to a future time when God would call His people back from Georgia Gas Prices Drop Special to the Ledger Georgia gas prices have fallen 3.5 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.36/g today, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 5,883 stations. Gas prices in Georgia are 20.6 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, yet stand 28.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. According to GasBud- dy price reports, the cheapest station in Geor gia is priced at $2.05/g today while the most expensive is $2.99/g, a difference of 94.0 cents per gallon. The lowest price in the state today is $2.05/g while the highest is $2.99/g, a difference of 94.0 cents per gallon. The cheapest price in the entire country today stands at $1.67/g while the most expensive is $5.75/g, a difference of $4.08/g. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 2.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.58/g today. The national average is down 16.3 cents per gal lon from a month ago, yet stands 25.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. Historical gasoline prices in Georgia and the national average going back a decade: August 26, 2018: $2.65/g (U.S. Average: $2.83/g) August 26, 2017: $2.21/g (U.S. Average: $2.36/g) August 26, 2016: $2.14/g (U.S. Average: $2.21/g) August 26, 2015: $2.36/g (U.S. Average: $2.56/g) August 26, 2014: $3.32/g (U.S. Average: $3.43/g) August 26, 2013: $3.45/g (U.S. Average: $3.53/g) August 26, 2012: $3.70/g (U.S. Average: $3.75/g) August 26, 2011: $3.51/g (U.S. Average: $3.59/g) August 26, 2010: $2.52/g (U.S. Average: $2.66/g) August 26, 2009: $2.46/g (U.S. Average: $2.60/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Augusta- $2.23/g, down 7.4 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.30/g. Macon- $2.35/g, down 6.1 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.41/g. Atlanta- $2.45/g, down 4.2 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.50/g. “For now six straight weeks we’ve seen the national average price of gasoline decline, and after last week’s escalation in the trade battle between the U.S. and China, it’s possible that the streak continues longer than previously anticipated as oil mar kets react to the news, sending oil lower,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “With Labor Day around the corner, motorists will see the cheapest end to the summer since 2016, a great send-off to wrap up the summer driving season, but more good news likely lay ahead for motorists.