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Page 4 - The Wiregrass Farmer, October 11,2017
Editorial & Opinion
The WIREGRASS FARMER - Established 1902
Official Legal Organ of Turner County
A senseless terror in Las Vegas
109 Gordon Street • P.O. Box 309 • Ashburn, GA 31714
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STAFF
Bob Tribble, President • Ben Baker, General Manager
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Mixed message
In the wake of several police shootings, some
people have called for police departments to be dis
banded or disarmed.
In the wake of civilian shootings, too many of
these same people say citizens’ rights to own guns
needs to be taken away.
Which is it?
Do you trust the government, an agency that has
killed more 1.3 million people since the US became
a nation in 1776? Do you trust the government, an
agency that continues to kill people, innocent peo
ple in other countries?
Do you trust the 55 million gun owners in the
United States, more than 99 percent of whom have
never committed a violent crime?
Will eliminating guns stop mass killings?
Of course not. We have proof of that on US soil.
In 1910, the LA Times was bombed, killing 21
and injuring more than 100. In 1920, a Wall Street
bombing killed 38 and injured 400. In 1921, a riot
in Tulsa, OK, left 300 dead and many more
wounded.
In 1950, the US bombed Puerto Rico to crush a
revolution attempt. In 1985, Philadelphia police
dropped a bomb on a home in Philly, sparking a fire
that spread to nearly 60 homes, killing 11 people.
From 1975-1984, the United Freedom Front set
off 20 bombs. Anti-abortion activists have set off
bombs, killing some.
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols killed 168
people with a truck bomb in 1995. Many bodies
were never recovered.
If you study the writings of the Founding Fa
thers, their intent was clear. The 2nd Amendment is
there so the people can protect themselves from a
tyrannical government. The people most vehe
mently opposed to the current president are the
same ones calling for a repeal of the 2nd Amend
ment. Do they really trust the president or not?
J
Authorities in Las Vegas
said that the gunman who
killed dozens of people at a
country music festival had
planned the massacre by plac
ing cameras in his room and in
the nearby hallway so that he
could see when police were
closing in on him.
“It was pre-planned exten
sively and I am pretty sure that
he had evaluated everything
that he did in his actions which
is troublesome,” Joseph Lom
bardo the sheriff of the Las
Vegas Police Department said.
The sheriff said that one of
the cameras was hidden in a
food service cart in the hall
way outside of the rooms he
had rented. He said that the
purpose of that camera was to
give the gunman a video feed
that would warn him when po
lice were close.
Lombardo also said that his
office had opened an investiga
tion into the unauthorized re
lease of images that show the
crime scene which includes the
bullet riddled door to his
rooms that were used by the
gunman who was identified as
Stephen Paddock and that he
shot at hotel security before
taking his own life.
In photographs that were
taken by a news magazine a
portion of Paddock’s two room
suite was visible. Again a
scope with a stand could also
be seen inside his room.
The sheriff would not say if
the images were legitimate but
he did say that his associates
were attempting to determine
how the images were made.
From Where
I Sit
His investigators have
sifted through a chilling array
of clues in this case of the
deadliest mass shooting in
American history attempting
to determine the chain of
events that caused a 64 year
old man to gun down so many
people from his hotel rooms
overlooking the Las Vegas
Strip.
Paddock lived in a ranch
style home near the Arizona
border and the shots were fired
from the 32nd floor of the
hotel into crowds of people at
tending the country music fes
tival and hundreds of people
were injured in addition to the
59 that were killed.
Only hours after the gun
man opened fire at the festival
that Sunday country singer
Jason Aldean turned to Insta-
gram to check in with fans and
ask them to pray for those in
volved.
Aldean had been in the
middle of his set as the first
shots were fired and he and his
band were quickly removed
from the stage as the panicked
crowd dispersed.
“Tonight has been beyond
horrific,” he said, “and I still
do not know what to say but
wanted to let everyone know
that me and my crew are safe.”
“My thoughts and prayers
go out to everyone involved
and it hurts my heart that this
would happen to anyone who
was just coming out to enjoy
what should have been a fun
night,” the country singer said.
Aldean’s words echoed
those of Ariana Grande in the
aftermath of the Manchester,
England bombing in May
which targeted fans as they left
Grande’s concert. Twenty-two
people were killed and more
than 250 were injured in that
attack.
The tragedy seems all the
more senseless due to why the
shooter would do such a thing
because he fit no obvious pro
file of a person who would
commit such a crime. He
legally bought a handgun and
two rifles over the past year
and the purchases cleared fed
eral criminal screenings.
His brother said that he had
nothing to do with any politi
cal or religious organization
and was no white supremacist
and he had known him for 57
years.
The survivors and the fam
ilies and the friends of those
who were killed are left in
shock, grief and questions that
may never be answered. The
rest of us will always wonder
why this happened and we all
should do as Jason Aldean sug
gested and pray for the rela
tives of those killed or injured.
inn R
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ACTS OF CONf-RtSS.
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The Issue.—Prom the iFortf (New York)
This editorial
cartoon is from
1904 and pic
tures then presi
dent Theodore
Roosevelt.
Stepping Back In Time
with David Baldwin
The 1960-61 Majorettes (names listed in article)
1950- Theatre manager D.
A. Luke, who works for Mr.
L.A. Stein, owner of the Stein
Theatre chain, announced a
drive-in theatre will be built
between Ashburn and
Sycamore, two hundred yards
south of the American Legion
Memorial Home, on the road
leading to the Ashburn airport.
It is seven acres of land pur
chased from Mr. Grady Scony-
ers of Sycamore, and easily
accessible for motorists.
Mrs. Leon Tison has re
placed Mrs. Robert Barker as
manager of Elrod's 5 and 10
Cent Store.
Mr. and Mrs. Emmett
Reynolds announced the birth
of a daughter, Freda Jane, born
October 5 at Tifton.
Mrs. Jack Patterson will
teach music in the public
school. Her lessons are $6 per
month, for two thirty minute
lessons per week. She studied
music at Brenau and Emory
University and is a piano stu
dent of Franciszek Zachary of
Florida State University. She
has also studied at the Univer
sity of Georgia and under com
poser/pianist Hans Barth in
New York City.
Beer is once again legal in
Ashburn as it was discontinued
early this year. Last year beer
brought in $11,618.82 in tax
revenue. Those who keep their
eyes open know there is as
much beer drank in Ashburn
this year as last, brought in
from the county line at Crisp
and other adjoining counties.
1960- The 1960-61 Ma
jorettes (pictured) are Nancy
Purswell, Jan Kennedy, Bar
bara Elliott, Judy Peacock,
Ruth Wells, and Becky Wells.
Skip Row cotton is gradu
ally being accepted by farmers
here. E.A. Garner of Turner
County likes it because "it
gives the cotton plants more
room to limb out, and makes it
more accessible to poison
without damage to plants
themselves."
In a major business trans
action this week, the Turner
County Stock Yards was pur
chased by Dr. and Mrs. Clark
Shingler from Arthur Denham
and Herbert Gorday. Then, the
new owners will in turn lease
the stock yard to Mr. H.R.
Wiggins for him to run it. Mr.
Wiggins is well-known
throughout this section and
will continue to hold an auc
tion each Wednesday for hogs
and cattle.
Col. John R. Rogers has
been elected chairman for the
Democratic Party in Turner
County.
Jimmy Alberson will go to
work in Worth County as the
assistant county agent. He
graduated with his Bachelor of
Science degree at the Univer
sity of Georgia in June.
A.V. Akin, Jr. and Bussey
Coker attended the 1960
American Legion National
Convention in Miami.
Eureka defeated Lyons In
dustrial by a score of 19-7
through the passes of James
Davis to Sammie Pittman and
Arthur Cross. In the first quar
ter, Cross ran 10 yards around
the right end for a score.
On Sunday afternoon, Oc
tober 9, 1960, Miss Laverne
Bullington, daughter of Rev.
and Mrs. J.E. Bullington, of
Sycamore, became the bride of
Loran Albert Pate, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Felton Pate of Ash
burn. Glynn Pate, small
brother of the groom entered
carrying the rings resting on a
white satin pillow. Little Miss
Betty Jean Bullington, sister of
the bride, was flower girl.
The Rebels calmed the
Hurricane, 27-6, at Cuthbert. It
was an unimpressive win as
the Rebels led 20-0 at half
time, but Coach Tucker of
Cuthbert had high praise for
the Rebels. The Rebels de
feated Vienna 33-6 and are
rated number 2 in Class B foot
ball statewide.
Mr. H.C. Barber, Jr. is the
new President of the Chamber
of Commerce. Mr. Barber is
with the Ashburn Bank and
comes here from Tallahassee.
Mr. B.N. Hansford has re
tired as church treasurer for
Sycamore Baptist church after
26 consecutive years. Mr. Don
Wynn will replace him.
1970- The Rebels defeated
Blackshear 28-0.
Dr. C.C. Goss, who has
served here for 24 years, has
gone to a two-day a week
schedule at the Doctor's Clinic.
Carl Wise of Ashburn was
the high point trophy winner
for the open horse show at
Douglas October 4 in which a
number of members of the
Turner County Saddle Club
participated.
Baker’s Dozen
A flatlander
visits the
mountains
Flatlanders do not belong in
the mountains. I speak from a
lifetime of experience of being
a flatlander who has been to
four different mountain ranges,
the most recent being the Ap
palachians in North Georgia.
For one thing, mountains.
For another thing, vertical real
estate. For yet another thing,
roads about as wide as a big
truck. Roads that have crum
bling asphalt at the edge and no
shoulder. And a 1,000 foot
drop six inches from where the
asphalt has already broken
apart.
And signs that say "Watch
for falling rocks."
What? That is the biggest
bunch of political promises I
have seen in a long time. The
sign makes it seem like the
falling rocks are a display put
on by the mountain for your
entertainment. Like the leaves
changing colors in the fall.
It could be part of the adver
tising program for North Geor
gia. "Y'all come see the leaves
change color and the rocks
fall."
By the time you see the
falling rocks, it is too late to do
anything except pray that the
rocks are not large enough to
turn your vehicle into a block
of recyclable steel.
You can't see the rocks
falling! The sign implies you
are ABLE to see around 387
curves in the road in 100 feet.
The only way to see the falling
rocks is to be in the rock fall or
have X-ray vision to see
through the mountain to the
road ahead.
I supposed if you have eyes
on long flexible stalks that you
could stretch for a mile, you
could see around the curves.
Then you run the risk of falling
rocks behind your eyeballs
crushing your eyeball stalks.
Riding through the Rocky
Mountains years ago, I saw
places where the highway was
sunken in and fractured into
thousands of pieces. I was out
there a while before I found out
this was not the Nevada De
partment of Transportation try
ing to inject some art into road
work.
It was a side of the moun
tain falling and crushing the
road. While I was out there, the
road down into the Colorado
River Basin was routinely
closed for rock falls.
This may sound like it is
hard to see in the mountains.
That is not true. Visibility in
the mountains is excellent, es
pecially when you are riding
on crumbling asphalt looking
down into a gorge with a trout
stream several miles away at
the bottom. If you look along
the road, you can see 30 feet to
the next curve in both direc
tions.
Before you get the wrong
idea, I am not saying stay away
from the mountains. Quite the
opposite. Visit the mountains.
It will make you appreciate the
land of broad roads, flat roads
and not having a mountain
suddenly collapse to crush
your vehicle. I also highly rec
ommend you stay with my
good friend Bob Borgwat
when you get there, except he
is going to sell his house after
he recovers from my stay with
him.
While I was up there, Bob
did most of the driving, in his
new truck. I'm sending him a
check for the bodywork to get
my fingerprints out of the dash
and replace the upholstery on
(See BAKER Page 5)