Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2007
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
QthejP Views
Am I the only one?
AM I THE only one who
believes a lot of crooks are
in jail because that's where
they want to be? And as
soon as they get out, they
turn right around and do
something to get back in?
And usually what they do
to get back in is the same
thing they did to get in jail
in the first place? It's like,
you know, they want to get
caught.
And why not? Where
else can you get free room
and board (which you and I pay
for), three square meals a day, a
free wardrobe, a roof over your
head, and movie and television
privileges? And security! There’s no
safer place.
What a life!
I don’t see an end to this mock
ery of justice until we make prison
and punishment what they are:
synonymous. In case you don’t
know, synonymous means “alike in
meaning and significance.” “Prison”
and “Country Club” are not syn
onymous.
What we need to do is get back
to the good of days (for decent
citizens)” and the bad oT days (for
habitual criminals). I'm not gung
ho for cruel and inhuman punish
ment, but I don’t see anything
wrong with subjecting crooks to the
same treatment they inflict on their
victims.
Of course, that means I may have
to change my thinking on capital
punishment. No problem. We mod
erates, as opposed to liberals and
conservatives, have open minds and
can change our stand on any issue
as conditions change and new infor
mation becomes available.
Anything wrong with that?
Am I the only one
who wonders how
many orange bar
rels and cones the
Georgia Department of
Transportation owns
(which you and I also
paid for) and who
manufactures them,
where they are made,
how much they cost,
who orders them, who
sells them, and is there
some sort of kickback
involved here?
Am I the only one who won
ders why some investigative
reporter from The Atlanta Journal-
Constitution and Dana Fowle of
Channel 5’s I-team haven't jumped
on this story. I want answers.
Am I the only one thinking
maybe we could get along with half
as many if we spaced them a little
farther apart? Ten feet ought to be
sufficient.
Of all the damaged ones you see
along the wayside and in the ditch,
wonder how many were run over
intentionally by frustrated motor
ists? And does anyone know how
many instances of road rage the
devices precipitated?
Am I the only one who would
like to know how many barrels and
cones are stolen in a day, week,
month and year, and why would
anyone want to steal one (unless
it was to get put back in jail) and
what would he do with it in jail or
out? Did the dunce that invented the
cone get his idea from the dunce
cap his teacher put on his head
before banishing him to the corner?
(This will get really silly in a little
while).
How are barrels and cones like
political signs? They stay up days,
weeks, months and years after the
virgil
adams
project is completed and the elec
tion is over.
What did they use to mark road
hazards before they started build
ing the Interstates in 1954? Detour
signs. And before that everybody
was a civil, courteous and careful
driver, and their vehicles wouldn't
go more than 45 miles per hour.
(Can we bring that back?)
Am I the only one who thinks
maybe that our highways have
built-in obsolescence, like our
refrigerators, dishwashers and other
appliances, necessitating the need
for new construction and more
lanes, and thus creating the need
for more barrels and cones. It does
seem to happen with some regular
ity.
Finally, am I the only one who
wishes he had invested in the com
pany that makes these things when
they started making them? How
rich would we be? We’d be right up
there with Bill Gates and Warren
Buffet.
Are you the only one who thinks
I need to get a life, quit obsessing
over barrels and cones, and write
about something important like
celebrities, clowns and politicians.
• ••
Am I the only one who knows
that the best way to increase sales
of a book is to get somebody to try
and ban it?
“Harry Potter” was doing all right
before Faura Mallory tried to get
him kicked out of Gwinnett County
schools. But when she got on his
case, he really took off. And her
only objection was that Harry pro
moted witchcraft.
The ban ploy works even bet
ter with pornographic books and
X-rated movies. If sales are slow,
get some prominent, upstanding,
holier-than-thou citizen who never
had an evil thought in his or her
life try to put ‘em out of busi
ness. Makes no difference that he
or she didn’t read the book or see
the movie. They heard about it.
Somebody like Faura Mallory told
them.
Am I the only one who wonders
why good people give bad stuff so
much free advertising and public
ity?
• ••
Am I the only one who realizes
that reality doesn't give a (cen
sored) whether you accept it or not?
It goes right on being reality.
For example, no amount of
Botox, face lifting, face cream, face
massaging or visits to the spa will
change the reality of aging. Only
death will cure aging.
So, am I the only one who thinks
it’s all right to grow old — and
ugly together?
“Will he love me after I’m wrin
kled?” the trophy wife wonders.
If he loved you before, yes. If he
doesn’t love you after, he didn't
really love you before. (No, Dr. Phil
didn't tell me that. I made it up).
Trophy wives are like that old
antique, wooden fishing lure you
used to catch that trophy bass. They
become tarnished with age, but
the luster never wears off, and you
never stop loving them.
No, you aren’t the only one who
thinks that is a stupid analogy.
• ••
Am I the only one who won
ders why more sports broadcasters
don’t go into coaching? They know
everything, more than Mark Richt
and that old ball coach at South
Carolina put together. And am I the
only one who wishes they didn't
talk so much?
Virgil Adams is former editor and
owner of The Jackson Herald.
Traffic light needed at Hoods Mill Road and Hwy. 441
Dear Editor:
I have spent much time on the
phone concerning a traffic light
at Hoods Mill Rd. and Hwy. 441.
There are three schools that use
Hoods Mill Rd. twice a day to get
to Hwy. 441.
This is a very dangerous inter
section. There was a traffic acci
dent just this week.
I called the Jackson County traf
fic operations department and was
told this is a state issue (sound
familiar, Kroger intersection.) I
called the state. They said in June
of this year a study was done and
there was not enough traffic to
merit a light.
The traffic has to be heavy all
day long. I was told if a shopping
area or something big went in at
that intersection, then a light might
be warranted.
In other words, if money can be
made, a light is good. The safety of
our children for only twice a day
situations doesn’t merit a light.
Where are our priorities?
If school zones can have timers
on speed limit signs, why can’t
traffic lights be operational at cer
tain hours with just the caution
light blinking the other hours?
I would ask Jackson County to
keep a study going constantly at
that intersection because I don’t
want a light put up after deaths.
I would like to see them put up
before accidents.
Please, no Kroger intersection
repeats!
Sincerely,
Mary B. McEachin
Jefferson
Happy 3 rd Birthday
Carson Jackson
Mntarrtor Eft
ufelute you.
Mam, DkU* Mfm\
Ninanl PatfiHr
(sen of hleatti A Slwvni Jadtxv^
County has ‘pitiful excuse’
for animal control
Dear Editor:
I have stood by passively for the
10 years I have lived in Jackson
County and watched it totally
bury its head in the sand over
the sad abuse and neglect of much
of its animal population, but fail
to address the severe shortcom
ings with its pitiful excuse for an
Animal Control Unit and lack of
a workable system for “rescued
animals.” I have also watched us
get a multimillion dollar court
house, read of paying charges due
to underestimating and improperly
assessing the property ownership
of the land it is on, and experi
enced significant property reevalu
ation, coupled with a fortunately
thwarted attempt to significantly
raise millage rates. I have dumped
dollar after dollar into little yellow
dogs designed to accrue enough
money to build an animal shelter,
to naught.
It’s time to say my peace. I
have been cautioned against being
too direct and ugly so as not to
“piss off’ those who can regulate
change. But why, I ask, is there
a lack of response to an urgent
need that is magnified monthly by
our growing population has caused
severe injustice to countless ani
mals? What little, and I mean
very little, has been done, you
call progress. I don’t. It is a little
band-aid trying to cover a gaping
wound.
It’s pretty sad when a non-Jack-
son County resident seems to be
the only person trying to make a
difference. Well, I AM a Jackson
County resident and I am prepared
to write everyone and anyone I
think might show this county for
what it really is — self-serving
and looking only to increase rev
enues, while continuing to live as
we were when I moved here 10
years ago.
If we are going to play grown
up, we need to act it. Surely, there
is someone amongst you who truly
gives a damn. If so, please let me
know before I lose complete faith
in the society of Jackson County.
Sincerely,
Lynn Smith
Jefferson
Defends former Arcade chief
Dear Editor:
This letter is in response to allegations of the former chief of police
in Arcade, Dennis Bell. As a resident of Jackson County and my family
living in Arcade, I feel I have every right of voicing my opinion in this
matter.
Dennis Bell has left Arcade under terrible allegations. Accusations that
can’t be proven. They only tear down his name and character and it is
truly unjustified.
If Dennis is guilty of anything, it is putting his job of chief of police
before anyone or anything else in his life. His hard work and devotion to
his job has lasted 11 and a half years. For that, Arcade is a much safer
place to live.
Instead of his name being badgered, we should be uplifting Dennis
in the highest regard. For his sake, his name should be cleared. That’s
exactly what he has from my family and me.
Sincerely,
Leora Williams
Happy Birthday!
Kelli Hogan
turned 23 on November 2DI
DkUjU Maria and Dan?
Don’t forget to buckle up!
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