Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2008
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
Let’s give the stupid a shot
virgil
adams
RECESSION, DEPRES
SION, failure, bankruptcy,
foreclosure, bail out, rescue,
stimulus, private jet, CRASH
(no problem, golden para
chute), jobless rate up, DOW
down, more government,
more regulation, capitalism,
free market, share the wealth,
hoard the wealth, distrib
ute the wealth, redistribute
what’s left.
What did I leave out?
Nobody - not politicians, not CEOs,
not union leaders, not even the Upper
Class or Middle Class - has a clue.
Whatever happened to the Low Class?
(I told you. Col. John (Mac) McKinney,
that I would work that into one of
my columns.) Maybe we should elevate
those people and give them a shot at fix
ing things. Their superiors aren't doing
too well.
And the brightest, most intelligent
Americans have failed. Genius has its
limitations; stupidity is boundless. So
let’s let the stupid give it a try.
Darn right, I am qualified. I am one of
them. If you don’t believe that, read on.
Stay with me and I will explain some
things.
First and foremost, you can’t come
back from some place you ain’t been.
If you ain’t been there, you don’t know
what it’s like there, and you ought not
tell anyone how to get back to wherever
you think they ought to be. Understand?
The rich can sympathize with the poor,
and the poor can imagine what the high
life is like. But perfect empathy is impos
sible. I may be stupid, but I’m smart
enough to know that walking in their
shoes ain’t gonna help me know what’s
in their heads. I may be stupid, but I’m
smart enough to know I don’t have the
power to change anyone, especially a
rigid Democrat or Republican. So I don’t
try.
I do try, sometimes, to get my read
ers to think. However, that is fraught
with danger. “If you make people think
they are thinking, they’ll love you. If
you really make them think, they’ll hate
you.” - Don Marquis. You got that right,
Don.
Lyndon said, “Come, let us rea
son together.” That’s a start.
John told us, “Dear friends, let
us love one another.” That builds
on the beginning, but therein lays
a problem. It speaks to one of the
raging controversies throughout
the land.
‘Tis the season to be jolly, a
time of peace on earth and good
will toward men (women, too).
We love everybody. We share. We
give. And everybody knows it is
more blessed to give than receive.
Share the wealth. I already told you
that you can’t come back from some
place you ain’t been. Well, you can’t
share anything you don’t have. I’m not
necessarily talking about just money
wealth. Some of the most loving, sharing
people I know don’t have any.
Redistribute the wealth. Likewise, you
can’t redistribute anything that was not
first distributed. Makes sense to me.
I have no idea how these issues are
going to make or break the economy
and save or destroy America. I told you
I am stupid. However, elitist economists
and intelligent politicians - who seem to
be pretty much equally divided - can’t
decide whether we are headed for doom
and gloom or sweetness and light.
Both sides of the economic-political
spectrum need to realize that every
body is ignorant, just in different sub
jects. There was this Vent in The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution: “A large part of
being smart is knowing what you are
dumb at.” Here’s my take on that: A large
part of being smart is knowing you are
not always smart - or right.
Graduates of Harvard, Yale, Columbia,
MIT, Georgia Tech - even Georgia -
don’t have a lock on intelligence. At
least, this AJC Venter doesn’t think so.
“It’s incredible. Citigroup is on the verge
of collapse, and it’s run by Harvard
MBAs. I got my little business degree
from Kennesaw State, and my company
is still going strong.”
Another guy isn’t so fortunate. “I am
running low on cash. I haven’t handled
my affairs that well. When do I get my
appointment with Congress to beg for
money?”
If the CEOs of General Motors, Ford
and Chrysler can fly their private jets
to Washington and beg for a $25 billion
share of our wealth, why can’t a poor
soul down on his luck ask for $7 or $8
for a six pack? Of course, he will have
to stand in line with a host of grovel
ing bankers, governors and mayors with
their hands out for a bail out.
It is our wealth they want to share,
right? Employers share their wealth with
us in the form of wages. We distribute
a part of our hard-earned wealth to the
government in the form of taxes. The
government then redistributes our wealth
in the form of giveaways and handouts to
bankrupt corporations headed by filthy
rich CEOs who ship U.S. jobs overseas.
Ah, taxes! If our ever-loving govern
ment needed a vehicle to negotiate how
to take (at gunpoint, according to Neal
Boortz), distribute, redistribute, share,
hand out and give away our wealth, taxes
are it.
But taxes are soooo beneficial; they
make a lot of gooood things possible!
True, But remember, “For every benefit
you receive, a tax is levied.” - Emerson.
“If benefits increase, taxes increase.” -
Adams
Most thinking people - both stupid and
smart - believe we wouldn’t be in this
mess if it were not for greed. A couple of
very intelligent folks, back in their day,
seem to have agreed.
“He who lives only to benefit himself
confers on the world a benefit when he
dies.” - Tertullian. (Wow! If you are
greedy, that has to hurt.)
“We have always known that heedless
self-interest was bad morals; we know
now that it is bad economics.” - Franklin
D. Roosevelt. (I know, Mr. President.
You said that seventy or eighty years ago.
But give us time. We are slow learners.)
Just how bad is greed? It is very bad. I
looked it up in the world’s second great
est book. “Excessive or reprehensible
acquisitiveness.”
“Reprehensible acquisitor?” Who in
his right mind would like to carry that
label around the rest of his life? I hope
none of us are that stupid.
Virgil Adams is a former editor/owner
of The Jackson Herald.
Where will county spending end?
Dear Editor:
I read your editorial with
much interest regarding the
$4,000 the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners paid
to get a third logo for the
county. Every time I think
I can’t be shocked again by
something they do, I am com
pletely blown away again by
their foolish behavior.
Where will it end? Frankly,
I do not think they have an
ending. As you wrote, the
money is only a drop in the
bucket compared to the bud
get for the county, but we see
drop after drop after drop go
into that bucket. I imagine the
bucket is getting pretty full
by now.
If they didn’t have anything
better to do with that $4,000
than to spend it on a third
county logo, they could have
sent it to me to help offset
the increase in my mortgage
payment. The increase was
due to the reassessment of
my property last year. My
property taxes increased from
$1,200 to almost $2,000 a
year. Therefore, I ended up
paying out a lot of money to
get the escrow where it should
be, plus my house payment
increased $60 a month.
I said that to say this. The
$4,000 paid out for the county
logo would have gone a long
way toward my mortgage pay
ment increase. I am sure that
is the case for a lot of Jackson
County property owners
whose taxes went up also.
Now that the economy
has gotten so bad and house
values have gone down, do
you think we might get a tax
decrease?
I do not think so. I certainly
couldn’t sell my home for
what it was assessed for last
year, much less what it is
worth now.
Something doesn’t seem
right with this picture. I am
not against the board of com
missioners allocating money
for something needed, but
this is wasteful, just like that
big courthouse sitting there
and the plaque recognizing
the commissioners who had
it built.
We should remember which
commissioners voted for this
logo expense when election
comes around again. I certain
ly will remember. Enough is
enough! What will be the next
thing they vote for to throw
money away?
As long as we keep on
allowing things like this to be
done, things like this will keep
happening. My question ear
lier in this letter was — where
will it all end? Think about it.
Sincerely,
Margaret Williams
Jackson County
Remembering a friend
Dear Editor:
I visited Mrs. Ruby Legg
at St Mary’s Hospice last
week shortly before she
died. In our brief exchange
of words, she asked me if
she was good to me. I told
her yes, the very best anyone
could ask for.
Then, she said, “Will you
witness for me?” I thought
about it and prepared this in
honor of her:
This time of the year we
are reminded of our many
blessings and gifts. Many
of us have been fortunate to
have wonderful parents and/
or grandparents who have
guided us through life’s
many passages.
And, for some of us,
there is that special some
one who touched our life
like no other, someone who
was a quiet strength from
which we found uncondi
tional comfort and reassur
ance, someone who shared
her wisdom from almost 99
years of living.
Oh, the stories she shared.
She shared stories of being a
young woman, young wife,
and young mother from
another time. She talked
about recycling before recy
cling was in vogue. How
they used feed cloths or
flour sacks to make clothes.
She said she even recycled
the thread that held these
cloths together. Nothing
went unused.
She shared stories about
her children and key events
in their lives. She talked
about her love for her hus
band who had passed away
many years before. She
talked about her marriage,
in general, including issues
they faced as a couple, and
births of her children. She
constantly reminded me to
“sit awhile.” The chores will
always be there. I believe it
was her way of saying to be
silent, to listen.
As Mother Teresa reminds
us, “Silence of the heart is
necessary so you can hear
God everywhere - in the
closing of a door, in the per
son who needs you, in the
birds that sing, in the flow
ers, in the animals....and...
Love is in every season.”
And, then there were the
quilts. Oh yes, the beautiful
quilts, what gifts. To think I
was the one believing I was
helping her out with our
little business arrangement -
she made the quilt tops and
I purchased them. Was I ever
so wrong! It was she who
left me with such treasures,
reminders of her colorful,
full, intricately woven, rich
life. Like her, they are beau
tiful reminders of the many
twists and turns life takes.
Even when she was no lon
ger able to garden, she con
tinued to find comfort and
purpose in the making of her
quilt tops.
During the time her
physical independence was
quickly fading, she taught
me how to grow old grace
fully in every sense. Yes,
she reminded me that we
are human and may initial
ly have negative responses
to unpleasant events, but
our ultimate response to
unpleasantness is pivotal to
our overall well-being.
Hers was not a life of
diplomas, corporate success,
or high visibility at the lat
est social function. Hers
was one of unquestionable
character, service, and love
to and for others. A pillar
in her community, her pur
pose in life was to witness
and serve her Lord, to be
a good person, be a good
wife and good mother to
her beautiful and successful
children, Jack, Marian, Bill,
and Doug.
She knew every one of her
children’s, grandchildren’s,
great-grandchildren’s, and
great-great-grandchildren’s
birthdays and shared person
al individualized messages
with all that came to say
farewell before she slipped
away in her final hours.
Mrs. Ruby Legg, yes, I
will witness for you. Thank
you for rich memories,
beautiful life stories full of
meaning and wisdom, and
your unconditional, quiet
love.
Sincerely,
Vicki Tribble
Jefferson
Says logos should equal $
Dear Editor:
After reading your article on how much the
county paid for a new logo, I have decided
to contribute my idea on what the new logo
should be.
JACKSON $$$$$$ COUNTY
It is a shame that they have wasted $4,000 for
a new logo when I will give them this one and
they can just consider my taxes paid. If you
squint you can see your tax dollars wasted.
Sincerely,
Mark Palmer
All letters-to-the-editor
must be signed by the writer
with a phone number pro
vided for verification.
Letters may be mailed, faxed
or emailed. The deadline for
letters is noon Monday.
The Herald reserves the
Letters Policy
right to edit or reject any let
ter submitted.
Write us about your thoughts
or local, state or national
issues at:
The Jackson Herald
P.O. Box 908
Jefferson, GA 30549
Fax or email your letters to
the editors to:
FAX: 706-367-8056
E-mail: editor@mainstreet-
news.com
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