Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
I read the news today, oh boy
I let the early deadline for Memo
rial Day slip up on me, but I prom
ised the editor that held my spot I
would get busy and bang something
out. I actually need to get
an article ahead. Our trip
to Jackson Hole is coming
up soon and I don’t know
how that will impact my
schedule. I may not even
have a schedule after that.
* * *
I know tens of thousands
of airline flights take place
every day without mis
hap, but I keep thinking
about the outcome of some
of those I’ve seen on “Aircraft
Disasters.” My wife watches a lot
of these TV shows with me and
doesn’t like to fly anymore than I
do. But her final remark is usually
something like, “No, Mike. Grey
hound is not an option. We’d have
to leave now to get there when they
do and we both have to work.”
I’m still shaking from the wheel
coming off the boat trailer going
to Florida last week. Whether it’s
pilot error or careless negligence
by someone on the ground, the
result can be a gory mess. And
once you leave the ground, you
have less control over your own
destiny than about any other time
in your life, except when you get
married for the first time.
* * *
When I think about Memorial
Day it comes to mind that I am a
product of the “baby boom” that
followed WWII. Our daddies did
whatever they were called-on to
do and many made the ultimate
sacrifice to protect our freedom
and way of life. In the conflicts
that followed, it seemed to a lot of
people that none could be justified
in the way that one was. Until now.
I don’t think the history taught
in schools and exhibited on mass
media will let our descendants for
get what took place in the 1940s.
But I can’t help but wonder how
they will feel about the conflict
their generation is involved in.
In the Korean and Vietnam wars,
it eventually became apparent that
“victory” was not going to be pos
sible. But this was not about the
U.S. being the policemen for the
world. We perceived the threat that
communism, without resistance,
was going to take over the world
and destroy our way of life.
At least in these wars
we had a uniformed enemy,
not a shifty, unidentifiable
figure that would kill them
selves and innocent women
and children with the belief
that they would gain the
ultimate reward offered by
their Islamic faith. What
a deplorable deity this
“Allah” is.
All people of the Islamic
faith are not the radical
jihadists that commit the horrific
crimes like the one that occurred
in Manchester. England last week.
But like the crimes we witness on
the Atlanta news every day, it is
difficult for most mortal men to
separate the good white and black
people from the bad, because of
“guilt by association.”
You could compare the events
of Sept. 11, 2001, to the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
But in reality, the war on terrorism
has only begun. In this conflict,
we will never be able to simply
pack up our weapons and bring our
troops home. This conflict will
almost certainly continue until the
end of time.
* * *
Once again, our editor has
viciously attacked the President
we elected. Many people have
asked me how I can stand to be
around him. I can explain it eas
ily. I rarely go around the office
anymore, because we often end-up
in a shouting contest that can be
heard all over the building. I might
as well admit that if the election
had gone the other way, I would
probably be just as obsessed with
attacking Queen Hillary. I think
the maddest I have ever made him
is when I referred to her as being
“evil.” I got an intense lecture, but
he never changed my opinion.
All of this has already been said
too many times and every time I
mention it in this column, I sincere
ly hope it will be the last.
Trumpism is not the idealistic
dream most of his supporters envi
sioned for this country, but no one
can discuss the subject intelligently
without putting it in context with
what our choices were back in
November.
A book entitled, “Shattered,” by
Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen
makes a key point as to why Hil
lary Clinton failed in her bid to
defeat Donald Trump. She could
never explain to the American peo
ple. in a way that made any sense,
why she wanted to be President.
Trump, on the other hand, with all
his bizarre idiosyncrasies, had any
number of reasons he wanted the
job. Although he has not succeed
ed in fulfilling all those promises,
he is actively pursuing everything
he talked about, as time permits.
Hillary was a lot of hollow rheto
ric that appealed to her liberal fol
lowing, but there was no real sub
stance in her talk. What was her
plan for getting income (to the U.S.
treasury) in line with expenditures?
She might as well have come right
out and said it: “We will do what
the previous President did. We will
print more money.”
I truly believe this was the least
of her priorities. She wanted to go
down in history as being the first
woman President, while at the same
time increasing the financial assets
of the Clinton Foundation. This
“charitable” organization, with
assets in the billions, is so shady
and its operation so questionable
it requires a Canadian partnership
to prevent many of its records from
being public knowlege in the Unit
ed States.
I have a huge respect for Mike
Buffington and do not imply that
everything he said in his editorial
last week is untrue. In the end we
may all say Donald Trump was a
blundering idiot, but right now, I
think he is trying to do the job he
was elected to do, both honestly
and efficiently. I don’t think I
would ever have been able to say
that about the opponent he faced
back in November.
Thanks for reading.
Mike Rector is a local contractor.
Send comments to mikerector405 @
gmail.com or 405 Washington
Pkwy., Jefferson, GA.
America’s newest
Trojan Horse:
H-1B visas
Dear Editor:
The system for fast track visas to supposedly bring into
America highly educated and trained workers for our
computer and technical industries where no Americans
were available for jobs — supposedly, but not hue, not
proven to be true — has become a disaster I will liken
unto the Trojan Horse tactic used by the Greeks in battle
so successfully.
I cannot believe the legislation that created the system
ever had any good intent for the people. If there was any
good intent, it has been hijacked by greedy corporations
and their CEOs. So, what else is new?
If our country, if our government does not get control of
this system or shut it down entirely, it will be more disas
trous and widely damaging to our American economic
system than even the financial bank crises.
Congress, please do the research. Then, do the work you
were sent to Washington to do: To support and protect the
American people and our American way of life.
Please start now to untangle this web before it gets any
worse.
From a concerned American who just hates to sit on the
sidelines and watch my beloved country being destroyed
from the inside, the main motivator being greed - personal
and corporate.
Sincerely,
Barbara Duvall
Jefferson
Dogwood Farms
joins angus group
Dogwood Farms, of Hoschton, is a new member
of the American Angus Association, reports Allen
Moczygemba. CEO of the national breed organiza
tion headquartered in Saint Joseph, Mo.
The American Angus Association, with more than
25,000 active adult and junior members, is the larg
est beef breed association in the world. Its comput
erized records include detailed information on over
18 million registered Angus.
The Association records ancestral information and
keeps production records and genomic data on indi
vidual animals to develop industry-leading selection
tools for its members. The programs and services of
the Association and its entities — Angus Genetics
Inc., Angus Productions Inc., Certified Angus Beef
LLC and the Angus Foundation — help members
to advance the beef cattle business by selecting the
best animals for their herds and marketing quality
genetics for the beef cattle industry and quality beef
for consumers.
19 Top Ten Finishes and the
2017 Georgia Champion Apprentice
We’re proud of our linemen for their success at the 2017 Georgia Lineman’s Rodeo!
Thirty-three teams of Journeymen Linemen and 86 Apprentices from across the state
assembled to compete in a series of events designed to test lineman knowledge, skill, safety
and speed. Jackson EMC sent 12 apprentices and 4 journeymen teams. Between the
competitors, Jackson EMC had 19 top 10 finishes.
We’re proud of our linemen for working hard
every day to be the best in the business.
A
A
ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP 7 CORPORATION
Your Power. Your Community.
Apprentice Division: Kaleb Chapman, Kevin Cook, Austin Gragg, Josh Hallock, Kasey Odom, James Partain, Jose Rodriguez, Tyler Thurmond, Collin Ward,
Cody Watson, Dillon Welborn, Austin Yearwood; Journeyman Division: Jeremy Adams, Greg Angel, Jason Bond, Justin Cash, Wayne Connell, Dwayne Dickerson,
Kevin Grant, Shannon Love, Clay Phillips, Jose Salgado, Jeff Sutton, Matthew Tolar: Senior Division: Brett Hurst: Coaches: Johnny Bell, Daryll Bond, Heath Burell,
Tim Burns, David Carlton, Sterling Cross, Terry Harrison; Judges: Kevin Cash, Stephen Poole; Not Shown: Scott Burley, Dan Chandler, Huston Gillis, Terry Jones,
Chuck King, Brad Moon, Tommy Parker, Tim Sweat, Joel Thrasher, Kevin Waters
Congratulations
Jackson EMC
Lineman's Rodeo Team