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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2023
Opinions
“Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost
omnipotent. Henry Ward Beecher
Mike Buffington, editor • Email: Mike@mainstreetnews.com
Carlson’s ouster a moment to celebrate
The ouster of Tucker Carlson from Fox News is a mo
ment worth savoring for those who give a damn about this
nation.
Let’s be very clear, Carlson was not a journalist. He was
not a reporter. He was
not even a news anchor.
To be charitable,
Carlson was a mouth
piece for far-right
propaganda. Nothing
more.
His Fox show was
stagecraft for what is
wrong with this na
tion — dark, conspir
acy-driven drivel that
was designed to appeal
to the nation’s worst
instincts. He, and those
he elevated, are the
worst of this nation, not
the best.
That he was allowed
to spout his nonsense year after year without being fired is
evidence of how warped Fox executives are in their pursuit
of viewers. They hid BS behind the veneer of “news” and
hoped that nobody would notice,
• ••
And the truth is, a lot of people didn’t notice. The only
thing worse that Carlson pretending to be a real journal
ist was that so many Americans lapped up his nonsense as
though it were fact. Viewers embraced him because he told
them what they wanted to hear; he told them their fears and
biases were valid even when they were bunk.
We could make a long list, but here are some of Carlson’s
worst BS comments:
• He promoted the nonsense conspiracy idea that the
2020 election was stolen away from Trump and hosted
nutty conspiracy-mongers to promote that idea. In one in
stance, he had to apologize on air for falsely saying dead
people had voted for Biden in Georgia. As has been clear
ly shown, there is zero evidence of massive voter fraud in
2020. Carlson’s false claims fanned the flames of distrust
in the nation and kept the fake conspiracy-mongering go
ing far beyond its expiration date.
• He downplayed the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S.
Capitol. At one point, he said the incident was “order
ly and meek. These were not insurrectionists. They were
sightseers.” No, they weren’t sightseers, they were violent
extremists who attempted to stop the certification of the
2020 election results. It was the most unAmerican event
of modern times. To downplay that terrible day as Carlson
and a slew of others have repeatedly done is nothing more
than right-wing propaganda.
• He spread false conspiracy bunk about vaccines during
the dark days of Covid-19. At one point, he claimed that
vaccines were killing thousands of people even as hundreds
of thousands of people were dying from Covid. Among
other nutty claims, Carlson said that the military’s vaccine
requirement was designed to force out “sincere Christians”
and “men with high testosterone.” Carlson wasn’t the only
anti-vaxx conspiracy nut, but he was one of the loudest and
perhaps most influential.
• He has defended Russia and been very critical of
Ukraine before and during the war between the two. Carl
son has defended Russia’s Putin and slammed Ukraine’s
president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In 2019 before the war,
Carlson said: “We should probably take the side of Russia
if we have to choose between Russia and Ukraine,” Carl
son’s embrace of dictator Putin and Russia’s invasion of
a neighboring country is slobbering acquiescence to an
ti-democratic thinking. If Carlson loves Russia so much,
maybe he should move there and see how much freedom
of speech he would enjoy under Putin’s brutal regime. In
the U.S., Carlson is allowed to spout his BS; in Russia, he
would land in a gulag.
• Carlson, and much of the American far-right, has em
braced Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Like Pu
tin, Orban is anti-democratic and one of Europe’s most
authoritarian leaders. He has consolidated power in Hun
gary by changing the rales and laws to suit his authoritarian
goals. Carlson apparently likes that idea, as do many on the
American far-right.
• He has embraced the “great replacement” idea that
white Americans are being systematically replaced by im
migrants by Democrats so that they can win more elections.
It’s nonsense, but is part of the racist theology found cir
culating in white supremacy circles. Carlson pretty openly
embraces white supremacy values even if he didn’t wear a
swastika on his sleeve.
•••
It’s difficult to know if Carlson really did believe a lot
of the bunk he said on his show, or if it was all just an
act designed to cater to American’s base appetites. Internal
emails and texts show that Carlson was concerned about
ratings and in not reporting facts if they turned off viewers.
It could be that Carlson began his show as an act, but later
as his influence grew, came to believe his own BS.
Still, Fox News allowed Carlson (and many of its other
talking heads) to spout nonsense for years. They only fired
Carlson after private emails and texts from Carlson showed
that he was as abusive toward his employer as he is toward
truth. On top of that, he apparently helped create what one
former staffer said was a “toxic” work environment.
Carlson’s ouster comes on the heels of Fox’s decision
to settle a lawsuit over claims the network had damaged a
private firm’s reputation by promoting false 2020 election
theories. Carlson was a major part of that with his non
sense. In the end, Fox stetted for over $700 million, a huge
amount even for a wealthy network.
• ••
For those who value the truth and reality, Carlson’s oust
er is a moment to celebrate. But he’s not the only one in
the media universe promoting this kind of nonsense. There
will be others who rise to fill the propaganda void Carlson
leaves behind.
American’s appetite for being told only what they want
to hear runs deep in today’s culture. People want to hear
false noise they agree with rather than truth and facts that
rub against their beliefs.
That’s what Tucker Carlson did: He spoon-fed people
the nonsense they wanted to hear rather than the truth they
needed to hear.
And in so doing, he took our cherished right of freedom
of speech and used it like a knife to stab America in the
back.
Mike Buffington is co-publisher of Mainstreet Newspa
pers. He can be reached at mike@mainstreetnews.com.
GUEST COLUMN:
True-crime book by Phil Hudgins ‘in a class by itself
BY BILLY CHISM
CNI NEWS SERVICE
Phil Hudgins has written a new
book titled “Grace and Disgrace:
Living with Laith and the Leader of
the Dixie Mafia,” by Ruby Nell Birt,
as told to him.
I’ve known Hudgins for years as
a columnist and senior editor. He’s
also written two other fine books.
But his third one, just out, is in a
class by itself.
The genius of this true-crime book
is that Phil Hudgins—after more
than 20 lengthy interviews with
Ruby Nell Birt and her youngest
child, Shane Birt, along with dozens
of others—let Ruby Nell tell her sto
ry in the first person.
Hudgins easily could have told
the same story of Ruby Nell, wife of
one of the most cold-blooded killers
in modern-day Georgia history, by
simply recounting what Ruby told
him.
Instead, he gave voice to Ruby
Nell, who spoke freely and from the
heart, beginning in the first chapter.
That’s when she recounted how she
came to marry Billy Sunday Birt be
fore a justice of the peace on April
14, 1954. He was almost 17. Ruby
Nell was a month shy of 13.
Ruby Nell’s parents objected. Bil
ly Birt had other ideas. He threatened
Ruby Nell’s father in such a way that
her parents had no choice but to lie
about her age and okay the marriage.
Ruby Nell, now 80, recalls: “I
look at my granddaughters and
great-granddaughters today and
can’t imagine them being married at
twelve or thirteen years old. Actual
ly, I can’t imagine any girl being a
wife at that tender, impressionable
age. But I officially became Bill
Bin’s Pretty Woman that afternoon,
and I was determined to be a good
wife.”
Billy Chism
Unfortunately for Ruby Nell, her
new husband had other ideas. He
flaunted his marriage vows without
any regard for his young wife.
Ruby put it this way: “In 1954,
as soon as we were married, he was
running around with other women
practically every week. And he treat
ed me like a misbehaving puppy if I
got in his way.”
Billy Birt and like-minded thugs
living in Winder, Georgia, and the
surrounding area of Northeast Geor
gia started running moonshine in the
late 1960s. Soon, these men put to
gether a loosely organized group fo
cused on illegal activities—from car
stealing, liquor making and burglary
to robbery, arson and murder.
Billy Birt became a hit man, kill
ing for money. He is known to have
killed at least 50 people.
Ruby Nell, during this time, found
herself having babies and looking af
ter young children. There were five
children. All are still alive. The old
est, Stoney, was born in 1959. The
youngest, Shane, was bom in 1971.
Ruby Nell tells how her faith in
God enabled her to withstand the
pain she felt living with her hus
band. She endured untold torment
from the man who said he loved her.
She feared for her life. It was only
after Billy Birt went to prison for the
last time in 1974 that Ruby Nell felt
somewhat safe. But she never felt to
tally safe and finally divorced Billy
in 1986. He died in prison in 2017.
As Shane grew older, he remem
bered prison visits to see his father.
(Shane was two and a half when
his father went to prison for the last
time.) When Shane was about 16,
his father began sharing information
with him about his Dixie Mafia hits,
offered in bits and pieces. Shane re
membered these jailhouse talks, and
later shared information with law
enforcement. In doing so, he helped
solve a 50-year-old triple murder in
Boone, N.C.
Journalist Phil Hudgins used the
experience he gained in his 60 years
in the newspaper business to search
out and interview law enforcement
officers, most now retired. The of
ficer most helpful, Hudgins noted,
was Robert “Bob” Ingram, a former
agent for the Georgia Bureau of In
vestigation who investigated two of
Bin’s most gruesome crimes, ob
taining a confession—twice—in the
Boone case from one of Birt’s for
mer partners.
As for the book, Ruby Nell’s voice
shines direct and true throughout the
story. Readers will be inspired. Her
love for her five children and her
faith in God testify to her deep faith
and endurance.
“Grace and Disgrace” is available
on philhudgins.com and amazon,
com.
Billy Chism, now retired, served
as publisher and editor of the White
County News, a Cleveland, Georgia,
product of Community Newspapers
Inc.
Remembering dirt roads and blue suede shoes
Dear Editor:
When I find something to read on the subject of gravel
roads, I’m gonna read it, so that’s what I did when I ran
across a Buffington article in The Jackson Herald.
The article got me thinking about the 1940s and 50s when
I lived with my family alongside a gravel road in Missis
sippi. That’s where I became aware that a gravel road is not
a good surface for roller skating, but I did learn to ride a
bicycle and drive a car on that ratted ribbon of dust.
Having lived there for two decades, I have many stories
from which to choose, but I will narrow it down to just one:
The year was 1955 when Carl Perkins wrote and recorded a
hit song entitled Blue Suede Shoes. The lyrics of that song
resulted in many of us teenage boys purchasing more than
one pair. It didn’t take me long, thought, to discover that
suede shoes are meant to be worn on city streets and side
walks; they are not meant for moseying around on gravel
roads.
During those years, unlike today’s celebrities who col
lect large sums of money for endorsing tennis shoes, Carl
didn’t get a piece of the action when pairs of blue suede
shoes started flying off the shelf.
Sincerely,
Claude Diamond
Roberts won’t seek
re-election in Jefferson
Dear Editor:
It is with some regret that I announce that I will not be seek
ing a subsequent term during the 2023 November election for
the City of Jefferson District 5 Councilmember seat.
While my intentions at the start of the year were focused on
preparing for the upcoming campaign season, my family and
I have recently entertained opportunities that will be taking us
out of Jefferson in the coming months. Although that move
for our family is real, I fully intend to serve the remainder of
my term with the same level of dedication and focus as I have
during the previous three years on council, whether that be
through the end of this year or through my last days as a resi
dent of this city.
I want to express my gratitude to the people of District 5
who trusted in me to be their voice on council. I want to thank
the folks in my district who came to know me and trust in me
to be their voice as well. I also want to thank all the folks in the
City of Jefferson who have supported me through my time on
council. I could not have done this as effectively without your
input, wisdom, and guidance.
Thank you especially to my fellow 2020 Council Members
Steve Kinney, Mac Gramley, Mayor Jon Howell, and Mark
Mobley who all supported me as a new council member and
as interim mayor during an especially strange time as we faced
the challenges of a global pandemic together. Thank you to
City Manager Priscilla Murphy for always being available and
willing to tackle problems together. Thank you to all persons
along the way who have shared their wisdom with me in this
time.
While I am regretful to have to give up these responsibilities,
I wish for nothing but the best for all my associates on council,
at city hall, and at all the departments in the City of Jefferson.
We’ve done some great work together, but for now my work
here is coming to an end. Here’s to you all for making a better
City of Jefferson in the years ahead.
Thank you, Jefferson.
Sincerely,
Clint Roberts
City of Jefferson District 5 Council Member
The Jackson Herald
Founded 1875
Merged with The Commerce News 2017
The Official Legal Organ of Jackson County, Ga.
Herman Buffington, Publisher 1965-2005
Mike Buffington Co-Publisher
Scott Buffington Co-Publisher
Alex Buffington News Editor
Hannah Barron Reporter
Taylor Heam Sports Editor
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