Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 10A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. OCTOBER 10. 2013
r
a
Letters to the Editor
v j
Dear Editor:
Re: Remarkable Talent for a
Tiny Town
Without a hand, the glove has no
purpose.
Without wheels, the vehicle can
not roll.
Without the artists, the art asso
ciation has no soul.
Not too many years ago, the
community was vibrant
With artists greatly enthused by
the richness of the north Georgia
surrounds.
By the synergy that builds when
creative spirits abound.
In a county so rich with history,
heritage and lineage,
Off in a comer of downtown, the
lights of the Arts Center glow
On occasion when there’s an
event or the samplings of a small
art show.
Like owls so many artists have
withdrawn to distant sanctuaries,
Observant, uncommitted, uncer
tain of the center’s identity.
Missing, sadly missing, the in
credible delectable togetherness
opportunity.
Art is one of the more imperfect
wonders of the world.
There is no right or wrong, but a
galaxy of possibilities in fiber,
oil, acrylic, water, wood and
stone.
That one soul breathes life into in
the workshop gloriously, won
derfully alone.
The Mariner seeks out the bea
con for safe passage.
And likewise the artist seeks
communion with kindred souls.
There is a gathering place for
folks like this, 68 D.B. Carroll
Make of it, what you will, but do
so knowing that you are wanted,
needed,
And for many artists who thrive
on the energy emitted by the aura
of other creative souls,
Essential to the whole.
Artists, patrons, politicians,
educators and community citi
zens, please support Sharptop
Arts Association and all it repre
sents for Pickens County, Ga.
Membership is meager, $25 an
nually, participation is free.
Michal Brock
Dear Editor:
The Article, “Rick Jasperse
and Sen. Steve Gooch receive the
American Conservative Union
Conservative Award,” shows that
the ACU grades the politicians
much differently than Elect-
TheRightCandidate.us.
Both grading systems agreed
that General Assembly members
should vote a conservative Yes
on legislations like SB 101. This
prevented a data base of gun
owners. However, ACU used
only legislations where Yes was
the correct vote. The real test is
when RINOs vote Yes for non
conservative legislations.
ETRC graded Sen. Gooch as
a conservative but not a patriot.
This is because he voted for bills
like HB 318 that has taxpayer
dollars investing in “seed capi
tal.” Governments investing or
owning businesses is socialism.
Governments picking business
winners and losers is crony capi
talism.
He also voted for HB 198 that
licenses and regulates navigators
for health care exchanges. Con
servatives should be working to
end ObamaCare, not to facilitate
it.
ETRC graded Rep. Jasperse
as a replaceable RINO (Republi
can in Name Only). This is be
cause he voted Yes on the above
legislations and many other non
conservative legislations. For in
stance, he voted Yes for SB 81,
that protects Ginseng plants on
private property. The result is
that once farmers have planted
Ginseng, they must continue
planting it. Also, a person cannot
build their home if a Ginseng
plant is on the site. This legisla
tion is now law and it destroys
property rights.
He also voted Yes for HB 354
that regulates preschools. This
should be a matter for the local
school boards.
Both Rep. Jasperse and Sen.
Gooch are scheduled to attend a
Pickens County TEA Party meet
the candidate gathering on Oct.
26 from 2-4 p.m. at Chatta
hoochee Tech Jasper Campus. If
you have questions for them,
please plan to attend.
Bert Loftman
Director of ElectTheRightCan-
didate.us
Dear Editor:
What was the most important
job in your life? For me, it was
probably my first. I was 13 years
old. I got a job “flippin’ ham
burgers” for $ .65 per hour. I
worked part-time for about 25
hours a week and took home
about $14.00.
This entry level position was
important because it trained me
to:
• respect my boss
• get to work on time
• the value of a dollar
• how to organize myself
• arrange transportation
• cooking experience
• build relations with other
workers
• the value of education
• set a direction for the rest of
my life
Currently, two things are de
stroying these entry level posi
tions, the misguided demand for
higher minimum wages and
Obama Care.
With these changes expect:
• loss of entry level jobs
through automation
• more part-time positions (in
this recovery, 75 percent of the
jobs created have been part time)
• higher food costs
• higher unemployment
Once again, bad government
programs have far reaching, un
intended, negative impacts
Dennis Shine
Dear Editor:
Back to elementary school
and “how to pass a bill” in Con
gress: The bill must gain a major
ity vote in the House and in the
Senate, then it must be signed by
the President (or passed over the
President’s veto by two-thirds of
both bodies) to become law. If
the constitutionality of the law is
challenged, it can be taken up as
far as the U.S. Supreme Court,
where its compliance with the
Constitution is determined.
All of this has occurred with
the Affordable Care Act. It’s the
law. The House Republicans
have voted 40-something times
to repeal it, but the Senate won’t
do that (and the President would
veto such a bill). To repeal the
law, under our Constitution,
means going back through the
same process: Majority votes in
both houses of Congress, signa
ture by the President (or override
a veto).
Republicans in the House first
demanded that, in exchange for
their passing either a new budget
or a “continuing resolution”
(keeping the old budget) to fund
the U.S. government - the new
fiscal year starts on October 1 of
each year - the Senate and the
President must accept taking the
new year’s funding from an ex
isting law, the Affordable Care
Act - that is, effectively repealing
part of that law without actually
going through the Constitutional
process.
Now the House Republicans
have realized that they can’t kill
the Affordable Care Act but - like
vultures that got impatient wait
ing for something to die - they
want to kill something, anything,
to show the TEA Party that
they’ve got...uh, something
dead. Never mind the Constitu
tion. That petulance (like a tod
dler who’s learned the word
“NO”) is what has shut down
most of the U.S. government.
Worse damage may happen with
the debt ceiling, which will soon
be reached. But raising the debt
ceiling allows the U.S. govern
ment to pay obligations that have
already been incurred (pay the
bills due on spending previously
approved by Congress); it
doesn’t allow additional spend
ing. “Don’t care. Won’t pass it
unless you give me something.
Anything. Got to show the TEA
Party that tantrums work.”
When the extremists in a po
litical party run on “I hate gov
ernment,” it shouldn’t surprise
anyone that all they know how to
do is wreck it, not run it.
G. David Robinson
Dear Editor:
The topic for September’s
local Democratic Party meeting
was discreetly advertised in my
community as “Gun Safety” but
delivered Gun Control. This
meeting was held in the library, a
“Gun-Free Zone.” In the video of
the meeting posted online, an at
tendee expressed concern about
a man standing outside the room
with a gun saying, “He makes
me nervous out there.” She went
on to explain that her nervous
ness was not directed specifically
toward one individual, but “it’s
still a gun, it’s still a person” and
that all people are susceptible to
“feelings and emotions and
anger...” It made me wonder
about the identity of the man
with a gun.
I assumed the “man with a
gun” was a sheriff’s deputy so I
filed an Open Records Request
with the sheriff’s office to find
out who had requested an officer.
David Robinson, chairman of
the Pickens County Democrats,
had requested an officer be pres
ent “to discourage physical dis
ruption.” Is there some irony
here? Just a little extra security
for those attending a meeting in
a “Gun-Free Zone?” The good
guy with a gun provides protec
tion while discussion focuses on
how to limit the rights of licensed
and law-abiding citizens to pro
tect themselves.
One of the speakers at this
event, Melinda Ennis, was previ
ously quoted in the AJC as say
ing: “We do not believe guns are
safe in public places. People are
emotional and aren’t well-
trained. You just can’t legislate it
and you cannot control emo
tional people with guns.” She’s
partly right. You can’t legislate
away the violent crimes commit
ted by those who care not for
laws. Criminals will be armed
and rape, rob or murder any
where they want. However, law-
abiding citizens, as the name
implies, do follow laws and leg
islating away their ability to pro
tect themselves is inhumane.
The young lady I quoted in
my opening finished her thought
by questioning their safety there,
“We think we’re safe, but are
we?” I think the very same
thought every time I am dis
armed by an unjust law.
Jeff Anderson
Central Mountain Representa
tive
GeorgiaCarry.Org
Dear Editor:
“Columbus Day” is approach
ing. Why? Five centuries ago, a
stream of murderous plunderers
and slavers from Europe began
to land in what is now the Amer
icas. Christopher Columbus just
happened to be the first one.
Instead, we could have a day
for say, Miguel Hidalgo, who
fought for the freedom of the na
tives and poor of Mexico.
Or Cesar Chavez who fought
for the rights and improved lives
of poor laborers.
Or Harriet Tubman who
fought to free slaves.
Let’s honor people who
helped people, instead of mur
dering and stealing and enslav
ing. Because, those three things
are really really bad. Ya think?
And, oh yeah, “Columbus dis
covered America.” LOLwut?
That’s like you walking by a
stranger seated in a restaurant,
exclaiming “Lo! I have discov
ered a cheeseburger!” and then
grabbing it off her plate. But
first, of course, you bash her
head in with a heavy stick.
This Oct. 14, skip it. Or, per
haps better, observe what an evil
man Christopher Columbus was.
Then, let’s Xnay Columbus Day.
We don’t have Genghis Khan
Day, Hitler Day, Pinochet Day,
Charles Manson Day, Adam
Lanza Day, Pizarro Day or
Alexander the Great Day.
Human history is clogged
with stone killers. We shouldn’t
celebrate yet another one.
Andy Kippenhan
Letters Welcomed
“Letters to the Editor” is an
important public forum in the
community and the Progress
welcomes and encourages these
letters. Letters concerning any
matter of general local interest
will be considered for publica
tion. Letters addressing issues
will be accepted but not those
expressing a personal grievance
directed toward another individ
ual. Letters UNDER 400
WORDS are preferred. All let
ters MUST BE SIGNED with
address and phone number
given where the author can be
reached to verify information.
Opinions expressed in letters
and signed columns are those of
the author and do not necessar
ily represent the views held by
the Progress.
SUM DOWN
3 4
CHALLENGE
Congratulations
Joseph White!
First Contestant
to finish
Marble Festival 5K
Come Support the Contestants
at the NEXT CHALLENGE
Pumpkin Relay
@ Yahoo Farm on October 11 @ 2
llllll