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Views
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Common Sense
The Progress
Editorial
February 25,2021
From the Staff
What’s in a name?
Shakespeare may have glossed over
the importance of naming when he said
a rose would be just as sweet regardless
of what it’s called.
To which we would ask the bard,
could a Peace Park be any less descrip
tive of what you would find there?
We have two Peace Parks in this
county and neither resembles a place
where hippies might hang out with
strange music.
For those not familiar with our Peace
Parks, the first Peace Park was the offi
cial name of that sculpture display at the
north end of downtown, now a bare area
but still called Peace Park. The second
Peace Park is in Roper Park, created by
the Rotary Club with permanent musical
instruments and a peace monument, so
the name makes sense - kind of, but there
is surely a better descriptor?
And by better, we mean something
unique and expressing a local pride in
this community.
In fact, we would suggest that the
powers-that-be, governments in cities
and the county, planning boards, school
board, citizens and civic groups put a lit
tle thought into some appropriate
monikers.
For those concerned with larger
trends, we don’t have anything promi
nent in the county named for a Confed
erate general, as Pickens was mostly a
bystander in the Civil War.
So this suggestion is not an attempt to
rewrite history at all. In fact, it’s a sug
gestion to put some history on our maps
- but local history.
Consider our naming shortcomings:
• The courthouse on Main Street is just
the courthouse.
• The overlook on Burnt Mountain is
the overlook.
• The county headquarters on East
Church Street, is called “the Admin
building.”
• The county detention center is just
the jail, not to be confused with the ear
lier jail, which is now the “Old Jail.” The
recycling center and public works are re
cycling center and public works build
ings.
• Our campuses are simply the high
school, middle school and Jr. high. Ele
mentary schools at least have the place
names of Hill City, Tate and Harmony.
There are a few notable exceptions.
D.B. Carroll, famed coach/principal, has
a street named for him - perhaps it’s time
for a Don Enis or Kimsey Wood campus
or gym.
Former Jasper council members CC
Pritchard, Hazel Mosley and a few others
have streets named in their honor but
those were done in one spurt of new
roads.
The Doris Wigington Park is a good
example of naming, along with the Roper
Park and Lee Newton Park. Surely, John
Weaver’s long tenure as mayor earns him
a street or building or park? Several for
mer law men might warrant a jail named
in their honor.
Our desire to see some heritage on our
buildings and streets isn’t without peril.
Current events shows that poorly chosen
place names can create a whole bunch of
problems. We’d point to the community
center, which is in Roper Park. But the
community center houses the recreation
department and thusly is often called the
Rec. center. Officially it is named for for
mer Commissioner Robert Jones. It was
a surprise tribute to him, which he did not
ask for but did get unfairly blamed for
the sign out front.
So maybe it’s better to go forward
with only people safely in the history
books? Henry T. Fitzsimmons (first
founder of a marble works here) and Col.
Sam Tate are surprisingly not recognized
anywhere with a local building or road,
though Tate’s family member Steve is.
Going on a wild naming binge would
lead to unsuitable choices. This isn’t a
rush job. A good start would be to see
some committees formed to look at the
prospects so we don’t wind up with a
third Peace Park.
Tell us your thoughts with a letter to the editor. E-mail to news@pickensprogress.com
See letter submission guidelines on the Letters to the Editor page or call us 706-253-2457.
Ponderings of a Simple Man
Py Caleb Smith
Unchained
Melody
I love to sing. But, as my
wife is fond of reminding me,
just because you enjoy doing
something doesn’t mean that
you’re good at it. After all,
just look at Patrick Ma-
homes. He really seems to
enjoy being a quarterback.
Sorry, the last Super Bowl
is still fresh in everyone’s
memory and my editor has
been urging me to be more
‘topical’ in my articles. As I
don’t watch sports, I had to
do a lot of Googling just to
sneak in that one joke.
As I said, I love to sing.
Unfortunately, unless you’re
a musician or live in a Disney
movie, most places of em
ployment don’t let you burst
into song whenever you
want. I was delighted, then,
when I began to work from
home fulltime just a few
months ago.
My wife, however, was
decidedly less pleased. Our
house, while sturdy and large
enough for my small family,
isn’t nearly large enough for
a hillbilly that can’t carry a
tune in a bucket to be practic
ing his Pavarotti. I know be
cause my wife told me this in
no uncertain terms within the
first 30 minutes of my work
ing from home.
After a stem talking to,
and the threat of nothing but
kale and quinoa for dinner for
the foreseeable future, I re
mained undeterred. Nothing
she said could stop me.
At long last I could finally
say, I knew why the caged
bird sings. Because it an
noyed his wife and, some
times, that can be fun.
Unfortunately, as is so
often the case in world wars,
and marriage, the situation
escalated. She set a pair of
speakers outside the door of
my office and played music
to counteract my own cater
wauling. I sang opera, she
played Taylor Swift, I
switched to folk, she dialed
up Beyonce.
The final breaking point
came when, after I performed
a stirring 20 minute rendition
of Looking Out My Back
Door, she took the nuclear
option. She moved a chair in
front of my door, blocking
me in my office, and turned
on Mariah Carey’s L All I
Want For Christmas Is Yon. ’
Full volume. On repeat.
I’m not ashamed to say
that I died a little bit that day.
After the third or fourth ren
dition of the song, I broke.
Heedless of my own safety, I
leapt from the window of my
office, willing to risk the fall
if it meant I wouldn’t have to
listen to that blasted song for
a second more.
It would have been more
impressive if my office
hadn’t been on the first floor,
but I wasn’t thinking about
that at the time. I trailed back
inside, contrite. Clutching a
rose in my...well suffice to
say I regret planting roses be
neath my window.
From that day on, I’ve de
cided to just stick with hum
ming.
[Caleb Smith is a longtime,
award-winning, columnist
for the Progress. Look for his
books at the Progress office
or on Amazon.]
(USPS 431-820)
Published by Pickens County Progress, Inc.
94 North Main Street, Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-2457 FAX (706) 253-9738
www.pickensprogressonline.com
DAN POOL
Publisher/Editor
Published each Thursday at Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia. Entered
at the Post Office at Jasper, Georgia. 30143 as Mail Matter of Second
Class. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE PICKENS
COUNTY PROGRESS, 94 N. Main St., Jasper, GA 30143.
One Year’s Subscription: $39.59 in Pickens County and in Gilmer,
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counties; $59.92 out of state.
Reboot
Amendiient T
TO SPEAK.
OTHER VOICES
"With talent on loan from God!"
Rush Limbaugh,flanked by his wife Katherine and for
mer First Lady Melania Trump, shortly before he was
awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President
Trump in January 2020 during the president's State of the
Union Address. photo/RushLimbaugh.com
By Larry Cavender
"He's a mean, offensive,
pompous, hateful racist!"
Those were the words a
colleague of mine once used
to describe a rising radio per
sonality. Believing such a
vile person couldn't possibly
be successful, I thought, "I've
got to hear this guy."
Eventually, when I did lis
ten, I was shocked, not by
what I heard, but by the total
mischaracterization by my
colleague who later admitted
he had never listened to the
man, but only repeated what
he was told.
That was over 30 years
ago, and from the moment I
first listened to Rush Lim
baugh, I was hooked.
He was entertaining and
funny, insightful and always
optimistic. His words made
me feel good and made me
feel that I was not alone in
my beliefs. His noon to 3
time-slot prevented me from
listening every day because
of my work schedule, but I
tuned in whenever possible.
For over three decades, I
never once heard him say
anything mean or hateful,
much less racist. He was al
ways kind and considerate
even with those callers who
disagreed with him.
Still, for simply express
ing his conservative views,
he was demeaned, dispar
aged, and attacked by what
we would now call "The
Cancel Culture." His listen
ers were mocked and called
"Ditto-Heads," taken from
the phrase "Mega-dittos"
often used by his callers to
"ditto" their platitudes for
him in an effort to save time
and get right to their points.
Yet, Rush Limbaugh sur
vived and succeeded, eventu
ally reaching between 20 and
25 million listeners daily on
over 600 radio stations and
spawning countless other
conservative talk show hosts
who followed his trail-break
ing career. His legion of fans
believed in him, trusted him.
Several years ago, I was at
a local gas station when a car
with out-of-state license
plates parked beside where I
was standing. After a few
moments, two young girls
exited and tentatively ap
proached me. They were
hopelessly lost and asked di
rections. I helped them, and
as they returned to their car,
they turned, pointed to the T-
shirt I was wearing, and said,
"Thank you, sir. We knew we
could trust you." My shirt
identified me as a Ditto-
Head.
What was it that earned
Rush such a trusting, faithful
following? Perhaps, his hon
esty, his unbridled patriotism,
his conservative values, his
Christian faith. And, he was
charitable, most recently ev
idenced by his contribution
of more than six million dol
lars to the Wounded Warrior
Project through a T-shirt
sales campaign inspired by
one hateful, unpatriotic man's
objection to the Betsy Ross
American flag.
I feel pity for those who
never really knew him, their
minds closed because of their
baseless preconceptions.
That includes those members
of Congress who sneered
when President Trump
awarded Rush the Presiden
tial Medal of Freedom.
For those of us who were
fortunate to know him, We
thank God for sharing Rush
with us and for His loaning
such a phenomenal talent to
this tndy remarkable man.
A man at peace with God,
who during his battle with
cancer, thanked his Creator
for every additional day of
life that He granted him.
Now, may you rest in peace,
Rush Limbaugh.
[In addition to being a
Progress news contributor,
Larry Cavender is also an
author. His latest book,
Thank You for Your Service -
A Tribute, is available at
many local vendors and also
on-line at Amazon.com and
BarnesandNoble. com.]
WEATHER
By William Dilbeck
HI LOW RAIN
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voting
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