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Page 4A — Wednesday, August 24, 2016 The True Citizen
OPINIONS
The Pledge U1 Allegiance
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LOOKING BACK
{this week in Burke County history}
10 YEARS AGO-AUGUST 30,2006
The FBI was investigating the discovery of 13 boxes of
“sensitive” medical records that were found in a Herndon
Road dumpster.
Four Waynesboro men were arrested for murder after the
body of Athens resident Curtis Howard Jr., 41, was found
in the bed of a parked truck, along with a large amount of
cocaine.
The Burke County Bears mauled the Richmond County
Musketeers, 42-0, in their pre-season scrimmage. Tyler Ham
mett was quarterback in the big win.
25 YEARS AGO-AUGUST 29,1991
Burke County farmers were facing a “flood crisis” fol
lowing seven months of above average rainfall. With 53.70
inches for the year, and 4 inches in less than a week, fields
with near-record yield potential had standing water, rotting
crops and bug infestations.
Larry Jones, 26, was sentenced to life in prison for the
beating death of 35-year-old Lucille Wallace.
Fairway Ford advertised brand new FI50 Lariats starting
at $11,525.
50 YEARS AGO-AUGUST 24,1966
Voter registration increased 26 percent in Burke County
with 6,409 residents registered to vote in the Democratic
Primary.
The Burke County Board of Education endorsed the state
group plan for "choice” desegregation.
The engagement of Cynthia Delores Maness to James M.
McManus Jr. was announced. The wedding was set for Aug.
28, 1966 at Friendship Methodist Church.
A local fashion show was to feature “pretty girls” Donna
Holt, Louise Willis, Elaine Voyles, Marian Wallace, Susan
Griffin, Lisa Dolin, Lucy Gustafson, Belinda Brannen, Betsy
Barefield, Nan Weathers and Georgia Steadman.
75 YEARS AGO-AUGUST 28,1941
The Burke County Health Department made field visits
for patients suffering from communicable diseases. For the
month of July, officials reported treating 7 cases of typhoid
fever, 4 cases of hookworm, 2 cases of measles and 1 case
of whooping cough.
Clark’s Market advertised baby beef T-bones for 29c per
pound.
Frank Rackley, Frank Skinner and Judson Thomson re
turned home to Waynesboro following a two-month stay at
Athens “Y” Camp at Tallulah Falls.
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Don Lively
I i
Daddy's to blame for one of
my many idiosyncrasies.
He liked to take the back
roads, whenever possible, to get
wherever he was headed.
Me too.
Thank you, Daddy.
Like most Americans, I have
to spend my share of time on
interstates and four lanes.
But, I don't have to like it.
Many years ago Daddy took
us on a mountain trip. As men
tioned, he liked to take the back
roads and on this particular trip
he discovered a little known spot
where passersby could stop,
walk a few yards from the two
lane mountain road, and enjoy
one of the Blessed South's most
unique natural wonders.
Sliding Rock, in the North
Carolina foothills.
Back then the area was un
spoiled and uncrowded. Just an
extremely cold mountain stream
and a huge, slick natural rock
formation, perfect for sliding
into the deep natural pool at the
bottom.
That was then.
These days. Sliding Rock is a
developed, U.S. Forest Service
recreation area, complete with
lifeguards, changing rooms and
viewing decks for those folks
OFF THE
not inclined to get wet.
Oh, and did I mention, nowa
days you have to pay for the
privilege of sliding?
Thank you federal govern
ment.
Anyway, Sliding Rock was
just one of the many places we
visited while journeying around
the Southern hinterlands. Those
years instilled in me my love of
oddball and quirky places that
dot the terrain of Dixie.
During one of my ramblings
a few years ago, I ran across
a place way out in the South
Carolina countryside.
God's Acre Healing Springs.
Legend was, during the Revo
lutionary War, several wounded
British soldiers were left to
die near the waters that would
become known as Healing
Springs, but, after being bathed
in and drinking from the springs,
all of the soldiers recovered. In
later years, the last actual owner
of the property deeded the land
and the springs to "God Al
mighty", thus the name, God's
Acre Healing Springs.
Now, I must say, it seems a bit
redundant to "deed" the land to
God "for all time". Didn't He
already own it? After all, He
"owns the cattle on a thousand
hills", surely that tiny little
springhead was already His.
But, I digress.
It's an interesting place, and,
BEATEN
I actually collected some water
from the springs and drank it
over a week's time.
Honestly, I felt better.
Did you know that there's a
place in Florida that actually
defies gravity?
As a young college student,
with several dorm mates from
the Sunshine State, I heard so
much about Spook Hill that I
was compelled to go and see it
for myself.
Supposedly, there is a spot,
a depression in the roadway,
where many years ago an an
cient Indian wrestled a man-
eating alligator to the death.
Both man and gator died, for
ever haunting the site. The fight
created the hole and eventually
a road was built over the spot.
It's said that you can park a car
on the spot, put it in neutral, and
watch the car roll uphill.
Yes, uphill.
Malarkey, you say.
So did I, till I saw it happen
with my own two eyeballs.
Up in Tennessee you can go
boating far underground where
no natural light is found.
The Lost Sea.
Been there, done that, would
love to go again.
It's one of my favorite places.
It's a naturally formed lake, cov
ering several acres, that is deep
inside a limestone cave system
known as Craighead Caverns.
It's hard to imagine until you've
boarded the boat and floated
around, far underground, on
the crystal clear water with
huge, but blind, fish swimming
around.
Are you aware that someone
was once hit by a meteorite
from outer space and lived to
tell about it?
Over in Alabama you can see
the actual missile that, in the
50s, crashed through a woman's
roof, bounced around the house,
then struck her square on her
ribcage.
Full disclosure, I didn't go to
Alabama to see the rock, I was
there for other reasons, but, by
golly, I've seen it.
And, right here in Georgia,
I once stood and looked at the
final resting place of the famous
gunfighter, Doc Holliday, and,
when I did, I experienced a
weird feeling of deja vu. Cause
I'd once stood and looked at the
final resting place of the same
famous gunfighter, Doc Holli
day, Out West in the mountains
of Colorado.
I'll leave that conundrum to
the history scholars.
The point is, there are inter
esting and peculiar things to
be seen and done all over our
corner of America.
So, let's hit the back roads.
Happy travels, y'all.
Michael N. Searles
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Practically, every Christian
has read or heard the parable of
the Good Samaritan. The story
raises and answers the question:
Who is my neighbor? We as
Christians are supposed to take
this message to heart and behave
accordingly. Yet, there are times
when our Christianity is brought
into question. How important
is our faith when placed against
our biases and prejudices? The
current presidential contest is a
case in point. The two nominees
have presented themselves to
the public, and many of us have
gone to our respective political
corners. The Democratic nomi
nee has a lifelong affiliation with
her church and church related
activities. The Republican nom
inee has little religious affiliation
and practically no familiarity
with the Bible. He has spoken
out against Mexicans, Muslims,
Seventh-day Adventists, Asians,
African Americans, women,
POWs, and the disabled.
The Republican candidate
takes every opportunity to dis
parage and criticize any indi
viduals and groups that displease
him. He attacked Judge Gonzalo
Curiel who oversees the fraud
case against Tramp University in
San Diego calling Judge Curiel a
“hater” because of his Hispanic
heritage and his “presumed”
belief that Trump will build a
bigger more secure wall along
the Mexican border. Trump has
waged a war of words not only
against Democrats but members
of his own Party. He has said
that Senator John McClain is
not his kind of hero since he was
captured. Other areas of concern
have caused people to question
the candidate’s judgment. Vari
ous white hate groups like the
Traditionalist Worker Party,
Neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klan
have expressed their support for
the candidate. William Johnson,
head of the American Freedom
Party, a supporter of white
nationalist candidates has em
braced the Republican nominee
and created a PAC to support the
New York businessman. Tramp
only has issued a mild rejection
of the support expressed by
these white supremacy groups.
While there are a number of
alienated groups in America,
it is hard to understand why
Christians would become Tramp
supporters. However, according
to the Pew Research Center,
white evangelicals make up
one-fifth of all registered vot
ers strongly supporting Trump
for President. Some influential
evangelical leaders have joined
the "Never Trump Movement”
while others have pledged sup
port after he wooed them in a
closed-door meeting in New
York. While it’s hard to imagine
that those evangelicals believe
that Trump is a true believer, it
appears that they have embraced
his authoritarian positions and
his open courtship of them. His
multiple marriages, rare church
attendance, not believing he
should ask God for forgiveness,
past support of abortion and gay
rights, not withstanding, these
Christians give him their full
support and vote.
A couple of questions can be
asked in this situation: Who is
our neighbor and what is re
quired of us as Christians? There
are Christians who know the
Bible, follow the Ten Command
ments, and feel righteous and
justified in their faith. After fol
lowing the law and paying tithes,
what’s left to do? The answer
is simple: Love your neighbor
as yourself. You don’t have to
minister to the wounded man
on the side of the road; you can
walk by like the Priest and the
Levite. Life is so much simpler
when you praise God, pray, and
sing the songs of Zion within
church sanctuary walls rather
than embracing the heartfelt
message of Christ in the world.
We should not condemn any in
dividual, but should we support
a candidate who promotes hate
rather than love?