Newspaper Page Text
Page4A — Wednesday, November 25, 2020, The True Citizen
OPINIONS
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LOOKING BACK
{this week in Burke County history}
10 YEARS AGO-NOVEMBER 24,2010
A four year-old boy was shot and killed in front of God’s
True Holiness Apostolic Church in Waynesboro. The boy’s
16 year-old cousin, Katorry Hankerson, was arrested and
charged with felony murder in connection with the shooting.
Police said the shooting was precipitated by several bouts of
shooting that began the previous Saturday night.
More than 60 Midville residents were evacuated from
their homes when the derailment of a train posed the threat
of hazardous chemicals. Thirty eight of the 90-car Norfolk
Southern train left the tracks about a half-mile from the center
of Midville.
Burke County High School and Edmund Burke Academy
were both headed to possible state championships after both
teams won their games by one point, utilizing the two-point
conversion.
25 YEARS AGO-NOVEMBER 30,1995
Construction on the $40 million Kwikset door lock
manufacturing plant was set to begin. The facility was
expected to employ up to 150 workers, according to Jerry
Long, executive director of the Burke County Economic
Development Authority.
Construction of the new Jameson Inn on North Liberty
Street was underway and was expected to be completed in
time for the Masters Tournament. The 42-room hotel was
one of five under construction in Georgia by the company.
Wayne Wheeler was named as the new manager of the
Waynesboro Piggly Wiggly Supermarket. A long-time
employee of the company, Wheeler had managed stores in
Fort Valley, Swainsboro and Dublin.
50 YEARS AGO-NOVEMBER 25, 1970
Julian H. Johnson of Vidette was named “Man of the Year”
by the Briar Creek Soil and Water Conservation District. He
was cited for his “excellence in soil and water conservation,
general farming ability, character and leadership.”
Burke County’s request for a Georgia Bureau of Investigation
agent to be permanently assigned here was rejected by the
agency. GBI Director R.H. Burson said the demand for agents
across the state far exceeded the supply.
Bobby McKinney, chairman of the annual Waynesboro
Rotary Club pancake supper said that tickets would be sold
by members of the club and proceeds would be used as a
scholarship fund for a foreign exchange student.
75 YEARS AGO-NOVEMBER 29,1945
Advertisers included the “George Washington Service
Station” on Liberty Street. It was operated by William M.
(Bill) Smith and John C. Allen. It offered Sinclair gasoline
and other products.
John H. Reese and Guy Chance announced plans for the
construction of a “large theatre and auditorium exclusively
for the Colored People of Burke County.” It was to be located
“on East Sixth Street next to Sapp’s Store.”
“Tarzan and the Amazons” starring Johnny Weismuller was
playing at the Grand Theatre.
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Waynesboro, Georgia 30830
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HIGH VOLUME OFSIMILAR REQUESTS
WAITING TIME FOR PROCESSING YOUR WisR
IS APPROXIMATELY,,,
A PAUSE IN POLITICS
BEN ROBERTS
benroberts@bellsouth.net
An ongoing pandemic that
appears to be on the rise in
much of the country.
An economy that teeters
back and forth and threatens to
fall off a disastrous cliff at any
moment.
A presidential race that
doesn’t seem to have an end.
A senate runoff for not one,
but both Georgia seats, which
means the election cycle rheto
ric that has gripped the nation,
is now squarely focused on our
state for the next six weeks.
Families pushed to the break
ing point by the financial and
emotional tolls this virus has
caused.
If you concentrate on the list
above, you might find it difficult
to be thankful this week.
As many families gather in
the coming days, there will be
Yes-siree-bobtail!
Have you ever heard that
expression?
I have, but only from one
person.
Mama.
And to this day, I have no idea
what it actually means.
Google was no help. For
one thing, when I clearly said
"yes-siree-bobtail" into the tiny
little microphone that facilitates
the voice feature, apparently it
couldn't understand my accent.
My accent? I don't have an ac
cent, thank you very much.
Anyway, as far as I'm able
to glean, "yes-siree-bobtail"
is only used as an affirmative
when there is absolutely no
doubt about what ever subject
is being discussed.
For instance:
Me: "Mama, I don't want to
go to school today. Do I have
to?"
Mama: "Yes-siree-bobtail!"
See how it works.
Mama would have been
94 years old this week. She
wouldn't be real happy about
me reporting her age, but since
it's been over ten years since she
many that cannot. Some will
choose to forgo their holiday
traditions out of concerns for
a virus that continues to lurk
around every corner. Others
will adapt and share meals
outside or don facemasks in an
effort to protect the ones they
love. And still others will miss
their loved ones for the same
reasons some of us are forced
to face every year: because the
world moves on without us and
death was a part of life before
the time of COVID.
There are those who will not
enjoy a table set for a feast be
cause this day will be like any
other, where a hot meal and a
warm bed are hard to come by
every day of the year.
The paramedics and firefight
ers, the doctors and emergency
room staffs will go to work like
any other day because tragedies
don’t take holidays off either.
Law enforcement will con-
met Jesus in the eastern sky, I
suspect she's so pre-occupied
enjoying Heaven that maybe
she won't notice my transgres
sion.
It's hard to believe that she's
been gone so long, and even
harder to fathom that Daddy
died almost ten years before
she did.
Parents from the Blessed
South seem to impact their chil
dren's lives in such a manner
that the passing of the decades
without them on Earth does
not even slightly diminish their
influence on us. It's a fact that
most of the kith and kin that I
am close to around these parts
still call their parents "Mama
and Daddy" long after they've
departed, even when we are
well into our own "later" years.
Once, a friend from part of
the country above the Mason-
Dixon Line asked me if it didn't
embarrass me to call my folks
Daddy or Mama. My answer
was direct and succinct.
"Not in the least."
Back to Mama.
She had other sayings that
I never heard anybody other
than her utter, though I'm sure
she probably heard them from
somebody.
Every now and again, one
of my siblings or me would
do something that would raise
tinue to patrol our streets even
as some in this country would
claim they are not needed. And
if you call they will show up,
not asking hrst of your political
opinions.
The members of this coun
try’s armed forces will stand
their posts across the globe to
ensure our lives and our free
doms are protected,knowing all
the while the wolves may stalk
just outside their door, because
that is the duty for which they
took an oath.
There are those who will say
this country has never been so
divided, so willing to square off
against its self. History would
prove otherwise but that is
little solace as you drive down
a neighborhood street and see
opposing political signs dotting
yard after yard.
Friends and families will
need time to mend the hurt feel
ings from political discussions
that went too far.
In recent weeks, this very
space of the newspaper has
been critical of local elected
officials. That will continue
because that is the job of the
press but it should never be
personal. It’s fair for newspaper
writers to remind local officials
of their duties but we must also
sometimes remind ourselves
MAMA SAID
Mama's hackles just a bit.
Like the time my big brother
Urb and I were playing cow
boys and Indians. Seems I'd
taken an arrow to the leg, and
my brother, AKA my trail part
ner, was attempting to remove
the projectile by chopping at it
with Daddy's woodpile ax.
When Mama stepped out onto
the back porch and saw what
was happening, she used one
of her colorful epithets.
"What in bine blazes are yon
doing!?"
Knowing what I know now,
that I didn't know as a seven
year old who trusted his brother
to take a rusty ax blade to my
tender shin skin, Mama was re
fusing to use the word "hell" as
a cuss word, but she was getting
her point across just the same.
Mama was also not above
calling on the name of a de
spised and reviled Yankee ter
rorist when she would become
agitated or frustrated.
She might have been driving
us to football practice when
a deer ran out in front of her
Rambler station wagon, causing
her to have to swerve into the
ditch. Or maybe it would start
raining as soon as she'd hung a
load of wash on the clothesline
to dry. Possibly she left a peach
cobbler in the oven a bit too
long and it got burned.
that the individuals we write
about are someone’s spouse or
parent or child.
I am the father of three chil
dren myself. That is a fact that
has filled my life with a love
I did not know I was capable
of, but it is also a job that tests
my patience on an almost daily
basis.
Somewhere along the way,
when my children left for
school each morning, I formed
the habit of reminding them to
“Be a friend to everyone.” We
all have our own crosses to bear
and we cannot know what bur
den someone else is struggling
to carry. A simple smile or kind
word may be the single bright
spot someone has in their day
and it costs nothing to share.
There are two ways to view
the words written here thus
far: a laundry list of the current
hardships of this world or mul
tiple reasons to hnd hope with
the start of each new day.
Life is indeed what we make
it. As is this community and this
country. There is much work yet
to be done and there are difficult
conversations and disagree
ments ahead. But there is also
much for which to be thankful.
Her response was often the
same.
"Well, I’ll be John Brown!"
It was years later before I
really understood exactly who
this Mr. John Brown was, but
there was no doubt that to
Mama, he was a cuss word.
All these years later, I often
catch myself muttering some
of the very same phrases that
Mama did.
Far-reaching influence in
deed.
Mama was also the hrst per
son in my life who said, "This
won't hurt forever. There are
other girls that won't break your
heart."
Mama was one of the hrst
people to recognize that I have
a small talent for putting words
and phrases together. "I really
like this story. I almost feel like
I'm right there!"
Most importantly, Mama was
the hrst one that I can remember
saying the words that are the
most consequential ones ever
said to me. "Jesus loves you."
I'm still trying to live up to
that inheritance.
So, do I believe that the words
of our Mamas and Daddies car
ry weight that lasts far beyond
their brief time in the world?
Yes-siree-bobtail!
Don Lively