Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, April 7, 2021 — Page 5A
Michael N. Searles
MAKE THEM SUFFER
To suffer is defined as experi
encing or subject to something
bad or unpleasant. Suffering
to some extent is an ordinary
aspect of life. While we all suf
fer in some way, we generally
seek to avoid it. In an article
on the “Four sad reasons why
good people Suffer,” the con
tributor states: Good People
suffer because of inequality;
Good people suffer because
life is hard; Good people suffer
because pain is unbiased; and
Good people suffer because
everyone does. Unnecessary
suffering is defined as method
or means that uselessly aggra
vated the suffering of others.
Crucifixion is one such method
of punishment in which the
victim is tied or nailed to a
large wooded beam and left
to hang for several days until
death occurs from exhaustion
and asphyxiation. Humanity
and most religious bodies sub
scribed to efforts to heal and at
tend to those who suffer. This
sentiment is expressed with
the following words: “We owe
it to each other to treat each
other with kindness, because
this duty human beings have to
each other, to take care of their
friends, their children, their
parents, might be all the good
we have at the end of the day.”
Laws are supposed to protect
the people or citizens of society
either individually or collec
tively. If laws fail to achieve
this objective, they cease to
serve their legitimate purpose.
Dr. King wrote eloquently in
a “Letter from a Birmingham
Jail” that there are two types
of laws: just and unjust. He
strongly supported obeying
just laws because they had both
a legal and moral standing. He
then said that a person had a
moral responsibility to disobey
unjust laws. He cited St. Au
gustine that an unjust law was
no law at all.
Governor Brian Kemp said
he was proud to sign S .B. 202
to ensure elections in Georgia
are secure, fair and accessible.
He also extolled the hard work
of the members of the General
Assembly to make it easy to
vote and hard to cheat. The
amazing aspect of the state
ment is that it could be uttered
with a straight face. The bill
places stringent requirements
on ballot drop boxes and im
poses stricter voter ID require
ments for absentee ballots. In
addition, if a county election
board does not provide the
response the Republican leg
islature desires, they have the
power to take over the county
election board. The final straw
in this “fair” election law is
the provision that prohibits
providing food and water to a
voter standing in line waiting
to vote. The law would make
it a violation that carries a
maximum fine of $1,000 and a
maximum imprisonment of up
to one year in jail. How could
a legislator in good conscience
say that folks standing in line
for hours to vote could not
receive a drink of water?
Diana Kiehl, a Savannah
voter who stood in line for
two and half hours witnessed,
“An old gentleman passed
out and was taken away in an
ambulance.” Stories of wait
ing in line were repeated by a
number of black Georgia vot
ers . Atlanta voter David Berms,
75, stood in line with his wife
for about an hour before be
ing notified that because of
his age, he could
have moved to the SEE
front. However, SEARLES,
after he entered 6A
In the words of the great (not
late!) Tupac Shakur, “I guess
change is good for any of us.”
That is indeed a fact, yet so
many of us struggle with it.
Why? Is it because of comfort?
Because of fear?
I’m guessing the difficulty
comes from a mix of both.
I consider myself an adven
turous person; I love traveling
and exploring new places. I’ve
been sky diving and bungee
jumping, have taste tested all
types of food and am not hesi
tant to be myself. Yet dealing
with change is not a good look
on me, and the recent struggle
is something I’ve been harbor
ing for several weeks.
Rewind to the day my mama
(aka Annie) announced she’d
been promoted at work. We
were all proud of and for her;
she is one of the hardest work
ing people I’ve ever encoun
tered. Then came the blow.
The job is in Savannah.
(Any Scooby Doo fans? This
Diana Royal
CHANGES
is the part where Scoob would
exclaim, “Rut ro Raggy!”)
Now I know Savannah is an
easy drive from here; it’s not
like my parents are moving
across the country or overseas,
but to describe my feelings as
anything but devastated would
be a total he. I am crushed.
There’s a Matthew Mc-
Conaughey film (Failure to
Launch) in which his movie
parents hire a young woman
(Sarah Jessica Parker) to date
him and help get him out of
their house. We cut up about
that often because I’m 39 and
moved back in with my folks,
but I LOVE being with my
mama and daddy. (And they
would never hire someone to
get rid of me.) When I moved
to Athens after high school,
I came home almost every
weekend, and that wasn’t to
see my boyfriend. I missed
my mama.
Now, I eat dinner with them
every night. I enjoy cooking
for them. We watch mov
ies together. I’m totally con
tent being unmarried because
the little family unit we have
works. There is always some
one to talk. Or hug. I find great
comfort in their presence and
always have. I’m not sure how
to live my life without them in
the next room.
On top of that, Makenzy and
I are moving, too, out of the
house she’s been in since kin
dergarten. Her princess room
complete with pink carpet and
walls and bubble gum-colored
bathroom cabinets. Our puppy
buried in the backyard. The
wind chimes. The ginger. The
nook by the front door where
Mama Bird nested her babies.
Familiarity will soon be re
placed, and I’m going to have
to find a new ironer, a new
“can you do ” person.
Mama did say she’d make
Daddy come home once a week
to check on us. I’m sure that
would be just as much for her
as it would be for us.
I know we will all be fine,
but if you’re the praying kind,
throw some up for us. And
forgive me if I’m extra spacey
or disheveled looking. I also
kinda wrecked my new car, am
applying to grad school, pack
ing and trying to navigate the
waters of my own ocean that’s
been extra salty.
To be continued...
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County Business Directory,
contact Roy Chalker
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at 706-554-2111.
at 706-554-2111.