Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, June 30, 2021 — Page 5
Michael N. Searles
HERITAGE
Heritage has been defined as
valued objects as well as quali
ties such as cultural traditions,
unspoiled countryside, and
historic buildings that have
been passed down from previ
ous generations.
Heritage promotes pride in
what has been accomplished
of human and cultural value.
Prominent American values
include independence, equal
ity, informality, and directness.
As Americans, we are indepen
dent individualists who take
pride in thinking for ourselves
and carefully examining ideas
presented to us. We like to
think that political leaders vote
their conscience after constitu
ent discussions, reflection, and
prayer. However, this hallowed
position has moved from in
dividual decision making to a
corporate response.
Heritage has been redefined
by the Heritage Foundation and
its lobbying arm—Action for
America--as a way to shape
and dictate conservative public
policies. Legislators used to
draw upon their staffs, col
leagues, and constituents to
develop ideas, proposals, and
laws. This is no longer a
requirement since Heritage
Action for America will do
the work for them. If a piece
of legislation is needed on any
topic, Heritage will gener
ate pre-packaged legislation
that only requires a signature.
This is what happened when
Georgia Republican legisla
tors needed suppressive voting
legislation. The legislation had
to meet certain requirements
providing a grass roots ap
pearance. In some cases, Heri
tage Action actually drafted
the legislation or provided
a so-called sentinel to shape
restrictive voting bills to give
the feeling that the legislation
came from the public. In order
to make this effort even more
effective, Heritage Action for
America hired state lobbyists
to make sure targeted states of
Georgia, Arizona, Michigan,
Florida, Iowa, Nevada, Texas,
and Wisconsin were meeting
with the right people.
Georgia was a test case
and its model legislation was
quickly adopted by other states
to initiate a sweeping voting
overhaul. These actions in
cluded reducing and restricting
absentee drop boxes, banning
third-party donations to run
local elections, increasing
partisan poll monitoring ac
cess, and stripping some of the
power to run elections from the
Secretary of State and local
counties and giving that power
to a state board.
In order to gain momentum,
Heritage Action will spend $24
million over a two-year period.
Heritage Action already had a
political foundation to build
upon since 56% of Republi
cans believed the 2020 elec
tion was stolen from Donald
Trump. This especially was
true for those who received
their news from Fox News,
One America News Network
and Newsmax.
We are a divided nation in
what we accept as fact with
some Americans believing in
alternative facts. A Republi
can-controlled Michigan State
Senate Oversight Committee
recently published a report af
firming there was no evidence
supporting widespread fraud in
the 2020 election. The Com
mittee also called on the state
attorney general to consider
investigating those who have
pushed false claims about the
election to raise money or pub
licity for their own ends. The
report was based on 28 hours
of testimony from nearly 90
people, and the examination
of thousands of pages of docu
ments completely refuting any
malfeasance in the election.
Michigan Republicans then
proposed bills to overhaul the
state’s election laws. In the
face of a mountain of informa
tion to the contrary, the com
mittee felt it was necessary to
increase voting restrictions.
The proposed requirements in
cluded submitting IDs or only
be allowed to cast provisional
ballots, restricting the hours
that voters could use curbside
drop-boxes, and requiring a
driver’s license or state identi
fication to request an absentee
ballot.
Even when all allegations
of fraud were dismissed and of
ficials announced that the 2020
election was basically without
blemish, organizations like the
Heritage Foundation acting
on people’s fears continues to
direct states to address prob
lems that do not exist. Burke
County’s namesake Edmond
Burke once said, “No power
so effectually robs the mind
of all its powers of acting and
reasoning as fear.” We need
faith and love.
Pamela Poole-Lively Machino
WHAT'S IN A GENE?
Experts say that our person
ality is 50% environmental and
50% genetic but our physical
make up is 100% genetic.
Scottish people are different
from Irish,
German or Italian people.
Sometimes you can see that
without even knowing a per
son’s genealogy. When I went
to my husband’s class re
union and I saw a man leaning
against the wall with his hands
crossed over his chest for at
least an hour or more. I walked
by him and said, “I bet you are
German.” And he said, “Why
do you say that?” I explained
that German men tend to lean
against walls like that and they
are mostly private folks that
don’t like to talk about their
lives. He said that he wasn’t
German and at first seemed
a little irritated so I said my
goodbye and turned to leave.
As I was walking away, I heard
him say, “Excuse me, one more
thing, my grandmother was full
German!” We both had the last
laugh.
I can sometimes look at
a person and come close to
guessing their ethnic makeup.
Perfectly round faces are usu
ally Irish and perfectly square
faces are usually Polish or
Scottish. A cleft chin and dim
ples are also very strong in
Scottish families. Oval faces
are usually German. Of course
there are many combinations.
I have done a lot of my
dark-skinned friends and so
far have only found one that
is predominantly African and
he came to America as a child
from Tanzania.
Tanzania people are very
pretty people and can be spot
ted easily anywhere. They
are very, very dark skinned
with small round faces, small
noses, little heart shaped lips
and beautiful huge round eyes.
I did the genealogy of a
darker skinned man who in
sisted he would be African. I
didn’t think so because he was
tall and had an oval shaped
face. He turned out to be almost
100% Panamanian.
I have a girlfriend, who is
very pale and recently called
me excited that she tested 5%
African. So skin tone isn’t al
ways the best way to determine
genetic backgrounds.
I once saw a young girl in
a restaurant that looked so
much like my granddaughter
who had a lot of polish genes.
I learned from her parents that
she was adopted from Poland.
At this point I knew I was on
to something. So far I haven’t
found a book on this subject
so I might have to write it
someday.
If you decide to do a DNA
test, which I think everyone
should do. I highly recommend
Ancestry.com. They run super
discounts around all holidays
and their database is the largest
out there today. You are imme
diately matched with cousins,
siblings and many times par
ents and grandparents. Warn
ing; don’t do it unless you are
prepared for some shocking
secrets to be revealed.
Even the most moral Chris
tian senior citizens could have
had a wild streak in them when
they were in their 20’s. For
giveness is the rule in geneal
ogy, no matter what scoundrel
you might have hidden in your
ancestry closet. My famous
scoundrel is Jesse James, the
outlaw. I worry about snor
ing because I am told he once
killed a man for snoring.
BURKE COUNTY BUSINESS DIRECTORY
These local professionals are here to serve you!
Air Conditioning
TRUST.
ITS MORE THAN A WORD TO US.
ITS OUR WORD TO YOU.
#N0W
A NNMg t Coon«9 60M0. C»■>■«»
706-554-7341 / 706-830-4516
COMPLETE
SYSTEM
DIAGNOSTICS
ONLY
*49
TRANS
Iti Hard lb Stop A Thane!
Electrical & Generator
502 West 6th Street
Waynesboro, GA 30830
PHONE (706) 554-2861
GENERAC
AUTHORIZED DEALER
R6WELL
ELECTRIC CO.
Air Conditioning
Commercial - Residential
Sales & Service
1040 Bethesda Church Road
Girard, GA
Mobile: 706-339-9343
lli Hard Tb Stop A Thin*'
Reliable
Durable
Clean Air
Comfort Control
Efficient
First-Rate Warranties
Contractor
HIGHSMITH BUILDING SERVICES, INC.
constructing custom homes since 1991
JOHN A. HIGHSMITH
706-551-0248
Insurance
Stacey L, Herrmann, LUTCF ■ Agency Mgr.
FARM
BUREAU
GEORGIA
Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance Services
Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company
Office 706-554-2017 FAX: 706-554-7482
Email: slherrmann@gfbins.com
CLAIMS # 1-855-432-2567
P.O. Box 329 Waynesboro, GA 30830
Pet Grooming
fe>MSpringviood
Boarding & Grooming
706-592-0444
3209 Old Waynesboro Road
Hephzibah, GA 30815
"Caring hands for your precious pet"
Wrecker Service
706-551-3998
706-551-0876
TAYLOR BROTHERS
Wiecker Service
206 West 12th Street
Cleaning Services
NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
You me it we deanil!
Homes, Offices, Commercial, Churches
Before & after party services, seasonal services too
Special Events
Call for free estimates - Klewisservices
762-212-2901 or 706-5514098
ADVERTISE HERE!
To be included in the Burke
County Business Directory,
contact Roy Chalker
at 706-554-2111.
Heating & Air
DEALS
Turn cu the Expem
“Trust, Honor & Pride - Our Commitment To You”
346 Old Millen Hwy., Waynesboro, GA 30830
706-554-2665
Burke Memorial Funeral Home
www.burkememorial.com
‘A Home oj Dependable Service’
842 Liberty Street, Waynesboro, GA
Family owned 8, operated
Jane and George DeLoach
706-833-9867 or 706-551-5100
Dustin Rowell,
Owner/President
# A*
Rowell
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