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Page A— Wednesday, February 9, 2022, The True Citizen
OPINIONS
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LOOKING BACK
{this week in Burke County history}
10 YEARS AGO-FEBRUARY, 2012
Raymond Bosher, the man who helped pioneer the Waynes
boro Police Department’s reserve officer program, died in
a vehicle accident. Bosher, 65, was killed when he pulled
out in front of a tractor-trailer on Highway 24 at Drone road.
Veteran Waynesboro City Councilman Bill Tinley was
awarded the prestigious Certificate of Achievement by the
Georgia Municipal Association. He was recognized for his
completion of more than 72 training units through the as
sociation.
Five new board members were welcomed by the Burke
County Chamber of Commerce. They included Ron Smith of
Southern Bank, Joy Rowell of McKinney Wholesale, Domi-
nee Thomas of AgGeorgia, Art Lively of Burke “County
Farm Bureau and Pete Cates of TruFlame.
25 YEARS AGO-FEBRUARY 12,1997
Sunbeam’s outdoor furniture plant, along with others in the
furniture division, was sold to Kacuzzi Outdoor Products,
Inc. of New Jersey. The plant had more than 500 employees.
After a two-day inspection, the Burke County Hospital
received 93 out of a possible 100 points and an “A” rating
from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals.
The Georgia General Assembly appropriated $5million
for the construction of a local campus of Augusta Technical
School.
50 YEARS AGO-FEBRUARY 8,1972
Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced plans to build a
pine and hardwood sawmill here that would employ up to
90 workers. The plant was to be built on a 126 acre site off
Highway 56 east of Waynesboro.
The Georgia Department of Public Health said the Waynes
boro water system had to correct several deficiencies before
it could be certified as an approved public water supply.
The new time and temperature sign at the First National
Bank reported a chilly 20 degrees over the weekend.
70 YEARS AGO-FEBRUARY 14,1952
In an unusual move, the Sardis City Council endorsed the
candidacy of Hubert Rackley for a seat on the Burke County
Commission.
World famous musician Graham Jackson was scheduled to
appear in a concert sponsored by the Waynesboro Exchange
Club. Jackson was well known as the favorite musician of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“That’s My Boy” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
was playing at the Grand Theatre.
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Don Lively
“Who’s your Daddy?”,
meaning in the 21st Century:
“A slang expression used
to show dominance over
someone else in an aggressive,
playful way.”
You’ve heard it.
A kid on an urban playground
slam dunks on his opponent.
Who’s your Daddy!
A batter smacks a walk-off
homerun and looks to the
pitcher as he rounds first base.
Who’s your Daddy!
I have even caught myself
using the expression.
We were involved in the
annual Trivial Pursuit contest
with my wing of the family
competing against another. My
team and I were debating our
final answer and I was the only
one who knew the answer with
assuredness. I was able to con
vince the rest of the kin that I
was right and it was confirmed
when the opposing reader read
the answer.
Who’s your Daddy!
Lame, I know.
But it felt good.
Times have changed.
Who’s your Daddy, when
asked by my Daddy, when
inquiring of my visiting pals,
was his way of determining
if he knew the kid’s family.
Chances were, if Daddy knew
the Daddy, he also knew what
part of the county they lived in,
what the family did for a living
and where they went to church.
Back then, everybody went to
church.
Over the years the question
evolved into an expanded ver
sion.
Who are your people?
Ask that question of anybody
in our neck of the woods and
you’re liable to be chatting
about genealogy and family
connections until Jesus comes
back.
People around these parts
love to talk about their people.
I’m one of those people who
love to talk to other people
about my people.
So, that’s what I’m going
to do.
This is the first of a four-part
series where I’ll tell you about
some of the folks I’ve encoun
tered throughout my life.
This week we’ll be talking
about my church people.
If you are like me, there are
folks in your life who you only
see at church. They don’t run in
the same social circles as you
and they aren’t kin, they are
church people.
Many years ago, when I
CHURCH FOLKS
was living Out West, I was a
member of a church that was
perfectly located at the top of
a ridge overlooking the city
of Denver. There were several
similar congregations around
the area but our view was
enough to convince some folks
that they had found their church
home.
Betty was one of those peo
ple.
Usually, when somebody
new shows up at a church,
they sort of expect members
to greet them and to make the
feel welcome. Not Betty. She
didn’t wait for the courtesies. I
remember watching Betty the
very first Sunday morning that
she arrived, working her way
around the sanctuary after the
services were over, introducing
herself to nearly everybody that
she passed. She quickly became
one of the most beloved mem
bers of the church and spent the
rest of her life worshipping high
on that ridge.
I have no doubt that by now
Betty has met everybody in
Heaven.
Mr. Percy was a faithful
usher at the very large church
that I attended during my Texas
stint. Communion was offered
every Sunday morning and eve
ning to the thousands of folks
who attended. Mr. Percy, who
was probably nearing 90 years
Michael N. Searles
UNEQUAL JUSTICE
There is an old expression:
“What’s fair is fair” or as some
times expressed, “fair’s fair.”
Especially used as an excla
mation, to say that an action
or decision is acceptable and
appropriate because everyone
will be treated fairly. We know
the world is not fair but there
are times when things are so
unequal they demand our at
tention and response. In the
area of race there continues to
be contention as to what is fair.
There are people in society
who believe black folk have
received an unequal share and
argue that it is white folk who
are the victims of discrimina
tion. Affirmative Action has
been a whipping boy for im
plying that African Americans
receive benefits they don’t
deserve. While this debate will
likely continue, there are those
occasions that challenge this
notion. When George Floyd
was killed in broad daylight in
front of witnesses on videotape,
it was impossible to say that
he received equal treatment.
Some have argued that had it
not been for the bravery and
unflinching courage of young
Darnella Frazier who videoed
the killing, justice would not
have been served.
Voting integrity has received
a goodly amount of attention.
The voting law recently passed
in our state is the Georgia Elec
tion Integrity Act of 2021. Sec
retary of State Brad Raffens-
perger recently authored a book
entitled, Integrity Counts. Sec
retary Raffensperger, in support
of HB 202, argues that the law
makes it easier to vote, harder
to cheat. Yet, he continues to
assert there was no fraud in the
2020 election. If there was no
voter fraud why did Georgia
need to change its voting laws?
We know that historically
voting has been a hallmark of
black aspirations. StoryCorps,
an American non-profit organi
zation with a mission to record,
preserve, and share the stories
of Americans from all back
grounds and beliefs recorded
the story of Theresa Burroughs.
It was aired on NPR’s Morning
Edition on January 12, 2007.
Ms. Burroughs told of growing
up in Alabama and the difficulty
she experienced in trying to
register and vote. The Board of
Registrars in Hale County asked
her “How many black jelly
beans were in ajar?” When she
could not answer the question,
they refused to register her.
However, she came back the
first and third Monday of every
month until finally, she was
asked to recite the Preamble
to the Constitution which she
successfully did. It was only
then that,begrudgingly, she was
allowed to register. Many will
say that was in the Jim Crow
days and “a thing of the past.”
Yet, whites and blacks continue
to experience distinct situations
that are “stranger than fiction.”
There has been a loud outcry
of voter fraud especially among
Republicans. When voter fraud
is actually found, there has been
a consistent pattern of giving
probation to white offenders.
Donald Kirk Hartle, a white
Republican, not only voted for
his dead wife, but claimed it
was someone else and charged
rampant nation-wide voter
fraud. It later was discovered
that he had cast the ballot.
For this felony offense, with
punishment up to four years in
old, never failed to help with
the communion and in taking
up the offering. Once his duties
were fulfilled, he would go to
the same seat, about forty rows
from the front on the end of the
pew, settle in, lean back, and
fall dead asleep. He would then
proceed to snort and snore so
loud that visitors would become
concerned, while the members,
long used to Mr. Percy’s slum
ber, didn’t even seem to notice.
I’d wager that Betty has in
troduced herself to Mr. Percy
somewhere along the streets
of gold.
Ruby was a drunk, there’s no
other way to put it. Ruby was
also a man. Why he was named
Ruby, I never knew. About ev
ery other Sunday, after spend
ing most of his week living on
the streets, Ruby would “walk
the aisle” where I was attending
services and rededicate his life
to the Lord. Ruby looked bad
and smelled worse. Some folks
found his behavior offensive
but I always figured that Ruby
was going to keep trying to he
got it right, bless his heart.
I hope Ruby is in Heaven
with Betty and Mr. Percy, wor
shipping at the Lord’s feet. All
of them, in their own way, did
the best they could.
They were church people.
Next week: Work people.
prison and a $5,000 fine there
was a dramatic reduction to
$2,000 and one-year probation.
Voting Rights activist Pamela
Moses of Memphis, Tennessee
was sentenced to six years and
one day in prison for illegally
registering to vote in 2019.
Ms. Moses, who in 2015 was
placed on probation for seven
years, had asked the Probation
officials and the County Elec
tion Board if she could legally
register and was given written
permission to do so. Later the
probation officer sent an e-mail
to Election officials stating he
had made an error in signing
the permission certificate and
felony convictions made her
permanently ineligible to vote
in the state. Judge Mark Warner
did not consider the written per
mission and accused Ms. Moses
of deceiving officials. Pamela
Moses, for the crime of regis
tering to vote, was sentenced
to prison while Donald Hartle,
who voted for his dead wife, got
probation. This kind of racial
justice is not a singular event
but has been repeated in several
states. What’s fair is fair.