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The True Citizen, Wednesday, October 26, 2022 — Page 5
Michael N. Searles
The answer to the question,
“what time is it,” can garner
different responses. If the ques
tion is more than a simple time
of the day question, it can be
a call for a person’s attention.
We are approaching the mid
term election and over 500,000
Georgians emphatically have
answered the question with
“It’s Election Time.” Many of
us wake up at a given time, but
among black people, the ex
pression being “woke” has real
power. Those who are woke are
aware and conscious in their ac
tions and deeds. When Harriet
Tubman was gathering slaves
to get on the freedom train, she
expected those wishing to board
to be woke. Friends told friends
and neighbors told neighbors to
be at the ready and to keep their
lamps trimmed and burning.
There are times when every
member of the community
should be on alert. On No
vember 8, there will be an
election for the state and federal
government offices. Mid-term
elections can be sleepers with
a low voter turnout. However,
it appears that Georgians have
awakened to the significance of
this year’s election.
We know some folks are
awake but many others are fast
asleep. You meet them on the
street a day after the election
and they are unaware that an
election has been held. Some
times, you hear the following
words: “I planned to vote, I
did not have a ride, or I don’t
think it matters.” We currently
disconnect our wellbeing from
elections. There was an ear
lier time before social services
when if a person needed help,
he or she went to the political
ward leader and asked for assis
tance. The ward leader inquired
if the person were registered to
vote. If the answer was no, the
person in need was told that you
had to be a registered voter and
supporter of the particular party
that “ruled” that district in order
to receive assistance. While
this practice was corrupt, it
made voting essential to many
people’s welfare. In 1900, the
eligible voter turnout in the
United States was 73.7%. The
percentage of voters continued
WHAT TIME IS IT?
to drop over the years with
less than 60% of Americans
casting a ballot in presidential
elections.
In 2020, 66.3% of Ameri
cans voted constituting two-
thirds of the eligible population.
This percentage was higher
than it had been in 120 years.
The voter turnout reflected
an awakening of America’s
determination to maintain our
democratic traditions at a time
when support was flagging.
While many recognized
and celebrated this increased
participation, 17 states passed
28 laws making it harder for
constituents to vote in 2021.
This occurred even though there
was no credible evidence that
the 2020 election was not fair.
There is an old expression: “if
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It
appears that 28 states felt it was
necessary to repair, replace,
and restructure election laws
so fewer folks would be able
to cast a ballot.
Since, as a nation, we tout our
democracy and enjoy showing
how it works in a free society,
it might seem strange that we
would pass laws to lessen par
ticipation. In Georgia, SB202
has been praised and criticized.
Supporters argued that there
was a confidence crisis in our
voting system. Republicans
expressed much of the lack of
confidence because they could
not imagine Trump losing the
election.
Among the provisions that
encouraged the vote was the
access to election drop boxes
in the larger counties. In the
2020 election, drop boxes were
available all across Fulton
County and were accessible
seven days a week around
the clock until Election Day.
SB202 eliminated most and
restricted access to drop boxes
to a limited number of hours
and days. It also put no limit
to the number of challenges a
concerned citizen could sub
mit, potentially placing an
enormous burden on county
election officials. Several other
powers were assumed by the
state giving it more control on
how elections were carried out.
What time is it? It is time to
vote and encourage everyone
you know to vote. The democ
racy train is at the station: Get
on board; get on board.
A dear friend told me that
his eyesight is being destroyed
by disease. It is vanishing so
quickly that, daily, a bit of it
disappears, forever.
He now can only see shad
ows. The only print he can
read is sizable, magnified many
times. Still, he has to study to
figure out the letters. One night,
after a conversation with him, I
sadly pondered on how my life
would be if I could never read
another book.
If that happened, so much of
who I am, because of my great
est enjoyment, would crumble
Ronda Rich
away. I’d lose the excitement
of Ending a new book about
a subject I want to learn more
about. My happiness would be
tremendously marred. It is true
that I am often entertained by
books but, more than that, I am
sustained by them.
Mama always claimed that
my “book lovin’” began when
the doctor put her on complete
bedrest because of a late-in-life
pregnancy with me.
In her new, unfamiliar world
of ease, she sought diversion.
She found it in a new set of
encyclopedias that Daddy had
bought for my college-age
sister. Mama began reading at
“A” and made it to “K” before
I was born.
Mama’d say, “That’s why
you came into this world al
ways havin’ a book in your
hands.”
I don’t remember when I
didn’t read or a time when
my mind did not swirl daily
around all the books I wanted
to write. We book consumers
enjoy different subjects on dif
ferent levels which is an appeal
of reading: Choose your level
of comfort and your subject.
At eight, I read only books on
horses.
Dolly Part on was like me.
She had a curiosity that could
only be answered by books.
The Dolly Parton Imagination
Fibrary has given away over
100 million books through a
program that she started for
her Tennessee home county of
Sevier but which has spread
throughout America. As is
typical for Miss Dolly, she
waves off any praise for such
THE JOY OF READING
a philanthropic effort. She
rises most mornings by 3 a.m.
to begin her day with reading.
Somewhere along the line,
many years ago, I started step
ping away from fiction to read
almost exclusively nonfiction
and autobiographies. I learn
and develop wisdom through
people’s experiences: their
triumphs, failures, and the les
sons they learned.
We cannot all like - or even
appreciate - all authors and
writing styles. It would be akin
to a universal love of the color
orange. The book industry,
which has suffered in recent
years due to competition from
an electronic world, is still
plugging away. The Bible con
tinues to be the bestseller of all
time while Harlequin romances
claim the biggest slice of the
overall market by selling one
billion copies annually.
See? I told you there are dif
ferent tastes.
Recently, I was taken a bit
back when I saw a post from
someone who was reading Toni
Morrison’s Beloved. It’s prob
ably safe to say that book, as
well as Ms. Morrison’s writing,
is either loved or not. I have
written books like that, too;
books that are adored by some
but discarded by others.
I never could gain a foothold
into her high style of words
nor was I drawn to Ms. Mor
rison’s personality. To enjoy a
writer’s work, I must start with
an affection for the writer since
their words are aiming for my
heart. The post said, “If you
don’t like Toni Morrison, you
are wrong.”
Wrong? Because I’m drawn
toward different styles and
subjects? That’s the first time
anyone ever said I was wrong
because I didn’t read a particu
lar author.
No, I’m not wrong. No more
than the reader who devours
five Harlequin romances in a
week or the reader who choos
es Faulkner or Russian classics
or pop culture mysteries.
We just have different pref
erences.
But thank God, we have the
eyesight to see the words. That
makes all prose beautiful.
Ronda Rich is a best-selling
author who is honored to write
stories and privileged to read
stories of others.
Bird dog
and actions - you will want
desperately to take back. You
cannot, so be mindful of the
consequences.
You will get your heart bro
ken. This one is inevitable too
and there is no way to prepare
for it.
The fact that you cannot
make someone feel something
they don’t is a hard lesson to
grasp. It will hurt, bad. And you
will say and do stupid things out
of this hurt. But know this, at
some point the hurt will get bet
ter. The key to getting through
these times is having some
pride and knowing when to
accept someone else’s choice
and walk away.
You will break someone
else’s heart. Again, the key is
to know when to walk away.
Do it quickly and cleanly and
without cruelty. Do not make
excuses; do not string anyone
along, even for the sake of their
feelings. If you truly care about
this individual you owe them at
least that much.
You are loved. You can
never grasp just how much. It
Continued from 4
may not always seem like it
and there will be times that you
will despise everything about
me. And while I’m sorry for
that fact, I hope one day you’ll
realize, that all those things I
did, I did in an attempt to mold
you into a good and decent hu
man being. My hope is for you
to add something to the world
rather than simply take away
from it.
For more Burke County po
litical news, follow Bird Dog
Politics on Facebook.
NOTICE OF CALL FOR SPECIAL ELECTION TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF
CITY OF SARDIS, GEORGIA TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE CITY OF SARDIS
SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE LICENSES TO SELL DISTILLED SPIRITS BY
THE PACKAGE
TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY OF SARDIS, GEORGIA:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on the 8 th day of November, 2022, an election will be held at
the regular polling place in the City of Sardis, Georgia, at which time there will be submitted to the
qualified voters of the City of Sardis, Georgia, for their determination the question of whether the
Mayor and City Council of the City of Sardis, Georgia shall be authorized to issue licenses to sell
distilled spirits by the package,
Voters desiring to vote in favor of the question shall do so by voting "Yes" and voters desiring to
vote against the question shall do so by voting "No" as to the question propounded, to wit:
"() Yes Shall the issuances of licenses for the package sale of distilled spirits be
() No approved?"
If more than one-half of the votes cast are in favor of issuing licenses to sell distilled spirits by the
package, such sale to be for consumption only off the premises, then the governing authority shall
amend the Code of Ordinances of the City of Sardis, Georgia to authorize the issuance of such
licenses; otherwise, no licenses shall be issued.
The place for holding said election shall be at the regular and established voting precinct of the City
of Sardis, Georgia, and the polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the date fixed for the
election.
Those residents of City of Sardis, Georgia, qualified to vote at such election shall be determined in
all respects in accordance with the election laws of the State of Georgia.
This notice is given pursuant to a resolution of the City of Sardis, Georgia, adopted on the day 17 th
of May, 2022, and a call of election by the Election Superintendent of the City of Sardis.