Newspaper Page Text
September 17, 2008
On the outside looking in
A relatable
situation?
M aybe you are not familiar with
the school board situation up in
Clayton County, if not here’s the
scenario. The members were to
attend a “team building” meet
ing arranged through the Carl Vinson
Institute of Local Government. A spokesperson
said the session would include “group dynam
ics, and conflict resolution.” It was explained
the session would be a training session and no
business would be conducted. Sound familiar
yet?
Change a couple of
words like school board
and Clayton County to
Monroe County
Commission and Monroe
County and that is what
is/was supposed to hap
pen here. Wonder if the
“group dynamics, and
conflict resolution
retreat” by the com
mission that was to
be held the first cou
ple of weeks in
September has been
delayed?
Maybe the judge and sheriff need to get
involved again and kick the log or are they
waiting for the other shoe to drop.
POLITICAL talk around town and out and
about in the county is that Monroe County
may go “red” in the November elections. A lot
of people are enamored by the Democratic can
didate’s “star” status. I’ve heard a lotta com
ments how he has become more of a “star”
than a presidential candidate. A former rela
tively unknown female has tarnished the
“star,” but maybe he deserves a star in front of
Grumman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood
even if he doesn’t get elected.
I’M STILL waiting for somebody out there to
tell me what is racist about the word “uppity.”
I GOTTA ADMIT this: a couple of years ago I
financially contributed to a political candidate.
He got elected and I got an invitation to the
black-tie celebration. I went in anticipation of
enjoying the celebration. My enjoyment was
short lived.
While I and many others were “dining” on
free salsa and chips, having to pay for drinks
and encouraged to purchase paper plate din
ners of Chinese food, I discovered the “Big
Contributors”, the “high-muckity-mucks” and
the “uppity” celebrants were upstairs free din
ing on shrimp, prime rib, fried chicken, fruit
you had to stick toothpicks in to get and free
drinks. Those same “Big Contributors” and
“uppities” got the best seats in a roped off area
for the country music star that was helping
the Lieutenant Governor celebrate his victory.
Obviously my ten-dollar contribution just
wasn’t enough to let me upstairs but I did
think my one vote was worth a piece of meat, a
biscuit and at least one shrimp.
NOW to the e-mails and this one was sent in
reference to teen pregnancies mentioned in my
last column: “I am a grandmother of a child
born to teen parents in Monroe County. Ten
years ago my then 16-years old son got his 16-
year old girlfriend pregnant. Their decision
was to have this baby. The girl’s father was
insistent she have an abortion. I would have
been glad to pay for it and drive them to
Atlanta to achieve this. But the parents-to-be,
though children themselves, were adamant
that they would have the child. I went to the
girl’s father and defended his daughter’s right
to choose. Our children married, came to live
with my husband and me until my son turned
eighteen. Their daughter still lives with us and
blesses us everyday with her beauty, wit and
love.
“I now find that rather than feeling guilty
that my teenagers were having sex and getting
pregnant at such an early age that in fact they
were doing the Lord’s blessing. Sarah Palin
has redeemed me as a mother.”
AND to the e-mailer that ended his/her e-
mail with “I bet this doesn’t get printed”, you
are correct. Your e-mail is not going to be
printed because you didn’t sign your name nor
give me your telephone number to verify you
sent it and to get your approval to print it with
or without your name. If you want to re-send
it, do so with your name and phone number so
that I can verify it is really you. PS: thank you
for letting me know I am being watched.
WITH the cool weather on its way, The
Bolingbroke Volunteer Fire Department is hav
ing their 8th Annual Fire Prevention and Life
Safety Day this Saturday starting at 10 a.m.,
of course down in Bolinacon. You can tour the
over-budget county built fire station as well
enjoying entertainment, food, kid’s games, and
arts and crafts. See you there!
Donald Jackson Daniel is the founder and
former publisher of The Reporter and he can be
contacted at tullaybear@bellsouth.net.
^Reporter PAGE5A
Around the Bend
Where’s Lee Greenwood when we need him?
F asten your seatbelts,
this is going to be a
bumpy election. Not
since I said having a
state flag was dumb
have I received so
much flack about my
column. I am not a
particularly political
person. I like Sarah
Palin, so sue me. And I
stand by my silliness.
Yes, I understand
how important her
job will be. Yes, I
want the vice-
president to be
ready, willing
and able. But I’m telling
you. . . . Palin is our girl.
Mothers are good at adapt
ing to whatever. I stand by
that statement.
But, hey, what I’m really
proud of is that you are
reading! I don’t really care if
you agree with me or not. I
am just so thankful people
read this stuff.
And thanks to Sarah and
her possible cookie-baking
prowess, my column was the
most commented item on
www.mymcr.net this week.
I lost out on being most
popular to those darn ghosts
at Royal Palm.
But, I love controversy. I
don’t invent it or wish it on
anyone, but, I love it
when it’s going on.
It stirs our
thoughts. Wakes us
up. Makes us stop
and think and say
“Hey! I don’t like
that and I’m going
to do something
about it.”
91 pf- Most of the
** comments were
rather mean and if I was a
liberal I would probably
demand an apology. But
being a sensible cookie-bak
ing woman myself, I guess
I’ll just be thankful you are
reading the Reporter.
There was one person in
the whole entire Monroe
County who got the headline
(I bet she can bake cookies
too). Kudos to you “get over
yourself’ whoever you are!
And thanks for setting the
libs straight and letting peo
ple know that I was, in actu
ality, making a jab at the
Democrats, namely Hillary
Clinton, with the cookie bak
ing reference. Wonder why
Democrats always think
baking is so offensive?
The truth is, I am not try
ing to persuade anyone to
vote for anyone. You’ve made
up your mind. And if you
haven’t, you sure ain’t going
to listen to a silly girl from
Alabama tell you who to vote
for.
I just hope you vote. Not
voting is even worse. This is
America. And as I watched
the hours and hours of Sept.
11 remembrances and docu
mentaries last Thursday
night, I was reminded of a
time not so long ago when
we were not Democrats or
Republicans or even
Libertarians. We were sim
ply Americans. Too bad it
took a tragedy to bring us all
together.
I’m afraid the election is
going to get worse before it
gets better, but I am still
proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m
free.... wait, that’s a song.
Nevemind.
Anyway, as Americans we
have the freedom to vote for
who we want to. And we
have the freedom of speech,
to say what’s on our mind,
even if it varies from what’s
on other people’s minds.
This is my space to say my
piece. It’s one of the few
perks I have for still being at
work at 2 a.m.
I share stories about my
life, my kids, my worries, my
fears, my joys and football.
You may think I’ve gone
around the bend or that I’m
coming around the bend, but
if every once in a while I
delve into the political
arena, just bear with me.
Soon I will be back where I
belong, talking about my
kids and the Auburn Tigers
and my dog and the fact that
no one in my house knows
how to change the toilet
paper roll.
Email Gina Herring at
news@mymcr.net
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bus drivers not wasting tax dollars
To the editor:
n response to E.C.
Holland's comment
about bus drivers in
last week’s article
about taxes (“Schools
OK millage rate against tax
payer protest,” page 2A,
Sept. 10 Reporter), I say it is
about time somebody stands
up for the bus drivers of this
county. Every time some
body gets upset about taxes
the first attack is on the eas
iest target they can find.
The drivers that take their
buses home generally start
their routes within a mile or
two from their homes.
Therefore it is not economi
cally feasible for the buses to
always be parked in town
between routes.
What does it hurt if a driv
er stops, after dropping the
students off at school, to pick
up a prescription or for a
doctor’s appointment? They
are not using any fuel when
the bus is parked. I know
several bus drivers of
Monroe County and the ones
I know would not use the
bus to run personal errands
as Mr. Holland implied. You
may see buses moving in
town in the middle of the
day, but they are doing stu
dent transfers for the high
school.
Bus drivers have a hard
enough job without people
criticizing their every move.
They take responsiblity for
our childrens’ safety every
day. It takes a very special
person to drive a vehicle
with no air conditioning
loaded with 40-70 kids
everyday. They also do this
with very little pay. If you
really want to save money,
then maybe the Board of
Education should look into a
4 day school week with an
extended day. Think of the
fuel and electricity we could
save.
K. Lee
Forsyth
Reader: Herring column almost silly
To the editor:
T he "I bet she can bake
pookies too" (Around the
Bend, Sept. 10 Reporter)
article was somewhat
factually incorrect.
Sarah Palin, not the media, first re
vealed that her 17 year old daugh
ter is pregnant. Another issue: How
can you believe in someone who
gives only half truths and mislead
ing implications. I call this false
hoods, not mud slinging. Your state
ment "what we can't learn we'll
fake..." Is this the adult attitude
that should be taken by the Vice
President of the United States? I
don't think so! Your article has
crept into the bounds of being "sil
ly." It is fortunate that there is an
other choice in the upcoming presi
dential election.
John and Barbara
Snyder
Bolingbroke
Herring
won
ders if
Palin
can
bake
cook
ies.
‘Uppity’ not racist? Come on, Don
To the editor:
on Daniel tests our credulity
(“Uppity, teen pregnancy, etc.”
Sept. 10 Reporter) when he
writes that he does not under
stand the racist connotation of
"uppity." He comes from a rural section of
this state; he went to high school here
in Georgia; he has been involved in
journalism and public relations with
most of that experience here in this state.
He has talked with thousands of Georgians
from all walks of life about all sorts of things in
his work and during his leisure. And now he
wants us to believe that he has no idea that "uppi
ty" has a racist connotation. I cannot accept that
Mr. Daniel is that naive.
Using the designation "uppity" is not a matter
of freedom of speech as he suggests, but the choice
to use the word does say something about the atti
tude of the person who uses it, as it does of those
who rush to the defense of Congressman
Westmoreland in the sheep skin of freedom of
speech.
Ralph Bass
Forsyth
Chaplain thankful for emergency workers
Chaplain is thankful for Mon
roe County firefighters. (File
photo)
To the editor:
y wife gave
me a book a
few years ago
titled “These
Are The Gifts
I’d Like To Give To You.” I
have read this book many
times. It continually
reminds me how thankful I
am for a loving family and
wife. I am especially
thankful for everything she
does for me ... being my
best friend, loving me as I
am, and laughing at my
corny jokes. I wonder how
often we are thankful to
others for what they do. Do
we take things for granted -
like a smile, a helping
hand, or an encouraging
word?
I have the privilege of
working with a fine group
of ladies and men who
make up the Monroe
County Emergency
Services. They are the peo
ple who are running toward
problems while others are
trying to run away from
them. Having worked
alongside these dedicated
members of emergency
services, I know they
deserve my gratitude.
Thank you ... to the fami
lies who graciously give up
their husbands or wives to
serve this community.
Thank you ... to the chil
dren for your moms and
dads who serve us.
Thank you ... for being
heroes to children, even us
big kids.
Thank you ... for caring
about each other.
Thank you ... for your pro
fessionalism.
Thank you ... for provid
ing hope in times of crisis.
Thank you ... for respond
ing at all hours in time of
need.
Thank you ... for the love
of service you have.
Thank you ... for accept
ing others as they are.
Thank you ... for being
unselfish to others.
Thank you ... for kind
words and smiles of reas
surance.
Thank you ... for the soft
hearts.
Thank you ... for helping
others.
Thank you ... for caring.
Our Heavenly Father
teaches us to be thankful
and it is my prayer that
each of you who serve this
county feel supported.
Thank you to the men and
women in the Monroe
County Emergency Services
no matter where or how you
serve. God bless you all.
Paul Pannell
Forsyth
Paul Pannell is the chap
lain for Monroe County
Emergency Services.