Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4A
^Reporter
October 15. 2008
OUR VIEW
Put up or shut up
The great French philosopher Rene Descartes said,
“Cogito, ergo sum,” or “I think, therefore I am.”
For observers of Monroe County politics that maxim
might be rephrased as: “I complain, therefore I am.”
Many of us are guilty of doing that lazy man’s exercise:
To make it our main mission in life to complain about
decisions made by our elected officials.
But with an election less than three weeks away, the
responsibility of wielding power has shifted from the
elected officials whom we deride to us, the people. If we
neglect our civic duties to get informed and vote, we are
as guilty as the politicians we so heartily condemn.
Monroe County has rarely had such an opportunity as
we enjoy this year. Almost every local race is contested,
and that means voters have a choice. To help Monroe
County voters make wise choices, this newspaper and the
Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce have
teamed up to sponsor a debate this Thursday at 7 p.m.
Admission is free and public is welcome. As if that wasn’t
enough incentive, the chamber is also hosting a free cook-
out beforehand at 5:30 p.m.
So, have you been telling everyone how lousy your
elected leaders are? Well now the onus is on you. Will you
get involved and find out where the candidates stand on
the issues? Or will you just....complain? If you do the lat
ter, then next time you point your finger at a politician,
notice that three other fingers are pointing back at you.
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR
Words you live by:
“Remember who you are”
LAURI ENGLISH
Something you
can't live with
out: My faith and
my family
The thing you
are most proud
of: My family
What keeps
you awake at
night: My “to do”
list
Name: Lauri English
Age: 46
Education;
Ed.S., Valdosta
State College;
M.Ed., Georgia
College and State
University; BBA,
Georgia
Southwestern
College
Family:
Husband, Mark,
and two sons, Tyler and
Ryan
Where you worship:
Forsyth United Methodist
Your job: Media Specialist
at MPHS and soccer mom
What was your first job:
clerk at CPA firm
Your passion: My job..!
tell my sons to find a career
they love and they will never
work a day in their lives.
Your favorite posses
sion: Family photos
Favorite movie: “An
Officer and a Gentleman”
Favorite book:
“Redeeming Love” by
Frandne Rivers
What kind of car do you
drive and what was your
first car? Honda CRV, Audi
100
Your hometown:
Arlington, Georgia
Something you are con
sidering doing: Returning
to Europe with students in
2010 and making a family
cookbook filled with family
memories
Name something you
will never do again: Go
camping
What's your favorite
web site? amazon.com
If your life had a theme
song what would it be?
Life Ain’t Always Beautiful
(but it’s a beautiful ride) by
Gary Allan
If you could start your
life over, what would you
change? I would be wiser
with how I spend my time
and money
What food could you eat
everyday? Shrimp
Something people don't
know about you: I collect
egg cups.
What's the worst idea
you've ever had? Riding
the Free Fall at Six Flags.
What's the best thing
about living in Monroe
County? I like the people
and the convienent location.
If you could change one
thing about Monroe
County what would it be?
More choices of restaurants.
is published every week by The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, president
Robert M. Williams Jr., vice president
Cheryl S. Williams, secretary-treasurer
OUR STAFF
Will Davis
Publisher/E ditor
publisher@mymcr.net
Gina Herring
Reporter
news@mymcr. net
Adam Ham
Webmaster
webmaster@mymcr.net
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Contributing
Writer
wendellram4@
bellsouth.net
Trellis Grant
Business Manager
business@mjHncr.net
Carolyn Martel
Advertising
Manager
ads@mjnncr.net
Denzil Hansford
Graphics Artist
gr aphics@m jrnicr. net
Laura Thackston
Editorial Assistant
forsyth@mymcr. net
50 N. Jackspn St., Forsyth, GA 31029
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The comments featured on the opinion pages
are the sole creations of the writers, they do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Re
porter management.
Publication No. USPS 997-840)
Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
POMT. BUMIK!
c
Dr. Ciell Morris' yard!
J Anri riim'l ((iwriti-in Willii-lm Ni'.iHisq lor Sheriff on Nov V
iVifhdni [Meat 'tsQuire presents:
Where do they get this cheap
paneling for the new animat shelter?
On the Porch
Has anyone seen my little giii?
Dearest Abbie:
I don’t blame you.
I know you couldn’t
help but to speed
past mushy carrots
and training wheels
and Barney (OK, so
it’s not always sad
when you grow out
of things.)
It’s just that
it was mere
days ago that
I could go into
that closet we
converted into a nursery for
you in that old home in
Sylvania, pick you up out of
your crib and cradle you in
my arms. You’d look up at me
with your little pug nose and
pursed lips and coo and ahh.
And then little cold, hidden
recesses of my heart
would flood with
light.
I never had a sister.
Only by the grace of
God did I land your
mother. I didn’t know
what to do with you
- a girl - and still
don’t really.
But some
how, despite
the odds, you
are growing and
making your daddy so proud.
In many ways you’re my
Mini Me. With you, I finally
have someone who likes V-8,
Japanese salad dressing and
nacho concoctions as I do.
And you love to draw and
write and seem to
have gotten my
creativity bug (and
with it, the accom
panying ADD.)
And when I see
you reading your
devotional book, or
singing to Jesus at
church or telling
friends and school
mates about His
love, my heart
swells. And of
course, I am down
right obnoxious about your
soccer skills. Remember not
to step on those boys when
you put them on the ground,
OK?
On Thursday, you turn 7,
and the thought occurs to me
that we may only be together
every day for 11 more years.
I don’t know about you, but I
plan to enjoy every minute of
it. I love you. Happy
Birthday.
Daddy
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
No signs belong in public right of way
To the editor:
I saw the letter to the editor in
last week’s Reporter, “Who’s
stealing my Nobama signs?”. If
he is the same property owner
I drove by two weeks ago, then
his signs are clearly in the public
right of way. It’s possible the DOT
took them up. The signs I drove by
on Hwy. 83 were right next to the
road and not on private property.
This is often a problem across the
country-folks putting signs on public
right of ways. When I drove home
that day, they were gone.
More folks need to know that you
can’t put signs (political, commercial
or otherwise) on public right of ways.
Jehan El-Jourbagy
Monticello
Jehan El-Jourbagy is an attorney
with the law firm Haygood, Lynch,
Harris & Melton in Forsyth.
Bush (not that one): Why fm for Obama
To the editor:
’ve decided to cast my vote for
Barack Obama for president
because I believe that he will
do all he can to help middle
class families. Obama was
raised by his single mother and his
grandparents. They did not have a
lot of money. In fact, Obama’s mother
was on welfare for a while until she
could do better. Obama has been
there. He understands that middle
class families are hurting in their
pocketbooks. In an Obama-Biden
administration, any family household
that makes less than $150,000 a year
will receive a tax cut. In Forsyth,
that’s 95 percent of families, or
almost all families in Forsyth will
receive a tax cut. Obama wants to
put more money in our pocketbooks
to buy gas and groceries. He wants
us to have money left at the end of
the month to save for our children’s
college or to put away for our future.
Obama understands that some of us
are working two or three jobs in
order to make ends meet. CNN
reported that 159,000 jobs were lost
in September 2008. Obama plans to
create good paying jobs through the
alternative energy and the “going
green” initiatives. He will encourage
legislation to develop affordable edu
cational training programs focused in
these and other areas. A friend said
to me, “With this financial bailout
mess, how is Obama going to have
any money to do all this stuff now?” I
said, “He will end the war in Iraq,
that’s 10 billion dollars a month
right there, that’s a good start!
Besides 60 minutes recently inter
viewed the Iraq people and they said
that they want the U.S. soldiers out
of their country.” I believe that an
Obama-Biden administration will be
an administration whose priority will
be to help middle class families.
Mattie Bush
Forsyth
Bus drivers are usually the biggest target
To the editor:
H bre we go again, attacking
our school bus drivers! Just
because they drive the
biggest target mound. Has
no one else noticed the
deputies using their squad cars for
personal errands? Or the Recreation
Department director visiting the Waf
fle House in Macon in his county ve
hicle? Well I have witnessed both of
these. I even saw a bus parked in the
Dollar General parking lot one day
last week, but instead of jumping to
conclusions, I took the time to read
the side of the bus. It was a Lamar
County bus, not Monroe County. I
wonder how many other times it was
an out of county bus that people saw.
Mr. Holland stated that K. Lee
approves of running errands. I did
not understand his/her statement to
say that. K. Lee simply said that if a
driver needed to stop after dropping
kids off at school, there was no harm,
Not that it was okay to shop all over
town. People need to realize it is a
privilege for our children to ride a
bus, not a right! I wouldn't blame the
drivers at all if they all quit and said
take your own kids to school. I
would never claim, as Mr. Holland
has, to understand a bus driver’s
responsibility. Until we have walked
in their shoes, we have no idea. But
maybe next time, there is shortage of
drivers, the board of education can
call Mr. Holland and he would be
willing to be a substitute driver.
Beth Curnel
Forsyth
Repair the eternal flame
To the editor:
I know we’re getting new sidewalks and new
lights and maybe new trees on the court
house square for commissioner Larry Evans,
but I would like to know why don’t we fix the
forever eternal flame and light it again for
this county, city, state, country and this whole
world to honor our fallen heroes of this country?
Delma Maddox Jr.
Forsyth
Enjoy Reporter in Kuwait
To the editor:
am glad you have your
web site and the abili
ty for subscribers to
download the PDF
files of the actual
paper. I have taken a new
job and relocated to Kuwait
City. I have been reading
your paper all week. Thanks
again for having the web
site and once again, Forsyth
and the Monroe County
Reporter have gone interna
tional.
Firman Sakir
Kuwait City