Newspaper Page Text
November 23, 2016
PAGE 5A
Outside Looking In...
Where are
protestors?
By DON DANIEL
tullaybear@bellsouth.net
he Christmas season for me
begins the Friday following
Thanksgiving and is a special
day for me. That is the day I
begin decorating for Christmas.
Usually on Thanksgiving Day I begin
searching for where I put the Christmas
decorations from the
previous Christmas,
but I do not put up any
Christmas decorations
until the day after
Thanksgiving. Guess
you can call me a tradi
tionalist.
The Christmas tree
gets put up, stockings
of seven grandchil
dren get hung on the
fireplace mantle and
the Christmas bows
are tacked up on the
trees coming down
the driveway. All over the house I display
trinkets of Christmas.
I do not hang outside lights but enjoy a
county tour of the spectacular Christmas
lights and outside decorations of others.
HAVE you ever seen this law enforced?
According to 18 U.S. Code index 700
Desecration of the flag of the United
States; penalties: Whoever knowingly
mutilates, defaces, physically defiles,
burns, maintains on the floor or ground,
or tramples upon any flag of the United
States shall be fined under this title or
both.
The penalties include a $1,000 fine, a
year in jail or both.
GREAT news for Butts and Spalding
counties for being awarded the Georgia
Economic Development Association “Deal
of the Year Award” for working together
in locating the Dollar General distribution
in western Butts and eastern Spalding
County. The distribution center will hire
more than 500 permanent jobs and thou
sands more temporary construction jobs.
It would be great if Forsyth’s newly-
hired economic development authority
director and the new president of the
Development Authority of Monroe County
could work together to “land” such a facil
ity of us. Good luck!
NORTHERN Monroe County residents
instead of driving into Forsyth can now
purchase their alcoholic beverage of choice
in Butts County since package stores
were overwhelmingly approved by Butts
County voters.
THESE from The Reporter Vent: The
USAF is relieved that Air Force One will
not be named “Broomstick One”.
Here’s another: Well the protests
(against Donald Trump being our presi
dent-elect) in the big cities coming to an
end (Monday) as protestors going back to
work. Just kidding! That is their only job
(protesting). No one but George Soros and
the DNC would hire them.
Wonder why we didn’t have Trump pro
testors in downtown Forsyth and Mary
Persons High School students skipping
school and marching like some students
out in California?
DOGGONE it! I completely forgot the
Monroe County Ministerial Association
Community Choir and Praise Fest featur
ing choirs from many area churches held
at the Forsyth First Baptist Church a
couple of Sundays ago.
From the response, I think they should
have an encore featuring Christmas
music.
GO DOWN to Bolingbroke on Dec. 3
if you want to see a Christmas Parade,
that’s right a Christmas Parade, not a
Holiday Parade.
NO correct answer to The Question,
which was the North Clayton Eagles the
MP Bulldogs beat in their march to a
state title.
In keeping with the “spirit of the season”
here’s The Question for this week: What
day of the week does Christmas Day fall
on this year? First correct answer after
twelve noon on—note the day change—
Friday gets the certificate for a Jonah’s
cookie, dozen Dunkin Donuts, two Lucky
Cafe egg rolls, Dairy Queen Blizzard,
Whistle Stop fried green tomato appetizer
and a Forsyth Main Street t-shirt.
THIS has been a difficult column to
write in that I am partially physically
incapacitated, having to type with one
hand as a result of elbow surgery. Thank
you for your understanding and may your
Thanksgiving begin a year of being thank
ful.
ANSWER The Question by contact
ing Don Daniel at tullaybear@bellsouth.
net. Any other comments can be made by
emailing or calling, 478-994-1312. P.S.
Don’t forget to listen to The Reporter On
The Radio on Sunday mornings at seven
or anytime by clicking on the radio tab at
mymcr.net.
•Reporter
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Edge: Fair was a big success
To the editor:
T he Fair has now come and gone and Fall Sports
have geared back up. We would like to recognize
and thank those who were responsible for orga
nizing and assisting with our Community Fair.
First, a huge thank you goes to Alvin and
Jennifer Bearden with WOW Inflatables for having this
dream and sponsoring the event. Please support their local
business. This was a service to Forsyth and Monroe County
in order to provide the citizens with a fun smaller option for
the kids. Based on feedback, it was successful!
Thanks to the Board of Commissioners, Mike Bilderback,
Jim Ham, Larry Evans, Jarod Lovett and John Ambrose
for approving the location at the Recreation Department.
We are blessed to have elected officials who support this
department and the objectives of providing various options
for the citizens of Monroe County.
Thanks to Anita Cauthen, County Administrator, and
County Attorney Ben Vaughn for your due diligence in the
process.
Others that we would like to thank are: Chief Donny
Mercer, Chief David Herndon, Matt Perry, John Cary
Bittick and your teams for your services and support, Larry
with the Health Department and your patience.
New Providence Baptist Church staff and members who
served and provided hospitality pavilion for the Public
Safety employees and families on Wednesday.
The Rec. Staff did a spectacular job of converting the park
from sports to the Fair and then resumed regular activities
without interruption on Monday night. You are the Best!
The Monroe County Reporter for advertising and covering
the event.
Most of all! Thanks to all who came out and enjoyed what
could be the beginning of reestablishing our own Annual
Community Fair.
We would love to add more activities in the future, but
elected to keep it a little smaller for the first time on a trial
basis. Let us know what you think.
Prime Time Amusement who provided the attractions has
already expressed interest in coming back. Possibly in the
Spring next time. Stay Tuned!!
Keith Edge
Forsyth
Keith Edge is the director of the Monroe County Rec
Department.
Carolyn’s Corner
Are you thankful, or grumbling?
BY CAROLYN MARTEL
ads@mymcr.net
T his Thursday we will cele
brate Thanksgiving. Most
of us will enjoy a day off
from work and will
gather with friends
and family to enjoy a wonder
ful meal. I love Thanksgiving
Day, but I find it difficult not to
overeat. Maybe this year I can
exercise more self-control, and
paramedics will not have to
use the jaws of life to pry
me from my recliner!
ALL KIDDING aside,
Thanksgiving is a good time to
pause and count our blessings-we
count everything else right? We
count money; we count how many
hours remain in the day before we
get off work and sometimes we count
sheep when we can’t sleep. But have
you counted your blessings lately? If
you are like me, it is easy to take the
good things of this life for granted.
Sometimes we are tempted
to grumble and complain
when we get stressed, but
honestly we are still the
most blessed people on
earth. Got a roof over your
head? You’re blessed! Got
clothes on your back?
You’re blessed! Got food
in the fridge? You’re
blessed! Got people who
love you? You’re blessed!
IN 1897, Johnson Oats Jr. wrote a
hymn that has this refrain: “Count
your blessings, name them one by
one. Count your many blessings, see
what God has done.” Do you consider
yourself blessed? If so, how deep
does your gratitude go? Welsh-born
English anglican priest and poet
George Herbert wrote: “Thou has
given so much to me, give one more
thing-a grateful heart.”
Take a moment and count your
blessings. Join with me in offering
a prayer of thanks. Here is a good
scripture to meditate upon as you
lift up your prayer of thanks: “I will
give thanks to you, LORD, with all
my heart; I will tell of all your won
derful deeds.” Psalms 9:1
Carolyn Martel is the advertising
manager and regular columnist for
the Reporter. E-mail her at ads@
mymcr.net.
Unfair and Unbalanced
On to Stage 2 of grief recovery
BY MARILYN LANGFORD
mdlangford@bellsouth. net
ince the election, I have
been experiencing grief. Last
week, I was in the first stage
of grief-denial. This week I
have moved on. Moved on,
that is, to stage two-anger. Since all
people do not adhere to the five stages
of grief we hear so much about, I will
not allow myself to experience the
other stages; three being bargaining,
four being depression, and five being
acceptance. I will never accept bigots,
racists, homophobes, xenophobes, anti-
Semites, and Communists
taking over my country. As
long as I stay in the anger
stage, I will be motivated to
stay involved and take action
to expose these horrible
people.
A “COUP” has
taken place in our
country! No, not the
kind of coup where
they come in with guns blazing. This
coup was legal for the most part,
unless you don’t count Russia’s inter
ference with our election and the role
the FBI played. It started with a con
man so skilled he convinced half a
nation that white was black and black
was white. Now our Government is
being overthrown by one bad appoint
ment after another by Trump. With
each successive appointment, we are
moving closer to a country we will no
longer recognize.
LET ME introduce the men who will
be running our country and deciding
the policies of this Administration.
These men do not have to go before
the Senate to be confirmed. There is
no background investigation to deter
mine if they can qualify for a Security
Clearance. It’s handed to them and
all the government’s most sensitive
secrets.
CHIEF OF Staff, Reince Priebus.
He will be irrelevant surrounded by all
the extreme alpha males in Trump’s
inner circle. They will eat him.
WE HAVE the leader of the white
supremacy movement, Steve Bannon,
as White House Chief Strategist. I
hear that title is being changed to
Chief Alt-White House Strategist or
Chief Anti-Semite.
MOST RECENTLY, Lt,. General
Michael Flynn was named by Trump
to be his National Security Advisor.
Flynn served as Director of the
Defense Intelligence Agency under
President Obama. He was forced
out of this agency due to his cha
otic leadership style, his extreme
right-wing views and opposition
to the Administration’s policies.
His subordinates referred to
Flynn’s repeated dubious asser
tions as “Flynn Facts.” He
became a lobbyist for anti-
America Turkey and Russia,
although he never legally
registered as a foreign agent
required by U.S. Law. He stood on
the stage at the Republican National
Convention and led the chant, “Lock
her up!” He was a commentator on
Putin’s state-run television. “Russia is
an evil empire.” Not my words, but the
words of President Ronald Reagan.
IN MOST books and movies depict
ing coups, it’s always the disaffected
General, isn’t it?
When I was a teenager, I read my
first political thriller; a book called
“Seven Days of May”, written by
Fletcher Knebel, in 1962. It’s still fresh
in my mind. It was based loosely on
a real-life character, General Edward
Walker, a disaffected General during
JFK’s administration. In the book, a
plot was uncovered to over-throw our
democracy by a fictional General, but
for the opposite reason than we are
seeing now. General Walker and the
fictional General were “anti-commu
nist.” Disaffected General Flynn is
“pro-communist.” President John F.
Kennedy read the book and said, “This
could actually happen.” I bet he never
fathomed THIS could happen!
TRUMP AS President. I recall Ohio
Gov. John Kasich stating that when
Eric Trump offered him the Vice-
President position, Trump said, “You
can be in charge of all domestic and
foreign affairs policies in the Trump
White House.” That’s pretty much
everything of the presidency, except
the pomp and circumstances, red
carpet, “Hail to the Chief’ and fancy
State dinners. And, don’t forget the
large rallies he vows he will still keep
having. Trump thrives on the adula
tion received from large crowds. North
Korea’s Km Jong-un has mass ral
lies and parades, not U.S. Presidents.
Trump does not want to govern; he
wants to entertain, make more money,
and be adulated.
IT IS comforting, in my angered
state, that people who agree with
me won the popular vote 63,045,266,
topping Trump’s 61,607,950. On
Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, I will be
thankful for this.
DON’T MISS the Presidential par
doning of the Thanksgiving turkey
this week. This tradition dates back to
President Abe Lincoln, but it may be
the last you will see for a few years.
Trump is still calling for the re-incar
ceration of the five minority teenagers
convicted in the Central Park rape and
murder case in 1989, that were later
exonerated by DNA evidence and a
confession from the actual murderer.
That leads me to believe that he will
not pardon the turkey, but send it to
Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) instead.
HAPPY Thanksgiving and I hope
you make a memory!
Marilyn Langford of High Falls
writes a regular op-ed column in the
Reporter sharing the liberal perspective
on events.