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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2008 THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS PACE 5A Letters to the Editor Thoughts on 'Election Day' Yopp family loses home in fire recently Dear Editor: On Election Day, a woman on the radio was quoted saying that she was so glad of the day’s outcome because she would no longer have to buy gasoline for her vehicle, pay her mortgage or her credit card bills. Head lines over the past week have ranged from bleak to ridiculous including “Foreclosure Rates up 25%” and “Automaker Bail out.” In one article, Henry Paul son, treasury secretary, alleged that the $700 billion would be used to bail out automakers, credit cards and school loans. The underlying sentiment was to allow these institutions to continue to lend money. The problem may partially be economic, but I would at tribute it to accountability and Dear Editor: On Nov. 11, our Banks County Middle School students gave what could be called a fantastic loving celebration party for all veterans of our unpleasant na tional disagreements with other countries. The party was so out standing I can’t let go of it with out trying to write a letter of ap preciation to them. It was the greatest act of appre ciation of veterans I have expe rienced, although our wonderful Brother Jim of Homer Methodist Church is gracious to all veterans at all times. Television has often shown pictures of returning veterans be ing embraced by their families etc, but when I returned from Italy in 1945 it was a frigid con trast. We landed at Boston in sub freezing temperature. There was a military band playing nearby as we marched down the gang plank and onto trains. There were also some organizational ladies; USO and Red Cross, a little distance away waving and clapping. Then when being discharged at Fort Gordon, Augusta, Ga., I was verbally abused by doctors when I requested hearing aids to help restore my hearing abil ity. They accused me of trying to get my hands in the pocket of the government. I thought the accusations they threw at me were just plain ugly. I have tried a couple of times since WWH with no success and gave up. I hope the doctors have lived to see the things that have been going on today with the Rainbow Co alition receiving “entitlements” for every need of life including houses, some of them expensive houses, which so many of them trashed and turned into a liability rather than an asset for the mort gage companies. The mortgage companies then turn to the gov ernment support organizations, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who in turn go broke and have to be bailed out by the taxpayers (even though they also illegally gave away political contributions responsibility, both individu ally and corporately. When did it become the government’s responsibility or prerogative to bail out anyone for bad deci sions? Poor lending practices, poor borrowing practices, greed, poor management, poor planning, basically, bad deci sion making and fiscal irre sponsibility all the way around have brought us to this very low economic point. As a little girl, I was taught that I would have to live with the consequences of my ac tions. This is a very powerful tool when a bad decision is made. As a child, the conse quences may be nominal, but as adults they can be catastrophic as we are currently experienc ing. I cannot imagine shirking to the political campaign of the one some people believe to be the messiah. The managers who illegally gave the contributions should have been imprisoned.) On and on it goes while I have bought my own hearing aids, and will do so for the rest of life so as not to be a burden on the govern ment for a few dollars. During the process of being discharged at Fort Gordon it was required that we turn in all gov ernment property except some of the personal clothing. I tried to persuade them to permit me to purchase my blanket as a souve nir since it had a hole in it made by a 20mm cannon shell at 1 a.m. on the night of September 21, 1943 shortly after I had evacuated the blanket. It would have stuck me in the face or the side of the head, depending on how I would have been positioned. Then my beheaded body would have been buried in the U.S. cemetery just south of Tunis, Tunnisia. They rudely snatched the blanket away from me, preferring to bum the dirty old thing - that kind of ap preciation for my service. As I left Fort Gordon I felt I had been kicked rather thoroughly. It would have been another good item to display in the World War II mu seum in the back of our historic Banks County courthouse with a 20mm dummy shell sticking through the hole. In contrast to this abusive treat ment, our wonderful children of Banks County Middle School; those of the high school who par ticipated, their school principal, teachers and parents, made me wish I could line them up and personally hug each of them. I only wish we veterans could leave a better world for these wonderful young people than we are leaving. The atheist, and mis nomer ACLU (American Civil Fiberties Union), and liberal politicians are destroying our fine country from within in addition to the assaults from without. It was capitalism that built this country and made it the greatest place in responsibility for my actions. They are mine. I own them and will reap the rewards or suffer the consequences. Government intervention is not appropriate. While I cannot fix the prob lems of an entire nation, I can certainly take care of my own, and everyone else in this nation should do the same. The government was not founded to coddle us, balance our checkbooks, or pay our mortgages. I challenge each and everyone to read the U.S. Constitution and cogitate on the viable functions of the government. It may come as a surprise, but there is nothing in there about paying my Visa bill or my car payment. Con versely, corporations should be held accountable for their bad the world so that a poor person could raise himself to a higher standard of living by exercising initiative. This is a more self sat isfying way to live than receiving handouts of various kinds from a government Nanna. On the other hand, now our liberal politicians are telling college students that capitalism is a politically bad word, and selling socialism and elements of communism to buy votes from those who would rather be cared for by govern ment redistribution of the income earned by someone else. In the parable Jesus used about the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus instructs about initiative; about performance according to “several ability.” Read it and see if it appears he approves of be ing cared for by a government Nanna. Specifically he calls the unproductive one talent servant, “slothful” and “wicked.” There fore, any politician who promotes government Nannyism to people who are already inclined to be unproductive are wicked them selves because they are subver sive to the nation, and destructive to the character of the individuals who listen to them and vote ac cordingly. Our country is now simply loaded with one talent people described by Jesus. Do Jesus’ words “several abil ity” validate the liberal lie we hear today that “everyone is cre ated equal?” The full sentence is that everyone is created equal in the eyes of God, but the liberals in our country want to leave God out of everything, so they drop the reference to God off the end of the sentence, and claim every one is created equal. Any think ing person should be able to see that everyone is not created equal. Some are bom with genius intel ligence, and some are bom with such lack of intelligence they be lieve the liberal he and vote the way the crazy liberals tell them to vote. Socialism and communism countries have always been coun tries from which people flee - wit- decisions. An automaker who is behind the design curve, pays tremendous wages, and refuses to adjust mileage as others is reaping the consequences of their actions. They have cor porate leaders, voting stock holders, and should be held ac countable just as an individual. It is a harsh reality. I have had to make budget adjustments to accommodate economic change and that may result in a leaner holiday season. I cannot sit around and wait on the gov ernment to offer me a “Holiday Bailout.” That would be an in appropriate function of govern ment. Sincerely, Aubrey Groves Gillsville ness every country in which it has taken over. It is strange thinking that some of the people who have fled socialism and communism come into this country and vote for candidates that are pushing the U.S. into elements of govern ment from which they fled. May be they should have stayed where they were. Maybe they would have been happier, and certainly the U.S. would be better off with out them. Socialism and commu nism have never created a country anywhere in the world that could even begin to compare to what capitalism has done in the United States of America. However, now it has become the politically cor rect thing to discredit God and country and tear down. The only reason China is now doing well is because it has adopted some ele ments of capitalism, and because of their exceptionally low labor cost with no labor unions. May God please bless our young people and multiply their endeavors throughout their lives as they face increasing burdens that should not have happened. The air is full of lies, and distor tions of truth (as for example the ACLU interpretation of the first amendment and others). Be care ful of what you accept as truth no matter how it is presented. Learn the subjects Civics, and basic ele ments of Economics well when you have the opportunity in high school, and thus be able to use your own intellect for decisions. Keep your textbooks for future reference. Especially thank you for that sweet song “I will remember you.” We will remember you also. A hug, and best wishes to each of you. Sincerely, Nolan E. Ragsdale, Homer Remember Jeremy and Maryland Yopp and fam ily who lost their home and everything in it (except for their Bible) on Wednesday morning last week on Hwy. 51 in Lula. Remember this family when you pray. If anyone would like to make a donation, they can contact Jan Parks at 706- 677-4470 or Ruth Parson 706-677- 3037. Mark your cal endars for the 4th annual flag football fundraiser to be held on Dec. 5 at the Banks County High School football field. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. and kick off will be at 7 p.m. There will be homemade cakes at a silent cake auction. Raffle ticket will be given for each donation for a prize give away. All proceeds will be divided between the families of Deputy David Dunson and Firefighter Henry Galloway. Come out for some clean fun and help two deserving families. These two men have helped many families throughout their combined years of public service. You can make your donations at the gate or the concession stand. God bless them and hope to see you there. Readers in the Cornelia area should be aware that there have been several reports of people breaking windows in cars and stealing items from inside. Those in our community who are overseas fighting or state-side being trained to defend our country include: Johnny Woodell, Levi Simpson, Dustin Holcombe, Matthew Ledford, Jason Ledford, Pvt. Nathon Bagwell, Gary Hogman, Jason Ledford, Sgt. T.J. Brookshire, Kyle Delaigle, David McWhorter, John Groves III, Clint Medlock, Timothy Reems, Richard Davenport, Kyle Pilgrim, Russell Cantrell, Shawn McClure, Sgt. Amanda Justus, Matthew Sutton, Justin Johnston, David Puttnum, Alex Head, Tiffany Sorrows, James Sullivan and Mark Sullivan Jr. Those who are sick in our community include many who have cancer and need our prayers. Those on the sick list are: Shirley Boyle, Shelby Turpin, Teresa Sims Chester and baby boy, Eli and Evan Watson twins who were born early and are very sick in Arkansas, 14-month-old Abby Pethel from Jefferson who has can cer, Lucas “Luke” Martin a 14- month-old with cancer, Mrs. Jay Tumlin, Radd Cape, Betty Griffin who asks that everyone remember her as she battles cancer again, William Sims in Germany, Shane Wilson, Florence Tootsie Whitehead, Mary Ferguson, John Owensby, Lurleen Hosch, Mike Davis, Mrs. Jay Tumlin, Amanda Ivey, Colton Standridge, Ollie Savage, Beth Wilson, Jessie Jamerson, Pvt. Nathan Bagwell, Barbara Sue Holcomb, Ray Bellamy, Robert Wood, Mrs. Avery Bonds, Bob Boyle, Brenda Nicholson, Horace Whitfield, Penny McClure, David Dunson, David Campbell, Mae Chitwood Smith, Ruth Evans, Juno and Bobbi Samples, David Smith, Ruby Nix, Roy Broome, Royce Jones, Steve Fattig, the Rev. Leroy Burns, Blanch Burns, Odell Wade, Zine Bell Wade, Claudette Griffin, Loy Palmer, Allene Montgomery, Wayne Holcomb, Dennie Maxwell, Henry Galloway, Mary Sims, Frank Cronic, Dan Tomlin, Jerry Poole, Greg Baker, Cidney Wilson, Jeremy Gaddis, Tommy Gray of Cornelia, Luther Campbell, Carol Dean Beck, Johnnie Dalton, Allan Poe of Commerce, Chad Standridge, Scott McClure, Winford Baker, the Rev. Jerry Smith, Coy Marlow, Bennie Jackson, Clifford Wilson, William Wilson, Christine Chitwood, Johnny Smallwood, Eddie Borders, Pauline Arfin, Crystal Medlock, Michelle McClure, Mary Bell Echols and J.R. Boswell, Remember our family when you pray. If you know others who are sick, please call me so I can add their name to our prayer list. Happy birthday to: Shelia Jones, Ricky Savage, Chad Hope, Bree Harris, Don Harris, Cecil Callaway, Sharon Callaway, Pat Harris, Lee Parson and Talmadge Savage. Happy anniversary to: Mark and Sherry Whitfield, Joyce and Ernest Turpin, Mark and NORTH GEORGIA ORTHOPAEDICS In appreciation of Banks County Middle School students News From Poplar Springs By Willene Parson Boyle 677-4200 Get the local school, church, sports ani other community news delivered to your home each week! Just clip the coupon below to begin saving today over the newstand price! Name Address. City State .Zip. Subscription rates for The Banks County News are as follows: $19.75 per year for Banks and adjoining counties; $17.75 per year for senior citizens in Banks and adjoining counties; $38.85 per year for delivery elsewhere in Georgia; $36.85 per year for delivery elsewhere in Georgia with senior citizen discount; $44.50 per year for delivery out of Georgia; $42.50 per year for delivery out of Georgia with senior citizen discount; $42.20 per year for the military with APO address. Enclosed is my check for! 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