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PAGE 4A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 5. 2009
Frankly
Speaking
frankgillispie671@msn.com
By Frank Gillispie
I was there when
the wall was built
In the late afternoon of Nov. 9, 1989, a mem
ber of the new East German Government was
asked when new unrestricted travel rules would
come into force. His answer: “As far as I can
see — straightway, immediately.” Thousands
of East German citizens responded by heading
to the gates of the Berlin Wall demanding that
they be opened. At 10:30 p.m. the gates were
opened and the official fall of the Berlin Wall
was underway. Monday, Nov. 9, will be the 20th
anniversary of that momentous event.
I have a personal interest in this story. You see,
in the fall of 1961 I was a member of the U.S.
Army stationed in Germany when the Berlin
Crisis began. I can clearly remember the reports
coming in of U.S. and Soviet tanks standing
eyeball to eyeball at Checkpoint Charlie. I
remember the rush of adrenalin when we were
ordered on full alert. And I still remember
the intensity and fatigue we experienced in
the month following the event. We watched
on Armed Forces Television as East Germans
made desperate dashes for freedom through the
barbed wire and flying bullets as construction of
the wall proceeded.
Things were especially tense in my unit. I was
assigned to the Advanced Weapons Command
(AWSCOM). We were the maintenance com
pany for the command and that made us a very
rich target for any invading Soviet army. I had
made the mistake of scoring well on all parts
of the Army proficiency test so the command
ing officer figured I could do about anything.
When he learned that I had taken a course in
mechanical drawing, he assigned me to draw
up a diagram of our post showing the placement
of explosive charges in case we had to blow it
up and run.
My security clearance was secret. But when
I finished the blueprint, the officer directing me
stamped it “top secret” and told me I could not
look at it anymore! But that is typical of the
military mind.
Our company had a full company of Military
Police assigned to guard our work compound
day and night. But when the Berlin Crisis start
ed, the commander decided we needed more
protection than that, so we were assigned patrol
duty in addition to our normal work schedule.
When you add in our house keeping chores, and
meals, we averaged four hours sleep a day for
that first month.
Because of the secret nature of our mission,
we were restricted in what parts of Europe we
could visit. We were not allowed to go to Berlin,
or to go within 20 miles of the so called Steel
Curtain that divided East and west Germany.
Before I left for a weekend pass, I had to list all
the locations that I intended to visit and submit it
to the security people for their approval.
I was in Germany in 1961 when that wall
was built. I was watching on TV in 1989 when
if finally came down. It hardly seems that long
ago. My memories of both events are still fresh.
And it kind of makes me feel old.
Frank Gillispie is founder of The Madison
County Journal. His e-mail address is frank@
frankgillispie.com. His website can be accessed
at http://www.frankgillispie.com/gillispieonline.
The Madison
County Journal
(Merged with The Danielsville Monitor
and The Comer News, January 2006)
P.O. Box 658
Hwy. 29 South
Danielsville, Georgia 30633
Phone: 706-795-2567
Fax: 706-795-2765
Email: zach@mainstreetnews.com
ZACH MITCHAM, Editor
MARGIE RICHARDS, Reporter/Office Manager
BEN MUNRO, Reporter/Sports Editor
MIKE BUFFINGTON, Co-publisher
SCOTT BUFFINGTON, Co-publisher
FRANK GILLISPIE, Founder of The Journal.
Jere Ayers (deceased) former owner
of The Danielsville Monitor and The Comer News
Periodical postage paid at Danielsville, Georgia 30633
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Madison & surrounding counties $19.75/year
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
THE MADISON COUNTY JOURNAL
P.O. Box 658, Danielsville, GA 30633
A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
The Washington-Wall St. racket needs to be stopped
We often despise referees in our
sports. But if NFL players used their
fat paychecks to pay officials to stay
off the field, while contending that
they could officiate themselves, we'd
laugh at tire insanity and keep our
ticket money in our wallets.
The only tiling such a setup would
ensure is that the best cheaters would
prevail. Because a sport that abandons
objective rule keeping encourages
dirty play. Without mles, the dirtiest
will gain an edge.
We look at thiid-world governments
and recognize this. Many nations have
lax mles that would make us cringe.
And many have bribery systems in
every day life. I remember traveling
by train in eastern Europe. Men in
uniform came through demanding a
"tax." We asked for an explanation.
It was, they said, a "tax on the tax."
We knew we were getting ripped off.
These men were just taking advantage
of us, but we didn't want to get booted
from the train in a foreign land. We
paid up.
I believe our nation works on bribes,
too. But it's a more sophisticated
system. And if we break down into
Republican vs. Democrat bickering
yet again. I think we miss the point.
Our lawmakers in Washington in both
parties are more beholden to their
contributors than their constituents. Of
course, this is said so often it's become
In the
Meantime
zach@
mainstreet
news.com
By Zach
cliche. But I don't think it's as much a
matter of moral lacking in individuals
as it is systemic truth. It’s the way tine
political game is played.
But I think it’s ultimately this dubi
ous back-scratching relationship
between Washington and Wall Street
that led to our economic collapse. And
I fear that our public is too divided
politically to demand action on tire
profound conflict of interest in this
relationship.
Our financial sector more than dou
bled over the past 20 years, even as
our manufacturing nosedived — save
home construction. Isn’t that curious?
This was due primarily to the fact that
Washington lawmakers eliminated
rules for their Wall Street contributors.
That's surely a yawner of a statement.
But think about it. This is the equiva
lent of football squads paying referees
to get lost. Tire resulting chaos in tire
money game on Wall Street — and
yes, it is a game — can't be a surprise.
Both Republicans and Democrats
supported this. The reason? Well, it's
hard to say "no" to a man stuffing your
pocket with cash. If tire guy forking
money to you says he is smart enough
to play without solid mles, don't you
want to believe him?
Of course, proponents of finan
cial deregulation touted it as a way
to "encourage financial innovation."
But I believe "financial innovation"
is — at least in many cases — a fancy
way of "making something out of
nothing." With Washington's blessing,
Wall Street leveraged huge amounts
of cash with no collateral to support
it. What developed was a huge game
of "shadow money." people trading
what's not really there, a risky fomr of
gambling that imperiled the economy.
The easy housing loans were fuel for
this trading. Those loans were made,
then they were grouped with other
debts and sold. People were making
all this money trading the same shaky
loans over and over again. They were
ultimately trading all this value that
really wasn't there.
Our major financial institutions that
participated in this reckless system
were bailed out, despite their actions,
by the same Washington lawmak
ers who took their contributions and
enabled them to play fast and loose
with tire mles.
Now, the bailouts are infuriating for
sure, but they at least stopped a mn on
the banks by depositors. The FDIC
is now running out of money, even
though they’ve only had to save some
small banks. If major banks went
under, there's no way the FDIC could
have sandbagged that flood of panic.
So. tire bailouts were utterly disgusting
and terribly unjust to all of us, but I
understand the logic, given tire possi
bility of a total banking meltdown.
What I don't understand is the lack
of momentum now for actual reform
of the finance industry. After all we've
seen, do we still want to put blind trust
in Wall Street to five without solid
mles? If we say yes, I think we are in
the same boat as tire Bemie Madoff
victims. Fact is. we put our retirement
money on tire line for reckless gam
blers. The nation, both Republicans
and Democrats, ought to shout that
we’ve had enough of that. We want
real mles that establish fair play. We
want a system that doesn’t reward
deception and excessive risk taking.
I’m wonied though, that the everlast
ing left-right fight is too exciting and
too much a part of our current national
character for us to really notice the
bigger picture that transcends party
squabbling. I fear that we’ll be duped
again.
Zach Mitcham is editor of The
Madison County Journal.
Mitcham
Wettest October on record
The rain train that roared to life
in mid-September just kept steam
ing right over our area during the
month of October.
October 2009 was the wettest
October on record for my sta
tion since records began in 1982.
10.51” fell during last month,
eclipsing the old record of 8.86”
set back in 1995. Both Athens and
Atlanta had their second-wettest
October’s on record with 9.14”
and 8.71” respectively.
Total rain for September and
October combined was an amaz
ing 20.52,” or over two inches
per week. Months in which we
receive over 10 inches occur only
every three or four years on aver
age, but double-digit rain totals
for two months in a row are very
Weather
wise
By Mark Jenkins
rare. This has occurred only once
in Danielsville records; August
and September 1992 with 21.85.”
Going back farther in the Athens
records, I could find only one time
there as well; February and March
1929 when over 25 inches fell.
What makes this even more unusu
al is the time of year in which this
sogginess has happened. October
is normally our third driest month
behind April and May. But a per
sistent and active storm track off
the warmer than normal Pacific
and a very “open for business”
Gulf of Mexico have contributed
to these record-setting rains. These
rains were part of a larger pattern
of wetness that stretched from
Texas to the western Carolinas,
and follow a commonly seen pat
tern of ending drought by exces
sive rains.
Early long-range forecasts for
the coming winter season indicate
that the wet pattern is likely to
persist due to a weak to moderate
El Nino in the Pacific. It is not
likely that the record-setting level
of rainfall will continue, but more
likely that average to above aver
age rainfall totals will continue
possibly into next spring.
It would make sense that in
such a pattern there would also
be greater than average chances
of ice and snow events, especially
ice.
It could be a fun winter for all
you snow and ice lovers out there!
Weather averages for October
2009: Avg. low: 50. Avg. high:
69. Mean: 59.4 (-2.6). Total rain
fall: 10.51” (new record, +6.78”).
Rain total for 2009 to October 31:
50.12” (+6.85”).
Mark Jenkins is the coopera
tive weather observer for Madison
Count}’. He provides a monthly
weather column to The Madison
County Journal.
Letters to the Editor
No thanks to BOC for bringing feed mill
Dear Editor:
In response to the Madison
County Industrial Development
and Building Authority's report to
the commissioners: “We want to
thank the board of commissioners
for all you have done to help bring
this industry [Columbia Farms] to
Madison County.”
Yes commissioners, thank you
for the stench, the noise, and the
dust and smoke coming from the
plant. Thank you for the exces
sive light fading out our view of
the night sky. Thank you for the
dangerous traffic situation you’ve
created on Sims Kidd road and the
excessive “jake-braking” 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. Not to
mention, that by routing the truck
traffic on our county roads, we will
be spending our county tax dollars
on up-keeping Columbia Farm’s
“driveway” in perpetuity.
Thank you for disregarding the
reputation of Columbia Farm/
Raeford House, which has been
under several investigations, rang
ing from their treatment of injured
workers to immigration violations.
Yes commissioners, thank you for
paving the way for this fine com
pany, in spite of large turnouts at
the public meetings where dissent
ers heavily outnumbered those in
favor of the feed mill. Please do
not do us any more favors.
Sincerely,
Kevin Leftwich
Comer
Help us help the needy again this Thanksgiving
Dear Editor:
It is that time of year again.
The holidays are upon us and
Thanksgiving is only a few weeks
away. The hustle and bustle will
soon begin as we prepare to be with
family and friends, honoring old
family traditions as well as making
new ones.
Proverbs 11:25 Ministries, hosted
by Carmine’s Pizza Time in Comer
for the last 12 years, has maintained
the tradition of serving the com
munity. This year we have so many
families that have been out of work
for a long time and need our help
and support. Many elderly and dis
abled will be alone on this festive
family holiday. These are the people
we hope to reach - have I described
you or someone you know?
Through the generosity of our
community, with donations of food,
money and time, we have been able
to reach over 500 people. Will you
be alone this Thanksgiving Day?
Are you disabled, elderly or out of
work? Call us to reserve your din
ner, there is no cost to you.
We will deliver to the elderly and
disabled, or you may pick up your
dinners starting at 11 a.m. There
will be a limit of eight dinners
per household this year in order
to serve everyone. You may call
706-552-0097 and leave a message
with your phone number so we may
call you back and confirm your
reservation.
In order to make this happen
for the community, we need your
donations of money, food and
time. Please sign up if you would
like to donate food or time on
Thanksgiving Day.
Those who would like to donate
food, we need you to let us know
what you will be bringing so that
we can buy accordingly. There will
be sign-up forms at Carmine’s in
Comer. Please stop by and let us
know what you would like to do.
You can bring your monetary
donations to Carmine’s, or deposit
it at First Citizens Bank in Comer.
Make all checks payable to Proverbs
11:25 Ministries. Things are tight
with all of us, so please consider
what you can give.
Proverbs 11:25 says “...he who
refreshes others will himself be
refreshed.” Think about whom you
can bless this year. Let us bless you
as we give thanks for all we have
been every day of the year.
Sincerely,
Daniel Costello
and the Costello family
Library donations will help bring new titles, materials
Dear Editor:
We have been given a unique
fund-raising opportunity! An
anonymous employee of Athens
Technical College will make up
to a $500 donation to the Friends
if matching funds can be raised!
With the drastic reduction in
the statewide material budget the
library receives only 16 cents
per resident of Madison County.
Even with a population of 28,000
that only amounts to $4,480 a
year to purchase books, mov
ies, magazine, newspapers and
audiobooks for adults, teens and
children. One thousand dollars
will go a long ways towards
bringing you more new titles and
materials.
A donation in any amount will
help and will be appreciated.
We thank each and every one
of you for your past and contin
ued support.
Thank you for any amount you
can give, and spread the word!
Donations can be submitted to
the Madison County Library by
mail at P.O. Box 38, Danielsville,
GA 30633 or in person at 1315
Hwy. 98 West.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Degrasse
Director, Madison County
Library