Newspaper Page Text
CONTACT US AT P.O. BOX 1027, ATHENS, GA 30603, LEnERS@FLAGPOLE.COM
OR VIA THE “TALK BACK TO US” LINK AT FLAGPOLE.COM
DAILY’S THANKS
The Daily Groceries Board of Directors would
like to thank Gordon Bryant for his years of
dedicated and loyal service as grocery manager.
For the past three years, Gordon has been there
working beside many members and employees of
the Daily. During his tenure, he has been in large
part responsible for a steady growth in sales.
Following the departure of a previous manager
as well as a transitional period this summer,
Gordon was able to keep the store together in
times of personal struggles without much time
to rest. The whole of the Athens community will
continue to embrace Gordon for his compassion
ate and loving commitment to all for which Daily
Groceries stands.
Board of Directors. Daily Groceries Co-op
Athens
THE RIGHT AIN'T RIGHT
One hears a lot of late regarding the losing
of the war on Iraq by the Republican troika of
Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. In the opinion of
this writer, they have not lost the war; they are
in fact reaching all their real objectives, i.e.,
the opening of the public purse, the pouring of
its contents into Iraq, and the catching of the
contents by the corporate friends of the troika.
Need they be named? Allright: Halliburton and
Bechtei come to mind, as well as all the carpet
baggers associated with waging a modern war.
Literally billions of dollars have been gobbled
up by the hole in the MidJte East into which the
Republican power structure and their handlers
are pouring our gold.
It is a profiteer's dream to fight a cost-plus
war: nothing can prevent making a profit except
giving up. If your vehicle breaks down, don't
repair it, which might net a few hundred dollars
gain; instead junk it or blow it up, and get the
cost of a new vehicle plus your profit margin.
The more expensive the vehicle, the higher the
amount of profit; it doesn't take a Harvard MBA
to figure that one out.
We are mired up to our national neck, and
there is little hope of success in winning this
war of aggression. The international court at
the Hague should seriously consider the troika
as war criminals. Are they not that, and more?
Advocates, yeah, pro
viders of encourage
ment for torture and
the trashing of the
Geneva Convention
need to be held to
a high degree of ac
countability for their
action (or inaction).
The soul of our
nation, and our past
hope for raising the
moral level of the world by introducing them to
democracy and capitalism are seriously jeopar
dized by allowing war crimes and acts of inhu
manity to be committed from our shores, and by
our own public officials who have acted against
the constraints of the very Constitution they
swore to uphold. There is a relative closeness of
the words vow, vote and vowel. A vowel is an
empty sound surrounded by pursed lips. Check
the dictionary on the other words and see their
close connection.
This President has been very silent, refusing
opportunities for press conferences. Until the re
cent victory of the Democratic Party against the
right-wing steamroller of the past six years, you
could not get the Prez to speak. Now you can't
shut him up; turn on a news show and chances
are he will be spinning to save his ass. Spin,
spin, spin, that is all this fascist affront to our
rights has done. Now it has become a fight for
survival theirs.
The power structure does not want to appear
to have been as they really have been. They
will re-write history if given a chance, and will
erase as much of their attacks on our individual
freedoms as they can get away with. Our sacred
responsibility is to see they do not succeed; the
lives given by both our
troops and the citizens
of Iraq must not have
been in vain.
We must also con
tain the damage done
to us. We need to
roll back the tax cuts
given by Bush and
company to their super
rich friends.
We need to take
a serious look at the so-called Patriot Act, and
see it for what it is: an underhanded attempt to
quash all of our rights under the Constitution
and Bill of Rights. This business of allowing the
Prez to use the NSA (and God only knows what
other organizations) to spy on us, the people
who should be in control of our own country, is
another criminal act of aggression against the
nation. All of the incompetents placed through
favoritism and political rewarding by this ad
ministration need to have their heads roll. Look
at what this low-life form of politics did to New
Orleans.
We have a lot to be thankful for today. The
darkest days of the Republic's short history have
just been endured. We can see some light at the
end of the tunnel. We now know that the “Reds"
do not own this country as they were to have us
believe. Despots can be brought in check, and
right can once again have its laudable meaning
instead of indicating the side of government and
religion that would steal all our liberties from us.
Now we know that right is not "right."
Jerry Atkins
Athens
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?
On Nov. 7, the American people sent this
message to their elected representatives: "We the
people decide the direction this country should
go." I truly hope those leaving public service and
those taking their place were listening.
While the Democrats continue to celebrate,
the policies of the Bush administration persist.
The election did nothing for the soldiers who
will die in Iraq today or tomorrow. The election
will do nothing for people being tortured and
illegally detained in our secret prisons. The elec
tion did not stop the surveillance of American
citizens without warrants or due cause. The elec
tion will not stop the corporate hold on power.
The very next day, I heard the Democrats and
Republicans say, "Let's work together," and "Let's
put the past behind us." These statements sound
positive, but the past should not be swept under
the rug.
George Bush and his administration are guilty
of crimes that should not be Forgotten. Half a
million people are dead, their voices never to be
heard again. Torture and intimidation are now
BUMPERSTICKER OF THE WEEK:
Bipartisanship: I’ll hug your
elephant if you'll kiss my ass.
Thanks, Anita. That's 706-549-
9523 orbendiaspole.com
Elections are
about choices.
You get to choose
Anytown, USA or Athens, GA, USA ?
No place special or a special place?
Heidi gets it!
Heidi knows that Athens is a special place
and has fought to keep it that way.
In less than 4 years, Heidi has worked hard to hoW on
to Athens’ sense of place!
• more dttzan engagement Including new faces at the table
from every part of our community
• more environmental protection with a tree ordinance and
mass grading ordinance against bulldozing the land
• increased alternative transportation choices
• historic designation of our much loved and
envied downtown
• greater cfttzen and neighborhood involvement In planning
It’s OUR town;
OUR unique little spot on the globe
- let’s not lose it!
r
Heidi
Davison
Please vote, Dec. 5th, for the person who understands that
d£uct man anyuooy.
Athens is our town and Heidi is our Mayor!
Endorsed by Athens Grow Green, Pels McCoomons of Aappofc,
auicm osnnrr-nci jjj, ana cYrryrxxjy Cfw wno gots ru
5! m
(' »'. *i «1 oc_f Mi,.
SATURDAY, DEC. 2
11am - 5pm
Handmade goods
from local artists
scarves • purses • orname
ceramics • jewelry • greeting cards
S much more! And of course
HOLIDAY COCKTAILS!
LOCATED AT 283 EAST BROAD
NEXT TO HARRY BISSETTS DOWNTOV
i
i
\
www.EtectHeidi.con>«706.546.9843
4 FLAGP0LE.C0M • NOVEMBER 29.2006
NEWS & FEATURES I ARTS & EVENTS I MOVIES I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS