Newspaper Page Text
DECEMBER 31, 2002
Lessons
- x
I Irene Hamer
I guess it’s my advancing age
that has turned the New
Year’s holidays from a period
of anticipation and celebration
into one of near melancholy.
What has changed for me is
the way my thoughts turn to
the dear friends and relatives
that we celebrated with in
years gone by who are no
longer with us.
The people we shared parts
of our life with, who taught us
so many things. Those friends
who became outstanding
examples of leadership and
those who did not. Each
taught us something we need
ed to learn to make our life
and the part of the world we
inhabited a better place.
The friends who loved us
enough to tell us when we
were on the right track and
when we had strayed from the
path. The ones we laughed
with, argued with and solved
the world’s problems with are
the same the ones with whom
we dreamed our big dreams.
Dreams that mostly didn’t
happen, but that really doesn’t
matter in the long run. These
are the people that remain in
our memories and who are
always missed, but more so
when we remember a time
shared or when we’ve accom
plished something that would
have made them say, “Well
done.”
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Their ages were immaterial
as was their gender, creed,
race or status. The only requi
site seemed to be that they
enjoyed life, were interesting
and we could laugh together.
Several were considered eccen
tric; others just a bit strange
and a few were simply every
day folks. As one friend who,
thank goodness, still dwells on
this earth said one day, “You
have the strangest friends.” I
just looked at her until it
dawned on her that she was
among this group and started
to laugh.
It hasn’t mattered that we
were scattered the world over
and met infrequently, the
friendships endured and,
when we were together, the
conversation began where it
left off, perhaps years before.
Some of the friends that are
still with us have been along
for the ride through life for
more than 50 years, some have
just jumped on the roller
coaster with us and they are
all valued beyond imagining.
We have been inordinately
lucky to have many whom I
call true friends, those that
live a thousand miles away
and tell you that if you need
anything, call and they’ll be
here in 12 hours and the ones
who live near, that drop every
thing when called and are
there in 15 minutes. Those
who are ready to party at the
drop of a hat or sit and listen
to the current tale of woe. Who
also listen when you tell them
of the ones that have passed
on and commiserate with you
even though they didn’t know
them.
I find I have learned another
lesson from these friends as I
sit and write about them; first
and foremost is to take the
time to appreciate all of them,
be grateful for so many won
Larry Walker
(478) 987-8000
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Whistle-blower or tattletale?
“Tattletale, tattletale, hang your
britches on a nail.” Many of you
remember that, don’t you? Many of
you have chanted that, haven’t
you? And, how many times have
you heard or said: “Don’t be a tat
tletale.” Was anyone at school more
disliked than the tattletale? Well,
maybe the bully - but you could let
the tattletale know you disliked
him/her, whereas you couldn’t say
anything to the bully. But, to the
tattletale: “Tattletale, tattletale,
hang your britches on a nail”
Memories of tattletales were
rekindled when I saw the news that
three women had been selected
(named, chosen, whatever) as Time
magazine’s “Persons of the Year.” It
used to be “Man of the Year”, and
then “Person of The Year”, and
now, “Persons of The Year.” Why
were these women selected? For
being the biggest, most prominent
tattletales in America. Actually,
they are called “whistleblowers”
which is just a fancy name for “tat
tletales.” But, instead of being
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As we celebrate Christmas and
prepare for the New Year, let us
remember that Christmas is the
celebration of the birth of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
Remember also that there are
somewho will not be able to cele
brate. They are the ones who are
innocent and imprisoned due to
the sham Georgia Indigent
Defense System. Their poorly
paid, overworked and inadequate
lawyers told them to plead guilty.
Let us give them and the 80 % of
defendants who must use a public
defender a gift. Encourage your
state senators and representatives
to enact the recommendations of
the state Supreme Court
Commission.
The Commission, composed of
26 members, included lawyers,
judges and business leaders who
spent two years on the study. The
study ordered by the Supreme
Court was to find what is wrong
with the existing system and rec
ommend a fix. Today the state
pays approximately 12% of thecost
for indigent defense with the coun
ties bearing the rest. The study
recommends that the state fully
fund the indigent defense system
and have a board to oversee it.
While shifting thefunding to the
State may cost us a few dollars in
taxes, what is that compared to
sending an innocent man to
prison?
James W. Tumipseed, Jr.
Warner Robins
Wednesday night brought a
sinking feeling of defeat as I gazed
out over a sea of boxes we had laid
out to give to the 410 families this
season. Project Agape Love seemed
doomed to fail.
We had collected so* little food for
so many boxes. Moneys were
down, Vought was closed and peo
ple just didn’t seem to be giving
this year. I went to Bible study that
night heavy hearted asking every
one to pray for a Loaves and Fishes
miracle.
Only God could save Christmas.
The way God chose to redeem
the season will always bring a tedr
to my eyes.
There was only one place we
hadn’t picked up from - Perry
Primary.
Those little ones are my heros.
They doubled the food we had
collected from the high school, ele
mentary schools, Christmas at the
Crossroad, and the Boy Scout food
drive.
Those little four, five and six year
olds saved Christmas and renewed
the true spirit of Christmas in my
heart. So for every child who
brought in a canned good this sea
son I want you to know how much
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II
Larry Waiter
Columnist
lwalker@whgbc.com
exhorted to hang their lower body
garment covers on nails, they are
chosen to grace the cover of Time.
Now, I am not making light of the
importance of the contributions
these tattlers have made to the wel
fare of our country. But it does con
cern me that there is only a short
jump between positive disclosures
and sinister snitching. Especially
does this concern me in a time
when we seemed to be obsessed
with security - “Homeland
it really meant to us.
Thank you.
Yours truly,
Bethany Swem
Perry
Project Agape Love
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Security” or whatever. Especially
does it concern me when our gov
ernment seems to be encouraging,
at every turn, its citizens to watch
and report. Remember Nazi
Germany? And the KGB in Russia?
We don’t need to go there. Let me
give you a more recent and concrete
example of what we absolutely
must guard against.
I have a client who is now a U.S.
citizen, but is a native of Vietnam.
He has been in this country some
10 to 15 years. He was in my office,
recently, and was telling me what
the government officials do in his
native country. According to my
friend, the government encourages
the school age children to tell what
their parents do and report their
activities. And, according to him,
“the children almost always tell the
truth” - even if it gets their parents
in great trouble. Perhaps Time’s
women whistleblowers are to be
commended. But, questioning chil
dren at school about the activities of
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goods for PAL.
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their parents must be condemned.
There is not much difference in the
words “commend” and “condemn.”
There is not much difference in tat
tletales and whistleblowers.
The last spanking I got from my
father was the result of a big
mouthed ciy baby telling on me.
Yes, I used a bad word and, yes,
“we” threatened to “take his pants
off” I probably deserved the pun
ishment. But, I still think we should
have removed his pants and made
him hang them on a nail because he
was just a tattletale.
Despite my efforts herein, I
believe that former North Carolina
Senator, Sam Ervin, said it best
when discussing Constitutional
rights as follows: “When people fear
surveillance, whether it exists or
not, when they grow afraid to speak
their minds and hearts freely to
their government or anyone else,
then we shall cease to be a free soci
ety.” Amen.
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