Newspaper Page Text
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♦ FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2006
if Houston Home if
Wc\t 3)mmta:l
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Perry on the rise
If you’ve been to the post office in Perry lately,
or driven up and down the stretch of U.S. 41 that
goes by it, you can’t help but notice what’s going
on within sight.
Perry High School has for sometime been under
going a facelift.
The fact it’s undergoing a transformation is
not just what makes this an incredible scene,
Northside is also
getting one, it’s
one other ele
ment at work.
The high
school used to
be blocked by a
large section of
trees.
Those have
been removed.
Now, that,
coupled with the
fact its situated
on top of a hill
and its new facade includes long, tall lines stretch
ing skyward, have combined to make it a sight to
behold. And, it's not even finished yet.
No doubt the proud Panthers will be even proud
er when the school bell rings again.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Put some thought into it
The recently passed state law that allows licensed,
concealed weapons, holders to now carry their firearms
into an establishment that serves alcohol is a sign of
progress.
The tnain purpose of this law is to allow these
licensed, concealed weapons holders to now defend
themselves outside their homes. If you feel physically
threatened by someone you can now use your firearm to
shoot them. In self defense!
The main weakness in the new law is that you had
better be absolutely, 100 percent sure of the exact mean
ing of this new law before you shoot someone!
Qtherwise you could lose in a court of law if the judge
decides that you didn’t exactly follow this new law. If
you lose then the monetary damages to the members of
the family of the deceased, plus the legal costs, could be
endless! You could lose everything that you own!
So think before you shoot!
Frank Gadbois, Warner Robins
I 9
tyORTH REPEATING
i
“Politics is adjourned. The election
will go to those who think least
of it; to those who go to the coiv
stituencies without explanations or
excuses, with a plain record of duty
faithfully and disinterestedly per~
formed.”
—Woodrow Wilson, 1856-1924,
28th President of the United States
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Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
No doubt the proud
Panthers will be even
prouder when the
school bell rings again.
Herman takes a circuitous route
Nineteen forty-eight.
Clem and Odell
sitting on ‘Cocola’
crates in the visiting sec
tion of the country store.
Clem: “I hear they
gonna move Stone
Mountain.”
Odell: “Clem, you know
they caint move Stone
Mountain.”
Clem: “Herman
Talmadge said they wuz.”
Odell: “Where they
gonna move it to?”
Actually, I heard
this story years ago
about Gene Talmadge,
Herman’s father. But it
makes no difference. The
point is how much faith
so many country folks had
in the Talmadge’s and for
so long from the 1920 s
to the 1980 s.
Like the Longs in
Louisiana, the Byrds in
Virginia, the Tafts in
Ohio and the Bushes
(wherever they are from)
this was a prominent
and dominant political
dynasty.
Gene as Georgia’s
Commissioner of
Agriculture and Governor
and Herman as a two
term Governor and
United States Senator for
24 years.
Let me fast forward to
just over a year ago
Memorial Day weekend.
Janice and I were
in Greensboro and
walked into the offices
of The Herald Journal,
which is on the main
street.
There it was on the
wall to the left. Up high.
A vintage, framed politi
cal poster of Herman
Talmadge announcing
his re-election campaign
for Governor and that
Herman was to speak in
Greensboro on "Friday,
May 19, at 3:00 p.m."
The poster must have
been hanging there for
at least 50 years, and I
wanted it!
“Would you be inter
ested in selling me that
Talmadge poster,” I
inquired of an ancient
gentleman, bent over,
cutting and pasting
and apparently getting
The Herald Journal ready
for publication. His frosty
response let me know that
the poster belonged to the
Taking us for fortuned fool again
Maybe it’s because
I’m not that
attractive.
Recently, Governor
Sonny Perdue proclaimed
that he would call a spe
cial session of the state
General Assembly to
revisit a gay marriage ban
amendment to the state
constitution. The amend
ment was ruled uncon
stitutional by a judge
because it addressed two
subjects - gay marriages
and civil unions.
I don’t know what your
experiences are, but I
haven’t had one - not one
- gay person ask me to
marry them. Nor have I
heard of any reports of
anyone being forced into a
gay marriage against their
will. Maybe the media is
just ignoring this plague
in favor of reporting about
insignificant topics like
murder, child molestation,
illegal immigration, kid
nappings, etc.
So, if our state legisla
ture can’t wait to bring
this pressing issue up
again at their regular ses
sion in six months and are
going to reconvene and
spend our taxpayer money
to consider something
which affects virtually
no one, I figure I’ll give
them some items to mull
over that actually affect
millions of people - or per
haps just me.
Here are my suggestions
for new amendments to
the state constitution: The
‘Bob’ Amendment
There shall be no adver
tisements, television or
Larry Walker
Columnist
twalker@whgb-law.com
editor and publisher, that
the poster owner was not
in, and that the answer
was, “No!”
I was disappointed, but
I did not forget.
This past Memorial Day,
2006, Janice and I were
once again in Greensboro
with our good friends,
Riley and Sandra Hunt,
and together returned to
Greensboro’s main street.
Straight to the news
paper office, I went.
And there they were
Herman and the editor of
the paper, Carey Williams.
I introduced myself and
immediately inquired:
“Would you be willing
to sell me that Herman
Talmadge poster?”
I was awaiting the, and
it came. But it came like
this: “No (pause) but, I’ll
give it to you.”
I couldn’t believe he
was serious, but from
around the stacks of yel
lowed papers and dusty
desks, Mr. Williams came.
Straight to the poster,
up high and to the left,
he went, all the while
talking as he reached up
to remove the framed
poster (revealing evidence
behind the poster that the
wall had been a darker
color, save the fading,
years ago).
What a thrill! The
poster gift and Carey
Williams. It’s been a
long-time since I’ve met
a more enjoyable person
than Carey Williams.
Immediately, he took
to us and us to him as he
regaled us with tales of
Micky Mantle, Sam Nunn,
Kenny Rogers, Lewis
Grizzard, Jamie Reynolds,
and assorted Greene
County characters of
which Carey Williams is
certainly one.
We liked him and he
liked us. Long story short
(well, it could be longer):
Len Robbins
Columnist
airpub@planttel.net
otherwise, broadcast on
airwaves in the State of
Georgia concerning erec
tile dysfunction, venereal
disease, or female hygiene
products.
The other night, I’m
watching the monkey ver
sion of “Romeo & Juliet”
on Animal Planet with
my four-year-old son. I’m
not kidding - there was
a show called “Romeo &
Juliet: A Monkey’s Tale,”
which featured monkeys
acting out the play.
Anyway, during one
commercial break, there
was that annoying Enzyte
commercial with that
guy named Bob, another
“man problem” commer
cial where some old dudes
were playing basketball,
an ad for a feminine
hygiene problem I didn’t
understand at all, and one
where a woman who said
she had herpes was riding
a bicycle.
Do I, or any taxpaying
citizen, need to be subject
ed to this? I just wanted to
see monkeys performing
Shakespeare.
“What’s herpes, Daddy?”
“Uh, it’s, uh, it’s, it’s
a type of bicycle,” I stut-
1L SB
■ a
I got the poster, now my
favorite of many, and we
made a new, interest
ing friend with whom I
hope to visit, often, in the
future.
But, the ‘Herman
Talmadge poster story’
is not over. The next day,
Tuesday after Memorial
Day, I was scheduled
to be in Atlanta for
a luncheon with Jim
Minter, former editor
of the Atlanta Journal-
Constitution, Jim Wooten,
present editor of the AJC,
Connell Stafford, Gene
Sutherland, and Bobby
Rowan.
I decided to take my
new old poster with
me, kinda like an adult
“show-and-tell.” I got
the desired response
and after the luncheon
took it with me to the
Inter Continental Hotel
where I was to spend the
night. And I did.
When I checked out of
the hotel the next morn
ing, my valued poster was
left behind on the chair
and under the bed-cover
I removed and placed on
submitted
Larry Walker, left, holds a campaign poster of Herman
Talmadge from 1948 given to him by Carey Wiliams, edi
tor of The Herald Journal in Greensboro.
I -#■ jp*# %
Oil ■
tered, then changed the
subject. “Look at that
monkey speak the King’s
English!”
Sure, I could have
changed the channel, but
that would require me to:
A. Get up; and B. Find
the dang remote control
- which brings me to my
next proposed amendment.
The Remote Control
Recovery Amendment
Every remote control
device sold in the State of
Georgia shall have a locat
ing device that shall be
attached permanently to a
structure.
There isn’t a day goes
by that I don’t spend at
least 30 minutes looking
for the remote control. If
I had those 30 minutes
a day back from the past
seven years of my life, I
could have possibly done
something positive for
mankind, like devising a
beeping mechanism for
my remote control that is
attached to my house so
that my kids don’t hide it
in the dryer.
The Truth-in-Health-
Care Amendment The
Georgia General Assembly
shall pass no law prom-
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
the chair the night before.
Not to panic. Janice called
the Inter Continental *
Hotel and learned that
Herman had been found
and we picked him up a
week later.
Now to my point:
Herman’s life and his
poster were much alike.
First, as to Herman.
From the rural fields of
Telfair County to the
Governor’s Office at an
early age. To the U.S.
Senate and power and
prestige. From the days
of elections as an arch
segregationist to elec
tions getting most of the
African-Americans vote.
To ultimate defeat and
finally relative obscu
rity at Lovejoy with his
lovely wife, Lynda Cowart
Talmadge.
And, Herman’s poster.
From depiction of youth
and looks and power
staring down for years
from Carey Williams
wall getting dusty and
dirty at times. And then
to the Atlanta’s plush
Inter Continental Hotel.
Then to relative obscurity
at my law office in Perry.
So it is, both Herman
and his poster have taken
a circuitous route. And
by the way, does anyone
know to where Herman
moved Stone Mountain?
Footnote: I knew
Herman Talmadge per
sonally. Bird hunted and
broke bread with him. I
liked him very much. I
miss him.
ising that it will lower
health care insurance
premiums unless it actu
ally does lower health
care insurance premiums
within six months of said
law’s passage. If health
care insurance premiums
in the state do not fall or
stay equal to the rate of
inflation after six months,
said law is to be taken off
the books immediately.
Two years ago, our state
legislature passed a tort
reform bill they hailed as
crucial to stopping sky
rocketing health insurance
premiums.
A little personal anec
dote: If I would have kept
the health insurance cov
erage I had when that law
was passed, I would now
be paying nearly SIB,OOO a
year for health insurance
- an increase of roughly
800 percent.
And we’ve been totally
healthy, no problems,
except for that unfortu
nate emergency room visit
after I tried to rewire the
vacuum cleaner.
So, we’ve had to lower
the amount of health
coverage for our fam
ily and hope something
bad doesn’t happen. I’m
certain there are others
reading this in a far worse
predicament.
That “tort reform” bill
was simply a ruse. And so
is this ridiculous special
session to address the “epi
demic” of gay marriage.
Our money would
be better spent teach
ing monkeys to recite
Shakespeare.