Some random thoughts on some random subjects
As I watched the surreal events this past week concerning the first-ever criminal indictment of a former president of the United States, I thought of a passage in the Old Testament, Hosea 8:7: “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” Donald Trump, who has sown a lot of wind, is reaping the whirlwind of potentially damaging investigations from a number of sources, including Fulton County. Should he survive them — and I would never bet against the man, even though I am not a fan — it will be the Democrats who will be dealing with the whirlwind. Republicans will see to that. Which brings me to another familiar passage from the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 32:35: “Vengeance is Mine and retribution. In due time their foot will slip.” …
My column on the unsuccessful efforts of private school advocates to get another voucher scheme through the Legislature this year (“It’s not public schools that are failing, it is society”), brought the expected reaction from proponents defending the use of tax credits to send kids to private schools (and a lot of “thank-yous” from public school advocates.) Interestingly, proponents made no mention of the fact that it is society — of which they are a member — that is failing. Not the schools. If the Legislature will open up the books and let us see who is taking advantage of this scheme, I am willing to have another conversation. But they won’t because it is mostly families that could already send their kids to private schools without a tax break. …
One more comment on public education. I am in total agreement with those who object to schoolteachers being required to discuss race and sexuality and transgender issues in the classroom. That is not the schoolteacher’s job. Those discussions belong in the home. If parents refuse to take responsibility for raising their children properly, don’t foist that job off on our schoolteachers. …
My St. Simons Island friend, Hans Trupp, sent me a recent video presentation featuring Major John “Lucky” Luckadoo, USAF (Ret.), in connection with the National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force located in Pooler. Maj. Luckadoo is 102 (That’s not a misprint!), ramrod straight and a dynamic speaker. He flew and survived 25 missions over Germany and other occupied territories in a B-17 Flying Fortresses when the average bomber crew flew 8-12 missions. I recommend you watch his speech. It is simply spellbinding. You can see it at (vimeo.com/mighty8thmuseum/ seaislandlucky.) The man is the epitome of the Greatest Generation. Will we ever see his likes again?. …
This won’t make the nightly news, but it is another reason to be proud of the Great State of Georgia. A group called Good Plant Care recently polled 3,000 people, revealing the top 200 public gardens in America they would most like to visit in their lifetimes. We have four of them within our borders: Georgia Southern Botanical Garden in Statesboro; Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens, on the campus of Middle Georgia State University; Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens in Savannah; and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, a part of the University of Georgia. (Woof! Woof!). …
I have long held that we will forgive our intrepid public servants a lot of their political puffery if they will provide us good constituent services. I mention this because Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state Sen. John Kennedy, RMacon, have announced a new program to assist with the monitoring and tracking of constituent requests sent to all 56 Senate members. “A well-organized constituent services program will ensure that taxpayers across this state have access to all available resources within our state agencies,” Jones’ office says. That is as it should be. They are there to serve us, not vice versa. …
Finally, I’m not sure my prayers make it through the ceiling, but I hope God will at least give me an “A” for effort. Dr. Gil Watson, aka, the World’s Greatest Preacher, has had recent and serious heart surgery in Rome, and I am praying hard for his recovery. I know nothing of cardiac matters, but I do know that Dr. Gil has a very big heart because I have been the beneficiary of it as have countless others that this good shepherd has touched. Get well, Dr. Gil. God still has a lot more left for you to do. Amen and Amen.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough at yarb2400@bellsouth.net; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139; online at dickyarbrough.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dickyarb
