LETTERS


Anderson forgives

Dear Editor:

Somewhere around 1967 and 1968 at Wadley High School, Wadley, Ga. an event took place that caused me to hold a grudge against a black female for almost 20 years. Funny thing is I never even knew her name.

I was in the first grade at the time. I was running on the sidewalk which ran beside the lunchroom and this young girl stuck out her foot and tripped me on purpose. The walkway was several inches above the ground where I flew off and landed flat on the ground, knocking the wind out of me. I couldn’t catch my breath for a while and was trying to cry, but couldn’t.

Dear Editor:

Sitting in front of my computer last night, I thought about a conversation I had with a retired friend this past weekend (while downing a few cold ones). We, like two old retired fools got to talking about politics. Mind you, he leans a hair-dab to the right, but he swears he’s not a Tea drinker. He’s a little upset with Congress, especially the side that he leans toward, calling what he gets from Social Security “handouts” and “charity.”

After about three cold ones, if he could have gotten his hands around Paul Ryan’s neck, he would have been a happy camper. Most of his rambling I agreed with. Why? Glad you asked. As he put it, when you get your first job as well as the last one, you have to pay taxes, and that includes a SS tax as well. Here’s the part that not only upsets him, but me as well. Taxes are taken before you even see the balance of your hard labor for that week. No one asks if they can take your hard earned money, it’s gone and there’s nothing you can do about it, and the killer part is this: You still have to pay taxes on that little bit they send you every month, and now the right wants to cut what we get, and have the nerve to call it charity or a handout. Hello, somebody call the police.

He was on a roll so I sat and listened. Then he said something that brought a smile and sadness to my face. He said the party that he loves will lose again this November. That made me smile. I asked him why he felt that way. He thought Newt was the best person to run against Pres. Obama, but then he said, I guess I’ll vote for Romney. I asked why? He said, just because he’s a republican, and that made me sad.

I’ve known and worked with this fella almost 30 years, and thought of him as a reasonable person, but what he said didn’t make any sense to me. Why? Because, he didn’t say I believe in Romney, or I believe in the things he says he’s going to do if elected. Heck, he already has admitted that Pres. Obama will win. So why vote for someone, just because he’s a republican? You know, he probably won’t be the only one doing that. God, that’s sad.

It made me think back a few years when Richard Nixon was running. All my family and friends were voting democrat, but I voted for Tricky Dick. Why? To me he had the better message. I lost a few friends behind that, especially after Watergate, and his resignation. A lot of people think I’m a democrat to this day, but again I’ll tell the world, I am a liberal independent, like my retired conservative independent friend.

Finally, to anyone reading this letter, I ask you this: will you vote for someone, just because he leans the way you lean, or will you jump off a bridge, just because he or someone asks you to? What we need is more people becoming independents, and getting away from straight party crap. God gave you a brain, use it to the best of your knowledge. Vote not only with your heart, but your brain as well. Kick the two-party system to the curb. Become an independent voter.

Future Wadley Resident
Clyde D’Antignac