Support Local Merchants — By John Reed

Support Local Merchants
I went to see “Captain Marvel“ at our local movie theater this past weekend. Here are a few thoughts:
It’s been said that folks from Hazlehurst are more apt to support out of town businesses rather than local ones. That’s one trend I would love to see reversed. My movie experience was every bit as good as it would have been in Douglas or Vidalia, and the concessions were cheaper.
A lot has been said about this movie being “women-centered.“ While I guess it is a Good Thing that more women than usual were involved in the production, what matters more to me is the final product. If there is a good plot, good acting, good music, and good cinematography, that’s what makes it a good movie… Not necessarily what color or gender the people involved in producing it.
Re-stating a point (hopefully more clearly this time): all of those actors and producers have a perfect right to speak their opinion about anything, including politics, whether they know anything about it or not.
Fortunately most of us have more sense than God gave a billygoat, and choose not to let those folks inform us thinking about voting.
While thinking and researching that topic, I came across the concept of the Speakers Corner. Originally a designated spot in Hyde Park in 19th-century London, it was a place where anyone could speak their piece to whomever would listen. The modern-day equivalent seems to be the newspaper editorial page.
This column, while usually well-informed, is still merely one person‘s opinion. I enjoy getting feedback, both positive and negative, because at least those folks are reading it, and care enough to think and say something about it.
It’s fun to see how various papers treat diverse opinions. Some with a conservative editorial bent rarely print letters or columns from those with a liberal mindset. That is certainly true on the other side. That’s what makes this particular paper rather unique: both sides are well represented…. even the mayor gets heard!
And if there ever was a single issue that the editor, the mayor, and I agree upon, it’s that we should support our local businesses as much as possible.