opinions
Does My Vote Mean Anything In This Time Of Hate? — By Tommy Purser
For my entire adult life I have been an avid voter. An unapologetic adherent to the belief that voting is a sacred privilege that all Americans should cherish and exercise. This year, for the first time ever, I doubted the fact that my vote meant anything. That my vote was important. That my vote was…
Read MoreDistant Storms — By John Reed
Distant Storms I had occasion to step outside the other evening, and was greeted by the usual night sounds around my place: crickets, frogs, a distant owl. The nearly full moon was rising in the southeast, and in the distant north, a great thunderstorm was lighting up the northern horizon. Someone somewhere was getting heavy…
Read MoreMy Class Of 2020 Grandsons — By Tommy Purser
I have two grandsons that are members of the Class of 2020. One at Jeff Davis High School, the other at Georgia Southern University. My high school senior, Braydon Creech, will hopefully enjoy his commencement exercise with his fellow graduates June 19. My college senior, Trey Purser, was honored in a virtual commencement exercise last…
Read MoreA City In Chaos — By Tommy Purser
I said in this space some time back that the City of Hazlehurst is in chaos. Anyone who doubts the accuracy of that statement need only watch videos of council meetings held last week, on May 18 and 21. To point out just one of the strange parts of the meetings — and there were…
Read MoreIn Memoriam — By John Reed
In Memoriam Hallowed ground. This often-overused phrase is used to describe a place where something happened worthy of memory. The reflecting pools at Ground Zero in New York come to mind, bearing silent witness to the twin towers that once stood there, and the thousands of lives lost when they fell. There are others: Mount…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Numbers Still Rising — By Tommy Purser
Taking a look at the latest numbers from the Georgia Department of Health, there seems to be a slight slowing in our area in the rate of increase of COVID-19 cases. The number of cases continues to grow but not as rapidly as the previous week. Gov. Brian Kemp takes that slowing as proof he…
Read MoreRedefining Heroes — By John Reed
Redefining Heroes By the time of Jimmy Carter’s failed attempt to rescue the Iran hostages in April of 1980, respect for the American military had fallen to historic low, both abroad and at home. Many veterans from the Vietnam conflict came home to be vilified and spat upon. But with the election of Ronald Reagan…
Read MoreGlynn Police, DA’s Office Problems Continue — By Tommy Purser
The initial bungling of the Ahmaud Arbery shooting in Brunswick brought to my mind another disturbing case involving the Glynn County Police Department and the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office. That case was almost 10 years ago — June 18, 2010 — when two police officers opened fire on an unarmed woman whose car was hemmed…
Read MoreStupid. Unnecessary — By John Reed
Stupid. Unnecessary. Recently I mentioned my disgust that there’s so much more coverage of the deaths of so-called famous people. I guess it’s the way papers and broadcast media sell advertisements. So now we’re hearing about another white-on-black homicide. To be clear: this was a stupid, unnecessary tragedy, and it’s taken far too long for…
Read MoreHoney-Dos
This “shelter in place” business doesn’t appeal all that much to me. I can’t sit around doing nothing. I’ve tried. Can’t do it. So, for a while, I spent a lot of my shelter-in-place time in my little woodworking shop. But after slicing my right index finger plumb near in two on a table saw…
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