Archive for October, 2009

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Does Tebow compare to Hershel Walker?

– October 30, 2009Posted in: Sports

Recently, a debate erupted at a football-watching party.

Some argued that despite his school affiliation, they can respect Tim Teabag the player, and person. That is a mature, reasonable stance. It is also hogwash!

Every announcer in the business tries to convince viewers that The Bagger is the greatest player and person to ever slither onto the scene. He is so untouchable that no game official would throw a flag on him even when he reverts to his natural position of male cheerleader and dances all over the field.

“Give me an F … Give me an A … Give me a …,” what have you got? No flag! Amazing. If Georgia catches a cold, they get the death penalty, but this guy gets to lead cheers with no impact?

Then they go on to tell us how he has changed the game. After all, he has tied Herschel Walkers’ record of 52 rushing touchdowns. Please. The Bagger takes a snap and falls forward into the end zone; don’t compare him to or use his name in the same sentence as Herschel ever again!

Walker still holds 11 NCAA records, and he scored 52 times in three years without an extra SEC Championship game on the schedule. He rushed for 5,259 yards and beat Florida three times! The other guy has rushed for 2,415 in four years. Yeah, I know he has thrown for more than 7,000 yards, but Herschel could have done the same. Dooley was just very conservative.

At 47 years old, Walker has been on The Apprentice, a Zaxby’s commercial, and is about to do some cage fighting. Top that!

Remember the SEC media days in August? Steve Spurrier was nearly hanged because he dared to vote for another player as the best quarterback in the conference.

And The Bagger’s coach is an enabler to the media bias. After a two interception performance against Mississippi State, City Muck … I mean Urban Meyer … said he had put his QB is bad situations. What situation? You asked him to complete a pass. He is, after all, the greatest player to ever crawl out of the Swamp, so completing a pass shouldn’t be too much to ask, should it?

Luckily, Georgia had last week off while Florida was getting hit hard in Starkville. In the history of this matchup, the team with an off week prior to “The Party” usually wins. Two weeks of game prep versus one. Rested legs versus having to go to Mississippi and run all night. Restful sleep versus the sound of cow bells in your head.

The season has not been great for Bulldog fans, but a win in Jacksonville would heal some wounds. Ruining Florida’s season and having something to hold over The Bagger for the rest of his life would be priceless. If given the opportunity, our coach should call time out with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and throw to the end zone even if we are up by 30. Not a likely occurrence this year, but we can dream.

My wife thinks I am just bitter because Florida is on top right now and he doesn’t play for Georgia.

So I tried to be reasonable and analyze the positives. The Bagger does do some good things. He goes on Christian mission trips and volunteers to circumcise young boys. He is a good role model for young men and women. He did manage to play in a crucial game at LSU after getting a bad boo boo. His only real character flaw seems to be that he chose to attend Florida.

Okay, enough of that, I can’t do it anymore. Knock his block off, Rennie Curran! Go Dawgs!

Written by Mike Flynn.

Tags: football, Sports
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What-cha Say Albany?

– October 30, 2009Posted in: WhatCha-Say?

IF A WOMAN WALKS out with a gun and a knife, she isn’t planning on a tea party, is she? The Albany police have a horrible city in which to work. Afghanistan would probably be safer. In the situations like this particular one, yes, please shoot to kill. Then the honest taxpaying citizens don’t have to feed and house another criminal.

THAT OFFICER WAS ONLY protecting himself. Those of you who have only bad things to say, you try responding to some of the calls police officers receive. Wouldn’t you protect yourself in the same situation? Of course you would. She was 48 and came out waving weapons. When are the people in Albany going to grow up?

AT LEAST TRHEE BRAC commissions have recommended closing Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany GA and moving the facilities to a coastal community NEAR where the vehicles and equipment is needed. Made great economic sense. But never happened. Why? Richard Brevard Russell. Sam Nunn. Newt Gingrich. Powerful politicians.

DON BUIE ALLEGEDLY STOLE thousands. The ADICA pumpers have wasted millions. Who should be on trial?

IT’S TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE across the board because this is a mess. Albany/Dougherty County won’t grow because there is corruption around every corner. I hate to be so negative but you can’t candy-coat this and keep sweeping things under the rug.

IT’S ABOUT TIME SOMEBODY started arresting these thieves. Thanks, Greg Edwards.

HAS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER Wes Smith lost his mind? “… Wheels of justice turning the way they are supposed to.” What makes LaJuana Woods so special – if anything, because she is a public official, she should be handled as everyone else.

CAN’T LEAVE “IT’S NOT my fault” Alfred Lott, Albany’s city manager, off that list.

I AM ANGRY THAT that our city officials would hire someone from another state, and then that person stabs them in the back. Buie wasn’t thinking at all. He didn’t have sense to realize that God had given him a second chance and he blew it. Greed can destroy a person’s soul.

Now if his wife goes to prison, the baby would have lost both father and mother. I am praying that the wife is not as involved as it appears now or perhaps if she tells all, she can bypass prison time. As for the public official, she knew very well that her business was not downtown. But again, trying to get something for nothing.

MURDER-DEFENDANT LONDRONDA HAMILTON is a 14-year-old child, for goodness sake! I agree that some actions committed by minors should be treated as adult crimes, but something tells me that this is not one.

[amazon-deals height="280" tracking_id="flintricom-20" width="336"]1dc030f5-9e48-401b-b5ae-1526ddce751c[/amazon-deals]THE 14-YEAR-OLD girl charged with murder should have never been placed in an adult jail by no means. Juvenile would have been the appropriate place for her.

WHAT? SHE DELIBERATELY AND violent murdered a child, if the charges are correct.

I THINK SHE HAS reached the age of responsibility and she should know right and wrong. She should be charged for murdering that child.

WILL IT BE OKAY with everyone when my son scores to roll out his prayer rug in the end zone and bow on his hands and knees to my god? Oh, so you haven’t thought about more than one religion, have you? Maybe the rule is a good one to keep church from state, huh?

DO SOMETHING GLORIOUS! THEN the glory will truly be to God. They were playing a children’s game that has rules. If you don’t like the rules, don’t play the game, or better yet, go to church on Sunday and play football during the sermon and see if church has rules for you to follow.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN that we should only thank God if he sets a bush on fire? This kid believes that everything that happens is by the grace of God and rightly so. I thank God for letting me get up in the morning to have another day with my family; does that make me wrong? Should I only thank God if I wake up after almost dying?

I live in this town and am glad this happened. It has brought about a lot of change and my son who is 9 now has a positive role model. It may be only a game, but it has, as our local broadcaster called it “a revival” for this town.

POSITIVE ROLE MODELS ARE all around us but seldom will you find them playing games and never will you find them playing games for a living. You will find them day in day out quietly doing the things that truly count like digging ditches, serving food, constructing buildings and delivering mail.

Playing is for children! I suggest you and your child think about real role models and if you can’t find any then that is truly sad. You may be looking in the wrong place.

THAT’S THE PROBLEM. YOU are not comparing apples to apples. He made a simple gesture. Too many people place restrictions on when and where to praise God.

THEY DIDN’T MAKE THE call for him pointing up to the sky and thanking God; they made the call because he took a knee. Do any of y’all know the rules? High school and colleges cannot do what he did; only in the

pro can they do that.

WHY MAKE A BIG deal over something like this; the football players know the rules.

HOW CAN AN OFFICIAL call a penalty for a player thanking God? Who told him to penalize the young man? The coach? The principal? The school board? The janitor?

I SERVED MY COUNTRY for 20 years, my state for five years, and my county for six years. All my oaths ended in “So help me God”. Try and penalize me. We have lost our way and He is watching.

Tags: WhatCha-Say?
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Small Biz Profile: Harden Tree Service

– October 30, 2009Posted in: Business

Darren Harden loves what he does for a living and when you get paid for doing what you love, then you know that you are in the right business. He learned a great deal about the business from his father, Alvin, and from removing the hundreds of trees from residential and commercial properties.

Harden has been in this business for over 30 years, since about 1970, so Darren knows what he is doing and what trees need to be removed before they start causing a property owner a lot of money. By that, I mean having the trees fall, especially pine trees, onto your home or other property and causing you a lot of grief. Damage like that can be very costly and much more than the cost of removing those troublesome trees that have weak spots and are about ready to topple over.

Harden suggests that you take a good look at the trees on your property, whether that be private property or commercial property, and don’t wait until the weak ones fall and cost you a lot of money.

It is important that you know that Harden and his crew, along with other “professionals” in the business, are fully insured which is very important to a homeowner before he lets anyone work on his property. Be sure to see evidence of this insurance so that if an accident occurs, you won’t end up digging into your pocket to pay for damages you never realized you could have. And check out the equipment that the tree removal personnel have to remove your trees. Harden has modern trucks with buckets to make the tree removal easier and safer. This not only protects his employees, but speeds up the removal of your trees and any reduction in work time will save you money.

An important part of Harden’s business is his partner and wife, Angela, who keeps him straight and makes sure that more money comes in than goes out. Her handling of the details allows Darren to concentrate on the outdoor work and the outdoors in general which he loves. Things like the insurance and other business details are what Angela likes so they make a very good team.

Besides spoiling their children, John, 9, and Emily, 10, Harden can be found weekends at the U. S. 19 South Speedway where he will be wearing the rubber off of his dragster’s tires. Darren and Angela have been married 13 years and are kept very busy with their business and weekend activities.

If you need someone analyze the condition of the trees on your property and to do a darn good job of removing any that need be, give Darren a call at 777-4554. Their business is located at 146 Reese Drive in Sylvester.

Tags: small business
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Albany Music Scene: Relapse (sort of) reincarnated

– October 30, 2009Posted in: Lon McNeil

Way back in 1992, Russell Martin, Bill Harrell, Mill Brooks, Larry Foreman, Tommy Lashley, and Henry Hart use to get together and play the kind of music they loved: beach music, the classics of Motown, and just good old rock ‘n roll.

They had a blast

Lashley, Foreman, and Brooks had been tossing around the idea of starting up a band as a hobby for years. When they raised the idea with Martin, he went to work, securing a PA system and a place to rehearse. As the lead vocalist and lead persona of the bunch, Martin saw the whole thing as simply friends relapsing into the days of their collective youth, and from that thought came the band that Albany and Southwest Georgia knows today as Relapse. The guys simply kept doing what they liked to do, the performances kept getting better, and the crowds kept getting larger.

Half the fun of hearing Relapse play, is watching how much fun they are having. It is as it has been from the very beginning — a group of guys getting together to do what they love doing.That is their secret. If they are happy, you are happy.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Relapse had become one of the most popular local bands to come around in a long time. Not since the days of Eddie Middleton and Cotton had an area band garnered such a loyal and supportive fan base. If you wanted your party or fund=raiser to draw a crowd, you booked Relapse. It was just the beginning of a journey that would bring the name “Relapse” into the 21st century, with no end in sight.

Every member of the band then had, and today has, real jobs, and full lives. There has never been a plan to shuck it all and hit the road for fame and fortune. Instead, play dates were worked into everyone’s schedules. They turned down more gigs than they played, never doing any more than eighteen shows in a year. Yet, somehow they managed to build up a reputation as a serious party and special event band. The formula actually required no mixing other than getting these life-long musicians together, amped up, and ready.

With raw talent, and Martin’s connections in the area, Relapse played to large crowds that had the social networks to spread the word fast. In a few short years the group offered much more than just the standard, guitars, vocals, and drums. Relapse soon rounded out their very full sound with a brass section that today, sets them apart from most area bands. They had quickly become the local show band of first choice, and all they had set out to do was have a lot of fun and share it.

Over the years, because of job changes, life changes, and such, the membership roster shifted now and again. The Relapse we know today began to take shape in 1994, when Benny Lomineck joined as the group’s base player. Then in 1996, Tommy Presley took over behind the drums and added more vocals, and Mark Davis signed up as the band’s sound and lighting technician. All through the 90s, Relapse continued to deliver the goods. The turn of the century saw the addition of Mac Alexander on trumpet, and Graham Crosby on sax and vocals in 2003, and Joe Maxey on trumpet in 2006. Having more fun onstage than anyone attending a show, the group continued to give every performance their all, seeming to pick up more energy with every new addition. It looked like these old boys could keep on keeping on for as long as they wanted to do it. But in 2007, things changed. That’s when Russell Martin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Martin continued to perform, and for a while things kept right on going for Relapse. In time however, Martin’s illness and energy level began to take its toll, and fewer performances were booked, some without their lead vocalist. The last thing in the world Martin wanted to see was the breakup of Relapse because of his condition, so the guys stayed together and dealt with the situation as best as they could. It had become more than a band by now. Relapse was a part of their lives, and at a time like this, the friendships and support it meant were priceless. Band members recalled the last time that Martin appeared with the group in public. It was at a performance in Destin, Fla.. Midway into the set, Martin came up from out of the crowd to sing a few songs.

“He had Mark give him a wireless microphone, and all of sudden we heard him singing as he walked up,” said Maxey, “We had no idea. It was a nice surprise.”

That powerful moment was ingrained in their memory forever. Everyone knew this would be the last time their front man and driving force would share the stage with them. They also knew that Relapse would keep playing. It is who they are.

Martin passed away on Sept. 8, 2008, and for a few months, as the group dealt with the loss, Relapse stopped performing. But not for long.

Later that year, keyboardist Ed McRee came on board. The next step was to find a permanent lead vocal replacement for Martin, if the band was going to maintain the format and style that everyone had come to expect. Albany chiropractor Davis Kinney, who had auditioned for the slot, was the obvious first choice. Kinney accepted the offer, and found a way to blend right in, doing what everyone agrees has been a fabulous job. Like the founding members, and the newest ones, his motivation was the same. Relapse is about the music and the joy of playing with kindred spirits.

There is one thing Relapse is not. It is not about the business of building and scheduling a band. Nobody is giving up their day jobs.The guys have been playing music for so long, many since childhood, that rehearsals are not a part of the process. They are quite capable of knocking out tunes on the fly, having never played them together before. If they mess up, they are usually the only ones that notice. Half the fun of hearing Relapse play, is watching how much fun they are having. It is as it has been from the very beginning — a group of guys getting together to do what they love doing.That is their secret. If they are happy, you ar e happy.

The other element of their popularity is the fact that they are “us”. Being in Relapse is almost like something they do as a way of offering a little community support, adding a bit of excitement to the lives of area folks. They manage to perform around their own family lives and work, which makes the level of performance even more amazing. It’s fair to say that Relapse has been “reincarnated” in some manner, but the process has been gradual over time. There was never a moment when the band shut down for good, only to be “reborn” with an all new group of guys under the name. The original spirit and motivation behind Relapse has been slowly and easily passed from member to member, holding on to a real sense of continuity.

When Tommy Lashley and Henry Hart recently decided to retire from the band, Jeff Lindquist stepped up this past spring to take over at lead guitar. When Lindquist had to drop out because of a move with his job, Lashley returned to help out as needed.

Today, the ’09 Relapse permanent lineup, in the order of when they joined, looks like this:

  • 1994 – Benny Lomineck, base player / Bridge Inspector for the GA DOT
  • 1996 – Tommy Presley, drums and vocals / Sales Rep for Cintas1996 – Mark Davis, sound and lighting tech / Owner of AVM Audio
  • 2003 – Mac Alexander, trumpet / Engineer for ATT
  • 2003 – Graham Crosby, saxophone and vocals / Pharmaceutical Rep
  • 2006 – Joe Maxey, trumpet / Retired Military
  • 2008 – Ed McRee, keyboards / Ed Jordan Music
  • 2008 – Davis Kinney, lead vocals / Chiropractor

A side development associated with Relapse is the attention they get from younger crowds. It was assumed at the outset that the band would attract the older folks with its format and style. The kids today that come out for a Relapse show were not even close to being born when many of the songs were on the charts. It doesn’t seem to matter. Good music is good music, and a party is a party. Relapse has managed to bridge the generations without making a serious effort to do so. It just happens.

LonMcNeil 09Written by Lon McNeil. Mr. McNeil is an Albany independent marketing consultant. Find him online at AlbanyOnPoint.

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Tags: music
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Opinion: Good life or poverty: Let’s come to a decision

– October 30, 2009Posted in: Leon Modeste

meless rate is increasing, crime continues to climb and unemployment is reaching double digits. I have traveled to countries in Africa, Central America, the Caribbean Islands and South America. Yet, there are many Albany eastside neighborhoods that remind me of these third-world nations.

Albany is 66.1 percent African American with 52 percent (11 out of 21) of the elected officials being African American. Somewhere there is a big disconnect. There seems to be a lack of serious dialogue among the elected officials and their constituents. The “media barrier” is given quite frequently by elected officials.

The per-capita income is between $18,000 and $23,000 with the bottom 20 percent bringing in $7,500 and $8,500. What kind of “Good Life” can you give a child on a poverty income? The Chamber of Commerce intends to implement a strategy called Move the Mountains to easy, not eliminate, poverty. Hopefully, they will collaborate with various community organizations and governmental agencies to defeat the treacherous condition. The picture of Albany is exceedingly bleak.

There is Biblical scripture: If there is no hope and no vision the City will ultimately perish. Maybe this is what government consolidation is about?

Just a thought.

Written by Leon Modeste.

Tags: economy, poverty
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It’s time to purge Albany High sports

– October 30, 2009Posted in: Sonny Lofton, Sports

More than half a century ago, the Albany High Indians won their third state football title. They had won several south Georgia titles back in the 1920s and 1930s, and that was the highest honor since state titles weren’t widespread in those days.

How Dreary — to be — Somebody!

How public — like a Frog —

To tell one’s name — the livelong June —

To an admiring Bog!

Emily Dickinson (Poem 288, 1896)

One city, one team, one people. That was the usual state of things back in those days. Albany, Valdosta, Thomasville, Americus, Tifton and many other cities had one high school. Smaller places like Jakin, Climax, Attapulgus, Leslie and Desoto were likewise blessed.

Progress came to larger cities such as Columbus, Macon, Savannah, Augusta and Albany in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Columbus, with two high schools, now supports nine high schools, and that doesn’t count the private institutions. Macon with Lanier High for boys and Miller High for girls now supports five public and six large private schools. Savannah and Augusta have about 15 public and private high schools each compared to only three or four just 50 years ago.

Albany, with only Albany High (white) and Monroe High (black), supported only two high schools until Dougherty High opened in 1963.Football-playing schools in Albany now number six with three other private schools that do not field football teams, but that have nearly 500 students attending their three campuses. Calculate the effect of Lee County High (1,800) students into the metro mix, and you see we are oversaturated with football teams.

Lee County in a different county stands alone while Dougherty County public schools are the only ones who could change their programs drastically and more positively. Declining enrollments in three of the four public high schools will affect both teacher positions and funding, facility usage and sports programs and region alignments in the future.

Eliminate AHS sports programs

There is no chance that any of the four public high schools in Dougherty County will ever be consolidated with any of the others. That doesn’t seem to be in the mindset of anyone I have talked with in the last 20 years. The next step would be to eliminate the sports program at AHS while keeping the high school open as a magnet school. Allow every incoming ninth grader at Albany High to pick Dougherty, Monroe or Westover as their school of choice for sports while allowing no transfers during those four years except under extreme circumstances.

Those students would be transported after school to their chosen site for athletic practice and back to Albany High afterwards. Each school could pick up 10 to 20 athletes each for football and less for other sports.

The main reason for eliminating Albany High sports is simple. AHS enrollment continues to fall and rezoning students will not help the other three high school sports teams, but could ultimately hurt them.

Current AHS enrollment is about 750 students in grades 9-12. Compare that to 1980 enrollment, which was 964 but did not include the ninth grade. If AHS had included the ninth grade on their campus as other schools do, they would have had well over 1,300 students.

Monroe with the ninth grade would have been about 1300 while Westover would have numbered over 1450 and Dougherty nearly 2000.

Current construction at AHS will spend roughly $10 million on upgrades and rebuilds on a school built in 1954. The bad neighborhood and small campus area will not meet standards mandated by the Georgia Department of Education.

Albany High was built for a student body of roughly 1,600 students and topped 1,900 before Westover High was opened in 1968. All four county high schools are older structures built on smaller campuses than schools in other counties.

Lee County’s high school has two new buildings since the early 1970s. Each school was in a larger, newer building with more adjoining open space. Bainbridge High at roughly $50 million opened this year and has a 150-acre campus surrounding it with 50 acres available for the future expansion of that school.

New high schools built since the middle 1970s include Valdosta, Colquitt County, Tift County, Thomasville Central, Thomasville, Crisp County, Worth County, Mitchell County, Pelham (2009), Bainbridge (2009), Schley County and Miller County (2009).

Expansion in metro Atlanta

Growth in the Atlanta metro area has produced a new high school or two every year for the last 10 years. Gwinnett County has 14 high schools with enrollments from 1,500 to 3,500 per school. It’s hard to keep up with the all the new facilities there.

Valdosta and Lowndes County are planning a new high school in the next year or two in the north end of the county near Hahira. A planned enrollment of about 800 students will take some of the pressure off Lowndes’ 2,700 students and Valdosta’s 2,000 students. Warner Robins and Houston County have four large public high schools and a fifth will open next year in south Houston County near the community of Kathleen. The new high school (Veterans High) has a beautiful new two -story building with all new facilities and large adjoining acreage for sports and outdoor events.

Dougherty County schools are aging rapidly and improvements and new makeovers will not solve the problem of aging locations and undersized surrounding outdoor space. Consider this: Albany High was built in 1953-54, Monroe in 1959-60, Dougherty in 1962-63 and Westover in 1966-67. The ages of these schools range from 41 to 55 years. You would have to look high and low to find any other larger schools in the south Georgia area with facilities this old and still in use. Albany and its children deserve better!

By Sonny Lofton

Tags: education, football, high school football, Sports
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State School Superintendent Kathy Cox visits Albany

– October 29, 2009Posted in: Politics

State School Superintendent Kathy Cox, who is running for re-election, was in town last week touring Albany schools, talking to the Albany Rotary club, and having a fund-raiser at the Corner Cafe.

I was at the fund-raiser, and it was a very successful event from what I could tell. A mostly different crowd from the GAGOV events I’ve been to, this one obviously having a mostly education-related crowd, including several officials from both the Lee County School System and the Dougherty County School Syste, including both Superintendents, at least a couple members of each school board, and Dougherty County School Board Chairman David Maschke. Also in the crowd was Albany City Commissioner Roger Marietta, whom I got to meet for the first time, and Lee County Commissioner Rick Muggridge.

Regular attenders of these events were once again present, including State Rep Ed Rynders, occasional SWGAPolitics.com commenter Sara, and myself.

The things that stuck out about Ms. Cox’s speech to me were her pride that Georgia is leading the charge towards a national curriculum, her insistence on technology as the solution, and the person that hounded her about trying to get the State to takeover homeschooling. Clearly, Ms. Cox was extremely proud that Georgia is leading the way towards having a national curriculum – even though Federal involvement in education is completely unconstitutional. Furthermore, I can tell you from the frontlines of the technology in the classroom battle (as I was once on the bleeding edge of it), that until student discipline is addressed thoroughly, any further spending on technology for the classroom is a complete waste of taxpayer money. I’ll have a follow-on post on that though, potentially tomorrow, as a GAGOV candidate has also been discussing it recently.

Finally, one of few things Ms. Cox said that I could fully support her on was that the state has its plate more than full with public education, and that until it manages to fix public education, she would not even consider glancing towards homes schools. This was said after repeated questions from a lady in attendance who was practically begging for state takeover of home schools – about the WORST thing that could happen in education in Georgia.

jeffsexton

Jeff Sexton.

Written by Jeff Sexton. Jeff Sexton co-owns the political blog SWGAPolitics.com and is a candidate for the Leesburg City Council.

Tags: education, kathy cox
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An unescapable love

– October 29, 2009Posted in: Headlines, Rev. Andrew

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39 (NRSV)

Why do you think Paul was convinced like he was? What is life like when you are convinced this is true? Have you been unconvinced before? Why? What was happening? Where was God’s love?

A question that has been asked of me several times goes something like this, “Can God still love me after everything I’ve done?” It seems like a simple “yes” cannot solve the actual quandary going on within the individual asking the question however. Perhaps the question arrives from the inability to love one’s self when we collapse under the weight of our own sin. Those moments of self-realization that enable us to discover we are not the people we should be sometimes become moments when we cease to love ourselves and thereby wonder if God can actually love us if we cannot love ourselves.

I once had a conversation with a mother about an unruly child. Her child had been in and out of jail, did not treat her particularly well, and had broken her heart several times. I asked her why she kept him in her life and she responded, “Because I love him, he is my son, there is nothing he can do to make me stop loving him.” I think I only understood this after I first held my son.

If this is a mother’s love for her son how much greater is God’s love for us? There is no answer to such a question, but it does seem that when we ask the question, “Can God still love me after everything I’ve done?” the only way we can respond is with a simple “yes.” There is no explanation about why God would still love; it is just how God is.

When Paul thought of the cross of his Christ he could not help but write those words of conviction about how nothing can separate us from the love of God. There displayed upon an instrument of torture was God’s love willing to suffer for the beloved, for you, for us, no matter how unlovable we think we are. For no matter who we are, in God’s eyes we are still the most precious bundle of joy ever created, and nothing can separate us from that!

GarrettAndrew2

Written by Rev. Garrett Andrew, minister of First Presbyterian Church of Albany, Georgia. Read his blog.

Tags: church, Faith
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Downtown cameras: Working out great…NOT !!

– October 29, 2009Posted in: Tom Knighton

We’ve been told that cameras in downtown Albany help make us safer. We’ve been told that cameras in downtown Albany help solve crimes. We’ve been told that cameras in downtown Albany are essential to public safety.

And yet, not a single crime has been solved with these wasteful components. Color me shocked.

I’ve been opposed to cameras from the get-go. Personally, I see them as the inevitable result of a government that views George Orwell’s classic 1984 as a guidebook, rather than a warning. The fact that so far they’ve done nothing except waste money and spy on law-abiding citizens. Not that I’m surprised.

You see, the few cameras we have in downtown Albany isn’t even a drop in the bucket compared to London, England which is generally considered the community with the most cameras anywhere in the world. The result of all those cameras? A recent study shows that only one out of 1,000 crimes is solved with the help of cameras. Now, these are constantly monitored where ours aren’t, and they’re pretty much as ineffective as our own cameras.

Instead, I’m going to posit an idea. The cameras aren’t really there to solve crimes or address any real public safety concerns. In fact, downtown Albany is actually one of the safest areas in town. The real reason for the cameras is that big cities have them. That simple.

While the City Commission rationalized and theorized, the simple fact was that Albany had to have cameras because bigger cities have them and Albany just can’t stand it not to have the latest gadget. Who cares if it’s a waste of taxpayer money? I mean, they’re just so totally awesome! We just gotta have more!

Seriously, it sounds like my kid with those Bakugan things he’s kind of obsessed with. Despite the fact that he doesn’t actually use them for their intended purpose, he wants more and more. Kind of like the City of Albany and their toys. At least I can get my son to take out the trash in return for Bakugan. What do we get out of the City of Albany and their fascination with cameras that don’t really do anything they’re supposed to do?

Now, I’ve been asked before what the difference was between a police officer and a camera. Well, the fact is that a police officer is trained to know what to look for, and can focus on those most likely to stir up trouble. Not only that, but they can actually … you know … arrest someone if they break the law. Funny how that works, ain’t it?

Some may say that cameras deter crime. My response is “how”? We’ve had high profile fights at the Civic Center, despite the cameras. Of course, the cameras weren’t looking at the Civic Center so they were about as much help as a football bat. They haven’t seem to deter a thing. In fact, the deterrence argument sounds an awful lot Obama’s “jobs saved” numbers. There’s zero proof that it’s deterred a damn thing, but the argument will continue to be made.

Just like a kid with a toy though, the City will inevitably argue for more cameras, despite the fact that they haven’t actually accomplished anything. But in the City of Albany, a track record isn’t really necessary, is it?

tomknightonWritten by Tom Knighton. Read his blog at SWGA Politics.com. A lifelong political junkie, Tom started out his adult life as a journalism major at Darton College before leaving school to serve his nation as a U.S. Navy Corpsman. Through the years, he has watched government from outside and inside. A former Reagan supporter, then later a Democrat, Tom now finds himself quite comfortable as a card carrying Libertarian and all around smart-elec.

Tags: city hall, crime, downtown, police
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Editorial: Giving God glory is not unsportsmanlike

– October 29, 2009Posted in: Jim Wilcox

High school football referees don’t put up with unsportsmanlike conduct on the football field, and that’s a good thing. But sometimes they can go too far.

Young players shouldn’t be allowed to dance around and draw attention to themselves like so many self-absorbed millionaire professional athletes. They need to learn to win and lose with class.

But what happened to a Fitzgerald High School player recently was a shame.

R. J. Davis scored a touchdown for the Purple Hurricanes and for just a brief second or two pointed toward the sky. He wasn’t celebrating his own achievement. He was giving thanks to God, but the refs assessed his team a 15-yard penalty.

People who know R. J. say he’s a good kid and a good Christian, a humble guy who would never do something to show up an opposing team. Of course, officials need to follow the rules, but this is one case where they should have shown a little restraint.

We wish the refs had kept their flags in their pockets, but we can’t say enough about the folks in Fitzgerald who want to make sure R.J. knows he didn’t do anything wrong. They made up T-shirts they wear to Fitzgerald games that say “to God be the glory.”

We say good for R.J. for sticking up for what he believes in and good for his friends and neighbors for supporting a good young man.

Tags: Faith, high school football, prep football
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