GwinnettForum | Number 21.05 | Jan. 19, 2021
HUGELY VISIBLE: From Interstate 75/85 when driving through Atlanta, look east and you can see the tall tower of the Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, with its iconic “Jesus Saves” sign on its steeple. It is the oldest African-American congregation in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta. For more on this historic church, see Georgia Tidbit below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Never forgive evil, lying, and cruel means
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Updating our List of Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett County
ANOTHER VIEW: He’s willing to trust the unknown future to a known God
SPOTLIGHT: Imagine Advertising and Global Signs
FEEDBACK: Many reasons why Bubba McDonald only GOP runoff survivor
UPCOMING: Gary Guan to seek Gwinnett Republican chairmanship
NOTABLE: Jackson EMC seeking youths for Washington D.C. tour
RECOMMENDED: Red Notice by Bill Browder
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Big Bethel Church is pillar of the Sweet Auburn area
MYSTERYPHOTO: Almost springtime scene is today’s Mystery Photo
Never forgive evil, lying, and cruel means
By Ashley Herndon
OCEANSIDE, Calif. | Never forgive evil, lying, and cruel means.
Herndon
And forgive less the fanatics that use those tools for an excuse to pretend the means are worth the ends. They say, “Gotta break a few eggs…” or “They’re doing the best they can.” There are people so poisoned or without study that there is a chance we may never see a good ending.
Example: “The Fascists will save us from the communists.” Tried that already…how’d that work out? Fascism is imperialism and plantation capitalism in disguise. Except now it is practiced in this country against Americans. One-person rule. Nope, not this week!
It is hard to be progressive while others posture such as patriotism, some “praying all the way,” claiming Christianity, but using fierce Old Testament phrases which are not the words of the Christ.
As split and splintered as we are, is it any wonder authoritarian behavior looks appealing to some supposedly educated, and those not so much?
The choice made in the 60s to control teaching has worked. America has been dumbed down at every level. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Castro learned that by controlling the press they could dominate the contemporary population.
Do I remember correctly that the new structure was sold on the basis it would/will build wealth? But it is not reported that the growth is only to the top tiny “fractional” group that is increased?
It’s not that fascism can’t happen here…it already has. If it comes full circle, the installation of a fascist government will not be a coup or military takeover. The groundwork has already been laid in the ideological worldviews of too many American minds. (Remember Eisenhower’s warning of the military industrial complex.) Does the defeated president speak of free speech or freedom of the press? Is disenfranchisement not only a topic but a reality? Are rallies used to excite people like Hitler’s in Berlin?
We have had and still have the Bund, the KKK, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, QAnon, White Nationalists, Fritz Kuhn (the American Fuhrer) and the like. Nationalist Socialists assumed power in Germany through democratic means,then abolished democracy.
Samuel Johnson advised: “Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.”
Our founders fought executive actions being used under the pretense of “emergency measures” to “preserve the American Way of Life.”
The industrial lobby is hard at work with flag waving conformists and their apathy is squatting on and splintering the Republican Party. It was a good political party at one time when it actually stood for honesty and integrity.
The battle today is about justice and a spirit of freedom for all, not a particular social or ethnic group or political system.
Tyranny is not the fault of capitalism, communism, socialism, fascism, the demagogues, or their oligarchs…it is our own fault. It is all of us, we the respectable people, who are either too lazy or lack the conscientiousness to fight. We let “them’ take power and control while worrying about our IRAs, 401-Ks, home values, and retirement. These will disappear or be destroyed by inflation or deflation.
Somewhere honesty and integrity await resurrection. They aren’t dead, just locked up. Unleash them again and it’ll benefit us all.
Never forgive evil, lying, and cruel means.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Updating our List of Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett County
JAN. 19, 2021 | A big” Hurrah!” for Gwinnett County. Two of GwinnettForum’s Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett County were achieved during 2020.
Gwinnett County took action in 2020 to ban all tobacco and vaping products from Gwinnett Parks. The outright ban will not only clean up our multi-layered park system, but it makes them healthier at the same time. It’s good to see the government take action when a situation demands it. Soon signs will be erected in the parks to tell users that tobacco products are not allowed. The actions have further ramifications, since the Gwinnett cities usually follow the county lead on such items.
Another Objective also saw successful completion. We were in general pleased at the high quality level of candidates who presented themselves to the voters in the election this year. The list included a lot of diverse ethnicities, which we are proud to see. Our hope is that in all instances, those elected to office will succeed in office and become even better public officials.
We happily remove the banning of tobacco and seeking high quality candidates officially from our list.
Our List of Continuing Objectives for 2021 now looks like this, which we have arranged in priority:
- 21st century salary for the Gwinnett County Commission members.
- Require establishments that serve alcoholic beverages to halt sales of such products at 2 a.m., and close by 3 a.m.
- More diverse candidates for appointment to local boards.
- Creative efforts to support the arts in Gwinnett.
- MARTA rail for Gwinnett from Doraville station to Gwinnett Arena
- Advancement and expansion of city and Gwinnett historical societies.
- Move statewide non-partisan judge election runoffs to the General Election.
- Rewrite the rules to require the Georgia Legislature to meet only once every two years.
Note that our new first objective is to pay members of the Gwinnett County Commission a reasonable salary. We include both the full-time chairman and the part time district commissioners in this quest. We respectfully ask that the Commission appoint a board of Gwinnett citizens to recommend this increase in salary before the third quarter of 2021. That way the full county commission can approve their work and submit it to the Gwinnett delegation to the General Assembly for action in early 2022. Then, this action can take place for those elected to office in 2023.
For those of you unaware of the current salaries, the chairman is paid $74,749, while district commissioners make $45,000.
The second Objective we emphasize today is the need of lowering the hours of operation for bars and restaurants in the county. We say again, nothing good happens at these drinking institutions after 2 a.m. Some stay open to 5 a.m.! We have no problem with them serving alcohol. We have a big problem with them staying open until the late hours of the morning. We call on the County Commission to make this move to lower the hours allowed to open until 3 a.m. and we’ll see a safer and healthier Gwinnett County.
In the 2020 elections, Gwinnett saw more action and participation from people with diverse backgrounds. Now is the time for this divergent population to become members of the various governmental boards and commissions of the county. In addition, it’s time for the many other non-governmental agencies and nonprofits to include people “not from around here” among its members and directors. We urge all these agencies to move forward on this Objective.
We make no further comment on the other objectives, which we have commented about before.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
He’s willing to trust the unknown future to a known God
By Randy Brunson
DULUTH, Ga. | Given the national drama of the last year or so, let’s take a short walk through history for perspective. The themes are our understanding of ourselves, and our role in the world.
Beginnings: America between 1790 and 1820 was developing a national identity. Hamilton was a fan of a strong central government, while Madison and Jefferson preferred a more agrarian federation of states. The early 19th century saw the defeat of the Muslims of the Barbary Coast and a reminder to Britain that we were a free country. Many of these decisions were accompanied by name calling, personal attacks, duels, and fistfights. America moved forward.
Identity Crisis: The question of a strong federal government versus strong states continued. Jackson favored a strong federal government, Calhoun favored strong states, Henry Clay mediated. Slavery was the issue around which this tension coalesced, leading to the Civil War.
As the Civil War started, most states sent local militias. At the end of the war, the northern Army was unified, and for the first time, America, and in particular the north, stood as a unified country. Some 60-70 years into our life as a nation, we resolved our first identity crisis and thankfully, decided that we wanted no part of human slavery. America moved forward.
World Stage: The 1870’s through the early 20th century saw immigration, capital/labor strife, and America’s participation outside its borders. Racism and discrimination against immigrants were rampant, with the Irish and Chinese bearing the brunt of this racism, while many blacks suffered under Jim Crow laws.
The wealthy faced intense antagonism, fueled by journalists, politicians, and others with platforms. Socialism, communism and workers unions made great progress during this period with Eugene Debs, one of the leaders of the Socialists/Communists, gathering six percent of the popular vote in the 1912 election.
The U.S. entered World War I to protect our merchant ships. In 1918/19, GI’s returned home, flooding the labor market, and bringing what was called Spanish Flu.
Unemployment surged, wages and commodity prices dropped, and almost everyone had family who died from the flu. America began to embrace its identity as the emerging world leader, employers began improving working conditions for employees, and immigration continued. America moved forward.
Flower Power and Vietnam: The military action in Vietnam was enormously unpopular, and again, America faced questions about its handling of the race question. There were riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968, as well as the assassinations of both Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK and Bobby Kennedy. We remember the trial of William Calley over the My Lai Massacre, the killing of four students at Kent State University, and the Patty Hearst kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
One of the early race riots was in the Watts section of Los Angeles in August 1965, though they spread throughout the country over the next several years. Again, America was in crisis, and again, America moved forward.
And Now? More social unrest, another pandemic, spiking unemployment and political tension.
These stories are as old as our country and recorded history. There has always been sickness and death and both will continue. Misunderstanding and suspicion are part of the human condition, though each of us can opt out of this approach in favor of building relationships with others. Political tension and crooked politicians are a fact of life. Will we choose to move forward?
Let’s choose a song phrase to wrap up. From Corrie ten Boom: “I am perfectly willing to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Imagine Advertising and Global Signs
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today we welcome new underwriters. They are Imagine Advertising and Global Signs, two separate companies that are jointly owned and co-located right here in Peachtree Corners. Imagine Advertising is a full-service advertising agency that specializes in creative design, print, and digital services – including their subsidiary, Imagine Retailer, which hosts and manages some 500 web sites for retailers across the country. Global Signs is a full-service sign company that has been in business since 1952. Acquired four years ago, Global designs and fabricates all types of indoor and outdoor signage, and currently works with seven of the top ten home-builders in the country. Relevant websites, to learn more, are: www.imagineadv.com; www.globalsignsusa.com; and www.imagineretailer.com.
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Many reasons why Bubba McDonald only GOP runoff survivor
Editor, The Forum:
Echols, left, and McDonald.
Of the three Republicans on the January 5 run-off ballot, only PSC Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald survived. Some suggested it was the Dalton Trump Rally audience chanting, “Bubba, Bubba, Bubba” that gave him the victory. Others said it was simply incredible luck that he won his third statewide run-off. But anyone with a pulse that follows Georgia politics, they know differently.
First, McDonald is 82 years old. Most people that age are either dead, in an assisted-living home or making plans to be. Not Bubba. He was circumventing the Peach State in his “wrapped” Kia Telluride emblazoned with the phrase “Advancing Georgia’s Solar” on the side. His energy level for his age is nothing less than astounding. The man flies his own airplane, captains a houseboat, trots on his horse, and drives any number of vehicles including four-wheelers, motorcycles, a VW Bug and even an old Model A Ford. That energy allows him to go everywhere and meet everyone—and he is a guy you don’t forget.
Second, Bubba served for 20 years in the Georgia Legislature, and before that as a county commissioner. Then 16.5 years on the statewide Public Service Commission (first appointed by Zell Miller for an unexpired term.) Multiply that over 36 years of being in office, and it is not hard to understand how he outperformed everyone on the ballot.
Finally, Bubba’s political “sense” is as keen as it comes. He has helped negotiate major policy changes in the state including bringing solar power into existence in Georgia—but in a way that has made sense. He helped create a market-driven approach to renewable energy that is the envy of the country. Add to that his stalwart support for nuclear energy, cheap natural gas and a splash of biomass—and you can see why he is popular with most people. And did I mention that our rates are 14 percent below the national average?
McDonald is a legend in Georgia, and his defiance of the odds in the recent election prove it.
— Tim Echols, Athens, member, Georgia Public Service Commission
Trump will long be remembered for undermining electoral system
Editor, the Forum:
With regard to Greg Stopher’s notable accomplishments of President Trump, I daresay there may be some difference of opinion about the effect of those accomplishments.
As to his claim that President Trump will be one of the “most consequential presidents in U. S. history” I would offer this observation. One of Trump’s accomplishments and of greatest significance has been to attack and undermine the confidence of millions of Americans in the integrity and fairness of our electoral system. The consequences of that will last for long after he leaves office. It will take our country years to recover from that unwarranted attack on the election system.
— John Titus, Peachtree Corners
Wants state of Georgia to halt using Daylight Savings Time
Editor, the Forum:
We need to act quickly to push for Georgia to opt out of changing to daylight savings time this spring. Every time we change from Eastern Standard Time or back there is much discussion about the problems. It causes health problems, danger on our roads and children having to go to school in the dark. Then it is dropped, and nothing is done so it changes again next time. We need to get ahead of the issue so it can be taken care of to make the time change a thing of the past.
— Sarah Davis, Lawrenceville
Dear Sarah: We hear you, but come down on the opposite side of Daylight Savings Time. It would put Georgia out of sync with the rest of the nation. Should it happens, it needs to be nationwide.–eeb
Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 300 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
Guan to seek Gwinnett Republican chairmanship
Guan
Gary Guan of Peachtree Corners has announced his candidacy for chairman of the Gwinnett County Republican Party. He ran unsuccessfully for a District 40 Senate seat in 2020, and had been a Republican candidate for the Senate in 2012. Edward Muldrow is presently the county chairman.
He says: “I am now officially declaring my candidacy for Gwinnett County Republican Party Chairman for the term 2021-2023. I will dedicate the next two years to work on rebuilding and the comeback of the Gwinnett GOP through some serious soul searching and realigning to our conservative core values. I have been working hard on inclusion, not only including new blood to the party from diverse communities with different racial, ethnic, and cultural compositions but also diverse views and political spectrums of the conservative groups of the Republican ranks.”
Guan says that he wants to put an end to infighting. “I will work toward unifying the Gwinnett GOP so that we can accomplish our clearly defined goals and objectives for the next two years.”
Guan is a mediator and translator. He says that he will personally reach out to the overall communities to bring them into our conservative causes and our Republican Party. “My goal for these two years will be zero loss of any Republican seat in the 2022 midterm election in Gwinnett County and reverse (not just stop) the Blue downfall by regaining a minimum of three lost Republican seats.”
Jackson EMC seeking youths for Washington D.C. tour
Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is accepting applications for a Youth Tour competition.
Since 1964, the nation’s electric cooperatives have sent student delegates to Washington, D.C. for the annual Youth Tour, organized by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), to gain a personal understanding of American history and their role as a citizen. Jackson EMC began sending delegates to participate in 1971.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Jackson EMC will award four outstanding high school students with college scholarships. These scholarships will be awarded in 2021 in lieu of the Youth Tour experience in Washington, D.C., which was canceled by NRECA.
Current high school sophomores and juniors in the Jackson EMC service region who have demonstrated leadership potential, academic success and community service can download an application at jacksonemc.com/wyt. The deadline to apply is February 26.
Ten finalists will participate in a virtual interview with a panel of business, community and university leaders to be selected as one of Jackson EMC’s four students to receive a Youth Tour scholarship.
Red Notice by Bill Browder
“Many Americans can’t conceive of the way Russia works today. Bill Browder sought to make his fortune in Russia. (He is the grandson of Eric Browder, the communist who ran for president of the USA in 1936 and 1940.) Browder was a super successful hedge fund manager, then found himself on the ‘other side’ of Russian law. Luckily, he got his fortune out of the country, but his former employees were unlawfully under siege by Russia. Browder didn’t let them down, working from afar first one miracle after another to rescue all but one, his lawyer, who later the Russians tortured and eventually murdered. This book straightway points to Vladamar Putin and his illegal punishment of many on the way to his presidency. Eventually, Browder succeeded, championing the U.S. Congress to bar unscrupulous Russian oligarchs from this country. An eye-opening book, a true story, that makes hairs rise on your back.”—eeb
An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Send to: elliott@brack.net
Big Bethel Church is pillar of the Sweet Auburn area
Part of the Sweet Auburn district, Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is believed to be the oldest predominantly African American congregation in the metropolitan Atlanta area. A pillar of the Auburn Avenue community, the church is known nationally and internationally for its religious pageant, Heaven Bound.
Big Bethel AME has congregational roots dating back to 1847. The original congregation was made up of enslaved men and women who were given permission to worship in the white Union Church. Members selected the name Bethel Tabernacle when construction was completed on their first church building in 1855. During the Civil War(1861-65), Bethel Tabernacle was used as a smallpox hospital. After the war, as African Methodism spread throughout the South, the church offered classes to newly freed African American children. In 1866 Bethel Tabernacle, led by the Reverend Joseph Wood, joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) organization.
The church experienced significant growth during the 1930s as families migrated from rural areas to the city. In order to address the continued indebtedness brought on by rebuilding the church and the additional challenges of the Great Depression, Big Bethel continued to offer performances of Heaven Bound to packed audiences. Choirs from the church also performed in 1939 at the world premiere in Atlanta of the film Gone with the Wind , and at Warm Springs for U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt.
As African American residents and businesses continued to move out of the Auburn Avenue district during the 1970s and 1980s, Big Bethel also experienced a decline in the size of its congregation. Despite this fall in numbers, the church and its members remained active in the local community. Under the leadership of the Reverend McKinley Young, Big Bethel used its ministries to help those in need of food and clothing, as well as those in prison. The church’s interior and exterior, as well as its 56-year-old Moller organ, were completely refurbished in the mid-1980s.
During the 1990s and 2000s, despite the changes taking place around it, Big Bethel worked to maintain the Sweet Auburn district. One way the church did so was by purchasing land on Auburn Avenue in order to preserve the district’s historical integrity. In the early 2000s, Big Bethel, under the leadership of the Reverend James Davis, worked with architect J. W. Robinson on another renovation of the church’s historic sanctuary.
Throughout its long, dynamic history, Big Bethel has hosted a variety of well-known speakers, including U.S. President William Taft, education leader Mary McLeod Bethune, Georgia Governor (later U.S. president) Jimmy Carter, South African president Nelson Mandela, and (future) U.S. President Bill Clinton. The church continues to fulfill its mission of providing spiritual guidance to its congregation while also playing a key role in the economic development and historic preservation of the Sweet Auburn neighborhood.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Almost springtime scene is today’s Mystery Photo
With Gwinnett experiencing cold weather these days, let’s look forward, such as in today’s Mystery Photo of a blooming scene which will eventually arrive again this year. (Remember, “If winter comes….” (You know the rest.) Determine where this photograph was made and send your answer to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
The last Mystery Photo found plenty of spotters. They included Randy Brunson, Duluth; Billy Chism, Toccoa; Stewart Woodward, Lawrenceville; Bo O’Kelley, Peachtree Corners; Kay Montgomery, Duluth; Barbara Myers, Snellville; Lou Cameio, Lilburn; and Jim Cofer, Snellville.
Alan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. wrote: “Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel was created by Cason Jewell Callaway (1894-1961) as a tribute to his mother Ida Jane Cason Callaway (1872-1936). Cason Jewell Callaway, a co-founder of the Callaway Resort and Gardens, got his inspiration for the Memorial Chapel from the designs of 16th-century Gothic chapels, but added a local flair, in remembrance of his upbringing in Georgia, with the addition of the beautifully crafted stained glass windows that depict a colorful variety of Georgia pines, softwoods, and hardwoods throughout the four seasons in Georgia.
“Today, the chapel is used for small weddings as well as a non-denominational Sunday morning service throughout the summer months and during the Christmas season. You can hear the majestic sounds of the chapel’s custom-built Möller pipe organ during regular concerts that are normally held each weekend afternoon.”
George Graf of Palmyra, Va. added: “From the beginning, Cason J. Callaway, founder of the Callaway Gardens, visualized a place of peace and beauty set within the heart of the Gardens. This place of serenity would be especially so visitors could meditate and worship. The Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel was built to honor Cason Callaway’s mother whose life had been that of an exemplary Christian, and who was, he felt, the greatest influence for good and truth in his own life. Callaway spent many hours choosing the perfect site for this project but died before having the opportunity to step inside the chapel he saw in his mind’s eye.”
- Send your answer to elliott@brack.net to include your hometown.
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