GwinnettForum | Number 21.13 | Feb. 16, 2021
WHEN LARRY FLYNT, the Hustler magazine publisher, died recently, it brought back memories for one person involved with reporters that day at the Button Gwinnett Hospital. Read Today’s Focus to learn more. The shot that paralyzed Larry Flynt and hit his attorney Gene Reeves, came from behind the center pillar of this former church building on North Perry Street. Flynt was in Lawrenceville to stand trial on obscenity charges at the nearby Gwinnett County Historic courthouse. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons.)
TODAY’S FOCUS: Havoc followed Larry Flynt’s shooting in Lawrenceville
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Someone illegally parking in handicapped zone burns me up
ANOTHER VIEW: Interesting political comparison: Old Gene and King Donald
SPOTLIGHT: Infinite Energy Center
FEEDBACK: Georgia film industry works; why change tax credit laws?
UPCOMING: Response center seeks to help residents of Lawrenceville
NOTABLE: Gwinnett Stripers will continue as Atlanta Braves AAA affiliate
RECOMMENDED: Waking Up White by Debby Irving
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Chet Atkins credited with developing “The Nashville Sound”
MYSTERY PHOTO: Beautiful subject of photograph needs identifying
CALENDAR: Town of Braselton plans two forums on its Development Code
Havoc followed Larry Flynt’s shooting in Lawrenceville
By Mike Sunshine
(Editor’s note: Mike Sunshine is a former long-time resident of Gwinnett County who operated an advertising and public relations agency in Lawrenceville and later worked for the Department of Defense and State Department. He was hired by the hospital system to help coordinate with the Flynt organization in the release of information to the media. He now resides in North Carolina.—eeb)
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. | The ambulance carrying Larry Flynt arrived at Button Gwinnett Hospital about noon March 6, 1978. Dozens of reporters were in Lawrenceville covering Larry Flynt’s trial at the courthouse on the square. They quickly descended on the hospital. They needed phones. There was only one in the lobby. Southern Bell quickly installed more, thanks to their local executive, Jim Breedlove.
Sunshine
Meanwhile, phones throughout the hospital were ringing non-stop. By the time the day ended, the hospital had received over 200 calls asking about Flynt’s condition. Many calls were from international media. Flynt was on trial for obscenity, but First Amendment rights were the real issue.
Larry’s wife, Althea, who was with him, learned late in the day her husband would not walk again. When asked what she wanted to disclose to the media, sadly, she said, “Tell them everything.”
From that point, the hospital held press conferences every four hours to inform the media about Flynt’s condition. Gwinnett Hospital System Administrator John Hughes, a former U.S. Army Medical Corps first lieutenant and registered nurse, provided detailed information to the press about Flynt’s medical condition. Later the doctor who performed Flynt’s surgery joined Hughes to answer questions from the media.
The governor assigned the State Patrol to secure the hospital and its perimeter. The thinking was there might be another attempt on Flynt’s life. I was in the hallway leading to Flynt’s room when someone walked by wearing a surgical gown. I didn’t think much about it, but the State Patrolman officer standing next to me did.
He threw the individual against the concrete block wall. Oh no, I thought, how would I explain this to the media? The officer spotted the outline of a tape recorder under the person’s gown. The masked intruder was a reporter.
People associated with Flynt began arriving in limos. You could tell they were from out-of-town, since most were wearing gold chains. Visitors included comedian and civil-right activist Dick Gregory and civil rights attorney William Kunstler.
The office of Attorney General Griffin Bell called to advise the hospital that President Jimmy Carter’s sister, Christian Evangelist Ruth Carter Stapleton, would arrive. I learned she was trying to convince Flynt to tone down Hustler magazine.
By the third day, the number of people in the hospital associated with Flynt’s empire was beginning to burden the day-to-day operation of the hospital. When presented with the issue, Althea Flynt was very understanding. She said Larry was moving to Emory Hospital for specialized care. Althea was quick to thank the hospital for saving her husband’s life.
For security, the plan was to move Flynt at midnight March 8, with the State Patrol as an escort. Fifteen minutes before the move, WSB called to confirm Flynt’s move. The hospital response was “no comment.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Someone illegally parking in handicapped zone burns me up
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 16, 2021 | Does it bother you when people park illegally in handicapped parking spaces?
Grrrr. It really burns me up. It’s an act of private aggression and at the same time a violation of the common laws of our community.
And it is downright infuriating to see a person park in such a space when their vehicle does not have a handicapped sticker.
The guy I saw the other morning was big, burly and driving a large, black sports utility vehicle. He was someone in what looked like the prime of health, maybe 40 years old, parking no more than 15 feet from the front door of a medical office, and striding in like he owned the world. When leaving my parking spot next to his vehicle a few minutes later, I made it my business to check to see if he had a handicapped sticker on his vehicle. He did not. It did not surprise me from the way he walked.
He was an example of a person who doesn’t give a hoot about the laws of society. He’ll do what he wants to, even if it means that others have to suffer, those who need to park close to the entrance, but now cannot because of his big vehicle hogging a parking space that he should not be in.
Grrrr.
I figure I can tell you something about this guy. Among them:
- If he bought something from me, I wouldn’t take his check. Would not trust him no matter what.
- If we were at a ball game, no doubt he would be the one jumping up all the time, blocking the view of those behind.
- When at a restaurant, he would fail to give servers a decent tip, and complain about the service or food.
- What you want to bet that, if divorced, he is behind in his child support or alimony payments?
- Or if married, might treat his wife and children badly.
- And break in line before others.
- Lavishly spends money in bars, and constantly hits on waitresses.
- Probably doesn’t have a lot of good to say about most people.
- And may not even respect his mother.
All this might make you think I wouldn’t like this guy. It didn’t take me long to figure out his character.
All you can hope when you see something such as this taking place is that a local policeman would just happen to pull into the parking lot, and out of curiosity, always make it a habit to check if vehicles in handicapped spaces had a sticker authorizing him to park there.
We hope this jerk someday finds a summons on his windshield when he returns to his vehicle. And we anticipate that he’ll merely tear up the summons, and in future days, does this several times more, so that when he is eventually hauled into court, he’ll face multiple violations. Yep, we hope the judge throws the book at him, fines him to the limit, and tells him that if future violations, he faces even harsher punishment.
Perhaps this guy has some sterling personal characteristics that we don’t know about. But I doubt it.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Interesting political comparison: Old Gene and King Donald
By Ashley Herndon
OCEANSIDE, Calif. | In the preface to The Wild Man from Sugar Creek, author William Anderson shares: “It was the 1930s, and the significance of the period is the significance of the politics of Eugene Talmadge. He was the antithesis of the new time, but the personification of its heritage.” I believe we can say the same thing about what and who created the last five years of torturous bombast and untruths in the nation.
Herndon
At least it was only for five years. Old Gene boasted and blasted, from turpentine trucks flat beds to farm wagons carrying picnic baskets. The current abuser, King Donald, one with no calloused hands or overalls, sits on golden thrones and rides golden escalators.
Slavery ended in 1863, but bondage did not. Emancipation created a botched Reconstruction and gave us Jim and Juan Crow laws.
A little review: both Wild Men Gene and Donald suffered frustrations and spent years trying to gain power. Their narcissism drove them. Each claimed to be for the “little man.”
Talmadge
Gene was a mediocre lawyer whose wife was left to run the farm on Sugar Creek. King Donald used his multi-millionaire father’s largesse. Each told enough lies to fill a hay wagon or paper Trump Tower.
Cultural isolation was their tool. Separate, excite, then incite. It worked both times. Why do Americans fall for this stuff? Is it the “dumbing down” of America? It has taken hold.
My granddaddy, Archie Herndon, had this thought on politics. “You take the lies out of him and he will shrink to the size of your hat. You take the malice out of him, and he will disappear.”
Both Gene and Donald had little respect for people of color, following family traditions of a Southerner and also of a New Yorker.
They demonstrated frustration and anger. Only difference: Gene did not foment an army to attack the U.S. Capitol. He kept his followers enthralled to get re-elected Governor four times (two year terms the first three times, and died before another). Gene used the State Treasury for personal use and appointed those only who bowed and preened. Sound familiar? My way or the highway.
Trump
Gene and Ex-King Donald used “emotional motivation.” No one said they were dumb. Just mean.
Gene’s appeals were aimed at the emotional and educational level of the sharecropper; his programs more often favored the farmer who owned his own farm. One of Gene’s more famous quotes: “Yeah, it’s true. I stole. But I stole for you.” Using that, he got re-elected. No. 45 did not have the guts to admit it.
Truth is, the people were used! Read and compare. It is interesting how each desired taking over the USA government personally and have one branch, the executive, with the legislature as pawn and judiciary backing them up.
Slogans:
“I gotta Eugene Dog, I gotta Eugene Cat,
I am a Talmadge man from my shoes to my hat.
Farmer in the corn field hollerin’ whoa, gee, haw,
Kain’t put no thirty-dollar tag on a three-dollar cah.”
Then today: MAGA, KAG, and “Lock her up!” Entertainment was their key ingredient. Get ‘em excited then fill ‘em with hate and confusion.
The history of humankind is the resolution of conflict. There are three ways to end it:
- Physical violence;
- Ignore it. It will go away; and
- Persuasion.
I prefer persuasion. It takes truth, grace, and care, not lies, bombast, and grievance.
Wild Men belong in a museum. No future iterations.
Twain advised: “History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Infinite Energy Center
The public spiritedness of our sponsors Infinite Energy Center allows us to bring GwinnettForum to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter is Infinite Energy Center, home to four distinct facilities in Duluth: Infinite Energy Arena, Infinite Energy Theater, Infinite Energy Forum, and The Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center For Art and Learning. Infinite Energy Arena has had 17 years of tremendous success hosting countless concerts, family shows and sporting events, and is home to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators and the NLL’s Georgia Swarm. Some past concerts include George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Beyoncé, Foo Fighters, Eric Clapton, Katy Perry, Kid Rock, James Taylor and Michael Bublé. Infinite Energy Arena also hosts many family shows including Cirque du Soleil, Disney On Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters. Infinite Energy Forum offers patrons the opportunity to host or attend a wide variety of events, from corporate meetings to trade shows to social occasions. Infinite Energy Theater has an intimate capacity of 708-seats and is home to many local events, family shows and even some comedians. The Hudgens Center For Art and Learning showcases a range of artwork throughout the year along with offering a wide range of fine art classes.
- For further information, please visit www.InfiniteEnergyCenter.com.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Georgia film industry works; why change tax credit laws?
Editor, the Forum:
It’s interesting that the state legislature would consider doing away with the film tax credit. They may want to start by evaluating the economic impact of the film industry on Georgia, compared to the credits offered.
They probably will find that the tax credits are money well spent, though I have no reason to believe any elected official would actually take that approach. Appears to me this would be very similar to the foolishness exercised by New York state, when they managed to chase away Amazon. Capital and those who are responsible for deploying it always go where such capital is appreciated and rewarded.
— Randy Brunson, Duluth
Part of Interstate 185 designed as “Chet Atkins Parkway”
Editor, the Forum:
Concerning your mention last week of Chet Atkins in the Georgia Encyclopedia, and as a frequent traveler to Columbus on Interstate 185, I know of the designation of part of that highway. As stated in Wikipedia, “A stretch of Interstate 185 in southwest Georgia (between LaGrange and Columbus) is named “Chet Atkins Parkway” This part of interstate runs through the town of Fortson, where Atkins spent much of his childhood.
— Tom Fort, Snellville
Dear Tom: Thanks for being eagle-eyed. Another tribute to Mr. Atkins. –eeb
Wonders if McConnell is lining up support for the 14th Amendment
Editor, the Forum:
In Sen. Mike McConnell’s tirade about President Trump on Saturday, I think he is doing two things. First, I think he is thinking about invoking the 14th Amendment to make it such that Trump can never hold public office again.
And I think also that he is stating that he thinks that the former President is culpable in the Capitol riots. But at the same time, I do think he might have been trying not to add to the already existing precedents to try someone after they have left office. He is probably suggesting to the Republicans in the Senate to line up with him in using the 14th Amendment.
— Raleigh Perry, Buford
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, and include your hometown. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
Response center seeks to help residents of Lawrenceville
The City of Lawrenceville and Gwinnett County have partnered with the nonprofit, Impact46, to provide $525,000 in funding for the Lawrenceville Response Center (LRC).
In response to the community impact of COVID-19, the LRC was established in April 2020 by Impact46, strategic partners and other nonprofits, to help residents of Lawrenceville. It began with a vision to provide emergency assistance with a long-term approach and collaborative strategy.
The LRC served 786 people (381 children) in 2020 with rental/shelter, childcare, utilities, employment, and food assistance. Advocating and interceding to prevent evictions through negotiations and rental arrears forgiveness, the LRC relocated 28 families from homeless/temporary living conditions to permanent housing and livable wage employment.
Jen Young, Impact46 director, says: “The Lawrenceville Response Center is the result of partnerships, large and small. Foundations, churches, and local nonprofits have helped support the residents of Lawrenceville through coordinated services, financial donations, and in-kind contributions. The Lawrenceville Response Center has managed to raise an impressive $175,000 from small and large donors, with additional funding matched by Gwinnett County and the City of Lawrenceville.”
The LRC utilizes collaborative strategy with comprehensive and coordinated services with multiple partners, including Lawrenceville Co-Operative Ministry, Georgia Center for Opportunity, Lawrenceville Employment Assistance Program (LEAP), Families First, and the Gwinnett Housing Corporation. Its 2021 Funding partners include: Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, The Scott Hudgens Family Foundation, Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services, The United Way, and private donors.
Mayor David Still says: “The original vision for the Lawrenceville Response Center was to utilize partnerships to provide solutions for immediate and long-term needs in our community.The City of Lawrenceville is delighted to provide matching funds, along with Gwinnett County, to support our community and bring about life-changing assistance to our neighbors in need.”
The LRC currently has five paid staff members. Lawrenceville residents who have lost their job and/or are housing insecure as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for referral assistance and should visit lawrencevilleresponsecenter.com to complete intake forms.
Gwinnett Stripers will continue as Braves AAA affiliate
Major League Baseball has announced that the Gwinnett Stripers have been confirmed to continue as the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves for the next 10 seasons. The Stripers are one of 120 Minor League clubs that have agreed to accept MLB’s Professional Development League (PDL) license.
At the same time, a new league alignment will see the minor league Braves have new opponents this year.
The agreement continues the longest-running affiliation in professional baseball into a 56th year in 2021, extending the franchise’s historic partnership with the Braves that began in 1966.
Stripers Vice President and General Manager Adam English says: “We are proud to remain the top level of the Braves’ Minor League system and continue a rich history with Atlanta that has been written over nearly six decades. We look forward to working with Major League Baseball under the new agreement to innovate and grow the game of baseball. And of course, it’s an honor that for the next 10 years to come, Stripers fans will enjoy their experience in Minor League Baseball while watching the future stars of the Braves play one step away from the majors at Coolray Field.”
MLB’s announcement also includes a new official league for the Stripers, who will be part of the Triple-A East. The 20-team circuit includes all 14 of the former members of the International League plus six others, split into three divisions. Gwinnett will be in the Southeast Division along with the Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox), Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays), Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins), Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals), Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers), and Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles).
The Stripers’ 2021 schedule is expected to be released soon. To be among the first to know when the schedule and other team news is announced, sign up for the Stripers’ official newsletter at GoStripers.com/newsletter.
Gwinnett Interfaith Alliance promotes understanding, respect
For years, Gwinnett County has been known for its numerous and diverse houses of worship. Now it’s becoming known for their growing connection, a connection strengthened by the Gwinnett Interfaith Alliance, (GIA), dedicated to promoting understanding and respect among Gwinnett County’s different faiths through interaction, communication and education.
At a recent Gwinnett County Commission meeting, a petition supporting removal of the Confederate memorial from the Gwinnett County Courthouse lawn was presented by a member of Medina Institute Mosque and a pastor from Grace Lutheran Church. The petition was one of GIA’s activities and was signed by members of Gwinnett’s Hindu, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, Muslim, Sikh, Unitarian-Universalist and non-denominational communities.
In October of 2018, Temple Beth David in Snellville invited members of the community to attend its vigil and worship service after the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. Formation of the Gwinnett Interfaith Alliance was a direct result of that memorial. Since then, GIA has come together to support its members after such events as the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the fatal shooting of a Sikh police officer in suburban Houston.
The commitment that the Gwinnett Interfaith Alliance has to its members extends to the entire Gwinnett interfaith community, underlining the belief that any action or event that affects one religious unit of Gwinnett County, affects all religious units of Gwinnett County. The GIA meets monthly on Zoom to discuss issues relevant to Gwinnett County’s religious community. Information on the Alliance and on its meetings can be found at GwinnettInterfaithAlliance.org, and everyone is invited to join.
Waking Up White by Debby Irving
From John Titus, Peachtree Corners: The author is a woman raised in an affluent neighborhood of suburban Boston, educated in excellent schools, nurtured in a loving family, and taught the values of hard work, thrift and achievement. She had success as an arts administrator and teacher but faces challenges in reaching black audiences and Hispanic students. She sensed racial tensions in her personal and professional relationships. This is the story of her journey of discovery and insight to overcome those obstacles and establish a different life and career in a multicultural setting after recognizing how she benefited from white privilege and systemic racism. With honesty and humility, she conveys to the reader what she has learned.
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
Chet Atkins credited with developing “The Nashville Sound”
Prior to World War II (1941-45) the Opry dominated Nashville’s musical landscape, but in the late 1940s New York–based record companies, taking advantage of the growing number of country musicians who called the “Music City” home, began to establish divisions in Nashville. Chet Atkins found steady work as a studio musician, playing on tracks by such legendary country artists as Hank Williams, the Louvin Brothers, Faron Young, and Webb Pierce.
Atkins
He developed a close relationship with RCA executive Steve Sholes, who quickly came to rely on Atkins’s skills as both a musician and a session leader. By 1953 Atkins was producing recording sessions on his own.
RCA established its first Nashville recording studio in 1954 and put Atkins in charge of its daily operations. In 1956 he played on Elvis Presley’s hugely successful RCA debut Heartbreak Hotel, which secured Atkins’s place within the company. Atkins became manager of operations at RCA in 1957 and soon convinced the company to build the legendary RCA Studio B, the first permanent record company office in Nashville.
It was in Studio B that Atkins helped create what became known as “the Nashville Sound.” Responding to changing musical tastes and the dominance of rock and roll in the youth market, Nashville artists began recording a more sophisticated country music aimed at older listeners, who usually favored such mainstream crooners as Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. Relying on a small group of musicians called the “A Team,” Atkins would often downplay or remove traditional country instruments from recording sessions, replacing them with strings and woodwinds. Although other Nashville producers were beginning to do the same thing, Atkins is credited with creating the first Nashville Sound recording, Don Gibson’s 1958 hit, Oh Lonesome Me.
The Nashville Sound proved hugely popular, and during the 1960s Atkins kept busy producing sessions for popular artists and signing new acts, including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton. During this time he also embarked on a solo career, which slowly became his main pursuit after he began to remove himself from the business side of operations during the 1970s. Studio B closed in 1977, and Atkins spent the 1980s and 1990s making solo albums for Columbia Records. He died from cancer on June 30, 2001, at his home in Nashville.
During his lifetime Atkins received numerous awards and accolades. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973 and received nine Country Music Association awards for Musician of the Year over the course of his career. He also won more than a dozen Grammy awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1993. In 1995 Atkins was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Chet Atkins died in 2001. He is buried at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens in Nashville.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Beautiful subject of photograph needs to be identified
The Mystery Photo this week might be called a cream puff, and if so, it’s a beautiful cream puff of a bridge across a waterway. So the question is: what’s the name of the bridge, why, and where? Send your answer t
o elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Nobody so far has come up with a sufficient answer as to the use of the instruments shown in the past Mystery Photo. But there have been several ideas tossed out, though none ring a bell.
These pieces of steel were found when cleaning out the editor’s basement recently. He recalls using them, but does not remember how they were used. So, in came lots of answers. Maybe by printing these answers, somehow something will click with someone, and the routine use of these eight steel pieces (apparently all eight to use at the same time) will jump out at us.
Here are what some people thought might be the answer: “These are old wedges.”
“They are ‘rail spikes,’ also called a crampon, and are part of the rail fastening system for railroad tracks.”
“My guess is piano tuning tools…”
“Your pictures look like straight razor boxes off long ago.”
“I think they are for sharp-edged tools like chisels or drill bits.”
“These are wedges for splitting logs into firewood , split rails, or other purposes for wood. I still have several from my boyhood.”
“My first guess is they are cast iron bathtub feet. Do you or did you have a cast iron tub?”
“I believe these were used to split rocks or rails. Each spike was inserted sequentially to enlarge the initial crack and hammered down with a sledgehammer. Shades of John Henry.”
None of these answers seems entirely plausible for the items. Anyone else want to chime in?
Braselton plans two forums on its Development Code
Two public forums are set in the Town of Braselton concerning an update of its Development Code. There were virtual and in person options and the meetings were identical. The first meeting was on February 15 on Zoom. The February 16 will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Braselton courtroom located in the Braselton Police and Municipal Court building at 5040 Georgia Highway 53.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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