GwinnettForum | Number 21.10 | Feb. 15, 2022
BECAUSE TEACHER SHORTAGES are widespread in Gwinnett County and across the nation, schools are doing more to attract students to the profession. To that end, Georgia Gwinnett College has partnered with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators to be part of the solution to remedy that problem with their Future Georgia Educators days. In the center is Dr. Bernard Oliver, dean of GGC’s School of Education. On the left is Mary Ruth Ray, FGE Coordinator, College Services Representative from PAGE; while on the right Diane Ray, College Services Representative from PAGE. For more on this partnership, see Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Honesty and integrity await resurrection; fight on!
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Taking a look at the religion of Supreme Court members
SPOTLIGHT: Centurion Advisory Group
FEEDBACK: Wants Court to be represented with diverse religious backgrounds
UPCOMING: Braves’ World Series Trophy Coming Twice to Coolray Field
NOTABLE: GGC event moves to address teacher shortage problem
RECOMMENDED: Pie in the Sky for streaming on Amazon Prime
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Scripto strike ends with workers getting four cent raise
MYSTERY PHOTO: See if you can identify this colorful photograph
CALENDAR: Join Arbor Day observance in Norcross on Friday at 10 a.m.
Honesty and integrity await resurrection; fight on!
By Ashley Herndon
OCEANSIDE, Calif. | Never forgive evil, lying, violence, and cruelty, even less the fanatics using those tools pretending “the means are worth the end.”
Herndon
These people are poisoned and without study, there is a chance we may never see a positive end to our current crisis. Yes Virginia, losing our democracy is in crisis.
Propaganda example: “The Fascists will save us from the communists.” Really? Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, et al, tried that already, How did that end? Today’s Fascism is plantation capitalism in disguise. It has re-emerged and is maiming average Americans. We cannot allow “One Person Rule” to happen!
It is hard to be progressive while others posture, claiming Christianity. They use violent Old Testament phrases, not the words of the Master. History proves authoritarianism grows when the elite split and splinter the social/cultural structure. That includes both the supposedly educated and the not so much. The choice that was made in the 60s to curtail some subjects in school, and it 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? The oligarchic structure was sold on the “lie” that it will build wealth? This plays to the greed in everyone. However, it is not reported that the top “tiny fraction” of the wealthiest increased by the amount the general public lost.
It is said, fascism, can’t “happen here.” It already has and when it comes full circle, the installation of a fascist government will not be by coup or military takeover. It will be from the inside, with the groundwork having already been constructed. (Remember Eisenhower’s warning of the military industrial complex?) Does defeated Donald Trump practice free speech or freedom of the press? Nope! Voter suppression is his reality!
Hitler used rallies to excite people. Doesn’t Mr. Trump do this also? Nazis assumed power in Germany through democratic means, then abolished democracy. The Neo-GOP has the Bund, the KKK, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, QAnon, White Nationalists, Fritz Kuhn (the American Fuhrer) and the like waiting in the wings.
Time to remember what Samuel Johnson advised: “Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.”
Our founders did not want extreme executive powers, period. The industrial lobby is hard at work with flag waving conformists and their authoritarians squatting on and splintering the old GOP. It was once a good and necessary party, but has lost its honesty and integrity. The battle today is about justice and actual freedom for all, not for a special group or political system.
Today’s Enemy is tyranny. It is not the fault of capitalism, communism or socialism. It is fascist demagogues and oligarchs.
Sadly it is our fault. It is us, “We the People.” We let it slide. We let “them” take control while worrying about our IRAs, 401-Ks, home values, and next vacation. These will disappear when destroyed by the oligarchs.
Honesty and integrity await resurrection. They aren’t dead, just dusty. Fight on!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Taking a look at the religion of Supreme Court members
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB, 15, 2022 | When writing about diversity on the Supreme Court in the most previous issue, we failed to address one topic: the religion of the U.S. Justices.
Six of the court members are Catholic: John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Two are Jewish: Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan. Neil Gorsuch was raised a Catholic, but now attends an Episcopal church in Colorado.
In 2021, 60 percent of Americans identify with the Christian religion, and that includes 35 percent who are Protestant, 22 percent who are Catholic, and 12 percent who identify themselves simply as “Christian.” (Gallup poll.)
So….when talking about the Court and diversity, why is there only one Protestant (new Episcopalian Kavanaugh) on the Court?
Delta Air Lines flies the majority of flights out of Atlanta. What is its longest scheduled flight? It’s the longest of any airline, from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa, a distance of 8,439 miles. It takes 16 hours and 48 minutes! (Hope they carry enough fuel.) Delta also flies the third longest (Atlanta to Shanghai, 7,659 miles), and the fifth longest, (Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, 7,486 miles.)
And where does Delta fly the shortest flight? To Columbus, Ga., 83 miles. That’s short enough that they might just use a majority of fuel fumes on that flight!
Top wine-producing states: What is the third largest wine producing state in the nation? It might surprise you. No, it’s not Georgia.
California, of course, tops the winemaking list, with 680 million gallons, followed by the State of Washington. Washington recently outranked Oregon, which is now fifth, after Pennsylvania.
But then the third largest producer of wine? Believe it or not, New York State? They produce a lot of wine up there, 27.9 million gallons.
Georgia ranks 27th, producing 276,144 gallons. (That level of production in Georgia somewhat surprised me.) All these figures from the source Wine of the United States as of 2020.
The author Judy Budnitz was born in Atlanta on April 24, 1973. Her 1998 debut book, Flying Leap, was published when she was only 24. Budnitz’s stories have been described as “modern fables or fairy tales” in the vein of Franz Kafka. Her characters are ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances that stretch the bounds of reality. Her most recent collection is Nice Big American Baby, published in 2005.
Classical music lovers know that Ludwig Beethoven composed nine symphonies, and we like every one of them. The conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow (1830-1894) was moved in 1877 to call the Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 1 “Beethoven’s Tenth”, because he perceived similarities between the work and various compositions of Beethoven. We happened to hear that Brahms Symphony the other day, and yes, it sounded very much like music Beethoven would have composed. Not that I am an expert; I just enjoy that full-orchestra classical sound. What’s your favorite classical piece?
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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Wants Court to have diverse religious backgrounds
Editor, the Forum:
Let me agree totally that the educational backgrounds of the jurists should be expanded to public schools throughout the land. We have many jurists in the system who are outstanding, who didn’t go to Harvard or Yale. The contacts that are made at those schools are a significant factor in their selection, but an effort should be made to look beyond there.
Also, consider that diversity should extend to religion, or lack thereof. All the current justices are Catholic or Jewish. That doesn’t represent the majority of Americans. Where are the Protestants? Muslims? Hindus? Agnostics? Atheists? Different religious beliefs can only help the arguments and negotiations that go on behind the closed doors of the Court.
– Michael Blackwood, Duluth
U.S. government and the greater good concerning vaccines
Editor, the Forum:
As people begin to emerge from the pandemic and return to work, many are faced with the unsettling demand to either get fully vaccinated or find another job. This mandate, driven by the U.S. Government, was justified by a greater good that the vaccine will end the pandemic by stopping its transmission.
However, the vaccine doesn’t stop the vaccinated from getting the virus, nor does it prevent them from passing it on to others. It only lessens the likelihood of hospitalization and death if you get the virus. It is, in all practicality, a therapeutic no different or better than the less invasive, less exotic, less expensive off-the-shelf medications that the U.S. Government has sought to quash in order to pave the way for vaccine adoption.
The move for any government to force its citizens into taking a drug or vaccine must be based on proof of a greater good. There is none with the current vaccines and thus the government-driven employer mandates must be rescinded and citizens protected from rogue employers who seek to enforce them.
– Joe Briggs, Suwanee
Enjoyed piece on superstitions of pandemic as spot-on
Editor, the Forum:
Jack Bernard’s piece on superstitions and the Pandemic is spot-on. His list of facts and notions is a refreshing model of sanity and reason. Thank you for publishing this column.
– Mary Beth Twining, 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. The views of letters are the opinion of the contributor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net.
Braves’ World Series trophy coming twice to Coolray Field
The Gwinnett Stripers, in conjunction with the Atlanta Braves, will welcome the 2021 World Series Trophy to Coolray Field for Opening Night on Tuesday, April 12.
The 7:05 p.m. game vs. Nashville is an official part of the 151-stop Braves World Champions Trophy Tour presented by Truist, giving Stripers fans the opportunity to take a photo with the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Before the visit on April 12, the World Champions Trophy Tour is also scheduled to visit Coolray Field during the Atlanta Braves Ralph Garr-Bill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic on Saturday, February 26.
April 12 will also be a celebration of the Stripers’ unique connection to the World Series championship as Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate. A total of 23 former Gwinnett players were on the Braves’ roster during the World Series, including 14 players who suited up for the Stripers in 2021. Braves manager Brian Snitker was Gwinnett’s skipper from 2014-16, and assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes and bullpen catcher Jose Yepez have also spent time with Gwinnett.
Stripers Vice President and General Manager Erin McCormick says: “We are proud to welcome the Braves World Champions Trophy Tour to Coolray Field for our Opening Night. The road to this Championship came through Gwinnett and we’re so excited to share this historic celebration with our fans and Braves family.”
The Stripers’ 2022 season is not affected by the current lockout of Major League Baseball and will go on as scheduled. Gwinnett begins the year on Tuesday, April 5 at Memphis before returning to Coolray Field for Opening Night on Tuesday, April 12 vs. Nashville.
Cramer to be keynote speaker at Starting Point on Feb. 24
The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia is excited to announce the in-person return of their Nonprofit Academy, Starting Point, on February 24. This will be an intensive, half-day of learning and networking for nonprofits. Held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Gas South District Convention Center, the cost is $75 for the entire event.
Cramer
This year’s keynote lunch speaker is Ann Cramer, senior consultant at Coxe Curry and Associates. Cramer took on this role after retiring from the IBM Corporation as its director for IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs for the Americas.
Participants can choose to attend five tracks with three classes within each track for a total of 15 classes to choose from. The five tracks are fundraising, leadership development, storytelling, business operations and organizational development. Session topics include:
- Major Gifts/Relationship Development/Annual Giving
- Developing Leaders through Competency Assessment and Professional Development
- Power of Personality
- Storytelling that Connects
- Technology/Cybersecurity
Randy Redner, CEO and president of the Community Foundation, says: “Our nonprofits have experienced a lot during the past two years. This year’s in-person Nonprofit Academy is a great way for nonprofit leaders, their staff and board to get some energy and training to start the year. We have a great lineup of speakers and topics and are looking forward to providing our nonprofits with valuable information. There’s no better way for nonprofits to get their team even more engaged and smarter than they are today!”
In her role as senior consultant at Coxe, Curry and Associates, Cramer provides strategic consultation to nonprofit clients to strengthen their capacity in the critical areas of board development, volunteer engagement, corporate relations, and fundraising. In 2020, Ann received the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s first Corporate Social Responsibility Lifetime Achievement Award and Georgia Trend’s Georgia Hall of Fame.
Cramer is a graduate of Salem College with a degree in mathematics. In 1991, she received Salem College’s Alumnae Leadership Award. Ann and her husband, Jeff, are long-time residents of Inman Park and are members of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. They are the parents of two adult children.
GGC event moves to address teacher shortage problem
Because teacher shortages are widespread in Gwinnett County and across the nation, schools are doing more to attract students to the profession. To that end, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has partnered with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) to be part of the solution to remedy that problem with their Future Georgia Educators (FGE) days.
The events held throughout the University System of Georgia’s campuses offer a snapshot of what it’s like to be a teacher. Events offer a day trip for high school juniors and seniors on track to be educators that provide a look into the relationships they will form in a classroom, and different teaching styles that might fit with their own.
GGC’s most recent FGE day brought students from Walton County into classrooms for hour-long breakout sessions where students talked with GGC faculty who shared the joys of teaching.
The event attracted more than 40 students from Walnut Grove and Loganville high schools.
Dr. Amy Farah, associate professor of teacher education and one of the event’s organizers saysL “GGC is excited to bring back the event after a hiatus. We hope this program will impact prospective students positively, and the effects will trickle down from there.”
PAGE and GGC are set to hold more FGE days in the future.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Pie in the Sky for streaming on Prime
There are five seasons and nearly 50 episodes of this charming British series. The stories center around a rotund chef who happens to be a police inspector who wants to retire and run his gourmet restaurant. Chef Henry Crabb’s tasty creations give a glimpse of what restaurant life can be about. But his difficult police superior wants to keep him on because he’s an innovative and cunning investigator, and always finds ways to keep his egotistical and self-serving police chief from looking dumber than he really is. This isn’t your typical British murder mystery, but one that depicts police cases which show a broad representation of what police work is about, often the mundane that can turn into the bizarre. You get scenes from the restaurant wrapped around the distinctive investigations. And there’s always a bit of the comedic included. It’s a tasteful look into British life. Sample and enjoy.—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
Scripto strike ends with workers getting 4 cent raise
(From previous edition)
In 1952 the United Steel Workers attempted to organize Scripto’s workers once more, this time focusing on employees in the company’s ordnance plant, which opened in 1951 to assemble artillery shell boosters for the Korean War. James V. Carmichael, an attorney, businessman, and occasional politician with a reputation as a racial moderate, had taken over as president of the company shortly after the end of the 1947 strike.
Carmichael told the workers that he did not want either group organizing his workforce and would rather let the machinery rust than allow a union into the factory. The vote proceeded despite his wishes, and the workers again chose to join the USW. In response, Scripto fired the women most involved in the unionization efforts, and the ordnance division was shuttered two years later.
The International Chemical Workers Union (ICWU) sought to organize Scripto’s workers in late 1962 by crafting an appeal that paired labor activism with civil rights. Their message was well received, and by the summer of 1963, the ICWU had gained enough support to petition the NLRB for a union vote. Carmichael once again expressed his disdain for organized labor, telling workers that he remained “one of the truest friends the Negro ever had in Georgia or in the entire South.” Unmoved by his paternalism, the workers approved the ICWU in September 1963.
After Scripto’s legal team delayed the contract negotiations for months, 700 ICWU workers took to the streets the day after Thanksgiving 1964, demanding union recognition, increased wages, and an end to racial discrimination on the shop floor. Two Atlanta-based civil rights organizations, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), supported the strike, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. joined the workers on the picket line. King had recently received the Nobel Peace Prize, and his involvement brought international attention to the fight at Scripto.
Civil rights leaders also called for a boycott of Scripto products. On Christmas Eve, King met with Carl Singer, who succeeded Carmichael as president, to hash out a deal—a meeting arranged without the knowledge of ICWU leadership. King and Singer reached an agreement that won workers a Christmas bonus in exchange for calling off the boycott, but the ICWU felt that King had sold the workers short. Later meetings resulted in a deal that included union recognition and a four-cent raise, and the strike ended on January 9, 1965.
In 1977 Scripto moved its operations to suburban Doraville, ending the company’s investment in downtown Atlanta’s Black working-class community. The Japanese company Tokai Seiki bought Scripto in 1984 and moved the factory to California and then to Mexico. The Scripto factory building was razed during preparations for the 1996 Olympic Games, and the building’s former location now serves as a parking lot for the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
See if you can identify this colorful photograph
Here’s a colorful Mystery Photo that may be difficult to identify. We’ll say no more, but ask you to tell us where this photo was taken, and what it signifies. Send answers to elliott@brack.net and be sure to list your hometown.
The last mystery photo got few responses, even though it’s a park in Gwinnett County. Wally Watson of Stone Mountain identified it as McDaniel Farm Park in Duluth. The photo came from Miriam Machida of Watkinsville.
Stewart Woodard of Lawrenceville, says McDaniel Farm Park is a 125-acre tract of virgin farmland that is a rare treasure. A patchwork of forest, pasture and cultivated fields and is home to a variety of wildlife and native flora.
“The property consists of historic farm buildings including a late 19th century farmhouse, an early 20th century barn, a sharecropper’s cabin, several outbuildings, all of which epitomize the characteristics of a turn of early 1900’s farm in Gwinnett. The grounds of the property are relatively unchanged since the 1820 land lottery. Remarkably, the property remained a working family farm until the death of Archie McDaniel in 1999. It is just north of Gwinnett Place Mall off Old Norcross Road behind the Land Rover of Gwinnett dealership. Here is my own photo (left) of the farmhouse and barn.”
Others getting it right include George Graf, Palmyra Va.; Ann Serrie from Lawrenceville; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex.
The Duluth-Norcross Kiwanis Club will hear Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger at its February 16 noon meeting. It will be at the Duluth City Hall community room. This special event will be catered by a local Duluth Restaurant. The club extends an invitation to the public to attend, at a cost of $10.
Arbor Day will be Friday, February 18, and is a national holiday that celebrates the beauty of our nature but more specifically trees! In observance of this day, the City of Norcross participates in planting trees across the community! Join us in celebrating the “tremendous” benefits of greening our planet. Come to the Rectory(across from City Hall) at 10 a.m. for this celebration.
Job Fair: The Gwinnett Stripers will host a Job Fair at Coolray Field on Saturday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will take place in the Suite Lounge. During the Job Fair, individuals with a passion for delivering exceptional fan experiences can apply for the following part-time, seasonal gameday positions for ushers, parking attendants, security, grounds and cleaning crews, photographers, statistics operators and other game-day positions. Coolray Field’s concessionaire, Professional Sports Catering, will also be present at the Job Fair and accepting applications.
Sundays in Suwanee series: What Lies Beneath: “Exploring African American burial grounds” will be Sunday, February 27 at 3 p.m. at the Suwanee Library Branch, 361 Main Street, Suwanee. Join as Dr. D. L. Henderson discusses the history of Atlanta’s segregated Oakland Cemetery.
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