developers. Norwood recently introduced a bill that would return 84,000 acres of federally owned land around Lake Thurmond to the counties in which the land is located. Hotels dotted all around Lake Thurmond — what a travesty that would be! Let’s hope that Duncan Wheale is removed from the courts. I see Andy “Why Can’t We All Get Along” Cheek has been writing into the Whine Line again last week. I have many opinionated, funny friends who also love to read the Spirit. Then why is it that your Whine Line is full of sevenparagraph treaties about the school board, or nine-paragraph whines concerning some loser considering running for some seat. Why doesn’t anyone cool whine? I read with great interest the article about the local NBC affiliate choosing not to air “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” OK. It’s not surprising. The thing that caught my attention, though, is when the station GM claimed he had received
“2,800 e-mails” imploring him not to air a specific “Tonight Show” episode because of some planned dirty puppet routine. Oh, Pleeeeze. I read three papers a day and every national magazine I can get my hands on, and never heard of this. And you want me to believe: (1) that almost 3,000 people that simple-minded actually own computers; (2) That almost 3,000 people that actually live in Augusta and watch TV were so offended by this notion that they fired off an email to you; (3) That almost 3,000 that simple-minded stay up past 10 p.m. in the first place? Let me get this straight: Billy Morris wants a new civic center, the arts community wants a new arts center, the judges want a new judicial center, the golfers want a Golf Hall of Fame and now some guy wants to build a new baseball stadium on the Riverwalk? Meanwhile, dozens of buildings are empty all over downtown and in Richmond County, most notably the enormous white elephant, Regency Mall. It doesn’t take a lot of logic to figure this one out, now does it?
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Congratulations parents. You can send your children to any public school in Georgia and not worry about it being a “persistently dangerous” campus. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, there has not been a school in Georgia that for three years in a row reported members of its student body being charged with a serious crime such as murder, rape, armed robbery
or aggravated child molestation. Georgia schools also have not had a case in which 2 percent of a school’s population was charged with weapons possession, making terroristic threats or drug possession within that same three-year period. Whew! What a relief. Your kids might not be getting a great education, but at least they’re not going to get shot.
Thumbs Down It’s sad when a predominantly black church in Shreveport, La. has to resort to doling out its own dollars to achieve a diverse congregation. Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Church reportedly started a new campaign last week which pays whites $5 an hour to attend church on Sunday and $10 an hour for a Thursday night service. According to
the Associated Press, the church’s bishop, Fred Caldwell, believes God is sick of America being segregated on Sunday. “God wants a rainbow in his church,” Caldwell was quoted as saying. Well, let’s hope whites who decide to take Caldwell up on his offer realize God may want diversity, but it shouldn’t have to come at a price.
A person should be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, someone accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl in Colorado maybe should think twice about accepting a Teen Choice Award for favorite male athlete of the year. According to The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bryant, along with his wife, attended the Teen Choice Awards — which was taped on Saturday, Aug. 2 but aired on Fox on Aug. 6 — where the L.A. Laker accepted his award. Kobe Bryant: Today’s role model for teens.
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