I suspect some people living along MacDuff Parkway, north of SR54 and west of SR74, may not realize they live in Georgia House District 71. Therefore, they may not get information about the important race for that district. This letter is primarily for my neighbors, but holds thoughts for anyone in any district, county, or state in the United States.
On November 3rd, I will have an opportunity to vote for Jill Prouty, whose platform is based on themes of inclusiveness, social justice, and specific actions, like expanding health care coverage, protecting natural resources, safeguarding human health, and strengthening public schools.
Her opponent is Phil Singleton, whose platform seems to consist only of “Stand with Kemp and Trump.”
That platform is awfully vague, so I decided to check into it. What does “Stand with Kemp” mean? Well, Kemp opened the state of Georgia much sooner than was safe, much sooner than numbers indicated, much sooner than logic and clear thinking would suggest, and certainly much sooner than we had adequate and readily available testing and tracking for Covid-19. This is likely why the seven-day rolling averages of new Covid-19 cases and deaths in Georgia have been steadily rising since late May.
While numbers of new cases may be partly because of more testing, the number of deaths measure real deaths of real people and cannot be blamed on anything but Kemp’s opening the state too soon.
Kemp said he would not require anyone to wear a mask because Georgia wasn’t a “nanny state.” His decision was not based on rational thinking or science. It was based on a sound-bite and a poorly-defined throwaway phrase.
It seems by Standing with Kemp, Singleton has chosen an idol with feet of clay.
What does “Stand with Trump” mean?
Trump, who originally chastised Kemp for opening Georgia early, and later praised him for doing so. Trump who refuses to wear a mask. Trump who plans huge rallies at which his hoped-for crowds will make safe-distancing impossible. Trump, who threatens governors who don’t open quickly and states which try to conduct a fair election by mailing absentee ballots (or applications for them) to every registered voter. Trump, who threatens to override governors who try to protect church-goers by placing the same limits on churches that are placed on any gathering place.
No, by Standing with Trump, Singleton has found another idol with feet of clay.
This reminds me of my late father’s favorite poem. He was a Marine Raider, a major who saw combat in the Pacific in WW II.
Ozymandias, by Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveler from an antique land,
Who said — “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert
… on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Paul Lentz
Peachtree City, Ga.
