Opinion

By Walter Geiger

I have always loved basketball. I spent hours upon hours shooting hoops in neighborhood driveways, dreaming, as did every other kid, that my shot was a last second one that won a big high school or college game.

That dream never materialized because I was too short, too slow and lacked the skills. But I loved the game. My family left Savannah midway through my sophomore year of high school for the metropolis of Ailey. I quickly adopted the Montgomery County Eagles, the team at my new school.

This was different from city ball. MCHS played in quonset hut and band box gyms around south Central Georgia in old Class B. We would roll up to towns like Dudley, Dexter, Alamo, Hazlehurst, McRae, Soperton, Lyons and the like. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

In a letter he wrote in the middle of the first century to Christians living in the Greek city of Corinth, the Apostle Paul presented a strong case that he and his fellow ministers had the right to be paid for their service. He asked, “If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits?” (1 Corinthians 9:11).

As someone who has collected many a paycheck from churches, I say, “Preach it, Brother Paul!” [Full Story »] 

I have been around guns most all of my life. I have no fear of them though I realize some people do and that is fine. Different strokes for different folks, as Sly Stone sang.

I enjoy dove and quail hunting. I spent my last two and a half years of high school at Montgomery County High School in Mt. Vernon with a large group of hunters. The student and teacher parking lots were full of trucks. Those trucks had gun racks that held loaded shotguns and rifles.The keys were in the ignitions and the windows were down when it was warm.
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By Mike Ruffin

Every great once in a while, my father, the late great Champ Ruffin, would decide it was time to get a new used car. He had one main criterion for any vehicle he purchased: it had to have four doors. The reason was that we transported “the ladies” (as he called them) to church every Sunday. There were thrEvery great once in a while, my father, the late great Champ Ruffin, would decide it was time to get a new used car. He had one main criterion for any vehicle he purchased: it had to have four doors.

The reason was that we transported “the ladies” (as he called them) to church every Sunday. There were three of them and three of us. I’d sit in the front seat between Daddy and Mama, the ladies would sit in the back, and off to Midway Baptist Church we’d go.

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About 10 years ago, I was driving down the road when I got a call from Don Bohensky. Our youngest, Livia, was eight or nine at the time and had about four or five years of recreation soccer under her belt. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

Ever since I voted in my first election in November 1976, I’ve considered myself a political moderate. Now, I acknowledge that I usually vote for one party’s candidates because that party’s perspectives and policies for the most part align better with mine than those of the other party. But I’ve always wanted the elected representatives of both parties to put the good of the nation (or the state, county or city) ahead of a particular political agenda. I’d like them to negotiate and to meet in the middle in order to do all they can do to help us be all we can be.

I don’t think bipartisanship and compromise are cuss words - I’ll say them right out loud, even at church. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

We’ve lost three astronauts in recent months.

Paul Weitz died on October 22, 2017. He piloted Skylab II, which was the first manned mission to America’s first space station, in 1973. He was also the pilot for the first flight of the space shuttle Challenger in 1983.

Richard Gordon died on November 6, 2017. He walked in space twice while orbiting Earth on Gemini 11. As Apollo 12’s command module pilot, he circled the moon while the other two astronauts landed on and traversed its surface. [Full Story »] 

By Walter Geiger

I have consciously refrained from writing about UGA football this year because, after the fast start, I did not want to jinx them. Now, after close observation of the 13-2 season that ended in overtime in the national title game, I can tell you for certain that the Bulldogs are back.

Under former coach Mark Richt, the Dogs teased. They were up and down. Richt never put a premium on recruiting linemen, particularly offensive lineman, and, as a result, his teams could be counted on to wet the bed against an inferior opponent at least once a year.

Going into big games, I just assumed Richt’s teams would lose and was happily surprised if we did not. Richt has been thoroughly exorcized from the program now and, after its second season under new coach Kirby Smart, that program is ascendant.

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By Mike Ruffin

Early in the morning of June 17, 1972, police arrested a group of men who had broken into the offices of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. Thus began the scandal that became known by the name of the building that housed those offices: the Watergate.

I was just shy of 14 years old when the break-in occurred. In 1973, I got to participate in a week-long government studies program in Washington. A leader of the program suggested that we subscribe to some national news magazines. I did. Before long, I was obsessed with Watergate. I read everything I could about it. I even bought a record called The Watergate Comedy Hour (featuring Jack Burns, Avery Schreiber and Fannie Flagg, among others), some of which was funny. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

I’d like to state my church credentials for you: I was born to Christian parents who went to church every time the doors were opened, I was taken to church for the first time when I was ten days old, I was baptized when I was seven, I was licensed to preach when I was fifteen, I was ordained to the ministry when I was seventeen, I have three degrees from two Baptist schools, I have pastored six Baptist churches, and I have taught full-time for one Baptist college and part-time for five Baptist colleges and one Catholic college. [Full Story »] 

Commercialism has turned Christmas into an indicator. The strength of our economy is judged by the amount of money spent in stores and online from Black Friday through the end of the season.

From what I have seen and heard, there should be records set this year as the economy is in much better shape than it has been in many, many moons both locally and nationally.

Christmas is the season of giving and one must buy gifts in order to give so the economic impact of Christmas is a desirable byproduct of the shopping season. In my estimation, a few people love Christmas shopping while a lesser number absolutely abhor it. The vast majority endure it because it is expected of them.
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By Mike Ruffin

Most of my childhood Christmas memories are excellent. Two aren’t

The first involves my acting debut—unless you count my dynamic recitation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem The Swing at the graduation ceremony for Miss Sylvia’s Kindergarten Class of 1964 (“Riveting—almost like you were at that park across the street from the swimming pool” was how the review in the Barnesville Gazette put it)—in a Christmas play at Midway Baptist Church.

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When John Votaw died Oct. 28 after a long battle with leukemia, I lost a mentor. John basically taught me how to sing. He most assuredly taught me how to sing tenor.

Years and years ago, the choir at First United Methodist Church came down to sit in the congregation at some special service. John, his wife Marsha and Joyce Hutchinson sat on the pew in front of us.

The closing hymn was one I knew from childhood and I apparently sang it well enough. When the service was over, John and Joyce turned and asked me if I would join the choir. I am sure Marsha pushed them. I was flattered but did not think I was good enough.
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When this newspaper published its first edition in 1867 the Civil War had ended but its worst battles and consequences were still fresh on local minds.

Though the Union Army prevailed, there were really no winners. Just about every American family, regardless of geography or loyalty, could claim a killed or wounded soldier. Some claimed several. Some lost generations.
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