VALDOSTA —
Use caution with tales of woe
The message is as old as time and as new as any new day. Many Valdostans are aware that artists live in our midst.
Some of the latter are professionals at their craft. Their works are exhibited at VSU and the art center downtown.
Valdosta is host to other “artists” too. Their palette and brush are a fertile imagination and a glib tongue. Their “studio” is commonly the parking lot outside some business building frequented by many people a day, such as the Post Office. They have talent, welcome if used the right way.
But these artists subscribe fully to P.T. Barnum’s dictum that “there’s a sucker born every minute,” and see their calling in proving it for their own benefit.
Their creativity lies in concocting elaborate tales of woe to disarm their victims. The end game is extracting cash — if for smokes, dope, liquor or the lottery remains a mystery.
The stories, not always the same, are like a musician’s “variations on a theme.” Keys may be locked in a truck; a vehicle needing gas may be stranded (some blocks away); a wallet was left at home. A relative in distress may be mentioned. The “artist” may ask his benefactor for transportation somewhere else, presumably to meet a friend, collect a belonging, retrieve keys, find his wife.
Money then asked for is, amid many reassurances, only borrowed, but neither man nor money is seen again.
Americans are a generous people. Caring Christians are perhaps most vulnerable.
“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” does not always protect. My advice, reluctantly given: Beware oh so sincere persons with sad stories who need to be taken somewhere.
R.A. Flumerfelt
Valdosta
President blames everyone
Excuses! Excuses! "THE BUCK STOPS WITH ME !" That was the president's pronouncement the other day. With him, yes indeed. Unless he can blame the misery in America on anyone, anything else.
So far he has blamed Congress for the Tea Party movement, me, you, the weather, and his favorite, Bush.
All this wasted time blame shifting to avoid the one true thing. Anything but "I messed up and will do my best to fix this.” Trouble is his ego will not allow him to say such a thing.
For his whole career, he has skated by on less than needed ability by taking advantage of every loophole he could find. Add this to the fact that he is a gifted speaker and the fall back ability to hint at racism. In all these years his questionable past has been off limits like no one else.
You were promised lower taxes, lower health costs, lower unemployment, a better stock market, a booming housing industry, a closed Gitmo, and no troops in either Afghanistan or Iraq. All the things a remarkable speaker can promise a disenchanted, hungry audience like he did during his campaign. He has delivered none of the above but has flooded our businesses with unending regulations that are rapidly choking the life out of our country.
High gas prices, a lack of jobs, a still struggling housing market are among the many things that suck the life out of a once thriving economy. Look around you carefully. Can you honestly say things are in any way better?
Rumor has it that his dog will eat the "BIG Plan" just before the unveiling.
Vic Eason
Ray City
