VALDOSTA —
The election is over, your candidate may have won or lost, but today is the time for reconciliation.
In both the national and local elections, bitter disputes divided friends, relatives, and co-workers. Harsh words were spoken, posted on Facebook, or tweeted that can never be taken back or erased. Feelings were hurt. Relationships have been tested.
So today is the day to come to terms with the election results. Win or lose, we all have to live together and get along. Apologize for hurt feelings. Make amends. Take the high road.
That same holds true for all of the local candidates. Those who won should be grateful and gracious — grateful for those who voted for them and gracious to their opponents and their supporters. This isn’t the time to gloat or get back at someone you think may have campaigned in a less than honorable manner. Be the bigger person. Reach out and make peace.
And if you lost, the same holds true. Don’t hold a grudge. Don’t be spiteful. It’s a waste of time. The voters have spoken and you were not the victor. You can always run again in a future election, and you don’t want to do anything that might jeopardize your future chances.
And lastly, make today the day for removing campaign signs around the county. Candidates, please don’t leave them up for weeks or even months. They are cluttering up many corners and right of ways all around the community. Don’t leave it for someone else to do. Take the initiative and take them down yourself. Win or lose, the signs belong to you, your name is on them, and you are the person who will catch the ire of individuals for not removing them in a timely manner.
Today is a day for coming together as a community. Be thankful that the democratic process is still alive and well and that you have been able to be a part of it.
What We Think
Election aftermath
- What We Think
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Historic day celebrated
On January 1, 1863, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are and henceforth shall be free.
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How this garden grew
A special-needs couple wanted a garden. A teacher not only wanted to teach gardening skills but she also wanted to instill a sense of community purpose within her young students.
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Happy Father’s Day
He beamed with pride on our birth. He understood worry upon our birth. He is the giant by which we would judge all men. He protected us. He provided for us. He often sacrificed time with us to provide for us. He spent time with us.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To Stevie Young of Valdosta. The owner of Artistic Taxidermy, Young won Best in the World, Turkey, in the 2013 World Taxidermy Championship. His eastern wild turkey display dominated the competition, earning him the distinction of best in the world. Another title for TitleTown!
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Canning preserves food, way of life
When the going gets tough, the tough getting canning. Valdosta-Lowndes County residents have this opportunity.
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PSST!: Round Two!
With tonight’s opening of “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” Peach State Summer Theatre presents its second show of the 2013 season.
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A responsible fix for pets
The photo and story in Sunday’s paper about the dog whose owners had left him tied up with an electrical cord elicited a tremendous response from readers, outraged at the dog’s treatment.
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A band-aid in a crisis?
The announcement Monday by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities that a crisis stabilization center will be built in Lowndes County is good news for some, not so great for others.
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Slowing down for summer
Twenty-some years ago, it seemed Valdosta and South Georgia slowed down for the summer. School was out. Controversies seemed to dwindle. People seemed to work shorter hours despite the longer days.
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Storms: Of preparation and prayer
If you haven’t already, maybe this morning in church would be a good time to say a prayer of thanks that Tropical Storm Andrea blessed us with some much-needed rain while sparing us the overwhelming catastrophe that weather has wreaked upon the Midwest in recent weeks.
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Historic day celebrated
