Jerry Smith
Times. His views and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Calhoun Times and its staff.”
Never let anyone even dream or suspect that I have embraced someone else’s views, opinion or position for those things I write. I accept full responsibility for the content of my writings. I try to be fair in my appraisal of matters and avoid plagiarism (look it up) to a degree of complete honesty. It isn’t always easy to do. I find statements and articles among my piles of material that I can’t remember where I gathered them or the original author. An effort is always made to try to say that I have collected those matters from an unknown source. Odd reactions of readers: Over the years reaction of readers to matters with which they disagree with me has been that they more often direct their objections to everyone but me. This paper invites letters to the editor and some people do write their objection and their opinion. The most absurd reaction is that one reader (I don’t know who) a few years ago went to Brad Brown, then Principal of Calhoun High. They asked him to forbid me from expressing opinions and saying certain things on a given topic (I don’t know what the topic was). What was absurd and odd about this action was that I had long been retired from the educational arena, and Brad Brown had never been my Principal. He explained to the person telling them he had no control over what I wrote or how I felt about things. We both expressed humor over the matter.
What has been learned from those who do react either in speech or writing is that most (and I emphasize the word “most”) people either can’t read or don’t comprehend what they read; neither do they do a good job of listening. The number of people is staggering who have told me what I wrote or said that wasn’t even close to the words used and far from the meaning of the text.
Oddly ( and I do mean odd) is that nearly always when the column is something good and positive and a person, an athlete, a coach, a team or an accomplishment, people will approach me and ask “What about….?” Nothing negative has been said about anyone but some people cannot stand to see good said about someone else.
In conclusion: It is one person’s opinion
The incident of the woman taking exception to my description of the significance and excitement in Calhoun when several years ago Coach Hal Lamb’s Yellow Jackets played the state championship game at home is a case in point.
The lady exclaimed to me that she did not agree with what I wrote and what was said made some people angry. My response on that occasion sets forth my feelings then. I said I didn’t care that she didn’t agree with me and I did not care that some people got angry. So it is with all other positions I take. It is not the intentions to cause disagreement or to make people angry. I have simply expressed a personal opinion. I might be right or I might be wrong in evaluation. At the same time every reader is given the same privilege. For the benefit of anyone who desires to correspond with me, my email address is coachsmith13@gmail. com. Please note that I will not even read any email sent with an anonymous name and who does not identify themselves.
Long ago John Paul Jones said “I have not begun to fight.” I say, I haven’t begun to write: More on this subject later.