That Burns My Biscuits!

Published 1:07 pm Tuesday, June 9, 2020

By E.J. Smith

Some people never learn! During my walk yesterday afternoon down on the trail behind Sycamore Shoals Hospital, I noticed someone had eaten lunch under one of the big, beautiful trees and left their fast food trash at the foot of the tree. Have y’all litterbugs not heard a thing we’ve said about litter? I bet your friends think you are smart. Well, I have news for them! No smart person leaves garbage behind for others to pick up. Maybe you don’t pay taxes and therefore don’t care, but just know that the county, city or business owner could save a lot of money if so much of it wasn’t used to clean up after those who choose to ignore the litter laws. They do not care that litter and junk could deter people from bringing businesses and making homes here in our beautiful, peaceful mountains. They do not care that we are charged by our Father to take care of the world He created. The world is our home, for now anyway, and trashing it is like trashing your own nest! Do you throw garbage on the floor of your house? Think about it…

Some people never learn!We all want the peace of mind knowing we will be safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some don’t care or aren’t afraid to die early. I know our area has been blessed in that we have had only 19 cases and one death, but people, you can still get it! I see so many people in stores without masks and/or gloves to protect themselves and their children. Don’t you want to keep your kids safe? Leave them home or figure out a way for them to be in a store safely. Protect yourself. You want your kids to grow up with parents, right? I read that after the flu pandemic of 1918, people wore masks until 1920. That pandemic killed a third of the world’s population. With so many business reopening, we must still take precautions against this virus. Please, these businesses have to open. It is up to us to take the necessary steps to assure that we and our families remain healthy and alive.

Some people never learn! Violence does not make peace. The people who start the violence are not trying to make peace, but war. Don’t fall into their traps. There have been some towns that have actually had peaceful demonstrations after the murder of George Floyd. I was in Newport last week and their protesters held signs that said, “We Came Here to Pray.” Pray they did; protesters, policemen, onlookers and the protest remained peaceful throughout the evening. I wonder if the following story had anything to do with it as well? Too good not to share.

A friend has a friend who is a state trooper. This trooper stands about 6’4′ and weights 245 pounds. Around 5 p.m. on the day of the planned protest he received a call that a young lady at a convenience store nearby was having some trouble with two customers, so he stopped by her store on his way to attend the protest. Note here that he was decked out in full riot dress, just in case. When he went into the store the young lady jerked her head over toward two men with bald heads and tattoos. She said they had refused to leave, that they were waiting for friends, then heading to a meeting. Mr. Trooper sauntered over and said,  “How are you gentlemen this evening? Y’all passing through or visiting us for a few days? Maybe headed to the protest? If so, you can follow me there, I’m headed that way right now! Both of them almost shouted, “Oh no, Sir, we’re on our way out of this town right now.” The state trooper and the store clerk watched as those two got into their pick-up and skedaddled onto the interstate and hightailed it right out of town! They were dialing their cell phones on the way out, so must have warned their buddies not to go there.

That’s the problem folks, hate groups go in the protest after dark and start the violence, the looting, the murdering. So please don’t blame the protesters, they are trying to change the world to be a better place. Place your blame, if you must blame, on the right heads. I have read a lot on Facebook about stopping the protests. First of all, Americans have the right to protest things they don’t agree with. Second, the protests started out peaceful, in memory of  Mr. Floyd and to show that we will no longer tolerate police brutality. We have too many good police officers in this country to let a few make them all look bad. Let’s work together to make sure that they remain honorable and humane.

Grieve for Mr. Floyd. Be angry about the way he died. Pray for his family and friends. Pray and work for police brutality to stop. Pray for us to be more accepting of those different from us, especially if it for a stupid reason like skin color. If you protest, keep the peace, maybe by holding protests in the daytime and by leaving immediately if trouble starts, if you can. These are simple suggestions. If you have better ones, please let us know at burnsmybiscuit@gmail.com.

Gandhi said tobe the change you wish to see in the world. Go out there and change it to be the place where we all can accept each other and live peacefully together.

You are in my prayers,

E.J.