My Morning Wooten

As we travel towards the end, I have shirked in my Wooten duties. Reasonable Jim showed up today and I nearly shirked past once again. But there are a couple of morsels today too tasty to resist.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorses, in principle, a Palestinian state next door — on the condition that it is demilitarized and that the Palestinians recognize Israel’s right to exist. Fat chance. Wake me when other states in the region accept, without some poision-pill condition, Israel’s right to exist unmolested.

Jim was apparently asleep in 1978 (Egypt) and 1994 (Jordan). Of course, given who was in power at the time of those two peace treaties, is it any wonder Jim's memory is a little fuzzy?

Ever notice how seldom somebody identified as “activist” has a real job, especially a real job in the private sector?

Off the top of my head, I can name a dozen "activists" I know personally who have jobs in the private sector - including two small business owners.

Once upon a time, thoughts of the Atlanta Constitution turned to Henry Grady's "New South" and Ralph McGill's snapping Gene's suspenders. I'm not here to conflate a single sentence blurb in a column of random thoughts with the downfall of a legendary newspaper. But, it is important to remember that there was a time when great men walked those halls and those great men recognized the power of their position and they grasped with fierce determination the unsheathed pen and used the magic of that instrument to promote the betterment of the city and the people they so loved.

It's only a single sentence, but there is more myth spun out of that single sentence than ever emerged from Joel Chandler Harris' house down in West End. Worse, it is a myth designed not to raise up our city - our people - our new south. Instead, it is a mealy mouthed myth of marginalization - of exclusion - of disdain.

You're better that this, Jim. And what's worse is you know it.