Hugh Christian Now comes word that Hugh Christian has died: a native son full of native wit. I’ve known Hugh since he was a precocious kid, and I was dating his beautiful sister, Carolyn. Hugh was a computer genius long before you and I even had one. He ran his father’s radio stations, did computer work, and in later years was a fixture downtown, always affable, always interested in what was going on and knowing far more about it than I did. Hugh was one of those Athens originals who contribute to the richness of character that is such a strong part of why our town is so interesting. He will be missed daily by a wide range of people, and his passing leaves an emptiness. He knew Athens from a lifetime of participation and observation, and he cannot be replaced. We are richer that he lived among us and poorer from his passing.

Jody Cooley In Congressional District 9, which includes the northeastern side of Athens-Clarke County and Winterville, a lawyer from Gainesville is running for Congress. Jody Cooley is a refreshing throwback to the days when concern for the best interests of constituents trumped ideological posturing, and people expected their representatives to use the strength of government to solve problems such as paying for medical care, buffering against poverty in old age, assisting in obtaining housing and exercising prudence in government spending. Cooley is a Christian and a former chairman of his local school board and of his local parks and recreation board. He believes the national government should address our crumbling infrastructure and spend the necessary money to do it, and, speaking of money, he says we should withdraw our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan right now. He’s a moderate, and he’s a Democrat in a heavily right-wing Republican district, so he has little chance of being elected. That goes to show you just how far our people have gone toward preferring Paul Broun’s pandering to the lowest common denominator instead of candidates who are prepared to tackle our real problems and come up with workable solutions.

Paul Broun Pete McCommunist has sent word that he is dropping out of the 10th Congressional District race against Paul Broun. McCommunist urges his supporters to write in their votes for Charles Darwin. “I know a lot of people have already voted for me,” McCommunist says, “and I am flattered and honored by their support. I got into this race because of Broun’s general right-wing nuttiness. This science stuff happened later, and I have become convinced that Charles Darwin’s stature and name recognition throughout the district outweigh the fact that he is dead. Better dead than red, perhaps, and certainly better either than Broun.”

Well, I personally want to thank all of you who went to the trouble to vote for Pete McCommunist. He does feel a little bit let down after his decision to withdraw, and he hopes all those who voted for him don’t feel that they wasted their votes. He couldn’t foresee that Congressman Broun would grab attention all over the country denouncing science, causing that eminent scientist Charles Darwin to be thrown into the race. And, any votes cast for McCommunist will be tallied, so that even though they will not count, they will be noticed. A strong showing for an eminent dead scientist throughout the district will have more of an impact than votes just in Athens for a quasi-imaginary candidate.

So, on behalf of Pete McCommunist I thank everybody who has come up to me and told me that they voted for McCommunist. I am very much touched and flattered on his behalf. The important thing is to vote against that hard-right-wing clown, our congressman, Paul Broun. Perhaps a friend got it right. She had already decided that she would choose Darwin over McCommunist, because, “Darwin hasn’t been proven wrong.”

I know all this is silly, but what else can we do in the home county of the University of Georgia, where thinking people are so deeply offended by our congressman’s pandering to the denial of the very science and rational thought that are necessary to our survival as a nation and as a world?

Amendment 1 Protect local control of local schools. Vote NO! Vote early this week and next at the Board of Elections office and at the Classic Center next week. Vote at your regular polling place Nov. 6. 706-613-3150 for info.