My opinion is last names not only are considered by folks to count for something in small towns but names seem to count for much in everything. Then again, I could have the prettiest name on the planet and be broke, but my name wouldn't get me far. Well at least not in the way that "last names" have evolved into nowadays.
Folks such as myself who was born and raised here in Rhea County, Tennessee understand that last names around here isn't really much at all. Why? Because us old timers really know the people behind the name. These people with the so-called good names are the ones with the MONEY. Take their positions away, their money away and they are nothing. Could you imagine the DPD chief standing on a sidewalk without a badge of authority? My bet is that he would look like a scrawny half starved flamingo needing nerve medication. So as for the name, I totally discount that certain folks are somehow "entitled" something due to a last name.
You will be amazed at what happens to a "name" once you take access to millions of dollars of public funds, contracts, buildings, uncles, aunts, blushing nervous mayors who act like babies, etc. from the equation. Then you would see a totally different set of "names" rise up. That's the way it's always been and always will be. All we need to do is learn to act and not talk.
As with these "anonymous" ramblers on message forums, what do they offer? They talk like they have a concern, an education of some sort, yet fear being known. Why is that? Why would people conspire to shut down a legitimate website knowing full well that I have no intentions of letting it go until I at least find out the who's and why's and then these same people start a website that has an editor@rheacountynewspaper.ORG address promoting the Herald-News yet they pay 9 bucks a year to DomainsByProxy.com to HIDE their identity? Why is that?
Why would any person preaching how bad I am (and I openly say who I am) turn around and do not only the same thing, but worse? As for me, any scared, anonymous hater person, website or anything else panhandled out as facts or educated opinions mean absolutely nothing.
Imagine, these types of people cannot ever attain anything tangible in life because they sit back and preach to others but do so as a talking head pecking the keys on a keyboard never actually giving anything to his community. After all, what can anyone give to anyone else who is afraid of folks even knowing their name? Hell, personally, i could care less who knows my name because what I say I always say it openly, period. If people don't like it well at least they know the source, right?
Who would want to hide their identity? Crooks hide. Thieves hide. Scammers hide. Now, I am NOT condemning anonymous free speech in certain forms of commentary. It is when people denounce your word and lift theirs up as truth unsupported and not even claimed by the person blabbing it out. Maybe I have it all wrong. I just always thought God gave a man two feet to stand on and for folks to wobble around with callouses on their knees and chins was by choice. I don't know. Do not be fooled by a "person" that for some insecure personality flaw needs proof positive of at least seven known names on here.
So, it matters not to me what anyone's name is. It is their individual character that matters. Take that almighty DOLLAR out of the scenario and that's about all that's left. Am I wrong? Take someone with a last name of WELCH out of his city manager position and you will find that he, and his last name, is merely nothing more than an old shell of a man who has done what we all do, WE GROW OLD AND DIE. Even that isn't always a certainty. We all are on a journey to the grave and for one I do not want the burden of carrying massive amounts of gold to it only to leave it at the threshold for someone elses pleasure. I need only "just enough".
Me and my little old house of almost 20 years are just fine. So no, do not be fooled with names. Respond to actual deeds and ignore chickens who are jealous of other birds, such as the eagle...
Do you have the right last name to succeed in this town?