"Mayberry"
A Goal for All of
Us
A few days ago, I read a memorial to the late Andy Griffith....July 3rd was the 3rd anniversary of his death...
...and it made me reflect about the
changing world we live in....whether it be in a local community atmosphere or
in the nation as a whole.
....and how laws and rules seem to be
continuously reinterpreted, many of which somehow, seem to destroy the way many
of us were brought up.
From a national standpoint, we see
crosses removed from war memorials, the word "God"
constantly being challenged as to it being appropriate in
society...
...yet in the same breath, allowing
that word, "God" to be used as an excuse in
justifying the killing of thousands of innocent people in the name of "religious
belief".
Consider the challenges made to law
enforcement..and society.
Just look at our past ...and the road
our country has traveled, as we watch police officers attempt to survive in an
atmosphere where many openly show them little or no respect, question each and
every decision, and in some circles, display utter contempt for their very
presence.
Our "civilized society" has now evolved
to a point where some condemn those who protect
us, yet protect those who condemn our very way
of life.
Those brave public servants leave their
homes in the morning, dedicating their lives to keeping us a bit safer each
day.......while their families
remain behind, never knowing if they will ever
return.
Yes...the times have changed, but
"once upon a time" there was a place....a place all
of us would travel to each week on our television sets, to watch the story of a
town...
...an imaginary town...in North
Carolina...
... a town each of us yearned to visit
at one point, and perhaps one day, be one of its
residents.
...a town
named...
"Mayberry"
It represented not just a place to
live, but an "existence" that was filled with good
people who defined the word "community"...
...people we were allowed to meet, and
over time, learn to love, and look at them as the family all of us would have
longed to be a part of.
We got to meet Floyd the Barber.
You could always get words of "wisdom" from Howard Sprague.
If you needed your car repaired, Gomer and Goober were always
there to give you a helping hand.
If you wanted some small town
excitement, you could always count on Ernest T. Bass
showing up...
...along with the "Darlings" singing their "mountain
music".
And if you needed the perfect assistant
to make you laugh while checking parking meter violations or taking care of the
town drunk, Otis, gently tucking him in bed in "his
cell" each Saturday night....
...you could always rely on the town deputy, Barney Fife.
But there was one person who made it all "work"...the sheriff... Andy Taylor.
We met him following the death of his
wife, leaving him a single dad....a single dad who always seemed to take
the time to teach his son the difference between right and
wrong.
He knew that task would be impossible
by himself, and with that belief, we were introduced to Aunt
Bee, who would take care of him and his son, Opie, while he was "keeping the peace".
She created the "home" in which Andy
instilled values in Opie on his path to adulthood.
"Keeping the peace" meant...using reason and common sense more often than handcuffs....but when it was necessary, Andy Taylor was always the sheriff the town believed him to be...and...did what he believed he had to do...to protect "his" town.
People never seemed to question Andy's
"peace keeping" ability and tactics...he was the sheriff and the law was to be respected...and...obeyed.
That's the way it was in Mayberry...
...and that's what we should be
striving to achieve today...
Respect for the
law...and...in return, the law respecting its
citizens....
...yet allowing citizens the
opportunity to PEACEFULLY question it....and...change
it, if necessary...
...through LAWFUL NONVIOLENT AVENUES.
...through LAWFUL NONVIOLENT AVENUES.
How is that
solved?
COMMUNICATION....OPEN
COMMUNICATION
We can go on and on, but what Mayberry represented was a decent place to live, filled
with residents who cared deeply about each other...
.. and policed by a good man who knew
how to handle people....
...in a manner in which all LAW ABIDING CITIZENS seemed to love
him.
As the years passed along with the 249
episodes we watched Andy Griffith each week from 1960 to
1968....
..something strange...and...
wonderful... took place.
Mayberry,
its residents, and its sheriff remained in our hearts
thereafter...in reruns that are still seen around the world each and
every day...47 years after the last episode
aired.
Those were the "good old days"...
...the days GOOD PEOPLE want to keep
close to their hearts.
And in all my reflections about Andy Griffith and the wholesomeness he brought to us in his
86 years, I look around and see...
...we may have lost those visions and
hopes of living in...
"Mayberry"
...that Americana
is being redefined here and abroad which would have made Sheriff Andy
Taylor a very sad man.
Dick
Arendt
Anthem Opinions
Administration
Right on! We have lost the innocent times and good people that lived in Mayberry USA!
Great article!
Good thoughts and reflection.
Times have changed and not always for the better.
You've done another fine job of posting intelligence.
Thank you
Outstanding, I truly could not have summed up our lives with more accuracy.
Unfortunately, I fear we are overseeing the demise of a once great society.
Another Good one, and food for thought for all of us.
You’re “the man”!