Fall of 1980 – “That man is huge,” I said to my father. Who is he?
My father said, “Jake, that is Herschel Walker. He will win the Heisman Trophy.”
A couple of minutes pass. Then Herschel approaches and puts me on his shoulder. Actually, it was more like a boulder.
The rest of the day was unbelievable. Even though the Auburn game was five days away, Herschel gave us the tour of the campus. Looking back, I am not very surprised. Herschel has always put others before himself. That day, he made four young boys very happy.
2021 – Herschel Walker decides to run for the Senate seat currently held by Raphael Warnock.
Before facing Warnock in the November 2022 general election, Walker must first win the Republican primary, which includes other Republicans vying for the Senate seat.
Recently, Walker fielded questions in Cobb County regarding affordable housing, his dismay with the “defund the police” movement, his concern over the withdrawal from Afghanistan, charter school systems, overburdening infrastructure projects with federal regulation, and the importance of his faith.
The Marietta Journal pointed out Walker’s other stances on important issues. Here are two:
Military and Police
Calling the recent withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan “a shame,” Walker trained his sites on the need for more support of veterans and police.
“We just turn our backs on our military. Our military is the fabric and the foundation of this country. That’s the reason we’re the greatest country in the world,” he said. “How do we turn our backs on them? How do we turn our backs on all the police?”
Walker took shots at the “defund the police” movement and said criminals had been made to look like heroes and police like demons in recent history.
“You don’t defund the police, you give them better training. You give them better equipment,” he said.
Walker pointed out how scary it is for police officers to walk up to vehicles without knowing who is inside or what their intentions may be. He also said being disciplined as a child and taught to respect authority, kept him out of trouble growing up, and that respect is what can keep interactions with police officers calm.
He is absolutely correct.
Homelessness and Mental Health
Addressing homelessness is close to Walker’s heart.
“People who are homeless often also have mental health needs that aren’t being met.”, he said. The need for mental health services has been stigmatized, he added, and people with mental health problems may want help but not understand how to get it.
Walker said he had talked to a man who had bought a small hotel that had closed and was housing the homeless there and giving them jobs.
“I think that’s an incredible, incredible idea, because you’ve got all of these great places now that are going out of business,” he said. Instead of tearing those kinds of places down, Walker said, why not put money into them, get the homeless off the street and teach them a trade or other skill to make them employable?
The visit to Marietta was one of several stops Walker is making in 2021-2022. He will be in west Georgia soon.
Georgia needs public servants with integrity, honesty, and a willingness to “tell it like it is.”
Georgia needs Herschel Walker in the United States Senate.