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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021
Opinions
“Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost omnipotent. ”
- Henry Ward Beecher ~
Will we all ever get serious about COVID-19?
The title to this column is a rhetori
cal question that I and probably most
of you reading this already know the
answer to.
Of course we won’t ever come to a
full understanding about the severity
of COVID-19 — especially the surg
ing and apparently even more
contagious and dangerous
Delta variant — and come to
gether in a common purpose
to stop it from continuing to
spike and get out of control.
Not when everything in this
country, almost every situa
tion, is boiled down to a polit
ical litmus test — some mis
guided assessment of where
one’s tribal allegiances lie.
And not when so many of us
can’t see or think past our own
interests.
This week, I read a letter that will
run in our company’s Madison County
newspaper from a woman who lived in
and remains an advocate for residents
of a refugee camp in Comer. She told
the story of a family where a man, his
adult daughter with a developmental
disability and his wife all died from
COVID-19 within a week of each oth
er. Four other family members were
hospitalized, including a 10-year-old.
I’m tired of and worn down by hear
ing stories like this; I’m sure many of
you are as well. But — and this really
isn’t meant to insult or demean anyone
— judging by the available statistics,
some of us obviously just could not care
less about the suffering. It isn’t them or
their family and friends impacted per
sonally. So, after all that’s happened in
the last year and a half, they still find it
within themselves to run around unvac
cinated and maskless acting like total
fools while feasting on what a friend of
mine has called an “information dysto
pia” on the internet.
At a joint press conference last week,
officials with Atlanta-area hospitals,
including Northeast Georgia Medi
cal Center, stood outside of
Mercedes Benz Stadium and
warned that the new strain of
COVID is more infectious,
that it’s resulting in more seri
ous cases among children and
young people and that this
latest surge will “significantly
outpace the previous highest
peak.”
According to Georgia De
partment of Public Health
data, as of Monday afternoon,
the seven-day rolling average
for daily new COVID cases in Barrow
County was 58.4, 722 new cases con
firmed in a two-week span with one
of the worst rates per 100,000 people
in this part of the state and at least a
couple more deaths among county res
idents.
Northeast Georgia Health System on
Monday morning reported that there
were 240 COVID-positive patients
across its facilities, including 14 at
NGMC Barrow in Winder and 62 at
NGMC Braselton. There were no beds
available at the Winder hospital. And
an overwhelming percentage of those
hospitalized are not considered fully
vaccinated.
The vaccine can’t stop us from being
infected or even spreading the virus to
others, but it can and has been shown
to drastically reduce people’s suscepti
bility to some of the worst effects of
COVID-19. The science isn’t as clear
yet on how effective it is against Del
ta and other variants that will surely
come, but what is clear is you can save
your life and others by getting the shot.
And yet, here in Barrow County,
the full vaccination rate as of Monday
morning was 34%, in line with several
surrounding counties but well behind
the state average, which is well behind
the national average.
But hooray, I guess? Barrow passed
the one-third mark!
The reasons for not getting vacci
nated may vary, but it is those who
hide behind “religion” and “guarding
against infringement on personal lib
erty” who need to undertake a serious
self-examination.
I got my shots in late March and ear
ly April. Because there wasn’t as much
information available earlier this year
on pregnant women and the vaccine,
my wife chose to wait until after our
second child was born last month to get
vaccinated. She received her second
dose last week, and for us it was a feel
ing of relief. To others, being encour
aged or even required in certain situ
ations to be vaccinated is some sort of
assault on liberty and our Constitution.
I guess I just never will understand that
level of willful and blissful ignorance.
But it isn’t even entirely an issue
of politics or personal decency, but in
some cases a matter of comprehension
and intelligence. And yes, I’m talking
about those who would refuse a med
ically-tested, approved and effective
vaccine and then willingly spread
misinformation that horse worming
and cow de-worming medication are
a shield against COVID-19. Lest we
forget about the great bleach-drinking
challenge of 2020, mind-numbing stu
pidity still resides among us.
The FDA actually sent out this tweet:
“You are not a horse. You are not a cow.
Seriously y’all. Stop it.”
Sometimes you have to laugh to keep
from pulling your hair out, but there
needs to be more people who say, “Se
riously y ’ all, stop it.”
The aforementioned woman from
Comer wrote this in her letter: “Stand
ing near two open caskets at the funer
al, I implored people to get vaccinated
so we can put an end to the sickness
and suffering that (COVID) is causing
to our families and our community.”
More people need to be standing up
and saying this in public settings. This
newspaper and its sister papers should
be doing more. Elected leaders around
Barrow County should be doing more.
The local school system, which is also
continuing to see an increase in posi
tive cases, has put out statements urg
ing people to get vaccinated and follow
virus mitigation measures, but it argu
ably could also be doing much more
within its power to stop the spread.
State leaders could certainly be doing
more, but real leadership from that cor
ner has often been fleeting throughout
the course of the pandemic — especial
ly now, as election season approaches
and political expediency is the flavor of
the month.
Ultimately, it is all up to us. Are we
willing to ask and demand more of our
selves? Or are we just going to keep
our heads in the sand and our fingers
in our ears?
Scott Thompson is editor of the Bar-
row News-Journal. He can he reached
at sthompson@barrownewsjournal.
com.
GUEST COLUMN
Georgia Chamber president: Economic
prosperity requires action on crime
Chris Clark is the president and CEO of the
Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
A decade ago, businesses shifted their ex
pansion, location and relocation decisions
from a model founded on incentives and in
frastructure to one based on access to talent.
Vibrant communities, otherwise known as
live, work, play, and pray communities, have
become the true economic drivers. No longer
do workers move to better jobs. Today, better
jobs move to workers.
Now, companies routinely locate in com
munities where potential and current employ
ees reside. Redevelopment and new urban
experiments are exploding across the nation
in efforts to create this all-inclusive lifestyle.
Common traits among these “superstar cities”
or “up-and-comers” are quality education,
world class infrastructure, vibrant town cen
ters, unique night life, and the all-purposeful
greenspace. However, the truly successful
ones are also anchored by a strong public
safety and health system. And in this anchor
lies the key to solving the “Great Resignation”
as we know it today and addressing future tal
ent demands.
Our current labor shortage crisis has rein
forced the importance of focusing on present
and future team members. Most every hu
man resource manager will tell you that ef
fectively managing external societal forces
which impact the mental health of the work
force are critical to any company’s long-term
success. And, as if those concerns were not
overwhelming enough, I am also hearing
corporate leaders and small business owners
share their growing concerns over the impact
of crime on their employees, customers, cli
ents and families. These concerns take me
back to my days at the Department of Natural
Resources and the opportunity I had to serve
over 500 law enforcement Rangers through
out the state. I recall praying with my son
every night for their safety as they stood up
for ours. Those Rangers, State Patrol officers,
our local sheriffs and deputies, and policemen
and women everywhere deserve our respect
and much-needed support as a business com
munity.
According to data released by the FBI, ho
micide rates were 25% higher in 2020 than in
2019. What’s more concerning is that this is
the highest single year increase they’ve seen
since reliable tracking began nearly six de
cades ago. Crime is surging. There is no ques
tion. In the last few weeks, our chamber team
witnessed an attack in broad daylight, looked
out their windows onto a murder and found
cars broken into, after returning from a busi
ness lunch. A pastor in rural Georgia told me
that his congregation’s biggest concern was
growing crime in their town of 10,000 people.
So, what can we do as a statewide advocate of
business to address crime and support those
who are on the front lines every day?
Studies have shown that social disruptions
and economic pattern shifts might be a reason
for this surge. This pivotal premise requires us
to then address issues from mental health and
homelessness to childcare, equality and equity
among our more impoverished areas. Invest
ments in small business start-ups, educational
certifications and programs should be priority
as we work to provide alternatives and better
paths to prosperity while tapping vast resourc
es among uncharted workforce communities.
And we must continue to support and properly
fund our public safety and health institutions.
These are the reasons why we are asking ev
ery chamber in Georgia, every business, and
every partner to engage with their local gov
ernments, law enforcement and our General
Assembly to address these concerns.
For 10 years, Georgia has made great strides
in criminal justice reform and businesses have
found a strong and dedicated pipeline of labor
from ex-offenders. Now state and local lead
ers have mobilized to lead a truly bipartisan
effort to tackle these new problems head on.
Gov. Kemp stated at our Congressional Lun
cheon just last week, “Simply put, if crime is
rampant on the streets of your local communi
ty, businesses will look elsewhere, workforces
will leave, visitors won’t show up, and invest
ment will stop...” urging us all to engage and
begin dialogue with our local public safety
professionals. Speaker David Ralston has
said there is a “clear link” between the state’s
strained law enforcement agencies and an un
derfunded mental health system. He went on
to share, that mental health has too long been
dismissed in the Georgia health care system.
And Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has recently an
nounced that he wants the General Assembly
to create a law enforcement focused state tax
credit, so Georgians, and our business com
munity can better support public safety.
Working closely with state legislators, sher
iffs, police chiefs and local partners will be
critical as businesses continue to reopen, ex
pand, and grow in this New Georgia Econo
my. I invite everyone to join us on Aug. 25
at the Georgia Tech Research Institute for
our Transforming Talent event, presented by
AT&T.
Together, we will unpack issues, like crime,
which are contributing to the “Great Resigna
tion,” and move forward through recovery into
a more resilient, safer future together.
Letters to the Editor
Criticizes superintendent, school
district for not being proactive
enough on COVID measures
Dear Editor:
It seems like just yesterday our
superintendent was maskless in
first-day-of-school photos and
leaning over our unvaccinated ba
bies. This reckless measure was
to mislead us into thinking every
thing was just great!
And now we’re getting an email
stating the spread in Barrow
County is actually higher than it
was this time last year!
Our leaders seem to always be
“Barrow Backwards” instead of
being “Barrow Bold,” battling
back from behind the curve.
Our lives are depending on
leadership to be able to plot and
plan public safety measures. In
stead, we are constantly respond
ing and reacting to the news we
all knew beforehand.
We pray for Jesus to take the
wheel, and we also have to stop
putting “drunk” political figures
in the driver’s seat.
It is no coincidence why our ve
hicle keeps running unsafely off
the road.
We deserve better and we must
do better if we expect better!
Barnard Sims
Statham
Thanks Buffington for
COVID-19 columns
Dear Editor:
Thank you to Mike Buffington,
and others, for your continued ra
tionalism amid the utter madness
that seems to have descended
upon everyone with COVID.
COVID seems to have given
people a stage to shout their opin
ions as loud as they possibly can
regardless of whether they are
based in facts, any kind of reason
or, heaven forbid, compassion.
My husband and I are both
teachers and I am and at higher
risk for getting COVID, as are
several of our family members
that we care for. And while we
are all vaccinated, it seems that
society is happy all too happy
to once again ask teachers to put
their lives on the line as it they are
expendable members of society.
I am not trying to take away
Write a Letter to the Editor:
Let us know your thoughts: Send
letters to sthompson@barrownews-
joumal.com. Please put “Letter to
the Editor” in the subject line. Please
include the city of the writer.
your rights. I am trying to do my
best to educate your child and
still keep my family safe.
Is it too much to ask for you to
wear a mask?
Lacie Megan Fitts
Auburn
The Barrow News-Journal
Winder. Barrow County. Ga.
www.BarrowJournal.com
Mike Buffington Co-Publisher
Scott Buffington Co-Publisher
Scott Thompson Editor
Susan Treadwell Advertising
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