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thesy lvaniatimes. com
The Sylvania Times
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 - Page 7
-Editorials & More-
From the
Bv Joe Brady, Editor
The Times
news@sylvaniatimes.com
Editor’s Desk
Ok, I’m gonna need a finishing school. Now before everybody starts proclaiming,
“finally them Mons’ admit they have a problem!” Let me clarify. I have had a total of
7 dogs in my life. They were and are the lights of my life. Now, I used to wear a gold
medallion that all of them teethed on when they were puppies. I used to brag that I had
at least one tooth mark from each of my babies in that necklace.
That cherished memento was lost, however, during my hospital stay and I never saw
it again. But we aren’t being melancholy. This story is all about Winston Churchill, that
green eyed, dark brown bundle of satanic bundle of energy we now have living with us.
When I was younger, mama read historical romance novels. The louder the bodice
ripped the better the book, I always said in jest. It is a truth that in those books, someone
is rid of their clothing by a savage.
Here’s Winston. That little chocolate brown, green eyed savage has ripped every pair
of pajamas I own from my body. If you are wearing shorts, he will drag them down your
legs, he jumps up with those little baby shark teeth and just wrenches them from your
body.
The other day he jumped up in the front, I quickly said, “oh no Mr. Winston, that will
get you gone from here!” That stopped him. This little pot-bellied savage even looks
like his namesake. If we were in England, I would have sent him to Eatonton School.
But here in Georgia we had the Fayetteville Academy for Girls and the Georgia Military
College? Should I send him to military school? Westpoint? Call Marie and have him
hauled off to prison for obedience training. Let him go out to Sandra’s K911? Maybe a
stint out there at the airport would make him appreciate home.
Last Sunday I was getting dressed for church, as I began getting dressed, he latched
onto my underwear, as I pulled them up, his big feet left the floor. Them shark teeth
were latched on for dear life. Kinda reminds me of Herbie, the boxer puppy we had
while I was growing up. He would latch onto Tracey’s diaper, in those day diapers were
cloth, and let Tracey drag him around the yard. She would cry the entire time.
When this little monster is asleep, he’s a little angel. But when he’s awake, he’s an
angel with a dirty face as granny used to say. If you see me in the yard in my pajamas,
don’t say a word when you see one knee sticking out! That’s all for now, take care!
Reader questions who ran over her pet
Dear Editor,
I live on White Hill Road in Screven County. On Tuesday, around 11:30
a.m. someone ran over and killed my dog, in front of my house. Whom
ever you are, you could have stopped and let me know that you killed
my dog. This dog was more than a dog, he was my family and best
friend.
|, Betty Lee
Screven County, Ga.
■ i itiwwwu:
LAN
Sharon Blank, Library
Spring is almost here! The first
official day of spring is Tuesday, March
19, but here in Georgia we need to get
those gardens growing before the heat
really arrives. Come to the library and
check out our amazing collection of
gardening books, many of them donated
by local garden clubs. They’ll give you
a great idea of what different plants
need, what grows well in our area, and
so much more.
This is also a great time of year to go
visit our state parks as well. The flowers
are beginning to bloom, the babies will
start being bom, and the weather is
lovely. Stop by the library and check
out the Georgia State Parks Family
Pass, and while you’re here, check out
the State Park Backpack Kit too! That
will help you observe and identify all
sorts of amazing animals, beautiful birds
and butterflies, and wonderful trees and
wildflowers.
Do you know the single best way to
help a baby or child become a good
reader is to read them stories and
encourage them to read for themselves
Spring is
almost here!
News
at a young age? That’s the idea behind
1000 Books Before Kindergarten!
This program is designed to encourage
bonding between parents and children
through reading, and helps get your little
one ready for kindergarten. Even better,
for every 50 books that your child reads
before they enroll in kindergarten (or
every book they read 50 times before
kindergarten), they can get a free book
to keep! To find out more, enroll your
child on Beanstack at sjrls.beanstack.
com or stop by the library. Every child
who is enrolled in 1000 Books Before
Kindergarten will be given a bookbag
with goodies inside, plus a stuffed Book
Buddy toy!
For the kids who are a little older,
check out the Beanstack-only Smokey
Bear challenge! It’s a celebration of 80
years of Smokey Bear, and it’s pretty
easy and fun to do. Join in on the fun
at sjrls.beanstack.com and remember -
only you can prevent forest fires!
Well, that’s all for now - see you at the
library!
Kemp sending Georgia National
Guard troops to Texas border
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday that he will send additional Georgia National Guard troops
to help the state of Texas defend its border with Mexico against illegal immigration.
The Republican governor blamed Democratic President Joe Biden for failing to secure the border,
forcing Kemp and other GOP governors to come to the aid of Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott has erected razor wire along portions of the Texas-Mexico border, insisting the Lone Star
State has the right to protect its border, pitting him in a legal dispute with the Biden administration,
which insists immigration enforcement is up to the federal government.
“We reinforce the right of states to defend themselves against threats when the administration
is unwilling to step up and lead,” Kemp said Tuesday during a news conference at the Georgia
Capitol.
Kemp’s announcement followed his trip to the Texas border with a group of Republican governors
earlier this month, his fifth since taking office in 2019.
The Republican-controlled Georgia legislature has lent its support to the governor. The state Senate
passed a resolution Monday supporting the Texas mission and defending states’ constitutional right
to defend themselves, while the Georgia House followed suit on Tuesday. Both votes were along
party lines.
Kemp said more than 8.5 million illegal immigrants have crossed into the U.S. since Biden took
office in 2021, including 169 on the terror watchlist during the last fiscal year.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigated 91 cases of fentanyl last year, an increase of 51%
over the previous year, the governor said.
Democrats have argued the federal government is the proper venue for addressing illegal immigration
and have taken Republicans in Congress to task for opposing comprehensive immigration reform
legislation after former GOP President Donald Tmmp spoke out against the bill.
But Kemp said Biden could shut down the U.S. border at any time without waiting for congressional
action.
“To me, the buck stops with him,” Kemp said. “He knows what he can do. ... He shouldn’t blame
this on Congress.”
Kemp said the 15 to 20 Georgia National Guard troopers he plans to send to Texas this spring
will include those with engineering and mechanical backgrounds. They will help build a forward
command post on the Texas border with Mexico.
Pastor Wayne Bragg
Rocky Ford Baptist Church
Rocky Ford, GA
Glory to the Lord
Psalms 115:1- “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your
faithful love, because of Your truth.”
When reading this text this morning it causes me to think about why I should give God
glory in my life. Spending many years thinking about myself and how I can uplift all the
things I am doing always seemed like the right thing to do. But now being in Christ it begs
the question, why? Why should I now give God the glory instead of myself? There is a
great reason within this text on why we should give God the glory as believers and then
there is a final reason in general on why God deserves the glory.
The Psalmist says, “Your name give glory because of Your faithful love.” What should
cause great awe in us is the fact that the Lord’s love is infinite and never ending. The
difference between the infinite love of God and the everlasting love of God is critical
to understand. His infinite love means that His love can never be exhausted. He never
gets tired of loving. Unlike God we get tired and need rest physically, emotionally, and
mentally. But God doesn’t need rest in any way or fomi like we do. Second, His love is
eternal means that His love never ends or even begins but that His love has always been.
No matter what happens in the span of our time His love is not wavered or affected by it.
Third, and most important, His love is faithful which means that His love is not determined
by our actions and what we do or don’t do for Him, but His love is determined based on
His faithfulness. Putting this together in one sentence means that God’s faithful love is
everlasting, and constant based on His goodness and faithfulness toward me. What an
awesome God we serve!!!!
The Psalmist also says, “Because of Your truth.” God’s truth is THE TRUTH and what
better reason to give God the glory than because of His truth. God does not lie nor does He
create or do anything chaotic. John 1:14 tells us that Jesus was, “Full of grace and truth.”
Jesus also made it clear that He is the truth and that those who believe in Him are set free
(John 8:31-32).
The question is, how are we set free in Christ? Simple Jesus says to believe in Him means
that you will be set free and that you will know the truth. The truth is, we are created to
have a relationship with God but because of our sin against God we are separated from Him
and are heading to the wrong destination (hell). The only way that we can be made right in
God and heading toward the right direction (eternal life), is by turning from our sins and
believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This is the truth and placing our faith alone in
Jesus Christ alone will set us free indeed from the bondage of sin.
The Psalmist is right, God deserves the glory from us simply for this last reason that I
mentioned I would reveal at the end. The reason is because of who God is Himself. When
we truly know and understand who God is, then we will give Him the glory and honor that
He deserves. Basically, the deeper knowledge we have about God the greater the glory we
will give Him because then we will know that He deserves and has the right to it. Amen.
A word from Senator Jon Ossoff
Sen. Ossoff Pushing to Protect
Access to IVF for Georgia Families
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is working to protect access to In Vitro
Fertilization (IVF) in Georgia after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Today, Sen. Ossoff and Senate colleagues launched a push to pass the Access to
Family Building Act, legislation he co-sponsored to establish a legal right to IVF
in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Alabama Supreme Court’s
subsequent extreme ruling this month.
The Access to Family Building Act would establish a statutory right for an individual
to access IVF, and for a health care provider to provide IVF services.
Since 1978, nearly half a million babies have been bom using IVF treatment across
the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over
2,300 babies were bom in Georgia through Assisted Reproductive Technology or IVF in
2021.
“Thanks to IVF, thousands of beautiful children are brought into our world each year.
The campaign by extremists to ban IVF would deny countless families the blessing
and responsibility of parenthood. That’s why I’m joining dozens of Senators fighting to
protect access to IVF for families in Georgia and nationwide,” said Sen. Ossoff.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect Georgians’ access to reproductive health
care.
Last year. Sen. Ossoff cosponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023.
Also, last year in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Sen. Ossoff spoke with
Dr. Nisha Verma, an OB/GYN in Atlanta, about the maternal health care workforce
shortage Georgia faces and how Georgia’s 6-week abortion ban risks making this crisis
worse.
Controversial Religious Freedom Bill
Resurfaces in Georgia Legislature
By Joe Brady. Editor
In a move sparking heated debates, Georgia lawmakers are reigniting a nearly decade-old battle over
a religious protection bill that opponents argue could open the door to discrimination against LGBTQ+
individuals under the guise of religious freedom. The controversial bill made a comeback on Thursday,
resurfacing eight years after a previous version was vetoed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal.
The bill in question, Senate Bill 180, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 6-3 vote, advancing
it to the full Senate for further debate. Sponsored by Republican Sen. Ed Setzler of Acworth, the bill aims
to mirror the 1993 federal law known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The federal
law, however, does not extend its reach to state and local governments.
Sen. Setzler has been an advocate for the measure for several years, emphasizing the need for
protection of religious freedom from potential government intrusion at the state and local levels. The
bill raises concerns over scenarios where religious practices, such as distributing religious literature or
obtaining zoning permits for churches, might face denial without sufficient regard for religious freedom.
"Every Georgian should be free to worship and exercise their faith without unfair federal, state, or
local government intrusion," said Sen. Setzler.
However, opponents argue that the bill could lead to unintended consequences, allowing private
businesses to deny essential services or benefits, such as birth control coverage to their employees, based
on religious beliefs. Additionally, concerns have been raised that the legislation might undermine local
laws that aim to prohibit discrimination, particularly given that Georgia lacks a statewide law addressing
discrimination.
This resurgence of the religious protection bill comes at a time when the state's lawmakers are
gearing up for reelection in an election year. The political landscape in Georgia has seen a shift towards
conservatism among Republican leaders.
In conjunction with the religious protection bill, a House subcommittee also advanced a measure
on Thursday that would restrict transgender students in public schools from using bathrooms aligning
with their current gender identity. Supporters argue that the measure is essential for the protection of
non-transgender students, while opponents, in emotional testimonies, expressed concerns that it would
further stigmatize and endanger transgender students who are already vulnerable to bullying.
As both measures progress through the legislative process, they add fuel to the ongoing debates
surrounding religious freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and social issues within the state.
