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opinion
Thursday, March 18, 2021 • Page 4A
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Bridge Turner
I’m Just Say in’...
We’ve Lost
All Sense...
(of Humor)
I do not like these children’s books,
I do not like them, Bridge I am.
They teach our kids to read and laugh,
Ignoring problems clear at hand.
I do not like fences or cops,
They keep us too secure.
And no more guns, except for goons
Whose motives are more pure.
I do not like girls’sports at all,
They’re biased against men.
If guys feel feminine, they should play,
And improve their odds to win.
I don’t like he or she pronouns,
You shan’t say Mom or Dad.
The gender roles are restrictive,
Offensive, and just bad.
Alas, I think I will accept
The hand I have been dealt.
Perhaps we all should do the same
Despite regrets we’ve felt.
Let’s cancel cancel culture
And the horse it rode in on.
Stop offering apologies
For what they won’t condone.
Let’s wake the “woke” mob’s senses
With a resounding, “Hell no!”
Turn up the heat on snowflakes
And direct them where to go.
And cartoons like Pepe Le Pew,
Pursuing that poor cat!
His quest for love clearly is
A disguise for nefarious acts.
Thank God for social media
And those with time to spare.
They’re validated by the “likes”
From “friends”filled with hot air.
Stop pandering and sniveling
And cowering in fear.
Accept that no one’s perfect
And move forward, persevere.
I do not like old Christmas songs,
From them we should escape.
Dean Martin surely should have known
“It’s Cold Outside” screamed rape.
I do not like old, straight, white men.
They are the worst of all.
They fail to recognize that they
Have led to our downfall.
We’re here for much too short a time
To constantly berate.
I’d rather chuckle at myself
Than search for things to hate.
I do not like our Founding Fathers,
Racists all were they.
They should have known decades ago
We’d see their faults one day.
How could we miss all these red flags
For oh so many years?
We must have been distracted
By ignorance and good cheer.
I do like old, straight, white men,
I do not have a choice;
Because I am one of them,
And I still have a voice.
I do not like our nation’s anthem,
Time for it to go.
It stirs far too much pride and love
For a country laid so low.
Wait, I am one of those men
Who’ve led society astray.
Perhaps I should strive to act younger,
Less white and more gay.
Somehow, we have evolved into a culture filled with
moral judges who take themselves much too seriously.
If laughter is the best medicine, we all need a healthy
dose.
B.WaineKong,Ph.D., JD
Waine’s World:
A Tribute
to Deacon
Clifford Patrick
(1935-2021)
Two years ago, I ded
icated a column to my
friend Deacon Patrick, who
died on Friday, Feb. 26,
2021. The above dates rep
resent 85 years, five
months, and 21 days. In his
passing, there is no doubt
that he received the invita
tion: “Welcome good and
faithful servant, come in
and claim your reward.”
He was a stalwart dea
con of Greater Mount Zion
Baptist Church and he will
be missed. The family
asked me to give remarks
at his graveside funeral on
Saturday, March 6, 2021 at
Southview Cemetery. Even
though COVID-19 con
tinues to rage, most of us
have now received the vac
cine and we all wore masks,
but the urge to hug each
other is irresistible. It felt
wonderful to see my fellow
congregants on this blus
tery Saturday afternoon. It
pains me that we have not
had services for almost a
year.
I always got the feeling
that when it was prayer
time at our church and
Deacon Patrick was taking
us to the throne of Christ
with either a prayer or a
song, he had God’s undi
vided attention. As his
booming voice sent up our
prayers and praises, you
could just feel the showers
of blessings descending on
us. I once told him that if I
preceded him, to say an in
tercessory prayer on my
behalf to assure me a place
in Heaven. As he has pre
ceded me, I am making my
feeble attempt to pray him
up.
We can all testify that
Deacon Patrick loved his
wife, his family, his church,
his pastor, and I believed
he loved me as well. As the
newest member of our
Deacon Board, I was his
special project, guiding me
to become the deacon he
believed I could become. I
was more than willing to
follow his lead, especially
when he tried to teach me
the old-time spirituals.
While all the deacons
are dandy and turn out
when they show up, Dea
con Patrick was singularly
known for his sartorial
splendor. This was all
topped off by his confident
Denzel Washington stride
as he made his way from
his house (a block away) to
the church on Sunday
mornings, allowing enough
time to wave, greet, and ex
change pleasantries with
neighbors.
He once told me: “I al
ways take time to find out if
there is anything I can do
for a neighbor.” He is so
put together and so manly
that in another time and
place, he would be taken as
a count or a prince. But
through it all, he never
questioned the will of God.
“If you want to be at peace
with yourself, put every
thing in God’s hands. That
is how I can sit down happy
each day.”
He told me that his fa
vorite Bible passage was:
“Look at the birds of the
air; they neither sow or
reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you
not much more valuable
than they? Can any one of
you by worrying add a sin
gle hour to your life?” (Ma
thew 6: 26-27)
While he never com
plained about his declining
health, he did complain
about not having church.
He was nevertheless com
forted by the love and fel
lowship of his wife, his
children, and grandchil
dren. His favorite hymns
were: “Low Down, Char
iot;” “Try Jesus;” “Lord, Let
Your Light Shine;” “Tell the
World About Jesus;” and
“Lord, I’ve done done what
you told me to do.” Both of
us are great admirers of our
church music and our
choirs.
It occurs to me that our
lives on earth are only tem
porary and our true ever
lasting life is our afterlife.
Our first life is only a trial
or a test for the hereafter. If
we live the life that God
commanded of us (The Ten
Commandments), we will
enjoy peace and joy in our
permanent home, but woe
unto those who “were fool
ish, disobedient, deceived,
enslaved to various lusts
and pleasures, spending
our life in malice and envy,
hateful, hating one
another.” (Titus 3:3)
Every one of us should
be ashamed if we die before
doing something wonder
ful for our fellow travelers
on this earth. Are you your
brother’s keeper?
His son, Deacon JW
Bentley, said: “Deacon Pat
rick was dedicated to our
God and loyal to family and
church. He was always the
first to volunteer to do
whatever needed to be
done. He worked as a fork
lift operator at the mill and
then for Walmart after the
mill closed. He can now
claim his reward for a life
time of good works and
good will towards others.”
Let the church say,
“Amen!”
County,
Continued from Front
Motorcyclist,
Continued from Front
partment of Community
Affairs, is contingent upon
the project meeting gov
ernment requirements.
Funds may be used for
public facilities and “must
be used to primarily bene
fit low and moderate-in-
come persons,” according
to a state official.
Elements of qualifying
for the grant include: the
project must address living
Domestic Incident,
conditions; a minimum of
51 percent of area res
idents must be low to
moderate income; the
project must eliminate
slum and blight; and the
project must address an
urgent need, such as threat
to health and welfare of a
community.
Deadline to apply for
the grant is June 4, with a
decision to award funds
expected in September or
October this year. Once
awarded, the recipient will
have 24 months to expend
funds.
In other business, com
missioners voted unani
mously to approve a
“consent agenda” which
includes expenditure of
SPLOST funds for Upson
County Sheriff s Office ve
hicles and for a new roof
on the recreation pool pa
vilion.
Chairman Norman
Allen reminded residents
that there is “plenty of vac
cine” available, and urged
anyone eligible to make an
appointment for vaccina
tion. He added that multi
ple events are upcoming at
Sprewell Bluff Park, and
details are available at the
park’s website.
Continued from 3A
to search for Loggins or the firearm used in the incident,
according to the report.
In addition to possession of a firearm during commis
sion of a felony, Loggins has been charged with criminal
damage to property in the second degree and simple bat
tery (Family Violence Act). The brother was charged with
TFD Groundbreaking,
disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement of
ficers, Sanders’ report stated.
Other unrelated arrests and charges reported by TPD
include Earnest James Pearson, possession of methamphe-
tamine; and Stephanie Nicole Decosta, felony purchase,
possession, manufacture, distribution, or sale of marijuana.
Continued from Front
stand before you as the first female fire chief for the City of better in the years to come. Thank you, everyone.”
Thomaston Fire Department and say to you: It’s been a After Chief Harris and several others spoke, Mayor J.D.
long time coming, but we’ve got so much more to do and Stallings, Harris, and members of the city council lined and
we are only looking forward to things getting better and together, broke ground on the site of the new department.
Photo by Luke Haney
Mayor J.D. Stallings stands in front of TFD Staff while welcoming those in attendance.
Church Street.
The motorcycle accel
erated to approximately 90
miles per hour, then crashed
near the intersection of An
drews Drive, the report
stated. Three officers ren
dered aid to the driver before
emergency medical services
arrived to continue treatment
prior to transport.
Thomaston Fire Depart
ment, Georgia State Patrol,
and City of Thomaston Elec
trical Department personnel
also were involved at the
scene.
Daniel,
A driver traveling south
on Church Street said he wit
nessed the motorcyclist pass
him on the right side, lose
control, and strike a power
pole while never applying his
brakes. The power pole was
snapped in half at impact, the
witness stated.
Winters was charged with
felony fleeing and attempting
to elude officers, along with
multiple traffic violations.
Winters’ handgun, a Smith &
Wesson 9mm semi-auto
matic, was submitted to the
TPD property room.
Continued from Front
a crime, along with two mis
demeanor traffic violations;
Luis Angel Reyes, posses
sion of methamphetamine,
along with misdemeanor dis
orderly conduct;
Josh Allen Ellington,
possession of meth;
Billy Joe Jackson, forgery
in the third degree;
Christopher Lee Parker,
COVID-19,
felony printing, executing,
negotiating checks, along
with misdemeanor theft by
deception and failure to ap
pear;
Stephen Michael Clark,
felony financial transaction
card fraud;
Michael Andrew Ash, fel
ony probation violation for
criminal trespass.
Continued from Front
(up one) deaths; Taylor,
769 (up three) with 23 (no
change) deaths; Crawford,
631 (adjusted reduction)
with 17 (no change) deaths;
and Talbot, 456 (up one)
with 17 (no change) deaths.
Total number of posi
tive cases reported among
residents and staff at local
long-term health care facil
ities (including Harbor-
view, Providence, and
Riverside) is 316 (no
change in resident or
staff cases) during the
same period, with 53 res
ident deaths (no change),
according to Georgia’s
Long-Term Care Facility
COVID-19 Report from the
Georgia Department of
Community Health.
The report shows Har-
borview (103 residents/102
tested) with 92 resident
cases (no change), 71 res
ident recoveries, 34 staff
cases (no change), and 21
resident deaths (no
change). Providence (81
residents/83 tested) re
ports 67 resident cases (no
change), 52 resident re
coveries, 34 staff cases (no
change), and 15 resident
deaths (no change). Riv
erside (57 residents/121
tested) reports 59 resident
cases (no change), 42 res
ident recoveries, 30 staff
cases (no change) and 17
resident deaths (no
change) from one week
ago.