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opinion
Wednesday, May 29, 2024 • Page 4A
Send your letters to: Editor, Upson Beacon, 219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga 30286 or email to: dlord@upsonbeacon.com
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Letters lo The Editor:
Hope of Generations Church, Ministry
Provide Vital Contributions to Community
To the Editor:
Just a statement of sup
port for the rezoning plans
for the Hope of the Genera
tions Church and ministry,
and its vital contribution to
the community of Thomas
ton:
I have been associated
with the church and Be In
Health Ministry since I
moved here in 2002.1 came
to Thomaston for the “For
My Life” program and then
moved to Thomaston.
The church and ministry
offer Biblical principles and
sound Bible-based teach
ings. The application of
these truths being taught
also produces health and
wellness in the body.
I have served as chaplain
at Upson Regional Medical
Center with the Upson
County Ministerial Associa
tion from 2006 to present. I
volunteer as a way to give
back to my community and
to serve the people who live
here in Upson County.
In order to expand the
future benefit and influence
of Thomaston to surround
ing neighborhoods, it will
require a continued growth
to be established. To de
velop our community will
require zoning changes
which will benefit all. I am
supportive of the building of
a larger facility in the pro
posed location that can help
more people join our com
munity of Thomaston. The
construction of a new re
treat center and church ex
pansion will bless so many
who currently live in Thom
aston, and also invite other
people who love God to
make Thomaston their
home as well.
This expansion pro
motes integrity and healthy
influence for Thomaston to
grow together in unity with
other believers. [I am] ex
cited to see the added bene
fits and future growth this
church and ministry will
have to offer those who
make Thomaston their
home.
Sherry King,
Thomaston resident
Hope of the Generations
is a Beacon of Light
To the Editor:
My name is Nancy Rie-
gel, and I am corresponding
regarding the delay in the
Rezoning for Hope of the
Generations. I read the ar
ticle [Church Rezoning
Request Delayed for Second
Time] (printed May 22),
and found it interesting,
and I would like to weigh in.
My husband and I have
travelled to Thomaston sev
eral times to attend the For
My Life program from Ed
monton, Alberta, Canada.
This wonderful week-long
retreat, conducted by highly
trained staff, provides the
opportunity to restore your
health and relationships.
The retreat's impact on
our lives and health has
been incredible, and we
consider the Hope of the
Generations team our
family. The integrity with
which they conduct them
selves to provide a service
to the community of Upson
and beyond is humbling.
We have contributed fi
nancially to this ministry
for the past seven years. My
husband is a surgeon, and I
am a leadership consultant
who now teaches women to
recover themselves from
health issues. We have ac
tively sought opportunities
to move to Thomaston, but
unfortunately there are no
opportunities at this time.
We do, however, enjoy din
ing out, shopping, and par
ticipating in the local tourist
attractions within the
Upson County area when
we visit.
It would be such a won
derful opportunity for
Upson County to benefit
from a new campus. We
have known the current
campus to be respectful,
quiet, and inclusive. It
would truly bring joy and
safety to all who wish to
participate in the spirit of
connection, and com
munity. We can't wait to see
the future plans unfold, as
Hope of the Generations is
a beacon of light in a world
that desperately needs
hope.
Warmly,
Nancy Riegel & Dr. Riegel
Hotel,
Continued from Front
in banking, I’m a pessimist,
so I want to see what the
worst-case scenario looks
like,” Tucker said. “If you
can get comfortable with
that, everything else is
gravy.
“I think the bigger ques
tion is, ‘What are we willing
to contribute, as a city, if
there is a budgetary hole?’”
Tucker continued. “As
owner in this particular sce
nario, that will fall on us -
on the taxpayers.”
Thompson commented,
“That’s the reality.”
However, Tucker said
the board has done its
homework.
“We’ve had everybody
that does this every day tell
us how good of a project this
is going to be,” Tucker said.
“We’ve looked at it every
which way. A lot of smart
people believe in this.
“I think everybody in
this room and in this com
munity would say there’s a
need for this type of hotel,”
he continued. “I think it can
be a game-changer for
Thomaston.”
Thompson reminded
council members, “You can
still get off the train.”
Members voted unani
mously to authorize drafting
a contract with Red Hills to
be considered by council at
a future meeting.
In other business:
•Council approved
$27,000 for the Fagade
Grant Program tied to
downtown revitalization.
“For every dollar we
grant, we’re getting more
than $2 in private invest
ment,” Thompson said.
Economic Development Di
rector Taylor Smith verified
Thompson’s estimate, tell
ing council members
$90,000 in facade grants
have generated $266,000 in
private investment.
Assistant City Manager
Lonnie Joyce said the
amount had already been
budgeted.
•Council approved a
sanitary tax ordinance
amendment establishing a
$20 per month residential
fee for two containers, extra
container cost of $13.75,
and $7 for each additional
family dwelling. Commer
cial cost is $7 in addition to
the monthly rate, which is
determined by size and
frequency of servicing
dumpsters.
New garbage and trash
policies go into effect June
1.
•Council approved an
$869 expense (not to exceed
$1,000) for utility poles,
perimeter lights, orange
cones, barricades, trash re
ceptacles, and portable rest
rooms for an emancipation
celebration concert held at
Daniel and Bethel Streets.
Dispatches from the Other Side
Most of my articles deal with the
experience of my attorneys and those
who have to testily at trial. My goal has
always been to offer transparency to
the public by pulling back the curtains
on what happens in the trenches be
fore, during, and after a trial. But I
would be remiss if I did not take a mo
ment to discuss the most important
group of people in any trial - the jury.
Imagine, if you will, that you pick
up your mail and find that you have
been selected for jury duty. Your selec
tion was the result of the clerk’s office,
which is required by law to ensure that
the jury represents a fair cross-section
of the community. Once you receive
your letter, you inevitably ask one
question: "How can I get out of this?”
Naturally, you have a job, family to
take care of, or just better things to do
than putting your life on hold to sort
out someone else’s problem.
But jury duty is more than just a
burden to those called. It is a Constitu
tional right that is guaranteed to people
facing the prospect of incarceration.
And our founders, in their wisdom,
knew that this system was better than
allowing unaccountable judges, kings,
or law enforcement to decide people’s
fate.
Many people fought and died to
protect this right, but that does not
make it any less irritating when you are
chosen to serve.
With all of that said, attorneys and
judges should always keep in mind the
difficult burden placed on a juror. As a
juror, during the selection process, you
are forced to answer questions under
oath from attorneys about your per
sonal life and your experiences in a
public forum. You cannot be excused
because it is inconvenient. If you are
selected as a juror, you are often re
quired to hear about unpleasant things
that most of us only hear about on the
news or radio. And your decision has
real consequences.
I have never served on a jury. So,
my knowledge of the jurors’ experience
comes from them speaking to me after
a verdict is rendered. Jurors are free to
leave after the trial is over without talk
ing to any attorney, but it is helpful to
us to know what was important to the
jury in making
their decision,
and I always ap
preciate their
input.
One thing
that often
strikes me after
speaking to ju
rors is a misun-
derstanding
about their role.
Jurors swear an
oath to only consider the evidence pre
sented to them and decide if that ev
idence is enough to prove each element
of the crimes charged beyond a reason
able doubt. Jurors have no say in the
ultimate sentence a defendant receives.
Sentencing is decided only by the
judge, according to the parameters set
out by the legislature. And jurors are
not supposed to base their decision
about guilt on how much jail time a de
fendant may or may not receive. Yet
they often do. And I hear from jurors
that this concern informed their delib
erations, which is a burden they are not
supposed to take on.
I also hear from jurors that other
factors outside of the evidence infected
their deliberations as well. Nothing is
more frustrating, as a prosecutor who
is committed to equal justice under the
law, to hear from jurors that they were
concerned about the race or socioeco
nomic status of the victim or defen
dant. Victims and defendants don’t
choose their race or their tax bracket.
Race and wealth have nothing to do
with whether someone is guilty. But I
understand people cannot leave their
life experiences at the door, nor can
they leave concerns about the con
sequences of their verdict in the jury
box.
When these outside factors enter
deliberations, I find that the jury
usually enters a “compromise” verdict.
They find the defendant guilty of some,
but not all, of the charges. And jurors
report to me afterwards that they have
conflicted feelings about the result.
Some feel that they have let the victim
down by not convicting on all charges.
Others feel that the defendant com
mitted certain crimes that were
charged but worry about the lifelong
consequences for that defendant.
All I can say is that these conflicted
feelings means that the system is work
ing. My office tries each case firmly be
lieving there is sufficient evidence to
prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a
reasonable doubt, but we are never
foolish enough to think that a jury can
not disagree. All we ask is that you
make your decision based on the ev
idence presented to you — and leave
those other distractions at the court
house door. I might disagree with a
jury’s decision, but I never disagree
with the system or the process.
Trials are always transformative for
victims and defendants. I try to not lose
sight of the fact that trials are transfor
mative for jurors as well.
Thank you to all past and future ju
rors for your service. Our republic de
pends on you.
I hope all of you had a beautiful
Memorial Day weekend. Thank you to
those who made the ultimate sacrifice
so that we have the freedoms that we
do.
Stay safe, and remember to be kind
to one another.
Marie Broder,
District Attorney
A Ticking Demographic Time Bomb: Lower Life
Expectancy, Out-Migration, and a Declining Birthrate
I kid you not, my grandparents had
15 children with my mother the fourth
oldest. Their children’s children’s chil
dren now number more than too over
the past too years.
Granny’s children averaged four
children, her grandchildren averaged
three, and her great grandchildren
averaged two. But that may be the end
of the family line as the current gener
ation have no interest in passing on
our DNA. I am learning from good
sources that this is not unusual. Birth
rates are too low to support our social
structure. Apparently, schools are
closing all over the country because
they have so few students.
There has been a seismic shift in
social norms. Millennials and GenZs
are buying into the DINK lifestyle -
dual incomes and no kids.
A Pew Research Center report says
44 percent of non-parents younger
than 50 say it is unlikely they will ever
have children. Our young people are
having serious problems with the cost
of housing, groceries, gasoline, and
other essential expenditures, leaving
them with less disposable income.
Raising kids is getting more and more
expensive.
We now see wider acceptance of
people waiting longer to get married
and choosing to have fewer or no chil
dren. Moreover, young Americans are
more likely than older generations to
spend their money on themselves.
These are ego-centric, selfish, and ma
terialistic young people who would
Waine ’s World:
rather have a luxurious lifestyle than
have children. They are turning their
backs on the hassle, responsibility, and
cost of raising
children.
And then,
selfish men re
fuse to partner
up with out
spoken women,
having to deal
with in-laws,
someone else
spending their
money and not
wanting to put
in the time and effort to raise up the
next generation. This has resulted in
over half the children being born to
single women. I tell them that without
a queen, your hive is a dead hive. Put a
ring on it!
My wife and I spent about
$500,000 raising and launching each
of our four children, and we loved giv
ing the world these amazing people
that do so much for the quality of our
lives. Was there a better way to spend
our money? There is no joy purer in
the world than holding a grandbaby.
Raising children gave us significant
purpose and meaning.
Opting out of parenting because it
is difficult has major social and eco
nomic implications. Fewer consumers
and taxpayers are concerning. A larger
proportion of older dependents (espe
cially if they are spending their Social
Security checks in other countries) and
a shrinking number of employees
means economic disaster.
Fortunately, collisions by space
rocks, wars, pandemics, environmen
tal collapse has spared us so far, but
among the many factors contributing
to the predictable decline of our pop
ulation is out-migration, the increase
in mortality (death) from obesity re
lated causes, and that our fertility rate
has declined to 1.8 children per
woman (and decreasing), below the re
placement rate of 2.1 per woman.
While there may be great political
resistance to immigrants, we may have
to depend on them to keep the country
afloat. You know about the wonderful
entitlements the elderly enjoy? It is
going to take a lot of younger people
working to continue to fund Medicare
and Social Security.
There is a severe shortage of skilled
workers in the world (dentists, nurses,
doctors, teachers, and engineers).
These highly educated people have op
tions. One school system in Georgia
now has 32 teachers from Jamaica on
staff. The contraction in the labor force
coupled with the increasing need for
healthcare and social services is an ur
gent problem. Social Security benefits
will exceed available funds by 2033
and the Medicare trust fund that pays
hospitals and nursing homes will also
be bankrupt by 2031.
Our political divisiveness will make
anywhere but here an attractive op-
See Kong, 6A
B. Waine Kong,
Ph.D.JD
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