About The Baldwin bulletin. (Milledgeville, GA) ????-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2017)
Page A4 The Baldwin Bulletin I www.BBnews.today Thursday, October 26,2017 Opinions All letters to the editor must be signed and include a phone number for verification purposes. Send letters to wil@BBnews.today by 1 p.m. Monday. Deep Roots a success Over the weekend, we celebrated our first Deep Roots Festival as a Smith Communications team. We set a booth outside of our Wayne Street office and took the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the community. We enjoyed talking to the festival’s attendees, giving out prizes and continuing the tradition of sponsoring the barbecue competition. We also look forward to having our presence felt in future years to come. The festival is the perfect way to showcase Milledgeville to the rest of Georgia, and this year, the organizers continued that tradition. Artists locally and nationally known performed across from Milledgeville City Hall and emphasized our status as a cultural center. Food trucks across Georgia were set up providing different types of grub, including Mexican, Greek and even Italian gelato. Up and down Hancock and Wayne streets vendors offered arts and crafts for people to have souvenirs for the experience. Our small businesses saw a boost while our char ities and nonprofits had a chance to show the great things they do in our town. The community came together to prove to everyone Milledgeville isn’t just another dot on the map. It’s a center of commerce, education. Moreso, it’s a place that millennials and elders alike can have a good time. Whether you came to look at the antiques, enjoy the soulful sounds of groups such as Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Drivin’ n Cryin’, taste different cuisines or have a few hours of fun with your children, we were able to remember why it’s wonderful to call Milledgeville and Baldwin County home. For us, well, we’re glad to establish ourselves as a news source for your community. We enjoy partic ipating in these events as much as you do. Smith Communications has a long history of participating in many events, including the Dairy Festival in Eatonton and the numerous events that take place in Morgan and Greene Counties. Recently, Smith Communications also purchased The Jones County News, another publication with a long tradition of providing the local news coverage for the citizens of Gray and Haddock. With our publications having a legacy of being a part of the communities they reside in, we wanted you all to know that we are here to stay. Whether Milledgeville is the center of a statewide debate, hosting a home game under the Friday night lights, remembering our freedoms and liberties at the Grant Parade Field or enjoying a weekend of music, food and culture, the Baldwin Bulletin will be there. We hope you will join us on those journeys. 1 Baldwin Bulletin Established 2000 President & Publisher A. Mark Smith Sr. Vice President, General Manager Matt Smith Vice President, Advertising Mark Smith Jr. Vice President Michael Smith Vice President Jo Ann Smith Executive Editor Josh Lurie Associate Editor Wil Petty Putnam County Associate Editor Lynn Hobbs Reporter Alaina Minshew Reporter Carrie Moon Sports Reporter Brandon Bush Lakelife Editor Beverly Harvey Lakelife Associate Editor Hank Segars Display Advertising Manager Vicki Parker Advertising Representative Brandi Harrison Advertising Representative Amber Reese Advertising Representative Michael Payne Advertising Representative Shannon Thompson Advertising Representative Anjie Brown Advertising Representative Tom Gorman Advertising Representative Daniel Harwell National Advertising Manager Amy Hood Legal Advertising/Circulation Becky Meyer Graphic Artist Lindsay Pilcher Graphic Artist Mark Brill Business Manager Cassandra Fowler One-Year Subscription Rates In Baldwin County $30 Other Georgia counties $36 Out of State $39 Advertising, news and information: 136 S. Wayne St. • Milledgeville, GA 31061 478-452-1777 Advertising email: vicki@bbnews.today News email: wil@bbnews.today The Baldwin Bulletin (USPS 830-400 is published every Thursday by Smith Communications Inc., 100 N. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of The Baldwin Bulletin and individual writers only. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Baldwin Bulletin, P.O. Box 4027, Eatonton, GA 31024 Periodicals Postage Paid at Milledgeville, GA, 31061 I am sick of all this! I think it's time we have a third party! 20/ 7 # MeToo should lead to discussion Social media is one of many ways I get to know people better. You learn who a person is, what they like, their political views and if you share the same taste in memes. Other times, social media can do something powerful, it can even shake you to your core. When I saw the number of my friends sharing their experiences of being sexually harassed through a statement of “me too,” I felt powerless. It was disheartening to see how there were more women who could relate to those harsh moments than those who couldn’t. In a perfect world, no one would ever have to experience it. I felt guilt, just wishing I could have been there at that specific moment to stop it. If I couldn’t, why couldn’t anyone else be there to stop it? Nobody deserves that. What I found more repul sive was the “friends” of these brave women imme diately rushing to judgment or harsh comments. The fact some feel the worse action is sharing you were sexually harassed instead of the actual sexual harass ment is astonishing. Wil Petty Associate Editor Others also used the opportunity to get on a soapbox and state incidents could happen to men as well. No one said it couldn’t, and I saw some men post about their experiences as well. However, I have no qualms in saying those keyboard warriors should be ashamed of themselves. If your takeaway from a friend or family member’s post regarding a clearly traumatic moment of her life is that it could also happen to men, you’ve clearly missed the point. I have nothing but respect for the brave souls who came forward about their experiences. In a situ ation where they previously had no control, they had a say on when to share their story, and there’s something to be said about that fact. Many of the criticisms of the movement though, are concerning. Sexual harassment and abuse need to be publicized because it happens everyday. Often, I listen to debates that it isn’t worth protesting because everybody knows it’s bad and wants it to stop. My counter to that is why does it keep happening so often? Why isn’t enough done to stop these actions from happening? Why isn’t there more shame given to those who did the disgusting actions? Why are we more concerned about how drunk someone was, what they wore or alleged signals they gave, rather than the fact everyone should feel safe whenever they go out and wherever they are? Why is it so hard to understand that these actions are in fact traumatizing? I often like to offer up some form of solution to the problems I discuss and write about, but I don’t have any. I would say that people should always know to consent, but some words on a paper will not make a person stop. I would say more should be done with therapy and the mental issues that arise from the actions, and maybe that’s true, but there should be more focus on actually preventing it from happening. One could argue bars, nightclubs and other venues could be more vigilant when it comes to watching for gropers or watching out for people who may be drugged, but just as many incidents happen when someone walks down a sidewalk or in a parking lot leaving a grocery store. That’s why we need discussion. That’s why #MeToo is important. I don’t have solutions. However, there are people doing wonderful things to help victims and others from becoming victims. Let’s listen to them and as a nation have the decency to take a stand against sexual harassment and abuse. The time for action should have happened decades, if not centuries, ago. The future of Scouting News about the Boy Scouts of America’s plan to accept girls as members has caught my attention. And, ironically, as I began to write this column about scouting, a great feature by Lynn Hobbs appeared in the community section of The Eatonton Messenger. This was a story about the local scouts of Troop 310 kayaking 64 miles on the Oconee River. The photographs of smiling teenagers in the natural river setting brought back memories of Hank Segars Lakelife Associate Editor my days as a scout, a long time ago. We sometimes take things for granted as, for example, Scouting programs for boys and girls. It seems they have always been around and the positive impact of these organizations has been large and mostly unsung. Yet, with the reported membership changes for the Boy Scouts (and new challenges for the Girl Scouts), one cannot help but wonder about the future of scouting, and about American culture as well. Scouts can be seen in and around the Lake Country and across America. Most often they are decked out in an assortment of uniforms, selling popcorn or cookies and doing fun things like camping and hiking. There is, however, more to the program that what we generally see. For over a century, scouting has played a role of the lives of millions of Americans and been a strong part of our national identity. Norman Rockwell SEE SEGARS »A10 State and Federal Elected Officials Gov. Nathan Deal (R) 203 State Capitol Atlanta. GA 30334 (404) 656-1776 Web/e-mail: gagovernor.org Sen. David Perdue (R) B40D Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-3521 Rep. Jody Hice (R) 1516 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-4101 Fax: (202) 226-0776 Sen. Burt Jones (R) 407 East Second St., Jackson, GA 30233 Phone: (770) 775-4880 Fax: (770) 234-6752 Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-3643 Rep. Rick Williams (R) Room 607, Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-0887 Rick.williams@house.ga.gov
