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4A Clje l)pra(& Tuesday, August 24,2021
Opinions
Geiger's Counter: Another defeat for
our military commanders, politicians
Watching the retreat of
our military forces from
Afghanistan in recent
days has reminded me,
as it has many others, of
a similar retreat out of
Saigon and the hellhole
that was Vietnam.
Make no mistake
about it, we retreated
from Afghanistan and
a sloppy retreat it was.
We abruptly cut off air,
ground and logistical
support for the Afghan
military we trained and
they wilted like a daisy in
the desert sun, changing
into their tribal clothing
and fading into the indig
enous population where
tribes have been at war
since time began.
We left behind fully op
erational bases, aircraft,
drones, vast numbers
of small arms and Allah
only knows what all else.
Terrorists now have even
more of our own equip
ment to use against us
and they will. But, worst
of all, we left behind
American citizens and
Afghani nationals who
had assisted us openly
and covertly.
The American military
was undefeated until
Korea. That war ended
in a stalemate and we
still spend trillions to
maintain a demilitarized
zone there to shore up
the South Korean govern
ment.
Vietnam was our first
loss. We poured troops
into the country. We
bombed and napalmed it
endlessly. We defoliated
its jungles with Agent
Orange but our
commanders
and political
leaders never
worked up the
will to win.
Soldiers fought
valiantly to
take hills in
the middle of
nowhere only
to be ordered
to leave, send
home their
dead and then
be ordered to
retake the same
hill the next
day.
Casualty lists sent
back home grew and
grew. Over 58,000 Ameri
can troops died there.
Tens of thousands re
turned home maimed ei
ther physically, mentally
or both. Ameri
cans lost their
taste for the war
and the military
itself. That exact
sentiment put
the final nails
in the coffins of
military col
leges around the
country includ
ing Gordon right
here at home.
1 remember
watching on TV
as bulldozers
pushed Huey
choppers off the
decks of aircraft
carriers into the ocean in
order to take on rescued
Vietnamese as we pulled
out. The visual of those
choppers flying into and
out of the rooftop pad
atop our embassy while
Saigon was laid siege
to were unforgettable.
Despite the spin given
the situation, we lost the
Vietnam war.
Now we have almost
the exact same situation
in Afghanistan - a military
defeat and a hasty retreat
all because commanders
and politicians lacked the
will to win.
We should never have
sent the first soldier to
Vietnam. Nothing was
achieved there militar
ily or geopolitically.
The same is true for
Afghanistan, we lost and
nothing was gained from
the deaths of over 6,000
soldiers and military con
tractors. Two wars lost.
Those defeats, howev
er, cannot be laid at the
feet of American service
men and women. They
followed orders. They
killed and got killed.
They maimed and got
maimed. All for nothing!
The losses in Viet
nam and Afghanistan
fall squarely on those in
Washington, DC. There
is considerable blood on
their hands.
Remember that blood
the next time they want
to send ‘military advi
sors’ to some Godfor
saken place and do your
best to stop them.
Walter Geiger is editor and
publisher of The Herald-Gazette and
Pike County Journal Reporter. He
can be reached at 770-358-NEWS or
news@barnesville.com.
COUNTER
Walter Geiger
Editor & Publisher
Government control
is not behind
necessity of vaccine
KAV S. PEDR0TTI
kayspedortti@gmail.com
As a whole population
of allegedly educated
people, we are falling
woefully short of plain
com-
*sense
L ...'ll when it
comes
to a po
liticized
pan
demic.
If we are
smart
- and as long as there
is internet to persuade
and mislead, we won’t be
smart enough - we will at
least attempt to remem
ber those deadly diseas
es of the past that have
been eradicated with the
use of vaccines. (Does
smallpox ring a bell?)
It took much longer
than several years to per
fect the vaccine against
poliomyelitis in the
1960s. Between the Sabin
and Salk efforts, there
were many discussions,
attempts, even failures,
until finally success was
achieved and practically
the whole population
was vaccinated. It’s been
a very long time since
I’ve seen a television
commercial, featuring a
child completely encased
in an “iron lung” machine
because breathing can
not happen with polio,
asking support for the
eradication of the dread
disease.
So why is the United
States not 100% advo
cating a way to prevent
another disease that has
taken more than three
times the number of lives
lost in the Viet Nam war?
Because this pan
demic has been deeply
politicized - first the
Trump Republican ad
ministration was accused
of neither informing the
populace nor caring
about the virus; now the
Biden Democrat presi
dency et al is “trying to
find every way they can
to make the people do
everything they want so
they can destroy Ameri
ca.” 1 call BS on both.
If and when we ever
have a United States
President or governance
that never makes mis
takes, is never self-
serving, actually listens
to the little people, even
helps destroy special
interest groups instead of
depending upon them for
finances to continue in
office - that will be when
we have landed in the af
terlife. There will forever
be differences in political
views, but until recently
there never has been
an absolute inability to
share the power “across
the aisle.” Republica
tions were saying during
the Obama administra
tion that Harry Reed
was holding up all kinds
of good legislation and
letting bills die on his
desk that weren’t from
Democrats. In the Trump
years, the villain of such
activity was said to be
Mitch McConnell. Now
Chuck Schumer has the
job. How ridiculous.
1 continue to marvel
that no one has insisted
on accountability from
China, where this mess
all started. We are still
pouring billions into a
country that seems to be
the origin of agony, fear,
separation, desperation,
mental health problems,
children cheated of
school years, a wrecked
economy, family friction
and divorces, failed busi
nesses - the beat goes
on.
By the end of Septem
ber, the designated time
and testing for the ef
ficacy of the vaccine will
have elapsed, and the
FDA will likely announce
its full approval. Mean
while, we know these
things to be true: cases
drop when more people
are vaccinated, and
increase when they are
not; only a unified effort
will bring a halt to cases,
period; and we should all
be helping each other.
Kay S. Pedrotti has spent some 50
years writing for newspapers. She
is active in the Lamar County com
munity and currently serves as the
president of Lamar Arts. She lives in
Milner with her husband Bob.
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Send letters to RO. Box 220, Barnesville, 30204,
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Greenwood Street, Barnesville.
Longtime Herald Gazette cartoonist Barry McWilliams died Aug. 14 at age 79 of a heart at
tack. (See obit, page 5A.)
Gordy sentenced to 35 years
FROM PAGE ONE
those fired at Gordy were
found strewn on a bed
with other ammo.
Sheriff Brad White
testified about being noti
fied of the shooting.
“That is the call no
sheriff or police chief
wants to get. Justyn went
out the passenger door.
That and God’s grace
saved his life. But, Justyn
lost 80% of his vision in
one eye and his dream of
being a state trooper is
gone,” the sheriff said.
A very emotional
Weaver also made a
statement. “1 can’t forgive
you now for what you did
to me and my family. 1
hope prison changes you
for the better, if not for
you, then for your wife
and children,” Weaver
told Gordy.
“Law enforcement
officers are being slaugh
tered. It has got to stop.
This was an intentional,
violent act and penance
must be paid,” Jernigan
submitted.
SRE to hold
In response to the re
cent spike in Covid cases
in Lamar County and the
surrounding communi
ties, Southern Rivers
Energy will hold a drive-
thru Annual Meeting of
Members on Saturday,
Aug. 28, 2021 under the
equipment shed behind
their office at 1367 High
way 341 South in Barnes
ville.
“We were very much
looking forward to get
ting back to normal this
year but with cases on
the rise along with anxi
ety over what’s next, we
feel changing the format
to drive-thru only is the
best way to go,” said SRE
President/CEO Michael
McMillan.
The drive-thru meet-
Defense attorney Nich
olas White said Gordy
absolutely refused to go
to trial despite his urging
his client to do so.
“Mr. Gordy had had
a lot of vandalism at his
house. He was paranoid.
He went over there look
ing for his wife. He was
under the influence. He
saw the car. He didn’t
know it was a patrol car.
He opened fire on the
car not the officer. This
was bird shot. The officer
would have to have been
shot right in the face to
have died. This was not
an attempted murder,”
White argued.
The defense attorney
said Gordy was mentally
competent, entering the
guilty pleas voluntarily,
had a good work history
and a “background of
deep faith”.
Stacy Gordy testified
she and Donald had three
and a half year old twins,
a boy and a girl. She
apologized to Weaver.
“My family has also suf
fered,” she added.
ing will be held from
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at
Southern Rivers Energy’s
office in Barnesville.
Upon arrival at the gate,
members will receive a
copy of the Annual Re
port, 2020 annual meet
ing minutes, and a ballot
for approving the min
utes and electing three
directors. Then they will
drive through one of the
registration lanes under
the equipment shed
where they will turn in
their ballots and receive
their registration gift.
Members are encour
aged to bring their pre
printed registration card
from the cover of the
August issue of Georgia
Magazine to expedite the
process. Breakfast will be
Stacy Gordy said she
forced her husband to
get a job at Jordan Lum
ber and he developed a
meth habit there.
“He always supported
me and the kids. 1 don’t
believe he deserves the
time they are trying to
give him,” she told Judge
Fears.
Clutching what ap
peared to be a well-worn
family Bible, Gordy also
apologized.
“1 am very sorry for
what happened that
night. 1 am not against
law enforcement. I was
trying to defend my
home, my wife and my
kids. 1 am not an evil per
son. 1 don’t want anyone
to think 1 am a monster. 1
am not one. 1 have always
worked. 1 just had a bad
run of luck. 1 couldn’t
shake it. 1 ask for mercy,”
Gordy said.
The prosecution asked
for 40 years in prison
and four years probation.
Judge Fears decided on
35 years in prison and
three years probation.
provided for all attend
ees, also in a drive-thru
format.
Early voting is also
available at the office
through Aug. 27 during
normal business hours,
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5
p.m.
“If members know
they are coming by the
office to vote, we ask
that they bring their reg
istration card from the
August magazine cover,
but it is not required,”
said Director of Market
ing/Members Services
Erin Cook. “Any member
stopping by the office or
the drive-thru will have
the opportunity to reg
ister, vote, and receive
their registration gift.”
drive-thru annual meeting
June 18-24
10 years ago
Qualifying was under
way for municipal elec
tions in Barnesville and
Milner. In Barnesville,
mayor Peter Banks and
council members Anne
Claxton and Sammy
Shropshire faced reelec
tion. In Milner, at-large
council seats held by
Betty Wilson, James
Bevel and Fred Stephens
were open to challenge.
25 years ago
Hundreds of Habitat
for Humanity volunteers
were in Barnesville to
participate in the Nos
talgia Walk. Habitat
founder Millard Fuller
addressed a gathering
at Gordon College. The
local Habitat chapter was
active at that point under
the leadership of Guy
Hutchinson.
50 years ago
The Western Auto
Store in downtown
Barnesville was adver
tising portable, 16-inch
Sylvania color television
sets for $388. Doug Lee
was the Western Auto
proprietor.
100 years ago
Mr. William T. Sum
mers won the nomina
tion for mayor of Barnes
ville in the city primary
Monday, defeating Mayor
J. E. Bush by substan
tial majority in the most
spirited contest which
has been witnessed in
this city in many years.
It was a friendly contest
all the way through but
it was lively from start to
finish, the result, to many
citizens at least, being
in doubt until the final
count of the ballots. E. L.
Coleman, S. Battson and
M. A. Bush were reelect
ed as aldermen.
Zi)t Heraltr #a^tte
barnesville.com
770.358.NEWS
P.0. Box 220
Publishers
Staff
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