About Pike County journal and reporter. (Zebulon, Ga.) 1980-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2021)
Page 4A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, January 13, 2021 Opinions Vaccination decision was not an easy one 1 rolled up my sleeve and got the first injection of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday. The second booster shot is due in three weeks and 1 will get it as well. Making the decision on whether or not to get vaccinated was not an easy one. 1 admit 1 was initially a C0V1D con trarian. I was absolutely opposed to shutting down the country and remain so. Joe Biden best think long and hard about instituting a second one. After nearly half the country voted against him, he has no mandate to begin with and will face extreme backlash should he at tempt it. At first, 1 scoffed at masks and seldom wore one unless 1 was in a place that required one for entry. 1 got the look so many of us who do (did) not wear masks got from those who did. 1 did try to maintain my distance from others and 1 did sanitize my hands often. That has become a habit. 1 started writing about COV1D in Feb ruary last year. In late March, 1 started compiling stats for the COVID-19 Monitor on barnesville.com. 1 thought that chore would last a month or two and the virus would die out. I was wrong. People, lots of them, have died out instead. In the first detailed post on the Monitor, Lamar had three cases and no deaths while Pike had no cases and no deaths. Statewide there were 1387 cases and 47 deaths. Sunday after noon those numbers were Lamar 952 cases and 28 deaths and Pike 744 cases and 15 deaths. Statewide the numbers were 636,373 cases and 10,282 deaths. Over the past two months COV1D has spread rapidly. On Nov. 10, Lamar had 462 cases and 21 deaths while Pike had 408 cases and 12 deaths. So, our area has recorded 826 new cases over the past 60 days. These spik ing numbers got my atten tion. 1 started wearing my mask more and started debating getting the vaccine when it became available. On Dec. 15, District 4 public health epidemi ologist Alex Wood spoke to the Barnesville Ro tary Club. For the first time, 1 heard straight talk about coronavirus and the vaccine from a trained, reliable source. Wood told us that she, too, was skeptical about the vaccine until three weeks earlier. “1 did a lot of research on it. That’s what 1 have trained in. Now, 1 am confident and will be vaccinated when it is available,” Wood added. Then, on Dec. 21,1 watched as the fine folks at the Lamar County Health Department thawed the vaccine (the Pfizer vaccine is kept at 73 degrees below zero prior to use), recon stituted it and then administered the first vaccinations done there. The administrators and nurses, who have seen this virus and its ugly consequences up close and personal, were ab solutely giddy to finally have a weapon they could fight back with. That made up my mind and Monday 1 got my first shot. It did not hurt at all. Through these long months as COV1D has ravaged the world, 1 managed to not contract it and now 1 feel better about my chances of keeping it that way. 1 will keep you up dated, especially if my inoculated arm falls off. In the meantime, if you need to find me, call Bill Gates. Walter Geiger is editor and publisher of The Herald Gazette in Barnesville and the Pike County Journal Reporter. GEIGER’S COUNTER Walter Geiger Editor & Publisher Foster families needed in Pike NAVIGATING LIFE’S CURVES amnesia reverberates in today’s society Did you know that when a child enters fos ter care they are often not alone? Many chil dren enter care along with a brother or sister or have a sibling who is already in care. “Our community needs foster families who will take a family of children, small or large, so that siblings can be together,” said Aaliyah Shakir. “Currently, Pike only has 12 caregiver homes. The children in The Pike County Jour nal Reporter welcomes letters to the editor from local citizens. For a letter to be consid ered, in clude the writer’s actual name, ad dress and telephone number. We will publish the name only. Let ters from individual authors will be published no more often than every other week. Limit letters to 250 words or less. Shorter letters are appreciated. All letters to the editor are subject to editing. need of foster homes range in ages from 7 to 17 years old. Help brothers and sisters in your community stay together.” For more informa tion, contact Aaliyah Shakir, DFCS regional re cruiter at 678-544-6631, via email at aaliyah. shakir@dhs.ga.gov or go to FosterGeorgia.com to learn how to become a foster or adoptive caregiver today. Personal attacks on private citizens, po litical endorsements or letters that are racially divisive will not be consid ered for publica tion. Drop letters by the office on the court house square, mail them to P.O. Box 789, Zebu- Ion, 30295, fax them to 770.567.8814 or email them to news@pike- countygeorgia.com. For more informa tion, call 770.567.3446 or email news@pike countygeorgia.com. Educational BY BARBARA LATTA kbkj@bellsouth.net An article ap pearing in the October 28, 2019 is sue of The Washing ton Times stated that 70% of polled millennials would vote for socialism over capi talism. “The historical amne sia about the dangers of communism and social ism is on full display in this year’s report,” said Marion Smith, executive director of the Victims of Communism Memo rial Foundation. “When we don’t educate our youngest generations about the historical truth of 100 million victims murdered at the hands of communist regimes over the past century, we shouldn’t be surprised at their willingness to embrace Marxist ideas. We need to redouble our efforts to educate America’s youth about the history of communist regimes and the dangers of socialism today.” These statistics are due to the lack of educa tion of facts over opin ions. Certain groups suck up the lie that something like socialism will give them free stuff and the freedom to do whatever they please, which basi cally they are already doing. They jump on the bandwagon of selfishness which has skewed their worldview. A Fox News interview of people on Long Island during a July 4, 2015 holi day resonates with the result of removing true history from schools. When questioned about the simplest facts of America’s founding, the answers these people gave was appalling. When asked what coun try we declared inde pendence from, some answered with France and America, although there were a few who got it right and said Britain. Beachgoers said we de clared independence in 1947, the war was called the Civil War, the first president was Lincoln or Franklin, and the gen eral who won the war was Patton or Grant. To name one of the original colonies, interviewees chimed with Oregon, Alabama, Arkansas, New England, Kentucky, and America. The educational amnesia that reverber ates in American society is the reason little value is placed on why this country was founded and what it cost for all of us to have the comfortable, free lifestyle we now enjoy. Which brings us to to day. The fraud that took place during the presi dential election echoes the thought processes of too many who promote the lie that capitalism is evil and racist. The word FREE attracts millions without one thought of the consequence. The result of socialism and communism in other countries is discounted as not a true reflection of how that ideology would work in America. Cheating, lying, and voter fraud all came about because of self ishness. People want something for nothing, but who will be com plaining the loudest when the money runs out, when businesses fail, taxes rise, and gas prices go out of sight? How will they feel if they are ever the victim of a brutal crime committed by a person who entered this country illegally? Already, cities who want to defund the police have experienced a rise in violence. And guess what happens when those same people want police protection? Why do the students who want college loans forgiven seek a college education? So they can go out and get a career with a high paying salary. Where will the business es be that could pay the salaries to these I-want-a job-that-doesn’t-really- require-work people? The socialistic policies predicted in America’s future will eliminate a lot of businesses. And if stu dent loans were forgiven, these college graduates would need to pay higher taxes to fund the free education of those com ing behind them. People who aren’t trained to think, don’t think about that. Political correctness stemming from social media and the entertain ment industry has edu cated the last few gen erations with a “gimme” attitude. 1 have spent the last few months in South Ko rea. A country that lives daily with the threat of a rocket flying through the air from the despot who lives up north. China sali vates at the thought of sinking its teeth into an other nation. The South Korean people appreci ate freedom more than all those ballot-stuffing Americans who have the distorted thinking that these types of policies make everything equal for citizens. South Kore ans know how close they came to living like the North Koreans do. They thrive in a free govern ment now because Allied forces pushed Chinese and North Korean armies out of the southern part of the peninsula. They don’t want communism, and it defies the imagina tion that some Ameri cans do. So, for those who think this is what you want, don’t cry when you get it. Barbara Latta is a freelance writer who posts online articles at barbara- latta.blogspot.com and contributes to the devotion website Christian Devotions. Pike County Journal Reporter's letter printing guidelines Pike County Journal Reporter www.pikecountygeorgia.com P.O. Box 789 16026 Barnesville St. Zebulon, Ga. 30295 770.567.3446 The Pike County Journal Reporter is the official organ of Pike County, the cities of Zebulon, Molena, Meansville, Williamson and Concord. It is published weekly by Hometown Newspapers Inc. Second class postage is paid at the Zebulon, Ga Post Office. Publishers: Walter and Laura Geiger; staff: Jennifer Taylor, Brenda Sanchez and Rachel McDaniel. AT PIKE BY DWAIN W. PENN 100 YEARS AGO January 14, 1921: On Friday night the William son Woman’s club gave an oyster supper at the library. There were several features of entertain ment and besides oysters were homemade candy and other good eats for sale. 75 YEARS AGO January 17, 1946: Report of the final war bond drive showed Pike exceeded the E bond quota by a mere 1%. Final tally of the sale of all bonds exceeded the quota by 180%, 50 YEARS AGO January 14,1971: The Pike Homemakers Council met in the new extension building with home econo mist Judy N. Reid, approving to buy tables and chairs for a new room in the building and host the February 4-H banquet. Homemakers were urged to use the building and attend workshops led by Reid. 25 YEARS AGO January 17, 1996: Zebulon acquired a new mayor at the January council meeting when former mayor David Garner swore in new mayor Larry Lynch. Although Lynch served extensively on council, it was his first term as mayor.
