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Page 4A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, February 10, 2021 Opinions Reflecting on MLK Jr., where we stand now BY JACK BERNARD THE RED AND BLACK “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approach ing spiritual death. The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.” - Martin Luther King Jr., 1967 We are now into Black History Month — and this is the right time to think back at who Martin Luther King Jr. really was and what he truly represented, not just the Ghandi-like myth. 1 never met the man, but 1 admire him tremen dously as an American change agent. In reality, MLK Jr. raised the moral bar for all public figures. He was a good man who preached non violence but wanted to strongly confront injustice. He was the spiritual prede cessor of Warnock... and Jon Ossoff, a progressive Jew, for that matter. He believed in peace and true equality of the races. When 1 think back to Georgia in the 1960s, 1 recall that he was not popular among the vast majority of my fellow whites. In fact, it was com mon to hear them call him a “radical,” a “socialist” and a “communist” (and, of course, racial epithets). 1 have heard the same over the last few months about another prominent black Georgia preacher, including receiving literally dozens of postcards from the GOP containing these lies. 1 was a student at UGA in the mid-60s, some of the worst years after desegregation. 1 remember walking into French class and noticing no one sitting around the one black stu dent in the class. Without much thought, I sat down next to her, and all of the other seats quickly filled in. Small acts can have larger, lasting impacts. 1 also remember attend ing a full staff meeting at The Red & Black where the elderly, very Southern faculty advisor told the editorial staff not to cover civil rights at UGA in depth because it was too contro versial. The editorial staff threatened to resign. Around that time at UGA, MLK Jr. was criti cized as anti-American and a “trouble-maker” for saying we were too milita ristic. It was charged that he was trying to totally de fund our military and was disrespecting our troops. Critics said his domestic proposals would raise taxes and violate Ameri can values. They said he wanted to let lawlessness run loose in the streets (I was told this by a white UGA Law Professor). Just like what they said about Rev. Raphael Warnock, the pastor who until recently preached full time at Ebenezer Baptist, MLK Jr’s church, until he was elected U.S. Senator from Georgia. MLK knew justice was not going to be achieved by sitting back and waiting. As he told white moder ates in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, we cannot accept a “negative peace which is the absence of tension” rather than “a positive peace which is the presence of justice.” I was thinking of this quote when 1 heard white supremacists in our Con gress saying that we must now quickly “reconcile” after the murderous white power riot at the Capitol, while never admitting their own election transgres sions, including encourag ing the violent mob (Fox News, 1-21, “Ted Cruz”). When I was with the Atlanta poverty program in the early 70s, 1 heard MLK Sr. speak to the other board members. 1 don’t remember the exact de tails, but 1 do recall that he advocated for equality and for actively lifting up the poor. And the fact that he frequently cited Jesus and his dead son. It was personal to him, as well it should be. But for the rest of us, regardless of color, who believe in the legacy of MLK Jr., the fight must be personal as well. Only then can we achieve a “positive peace” with justice for all Americans. Things have changed for the better since the 60s, but the struggle for equality is far from over. This Black History Month, we should reflect on what is yet to be accomplished and work harder for a true presence of justice. PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER The Pike County courthouse is framed by rose bushes at the southern corners of the square. To learn more about caring for roses, email brooklyne.wassel@uga.edu to regis ter for a free virtual lunch and learn with Dr. Bodie Pennisi. All about roses we achieve true power? Florida's Most Dangerous Gunslinger Pistol Shrimp > . February hits and I can’t help it, I think about roses. Is it just me? To help spread some of the rose love, we have an upcoming, virtual lunch and learn program, All about Roses featuring Dr. Bodie Pennisi. Dr. Pennisi is a fantas tic resource and wealth of knowledge from the University of Georgia Griffin Campus that nor mally is tough to catch in one place as she is always on the go. This unique opportunity to hear her speak is free and open to anyone on February 11, 2021 from noon until 1 o’clock. To receive the Zoom link, you must pre-reg ister. Email brooklyne. wassel@uga.edu to reg ister and get the link. BROOKLYNE WASSEL PIKE EXTENSION AGENT How do BY CHARLES WHATLEY cbwhatley@hotmail.com I typed ‘power’ into my internet search engine and expected a T- Rex or a mountain gorilla or an elephant or a killer whale; but I got a shrimp ... specifically a 4 centi meters long, 25 grams in weight pistol shrimp. Ac cording to Men’s Health magazine, they are, gram- for-gram, some of the most powerful animals in nature. They have a claw that “fires bubble bullets” at more than 100 feet-per-second and is 60 decibels louder than a real gunshot! In addition, the “bubble bullet’s” veloc ity generates an 8,000 degree flash, vaporizing the surrounding water. They can also use their “bubble bullets” to create a live-in burrow by drill ing into basalt rock. Now multiply that power by 4,000, which is how much larger a hu man is compared to the pistol shrimp, and you’ll get an idea about how weak we are compared to the animal kingdom? You could almost make a movie out of it... in fact, they did and it’s called “Project Power” and Ja mie Foxx’s power comes from the pistol shrimp. As a human, with the power of a pistol shrimp, he’s able to generate a temperature burst 8,000 degrees hotter than the surface of the sun!? Paul, in his second letter to the church at Corinth says, “But he (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weak ness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthi ans 12:9) The next time I searched for ‘power’ the result was a televi sion show about a drug dealer, James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick, who owns a nightclub, but lives a se cret life as a drug dealer. Then I looked up ‘power’ in the dictionary and it said, “the ability to do or act” and “the capability of doing or accomplish ing something.” Suddenly I realized James “Ghost” doesn’t have any real power; he expends a tremendous amount of energy and money and time do ing something illegal and temporary. But he really doesn’t accom plish anything. What a contrast with the God who created the heav ens and the earth with a word? Or even some of God’s people who, bit by tiny bit, are changing the world around them! Therein lies the prob lem; we are caught up in a futile attempt to appear powerful, yet we are constantly re-affirming our weakness. So Paul tells the Corinthians, if they’ll only admit their weakness, they’ll begin to know God’s power. Now we’re left with a choice; do we keep trying to appear powerful or do we admit our weakness “so that Christ’s power may rest on us” and in us?! Charles 'Buddy' Whatley is a re tired United Methodist pastor serving Woodland and Bold Springs UMC and, with Mary Ella, a missionary to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. Oligarch billionaires have taken over nation using media platforms The oligarch billion aires that have taken over our nation are using their media platforms to deny the obvious while reimag ining the facts. Their as sault on the truth is no dif ferent than what Russian and Chinese autocrats Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping do with their state run media and TV. Yet, supposedly big tech is not censoring the dissenting voices of conservatives and moderates according to the Washington Post. Well, who is the liar now? Pike County Journal Reporter www.pikecountygeorgia.com P.0. 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. Here is the real deal; they know if an inde pendent nonpartisan thorough audit of the 2020 election ever comes to fruition, there will be an unmeasurable po litical revolt when the inconceivable numbers indicate foul play. At the same time, our Ameri can oligarchs have what most American patriots would consider treason ous alliances with our nation’s greatest enemy, the Chinese Communist Party. Notwithstand ing, these oligarchs of Wall Street and big tech commit crimes of hostile monopolistic takeovers, money laundering, fraud and collusion every day with impunity primarily orchestrated by a subser vient Congress and com plied: federal government. Therefore, why would any reasonable person trust a media owned by these manipulators of justice and messaging? Inasmuch, a dishon est person or organiza tion always accuses the purveyor of facts as a liar to deflect from their deception. And when the dissenting voices chal lenge their falsehoods and distortions, the elite use indignation to sew social discourse solely to divide and conquer. Still, their defamation of all who dare question the ridiculous and absurd as conspiracy theorists, rac ists, misogynists, homo phobes, xenophobes, and so forth is a fear tactic meant to silence and sub due the nonconformists. Regardless, if we don’t stand up to the tyranny of today, what will become of our democracy, a na tion built upon the rule of law tomorrow? Thus, when a media entrusted by our found ers to hold the most powerful accountable ac quiesces its responsibility to the public for 30 pieces of silver from the immoral oppressors, just like Judas; their fate is sealed. Of course, Marxists don’t believe in God, so in their twisted view, there is no such thing as account ability. More importantly, power and wealth is their master, but their thirst will never be quenched for their souls are empty and their hearts are cold. Although, I still have faith in a higher power and the American people for a rainbow always appears after the storm; hence forth “Are you ready for a peaceful political revolu tion that brings down the Walls of Jericho”? Rise up America! JAMES NOBLES W&iipjfl Outside!* AT PIKE BY DWAIN W. PENN 100 YEARS AGO February 11, 1921: J.T. Bullard, asked by many friends, announced his candidacy for commission er of roads and revenue of Pike County. Previously undisclosed, the position was the same previously held by Lamar County resident Morgan Howard. 75 YEARS AGO February 14,1946: The Pike board of educa tion purchased a new Bell & Howell motion picture projector for use in activities for farmers and the county agent office. The old worn out projector was sold for $125 and applied toward the purchase. 50 YEARS AGO February 11, 1971: Cpl Edward L. Beckham, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Beckham of Concord, served in Vietnam as a combat military police scout dog handler. He was assigned to work Bink Dink Province with headquarters in Qui Nohn. 25 YEARS AGO February 14, 1996: With a history of racism in the Zebulon police department, one incident result ing in a federal lawsuit, another accusation of bias arose. Black officer Sgt. Mike Owens contended, although he had more experience, he was over looked for promotion in favor of a white officer.