Newspaper Page Text
November 11, 2009
PAGE 4A
1 Reporter
Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
OUR VIEW
It makes one sick
Monroe County’s Congressman, Jim Marshall, voted
against the 2,000-page travesty that deigns to takeover
the U.S. healthcare system late Saturday night. Sadly he
was in the minority, and a government-controlled health
system took a big step toward becoming law.
The plan would be a disaster for the American people,
bringing the private health insurance industry under the
thumbs of Washington bureaucrats (read: death panels)
while saddling future generations with $1.2 trillion more
in debt. It would mean jail time for any American citizen,
even the young, poor and able-bodied, who refused to buy
a certain product - in this case expensive (and about to be
more expensive) health insurance. And it will exacerbate
our shortage of health care workers.
Sadly, elections have consequences and recent votes
have left us with leadership showing no interest in our
founding principles of liberty and limited government.
Our only hope is that the Founders’ wisdom of creating a
senate to put the brakes on tyrannical lawmakers is
shown to be prescient once again. Perhaps then voters
will have time to correct past mistakes and elect leaders
who will listen to the voices of the abused U.S. taxpayer.
AROUND MIDDLE GEORGIA
From the Barnesville
Herald-Gazette:
Tax auction
Lamar County will put
the property of 160
landowners on the auc
tion block for having
unpaid taxes. The tax sale
will be advertised four
weeks in the paper giving
landowners a last chance
to pay their bill.
Trojans make play
offs
The Lamar County
Trojans beat Pike County
to claim their first playoff
berth in seven years.
Drug deaths
in Lamar
The bodies of four
Lamar Countians are
sent to the state crime
lab, and coroner Jim
Smith says three of the
deaths were related to
drug abuse possibly with
drugs from the same deal
er. Three deaths were
thought to be related to
mixing a use of fentanyl
patches, a powerful opiate
from a local drug store,
with other drugs.
Investigators spotted a
bottle of clear liquid in
the home but when they
returned to the home it
was missing. The Lamar
County Sheriffs Office
has refused to release
mug shots or criminal
records of the victims.
Herald Gazette editor
Walter Geiger responds to
criticism that the paper is
disrespecting the
deceased by bringing up
their drug use by noting
that society has lost its
moral compass if it can't
note such destructive
behavior.
From the Progress-Argus
in Jackson:
Abysmal turnout
The Progress-Argus
calls voter turnout
"abysmal" in one race for
Butts County commis
sioner and city elections
in Jackson and Flovilla.
Help with rats
Jackson resident W.J.
Moss begs county com
missioners for help get
ting rid of rats in his
home, saying that they've
eaten his furniture and
holes in his floor. He said
a culprit might be a stack
of wood nearby, but com
missioners say they can't
do much for him since he
lives in the city limits.
Jackson wins
Unbeaten Jackson ral
lies from a 17-7 deficit to
beat Woodward and claim
the region title.
From the Upson Beacon
in Thomaston:
Bostwick closing
Bostwick Furniture is
going out of business after
59 years in downtown
Thomaston.
From the Monticello
News:
Movie in Jasper
A new movie starring
Kris Kristofferson and
Brooke Shields, "The
Greening of Whitney
Brown," is being filmed
partly in Jasper County.
is published every week by
The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, president
Robert M. Williams Jr., vice president
Cheryl S. Williams, secretary-treasurer
OUR STAFF
Will Davis
Publisher/Editor
publisher@mymcr.net
Gina Herring
Reporter
news@mymcr.net
Adam Ham
Webmaster
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Wendell Ramage
Contributing Writer
wendellram4@
bellsouth.net
Trellis Grant
Business Manager
business@mymcr.net
Carolyn Martel
Advertising
Manager
ads@my mcr. net
Laura Thackston
Editorial Assistant
forsyth@mymcr.net
Gini Seitz
Advertising
Representative
sales@mymcr.net
50 N. Jackson Sh, Forsyth, GA 31029
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The comments featured on the opinion pages
are the sole creations of the writers, they do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Re
porter management.
Publication No. USPS 997-840)
On the Porch
Grateful to you, dear readers
I t happens almost every
week. Most recently it
was Mrs. Grace
Hardage of Forsyth.
She had brought by
some old photos for the
Monroe County history book
we’re producing.
When I popped my
head into fire lobby,
she stopped, looked
me in the eye, and
told me how much
she and her hus
band Alex enjoy
their Reporter every
week.
Then last
Wednesday, Charlie
Courtois of Forsyth
told me at the
American Legion Hall how
much he likes the fact that
his hometown weekly is a
“real newspaper”.
It makes this editor smile
when he hears that the hard
work of our staff is appreci
ated.
“Pleasant words are a hon
eycomb,” King Solomon
wrote, “sweet to the soul and
healing to the bones.”
Of course, we get the com
plaints too -- some of them
well-deserved. Like last
week. This column was sup
posed to run then, but a pro
duction snafu gave readers a
“Greatest Hits” version of
the editorial page.. You are a
forgiving bunch, but it pains
me when we abuse your
trust by our mistakes.
Yet, we were reminded a
few weeks ago just how loyal
you have been. In our Oct.
21 edition we published our
statement of ownership,
mandated annual
ly by the postal
service. The form
requires our
meticulous busi
ness manager,
Trellis Grant, to
crunch our circu
lation numbers
from all 52 weeks
during the year
and calculate the
average.
Do you know
what it showed? It revealed
that our average weekly cir
culation during 2008-09 was
up 16 percent over 2007-08,
to almost 5,000. Wow! While
readership of daily newspa
pers is plummeting, we’re
growing rapidly. It over
whelms me with gratitude
to think of the support we
have enjoyed from you,
Monroe Comity.
Why have we experienced
such growth?
I’d like to think people
can’t wait to spend 75 cents
to get the profound wisdom I
share with you On the Porch
each week. But I know bet
ter (our website counts
which stories you’re reading
the most and On the Porch
doesn’t make the Top 3.)
The truth is, a weekly
newspaper is kind of like a
good buffet. We aim to serve
up a little bit of everything
so all can find something
they like to, well, digest. And
we work late Monday nights
so that our fare remains hot,
or at least warm, on the
chafing dish. We aim to
serve up content about our
community that you can’t
get anywhere else. Content
is the key.
While we aim for and rel
ish happy readers, we are
not always successful. At
times some have accused
your meek and mild editor of
being too opinionated. To
which I respond, “I am not
opinionated! I resent your
accusation and if you have a
problem let’s settle it out
side.” Just kidding. Actually,
I confess they’re right.
I am biased toward
Monroe County where I
plan to live out my years
and raise my children.
I am biased in favor of
local people, local govern
ment and local institutions,
which know better the needs
and wants of Monroe
Countians than bureaucrats
in Washington or Atlanta.
I am biased in favor of the
founding principles of our
constitutional republic,
where Americans are free to
make their own decisions
about their fives, their
healthcare, their child’s
school -- as opposed to being
dictated to by the govern
ment.
I am biased in favor of
lower taxes and fewer regu
lations so that our local
economies can thrive again,
rather than us grovelling for
stray stimulus morsels from
the central planners.
I am biased in favor of
human fife, which is a gift
from God, and should be pro
tected.
I am biased toward biblical
values, which are reliable
and unchangable, as
opposed to the whims of con
temporary culture.
So there. I’ve said it. The
secret is out - I’m biased.
Now on the news pages,
you’ll get facts. Who, what,
when, where and why -
these aren’t subject to bias.
But here on this page?
Here, I’ll aim to persuade,
cajole and agitate for the val
ues I hold dear. Because I’m
biased. And so are you. But
you know what? You’re wel
come to this page as much
as I am. Just e-mail your
biased opinions to me at
pubfishei@mymcr.net. We’re
here for all of Monroe
County even - nay, especial
ly - for those with whom I
disagree.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Edge: Thanks for sharing, Ronnie
To the editor:
I would like to take this
opportunity to say a
special thank you to
someone who always
has a giving heart. For
seven years without failure,
DANIEL Ronnie Daniel of Dairy
Queen has said “yes, come get
what you need” when asked
to donate to the Tennis
Tournament. The tournament
raises money for the
Transient Fund and provides
meal tickets, gas for a vehicle,
bus tickets and sometimes
shelter to those in need who
travel through this wonderful
county of ours. We are grate
ful that Ronnie is sharing his
blessings in our community!
Keith Edge
Forsyth
Monroe deputy goes beyond the call
To the editor:
am writing to share my grati
tude for Deputy Rhonda
Morgan, who works for the
Monroe County Sheriffs
Department. The men
and women who serve our
community perform many acts
of kindness which go untold. I
wanted to share one of these
acts with you so that it might
be passed on to your readers.
I was driving northbound on
1-75 Labor Day weekend when
suddenly I realized I had a
flattened tire. The traffic was
especially bad and my only
option was to ease to the left
shoulder of the interstate. I
was stuck in a particularly
dangerous spot at the top of a hill,
adjacent to the fast lane. It was defi
nitely scary. I was a bit panicked
about what to do, because my hus
band was working that day and my
father was out of town on a business
trip. I consider myself to be inde
pendent and strong, but like most
young women my age, I have little
experience changing tires (and the
little experience that I do have does
not involve being on the
side of the interstate with
cars and big trucks zoom
ing by). My solution to my
predicament was to call a
wrecker and wait for help,
because it was far too dan
gerous to do anything else.
My entire car shook as cars
and trucks flew by and I
began to get more nervous
by the minute. I was call
ing 411 to get the number
of a wrecker when the
dreaded "Blue Lights"
approached me from
behind.
Those dreaded "Blue Lights" could
n't have come at a better time.
Deputy Rhonda Morgan came to my
rescue that day. She kindly offered
me a ride to the nearest service sta
tion because, as she put it, "it's so
dangerous out here, and I wouldn't
want my child stranded on the side
of 75." When I told Ms. Morgan I was
from Forsyth, she graciously drove
me home so I didn't have to wait in a
dangerous place for a wrecker to tow
my car back home. I wrote Ms.
Morgan a thank you note, but I real
ly want your readers to know what a
wonderful thing she did for me. We
are very lucky to have such a caring
woman serving our community. She
went above and beyond her duties to
help me and I am very grateful to
her.
By the way, I did change my own
tire later that day-from the safety of
my driveway, thanks to Ms. Morgan.
Christy Plott Redd
Forsyth
Editor’s note: Rhonda Morgan mar
ried last month and is now Rhonda
Seckinger.
Deputy
Rhonda Mor
gan, now
Rhonda
Seckinger.
What shelter? Advertise our dog pound
To the editor:
A s a resident of Monroe
County, I have become
amazed at the growing
amount of stray dogs
roaming around the coun
ty. In my neighborhood there are
more dogs appearing. Around town, I
have seen a number of dogs lying on
the side of the road from being hit by
a vehicle or just roaming around
looking for food. Most look starved
and maybe even diseased. It is sad to
see these animals run around look
ing for hope.
Some people living in Monroe
County have had problems with
these strays coming into their yard
and appearing aggressive. Most are
having to shoot these strays whether
they are aggressive or not. It has
become too much of a risk not to fol
low the “shoot first, ask questions
later” method. The point I am trying
to make is that these dogs deserve a
chance and it is almost impossible to
chance not shooting the dogs because
of the rapid growth of population and
aggression of these animals.
I believe there are methods to solve
this problem. Monroe County has
one animal shelter that I know of
that I had to research to find. If peo
ple took the time and effort to call
these shelters and/or surrounding
shelters to come and get the strays
they see, this situation may be solved
quicker. Mostly it is a problem that
could have been easily prevented in
the first place.
Advertising is also a very powerful
thing. If we would advertise the only
animal shelter we have and the
importance of these strays being
taken care of instead of advertising
how many gas stations and fast food
places there are, I believe it could
help push people to do the right
thing. Advertising can be expensive.
This could be solved by having
fundraisers and gaining company
sponsors. Every year Forsyth has the
Forsythia Festival, the Pumpkin
Festival, and the Christmas parade
along with other events. There are
always people at these events by the
hundreds that could be asked for
donations to help out the cause.
People that visit these festivals will
usually spend a large amount of
money on food, games, and gifts. Also
people could send out business let
ters to local companies to ask them
for donations to put toward the
advertising or toward building a new
animal shelter.
So advertisement could really help
to make a difference. All that is truly
needed is the help and kindness
from the citizens of the Monroe
County area and we could make a
big difference.
Jennifer Wells
High Falls