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& EDITORIALS
Declare among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not. - Jeremiah 50:2
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 winner: Editorial Page excellen
2019, 2018 winner: Best Headline Writing
2019 winner: Best Community Service
2019 winner: Best Layout and Design
2019 winner: Best Serious Column - Don Daniel
ON THE PORCH by Will Davis
Crime doesn’t pay here
Forsyth police officer Kim Barnett is a tough cop. But she may
have topped her previous crime-fighting exploits on Tuesday, as
this newspaper went to press, when she single-handedly rounded
up 5 teenagers who robbed the Exotic Vape Shop on Cabiness
Road in Forsyth.
The Exotic clerk called 911 after 6 students came into the shop
after school around 3 p.m.and asked to see some vape models.
Rather than just looking, the teenagers grabbed the vapes and ran
out the door.
Forsyth police and Monroe County deputies rushed to the scene,
Barnett in the lead. The store is next to the new Shanes Rib Shack
on Hwy. 83. Barnett said she didn’t have to pull her gun, that teen
agers are usually pretty compliant when you yell for them to get
down. Barnett sent 5 to the ground while she waited for back up to
arrive. A 6th suspect was caught and all 6 were taken to the Forsyth
Police Department. Police summoned their parents to the police
station and you can bet that was a somber reunion. Barnett said all
the stolen vape items were returned to the store. Word is that police
were familar with some of the suspects.
Like most departments, the Forsyth Police Department is short
on officers. So much so that the city council has had to loosen
overtime restrictions to keep the department functioning 24-7.
And it’s also awaiting new leadership with the forced retirement of
Eddie Harris. But as long as Barnett’s on the case, folks will not get
away with much in Forsyth. And that’s a good thing.
• ••
It would seem that few organizations would be more worthy of
support than the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program. It
would seem. With the family unit in disarray and many young
boys not having fathers, it’s never been more important to link
young people with mentors. In fact, analysts say the No. 1 predic
tor for whether a child will do drugs, drop out or go to prison is
whether there is a father in the home. Mentors are a good way to
try to fill the fatherhood gap.
And so it seemed like a good thing when Betsy Fitzgerald, CEO
of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia, appeared
before the school board last week to pro
pose re-entering Monroe County schools
with volunteer mentors.
But as usual, school board member Greg
Head seems to ask the tough questions
some don’t want to ask, but that need to
be asked. He’s one parents can count on
to stand up for their values and kids. He
helped lead the protests when the BOE
wanted to force masks on all kids, even
pre-K ones, in August 2021. And on
Tuesday, he asked Fitzgerald a simple
question. Does Big Brothers use the
JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and
Including) training for its mentors. Her
answer was yes. For those who don’t follow the culture, JEDI is
interchangeable with CRT, Critical Race Theory. It is the poisonous
ideology rampant in education and corporations that teaches that
America is evil, that white people deserve a comeuppance, and that
they are committed to dismantling society to impose their hateful
ideology.
In fact, when you go to the JEDI website, the first thing that pops
up a video of the CEO proclaiming that America was founded on
racism in 1619, and that racism is inherent in capitalism. This is
straight up Marxism. The BBBS website also proclaims that they
will celebrate all kinds of alternative sexual lifestyles. Is that what
Monroe County schools want?
Defenders of Big Brothers will respond that volunteers will only
be required to watch a short training video, and that they don’t
have to believe everything BBBS teaches. It doesn’t matter. This
wonderful, beautiful country, one of the great gifts the world has
ever known, is under attack from within by this pernicious ideol
ogy. The Monroe County school board has already made it their
policy not to allow Critical Race Theory into the school system.
If they do not reverse their decision to let Big Brothers Big Sisters
have access to our children, they are violating their own policy and
giving a middle finger to Monroe County taxpayers and parents
who loan their children and tax money to them.
There are plenty of churches in Monroe County that would
send volunteers to help mentor young people without the poison
of CRT. This community has 28,000 souls, many of them retirees
who already read to children and could also mentor. The problem
right now is that the school board still has a Democrat majority.
Even though voters installed a conservative majority this year, new
board member Robby Jenkins won’t take his seat until January.
Hence, it’s very likely this relationship will stand. For now. But the
voters have spoken. Help is on the way. The BOE can do the right
thing now, or they can wait until January. The betting money here
is that one way or another, the people of Monroe County will not
tolerate this kind of insanity in our school system.
DRAWING ON THE NEWS by AF Branco
BRIND
Americans for Limited
Government
©2022Creators, com
MAKIHA'S
VINEYARD
AIRPORT
REECES PIECES by Steve Reece
Who’s that bald man on the monitor?
T hroughout Monroe County
21 poles, each 12 feet tall
and outfitted with high-
definition cameras, were
recently erected in high-traffic areas.
They are there for the sole purpose
of catching bad guys and protecting
the public. If it seems the cameras
appeared overnight, they did. It
was only last month when county
commissioners approved placing
the cameras on county rights-of-
way in a 3-0 vote. The devices were
purchased using funds taken from
criminals. Sweet.
Although the cameras read and
record the license plates of passing
vehicles as well as the makes and
models, Sheriff Freeman told me
a person would have to have their
head hanging out a window for
the cameras to see who was inside.
Well, you won’t catch me doing that.
Maybe Muchacho because he loves
the wind in his mouth.
Even though the camera data is
kept for only 30 days, it didn’t take
long for a few local paranoid folks to
become alarmed at what they think
is the latest government intrusion
into our lives. I learned of their Big
Brother concerns on a Facebook
group page. You know, the same
group that’s clamoring for the
use of body cameras by law
enforcement.
For over 50 years we have
been shopping under cam
eras that record our every
move. We can’t even buy a tin
of chewing tobacco without
the transaction being
under close surveil
lance. Some stores even
install fake cameras as
an inexpensive deterrent to people
with shoplifting on their minds. It is
a necessary evil that most of society
has seemed to accept without so
Flock camera installed at the inter
section of Estes Rd & Zebulon Rd
much as a thought. It’s something
we’ve become accustomed to and ex
pect as a part of our everyday lives.
The first time I encountered a
security camera was inside a 7-11
convenience store just off an I-10
exit where I had stopped while on a
cross-country trip sometime in the
80s. It was a life-changing experi
ence. While standing in line waiting
to pay for my Mountain Dew and
peanut butter crackers, I noticed
they had a monitor secured
above the counter with the
screen split into four views
of different areas around the
business. I had never seen
such high technology. One
camera was focused on the
entry door, another on
the beer cave, and an
other that showed my
car parked out front. I
could see my pooch standing on the
dashboard wondering when I would
return. I thought that was way cool.
But there was another camera fas
tened to the ceiling directed toward
the checkout counter and I saw the
top of the head of a man with a siz
able bald spot. I was so busy amus
ing myself by watching my little
dog that I didn’t pay much attention
to who I thought was just another
customer until I turned around and
realized that I was the other cus
tomer. A bald customer.
When I go to the barbershop the
barber always takes a mirror when
he’s finished to show me the great
job he did on the back of my neck.
Never off the top of my head. And
I’ve never had a reason to use a mir
ror to see what the top of my head
looks like. Before that moment, I
had no idea that I was missing so
much hair and was shocked to learn
that the top of my head was as shiny
as a cue ball. I had recently been
married to a woman for 8 years,
and not once did she mention it. Of
course, I noticed hairs in the shower
drain, but I figured those came from
my long-haired ex-wife.
I returned to my dog a changed
man. A changed bald man. As we
sat there sharing our peanut butter
crackers, I pondered what it could
mean. I imagined that I had some
sort of terminal illness or something.
No man in my family before me
had been bald on either side. I was
the first and was a little upset that
no one had ever pointed it out to
me. Not that it would’ve changed
anything. I do feel a little better now
because my youngest brother turned
out to be much balder than I am. We
both agree it is a sign of high intel
ligence.
Steve Reece is a writer for the Report
er and a known crime fighter. Email
him at stevereece@gmail.com.
is published every week by The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, President • Robert M. Williams Jr., Vice President
Cheryl S. Williams, Secretary-T reasurer
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Official Organ of Monroe
County and the City of Forsyth
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Deadlines noon on Friday prior to issue. Comments featured on opinion pages are the creation of
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Publication No. USPS 997-840
CAROLYN S CORNER by Carolyn Martel
Never presume you have more time
A little over a week ago, we
received the distressing
call that our beloved son,
Steven Martel
had passed away from heart
failure.
He was only 52 years old. To
say that we were in a state of
shock and heartbroken would
be an understatement.
Anyone who receives
news that a loved
one has passed away
can identify with our
broken hearts. During
Steven’s “Celebration
of Life” service, our sons David and
Brian Martel and grandson Scott
Martel, gave inspiring and heart
felt eulogies. Those present cried,
laughed, held hands and leaned upon
one another’s shoulders as we each re
counted our fond memories of Steven.
Rev. Clint Jones from Grace Baptist
Church in Eastman, Ga„ gave one of
the most moving sermons I’ve ever
heard. One of the things he empha
sized was the brevity of life. One of the
scriptures he quoted was James 4:14:
“Why, you do not even
know what will happen to
morrow. What is your life?
You are a mist that appears
for a little while and then
vanishes.”
With passion and deep
conviction, Rev. Jones
reminded us that our
time on this earth
is short. Against the
backdrop of eternity,
truly our earthly lives
are like a vapor or mist. With a sense
of urgency and the love of Jesus, Rev.
Jones exhorted the grieving attendees
to remember that “today is the day
of salvation.” We can never take for
granted or presume that we will live
to see another day. Placing your trust
and faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior
and Lord is the most important deci
sion you will ever make in this life!
None of us is promised tomorrow,
but Christians need not fear death.
When we take our last breath on
this earth, in a “nanosecond” we are
immediately welcomed to our heav
enly home! But until the day comes
when we step into eternity, make
every day count. Live a life devoted to
God. And never forget, Jesus is with
you now and He’s waiting for you in
your future!
Last, but not least, share the gospel
with those who you know are lost,
including family members. Sharing
your faith is one of the most loving
things you can do as a follower of
Jesus. You can never go wrong shar
ing John 3:16: “For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believes in him
should not perish, but have everlast
ing life.”
Carolyn Martel of Forsyth is the re
tired long-time advertising manager for
the Reporter. Email her at carolynmar-
tell@bellsouth.net.