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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. MARCH 19. 2009 — PAGE 3A
Opinions
Talking about traffic laws and public safety
Over the past couple of months
there have been several questions
that have come to my attention.
One that is asked the most is
the Move Over Law of Georgia.
The Move Over Law is designed
to protect emergency and tow
ing vehicles along with highway
maintenance vehicle operators
from getting injured or killed
while on the roadway.
This law states that the driver
of a vehicle shall use due cau
tion in the absence of the direc
tion of a law enforcement officer
when approaching an emergency
vehicle displaying yellow, amber,
white, red or blue flashing lights.
Due caution can be demonstrated
by the following actions.
Make a lane change into a lane
not adjacent to the authorized
vehicle if possible in the existing
safety and traffic conditions.
If a lane change is impossible,
prohibited by law, or unsafe, the
driver should reduce the speed of
the vehicle to a reasonable speed
for the road and traffic condi
tions. The speed shall be less than
the posted speed limit so that the
From
the
Sheriff’s
Desk
By Kip Thomas
driver will be prepared to stop if
needed.
The law is there to protect and
save the lives of our law enforce
ment officers and others that have
to work on the roadway. They are
there to do a service for the people
of this county and state. I have
personally seen people hit on the
roadway and have had a friend
struck and killed while directing
traffic. This is a situation that no
one wants to find themselves in
so I ask that you be careful and
be cautious when approaching
emergency vehicles. We all want
our public safety and road mainte
nance workers to go home when
their job is done.
Another issue of concern that
has been brought to my attention
is the use of seatbelts. Here are a
few statistics for you: 63 percent
of people killed in accidents are
not wearing their seatbelts.
Males between the age of 16-25
are the least likely to buckle up
and are the highest risk drivers.
This age group has more drunk
driving, speeding, and the most
amount of accidents of any age
group.
If 90 percent of Americans
would buckle up, we will pre
vent more than 5,500 deaths and
132,000 injuries annually. The
cost for these unbuckled drivers
and passengers goes beyond those
killed and the loss to their families.
On average the hospital care for an
unbuckled driver costs 50 percent
more than one that is buckled. You
and I bear 85 percent of that cost,
not the individual involved. This
figure averages out to about $580
a year for every American.
If you are in a car or SUV
and are in the front seat, you are
supposed to wear your seat belt.
Children, no matter where they
are seated, should be in a seat
belt. If the child is under 6 years
of age, they are to be in a properly
installed child restraint. A rear
facing child seat should not be
in front of an airbag because of
the injury that could occur if the
airbag goes off.
Pickup trucks are an exception
to this law if you are over 18.
If you are in a pickup truck and
are under 18 years of age, you
are required by the law to wear
your seat belt. There are other
exceptions to this law for certain
vehicles and if you would like
to know all of them just call my
office and we would be more than
happy to explain them to you.
You may think that seat belts are
uncomfortable or you just don’t
like them, but they are proven to
save lives.
If you have any questions that
you would like answered or just
clarified, feel free to give me a
call. Anything I can do to help,
I will.
Kip C. nomas is sheriff of
Madison County.
All extremism is detrimental to society
Dear Editor:
Responding to March 12’s
“Frankly Speaking,’’ I must ask,
“Where in the world is the middle
ground in this country?" The radi
cal left is no more damaging and
useless than the radical right is.
All extremism is detrimental to soci
ety. My next question is, “How did
we get to this place of entrenched
us-against-them mentality?"
One possible source: look at how
this country has raised our chil
dren for the past seven decades or
so. There has been an increasing
emphasis on pure rivalry. The adults
guide the kids in sports and school
spirit and all kinds of competitive
endeavors.
Children get the notion early on
that the world is supposed to be
adversarial and that “winning” is
mostly what matters. That means
“beating” someone else. Take “beat
ing" literally and it’s quite a negative
connotation.
Rah, rah! We're the best! We’re
going to kill 'em! From T-ball to
professional sports, the emphasis is
incredibly huge. This carries over to
the business world when the kids
become adults. The notion of “win
ning" has morphed into unprec
edented greed in America with no
concern whatsoever for those who
take a “beating.” They don’t matter;
they “lost!”
The converse of this is best rep
resented by scouting programs
(and very little else), but scouting is
hardly elevated to the stratospheric
level of sports or other competitive
endeavors. Children take notice of
such things.
People coming together to
expend time, energy and money to
accomplish useful and permanent
projects is presented as minor duty
or charity. Think what could be
accomplished if all that time, energy
and money were diverted to involv
ing kids in many of the pressing
needs of our society.
It might not be quite as much fun,
but adults would be establishing a
far better value system that would
benefit our future society.
Sincerely,
Virginia Moss
Hull
Misplaced faith always has devastating consequences
Dear Editor:
A secular economist I read,
wrote this week; "I can't
tell you the exact moment I
lost faith in the system, but I
decided to equip myself with
the tools necessary to survive
whatever politics and history
throw at me next."
That sounds exactly like
something King Ahaz could
have said 1,300 years ago,
when times got tough and Ahaz
turned from God and initi
ated an alliance with Assyria
instead. Ahaz insisted on main
taining his faith in political
alliances instead of standing
firm in God’s revealed truth to
him through prophet Isaiah. (2
Kings 16:7-8, Isaiah 7:3).
The economist uses the word
“faith" so casually. He has
faith, but it is misplaced. He
Dear Editor:
The Madison County Soccer
Boosters wish to thank everyone
looks for something to put his
faith in. For him, it is "the
system." For Ahaz, it was other
nations. Misplaced faith always
has devastating consequences.
What is behind misplaced
faith? Fear. The economist guy
is fearful of the things coming
on the earth. So he has decided
to rely upon his own self and
sell survival kits, switching his
misplaced faith from “the sys
tem" to kits.
Fear is a powerful emotion.
It blinds us. It shifts our focus.
It chips away at our faith. It
stops us from acting on God's
revealed truth. It paralyzed
Ahaz. Even when God Himself
offered to give Ahaz a sign,
Ahaz still refused!
We all fear. Acting on God's
revealed truth is scary. Even
soldiers who win bravery
event and by buying tickets for
the supper.
We would also like to thank
medals from terrible battles
are fearful of action. Winston
Churchill said, “Why, you take
the most gallant sailor, the most
intrepid airman, the most auda
cious soldier, put them together
at a table, and what do you get?
The sum of their fears." Yet
they act.
We Christians are soldiers.
We go into battle every day
with unseen forces. When we
act on God's revealed truth we
strike a devastating blow to
the enemy. If we were to take
the most gallant teacher, the
most intrepid missionary, the
most audacious preacher, and
put them together at a table,
what would we get? The sum
of their fears.
Ahaz was paralyzed by his
fears to the point of (mis)plac-
ing faith in his wrong action.
Pantry, Ila Restaurant, Kroger,
the Marketplace, Merchants and
Farmers Bank and Pizza and Sub
with devastating consequences.
Faith is not in "the system.”
Faith is not in survival kits.
Faith is not in political allianc
es. Whether times are good or
bad, God still reveals truth to us
and urges us to act. Admittedly,
in today’s times of distress, it
is harder to act, to step out in
faith. We can have a healthy
respect for our fears, but I call
upon my brothers and sisters to
look through them to the one
true God. He is the One whom
we can and must properly place
our faith. Isaiah said to Ahaz,
“If you do not stand firm in
your faith, then you will not
stand at all." (Is 7:9b). When
the Lord returns, let Him find
us standing.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Prata
Comer
THE STARTER &
ALTERNATOR SHOP
• Starter • Alternator • Generator Repair
WAYNE, Owner j&g
^ 245-0055 Batteries
1 109 Bowersville St. $28
Royston, GA 30662
HOURS: 8-5:30 M, T, TH, F 8-12 Wed. • 8-11 Sat.
Appreciates support of soccer program
Jackson EMC thanks
county employees for help
in power restoration process
Dear Editor:
(The following letter was sent to County Chairman
Anthony Dove.)
Jackson EMC would like to take this opportunity to
commend the employees of Madison County for their
availability and help during last week’s snowstorm
restoration process. It has been brought to my attention
that the cooperation our crews received from the sher
iff’s department and road department was outstanding
and very much appreciated. Whether it was holding up
traffic or clearing trees from the road, their efforts made
access to work sites requiring power restoration more
manageable.
We at Jackson EMC appreciate the thoughtfulness and
care that your employees presented during this stressful
time of work progress.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Beck
Jackson EMC District Manager
Thanks for restoring
roof free of charge
Dear Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Wayne
Pierre of St. Pierre Roofing, Danielsville, for restoring
the roof on my doublewide mobile home in Ila following
the snowstorm, free of charge.
I am so thankful, grateful and amazed and overwhelmed
for the long hours, hard work and all the materials that
were used on this doublewide. Words cannot begin to
express my appreciation for the job that was done.
Thanks also to David Dean, Mr. Pierre’s helper.
Your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.
Sincerely,
Agnes Bennett
Ila
Madisonjournal
TODAY.com
FISH DAY
• 4-6” Catfish $39.00 per 100
• 6-8” Catfish $59.00 per 100
• 8-11” Catfish $95.00 per 100
To purchase 8-11” catfish, you must bring your own container and water (Too big to bag).
Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Hybrid Blue Gill, Red Ear Sun Perch, Minnows, Grass Carp
Thursday, April 2 • 2:30 p.m. ■ 3:30 p.m.
Southern States • Winder, GA
770-867-3144
Thursday, April 2 • 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Maddox Feed *1315 Winder Hwy., Jefferson, GA
706-367-9207
Friday, March 27 • 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Southern Outdoors • 20519 Hwy. 441 l\l., Commerce, GA
706-336-8875
No Pre-Orders Necessary! Just show up!
Tommy's Fish Truck • 501-796-6349 • www.tommysfishtruck.net
$5°°0FF
Ticket Oi s 2(f° Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only.
La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Braselton
173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 5391 Highway 53
706-335-7458 706-654-0070
I^T/ie Original Mexican Restaurant! Not affiliated with any other restaurant j
who participated in the recent
successful spaghetti supper fund
raiser for the Madison County
High School soccer teams. We
thank all who participated by
making donations, working the
our sponsors: Blazers, Bill’s
Barbeque, Biscuit Express,
Bread Basket, Chicken Express,
First Franklin Financial, First
Madison Bank and Trust, Flowers
Bakery, Fox’s Pizza Den, Golden
Express. There support was criti
cal to the success of this event.
Sincerely,
Laurie D. Webster
Donations Coordinator,
Madison Co. Soccer Boosters
PREGNANT?
WORRIED?
We Can Help!
FREE
PREGNANCYTEST
Strictly Confidential
795-5012
-NEW HOURS -
Mondays 9-2:30 p.m.
Tuesdays 10-4:30
Wednesdays 10-4:30
Thursdays 9-2:30 p.m.
245 General Daniel Ave.
(next door to Danielsville Methodist Church)
• •
M
MADISON
CO U U T Y
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C ElN T B R
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Madison County
Board of Commissioners
NOTICE
ROAD CLOSING
The Road Department will supervise the
closing of Booger Hill Road at The
Plantation Pipeline crossing area.
This work on the pipeline will take place
from March 19, 2009 until the work is
done. The work may take 7 days.
Any questions, please call: 706-795-6260 or
706-795-6300.
Charles Temple
Madison County Road Department
Freshstart Tobacco Cessation
Freshstart Tobacco Cessation is a four-session American Cancer Society
program designed to help you stop using tobacco products for good.
April 6, 13, 20 and 27; 6-7p.m.
Jefferson Medical Center
$30 deposit required; refunded if all four sessions are attended or donated to ACS.
Call Athens Regional Health Education at 706-475-5620
for more information and to register.
Athens Regional
MEDICAL CENTER
i*£jH*- CAfff-
For more information,
call 706-475-5620.
www.armc.org