(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
When the word “bully” is brought up, it usually makes you picture images of kids in school, on the playground or in the cafeteria.
We can remember the mean girls or boys in high school or the “cool” kids ganging up on nerds.
But is that fair?
Opinion
Oftentimes kids are tagged as the perpetrators when in all actuality, the problem is much bigger (well not necessarily in height or weight) but definitely more serious than just name-calling at recess.
Bullying has gotten so big and serious that it has its own federal website, managed by the Health and Human Services Department. The consequences are not limited to the victims.
The stress and trauma of bullying can negatively impact the bullies, victims and those who live in a city just trying to make sure they have ambulance service. I mean those around bullies who can be negatively affected by the decisions or agendas of serial bullies.
A piece of advice I have for to those who are labeled bullies: seek help. Bullying is a serious mental problem and often leads to other things including drug and alcohol abuse, violence, depression, speeding in sports cars and anxiety. It can follow a person into adulthood.
Perhaps that is why we see bullying behavior from people old enough to know better. Please always remember size and height are no indication of someone’s actual age.
Someone in the audience at last week’s Richmond County Commission meeting made a comment after something was said and it shocked me — “Act your age and not your size.” I’ll just leave that comment right there.
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On to other matters
Let me address the elephant in the room or at least the elephant from the article on Monday—Sen. Harold Jones.
It seems as if a position can be funded for three years and no one says a word about it. There have been employees who worked in the position before, and they did not have to go to an office. There were no articles written trying to show bad motives, and definitely no statements from commissioners. There were no comments telling people to resign or even anything that suggested “things not passing the smell the test.”
So, with that being said, the first comment that came to me from a minority politician, was, “Maybe this was an obvious attempt to castigate an African American man and the new African American female chief judge?” (Had to look up castigate. It means reprimand.)
So what has changed about the position now? The answer — NOTHING!
For the past three years there has been no office space allocated for the position, and there is still no office space allocated for the position. So what office is Sen. Harold Jones suppose to be going to?
Should he just go to the fourth floor and kick people out of their offices? No.
He should just do what someone did not do for the past three years.
No one in the past or now needed to put anyone out, but according to the mob, he needs to go and demand office space?
Speaking of office space… I have said on numerous occasions that the commissioners need office space.
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Now I have heard some of them say, in fact, they do not need offices.
They have said they can meet people at a Waffle House or a restaurant to get things done.
So would one be lead to believe they don’t work? Or is office space a requirement to do work?
With that being said, any commissioner complaining about the lack of an office needs to march down—right now—to the Marble Palace and demand that someone get out of their office and give them an office, because maybe now in 2023 that is the only way work can be done.
I think what may be a little disturbing is that some of the people talking or maybe who wanted to “bring this up” know Sen. Jones personally. I wonder if they bothered to ask him what all he is doing. Have they bothered to even question what guardrails exist?
After some questioning, I found out. No they haven’t. Persons who I thought knew better have just decided that they know all the facts when obviously it seems like they can’t handle the truth. (You like that little play on words from a movie; the lawyer and that courtroom scene? See how I threw that in there?)
After speaking with people I consider “in the know,” they have made it pretty clear that there are guardrails and accountability measures in place. Those who have bothered to ask and not tries to throw stuff know exactly what they are, and actually know when they were set. (Just a little side note here. They were set before he started; which by the way was just two weeks ago.) My hope for 2023 is to let’s give people a chance to do what they need to do.
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From all accounts and understanding, there will be some major programs coming from Sen. Jones’ efforts. Of course only time will tell. But to write an …uhmmm….“hit piece” when a person just got hired for a position that has been in existence for the past three years that is…uhmmm…well, let me say this—it’s bothering my smell test.
Sen. Jones as a Democrat has gotten legislation passed and is a part of the leadership in Atlanta. He has proven he can get things done. Let me say this. I am one who is willing to see what he produces.
Which is more than I can say for some of our…Oh wait. Here I go, getting ahead of myself again.
Ohhhhhh…Wait. The announcement…
I am the new publisher and editor of The Metro Courier. For those who don’t know, The Metro Courier is Augusta’s—oldest and still active—minority news publication. (It’s a weekly newspaper that prints on Thursdays.)
I hope that all the readers will go over and subscribe once the option becomes available and add it to your sources for news. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Michael Meyers is a columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Michael.meyers@theaugustapress.com
