Recent editorials from Georgia newspapers:
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May 18
The Gainesville Times says gubernatorial candidate Michael Williams insulted Gainesville, immigrants and the truth with his “Deportation Bus”:
In a political era chock full o’ nuts, this year’s governor’s race is going off the rails on a crazy train.
The lunacy rolled into town Wednesday, May 16, in what the Michael Williams gubernatorial campaign circus called “the Deportation Bus.”
The Republican state senator from Cumming decorated a bus with anti-immigrant slogans vowing to “fill this bus with illegals and send them back where they came from” by visiting the state’s “dangerous sanctuary cities.” Among signs decorating the bus were those reading “Follow me to Mexico” and “murderers, rapists, kidnappers and child molesters and other criminals on board.” We assume that didn’t refer to the campaign staff and supporters riding along, but rather the imaginary “dangerous” immigrants he wasn’t taking across any borders - doing so would be illegal, of course, since he’s not a federal agent empowered to take such action.
Instead of rumbling off to Mexico, the D-Bus started its xenophobic route in Gainesville, greeted by a few dozen peaceful protesters, then headed for Clarkston and Decatur. The campaign claimed violent protests by “ANTIFA protesters and radical liberals” led to it scrubbing a planned visit to Athens, though no proof has been shown that happened.
Such accusations fit a pattern; while here, Williams also concocted stories of protesters threatening to throw paint on his hatemobile and that deputies ran off several MS-13 gang members, none of which actually occurred.
Clearly, riling up emotions was his intent, perhaps hoping true acts of violence would make his point that immigrants and their supporters are all dangerous thugs to be feared. Those who didn’t take that bait should be applauded for their restraint.
It’s not the first oddball act by Williams, who fancies himself as the uber-Donald Trump. Last year he posed for a photograph at a public event with a right-wing militia group and later offered to give away a “bump stock” that turns a semi-automatic rifle into a more deadly weapon, even as many Republicans sought to ban the devices.
It’s tempting to ignore him as one would the class cut-up using childish antics to seek attention. But he labeled Gainesville a city “turning a blind eye to criminal illegal aliens,” a thumb in the eye at the home county of GOP candidate and consensus frontrunner Casey Cagle. Hall Republican Party chairman Matt Smith called it “kind of a slap in the face” and “just a crazy statement.”
Characterizing most people who immigrate to the country illegally as dangerous criminals is both offensive and contrary to data from several studies indicating immigrants are less prone to commit crimes against others than the native-born population. The Migration Policy Institute estimates less than 3 percent of the 11 million people living without documentation in the United States have committed felonies,
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Gainesville’s immigrant population is settling in and becoming more accepted, and will gain political and economic influence over time. As residents get to know each other, they will learn to co-exist with respect despite attempts to divide us.
Online: https://www.gainesvilletimes.com
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May 18
The Brunswick News says people need to pay attention to tide and warning flags while at the beach:
Just three days after the tragedy of two people dying in the strong tidal currents flowing between the sandbar and the beach on St. Simons Island, two young boys had to be rescued from the same spot at Massengale Park Beach.
It was yet another reminder of the often invisible dangers that exist in our surf, especially for children, elderly people and anyone who is not a strong swimmer.
But to hear recent accounts of the strength of the currents, even strong swimmers cannot compete with the power of the rushing water as the tides change.
Starting Memorial Day weekend and until Labor Day weekend, lifeguards will be watching St. Simons Island beaches from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from Massengale to Coast Guard beaches. Even when lifeguards are present, take the advice of signs posted at beach accesses and on the Glynn County website and swim at your own risk.
We have not even seen tourism season pick up for the summer and already we have had to report on the loss of two lives. Both Gregory Grant and Aleisha Rankin were selflessly helping other swimmers in distress when they drowned in the rip current. We pray we do not have to report on any more such tragedies.
If you find yourself caught in a rip current flowing in the trough between the sandbars and the beaches, do not fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you are free of the current then work your way back to shore.
Just because you can see the sandbar inviting you to walk on it at low tide doesn’t mean you should go to it. Pay attention to when the tides change and ensure you and your loved ones are back on the beach before waters start rising. The tide changes very quickly and rises as much as 6 to 9 vertical feet from low to high. It will leave you stranded in deep, swift-moving water and in a very dangerous situation.
When lifeguards are on duty, watch the flags on their stands closely. If the flag flying is red, it is best not to go into the water because there are strong currents and high surf. If it is yellow, use caution, which means it is still a good idea to keep children and anyone who might not be a strong swimmer out of the water. If the flag is green, it means the surf is calm.
Be mindful and keep a close eye on loved ones when swimming before or after lifeguards are on duty or where they are not stationed.
We wish everyone a safe summer at the beach.
Online: https://thebrunswicknews.com
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May 18
Savannah Morning News on jail inmate abuse:
John Wilcher runs the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, not the Marine Corps, but he should borrow from the leatherneck recruiting pitch with one slight change.
The sheriff is looking for a few coolheaded men (and women).
The sheriff lost two more veteran deputies last week over lost tempers. One, a captain with 26 years of service, repeatedly struck and spit on an inmate in retaliation for the prisoner’s spitting in his face. The other, a sergeant with 17 years of experience, reacted to a head-butt by punching a shackled inmate three times.
Wilcher took appropriate action, demanding the resignation of the deputies. The sheriff maintains a zero-tolerance policy on inmate abuse and should be commended for demonstrating his resolve once again.
What’s ever-the-more troubling, however, is that Wilcher keeps having to dismiss personnel over inmate altercations. Every spring since he took office the sheriff has announced terminations, with deputies pepper spraying, striking and otherwise abusing prisoners.
Wilcher campaigned on ending such abuse when he was first elected in the spring of 2016. The push came in the wake of a prisoner’s death in early 2015. The inmate, Mathew Ajibade, died while in custody after a fight with two deputies.
The Sheriff’s Office has implemented a new and comprehensive training and hiring initiative under Wilcher. He merged the recruitment and training unit for a better, more cohesive hiring process, and new recruits now undergo 200 hours of training, 120 more than required. Officers are re-certified annually, with a minimum requirement of 20 training hours. Wilcher is currently implementing mental health training, with a particular emphasis on intervention methods.
Tough job
Try as he might, Wilcher can’t hire or train away every incident.
The experience of dealing with a jail population is similar to the old combat adage: Both involve long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. In the heat of the moment, with adrenaline coursing through the body, bad behavior happens.
Only in the case of corrections officers, such misconduct is impermissible. Hollywood tends to portray jail and prison guards as either overzealous meatheads or soft nitwits. Neither depiction is accurate.
Corrections staff must be physically, mentally and emotionally tough. They spend long hours interacting with people who have surrendered their freedom and fill the hours testing guards’ wills.
The stress and strain annually lands the role of corrections officer on the list of 10 worst jobs in America, according to Forbes magazine and other surveys. And the pay is meager - the average at the sheriff’s office is around $35,000 a year.
Guards can legitimately claim, “They don’t pay me enough to put up with this garbage.”
Yet that’s the job. Corrections officers are to act professionally even in the face of swearing, spitting and swinging inmates. That requires the aforementioned cool headedness as well as discipline and patience, an underappreciated combination of specialized skills.
Those who bring such temperament to the job are as rare and valuable as problem-solving engineers or computer-programming whizzes. Law enforcement entities the world over devote significant resources to identifying and developing those with such talents.
The psychological testing methods employed are thorough but far from foolproof.
Hence, we see provoked officers responding in ways that cost them their jobs and the sheriff’s department a piece of public trust.
Manpower issues?
The sheriff’s office deputy force is stretched like a too-small uniform over body armor right now.
Wilcher has 72 open positions department-wide, and his deputies continue to supplement the newly formed and understaffed Chatham County Police Department on patrol duties in the far-ranging unincorporated parts of the county. Some are working hours so long they admit to not knowing what month it is, let alone what day.
Yet the sheriff downplays the impact of the manpower strain, saying the department’s duty is to “protect and serve the community in any way necessary.” While noble, the reality is found in the numbers - the jail staff numbers 399 deputies, down 71 officers from April 2017. Inmates often outnumber deputies by a two-to-one margin, and the jail’s maximum prisoner capacity is 2,000.
If helping the county police is stressing the sheriff’s jail force, the county government needs to resolve that issue quickly.
Wilcher needs and the citizens deserve a well-resourced, well-trained and overly professional deputy force.
Online: http://www.savannahnow.com
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