Day At A Time

No matter the outcome of the George Floyd trial, there most likely will be riots. It’s already pre-planned. There are no winners at all. It’s always tragic when someone dies, no matter how or who. I have no opinion one way or the other as I was not there and they did not make the body cam footage available for the public. There are a lot of unanswered questions.
A congresswoman (Waters) calling for violence can get away with it yet they crucify others for way less. Such hypocrisy in the world we live in but it’s what we allow. She and Pelosi are wrong.
Just like they are not really taking our rights away, we are allowing them to by keeping silent or not doing a darn thing. You can at least speak up and let your elected representatives at all levels know where you stand. Use your voice in some positive way.
While many try to make this about color, it is not to me, because I believe we are all the same race. Some just have more melanin in their skin pigmentation. That’s the way God made us and until we stop highlighting skin color every time something happens, we will never be united. It’s also what the corrupt political system wants. They want us divided and at each other. It’s another way to control us; they know it and it’s their strategy. Many unfortunately fall prey to this kind of thinking and control. For me, when someone is killed, it is a tragedy, no matter the reason, no matter who they are or who killed them.
Unfortunately, democrats have embraced this perspective wholeheartedly in recent years, turning the politics of racial resentment into a cornerstone of the modern left. However, it’s not just democrats, even some Republicans. In fact this tactic has no partisan lines. Even so-called “centrists,” such as Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, built their presidential campaigns on foundations of radical identity politics just as intently as the party’s far left wing.
These days we are just as likely to hear talk of “structural racism” and “white privilege” from the lips of Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, or Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke as from Senator Elizabeth Warren or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Their goal is to galvanize minority voters by stoking the unfounded fears of white revanchism and by portraying Republicans as an imminent danger. While Democrats have long deployed racial division as a political tactic, it seems these days they appear to be constitutionally incapable of discussing anything else.
This has clearly had a harmful effect on how Americans perceive race relations.
The deterioration of race relations has been driven by the full-on embrace of racial identity politics by the mainstream media, democrat politicians, liberal cultural elites and others. But regardless where it comes from, it’s up to us to not let it become a dividing point. Remember, a house divided cannot stand and it’s up to us to reject the propaganda they try and feed us of division and race baiting.
Many people ear the powerful appeal of a commonsense, patriotic approach in our country and have tried to balkanize the American electorate in hopes of exploiting isolated identity groups with grievance politics. Sadly, their selfish attempts to seize power have done real damage to American unity and our ability to believe in a shared future.
Even Ben Carson accused the Democrats of using race to provide power for a political class. If you can just put your ego and your biases up on a shelf and think logically, you will see this is actually the case.
We need to put all this nonsense away and start thinking about unity in our country and coming together as one nation under God. We cannot change the past or what happened in history but we should have learned from it and moved forward. When politicians are using words and phrases to divide us continually, it’s a hard thing to not let it permeate into some area of your thinking, I know. It takes focusing on God and being determined you will not let them divide us.
Don’t think I am hiding my head in the sand and saying there are no racial problem. I just don’t believe it is as bad as some people want to make it out to be and as Carson said, “it doesn’t have to be a central focus of everything we do.” Unfortunately, the mainstream media keeps harping on it and making it a central focus as do some politicians. Believe, they know what they are doing because it invokes all kinds of feelings. If you are clapping for all of the nonsense, I’m sorry but you are contributing to the problem. Teaching resentment of anyone is evil.
Fact of the matter is that this was not made worse by Trump either. It was already there but is being made worse by politicians and media who are bent on controlling our society and have their own personal agendas and keep pushing the notion of a great divide. It is such tactics that have set us back years. This is a tactic used in Nazi Germany and apparently we haven’t learned anything from it. Who profits from it? Certainly not America and certainly not you nor I or anyone else we know in our communities. One rule in journalism we always use is follow the money. It will eventually tell you everything you need to know; it’s all about power and money.
Just look at where the money led concerning Georgia’ Secretary of State. He received $5.6 million from Zuckerberg. I’m sure he is not the only one. Raffensperger needs to resign immediately. Will he? I doubt it, as these people seem to get away with everything including murder.
This week will be rough I’m sure for many with all that’s going on. I can’t for the life of me understand someone who thinks there was no voter fraud, having problem with an audit. What are they afraid of? I believe because they are afraid America will learn the truth and will no longer be so brainwashed in the future. Money and control remember?©2021

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com

Let’s get real about the stimulus package. Only 9% of it is going to help Americans at all. If the whole thing went to help America’s citizens, each person would get $6000 which would go a long way in helping those without jobs and who are struggling to stay afloat and keep their homes and feed their families. But no, most of it is goes elsewhere. If you still think people in Washington really care about We the People, you are quite mistaken. If they did, we would be getting all of the stimulus package, but it never was about helping us.
Sadly, not many people truly understand how things work in D.C. and many of them don’t care as long as they get some kind of hand-out from the government. This will adds $1.9 trillion to our country’s deficit. You just can’t keep printing money, though some people seem to think you can. It doesn’t work that way and eventually you have to pay the piper. Nothing in life is really free.
I’m all for helping people who really need it, but how do you determine that and we can be assured Washington doesn’t know the meaning of being in need.
On some discussion paid someone posted something about the stimulus being a lot of pork and people began going off as if they were entitled to receive the money or were owed it. Sad that some people have that attitude. They went on to point out the poverty level in the area but had no real ideas of how to improve that other than for the government to bail them out. This is what is wrong with a lot of society today. Many think it’s the government’s job to bail them out. They don’t get that eventually, it has to stop somewhere.
Plus, they never even consider how much of the stimulus is going elsewhere.
Those who really win with this new stimulus bill are foreign countries. Egypt is getting $1.3 billion, Sudan, Israel and Ukraine get over 500 million each, and many other countries around the world sizeable contributions, much of which will be spent on “defense”. Which is to say sent straight back to America via massive arms purchases or most likely, kickbacks.
Not all the money being sent overseas is for buying weapons, some is for backing coups. Venezuela and Belarus get special mention here, each getting their own section of the bill detailing how terrible their “illegal regimes” are. There’s also a large section on “combating Chinese influence”. 4 BILLION dollars for the Gates-funded GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. It also helps other countries fund abortions.
It includes money for a subway and railway extensions, mostly in Pelosi’s district. Imagine that!! Illegal aliens also get a piece of the pie as well as incarcerated criminals.
Also included: $1.5 million earmarked for the Seaway International Bridge connecting New York to Canada; $50 million for family planning groups such as Planned Parenthood; $852 million for civic volunteer agencies such as AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Vista, and the National Senior Service Corps; and $470 million for libraries, museums, arts and humanities agencies.
Politicians make it sound so grandiose don’t they? I tried to go through the bill but it is monstrous so gave up, but there is plenty more pork in this bill. Of course, by the time the Senate gets through with it, there will probably be even more. There also is no plan to pay for all of this, which in itself is scary to me. When did we quit requiring our government to be fiscally responsible? As the deficit grows we are passing this on to our grandchildren down to the road to have to figure out how to repay. Of course, they way things are, China will own us anyway and they know how to get money out of a turnip I’m sure.
Another thing I cannot understand is why anyone would object to Voter ID. I haven’t heard any logical explanation and while some scream voter suppression, Voter ID does not suppress votes. Biden wants people to have a vaccination ID and people are okay with that but not Voter ID. It defies logic. You have to have an ID for most everything and it’s not hard to get one either, so what’s the big deal.
I understand why some people oppose it, like the higher ups, because it makes cheating harder, which is something we all should want. If you still think there was no fraud just because SCOTUS won’t hear the cases, you need to do more research. More and more people are getting arrested around the country for participating in the fraud.
I’m also wondering why the mainstream media is not jumping on the fact that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo killed thousands of elderly people by putting them in nursing homes. President Trump sent ships to be used and Cuomo decided to put them in nursing homes so they would do. Yes, the sexual harassment allegations are bad and should be dealt with but murdering people for money should be a higher priority. Cuomo says he won’t resign so hopefully a recall effort will begin. In my opinion, he should be tried for murder. If it were one of my loved ones, I would be doing whatever it took. His intention was that these people would die. That’s premeditated murder. But of course, people like him seem to get away with even murder. ©2021
VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com

As a person who has always loved words, there are many in today’s society that I do not like at all.
At top of the list would probably be cancel culture. First of all, you cannot cancel a culture. Getting rid of statues and monuments does not change history either which is what I believe is the ulterior motive. Those statues and monuments get people to thinking for themselves and asking questions about the story behind the moment and do research. Doing away with them may stop people from doing research or asking questions or doing research but it does not change the facts at all. The people removing statues and monuments are the same people who are offended by a plastic potato.
Another word I dislike, actually always have, is normal. What is normal anyway? Depends on your perspective and one person’s normal is not the same for another person. I’ve always said normal was just a setting on the washing machine and dryer. So we need to quit talking about a new normal. No such thing.
Next one up is “woke”. Really? You are awake, not woke. This has nothing to do with the great awakening. Not sure who came up with that, but it blows my mind. It actually is a word but I don’t think it should be one.
Oh, I realize language evolves and slang is used a lot, but some words should never become actual words and I don’t have to like them or use them. That includes the word “amirite”. It is an informal spelling of am I right? Geeze. I can’t even comment on that one because it’s so ridiculous.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is the theory that a person who lacks skill or expertise also lacks the insight to accurately evaluate this deficit, resulting in a persistent inflation of estimated competence in self-assessments.” In other words, the Dunning-Kruger effect explains why a boss doesn’t realize how bad a boss he/she is.
As if anxiety doesn’t explain things already we have “ecoanxiety”. This is a specific form of anxiety caused by a dread of environmental perils, especially climate change, and a feeling of helplessness over the potential consequences for those living now and even more so for those of later generations. Really?
“Empty suit” is a slang term for “an executive, manager, or official regarded as ineffectual, incompetent, or lacking in leadership qualities such as creativity and empathy.” A manager who can’t get anything done and then blames someone else until they break down in tears is an empty suit.
Yes, I’m old fashioned, I know but I don’t like the words gender reveal. A “gender reveal” is “a party, online video, or other way in which the gender of an unborn baby is publicly revealed.” Some people, like me, think gender reveal parties are tacky, but plenty of parents-to-be are still hosting them. But if that’s what you want, then so be it.
We all definitely know what a “goat” is, but “GOAT”—note the capital letters—is an acronym meaning “greatest of all time.” Michael Jordan and President Donald Trump have both been called this. I don’t need this acronym to describe anyone and like the original meaning just fine.
“Ish” is not only a little hard to explain, but it’s an adverb “used to modify or moderate something previously stated or as a vague reply to a question.” If you thought your food was just OK and someone asks, “Did you enjoy your meal?” you could simply answer, “Ish.” Why won’t a simple yes or no suffice in this case?
“Information bubble” is another way of saying “media bubble,” which means “an environment in which one’s exposure to news, entertainment, social media, etc., represents only one ideological or cultural perspective and excludes or misrepresents other points of view.” If you’ve carefully curated your social media feed to just be people you agree with, you might be in an information bubble. When I hear those words, I think about a bubble over someone’s head with words in them.
“Janky” can mean “inferior in quality,” but also “untrustworthy; disreputable.” You might call someone a janky man or a car janky. Okay. Why not just say it’s inferior?
“Nothingburger” is slang for “an often highly publicized event or situation that is said to have less impact or significance than expected.” Mainstream news programs, in my book, are nothingburgers, but I don’t use that word. Sounds more like some kind of diet to me.
We can thank social media for the word “Sharent”. It can be a verb meaning “to frequently use social media to share photos or other details and information about one’s child,” or a noun for a person who does so. If you’ve spent all day sharenting, you need to put that phone down and move on.
We can’t get away from the phrase and concept of “social distance”. Though it existed before 2020, now we also use it as a verb meaning “to maintain a safe or appropriate distance from other people, especially to slow the spread of a contagious illness or disease.” Amid COVID, we’ve all learned how to social distance from each other which in reality, is not a good thing and can actually do more harm than good. Science even proves this point, but I am not a scientist. I just happen to dislike the words.

February has been a series of ups and down, highs and lows at our house.
Some “wonderful” person sideswiped my SUV while I was inside having lunch with my daughter and just left without a note or any notification. The restaurant had no cameras but we do know I parked by a white truck and there was white paint on my car.
The whole process from filing an insurance claim to getting a rental car was more stressful than it should have been. Don’t know why we make things so complicated.
Getting in touch with Centerville PD was almost impossible. Even leaving my name and number on their answering machine did not get a return call. Fortunately, insurance company said no problem since it was on private property and we didn’t know the other driver.
Though I wanted to use a local collision center, we had to choose from three in Warner Robins, none of which we knew anything about. I’ll withhold my verdict until we get the car back.
Getting the rental was even more stressful. First car had expired tags and check engine light was on. Moving on to another car, my hubby said it was too small. You are supposed to get a vehicle that is comparable and none of them were. Hubby ended up getting a convertible Mustang! He watches too much of Grand Tour, I think.
I’ve had several sports cars in my lifetime and while I loved my 1971 Mach I Mustang, the newer ones are not comparable. In my experience, most sports cars are limited in room and sit too close to the ground for me. Why would you want a convertible in the wintertime and with as much rain as we’ve had, I don’t know. Men and their cars!
I’ve outgrown sports cars because they don’t interest me in the least. I’m more into comfort when it comes to cars. After all, a vehicle is only to get you from point A to point B and as long as it’s reliable and comfortable, I’m good.
Since I needed the rental, I’m the one driving the Mustang of course. It is too loud and takes off with very little pressure on the gas. This took a little getting used to and sometimes I forget.
It does have some nice amenities that I never thought I’d like. It has heated seats and on extremely cold days the seats heat up before the heater does. It also casts a light on the ground at night and since I am forever dropping my keys getting out of the car, it makes it easier to see the keys without just feeling around on the ground. Besides a racetrack mode, it also has a wet road mode which seems to make it drive smoother on the roads when raining.
Getting in and out is a challenge and you absolutely could not have anyone in the back seat unless they were small children because there is no room whatsoever. Another reason to never had a two-door car. It’s also black which is my least favorite car color but hey, it’s a rental so I will survive.
We aren’t sure at this point, when our car will be ready to pick up, but I certainly am ready for it. The bumper, passenger side fender and door were all damaged so the person had to know they hit another vehicle. David has been enjoying the rental on weekends and has even let the top down a couple of times. Imagine that! I could get into that in 75 degree weather but not the weather we’ve been having lately.
I will certainly be glad when the weather clears up because I need to get my potatoes in the ground before too long and get the soil prepared for the rest of the garden. Our garden didn’t fare as well last year and I think the soil needed more fertilizer so will be working toward that end soon.
Gardening helps take your mind off things and just let’s you not think about what’s going on in the world. An added benefit is that you are growing your own food and most years, have some to share with others. Putting your hands in the dirt is good for you I think.
Some of my fondest memories with my grandmother are gathering produce from the garden or getting fruit off the trees. She planted a lot more than I do and always had plenty of canned vegetables put up every year. I’m not quite that studious every year but sometimes we do manage to put some up. I hope to do a little better in that area.
David is building a large kitchen island for me and that will help facilitate working with vegetables better. We have been wanting to do this for a while but just kept putting it off. I’m very fortunate he can build most anything as well as do lots of things. God blessed me with him and I’m thankful.
On another note, we (The Georgia Post) have decided to hold a community celebration for our 100th birthday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, March 19th. We will have giveaways and refreshments. Make plans to drop by and celebrate with us. We had hoped to be able to do a time capsule for the community but it was just too cost prohibited. If you have roaring 20’s attire, wear it to the celebration. You may receive a special prize. It really is a big deal for a newspaper to have survived in a community for 100 years. ©2021

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com

With all that’s going on around us, I am concerned about what we are teaching our children. The next generation will be afraid of everything and will do exactly as the government tells them to do. If you believe the government cares about you or is concerned for your health, I’m sorry but you live in an illusion of how you want things to be instead of reality.
The government has shown us time and time again they don’t care about us. They can’t even stick to same narrative without going back and forth wavering on what should be done.
We have been fed so much propaganda, it’s really hard distinguish truth from fiction. For me, I ask God for discernment toward that end and He gives it. One day, everything that we thought we knew will prove to have been an illusion as well I believe.
But none of us know the future, though some prophets try to say they do. God alone holds our destiny in His hands.
I, for one, can say I did not watch the super bowl. Had no desire to but some people have shared clips with me showing satanic figures, etc. Whether I want to face it or not, the NFL is not for the people and certainly not patriotic, like it once was many years ago. I have not watched any mainstream media in forever because it is all fake and their add into the fear mongering.
People are lining up to take the vaccine that was pushed through without doing any research on what is in it at all. People just trust their doctor and are so afraid of the virus they have lost their minds. Many say they take it so the virus will go away. First of all, a vaccine does not prevent you from getting it and we are being told even if you get it you still have to social distance and wear a mask or two.
But, no matter what you believe or don’t believe you should not willy nilly take a vaccine without doing research. Just don’t rely on your doctor because we all know, or should know how corrupt the pharmaceutical companies have become. A friend of mine always reminds me that after all doctors are just practicing medicine. We are the only ones who should be making decisions about our health. Yes, I’m into holistic medicine because I believe the body can heal itself given the right tools. Even our food today has been so modified that it is harmful. Have you ever wondered why there are so many more children with cancer today than there were even in my parents’ day.
Prescription medicines do not heal whatever ails you, they just cover it up and make the symptoms more bearable. I once had high blood pressure but never once took a prescription and my blood pressure just last week was 116/68. I modified my diet and watch what I put in my body and exercise when possible. If you make your health a priority, your body can heal itself.
So, I wanted to know what was in the vaccine. For one thing, MRC-5 which is a diploid cell culture line composed of fibroblasts, originally developed from the lung tissue of a 14-week-old aborted male fetus. This comes from Dr. Northrup, a board certified OB/GYN.
According to him the vaccine uses a technology called transfection. Dr. Northrup says fetal tissue is common in vaccines. It can also be verified that Bill and Melinda Gates applied for a patent on March 26, 2020 with the patent number 060606.
Dr. Northrup says that 99.9% of people recover and so a vaccine becomes just a narrative and a way to control people. One of the companies who developed a vaccine has discontinued it because they say people have a better chance of getting over it on their own. He also says the vaccine is a RNA-modifying Luciferase.
There is also information out there that Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates become good friends after Epstein was convicted of pedophilia and was working to actually create his own race of people. If that is the case, do you really trust Gates with our health and the vaccine? I don’t because of everything I’ve learned about Gates, he wants to depopulate the world.
If you want to see what’s in the vaccine watch https://www.bitchute.com/video/RbOS7ouELtTe/. Why would these pharmaceutical companies like Merck and AstraZeneca want to be exempt from any liability claims if they were so confident about it.
You have to make up your own mine so do what you want, but I’ll continue to stand on the Word of God and trust Him in everything. But please, at least do some research first.

Our fur baby has been puny over the weekend and we couldn’t get her into the vet right away. I even prayed over her and she was some better. We still will get her into the vet just to have her checked out though.
They bring so much joy and companionship. It is sad when they are not feeling well, since they can’t tell you what’s going on with them. I’m sure she’ll soon be her usual happy self. She’ll be nine in May and is as you would guess, very spoiled rotten. Lately, she has become finicky about what she will and won’t eat. If she had it the day before she doesn’t want it the next day. Hopefully, vet will have answers for that as well.©2021

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com

There is so much going on all around us that I don’t know where to start. A lot of it doesn’t seem good but I remain hopeful.
It’s hard to believe that in such a short time Biden has issued so many executive actions it makes your head spin trying to keep up with them all so I’m not. We do know that thousands of people have lost jobs and though he once said using the pen to make laws is a dictatorship, apparently he has changed his mind. Of course, listening to him you know he’s not totally all there lots of time anyway. I did listen to the video where he said he did not know what he was signing. If that doesn’t bother you, I don’t know what to say.
Of course, those who it doesn’t bother probably don’t have a problem with all the censorship that is going on from most all platforms.
Seems now lots of states are saying the last minute changes in election laws were unconstitutional and illegal?! Really, that determination is made after the election. Imagine that. It would be funny if it weren’t so serious and if the hypocrisy wasn’t so blatant.
There has been a lot of declassification documents dropped but of course the mainstream media has not said one word. It’s a lot of paperwork and if you have time research them and read. Some I just can’t read those dealing with pedophilia and human trafficking. I know it exists, it’s evil and horrible but I don’t have to read it but just trust those responsible will be dealt with appropriately. Those people are sick and it breaks my heart. I don’t believe we know how widespread it is and how many people in power participate. A lawsuit, has been filed in New York and you can find that to read as well concerning some of who were involved.
Hunter Biden is involved in a lot of this according to documents. He also is involved in energy companies overseas so why is his father destroying oil in the United States? Does it make sense to you now? Are you connecting the dots?
Question, if they are no longer identifying genders how can they say that Harris if the first woman VP? If there are no genders, that is not the case. Of course, we know there are two genders that God made, but these people are ridiculous.
The hedge fund episode involving Gamestop and Robinhood app and more just shows how the elite and power-crazed make money but don’t want the average citizen to do so. I won’t go into all of it but encourage you to research it as well. It would take up my whole column to explain and can be confusing.
There is definitely a big difference in Biden’s press secretary and Trump’s. You don’t “circle back” on important questions. Kayleigh was very professional, but Psaki is not. Biden even got up and left after he was asked a question. Now considering not allowing media to ask questions. How much sense does that make?
If Trump lost it makes no sense why there is so much panic and they are still going after him. What are they afraid of and why? Could it be he knows the truth about their actions and all that they are illegally involved in? Certainly doesn’t make sense to put up fencing around the White House, nor say that Congress men and women shouldn’t be allowed to have guns. Yet, most of them have armed guards and they don’t want a border wall yet fence themselves in. Tells me they may just be afraid of “We the people”.
What happened with the election is a travesty and you will never convince me there wasn’t fraud after all I’ve watched and seen. I’ve talked with many poll workers as well and they are all convinced and were witnesses to what they consider fraud. If not fraud, the activity was very suspicious. When courts don’t even look at evidence, there is no way to say there was or wasn’t so none of that makes sense to me either. But, the one thing I do know is that God is in control.
Those in D.C. claim they want unity but everything they are doing screams the opposite. It’s time they actually got to work and did something besides go after Trump. They want to give our money to foreigners, have illegals invade our country and get our benefits, yet they do nothing whatsoever for the American people other than destroy jobs. Is this really the America you want? Not me.
I get into a lot of conversations at grocery stores. I actually believe God sends these people to me for whatever reason because I usually end up praying with them on the spot. Last week a middle aged man came up and said there are just things I don’t understand. I asked what specifically and he said his wife had just had a stroke. She has never had the virus, and they are testing her several times a day, all coming back negative but they are blaming the stroke on C-19 of course. Doesn’t make sense he said. I agreed saying so much doesn’t make sense about it to me and he agreed as well. I did pray for him and his wife. That to me is a blessing.
Our weekly Bible study is also a blessing and we discuss many things and have many revelations about what’s going on and with Bible verses. If you don’t already, open your Bible and study. Be still and let God speak to you through His word and in other ways. He seeks relationship with you and to nurture that relationship we have to be in contact with Him. We can do that through prayer and His Word. Be blessed.©2021

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com

Last week was one of the longest weeks ever to me and I thought it would never end. Had to deal with so many hate-filled people and no matter how hard you try, it tends to eventually affect you if you are bombarded by it. The dreary weather certainly doesn’t help anyone’s spirit that’s for sure.
I remind myself that there are still lots of good people in the world but it seems the hateful ones make the most noise. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can say to them that will change their hearts, only God can take care of that.
One lady even told me not to waste my breath on praying for her but use it for those who needed it. So, what does that tell me about her heart. That she truly needs Jesus. All of us need prayer.
I had an elected official in FV call me a liar, even when I produced the truth with court documents. She obviously did not read the article. Some people cannot handle the truth even when presented in court documents because it doesn’t line up with their perception. That’s actually how my week began. I ended that with saying I was praying for the community. All communities need prayer but some are in real trouble and FV is one of those.
I am reminded we should pray for our enemies as well, which sometimes is very hard to do when they are so combative but I do pray for them and that God would change their hearts.
I listened as citizens crucified a friend of mine I’ve known for 30 or more years because he stated his opinion. They didn’t like the words he chose when he was talking about censorship and it’s consequences. A so-called pastor even chimed in. I say so-called because God would not be pleased with his comments. Not everyone who calls themselves a pastor has been called by God.
My friend apologized profusely but that was not good enough. Knowing him I know that he would not try to purposely offend anyone. I know that your words do matter, especially if you are in a leadership role. Two of those browbeating him also serve and they are two of the worst about putting their opinions on social media. Yet they berated my friend for doing so.
My friend even asked for forgiveness, which I have to say, I would not have done if I believed in what I said, but that’s me. He did not say anything which needed forgiveness, he just stated his opinion. We have gone down a very dangerous road here.
I tried not to respond to any of those people but after his heartfelt apology they still continued and I couldn’t stand it. Even the pastor didn’t want to express forgiveness and was condoning the hate. He claimed to be “well-versed” in forgiveness but did not want to offer any. After reminding him that God won’t forgive those who do not forgive, I left it at that because you are in a no win situation with people who do not filter their speech through the word of God or whose speech does not line up with the word of God.
I will be the first to admit I fail in that area at times, but constantly work at doing just that. It’s disheartening that pastors are contributing to the hate going on in the world and many do not even know what God’s word says and are misleading their flock. The Bible tells us that we will be held responsible for the words we speak as well as our actions and that those who teach others are held to a higher standard and will be judged more harshly.
What is even sadder is that their flock does not question anything they say, heaven forbid challenge it, without checking the Bible against what is said. We are not to blindly follow and God expects us to be knowledgeable about His word as well.
What comes out of people’s mouth speaks volumes about what is their hearts. Therein is were the real problem lies … in the heart. God knows our heart but when we speak hatred, everyone else knows it as well.
And everyone, when they don’t agree with you, wants to bring out the race card. I hold to the fact, that according to the Bible, there is only one race, the human race. Darker color skins have more melanin in their skin. We bleed the same and everything else is the same. I’m not saying that discrimination doesn’t occur because I myself, have experienced it. But we need to learn how to talk about these problems without bringing in skin color and quit using it as an excuse. I don’t know how to accomplish that because I have tried to have conversations about it, but people get mad and want to tell you that you don’t understand because you haven’t experienced it without knowing whether that is the truth or not.
I’m just really sick of the division in this nation and people not taking up for people just because they are humans not because of the melanin in their skins. God expects us to love everyone, regardless.
I also personally believe he is separating us into the wheat and chaff and showing us who are true believers and those who are not. To some it sounds trite to say a house divided cannot stand but it is very true. God is calling us to stand for Him and be bold and to put our differences aside for His purpose. He wants warriors of truth, justice and Biblical principles. He is also reminding us that everything happens in His timing.
What can we do? Search our hearts before the Lord and ask Him to remove anything that is not of Him. Be careful of the words we speak and show kindness to everyone and to pray for them, even those who we perceive as evil.©2021

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com

If you have been feeling as if you are limbo as is the whole country, you are not alone. This past year has taken its toll on all of us I believe.
Lack of relationship by being quarantined or social distancing dulls our response to people and leaves us wanting more interaction with people. It can cause depression and in having conversations with some people I can sense that are depressed. I have felt that way myself a time or two but my faith brings me out of it quickly.
Whether your buy into all that has happened or not, it has taken a toll anyway. We were made for relationship, not isolation. But when this particular week is over some of us will need to be deprogrammed from all the media hype and propaganda we’ve been exposed to regularly and for a very long time now. I’m ready for a long walk on the beach. Hopefully that can become a reality in the near future. But first, I’ve got to plan my garden!
Though being in the news business, makes it necessary to try and keep up with some things going on, I’ve tried to stay away from mainstream media because 99.9% of it just isn’t true and it certainly isn’t journalism, or not at least what I was taught many years ago. It makes me cringe when all media is lumped into the same group. Not all are the same. Thank goodness as a community newspaper, we can be the last holdout on giving in to the craziness.
This year is the Georgia Post’s 100th birthday. Amazing, especially these days. We are looking for ways to celebrate and include the community. We will do a publication in late March and will need sponsors so make plans. It will include stories on what it was like in 1921, photos and stories from previous owners. We do not have any newspapers from 1921 which is a shame. We have no idea what happened to them and neither does anyone else we’ve asked about them. There are none at the Probate Court either. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions or historic photos or stories, please let us know.
Personally, I start my 14th year at the Georgia Post. I’ve been in this business since 1977 but was also on a high school newspaper. It has been ups and downs and there have been many changes along the way in how a newspaper is produced. Technology, of course, has made it easier in some ways, but not so much in other ways. People want to use social media a lot which really is not a good things in the greater scheme of things. But we have to adapt as well and are trying.
Lately, social media is getting a bad name and is in the business of censorship. Many are abandoning it or trying to find different platforms. Will that change? I certainly hope that we don’t allow censorship.
Freedom of speech is given to us by the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. It gives you the right to express opinions without government restraint, no matter who you are or what party you belong to at the time.
These last few weeks we have witnessed the First Amendment being trampled as censorship ramps up across our country and at all levels and on all major platforms.
While we may have that freedom most of us do exercise the right to refrain from hate speech or going to far with our speech. But free speech means to speak candidly and these days people only want you to agree with them.
America’s First Amendment was adopted in December 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights. It doesn’t specify what does and does not constitute free speech. That has largely fallen to the courts when challenged. But in general it does guarantee the right to express ideas and information. It means people can express even an unpopular or unsavory opinion without fear of government censorship. All forms of communication is protected, whether we agree with it or not. I don’t agree with flag burning but it is protected under the First Amendment.
But, some speech is not protected which includes obscene material such as child pornography; plagiarism of copyrighted material, defamation (libel and slander) and real threats. Speech inciting illegal actions or soliciting others to commit crimes are not protected either. However, we see this happens every day without any repercussions to those who commit such illegal speech.
People say hateful and crude things or post or social media and they are given a pat on the back by people who chime in. We have forgotten what our country stands for and what our forefathers went through to make it into a free country. When someone doesn’t respect others, it says a lot about them.
These days we can’t even have a decent conversation with someone with opposite views as ours without someone getting upset and taking their toys and going home. This is a form of bullying, something we say we don’t tolerate, but we do tolerate it. Sometimes under the guise of keeping peace. Yes, the Bible tells us to be peacemakers, however, it doesn’t want us to tolerate hate speech.
Christians have kept silent for far too long because they didn’t believe they should speak up. We see the result of that silence. We didn’t stand up and fight when they took the Bible and God out of our schools and we are not fighting the hate speech. Churches at some levels and with some pastors have aided in silencing us. It’s sad really but we must not ever give up hope or forget that in the end God wins. Blessings.©2021

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com

Everything going on in our world can be disconcerting. It’s not really about the election and certainly not about party affiliations, it’s a battle between good and evil and a battle for our country. There’s a spiritual battle going on in and around us, whether we can see it or not.
Powers to be want us divided and many want civil war. There is so much anger and hateful people. Even people you would not think would be that way. It’s a heart condition, unrepentant and hard heart.
We just need to remember that God is in control and we are not to be afraid. Our lives are in His hands. That’s comforting to me.
I’m sorry but Biden calling for unity after the fact and after so much violence these past few years, it’s hypocritical. When people called for unity earlier last year when all the riots were going on, it fell on deaf ears.
So many things I just don’t understand or don’t make sense. Like if there was no election fraud, why would anyone not let it be looked into. If you won, not finding any would legitimize the win. I’ve seen enough to cast doubt but so far even courts do not want to see the evidence which doesn’t make sense.
Why impeach a president if you he lost and is leaving office in a few days. That certainly won’t bring unity either giving his widespread support. Why waste time and money on this nonsense?
Anyone who thinks censorship of anyone is okay, needs to go back and study what Hitler did and how it was done. Kind of eerie we see that repeating itself. It really is true if you don’t remember the past, you are condemned to repeat it. I see people post hateful things all the time, but I support their right to do so as given by the Constitution. I just keep scrolling and rarely engage unless it is just so ridiculous. Something in me thinks something I might respond could resonate but truthfully, it never does so I’m trying not to at all.
You may think it okay now, but when they come for you because of something you said, believe me, you will feel differently. Don’t tell me the platforms are private businesses and can do anything. Even private businesses can’t discriminate, yet here we are.
If you want everyone who supported one candidate or another removed and punished, again, you really don’t know what you are asking. How can you hate someone so much for really not reason, other than they supported a candidate you don’t like. Nonsensical to me. If you laugh about it, that definitely says something about the state of your heart.
We have been fed so much propaganda by mainstream media that we don’t know the truth and don’t try to do any research to find truth. If you have already got rid of them, good for you.
It has become painfully obvious that President Trump has been right all along about Big Tech. They control our very lives and dictate to us what platforms we can access. Why the liberals think this is okay or haven’t come out against censorship says a lot about the direction our country is heading.
No matter whom you voted for, you should smell that something is definitely not right.
Of course, nothing that has gone on this past year even makes sense one little bit. I know some people think it was okay to cripple businesses by a lock down and put people out of work, but I don’t. It’s no wonder that there has been a mass exodus from the state of New York this past year. Most ever. I certainly wouldn’t want to live there but the problem with that is they sometimes bring the problems there with them. Looking from the outside seems to me that Cuomo wants to kill the elderly and all businesses.
We are witnessing people calling other people selfish because they want everyone to comply with the government and give in to things they do not believe in personally. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself and not want the government to tell you what to do. If you haven’t watched Braveheart lately, this might be a good time to be reminded about freedom and its cost. It never has been free and we are as someone said, always just one generation away from losing it. So very true.
Spend more time in prayer and communing with God and don’t focus on the things going on around you. It will help your peace of mind immensely.
If you want unity, then let it start with you and check your heart and what comes out of your mouth. That includes things you post on social media. Because God’s word tells us what comes out of our mouth shows the condition of our hearts. Count your blessings and you won’t have time for other nonsensical things.©2021

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com