Letters to the editor
The flu, not coronavirus, is the real worry
What should we be more worried about, the coronavirus or the flu? Cases of coronavirus worldwide, 87,000, cases of the flu in the U.S., 29 million. Deaths from coronavirus worldwide, 2,900, only a handful in the U.S., but deaths from the flu in just the U.S. alone — 16,000. And 105 are children. The flu is high in 44 states and widespread in 47 states. The flu is among the highest in 15 years.
Timothy Hall, Juliette
Is government to blame for coronavirus?
Riddle me this: What do you get when you have incompetent “yes” men in charge of government agencies? The answer: Active coronavirus cases on U.S. soil months earlier than we should have them here. A corrupt government is not a government.
Mike Rumage, Warner Robbins
Give abandoned buildings to homeless
Blight, yes, I see blight everywhere in Macon but more in the form of the homeless. It’s a disgrace that we use tax money to tear down what’s considered abandoned blighted structures yet simultaneously sympathize with the homeless. Why not offer them these shelters with the stipulation to improve them?
Yes they may be considered uninhabitable but so are the woods. Doing so would accomplish much toward eliminating blight. Homeless people don’t have any respect for the law as they litter, trespass, pay no taxes, and steal countless shopping carts. Last thing they need is for people to come out for a sleepover. Yes if you really give a damn about these people you would invite them into your home instead of patting yourself on the back thinking you are improving their lives. Christian or just hypocrite?
Most of Macon’s homeless aren’t even from Georgia and won’t succumb to living in shelters available because of rules. No drugs or alcohol.! Just wish our law enforcement would enforce the law! Mayor, don’t tear down any more building until you get the homeless off the streets and out of the woods.
Roger Hicks, Lizella
Why is Macon so obviously divided?
Why is Macon so divided? I feel like every person I meet who is from Macon hails from either North Macon or South Macon. And, I can not say that there are not some distinct differences in those people. As someone from Atlanta, I am aware that a city can have multiple sides, but Macon’s seems so distinct and hard to not notice. Obviously, the Macon that Mercer is surrounded by is not the best, but I cannot help but realize how distinctly different it is from North Macon, or the “Riverside Drive” area. Why is the local government not doing more to unite and be less divisive?
I remember one situation vividly that really opened my eyes. I was with a friend, who is from North Macon and went to Stratford, and she asked me to go to Waffle House with her. I am not a very observant passenger driver, so I did not realize we had been driving longer than usual until we were on the highway. I asked her, “Why are you going this way?”. She replied, “Oh, we’re going to the one near Stratford, the one near campus is ghetto.” It stuck with me, to drive 10 extra minutes to be “safer” seemed excessive and telling. Macon is a city with a lot of rich culture, and so much to offer. If more opportunities were given to the Southside, there could be so many less disparities.
Nini Ugha, Snellville, Ga.
Some in Macon live in a food desert
The food insecurity crisis in Macon has affected communities across the area and the closing of the Kroger on Pio Nono has been detrimental to the area. Families across Macon-Bibb County are struggling to identify where their next meal will come from. The issue of food insecurity is a product of other problems as well: Macon’s poverty rate fluctuates between 26-28%. The Kroger on Pio Nono closed due to a decrease in profit and business, however, the people of this community are often not making enough to buy the food they need. With no grocery store in proximity, a lack of transportation has also made it difficult for parents to feed their children who are going to school hungry and undernourished, making it harder to stay focused in school.
School systems around the county have implemented programs to provide breakfast and lunch to children in school five our of seven days of the week. Unfortunately, for a hefty percentage of these children, these couple of meals they receive Monday through Friday are often the only meals they eat. This is hindering children from learning, growing, and developing properly. These kids have more access to food in their schools than they do in their homes on the weekends. There have been talks of the former Kroger being made into a storage facility but the service this city needs is food. Without proper utilization of resources, poverty in Macon will continue to rise, families will continue to struggle, and our city will not develop.
Devin Dickinson, Macon