Georgia’s former Republican lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan has made a dramatic political shift, citing the GOP’s failure to address healthcare, poverty, and immigration with compassion.
🔄 The Journey: Duncan’s transition wasn’t triggered by a single event—not even Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, which caused his initial conflict with his political party. Instead, Duncan describes a gradual realization that Republican policies made it increasingly difficult to “love my neighbor.”
🏥 Healthcare Crisis: Nearly 11.4% of Georgians lack health insurance, with 85% of them living in working households. Duncan criticizes the Republican solution of “just get a job” when most uninsured Georgians already work but can’t afford coverage.
Duncan pointed out in an op-ed published in the AJC that 85% of uninsured Georgians have a job, they just have the “wrong job” for insurance and because they work, they don’t qualify for medicaid.
👧 Children in Need: Approximately 500,000 Georgia children (19.6%) face food insecurity. Duncan argues recent $200 billion cuts to SNAP undermine school meal programs while tax cuts benefit the wealthy.
🔫 Gun Reform: Duncan cites polls showing overwhelming support for universal background checks (92%), red flag laws (83%), and raising the gun-buying age to 21 (74%), suggesting Georgia needs meaningful gun legislation.
🌎 Immigration Approach: The former lieutenant governor condemns “military style raids” on law-abiding undocumented families. His proposed solution: secure the border, deport those with felony convictions, and create pathways to citizenship for others.
♥️ The Golden Rule: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” also known as “The Golden Rule” is a reference to a command of Jesus to his followers in the New Testament. It is also a cornerstone of most world religions. In his op-ed, Duncan described his efforts to follow that command as a daily struggle when he was a Republican. He says loving his neighbor is easier now.
The Sources: Op-ed by former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
