Savannah Mayor Van Johnson is drawing a clear line between peaceful demonstrations and criminal behavior, promising to uphold constitutional rights while maintaining public safety.
🛡️ Why It Matters: Residents need to know their right to protest is protected, but also that city officials are prepared to prevent any potential unrest that could threaten the community.
🔊 The Mayor’s Message: Johnson emphasized the city’s commitment to constitutional freedoms while issuing a stern warning about potential violence.
“While peaceful protest is protected, criminality is not,” Johnson said. “We will not tolerate violence, destruction, or any acts that seek harm to people, property, or our community.”
🚨 Safety Preparations: City officials aren’t taking chances with public safety, according to the mayor’s statement.
“We are actively monitoring all developments and are fully prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to any emergency situation,” Johnson said, noting that law enforcement teams are on alert.
🛑 🛑 🛑
Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
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.
