Protests will soon end

Hold out for another week or so and the investigation into the killing of Michael Brown will be completed, outcome decided. Then African American will go back to sleep. Killings in our communities in many cities, including Macon/Warner Robins, will continue and no one will care because it will be black on black crime. We won’t care that the average age of the victims is 23 years and male. We won’t care that their killing will be over nothing. We won’t care that the killer of the same average age will probably end up in prison serving life without parole. We won’t care that some of the victims will be innocent bystanders -- like the young ladies in Macon and the call for justice-protest marches.

There will be no press conferences called by black ministers to address the state of relationships in our community. No black leaders will come to town to get justice for those innocent victims. No sermons on Sunday condemning the killing of our young men. No sympathy for those mothers, fathers and relatives of those who have been taken away. So just be patient, things will slow down to nothing before long until someone from another ethnic group takes an African-American’s life even if there are 100 black on black killings in-between.

-- Charles McGhee

Warner Robins

Is it worth it?

Every day that I leave my home I look at the huge graveyard of trees at the corner of Old Lundy Road and Forest Hill Road. I ride on the same rough road that has had so many repairs that it is impossible to miss them even during hours of the day when traffic is light.

It is August now and nine months since construction hastily started while we were celebrating the holidays. Grass grows high in the right-of-ways claimed by the Georgia Department of Transportation and small trees are trying to reclaim their territory. Sabbath Creek is glad to hide its murky waters behind the summer foliage.

Orange barrels often block visibility when trying to enter Forest Hill Road. Parking at Forest Hills Methodist Church is already scarce, but after a rain it is even worse because water claims many of the parking spaces.

All of this would be bearable if the results could make our community a better place to live and raise our families. Instead, it is going to be a reminder for many years to come that the people in this town do not matter to those entrusted with spending our state and local funds.

-- Patricia S. Weiss

Macon

Why?

Please explain to me why a policeman would get out his car and shoot a 330 pound, 18-year-old with three crimes on his record for no reason? Why did Michael Brown push the small man to steal cigars? Why would the people destroy their own community and steal from 60 stores? Why is the president talking about a state crime? Why does 90 percent of all killings black on black? Why is the government no stopping the mass killings of black on black Americans?

-- Ken Jones

Macon

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, African Americans make up about 50 percent of homicide victims. Ninety-percent of those were killed by another black. However, 85 percent of white homicide victims were killed by white perpetrator.

-- Editors

Can we catch up?

Johonna Shores’ column on Aug. 20 was very illuminating. She contrasted the differences between our educational system and those of European and Asian countries. Even though we spend $800 billion a year on education we are ranked 17th amongst the other industrial countries. Why is that? Shores points some of the reasons for this:

Those countries put a high premium on education and parents are very involved. Our low ranking is based on the results of the standardized tests taken by public school students. In America we have two and a half educational systems. The first is private. Some parents want the best for their children and are willing to pay for it. They realize that private schools set and maintain high educational standards and classroom discipline. Home schooling is growing because some parents realize their child is just getting a minimal education and will not be ready for college or have the skills to obtain a well-paying job.

The second is our public school system. Most districts try their best to provide an adequate education for their students. As long as the student does their work and are not disruptive they will do well on standardized tests. For those who want to go to college they should score high on their SATs and will most likely be accepted by most state colleges. For those who do not want to go to college but want to have the skills to go to a technical school, they will be well prepared. Those who want to go directly into the workforce or the military will not have any difficulties meeting their goals.

The second half of our public educational system are those districts that do not set reasonable educational standards or maintain classroom discipline. They have low graduation rates and students do not meet state standards on tests, Superintendents do not support classroom teachers and force them to keep disruptive students in class so they can maintain low suspension and expulsion rates in order to impress their boards of education. They coerce teachers not to report attacks on students or other teachers in order to not have the police involved and to keep the offenders out of the criminal justice system. They encourage teachers to give Bs to poor performing students in order to appease vocal parents and make it easier for ill-prepared students to get into state colleges so their parents can maintain an image. These unqualified students are the main reason why colleges have to offer remedial classes. We are the only country where colleges have to re-teach high school subjects.

I think we can overcome educational crises to which Shores eludes. For that to happen schools will have to go back to the basics and implement strict classroom discipline. Under performing teachers will have to be terminated. Thuggish students will have to be placed in alternative schools. Students who perform poorly will require additional tutoring or have to attend summer school. Colleges will only accept students who have demonstrated they can do college work.

I wish Johonna well at UGA.

-- Jim Costello,

Perry

A few questions

I see Harry Eskew is supporting Michelle Nunn for the U.S. Senate based on her 25 years as CEO of Points of Light. I have to ask: what has she done in those 25 years? This is a volunteer organization that I have heard nothing about since President George W. Bush established it. What has it done to make it relevant? Nothing that I am aware of. Since Eskew brought it up, why did she not think enough of her husband to take his name? What is his surname anyway?

-- Jim Owens

Macon

Nunn’s husband’s name is Ron Martin.

-- Editors

Misplaced thinking

It is stated by the media that many of the Ferguson trouble makers are from out-of-town, county and state. What do the home-grown protestors do for a living? What do the out-of-town people do for a living? They march during the day and riot at night. How do they get the time off from their jobs in order to riot? Who pays their livelihood?

If they had jobs, maybe things would be different. President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder need to do their jobs working with businesses to employ the unemployed and putting these hoodlums to work. Instead, Obama just golfs around and uses his famous pen giving citizenship to new illegals and work permits to million more yet still wonders why blacks are jobless. Do they think lowering test scores is all that is needed to qualify for employment? Do they think issuing work permits for illegals is helping jobless blacks?

-- Faye W. Tanner

Macon