This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016

Magnificent one

Oct. 22 was a great night for Savannah native Eddie “Buck” Young. He was inducted into Savannah’s Sol Johnson High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Therefore, I want to take this awesome opportunity to graciously congratulate Young for receiving such a prestigious athletic honor.

Since our high school years together at Johnson, I’ve always considered this gentleman as being more of a great person than a great athlete. In essence, his participation in athletics was something he did but didn’t define his true worth as a wonderful and remarkable human being.

He has always been an uplifting and spirited person; therefore, if I’m ever down and out in life, I truly don’t need to talk to Dr. Phil, I only need to call Young because he has this significant gift to infiltrate my mind to make me feel good and positive about myself.

Young has a heart of pure gold because of his warmth, humanity, tolerance and generosity for others. He has never been one to be self-centered, nor self-righteous to only be concerned about his ultimate well-being.

I will never forget the book signing weekend reception that he and his wife had for me at their sprawling and luxurious residential estate. With sophistication and ultimate class, the two of them took Southern hospitality to a whole new level.

Since he has accepted his stellar athletic honor, I hope the city of Macon would embrace him as being one of the city’s remarkable and sincere citizens. Therefore, he is a person who is good, better and best. What more could the city of Macon ask for in this giant of a man.

It’s now imperative for the two of us to get together for an awesome Macon celebration. I will provide the food and champagne. Therefore, we are going to follow the specific instructions left by the late, great musical genius Michael “King of Pop” Jackson. Together, we are going to dance, shout and shake our bodies to the ground. I must celebrate my homeboy for being the magnificent one.

Democrats are never attacked

Someone please call 911 for Erick Erickson because he must have broken an arm patting himself so vigorously on the back in his Oct. 14 column. In that column, Erickson proudly points out that he accurately predicted Trump would face personal problems during the last month of the election campaign. That prediction was as obvious as predicting that the sun will rise tomorrow morning.

The Democrats cannot compete against Republicans in the marketplace of ideas so they mount vigorous personal attacks against their opponent. The Democratic Party’s agenda to ban the Second Amendment, that it is OK to kill a baby in the womb up to the ninth month, huge expansion of government, higher taxes, constantly denigrating Christians and belittling average Americans, a weaker military and complete open borders is indefensible. So, what do they do? They attack the opposition with slanderous terms such as sexist, racist, bigot, homophobe, xenophobe, etc.

During every single election campaign, the Republican presidential candidate is personally attacked by the Democrats and by a very compliant media. Republican candidates George W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney were all personally attacked and victims of character assassination, yet similar attacks are never directed toward the Democratic candidate.

As flawed as Trump is, he is a saint compared with Hillary’s lack of morals and complete dishonesty. However, we hear almost nothing about her flaws as campaign after campaign it is always and only the Republican who is called to task. Shame on you, Erick, for falling for the Democratic playbook.

Taxes too high

Would you please tell me what is the fair share taxes for the rich. The top 4 percent already pay 20 percent of all taxes. I’ll bet some do not pay any taxes at all. Well maybe some taxes but not much. A rich man pays as much as 40 percent of his earnings to the IRS. All liberals want is someone else to pay taxes so money can be given to those people who are unwilling or unable to work. High taxes hurt people the most. That is why we fought the Revolutionary War. Taxes were too high then and taxes were less than 5 percent that went to the king.

Frankenstein

The media loved Donald Trump — every minute, every tweet, every call to “Morning Joe” and the others. He groped the media and they loved it because he was a star. Television “news” people, on-air heads, producers and writers need to evaluate themselves, shoulder the responsibility along with GOP officials who were seduced by Republican presidential candidate Trump. All of the other men and women, most well-qualified, who were possible candidates were slain, verbally, before our eyes, and we enjoyed every minute as Trump went in for the kill. Now big names are scandalized? This is the Frankenstein the media and GOP made.

Isakson on Social Security

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. has advocated raising the retirement age to be eligible to receive Social Security and Medicare. According to Isakson, raising the retirement age would be a “painless” way to reform Social Security.

Contrary to Isakson’s assertion, an increase in the retirement age would actually be quite painful for many Americans. Raising the retirement age would cut benefits for middle-class retirees, worsen income inequality and disproportionately affect low-income earners whose life expectancy has stagnated in the past three decades (as changes in life expectancy have largely mirrored changes in income inequality).

Republicans, led by Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., are mounting a frontal attack on Social Security. Specifically, Perdue wants to give Congress new authority to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits each year (or at least every other year) including the creation of arbitrary spending caps. Both moves ignore the unique nature of how Social Security and Medicare are funded; specifically, the fact that American workers contribute to these earned benefits through their payroll contributions. Not one cent of general tax revenue goes into Social Security.

I appeal to all seniors, especially those seniors who voted for Perdue: Do not make the same mistake by voting for Johnny Isakson.

Jim Barksdale is running against Isakson. Barksdale is on record opposing cuts to Social Security. He supports raising Social Security benefits. I encourage you to support Jim Barksdale for the U.S. Senate.