This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The message from Macon

This past Saturday, the ACLU of Georgia joined the people of Macon to send a powerful message: that all Georgians deserve to be treated equally under the law — regardless of their color, creed, sexual orientation or gender identity. The March on Macon, organized by local college students and endorsed by the Macon-Bibb County Commission, raised awareness about the need to strengthen Georgia’s currently weak civil rights protections so that they protect all people, including LGBT Georgians, from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.

Legislation that would achieve this goal has been introduced in both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly, but progress in the capitol has stalled. This makes the leadership of local communities like Macon all the more important. By passing nondiscrimination protections at the local level, Georgia municipalities have an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion and build a more vibrant and prosperous future for all.

Macon Unity Day is just one example of how Georgians are rallying to defend our most cherished civil liberties. At grassroots action events across the state, Georgians came together to watch the ACLU’s national resistance training and the launch of our new grassroots mobilization platform, People Power. The ACLU of Georgia’s membership has grown exponentially, and our first Freedom School volunteer training reached capacity within just 24 hours of its announcement.

The ACLU of Georgia will continue to stand with the people of Macon and all Georgians to oppose discrimination and ensure the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution are afforded to everyone within our borders.

Present credentials

As I see it, the mission of the White House Press Corps is to keep the public informed as to what the White House is doing. So my suggestion to the president is have each White House press representative have his management certify that he or she is a journalist or an opinion writer. Once this is accomplished, the White House can separate the wheat from the chaff and treat each accordingly. The net result being a basis for criticizing the comments of each post.

Would still be open

I feel that if Scott Page and his limited staff had been given the resources and personnel, Crest Lawn Funeral Home would still be open and serving people with care and compassion at a very difficult time.

President deplorable

I am greatly troubled about the presidency of Donald Trump. His way of speaking to people with whom he disagrees is deplorable. Name calling, rudeness and belittling others is not the way to interact in a civil society. He calls news reports that question his actions “fake news.”

His cabinet appointments are deplorable. He has appointed foxes to guard the hen house. Betsy DeVos, Scott Pruitt and Jeff Sessions have either no experience or been against the agencies they lead. Trump won’t release his tax returns or look into the Russian interference with our election. We teach kindergarteners to be more honest and polite than Trump.

My God is real

Dr. Bill Cummings made some good comments in Sunday’s paper. Yet, I think he may have missed some very important insights on some things. You do not have to believe that what the Bible says is true. It’s best that you do, though. You don’t have to believe it word for word, because men wrote the words, but it’s still the word of God.

The beginning of the relationships between the men he called to follow him, I believe, was one of the workings of the Holy Spirit. They knew that in their spirit it was the calling of God drawing them to follow Jesus. Like when we gave our hearts to Jesus. They knew him in the flesh and that made a difference in their fellowships with him.

Cummings made the statements that he didn’t believe that Jesus walked on water. Matthew 14:23 tells us that Jesus went and prayed. Nothing much happens until we pray, you know.

Verse 25 plainly states that Jesus walked out to them on the troubled water. Verse 29 also states that Peter did the same, until he took his eyes off Jesus. Then he went down like a rock. Jesus cried because his friend had died and then he raised him from the dead.

I will say that if you choose to believe some parts and not believe others, then you need to have a little talk with Jesus and let him open your eyes to the truth of the word. Please don’t confuse others with your disbelief. My God is real and that’s why I serve him. He picks me up when I fail.

Vote Judge Gorsuch in

Congress should confirm Judge Gorsuch as the next justice of the Supreme Court because he is continuing to serve 22 years in the judicial system. He has served as a clerk, an attorney, a deputy, associate attorney general and currently in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Tenth Circuit. His record demonstrates faithfulness to the Constitution. He believes that judges “decisions” should be rooted in the Constitution.

Because of his beliefs in the judicial system and the Constitution, Judge Gorsuch should be confirmed as the next justice of the Supreme Court.

What do you believe?

It’s very simple. If you believe that health care is a privilege, then Trumpcare is for you. It benefits only the privileged, the wealthy, the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies. The average citizen will not be able to afford it. If you believe that health care is a right, then call, fax, or email your legislators and tell them to fix Obamacare, not replace it with Trumpcare. The choice is up to you.

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, March 14, 2017."