This is Viewpoints for Monday, August 21, 2017

More fans

In response to the letters about the football coverage of UGA, I would like to say the more the better. UGA is our flagship university and has a huge fan base in Middle Georgia and statewide.

Mercer has a fine small school football program, but once you get outside of Bibb County Mercer fans are very scarce. Even in Bibb County there are far more UGA fans than Mercer fans or any others. Its not even close. Roll Dawgs!

Next hire?

I would like to “third” the motion regarding excessive UGA sports coverage. I love the Dogs, but I also live in Macon, as I guess the sports writers do. We have a team here. They are called the Mercer Bears. Your next hire in the sports department should be a Mercer alum.

Remove history?

Why erase history? Why not add history with multiple memorials that represent all races, generations, ethnic groups and past historical events. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has statues, Thomas Jefferson has statues, etc. Why don’t we display multiple historical figures in one place? You could call it an “outdoor museum” with plaques that explain the historical events. Our future generations can learn history that covers all in one visit to local parks, government buildings, or town squares. This could help with learning without prejudical influences and possibly bring peace, equality, understanding and unity to all races, backgrounds, and ethnic groups.

I am American Indian, the Trail of Tears was brutal to my people, but I am not offended because it’s history that made us stronger. If you abolish one part of history, how will we explain the history that follows and what occurred afterward that is related? Next, will they rewrite history books and leave out Confederate history? I guess Abraham Lincoln needs to be removed because how will we explain his great achievement if there is no explanation of slavery and freedom.

History is based off history and can’t be changed to please people. If you remove one section, it’s only fair to remove all. We cannot rewrite what made this country strong.

Another target

Travis L. Middleton, the prophet from Peach County, once again continues his crusade against the religious “wrong thinkers.” He had already identified a large group of these people in the June 15 issue of The Telegraph last year: “Native Hispanics, African Americans, homosexuals, welfare parasites, chronically unemployed, marijuana activists, unions, atheists, abortion advocates, women, and bleeding-heart Christians.”

This August (Letters to the Editor, August 7) he attacks Rotarians and takes another shot at Bill Cummings. The Rotarians are wrong because they welcome “anyone and everyone.” Travis forbid the Christian church should spread such a wide net. Whenever I hear something like this I recall a little poem I heard years ago: “We are the sweet selected few, and all the rest be damned. Hell was made for the residue and we’ll not have heaven crammed.”

And Middleton charges Dr. Cummings’ with carrying on a “campaign to undermine Christianity by imbedding subliminally anti-Christian rhetoric in his columns.” Since Dr. Bill is open and frank about his beliefs and his struggles in his columns, I would have to question how subliminal they could be. But then perhaps Travis gets messages we mere mortals cannot understand.

What do we want?

The events in Charlottesville, Virginia should be condemned by all peace loving people. Our country is better than this. My understanding is that the KKK and other white supremacists were demonstrating to keep the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. That decision will be determined by the democratic process, but I want to point out one cogent fact about Gen. Lee. Arlington National Cemetery was once the property of Lee and his wife (a descendant of Martha Washington) and was confiscated in 1864 during the Civil War. It is the property of the United States Army.

Our country’s war heroes are buried there along with President John F. Kennedy and the First Lady. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located on the grounds of the cemetery. As a country we seem to be in the process of “cleansing” ourselves of statues and monuments from this dark period in our history. Does this mean we should close our most honored and beloved final resting place for our heroes and relocate their sacred remains to another national cemetery? Do we really want their final resting place to be on the former estate of the general of the Confederacy? It is something to contemplate.

Love what they built?

The Macon-Bibb County Government Center (former City Hall) was the Cotton Exchange Bank, built of cotton proceeds. All the mansions in Macon were by planters (slave holders). They are all historic buildings. The Armory on Cotton Avenue and the Teminal Station were built by slave owners. If you want to do away with statues honoring them, get rid of what they built with the money they made in this town? and every other city that they built. Why should we enjoy what they built when we hate them so?

The Government Center was built in 1837 and first served as the headquarters of the Monroe Railroad and Banking Company. The Armory on First Street was completed in 1885 and was the home to the Macon Volunteers. The Terminal Station was opened in 1916 and owned primarily by Central of Georgia Railroad.

Decisions, decisions

We should all have a basis for making decisions. So, in answer to the question, “How should I vote?” should be this. If you believe government can do a better job spending your money than you can, vote Democrat.

The name

The suggested names for the new Macon baseball team are bad, so here is the name to use if it is not too late, “Macon Music.”

This story was originally published August 20, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Monday, August 21, 2017."