This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Ticked off

Allow me to express my disgust and disappointment in Erick Erickson, and especially in the editors, for their crudeness in publishing the four-letter word for a bodily function, not just in the body of Erickson's column, but in the highlighted quotation in large blue letters, practically the equivalent of a headline.

I would hope that our hometown newspaper would seek to maintain proper standards of decorum and help redress the lamentably low level of public discourse that plagues us these days.

It’s not up to the schools

Sonny Harmon's column on Wednesday was so good. But, I worry that he may have lost his course concerning prayer in schools. I won't open that can of worms now, but I want to talk about my wife. She was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. She has talked with me about going to school and everyday — several times a day — she was told there was no God. Her mother, a Russian Orthodox, and her father, a Muslim, instilled in her moral values that I am sure the Soviet regime would find appalling and amazing.

I don't want to discredit her father's influence, but the only word I can find to describe her is she is a Christian through and through. And she is the person she is today because of her father and mother — not because of a lack of prayer or religion or whatever at school. The lesson here for us is, we need to take charge of our families. Make sure the schools do what schools should be doing, but it is our responsibility to instill a moral compass in our children. Thank you, Mr. Harmon, great column.

Remembering a friend

Have you ever heard pastor of the Healing Temple Ministries, Vanessa Welch, sing? I mean, this lady can belt. Her voice is a presence, one that envelopes a room, that owns anyone in or around it.

Unfortunately, Welch owned me on Monday, August 14 at Idle Hour Country Club. I say unfortunately, because that’s the day Ardedrick Brown’s friends came together as one to memorialize his way too short life. There were over 400 of us there and it was good. Real good.

Ardedrick, R.D., Mel, or whatever name you prefer, was the husband of Zandrea, the father of Ardedrick Jr., an employee of Idle Hour, a friend to many but those are only categories and labels that don’t really capture or define a man. They’re just too broad and sweeping.

R.D. was my friend, everyone’s friend. Sure, he had his faults, many of them, and he wouldn’t mind telling you that he was in no way perfect. But the people in that room looked right through those issues like they were mere clothes decorating and concealing the real R.D., the man himself, not the label society puts on him or anyone else.

The event was special. We prayed, sang hymns (some better than others, not the hymns, the singers) and listened to a few of the people R.D. impacted speak about him. There were lifelong buddies, sisters, coworkers, even a former president of Mercer, all of different backgrounds and upbringings, but all one at this moment. This moment for R.D. This moment to help. This moment to grieve.

R.D., I’m gonna miss you man. More people than you know are gonna miss you. But we got your back, baby. Zandrea and Ardedrick are gonna be fine. We got a plan. Rest easy brother.

And, Pastor Welch, you can come blast out some tunes at Idle Hour any time you want. You got it goin’ on.

Cartoon issue

I was appalled to see the cartoon in Sunday’s paper picturing a student looking up at President Obama and a person in a Nazi uniform looking up at a picture of President Trump. The mass media wonders why Trump refers to “fake news,” but this is fake news in its most blatant form. The far right preaches against violence and hatred, but this type of sarcasm leads to violence and hatred. To interpret President Trump’s remarks regarding the Charlottesville, Virginia rally and the violence as support for neo-Nazism and white supremacists is a gross misrepresentation. President Trump has repeatedly stated in interviews and social media he is totally against neo-Nazism, white supremacy, bigotry and racism.

Publication of this cartoon by The Telegraph is nothing short of blasphemy against our duly elected president and the paper should apologize. The president, on numerous occasions has apologized for any unguided misinterpretation of his initial remarks regarding the violence on both sides of the rally as being sympathetic to the far right extremists. I have just read where a Missouri state senator hoped for the assassination of President Trump. Where is the righteous indignation and condemnation of such language inciting violence?

The Kansas City Star has called for Missouri state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal resignation.

Good words

Commissioner Al Tillman, in my opinion, you have made one of the best comments I have ever read even during our debates. In case some missed it, I would like to repeat it, for it is very worthwhile. The statues “didn’t stop me from getting an education. It didn’t stop me from getting into the military. It didn’t stop me from creating a business. They didn’t stop me from my children being on the honor roll. I live my life everyday on a mission to practice unity and on a unifying mission.”

Thank you. Hopefully others will be inspired to achieve for all kinds of educational opportunities await them. Hopefully, jobs are coming with additional work of commissioners and Congress joining our president’s efforts at the national level. I hope you agree we desperately need help at all levels.

Deafening silence

It would be interesting to learn where Sens. Johnny Isakson, David Perdue and Rep. Austin Scott stand on the issues of white supremacy, the KKK and recent comments by the president. They have been strangely silent and I am wondering if their silence is consent, support or something else.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, August 23, 2017."