This is Viewpoints for Friday, January 12, 2018

End the heartbreak

Five ways (or not) to survive Georgia’s heartbreaking loss to Alabama.

Get a life.

Grow up.

Get a life.

Grow up.

Oh, did I mention, get a life?

Leonard Pitts, I want every person in the room who cares about his latest moan, to raise their hand. Don’t see any. Sorry, go cry somewhere else. Dennis Middlebrooks, see the comment about Pitts.

On hold

I went to pick up my new revolver from the store which I had ordered online. When I got there I showed the salesman my concealed weapon permit but they still had me to fill out what I believe was a background check. The salesman told me that I had made a mistake on the form and would have to wait 30 days before I could take it again. I am a Vietnam vet. I believe the real reason I was put on hold for 30 days is because so many people have been shot. I now have two more weeks before I can try again. Wish me luck?

One with God

In Dr. Bill Cummings’s “The big question: Eternal life,” he believes he is part of God and God is a part of him. He also states he believes, as St. Paul stated, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” God only made one man from dirt and from that one man, made woman. With God being holy, when he breathed into the nostrils of both, man became a living soul. To me, in doing so, the soul is the holy make-up of man that belongs to God. Therefore in death, our soul lives on while our bodies return to the dust from which they were made. Believing in this, I agree with Cummings that we are all part of God and of each other.

However, Cummings failed to mention that he believes that Jesus is the son of God. Since man obtained his holiness in the form of a soul from the breath of God, Jesus was the only human that was of God himself. Therefore, if you do not believe that Jesus is the living son of our living God, you need to listen to your soul and find Jesus for he is the one knocking at doors. Since he died at the cross to save you; he is one who can do so.

Constructive New Year

I thought I might wait a bit before adding to John Daugherty’s 2108 spreadsheet, but John G. Kelley’s Sunday letter woke me from the holiday doldrums.

John is often irritatingly correct in his assessments and this letter is true to form. The sheer volume of some writer’s missives is no substitute for quality. Often, the result of thin-skinned tit-for-tat, writers stake out very personal corners and, as evidenced by Bob Norcott’s New Year’s salvo, are willing to paint all that disagree with a very broad, disparaging brush.

The exceptions, though, make the reading of the Letters page worthwhile. Good examples abound in recent days, like Daugherty’s letter and Ed Weintraut’s tongue-in-cheek piece on the “grammar police.” I, for one, am grateful the Viewpoints Page editors read and correct my grammar and spelling.

Joe Hubbard wrote to warn of the folly of thinking that the recently enacted tax cuts equate to our current or future prosperity, while Allyn Snyder reminds that the “Pledge of Allegiance” is to the flag, not the White House. A timely note that, in conjunction with Roby Kerr’s letter, “Defending scoundrels,” needs repeating in 2018 and beyond.

May I add to Faye Tanner’s wishes for a better, more constructive New Year!

Library volunteers?

In reply to Dan Topolewski’s Tuesday letter on volunteering in county libraries on Sundays and national holidays .This could only happen if regular library staff were also there to supervise them. Libraries are complex public services and just like every county service require professional staff to provide these services.

Just from a legal liability point of view you need trained, paid,library staff at all times. Also, some library staff might want to earn Sunday and holiday pay. And what about families who want to use our libraries on Sundays and national holidays? Our county government could hire additional library staff for Sundays, etc. But I will not hold my breath for this to happen.

When I retired from the federal government I volunteered to be the first treasurer of the county Friends of the Library group. This group, through its annual book sale in Perry, raises funds to buy books.

I would also like to know who is going to pay for the staff of the new county aqua center. I disagree with Dan’s comment on “the terrible state of Houston County services” as they are actually excellent services throughout our county.

In answer to Tom McGuire about the difference between a professional librarian and non-professional one. A professional librarian has an earned master’s degree in Library Science and is usually the director. A non-professional librarian does not have the master’s degree and is part of the ordinary library staff.

A few questions

Low and behold the Macon Water Authority and The Industrial Authority have welcomed Amazon as our newest corporate citizen. With plans to hire up to 500 workers in our vicinity. So what kind of legal citizen can we expect? Will they hire from Macon-Bibb or contract with temp firms like Kohl’s did, and not fill the jobs through the county’s state employment office or with “RV nomads,” retired and under employed workers kicked out of the middle class?

And what about workers’ rights? Will they fight any attempt to unionize as they have successfully done in every other state, and will we see the same working conditions of having to walk up to fifteen miles a day in a non-air conditioned space as reported by Time Magazine? And what about their environmental emissions? According to the Huffington Post, Amazon has refused to release data on their greenhouse emissions.

And while I expect Amazon will experience great sewer and water service, I have not had the same experience. Having lived at Forest Park in 1985 when we could not get clean city water, though the new mobile home park owned by important investors next door could; and now living across from commercial property with sewer, but it is too much trouble for the few of us without it, one begins to wonder, are corporate citizens more important than real ones?

This story was originally published January 11, 2018 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Friday, January 12, 2018."