Macon Telegraph Logo

This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 | Macon Telegraph

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Archive Search

    • All News
    • Local
    • Houston & Peach
    • The Sun News
    • Crime
    • Food Story
    • Education
    • Databases
    • Business
    • Nation/World
    • Opinion
    • Weird News
    • All Sports
    • High Schools
    • University of Georgia
    • Bulldogs Beat
    • Georgia Tech
    • Mercer
    • Columns & Blogs
    • MLB & Braves
    • NFL & Falcons
    • NBA & Hawks
    • Auto Racing
    • Golf
    • NHL/Macon Mayhem
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Living
    • Family
    • Food
    • Home & Garden
    • Religion
    • Celebrations
    • Mark Ballard
    • Dear Abby
    • Entertainment
    • Out & About
    • Celebrities
    • Music
    • Restaurants
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion Columns & Blogs
    • Your Say
  • Obituaries
  • Education Together
  • Best of the Best

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Contests

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014

    ORDER REPRINT →

November 19, 2014 12:00 AM

Race an advantage?

Please permit me a pinch of space to reply to a letter by contributor Faye Tanner in The Telegraph where she opined on my earlier piece suggesting it is time for the Bibb County Board of Education to hire a strong, experienced black female educator as school superintendent. I hasten to say the reason for Tanner’s objection to my suggestion escapes comprehension, but it apparently had something to do with miss-hits, Band-Aids, attributes and God.

Let me be perfectly clear, there are a few jobs where race sometimes is an advantage, and we now see that clearly in Ferguson, Missouri, where Capt. Ron Johnson, a black highway patrolman, is leading security for that troubled town. His relationship and success so far simply could not be reached by a peace officer of any other race. Other examples, suppose an Asian actor tried to perform the part of Morgan Freeman in a movie, or a white singer attempted an Aretha Franklin concert? Success, I think not.

I believe that scenario is present in the Bibb County Public School System where more than 70 percent of the student population is black. Many of those youngsters arrive for the first day of school woefully unprepared due to a lack of early childhood home education. Volumes of reasons have been offered as to why this is a truism, but the fact remains those deprived youngsters have a lot of catching up to do if that are ever to be successful in life. The families of students need someone they can relate to, and the school system needs someone that can stand up to any cry of racism or inequity in the classroom without community outburst. At this time, that can best be done by a qualified black female.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Telegraph

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Our new superintendent must bring community change as well as classroom change, else our cycle of poverty and ignorance will continue. There is no magic potion anyone can bring from another city or county that will resolve the early childhood education starvation some children in our community are now experiencing. The basic tenants of education must be blended with computer technology and paths leading to special education, vocational school or college for us to succeed.

Let the search begin for this lady we need so very much, and let it begin by a consideration of the Bibb County teachers and administrators for the job.

-- John G. Kelley Jr.

Macon

Need blessings

Our rights are bestowed upon us by God. The Constitution and our founders affirmed this. The left has continued to attempt to erode this vision and move to have government be the arbiter of our rights. This is why this nation was founded, to be rid of tyrannical government.

We have been lied to and deceived by politicians since our founding and our original rights have slowly been eroded. Either we will have another revolution to cleanse us, or we will become slaves of tyranny.

This is a historic turning point. Will we make the right choices? Will we let our comfort of material things make us selfish cowards or will we sacrifice all for the future freedoms of our progeny? We cannot do this alone.

We need the blessings of God, whom we have forsaken. Will we turn back to him and salvation or embrace his evil counterpart and endure destruction? The time for action is now.

-- David Burkovich

Macon

No big deal

Frank W. Gadbois seems to think there’s a terrible epidemic of gun smuggling going on at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He shows concern that the new Georgia gun laws “weakened the penalties on passengers caught trying to smuggle loaded guns in carry-on bags.” The new Georgia law only says that valid Georgia Weapons Carry License holders can carry in unsecured areas of the airport. The old laws of flying with your gun stayed the same. Most folks are not very well versed in gun law and as such they are guilty of being negligent, but that’s a far cry from being a gun smuggler.

According to www.Atlanta-Airport.com, nearly 76 million people fly into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson yearly. My math isn’t what it was back in my school days but it seems to me that 90 out of 76 million is not that big of a deal.

-- Matt Renno

Perry

Canine soldiers

As the wife, daughter, sister, great niece and cousin of veterans of this country’s proud service, I very much disagree with the tone of J.S. Waters’ Nov. 11 letter. Yes, Veterans Day originated to honor our country’s fallen heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice-losing their lives in our country’s service. It was later expanded to include honoring all veterans.

Does Waters not realize how many tens of thousands of troops are alive today because military working dogs prevented them from stepping on land mines or IEDs? How many canine soldiers have been clubbed, stabbed, shot -- or otherwise wounded by enemy combatants in the protection of our troops?

Anyone who has ever been saved by a canine soldier will vouch for the fact that indeed, military working dogs are soldiers, too. I salute our valiant and valued canine service dogs and their most able handlers/partners. A.C. Pup’s column was spot on, and I thank him for recognizing our canine soldiers.

-- Sherry G. Lazzaro

Warner Robins

Turn signals

The purpose of that six-inch lever on the left side of your steering column is to notify oncoming drivers and those behind you that you intend to make a left or right turn.

And please use it correctly, before you brake, not as you are making a turn. I sometimes wonder if the turn signal lever were in the shape of a cell phone, if it would be used appropriately. Using your turn signal is not only a sign of intelligence, it’s a courtesy to other drivers, and not using it is against the law.

Because of improved medical care, our citizens are driving at an older age. Good for them, but there is inherent danger to them on our high speed roads. No one wants our parents or grandparents seriously injured or killed, and speed does kill. Please drive responsibly and obey our traffic laws.

-- Lee Martin

Macon

  Comments  

Videos

‘It was like one of those Nascar things,’ ex-Macon cop says of violent wreck

‘You guys are a large part of this,’ Jones tells staff at surprise celebration

View More Video

Trending Stories

These men are breathing new life into Cotton Avenue District

February 18, 2019 03:19 PM

This traffic cop was nearly killed in a crash. The wreck may have saved his life.

February 19, 2019 03:50 PM

Stacey Abrams appearance at voting rights hearing has political overtones, GOP says

February 19, 2019 10:20 AM

‘It was like one of those Nascar things,’ ex-Macon cop says of violent wreck

February 19, 2019 03:49 PM

Medical school pushes plan for more doctors in rural Georgia

February 18, 2019 10:56 AM

Read Next

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, February 17, 2019

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, February 17, 2019

By

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 17, 2019 09:00 AM

Readers of The Telegraph newspaper in Macon, Georgia write letters to the editor, published on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019. Topics include: Medicare-for-all, bias in Telegraph reporting, school bus safety and Ga. voting system.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Telegraph

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, February 3, 2019

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, February 3, 2019

February 03, 2019 08:00 AM
This is Viewpoints for Sunday, January 20, 2019

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, January 20, 2019

January 20, 2019 08:00 AM
This is Viewpoints for Sunday, January 13, 2019

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, January 13, 2019

January 13, 2019 09:00 AM
This is Viewpoints for Sunday, December 23, 2018

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, December 23, 2018

December 23, 2018 09:00 AM
This is Viewpoints for Sunday, December 16, 2018

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, December 16, 2018

December 16, 2018 09:00 AM
This is Viewpoints for Sunday, December 9, 2018

Letters to the Editor

This is Viewpoints for Sunday, December 9, 2018

December 09, 2018 09:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Macon Telegraph App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Advertise with Us
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story