This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, August 19, 2015
DOT jungle
I read with interest the comments about weeds along Seventh Street. Has anyone noticed the jungle along Forest Hill Road? Some residents do clean their yard to the street while other residents simply clean their yard down to the black tarps that denotes property that now belongs to the state (or county). And didn’t Macon- Bibb pass some ordinance about fining people who let weeds grow so high? Can the state be fined?
Amerson River Park now has miles of paved roads and roundabouts. The new suspension bridges in Charleston, South Carolina, were built in two years. Is the DOT punishing Forest Hill residents for opposing their massive plan? Most days there is no work going on. According to the newspaper the section between Northside Drive and Wimbish Road is to be finished by July 2016. In the beginning, the road from Vineville to Northside was to be completed by then, but I have read that the road from Wimbish to Vineville is on indefinite hold. Maybe a roundabout at Ridge after all? That is where all the back up is and now that will not be done until at least 2020.
In the meantime we have to drive past the jungles and over the potholes. DOT clean up the mess since you own the property. People do have to walk along this road. The jungle is a hazard to all.
— Vivian Whelan
Macon
Missing Maitland
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, Macon lost a much-loved teacher, Maitland McCord Hudson.
Maitland was a graduate of Randolph Macon College. She studied French at the Sorbonne University in France. She received a master’s degree from the University of Virginia. Following graduation, she worked as a legislative aide in Washington, D.C., for Congressman Jack Flint and later served as legislative aide to Georgia Rep. Elliott Levitas.
In the 1980’s she relocated back to her hometown of Macon and began her teaching career with the Bibb County schools, first at Northeast High School and then finishing her career at Westside High School, where she taught both French and Latin. She also did some adjunct work following retirement at several local colleges.
Maitland will be missed by her colleagues, friends and the many cats she rescued during her lifetime. A memorial service will take place in a couple of months.
— Margaret Y. Stuart
Macon
Terrified
Avery Chenoweth Sr., in the Sunday, Aug. 9, edition of The Telegraph, has written the most concise and chilling prediction of the future of the human race. And he is right — our greatest enemy is ignorance. The “Greatest Generation,” those who fought for our country during World War II, are dying and the next generations are not listening to the dangers that await us in the ignorance of Muslim fanatics who are silently infiltrating every area of our free society. He predicts that our world as we know it, will be dominated by Islam and China by the 22nd century.
The political leaders now in power seem to be contributing to the demise of the strongest world leader, our nation, that is now cowering under the very great existential danger from the Islamic world — an ignorant populace spreading worldwide without assimilating, setting up their own mosques and Sharia law as alien squatters.
In reading Chenoweth’s words, I have never been more terrified for our country, no, for our world, as we know it today.
— Judy S. Veal Lawrence
Milledgeville
Meeks part of the problem
I have long thought Catherine Meeks’ columns were divisive, but she has taken this to a new level. After reading her column regarding her friendship with the convict who had his death sentence commuted to life in prison, I am astounded and appalled. In order to receive the death penalty, the crime committed has to be extreme and heinous.
It also requires unanimous agreement of the 12 jurors, which seldom occurs. Meeks artfully declines to describe the crime that originally put this man on death row. She waxes on about how he likes to read and to cook and decries his lack of freedom and air-conditioning.
To land on death row, the man committed a terrible crime, for which he must pay. At the very least, he must be taken off the street so he cannot commit any other crimes. Now when can we expect a column from Meeks detailing how she spent a day with the loved ones of the victim? Will she tell in detail what that victim also loved to do? Will she tell how much the victim is missed and of all the special occasions in life the victim and his/her family has missed because of the man in prison? Her compassion appears to be only with the criminal and not his victim and is sadly misplaced. Meeks has become part of the problem in the obstruction of justice.
— Saralyn Greene
Warner Robins
Reason for chaos
I have never been more convinced than I am today that the Bible is the word of God. Surely Lewis Costello would not agree from his 7/14 letter. The chaotic state of the world and especially our own society is a vivid confirmation to me of this truth. I see it increasing everyday reading The Telegraph and watching TV news programs.
Humanity is hopelessly lost and becoming more so as men and women lean upon their own choices, understanding and wisdom in making their decisions on how to live and govern their lives. The curse of humanity is sin. Sin is a prideful attitude that says I do not need God or to answer to him. I only answer to myself. God’s Word, His biblical truth, tells us something we already know “that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23. Can anyone say, “I have never sinned by saying, thinking, doing anything I shouldn’t have done.” If so, would you allow your entire life thrown up upon a screen for all to witness?
God’s answer to the curse of sin is the living presence of Christ in our lives. The Bible reveals not only God’s provision for the salvation of humanity but also the way he has ordained we should live. In the second commandment, Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our neighbors are all people in the world. Blacks and whites love each other, care for each other. Love those precious unborn babies God has created in the womb. Love those who disagree with you. Jesus loved those who hated him and put him to death.
The only hope for chaotic America is to return to the God of the Bible upon which it and its government was founded. Christianity is a wonderful but fearful business. As a minister entrusted with the Word of God I understand the apostle Paul who said, “Woe be unto me if I do not preach the gospel of Christ.” 1 Cor: 9-16.
— Rev. Richard Aultman
Byron
Spread the wealth
The Macon-Bibb commissioners recently approved a zoning plan for yet another shopping center on the north side of town, less than two miles from the Shoppes at River Crossing. As anyone who has driven through that part of town during the day could tell you, that part of town is simply incapable of handling more traffic. With the traffic brought by the Bass Pro Shop, the Academy for Classical Education, and the aforementioned Shoppes at River Crossing, traffic jams are a common occurrence. Before the commissioners approve such a move, they should be required to think about infrastructure to accommodate the improvement. Clearly, synergy and momentum are at work to push a developer to want to put a shopping center here, but the commissioners should be pushing the developers to spread the wealth around our community. Sub-south is currently begging for such a development and it has the infrastructure to handle it.
Hartley Bridge Road has a brand new interstate interchange to both I-75 and I-475 with plenty of room for virtually any development you could think of. Currently, a lot of people on this side of town drive to Warner Robins to do their shopping and take their tax revenues with them. A large shopping/entertainment complex could reverse this trend and bring some much needed revenues into the county for a change. The commissioners should look for ways to improve the whole county, not just the north side.
— Jason Massengale
Lizella
Rare occurrence
The Black Mountain camper in North Carolina who recently posted a Sasquatch sighting online has nothing on me. Just the other day as I was driving on Zebulon Road, I approached the rear of a car going under the speed limit in the inside lane even though no one was in the right lane.
Of course, this happens everyday, but on this special, unfathomable occasion, the driver saw me, put on his or her turn signal and moved into the right lane to allow me to pass. Amazing.
— B.J. Survant
Macon
Really a Libertarian
Shaw Blackmon’s campaign pledge to abolish the state income tax is yet another promise to help our richest citizens. Our state Legislature would replace it with a mixture of various sales taxes on the rest of us. The current progressive income tax based on the ability to pay is the fairest system of taxation. Blackmon is no fiscal conservative but he is a Libertarian who appears to only care about our rich. No surprise.
— Frank W. Gadbois
Warner Robins
Out in the cold
Two articles reinforced the fact that Georgia is hurting its population, no matter what the philosophical reasons might be. As I read about the $1 million deficit at the Washington County Hospital and its potential to cost the county not just its health care, but its industrial base, should it close, I also saw that 90 percent of Americans now have health insurance. What wasn’t noted is that this isn’t true in Georgia or other less-wealthy states that didn’t start insurance “exchanges.” The fact is that those Georgians with incomes from 50 percent of the poverty level up to 400 percent of the poverty level, aren’t eligible for the subsidies that make insurance affordable under the new system. In the majority of Georgia counties, that leaves a huge number of people out in the cold.
I do agree that the Affordable Care Act is going to become very unaffordable at the national level in a few years, and much of that will come from the fact that states without exchanges mean folks aren’t paying Medicaid’s 7 percent overhead, but instead they (or the government) are paying private insurers total overhead plus profit percentage, which is about 38 percent.
Until Congress changes the system, and it will have to do so eventually since we are still paying more than double per person what other all-private health-care systems (like Switzerland) pay, with poorer results, it only makes sense to protect Georgia’s citizens by providing them with health insurance (paid for by the federal government by expanding Medicaid) which will go a long way to keeping our rural hospitals in business.
It just doesn’t make any sense to keep shooting ourselves in the foot when we’ve put the local emergency room out of business.
— Fred Brown
Macon
Bruised egos in Macon
It is difficult to unite the black community when there are forces within that are divisive and self-serving. The Tubman African American Museum fulfills its mission to promote African-American art, culture and history, none of which consistently comes in a neat package. The collection of work showcased by the museum is intended to spark intellectual dialogue, celebrate diversity, acknowledge accomplishment and question cultural mores.
It is ludicrous to presume that the museum should take directives, from the “black church” or any religious or political organization on what is appropriate. The Pimp Series in its entirety does not attack a specific occupation, let alone a specific minister or church.
Whether you have seen Conteh’s entire series or viewed the piece singularly it is evident that the purpose is to address a type of predator that exist in many denominations and communities.
A more effective response and legacy for the clergy involved would be to set themselves apart through ministry by helping to build up instead of tear down. Why not promote programs that educate and engage the community at large?
It would be tragic to see the hard work of so many people (not all black or Baptist) in the Macon community be undone by bruised egos. It was through their tireless effort that the construction of the museum and the opening came about. No one community, organization or individual can claim responsibility for the Tubman’s success and therefore no one group will be the catalyst for its’ undoing.
— Tumaini Afful
Macon
This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 9:59 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, August 19, 2015 ."