This is Viewpoints for Friday, Oct. 2, 2015

Good one

With all the comments about Bill Cummings’ Sunday columns, allow me to add a bit of levity. I say this with all due respect for everyone’s religious beliefs or disbeliefs. Brigham Young University’s football team won their first two games of the college season against two ranked teams. The Cougars beat Nebraska and Boise State with last-minute “Hail Mary “ touchdown passes. As a result, some Mormons may convert to Catholicism.

— Robert L. Lehane

Fort Valley

No last minute success in the 24-23 loss in Pasadena to UCLA.

— Editors

Do first things first

The consolidated Macon-Bibb County government needs to concentrate and try “doing first things first.” I know there is a plethora of desirable — even many required unfinished — community needs from the two previous independent governments.

In honor of Yogi Berra, my engineering mind says we must not try to address needs by the shotgun approach, rather, “Do first things first.”

Implementation of countywide recycling warrants first priority allowing some assistance toward life extension of the two landfills that must be closed, avoiding new fines. New landfill availability must be next to provide reasonable means of disposal of blight removal materials from within the county. Consideration of a new baseball team and facilities should be a distant consideration.

— Arthur D. Brook.

Macon

Nowhere to hide

Scientists tell us 5 percent to 10 percent of cancers are genetically related while 90 percent to 95 percent can be attributed to our lifestyle and environment. If you are covering your body with chemicals like those found in antiperspirants (most contain aluminum — a neurotoxin), make-up, lotions, shower gels, shaving cream, perfume, etc., you should expect to have health issues at some point. If you smoke, take prescription drugs, or drink heavily you should expect issues. If you eat trans fats, margarine, too much sugar, salt, etc., or drink diet drinks (aspartame) you should expect issues.

If you drink from plastic containers or heat plastic covered microwaveable meals or drink coffee from Styrofoam cups (the plastic and Styrofoam are carcinogens), you should expect issues. If you breathe polluted air or if you use “air fresheners” like those that plug into the wall, you should expect issues.

If you have a high stress job or a stressful family life you should expect issues. If you use lots of cleaning chemicals and your skin comes into contact with them, you should expect issues. If you are overweight (68 percent of Americans), or obese (35 percent) and your idea of exercise is getting out of bed, you should expect issues.

The government isn’t going to warn you about all the dangers we face. Why? When you die, they can spend your Social Security.

You only get one body and one life and if you want to live long and prosper, you have to protect yourself.

— Mike Smith

Warner Robins

Rebuttal

My letter to the editor printed Sept. 25 was derided by a few of the usual suspects thus a rebuttal is necessary. Not a single response disproved anything I stated was incorrect. So, let’s start from the top. I will refrain from identifying each individual by name so as not to publicly embarrass them and their asinine liberal responses.

A very frequent writer in the online comments section states he is a anti-nuclear activist and opines that my residence in Kathleen is insular and I was able to quote “take down two religious faiths” in one failed swoop. I call that good grouping and here’s why.

The Catholic faith for decades tacitly condoned the sexual exploitation of children in their care and moved pedophile priest knowing this was occurring under whatever given pope’s reign and has paid multi-million dollar settlements as a result. This is irrefutable.

While the Muslim faith, if I must identify it as that, openly condones rape, mutilation of female genitals and other brutality as OK. Anyone who believes otherwise needs to see the PBS documentary “The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan” shown in October 2014. This channel is a liberal favorite and of course funded by the taxpayer.

Now comes the reporting of U.S. military soldiers being told to stand down regarding this issue and some even being booted from the military for confronting this savagery. One young American solider lost his life for confronting this heinous act.

Next, a local physician claims I mocked the pope. Funny how liberals become very uncomfortable when confronted with facts. Further, he questions my ability to speak or write with any knowledge regarding climate change. He asks if I am “parroting” statements I may have read or heard.

Yes, I can definitely speak to this subject and I want to let the good doctor know I have read many articles and witnessed how therapeutic animals are to humans including parrots (emphasis mine) pun intended. Continuing, a local historian and regular commenter to the editor described how efficient the aforementioned doctor who might be a surgeon was in his dissection of my letter. If only this were true. This, if true, could get real scary real quick. God help us.

Lastly, a gentleman states the Vatican has the strictest immigration policy in the world, just Google it. That’s wonderful to know and thanks for providing more support in defense of my letter that the pope and Vatican City needs to “share more of the burden” of illegal immigration and the refugee crisis. Not just dumping them on any country by whatever means.

Maybe the pope needs a healthy dose of practice what you preach. Clearly, the United States would be far better off with this strict immigration policy.

I hope I have been, in the words of one the gentlemen referenced, “surgical” in my rebuttal.

— Michael Snipes

Kathleen

Fair negotiations?

As of this Wednesday, it is entirely possible that CBS Channel 13 will be blocked from Dish TV subscribers. This type of blackout, due to a failure to negotiate retransmission fee agreements, are becoming all to frequent around the country. This failure cannot be blamed entirely on Dish or Channel 13.

The local station is a separately owned network non-affiliate and is being pressured by the CBS network to hold the line in negotiating large increases from cable and satellite providers.

CBS has stripped some stations of their affiliation for not holding the line. These fees pay for something that we used to get for free.

If you have a HD antenna, these broadcast are free now. Up to 50 percent of the fees negotiated, usually $1.50 to $2 per subscriber, goes to the network. It is not market based as station claims, but is nationally driven by greed.

The advertising rates are dropping based on competition, but the networks fail to make adjustments to their business model other than to gouge consumers of their product.

Channel 13 needs to tell CBS to back off and allow them to negotiate a fair rate schedule based on local market share. This action would allow the station to redirect fees into their corporate structure, improve local broadcast and strengthen news and weather operations.

It is also time for Congress to address the inequities in the 1992 Cable Act that allows networks to charge these exorbitant fees.

— Doug Eaves

Dublin

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 9:53 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Friday, Oct. 2, 2015 ."