This is Viewpoints for Monday, Oct. 19, 2015
More attacks on Social Security
Republican presidential candidate John Kaisich said, laughing, that he was going to cut Social Security and seniors should get over it. It is a common trend among Republican presidential candidates -- cut Social Security. In fact, it is on the Republicans' agenda as one of the top priorities -- cut Social Security and Medicare.
Every time Sen. David Perdue makes a swing through Middle Georgia, and in almost every speech he makes, he advocates cutting Social Security. Speaking recently at the Macon Rotary Club, he insinuated that Social Security had to be cut because it was contributing to the national debt. Social Security has not contributed one cent to the national debt.
Perdue further insinuated that Social Security had to be cut to fund an additional proposed $80 billion for the military. The military budget today encompasses over half the federal budget. A nation cannot long stand that focuses primarily on a military buildup and ignores the needs of the country and people.
The Republican Party today is not the Republican Party of the Eisenhower era. I am not even sure you could call it the Republican Party today. It has been invaded and taken over by the tea party fascist extremists. Even Speaker John Boehner was not extreme enough for them and they forced him out.
-- Ronald L. Cain
Elko
Judge and jury
Just back from a three-week holiday in London where handguns are banned. No openly carrying, untrained, would-be vigilantes like in our state. The stand-your-ground laws allow armed citizens to be judge and jury all in one in some states. So if you don't like one of your neighbors or someone for whatever reason, you can shoot them when no one can see you. And likely get away with it.
Happily and recently an armed bystander shot at "fleeing shoplifters who posed no danger." This lady was charged with a misdemeanor for firing at a getaway vehicle in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Michigan. Then a bystander in Elkhart, Indiana, saw what he thought were employees chasing apparent shoplifters and shot at the alleged bad guys. He was charged "with one count of reckless use, handling or discharge of a firearm."
The above examples of armed citizens taking the law into their own hands that could easily happen here under our new NRA-sponsored state gun law that is basically a license to kill whoever you think are the bad guys. What if they are wrong? Do murder charges await?
-- Frank W. Gadbois
Warner Robins
A way of knowing
Challenging David Mann, Thomas Spence says, "There are no absolutes. People simply believe what they want to believe." Is Spence speaking an absolute truth when he says there are no absolutes? Why doesn't he say "I believe there are no absolutes?"
Is Spence married? If yes, does he just simply believe he is married or can he reveal absolute truth? Does Spence drive an automobile? If yes, does he just simply believe it or can he reveal absolute truth? "Does God exist? There's no way of knowing," Spence says. Has Spence ever been in pursuit of knowing whether God exists or does he not want any verification?
The psalmist says "The fool has said in his heart there is no God," Psalms 53:1. Not in his mind, for human minds can see God's existence from Psalms 19:1-2, "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." Does Spence see the moon, the sun, the stars or experience the snow, the rain, the rainbow and feel the wind? These are revelations of God's existence. Humans cannot create them.
The apostle Paul, chosen by God to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20. There is absolute truth that we can know God exists if we are in pursuit of verification.
I close with an absolute. Many in every generation confirm it. God says in Jeremiah 29:13, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jesus affirms this absolute in Rev. 3:20, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with him and he with me."
God will not force his way into our hearts. We must seek and give him ownership of our hearts and lives. There is a way of knowing God exists.
-- The Rev. Richard Aultman
Byron
Responsibility for violence
Apparently Jews living in houses, aka "settlements," are causing Muslims to kill Jews. And yet when there's a "freeze" in housing, Muslims still kill Jews. Before there was Israel, Muslims still killed Jews. Maybe it's not the Jewish houses that are at issue here. Maybe it's the Jews or maybe it's the Muslim killers.
But, since there are no Jewish "settlements" in Kashmir, Syria, Libya, France or New York, and yet Muslims killed people there, too. Either everyone but Muslims are to blame for Muslim violence. Or, just maybe, Muslims are to blame for Muslim violence.
-- Hill Kaplan
Macon
Repercussions
The largest retailer just raised the wages of very low level jobs to $9 an hour. What it costs goes much further. Now the people who are making $9-13 an hour are going to rightly expect a raise, too. Their skill level is higher. That $1.2 billion is going to balloon to at least $3 billion. I get the need; what I question is how many of those millions of people are getting local, state and federal relief?
Our government is sending hundreds of millions of dollars paying dead people and folks on disability who are not disabled. At the same time Social Security is to extend the age at which one can get their money. It has been suggested that all congressional members only get Social Security and the same insurance the rest of us have access to. That should apply to presidents, too. After all, they make rules they would never approve if they were forced to live by them.
-- Joe Hubbard
Macon
This story was originally published October 18, 2015 at 10:40 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 ."