This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, January 5, 2016
School trip to D.C.
Heard Elementary School in south Bibb County recently took its annual fifth-grade trip to Washington, D.C., and I went as a chaperone with my son, Philip. From the day we started on Dec. 27 to our return on Jan. 1, the whole trip was well planned out, thought through and organized in an excellent way. Principal Sandra Stanley and Assistant Principal Carole Cote should be commended and thanked many times over for putting in the extra time and effort to bring about such an educational, eye-opening and amazing experience.
I truly hope that future fifth-grade classes at Heard Elementary are given the opportunity to go on the Washington, D.C., trip because it truly is a great experience and fun for everyone involved.
— Jacob (Jake) Cox
Macon
Misplaced anger
The anger of John Ricketson's letter on Jan. 3 was very confusing. It seems he believes PC liberals are responsible for the removal of his beloved statues from government property throughout the South.
Unfortunately, he seems unable to grasp the idea that all removals were done by Republican governors and legislatures. Ideas and discussions by liberals are not legislative actions.
— Pat Fair
Macon
Only one greater than Moses
I commend Dr. Bill Cummings for devoting an entire column to the person of Moses. It truly is one of the unique aspects of living in Middle Georgia, that one can open their Sunday paper and enjoy commentary pertaining to this towering historical giant.
One might quibble over the relatively trivial use of Moses as a model for modern organizational management. Not I, preferring instead to incorporate that under a liberal interpretation of Romans 15:4.
I know Dr. C. won't mind if I attempt to provide a more nontrivial overview, from a slightly higher altitude than Moses' placement in a Myers-Briggs survey.
Moses is one of a select handful of men standing high above the landscape of history, in the most widely published book of all time. Abraham, certainly, "the father of faith," through whom are blessed both Jews and Gentiles. Joseph, his great-grandson, betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, became the personal representative of the most powerful man in the world. He brought the tribe of Israel to Egypt as a family and they emerged 400 years later as a nation.
David, the king, the warrior-poet who would preside over the glory of the nation and through his repentance would forever be exalted as "a man after God's own heart" and through whom the royal line would be preserved and reach fruition.
Elijah, who amusingly made sport of paganism at Mt. Carmel and, who along with Moses, would be granted an audience with Jesus Christ when he revealed his glory. Isaiah, the grandest of the Old Testament prophets in both content and style.
None take preeminence over Moses, the aristocrat turned shepherd turned reluctant national liberator and leader. He bore with the grumbling of the nation of Israel for 40 years of wilderness wanderings — a 200-mile journey that should've taken 40 days. And he was the mediator of God's covenant at Sinai. A covenant, or "testament," made obsolete by the giving of a "better testament," which went into effect at Calvary through the completed work of the "testator," whose birth we celebrated less than two weeks ago.
— W. Wade Stooksberry II
Macon
Warner Robins a clean city
In the past two weeks I have witnessed a couple of things I have never seen before. One day as I walked out of my house I noticed a large city vehicle lumbering down the edge of the road. As I watched it pass I realized it was a street sweeper. I walked out to the curb and, sure enough, it was swept clean as a whistle.
Then yesterday as I was out walking my dog I saw another large city truck cruising along the edge of the road. This one had a very large hose hanging off of it and an employee was walking beside the truck using the hose to vacuum up leaves and other debris that had accumulated on the edge of the road.
These two incidents were noteworthy because, as I said, in my 47 years of living here I had never seen them before. What this means to me is the efforts to keep the city clean are increasing. Mayor Toms and his maintenance crews get another gold star.
As a military brat I have lived in a lot of places and I have always thought Warner Robins is one of the cleanest cities I have ever lived in. My recent observations make me think it will stay that way.
Now, if we can just get the folks passing through on Ga. 247 to stop littering I think we will be in good shape.
— Randal D. Duckworth
Warner Robins
National security risk
Who other than Faye W. Tanner, a woman who has instructed us through "Viewpoints" on a variety of topics ranging from religion to politics, could conflate a customer complaint with Macy's to "discovering" a flaw in national security? (See The Telegraph on Dec. 30.) .
Well played, madam, but you do realize that you may have attracted the attention of the black helicopters?
— Charles J. Pecor
Macon
This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 9:29 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, January 5, 2016 ."