This is Viewpoints for Sunday, May 15, 2016

We need Scott

Seldom throughout my public service career have I written a letter of encouragement as to how voters should vote in a contested race. However, I feel strongly about one of the candidates in this race, the 8th Congressional District race, and I feel that my knowledge of this candidate is important and that public expression is warranted.

I got to know Austin Scott when he was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1996 at the age of 26. At that time, he was in one party and I was in another. He served for 13 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, and during that period of time, he and I served together for eight years.

I learned to greatly appreciate Austin during our mutual service. I found him to be a man of absolute integrity. He is highly principled. I believe that he always tries to do the “right thing.” I have observed him as a United States congressman. I have been with him at the Pentagon and saw the great respect and admiration that high ranking officers at the Pentagon have for him. It was impressive and is important.

We need Austin Scott. Robins Air Force Base needs Austin Scott. I hope that we will return Austin to Congress to continue the good work he has been doing on behalf of Middle Georgia and his constituents.

Dillard and Downey

Once again, voters in Bibb County are faced with critical school board elections on Tuesday, May 24. It is absolutely crucial that Jason Downey (District 6 — primarily that area east of Forsyth Road/Vineville Avenue and north of Pierce Avenue) and Thelma Dillard (District 2 — both sides of Interstate 75 from Rocky Creek Road north to Riverside Drive) be re-elected to serve another term on the Bibb County school board. Both currently serving board members have done an excellent job serving the public school children of Bibb County. Both were instrumental in bringing an end to the enormously destructive Dallemand administration, the resulting recruitment, support and success of interim superintendent Dr. Steve Smith, and the wise selection and support of current superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones.

Prior to Smith’s work, no superintendent candidate “worth his salt” would dare risk his career and reputation by assuming responsibility for an attempt to straighten out the Dallemand mess.

In short, here’s the bottom line in the May 24 school board election: The Bibb County school system has made a most significant U-turn and is now pointed in the direction of academic achievement and positioned to make steady progress, although it will come slowly and not without sweat, pain and a great deal of hard work. Dr. Jones is the right person in the right place at the right time to lead that effort. Downey and Dillard were and are solidly in his corner.

Those voters in District 6 who say “no” to Downey and those members of District 2 who say “no” to Dillard, either by failing to vote or by voting for someone else, are effectively saying “no” to Dr. Jones and his administration. Whether this simple truth is fair to the other school board candidates is immaterial; it is nonetheless a fact.

Any time any superintendent feels he is losing significant support on the school board, that superintendent would be wise to (and, in fact, does) begin to consider options elsewhere. I don’t think that is what voters of District 2 and 6 want to happen. I am absolutely sure this would not be good for Bibb County.

Please return Downey and Dillard to the Bibb County school board.

Good die young

Reading about the recent twin, tragic murders of Donnell Phelps and Bibb County sheriff’s Deputy T.J. Freeman, the song “Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel came to mind. By all accounts, these two young men were the very best of Middle Georgia. Deputy Freeman was a true hero who daily put his life on the line for our community and lost his life while trying to protect others. Donnell Phelps was doing it right. He graduated high school and was studying agricultural technology at Fort Valley State when he was cut down trying to assist several women who were being harassed by an ex-student. What an absolute shame that both of these bright young men died so young, leaving so many to grieve.

Reading The Telegraph about these murders, one could not help but notice that both of the accused murderers are young black men, which takes us to the graduation speech that President Obama delivered at Howard University on Saturday, May 7. Part of the president’s message was to remind America that while blacks have come a long way since his 1983 college graduation, blacks are still being incarcerated at a rate much greater than their make-up in society. While that may be true, did the president bother to ask why blacks are incarcerated at a higher rate? No, he does not ask such a question; he implies that the high incarceration rate of young black men is mostly due to racism. That is a perfect example of race baiting.

I hate that anybody is incarcerated, but when you do the crime, you must do the time. The question should be, “Why do a much higher percentage of young black men commit crime?” Everyone knows there is a direct correlation between the high school dropout rate and the incarceration rate. The higher the dropout rate, the more likely to do jail time. If the Black Lives Matter people really cared about black lives, they would be shouting and screaming at the front door of every school for all kids, black and white, to remain in school and get educated. If all parents showed an emphasis for their children to get educated, perhaps we wouldn’t have so many good people die so young.

Not sure what you heard, but this is what President Obama said: “We’ve got a justice gap when too many black boys and girls pass through a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails. This is one area where things have gotten worse. When I was in college, about half a million people in America were behind bars. Today, there are about 2.2 million. Black men are about six times likelier to be in prison right now than white men.”

Read more at www.tinyurl.com/gq826pg

This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Sunday, May 15, 2016."