Opinions

Dear editor,
Americans crying with no tears.
Why has a nation that has been so blessed continue to become so divided? There is more than enough blame to go around.
Children are failing because of their first school, which is no longer a university of character. A home with biological parents has become a thing of the past. The best teachers and equipment are not the total answers. Discipline and holding children accountable for their actions is one of the key factors.
Without realizing it, too many Americans are getting too fat to go to Heaven. Lust, hate and lying will always be fat. Americans could start out each day with a slice of love, a cup of prayer and a taste of understanding would be a good starter.
It’s sad to see such a blessed nation that will choose wrong over right. From top to bottom America has become more divided than ever. Our two governing parties have so much envy, they are just one step from hate.
As Americans, we have the right to disagree with each other but not to rewrite history. This nation, once again, must become one where we all are friends or we all will die as fools. If we are not going to live it, we must stop saying “In God We Trust.” Half-truths will take this nation nowhere. Any man or woman that has no fear of the truth has no fear from a lie. A lie don’t care who tells it, so does the truth.
What our forefathers believed in has all but been forgotten. “The cornerstone of modern civilization must continue to be religion and morality.”-- President William H. Taft. “For it is my deep conviction that democracy cannot live without that true religion, which gives a nation a sense of justice and of moral purposes.”—President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“It is impossible to rightful govern the world without God and the Bible.”—President George Washington. “America must remember that separation of church and state must never mean the separation of religious values from the lives of public servants…if we who serve free men today are to differ from the tyrants of this age, we must balance the powers in our hand with God in our hearts.”—President Lyndon B. Johnson. “I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proof I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men…We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writing, that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that built it. I firmly believe that without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builder of Babel.”—Benjamin Franklin.
Jesus Christ is Lord of all or he is not Lord at all. This is the decision that Americans must decide on. Lord Bless.
Johnny L. Blacke, MSG (r)

Dear editor,
Public records are yours!
Happy Sunshine Week! This week (March 11-17, 2018) newspapers nationwide grade the performance of government agencies on access to public records.
“Public records” generally are defined as records, regardless of their physical form, made or received in connection with official government business. “Regardless of physical form” means that public records come in various forms, not just paper records. They can also be electronic, such as email or can be photos, video or audio.
Examples of public records used by reporters are arrest reports, mug shots, lawsuits and property records. Add a quote or two and presto! Story!
The term FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) is an acronym commonly used when describing the activity of accessing records from government agencies. But each state has a name for its own public records law.
Some newspapers this week will report that they submitted identical requests for records to various agencies and compared the responses and compliance with public records laws. Some papers this week will expose an agency that stonewalls access to public records.
Public records are a big deal to newspapers. They form the backbone for many stories and access to records can affect the paycheck of a reporter. Perusing newspaper articles will often reveal information from a public record.
Since “NEWS” could be defined as “something that someone somewhere wants to withhold”, reporters are constantly turning over rocks at the county courthouse, police station and any government agency that might contain THE public record which can be utilized in a story.
Allegations of “Fake News” can easily be countered with public records.
But reporters certainly don’t have the market cornered on public records. They are public records. You paid for them with your tax dollars and they are yours! Does your daughter’s new boyfriend have a criminal record? How much did your new neighbor pay for that house? Has your doctor ever been disciplined? Did your old flame ever get married? All can be found in public records.
Tips on becoming a crackerjack public records researcher:
1. If you are uncertain whether a government record is public or not – don’t waste your time wondering about it. Just ask for it. It is the responsibility of the agency to tell you if the record is public or not.
2. Don’t ask questions. Government types are not required to answer your questions. They are required to provide public records. So frame your question as a public record request. Don’t ask: “How much is our mayor making this year?” Better: “Please provide a copy of the record that shows how much the mayor makes per year.”
3. The more exact the request, the better. Add as much detail as possible so the records custodian can find your record easily.
4. Be persistent and patient. Some governments are painfully slow.
5. Some records custodians will have your records to you before you finish drinking that cup of coffee. And to those records custodians please wish them a Happy Sunshine Week! And, if you give them flowers you will get your records even faster! (Yes, that is a proven technique!)
Good luck in your search!
Kenneth Kramer

Dear editor:
While liberal left wing demo-(RATS) were successful in eliminating the pledge of Allegiance, and GOD in our public schools, we should take this opportunity to reform all aspects of our American schools.
Let’s begin in the cafeteria.  It is so unfair that the Jewish children who follow the Kosher rules cannot partake of such foods as cheeseburgers and sausage pizza. Let’s eliminate them.  In fact, let’s eliminate all meats, eggs, and milk products out of respect for the vegetarians.  Children with gluten intolerance and food allergies would be restricted from certain foods,as well;  So let’s just eliminate all cafeteria foods.  
Well, it’s just not fair that some children could have better lunches from home than others; so let’s eliminate the lunch period all together. After all inequality is inequity. Music definitely must go, as it is unfair to the hearing impaired.  Books are out of the question. Blind children can only read Braille, and some children have physical disabilities that would prevent hem from using their fingers to read the Braille.  Besides, books are made from trees. If we use computers, that might be a stir over which company’s product were chosen.
Of course, all sports programs should be discontinued as well. Competition is devastating to a child’s self esteem. Also, the black populace cannot agree on what happen in the past with the removal of confederate statues on what truly transpired in the past, so let’s just cut out history all together.
We could have science I suppose, if we could do it without textbooks, pencils, paper, oh! my gosh (trees again), pens (made from plastic, a petroleum byproduct;) we still have a duty to protect the environment from exploitation. I guess the children could still gather for long naps, but what about the bed wetters and children with sleep disorders. This is the “PC” country you have now in America, and how did it happen? You, and your laziness in not voting keeping these democrat bottom feeders out of our homes and lives.  Now put the Chesterfield cigarette down and get your fat ass out of that Lazy Boy and go vote!
Your guns are next if you continue to stay home. 
TSgt Joseph Bryan, U.S.A.F Ret     

Dear editor,
I am seeking the descendants of Sarah Liza Hodge (1840-1907). She was the mother of W. Henry Swearengen. She is buried in the Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery in Dodge County.
Jack Dorsey

Dear editor,
Well, Ocmulgee EMC (OEMC) has done it again. If your electric bill didn’t double in January, then you must be on total gas. Even though many of us use gas or firewood for heat, the bill still doubled.
If the cost of gasoline doubled, we would all panic. Are you tired of being robbed? What can we do about this?
A couple of things come to mind. Class action law suits. Call the consumer protection bureau. Elect new government “representatives” to enact laws that provide for competition in the electricity market.
When you are ripped off, you tend to get angry. Any change in the weather is an excuse to rob you. Electricity in Georgia is produced by hydropower and nuclear power. Electricity is transmitted over wires – not by truck, as gasoline is.
Another thing: if it rains in Dodge County, the power goes out. Last time, it took days to get it back on. When we pay the kind of price that OEMC charges, should we not get top service?
If you need to call the OEMC office, all you get is bull; they know you have to have power, so they don’t care what you have to say. I think OEMC has too many rights and not enough responsibility.
The mere fact of it (OEMC) having “territory” stifles competition and puts you, the consumer, solely in their “power.” Why should you not be able to buy power from the provider with the lowest cost? Anything else that you buy works that way, but not electricity!
I have Georgia Power lines on my property, but I can only buy from OEMC. Does that make sense? That is called a monopoly. Should that not be illegal? Why not?
Also, whose “bright” idea was it to charge sales tax on electricity? I give you one guess.
Let’s all get together and find a solution to this fleecing that OEMC is giving us. Call your representative. Writing does no good.
Stan Evans

Dear editor,
Here is an open letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:
I personally caved two weekends ago and watched the conference championships, after avoiding the NFL all season. My logic was simple: Why should I let a few idiots keep me from watching a sport I have watched since before the Super Bowl was even called a Super Bowl? But then I awoke this morning to the news that you, Mr. Goodell, would not allow American veterans to buy an advertisement that said “Please Stand” with a picture of our flag.
Additionally, Mr. Goodell, you went on to say hastily at a news conference as well that you “support the black players in their stance on this matter of kneeling when the national anthem is being played, (“Because I believe as the players do of the injustice of the inequality on law enforcement towards African American people”).
First of all, give me a king-size break on all of this hyphenated “BS,” before noun “American.” Last time I checked, all fifty states are not part of the continent of Africa.  If these morons, who have an IQ only to catch and throw some ball around for groceries and rent, and are so disrespectful of the country that gives them the opportunity for pay to play a child’s game, then go back to that banana republic and play for the Zulu tribe.  The same goes for all people of color.  Whether you are Mexican, Chinese, black, or whatever, if you are an American, that should be what it is period. Well, perhaps a little latitude that I can overlook on Mr. Goodell’s genealogical lines of decent. “Feckless American.” 
Finally, my question to Mr. Goodell is, Why do you hate your average fan so much? Why are you now making it a matter of principle, just as soon as I tuned back in, for me to now not watch the Super Bowl?
I can look past a hand full of knuckle-draggers, who have the combined IQ of what a ham sandwich has, now that they are no longer on camera. But, I cannot look past the commissioner, who has clearly drawn a line I will not cross again.  The next time there is even a prayer that I will watch the NFL is when you, Mr. Goodell, no longer have a job.  And yes, I know you could care less. I got the hint on the morons on the commissioners’ board, when they voted you a pay raise that matches the pay of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
TSGT. Joseph Bryan, U.S.A.F. Ret.