Opinions

Dear editor,
No matter what color we are, it was God who created us all, and we all were created in sin because of the actions of Adam and Eve.
America has been so blessed that more and more of Americans seem to believe they no longer need the love of God. Jesus Christ will always be Lord of all or not Lord at all. Do we not believe he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and raised the dead? Resurrection came after the crucifixion. God created the first marriage between a man and a woman with however many children that may be created in that union.
We no longer have a home that’s the university of character with biological parents. Sin is on the rampage, and it begins in the home. Whatever is wrong in this nation, God’s Word tells us what to expect. This nation has gotten so comfortable with sin, why pray in the White House when we are not praying in our house?
Many of our churches are turning to ways of the world. Have Americans learned how to live like they have never been hurt? As Americans, can we run when no one is behind us, cry when we don’t hurt or laugh when nothing is funny? Can we fall in love with the most durable force on earth, love? Love will never be an itch you can’t scratch.
Heavenly father, thank you for this is the day you made each of us to use as we please, for good or bad, for we know that whatever we start out to do each day, together you and I can accomplish. Give me strength to love like I have never been hurt; each day may I balance the power in my hand with the love and blessing of the Lord and Savior in my heart. Lord bless.
Johnny L. Blacke, MSG (r)

Dear editor,
In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW), April 8-14, 2018, I’d like to recognize and thank all the employees at Dodge/Wilcox E-911 for their dedication, for their grace under pressure and their compassion when people are most in need. A dispatcher is generally the first point of contact, the true first responder and the unseen hero. A dispatcher’s job is a complicated one. It is exciting, rewarding, fulfilling and becomes a way of life. It is also stressful, exhausting, thankless and forgotten by so many. Thank you to each one listed below for helping keep our public safety personnel and residents safe.
Kylee Gordon, deputy director; Diane Wynne, terminal agency coordinator (TAC); Shellie Huff, assistant TAC; Abbie Atkins, communication officer; Brittany Campbell, communications officer; Wesley Bond, communications officer; Dustin Bray, communications officer; Keely Gore, communications officer; Jason Shawcroft, communications officer; Kyle Spires, communications officer; Kristin Vaughn, communications officer and Johnna Moore, administrative assistant.
Dodge/Wilcox E-911 Director Ronnie Sheffield

Dear editor,
During the week of April 22-28, 2018, the City of Eastman will join other cities across Georgia in celebrating Georgia Cities Week. This week has been set aside to recognize the many services city governments provide and their contribution to a better quality of life in Georgia. Our theme, “Cities in the Spotlight” reflect the role cities play in the state’s history, economy and culture.
City government is truly government of, by and for the people – the people who are making the decisions about our community are your neighbors, business owners and community leaders. We are in this together, and we want our city to thrive.
We recognize that throughout our lifetimes, the average person will have more direct contact with local governments than with state or federal governments. Because of this, we feel a responsibility to ensure that the public knows how the city operates and feels connected to their city government.
During this week, we want to recognize the role city government plays in our lives: from historic preservation to trash collection to public safety to promoting the area’s culture and recreation. We hope you will join us in this celebration and learn more about your city and how it operates for you.
The City will be hosting a variety of events during the week of April 22-28, 2018. A list of events, time and locations will be published in an up-coming edition of this paper. We invite and encourage all citizens of Eastman to participate in the celebration.
Jason Cobb
Eastman City Manager

Dear editor,
Well, this is what we have that is going to take the torch from the Greatest Generation and the “Baby Boomers” that will secure our nation to come. (The Millennials!), these little snot nose impudent and insolent brats who were initially victims from the Miami, Florida school shooting a few weeks ago, who think they now have their BIG BOY pants on and want to join the other cretins in the streets and be a “protester!” When, in actuality, the little darlings are just being manipulated by the far left to get more of their liberal crap burning for a while longer.
I see these kids got their ten minutes of fame already on the front cover of TIME magazine, hitting the late night talk shows and, of course, a movie coming soon.
But please you little rug rats, put down your stupid phones and learn to spell what is on your protest sign, and learn what the Constitution is before you run your little mouth. As one of these little idiots said, “This is what our democracy looks like.” Indeed, it does, because democracy is ruled by the mob. Fortunately, our forefathers created a Constitutional Republic for our form of government not a democracy. I wonder how many of these protesting students are even aware of this and understand the difference? The protesting students also want to raise the age of purchasing a rifle to 21, because 18 is too young. Perhaps the voting age should be returned to 21 as well. I dare say, that these kids, for the most part, can’t even pass a standard civil service test for city or federal government employment. Heck, kids nowadays can’t even make change from a grocery bill. Just for the heck of it, when going through a checkout with an item, and for the sake of this opinion letter, let’s say the bill is $23.17. Give the kid a twenty-dollar bill and a five-dollar bill and two pennies, and then look at the little munchkin face. He, or she, will literally look like a deer caught in the head lamps on how much change to give back to you.
Back in my day at Dodge High, class of 1965, we had to figure math at the blackboard in front of the whole class. Can’t do that now, the teacher will be fired. And of course, the KIDS will have a protest sign and more time to stay at home to play computer games (not to mention having to run to their safe place where words can’t kill them).
How sweet America is nowadays.
TSGT. Joseph Bryan, U.S.A.F. Ret.

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