Letters to the Editor

The abortion issue: 3 bodies are involved

Again, I do not know why I even open The Citizen because it does nothing but increase my blood pressure and cause headaches but, as “they” say, insanity, etc., etc.

While I take exception to just about everything in Mr. Hoffman’s letter, I have to totally disagree with his reference to “two bodies involved.”

It would appear to me there are definitely three bodies involved: the mother, the embryo/fetus/unborn child, and THE FATHER.

While his body does not go through the pregnancy, he definitely had a huge part in it. Yet, we continue to go after the women. Read More»

Don’t forget POWs

I recently visited the outstanding Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. One small, sobering exhibit was about American POWs in Vietnam, which again reminded me that so many Americans have given so much for our country, and also of how negligent and deceitful some of our national leadership has been.

Although our country needs both a strong federal government and national leader, both political parties are too involved in my personal life. Read More»

On sale now to benefit local charity: Haddix bumper sticker

Usually on two to three mornings every week a small but somewhat vocal (and opinionated) group of Peachtree City residents gather at Mimi’s for breakfast and coffee to discuss events from local politics through world issues.

Since many of the participants are veterans of military service, one can correctly assume there is little to no political correctness or sugarcoating of facts to protect anyone’s feelings. Read More»

Grieving family grateful for community tribute

A death in a family, the death of a child, leaves a mark forever on the hearts of those who grieve their loss.

The unexpected death of our 7-year-old grandson Bryce on Sept. 21 has changed us in ways we could never have imagined. Read More»

Behind the scenes with Fayette AARP #2936

Years before retiring from a career of teaching students with special needs I became a member of AARP. My husband is 10 years older than me, so I’ve received AARP benefits for 25 years. When I did retire I joined the local chapter of AARP. My knowledge about the organization did not begin until then.

Many members of the nation at large view AARP as an insurance broker/provider. It is true that AARP was created with insurance in mind. The National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA) formed the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 1958 11 years after the creation of NRTA. Read More»

Vote YES for more parental control

We are both proud products of Fayette County public schools. We also both now have young children attending Fayette County public schools.

There is absolutely nothing more important to us than the quality of public education for the children of Fayette County and for all of Georgia. We both understand and profoundly believe in the power of a quality education to transform lives and give the youth of this state, through hard work, the opportunity to strive for and achieve their hopes and dreams. Read More»

Vote NO on charter school amendment

Ballot questions are notorious for being misleading and the proposed charter school amendment to the Georgia Constitution is no different. The question asks, “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

It is interesting that the proponents of this amendment don’t ever talk about what this amendment is REALLY all about. Read More»

Vote Yes for charter amendment

A few vocal opponents of the charter school amendment make a big deal about a Georgia Department of Education (DOE) commission approving some charters. IS it a big deal?

Parents (and non-profit groups) can now submit a charter to their local school board for approval, and if it is denied, they can appeal to the state DOE. The DOE established a commission in 2008 to hear and decide these matters, but a Gwinnett County lawsuit challenged the commission’s authority and the case was appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court. Read More»

Charter approach could be useful in other areas

While voting yesterday on the charter school amendment, I realized the grand potential of this concept. Imagine how lithe would be life if we expand our freedoms with an extended set of similar amendments to touch every aspect of our existences.

By creating state commissions answerable to no one, we could easily circumvent locally elected officials with their hyper-sensibilities to the electorate and stilted protocols for approving community modifications. Read More»

Hope and change

In 2008 then Presidential candidate Obama ran on a platform of “Hope and Change.” He certainly delivered change.

After four years of failing policies, our country is experiencing massive unemployment, spiraling deficits, and diminished military capabilities.

However, in her recent column Bonnie Willis suggests that we should ignore such a dismal record because he still remains a beacon of hope. Read More»