Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Special children — and parents

There have been many letters to Dear Abby lately concerning the care of special needs children by their parents.

We can speak with a good deal of experience concerning this care, as we have a 5-year-old grandson with autism. I can’t speak of the complete day-to-day trials these special parents and caregivers go through, as my wife and I keep Zack only for a weekend every month or so.

Zack is a very special and gifted child. His successes far outweigh the constant care he needs.

I thank God for all the people in his life who make it better, especially his teachers at Park Elementary School, and his former teachers at St. Luke and Easter Seals. But most of all, I thank God for his mother, Cathy Langfitt (our daughter) and her husband, Terry, and his sister, Kimberly, for the special love and care they give to Zack on a daily basis.

We love you, Cathy and Terry, Zack, and Kimberly, and pray for you daily, as we strive to make a better life for our Zackie. We also pray for all the parents of special needs children. God has placed these children with very special parents.

Gene and Olivia Nelson

Fortson

Political deal

Mayor Jim Wetherington and city council are setting a dangerous and illegal precedent by creating the Crime Prevention Program and director. The Crime Prevention Program was the brainchild of both Mayor Wetherington and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance representing 60 black churches in the Columbus community. The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance is a 501c3 federal tax-exempt non-profit organization headquartered out of Columbia, S.C. They were adamant in not supporting the local option sales tax unless they were to receive 10 percent of the proceeds from the tax to be earmarked for crime prevention.

Richard Hyatt’s column dated June 18, 2008, “Changing hearts and changing minds,” explains in detail the politics involved found at website: http//www.richardhyattcolumbus.com/view_articles.

Mayor Wetherington conceded to their demands; the politics involved at Metropolitan Baptist Church with State Rep. Calvin Smyre brokering the deal is direct violation of their federal tax exemption status. The city council earmarked $931,000, with a projected $2 million, which equals 10 percent of the $21 million designated for public safety.

Councilor Mike Baker confessed at last council meeting that he had worries how the money would be disbursed and accountability of those non-profit organizations. I have the same reservations. The proposed ordinance specifies five areas: recreation, education, employment, drug prevention and intervention, and community policing. Thanks to Columbus taxpayers they will go from non-profit to profit status. Sounds like we have our own ACORN right here in Columbus, thanks to Mayor Wetherington and council.

Paul S. Olson

Upatoi

Second Bill of Rights

Regardless of station, race or creed, we must acknowledge the deplorable economic truths of today and adopt the following principles, not as entitlements but as inalienable rights:

[1] useful and remunerative jobs in the industries, shops, farms or mines throughout the nation; [2] ability to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing and recreation for a family; [3] ability to raise and sell products at a return which will give every farmer and his family a decent living; [4] ability of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom, including freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad; [5] ability of every family to have a decent home; [6] availability of adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health; [7] protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment; [8] a good education.

My ideas? No. Lenin? No. Marx? No. Nixon? No. Reagan? No. Bush-1? No. Clinton? No. Bush-2? No. Obama? No. Any Republican or conservative who ever lived? No.

Say hello to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a speech made in 1944 during the height of WWII amid the terrible sacrifices being suffered at home. He has been the enemy of right-wing lunatics in this country since the New Deal, and there will never be a statue erected in his honor in Washington. But we’d better adopt his philosophy and repel the egregious “house divided” antics so evident today that must rattle Lincoln’s bones in their interment.

Robert John White

Georgetown

Special children, special caregivers

Kudos to Kia for recently being recognized by the animal protection community for fostering respect and compassion by using alternatives to live animals in its advertising. Recently the carmaker featured computer-generated hamsters cruising through town in a commercial, sparing real hamsters from the confusion, fear and risk of injury that come with being on a set.

Karen Ball

Columbus