No, we’re not ‘over it’

This letter is in response to a letter headlined "Get over it" which appeared in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Friday, February 10. The writer of this letter feels that the United States hacks elections in other countries and that the Russians therefore have the right to hack our elections; that Russian interference in our election made no difference in the outcome and that the Democratic Party just got what it deserved. Thus the ends justified the means.

It is not OK for the Russians to hack or interfere with our elections, or either of our main political parties. My understanding is that both political parties were hacked by the Russians, who chose to leak information concerning only the Democratic Party. It is troubling to see WikiLeaks and Julian Assange presented as credible sources. U.S. intel agencies are investigating, as we speak, the possibility that the Russians and the Trump campaign were in contact throughout the campaign and that they were colluding to defeat the Democratic candidate. We do know that there was a Russian "connection" within the Trump campaign, through Stephen Bannon, Paul Manafort and General Flynn. It looks very suspicious to those of us who do not want our county to become a puppet under the Putin regime. The president might "badmouth" our allies but he will not say one negative thing concerning Putin and the Russians. This is very, very troubling.

Hacking is just a small part of the bigger question — did Putin and the Russians succeed in putting Donald Trump in the White House?

Poverty war victories

Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity is taking the lead to address poverty from a holistic perspective. Executive Director Louise Hurless and her team have done an outstanding job of confronting the very issues cited in Ms. James-Johnson’s recent article.

Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity has provided over 300 hard-working local families with affordable housing throughout our city since 1984. Their transformative work has positively impacted families from all walks of life, ethnic backgrounds, religious convictions, etc.

Habitat’s mission is to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Their vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live, and that vision is becoming a reality in Columbus.

Families purchase their homes from Habitat with a zero-interest mortgage. This makes Habitat homes far more affordable than rentals even when factoring escrow costs, which all Habitat homeowners pay. Habitat also equips families with rigorous financial education to help them develop healthy spending practices once they enter their home.

And the success of Habitat in Columbus is not unique.

Habitat has assisted 7,068 low-income families across Georgia in its 40+ year history. A study just completed by Georgia Tech concluded Habitat families are safer, happier, healthier, and more involved in their communities. Children from Habitat homes perform better in school and even require fewer doctor visits. Habitat families have more discretionary income, end up using considerably less government assistance, and have a higher rate of high school graduation than the average Georgian.

If you want to see poverty eliminated, then Columbus Area Habitat should be the go-to destination for your time and resources. They are making long-term, positive strides in reducing poverty by providing affordable housing with 33 years of experience to prove it.

Sunday sorrow

While most watched Super Bowl LI, my wife and I cried. Driving down Denver’s Colorado Blvd., I silently hoped that the intersection lights would turn red and time would stop as we drove our 12-year-old chocolate Lab “Chipper” to our youngest son, who would take Chipper for his euthanasia shot to enter “Dog’s Heaven.”

Chipper went from gift-wrapped puppy for our son’s university girlfriend back to us after their breakup. He moved around Florida and Alabama with us, finally ending up in Denver.

Chipper’s finest era was as house dog to a Key West shelter, where he welcomed over 60 foster children in almost five years. He loved when the kids tossed his tennis ball. Once a foster baby shared dinner with him from its high chair; teeth that could destroy a T-bone in a flash took the offerings gently. Several boys used him as their living room pillow. He often barked loudly when teens argued; he preferred kindness. Pictures show hundreds of tourists from all over the world petting Chipper as they laughed about getting their “dog fix.” A Miami Herald journalist covering the sinking Vandenberg ship lay on the pier, photographing Chipper instead. A fellow chocolate Lab owner stopped to say, “Chipper is a dog’s dog.”

On Super Bowl LI, I would have sacrificed all my earthly possessions for that miracle restoration of his back legs.

This story was originally published February 14, 2017 at 1:27 PM with the headline "No, we’re not ‘over it’."