Tributes to vets weren't unnoticed

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the merchants, business persons and citizens of Columbus for the overwhelming and sincere outpouring and demonstration of affection and caring for our military and veterans on this Veterans Day.

This veteran (retired captain, U.S. Navy) has traveled and lived in almost every corner of the globe and has never lived in a community with the heart of Columbus. From offers of free meals in restaurants, to discounts for purchases from merchants, to the tear-provoking random offers of "best wishes" and "thank you for your service" from men and women on the street, this has been a very memorable day.

Please know that your constant everyday demonstrable show of respect and caring for the men and women who serve and have served our beloved country in its military residing in this community, as well as those merely passing through, is special, unique and palpable.

Thank you one and all for the very visible, sincere, warm outpouring of tributes and gestures you demonstrate to us all who serve and have served.

Neil Block

Fortson

Prompt, effective response

As I am about to leave home for the Veterans Day activities at the VFW, it dawns on me that I have been remiss.

Many local veterans are aware that the veterans center located at 1000 Victory drive has been struck five (5) times by drunk drivers, (Don't ask!)

Several months ago, I asked Ms. Lisa Goodwin, assistant city manager, to study the problem. She brought over a gentleman from the city engineers to study the problem.

They had Russian olives planted as a barrier. Frankly, I doubted this solution; however, experience has taught me to listen to knowledgeable people. The barrier plants were installed promptly. Last week a sixth drunk came around the curve, knocked down a flag pole, but missed the building. The Russian olives diverted his car away from the building.

Thank you, Ms. Goodwin, and thank you, city engineers.

Samuel E. Nelson

Chairman, Chattahoochee Valley Veterans Council (CVVC)

Expensive intransigence

I just finished reading with disgust the current situation of our city's reserve fund and negative impact it has on future budget planning. I'm in no way a qualified accountant, but I do consider myself a realist in a world of dreamers. The thing which bothers me most is how the Tomlinson administration continues to claim that their actions to reform the city's health care and pension programs just hasn't worked out. Has the administration ever thought that maybe their refusal to negotiate with groups opposing her Majesty's policies could be a valid way of achieving change? The fiasco over legal suits against the city, brought on by the Marshall's office, the Clerk's office, and the Sheriff's office have been swept under the rug. The last I saw, legal fees alone were now over a million dollars which the city has been ordered to pay, due in large part by Mayor Tomlinson's lawyerly form of thinking, and what appears to be refusal to negotiate.

I wonder if it was possible for all parties involved to have met and worked the problems out, instead of sticking their heads in the sand and insisting "it's my way or the highway"!

As a lifelong salesman negotiating $500 to $250,000 deals, it seems our fair city refuses to try. I see the same attitudes in the Muscogee County School District, but that's another chapter in the city's head in the sand manual. It just seems so wrong to refuse to give an inch toward making Columbus a better, forward-thinking place to live. Isn't there a book out there about the art of the deal or something?

Carl Kruger

Columbus

The price of zealotry

Once again, an unprovoked and horrific massacre has rocked the civilized world. Once again, there is consternation, supported by an ongoing naivete, on the part of some political leaders and some in mainstream news outlets as to why any sane, rational individual could even consider acts of such cruelty and barbarism all in the name of religion. Once again, we seemingly fail to comprehend that basic concepts of God, morality, final judgment, and ultimate destiny which are common to the great religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have been misinterpreted and grossly distorted by a growing number of religious zealots. Unfortunately, these religious fanatics, by virtue of their intense indoctrination, are immune to rational discussion.

I have no definitive answer to the question as to how to deal with religious zealots, whether they are Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. However, I am convinced that the Supreme Being -- whether you choose to call that entity God, Yahweh, or Allah -- does not condone senseless slaughter. The fact that murders are committed while invoking the name of the Divinity makes the acts even more despicable.

Unfortunately, if the world community is unwilling to unite and fully engage in the elimination of terrorism in all its manifestations, the cultural changes in this country alone will be profound. We may have to reconsider our enthusiasm for domestic and overseas travel; we may be forced to carefully choose our venues for entertainment and dining; and, perhaps most disconcerting, we may have to curtail or eliminate immigration altogether. Sad to say, the phrase "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" may no longer be apropos. The danger posed would simply be too great.

Kathryn Cunningham

Columbus

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Tributes to vets weren't unnoticed ."