Let's speak up for the 'fed up'
When did we become the United States of wailing wussies? I am fed up with grown adults throwing a tantrum every time someone ventures off the newly worn path of Politically Correct.
The biggest target of this righteous indignation seems to be Christians. Let me begin by stating emphatically that no official US government document mentions or implies anything near to "separation of church and state" as adjudicated by some in society today.
Amendment 1 in the Bill of Rights states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." And that's not even to mention "freedom of speech" which, according to some portion of the population, does not exist for Christians today.
In the 1950s and '60s the church became aware that Christmas had become so commercialized that it had little to do with the birth of the Savior of the world. If that is true, how did "Merry Christmas" become such a hot button item? So if I say God bless you, does that offend you because I'm a Christian?
For the ignorant to say Mike (Sheriff Jolley) will hurt the economy of Harris County by exercising his right to free speech by putting up a sign, shows they do not know Harris County. The economic engine that drives Harris county is Callaway Gardens. The fuel that keeps that engine running is Fantasy in Lights, a celebration of the Christmas season.
Like it or not, that's reality! The elected officials, successful business owners and people who have loved living in Harris County for a long time, say God bless you and Merry Christmas, and if that tweaks your little pin-headed liberal mind, the bus is waiting for you.
Paul Longgrear
Pine Mountain
Seasonal
I have some startling news for you but please don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself.
There are a number of so-called Christmas songs that are not really Christmas songs. "Jingle Bells,"; "Frosty, The Snowman,"; "Baby, It's Cold Outside"; "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let it Snow"; "Winter Wonderland"; and "Sleigh Ride," for example, are winter songs. There's nothing in them about Christmas, Jesus, presents, Christmas trees, ornaments, Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, etc.
The fact that they're winter songs notwithstanding, you probably won't hear them after Christmas and I'm sure that includes radio station that started playing holiday music after Halloween. That station will single-handedly cause many of us to hate Christmas music AND winter songs by the middle of December, but that's for another letter.
David Hopkins
Columbus
Rethinking learning
If you are concerned about Ga. Milestones test scores, don't be. It is a made-up test by someone who gets rich by creating tests.
We need to change elementary school and make it a place where students learn to read. If they can read, they can learn anything. Once basic math is conquered, then they can learn fractions, decimals, etc. We have let people who do not teach make curriculum decisions, and education is in a hot mess right now. The kids are stressed, the teachers are stressed, administrators are stressed, and school districts are stressed. Even some of our students who are on grade level refuse to read the passages or even the entire question on tests. I can honestly say as we have moved to on computer tests, scores for my students have gone down, not because I haven't taught the curriculum, but because it is so easy to just hit ABC or D and get finished.
I think elementary schools should not have grade levels, but should move students up as they master reading and math. Then when they get to middle school we have students who have a firm foundation and we can add to it. A test score is 1 day out of 180 spent in school.
If a kid got in trouble at home, had no breakfast, saw his mother's boyfriend hit his mother, a drug deal went down at his house, gunshots were fired into the home, he felt sick but came on to school to eat, or was just frustrated as he looked at those images on the paper and prayed for them to magically turn into words he understood, well, that stupid test may not be the most important thing in his life for that one day.
Rhonda Yarbrough
Columbus
Uncle Sam's math
I just received a notice from the government saying that since they have determined there was no inflation this past year, I would not be getting a cost of living raise in my benefits. I'm sure all the seniors got the same letter.
Let's look at their reasoning and see if it's accurate.
Kleenex is the same price as it was last year; but instead of having 200 sheets/box it now has 164; that's 18% inflation. The Dollar Store used to sell 4 batteries for $1. It now sells 3/$1.00 ... thats 25% inflation. The supermarket sells a bag of meatballs for the same price as last year, but the meatballs are 1/5 smaller ... that's 20% inflation (and on and on), but as long as the total price didn't change, our government reasons there is no inflation. So, basically, the government cannot afford to give seniors a cost of living adjustment and it thinks this flimsy explanation will fool us. Is it any wonder no one trusts the government's statistics? And we elect these clowns over and over again ...
R.A. Valentine
Phenix City
This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Let's speak up for the 'fed up' ."