| Macon
victimized by 'progress'
Editors:
My wife Yukiko and I left dear Macon last spring to escape the growl
of bulldozers in our neighborhood, which used to be on the western
edge of Mercer University. We went on a long, hard yet beautiful
journey across Europe and the Middle East to Egypt, yearning for
land and town scapes that reminded of ages past.
Along the way
we marveled at countless exquisite sites - at 1,000-year-old walled
towns in Poland and Bohemia, at even older hill towns nestled in
Italy's Apennine Mountains, at ancient cities carved in the reddish
rock of the Jordanian desert.
Our spirits harmonized
with those of Muslim, Jew and Christian at the religious shrines
of old Jerusalem. We passed the monuments of Rome's empire along
the Via Apia, a road which has served Rome for 2,500 years and has
never been widened.
We floated back
through time as our bicycles rolled up valleys inhabited since the
Stone Age. At times we briefly felt that we had seen enough of humanity's
physical heritage and Mother Earth's beauty, but, in truth, our
appetite for such experiences will never be satisfied. Then we returned
home.
Back in Macon,
our 19th century neighborhood has become a construction site surrounded
with signs imploring passersby to "BEAR WITH US." But
a wonderful old neighborhood has been paved over, and I find it
hard to bear.
A sin has been
committed, and all of Macon must bear the guilty consequences. Hundreds
of trees have been felled and the earth they fell upon remains red
from the slaughter. Macon, can you survive this threat to your communal
soul, so seductively disguised in the pretty dress of economic growth?
Michael Ryan
Macon
Churches deserved to be ousted
Editors: Some
people are angry or upset by the recent decision of the Georgia
Baptist Convention to expel two churches from membership for having
homosexual members. That is not the truth.
The churches were
expelled for having homosexuals in leadership positions. One church
had a homosexual wedding or union performed inside the church and
even went as far as saying they don't believe homosexuality is a
sin, yet they profess to be Christians.
True Christians
know their Scriptures well enough to know the truth. Christ is the
truth and the light.
Homosexuals should
worship God and pray for forgiveness and repent. They need ministry
as all sinners do. But unrepentant sinners should not hold leadership
positions in the church.
Kenneth Lockaby
Perry
N.Y. tobacco tax hike disturbing
Editors:
This morning as I was watching the national news on TV, I saw something
that greatly disturbed me. The state of New York is going to increase
the tax on cigarettes to pay for health care for uninsured residents
of their state.
Their reasoning
is that cigarette smoking causes a great deal of self-inflicted
illness which drives up the cost of health care, and that those
who smoke should foot the bill.
Personally, I
do not smoke, but what bothers me is that this tax on cigarettes
will set a dangerous precedent. Next on the list will be the gun
owners! The reasoning will be "guns cause a great deal of needless
deaths and injuries which drive up health care costs; therefore,
those who purchase guns and ammunition should foot the bill for
these increases in terms of higher taxes on guns and ammunition."
This will be nothing
more than a back-door approach to gun control.
The law-abiding
citizens are not responsible for the health care costs of those
who misuse guns any more than smokers are responsible for the health
care costs of others who smoke. Should the gun and ammo tax issue
ever come up before our our state Legislature for consideration,
I hope that there will be enough honest, decent lawmakers to vote
"no" on such a proposal.
David G. Harris
Macon
Starting a new century the right way
Editors:
I share with you a message of some optimism and hope for the year
2000.
As a new year
enters, I wish all of the readers to know quite clearly that the
history of our lives will record that the start of the third millennium
is going to start with the blessing of Jesus upon us and what he
began in his life - namely, to care for one another with a spirit
of reverence, respect, peace, integrity and compassion on every
level of human interactions.
I am positive
that we shall begin the new year 2000 with this optimistic attitude
since it is our human destiny to make matters better for one another
in the tradition of Jesus, who wants people to come to harmony and
trust and understanding and mutual love for each other at all levels
of human encounters.
I believe that
we shall see in the new century 2000 the many spiritual blessings
which have been promised by God to those who keep his Word and follow
his Son faithfully.
I assure you with
the blessings of this jubilee year for Christians everywhere that
God will pour forth into our communities the fruits and gifts of
his Holy Spirit to make things here on earth life-giving and redemptive
for all who call upon his name.
The Rev. Michael
Lubinsky
Warner Robins
Rocker's tirade shocking, appalling
Editors:
The latest diatribe from John Rocker, published in Sports Illustrated
and repeated on every sports Web site, is embarrassing enough to
reflect badly on Macon and Georgia.
In an age when
we are finally seeing some results in the battle against prejudice,
we are now presented with a young man from our area who spews hate
against "foreigners" and gays and many other people.
How are we to
convince other parts of the country that the South has made great
strides in conquering racism if a supposedly intelligent, gifted
athlete calls a black teammate "a fat monkey"?
And how are we
to be proud of our state's big league baseball team if it allows
this kind of filth to continue?
A formal apology
from Rocker doesn't help much at this point; it does not ring true.
I am deeply embarrassed, shocked and appalled.
Rose Flanigan
Monroe County
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