12/19: Questions photographing of Saddam as violation

Editor, the Forum:

Am I the only person who remembers that POWs are not allowed to be photographed? Remember the big stink when Iraq photographed those airmen and how the U.S. noted that that violated the Geneva Convention? Is Saddam not a POW? Was that not a violation of international law? I do know that using DNA for identification is indeed a violation of the Geneva Convention. Is he not a POW? If not, what is he?

And those people in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in jail are not POWs because they weren't in a uniform, right? Somehow this doesn't make sense.

-- Don Printz, Stone Mountain

12/16: Questions decision on flavor made by Lifesavers

Editor, the Forum:

Lifesavers had a vote on changing flavors years ago. Recently we read a story on the changes! Lemon, lime and orange are out. Pineapple and cherry stay and are joined by watermelon, raspberry and blackberry.

Who makes those decisions? Nobody likes pineapple and never did.

-- Susan Shenefield, Lilburn

12/12: Likes feeling of shopping in smaller towns of Gwinnett

Editor, the Forum:

It seems like the older I become the more I find fault with the holidays and how we celebrate them. When each daily paper comes it has more inserts of advertisements telling us about another Big Box type store that is open 24/7 to "Better serve" me, their customer. I truly believe it actually means "Our business is so bad, and our concern about our employees is so low, that we want you to shop all night long and spend all of your money here.”

As I walk the sidewalk (another modern unheard of connivance from an earlier time) in any small town (like downtown Norcross or most any small town in Gwinnett), I am thrilled by the personal service and friendly greetings from small shop owners, who proudly announce their hours on the door. I can certainly shop during those hours and find all I need for my gifts. Yes, it may cost three-five percent more than the"mall area Big Box store" but oh! how much more that warm friendly feeling inside is worth to me.

God has blessed this great world of ours with small business’ and I for one want to support them as much as possible.

-- Steve Rausch, Norcross

12/12: One way to help troops return from overseas station

Editor, the Forum:

If you're looking for ways to lend support to the folks in uniform, start with
www.heromiles.org.

It's a site where you may donate frequent flyer miles to many airlines so that those
returning on leave from Iraq or Afghanistan can get a free flight home once they hit the US of A (their trip to U.S. soil is paid by Uncle Sam).

And, there are links on the sites (try www.anysoldier.us) to show you other ways to let these kids know we're thinking of them as they go about their duties in difficult circumstances.

-- Wally Eberhard, Athens

12/12: We never know how others will remember us

Editor, the Forum:

Don and I have just returned from my annual luncheon with the women who worked under my leadership when South Carolina was my responsibility.

Today a decision was made to develop an album with three pictures of each individual in the various stages of their lives. A short caption was to accompany the pictures. It was decided that my page must have one of the following due to the fact that everyone remembered one as my advice for success and the other as my advice for difficult decisions. They include:

* "Do the right thing, in the right way, everyday."
* "How will it matter in a hundred years?"

We never know the things for which we will be remembered.

-- Janet Gibson, Lawrenceville

12/9: Incident on plane leaves writer with new understanding

Editor, the Forum:

My husband, Walter, and I have just returned from spending a few days in Arkansas with family. This story is about an experience we had on the plane going over to Memphis.

When we got to our airport gate to await boarding we noticed several people dressed in khaki clothes, with combat boots on. Their shirts said "U.S. Army." As I looked at their faces, I realized that these people were not your usual 21-23 year olds! They looked in their 30's, 40's or 50's, complete with the body spread to fit the age!

So I whispered to Walt, "Do you suppose they are in the Reserves, because they look so old?" Anyway, as we boarded, we saw more of them, almost 20 in all. And there were some females among them.

After the plane got aloft, the co-pilot came on the speaker to welcome all of us, and to tell us that on board were several service "men" who were home on leave from Iraq and would be greeting their loved ones later that day. (I very spontaneously burst out, "WOMEN, too" because a female soldier was sitting right across from me!) The entire passenger group gave a hardy round of applause to all the soldiers. In a few minutes, the co-pilot came back on the intercom and apologized for not including the women in his announcement! And there were either three or four of them.

Then later, the co-pilot came on again just before we were to land to ask us to invoke a service protocol, and allow the service people to deplane first when we landed. We were all to glad to do so,, sending them out the doors with hardy claps!

This was the first time that it really hit me who the men and women are that are over in Iraq fighting unselfishly to try to implement a terrible war, but one that we now must stick to until things are "fixed" over there.

These men and women must surely have left children and maybe even good jobs to go over there. So, anyway, it gave me a great feeling of thankfulness for all the many men and women who are in Iraq, Afghanistan and many other places around the world protecting us.

-- Alicia Hodges, Decatur

12/5: Questions filibustering and comment on recent medical bill