Gwinnett Forum -- Feedback for your innovative ideas to make people think

Below you'll find recent comments by Gwinnett Forum readers about issues of the day:

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

Editor, the Forum:

In regard to your "editor's note" to Mr. Wright (Dec. 2), what I have heard and read of the filibuster of the judge nominees does not match your comment. It is my understanding that in the history of the Senate the filibuster has never been used to block a vote on judge nominations. Certainly the filibuster has been used in other cases. Suggest you check this.

Comment by Prendergast (on the left coast) as to the Medicare Prescription Bill: Does Mr. Prendergast remember the offering of the Democrats a few years ago known as Hillary Care? This time the Republicans pre-empted the Democrats by adopting their position, getting the AARP to buy into it and passing the bill. In my opinion it was mostly a political move to get votes of the strongest voting block (us old codgers). I do agree with Mr. Prendergast that the bill will be a disaster. But I am against it for different reasons than his. I just believe it's very bad legislation, it's not needed, and it will cost us too much. You just can't seem to get facts straight, or approach the logic of a situation.

-- E F Stuart, Norcross

(Editor's Note: Ah, you with short memories. Sources at the US Senate tell me that in 1968, Republicans blocked the "promotion" of Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortis to chief justice. How? By filibuster!

During the Clinton Administration, Republicans blocked a floor vote on 63 judicial nominees in committee -- mostly through secret "holds" or not providing hearings for the nominees. Some were "on hold" for four years!

Also during the Clinton administration, Republicans tried to filibuster six judicial nominees who made it to a floor vote. But the GOP couldn't keep its caucus together and didn't have enough votes to sustain a filibuster.

Actually, a filibuster is a time-honored parliamentary technique by one party, and used by both parties, to try to force their own views on matters, when they are not in power. And usually the party in power always cries, "Foul!" --eeb.)

12/5: Felt columns about directories had humor in them

Editor, the Forum:

I couldn't help but laugh about the smaller telephone directories. It seems that even my normal magnifying glasses were inadequate. I have to use them plus a magnifying glass to see the print. Thanks for the humor!

-- Janet Gibson, Lawrenceville

(Dear Janet: No humor intended; it's serious for some. Just ask those with far sightedness, and you don't hear them laughing Best thing I have heard about this is that BellSouth now says that the smaller directories were only a 'test.' We hope that it flunked their test, if that is so. -eeb)

12/5: Moon speaks of solidity of changes in life

Editor, the Forum:

The setting moon speaks of solidity of changes in life. (Forum, Nov. 25.) Thanks, for the inspiring message.

-- Jimmy Sell, Lawrenceville

12/5: More thinking about column on the moon

Editor, the Forum:

Thinking about the moon (Nov. 25): that is why I miss, not seeing your column in the newspaper. You are truly gifted. You should write a book and it would sell like wildfire just on the thoughts that must run through your mind.

-- Sen. Renee Unterman, Loganville

12/2: Not forced to go to smaller telephone book as yet

Editor, the Forum:

While I agree with your point that the new telephone book is much more difficult to read, did you miss the fact that it's only a smaller version of the regular one that BellSouth sent earlier this year? I'm not sure what their strategy is, but so far they haven't forced us to rely on the smaller version.

-- Bob Wilkerson, Norcross

12/2: Raises questions of filibuster recently in the Senate

Editor, the Forum:

For more than two years now, Democratic senators have blocked the nominations of several appointees to the federal bench --- not by working to amass the votes needed to defeat them in a full Senate vote, but by using
filibusters in order to prevent full Senate votes from even occurring.

The issue isn't whether Democrats support judges like Miguel Estrada, Charles Pickering, Priscilla Owen, Carolyn Kuhl and Janice Rogers Brown. Supporting only those candidates who align with their values is their prerogative as elected officials. But how is it their prerogative to deny these or any other nominees their constitutional right to a "yes" or "no" vote on their appointments?

Republicans in the Senate engaged in hours of continuous debate on this subject recently. I urge you, as the eyes and ears of your community, to take special note of the news that is made during this debate and to dedicate appropriate resources to reporting the story as it affects those in your coverage area.

And it does affect those in your coverage area. Who winds up serving on our federal courts, in fact, is of keen interest to every American.

What is happening here runs contrary to the principles of representative democracy upon which this nation was founded. The 100 men and women serving in the Senate today were elected to cast votes on important matters of the day --- not to prevent votes on the important matters of the day from ever being cast.

-- Bill Wright II, Lilburn

(Editor's Note: Ah, yes, Mr. Wright. We do take note of what happened in the filibuster you mentioned. And if this runs contrary to the principles of representative democracy, is this the same filibustering technique Republican legislators used when seeking to halt the nomination of Democratic judges during other administrations? We suspect so. We also suspect that some of the best work members of Congress can do is to prevent votes on some items before the Congress, no matter what party.-eeb)

12/2: Congress gullible; Medical bill benefits drug companies

Editor, the Forum:

It's difficult to understand how some people (including some Democratic senators) can be so gullible. The Medical bill that just passed is a fiasco; the only beneficiaries will be the insurance and health care industries and the huge, multinational pharmaceutical companies who have paid lobbyists vast amounts to have this bill passed.

The Republicans worked on this bill for two months, in secret, and then allowed the Democrats 48 hours to read 681 pages. It should have been obvious that all was not honest and above-board!

The drug program has a monthly premium of $35, rising to $58.00; an annual deductible of $250, rising to $445, and leaves a gap of $2,850 to be paid by retirees, rising to between $4,000 and $9,066. It allows employers to discontinue any health benefits they had agreed to give retirees.

The bill also is the first step in privatizing Medicare, thereby eventually dismantling it - part of the Republican and Bush wish list. And the $395 Billion cost is paid for by yours truly, the taxpayers. Another scam pushed through by the Bush Administration under the pretext of helping the people.

-- Charles Prendergast, Los Angeles, Calif.