To the Editor:

I'm sure the Citizen columnist Ms. Murray and I have much in common–love of God, family, and Country–but how to help America most is where we differ.
The only way for our nation to be healed is for God to do it, and Christians are the conditional key: "If My people, called by My Name...will...then will I..."  2nd Chronicles 7:14. How do we know what God wants us to do? What brings judgment?  According to the Bible, sacrificing children to false gods brings judgment, and Americans, especially Christian Americans, need to stop this destruction down to the days-old child, which we all were at one time.
I worked at a crisis pregnancy center for 13 years, and abortion is definitely used as birth control.  There have been an estimated 50 million abortions since 1973.  I counseled women who rationalized abortion for the sake of a degree, family embarrassment, reputation, sports career, pride, proms–modern gods of one's CHOICE.
But what about birth control pills?  Are Christians unknowingly aborting their babies chemically?  Google this: "Do all birth control pills cause abortions?"  Better yet, Christian, read Leviticus 20, 2nd Kings 17, Deuteronomy 12, Deuteronomy 18:9-13, Jeremiah 7 and Jeremiah 32:34-35. The Bible gives insight into how God views the killing of innocents: "...to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I commanded not, neither came into My heart".
Abortion, surgical or chemical, never came into the heart of God, but His ears are undoubtedly filled with aborted babies' cries. What do you honestly think it will take to heal our land?

Jeanette Dantice
Bostwick
Via e-mail

Printed in the September 20, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

Even the sun did its part on Aug. 20 when approximately 20 teams teed off at the Lane Creek Golf Club to benefit the Madison-Morgan County Boys and Girls Club of North Central Georgia. The event got underway the evening before with a party at The Variety Works for hole sponsors, players and tournament organizers.
The Club would like to thank the following hole sponsors who made our event so successful: Strategic Bio Energy LLC, Eagle Sponsor; Piedmont Recycling and Refuse; BSMI Packaging Services Company; Oconee Rock Yard; LandFlip.Com; BankSouth, Greensboro, Georgia; Bank of Madison; Madison Markets; Padgett & Whetzel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry; Paschal Orthodontics; Schlabach Enterprises, Inc.; Christian Henry, LLC; North Main Visionary, LLC, Anthony International; MidSouth Lumber Co.; and Country Construction.
Thank you Chick-fil-A of Madison for donating our continental breakfast and to Eric Dodd for making the Sunday evening event so much fun. To all of you who helped at the party, the golf tournament or donated auction items – your generosity of time and resources makes it possible for the Madison-Morgan Boys and Girls Club to continue helping the young people who need us the most. You know who you are and THANK YOU!
But the biggest Thank You goes to Madison’s own Mark Schlabach who chaired the event, sought out sponsors, players, celebrity players and provided so many sports items for silent auction. Mark, you are our Rock Star! Thank you!

Nancy Vaughan
VP Support Services,
Madison-Morgan County Boys & Girls Club

Printed in the September 6. 2012 edition.

To the Editor:

President Bill Clinton’s 1993 Health Care Plan was an excellent approach to addressing the nation’s health care issues. Under President Clinton’s leadership, the plan was fundamentally formulated to be a public and private sector partnership path to universal coverage. Using targeted government investments, the plan would augment private sector insurance in order to drive down medical cost and increase health insurance coverage to Americans without insurance.
This balanced approach was blocked by Republicans and the insurance industry. The Republicans countered with a plan touting tax deductions, vouchers to buy health insurance and an individual mandate. This requires that everyone is to buy insurance. The Republicans despised the mandate in President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act, however the individual mandate was a key component in the 1993 Republicans’ health plan which was used to derail President Clinton’s health care plan.
A cause should be championed because it is rooted in integrity and principles. A cause shouldn’t be demonized and smeared for political gain based on who sponsors it. The Republicans should ask themselves, are we about integrity and principles or are we about demonization and smearing? I sincerely hope the former, because a healthy democracy has little use for hypocrisy.

Mrs. Robert F. Jackson, Sr.
Madison
Via e-mail

Printed in the September 6. 2012 edition.

To the Editor:

As a regular columnist, I seldom address responses to my columns since the free flow of opinions is a hallmark of our great democracy. However, comments and mischaracterizations by Jeanette Dantice in her recent letter necessitate a response.
As a proud liberal Democrat, I am pro-choice, not pro-abortion. I believe, as do many in my party, that abortion should be legal, safe, and, above all, rare. Abortion should never be used as birth control, but should be available in the event that a woman, in consultation with her doctor and her God, determines it to the right decision for her.
The far right’s concern for children appears to end at the birth canal. A simple look at the draconian cuts proposed in Republican budgets to programs that directly benefit children bears testament to this fact – cuts in food stamps, children’s health insurance programs, head start, education and on and on.
While I do not know Ms. Dantice’s personal story, I hope that people who feel as she does have and will open their homes and hearts to children other than their own. I have, taking into my home at different times a teenage girl and a young boy, providing for their physical needs and, to the best of my ability, their emotional and educational needs as well.
The foster care system is filled with needy children. I can only hope that some of Ms. Dantice’s anguished concern for unborn embryos extends to these thousands of children.

Celia L. Murray
Madison
Via e-mail

Printed in the September 6. 2012 edition.

To the Editor:

In my opinion we are about to lose our country.
A radio talk show host from Atlanta often said, “When there becomes more ‘takers’ than ‘makers’ we will no longer be the unique country we have enjoyed for many generations.”
The percentage of “makers” and “takers” is about 50-50. Forty-seven percent of Americans do not pay Federal income taxes. Government can’t sustain such.
The “makers” stay in school, get jobs, create jobs, work hard, pay bills, and taxes. The “takers” depend on programs funded by the government; Head Start, free breakfast, lunch, food stamps, welfare, health care. Fifty percent of Americans receive entitlements. This includes Medicare and Social Security funded by wage deductions and employer contributions.
Safety nets are needed to aid the true poor and disabled. Government programs exist, plus communities and churches provide helpful programs.
We have become an entitlement society. We’d rather “take.” It is hard to “make.” The government continues to pass legislation that will keep society relying on the government. Socialism?
Founding Fathers did not design the Constitution for us to become a European-style government. The current administration represents this. If this administration wins re-election our country will go down. We are too lazy and complacent to learn what is happening to this remarkable and generous country.
It could be many generations before we come back. Readers, plus myself, may no longer be here. The American spirit will ignite again. We will have learned our lesson the hard way.

Shirlee Moore
Buckhead
Hand-delivered

Printed in the August 30, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

"Should millionaires get additional tax breaks if Romney is elected president?"  That was one of the topics of conversation last week at  a bipartisan, seniors discussion group at a community center in Atlanta where I spend a lot of time with my daughter who has lost her husband.
As the debate went on, someone brought up the question of why Romney has not released his tax returns.  Speculation went around the room, and THEN  a participant in the room divulged that his wife works for a very large firm that handles the account of an extremely wealthy man, equal to Romney, and this man also has investments  and money offshore and in foreign countries.  This wealthy man has made it very clear to the company that handles his taxes that he  always  intends to pay  ALL  TAXES  DUE on all investments, including foreign, because he can afford to pay them and because he wants to be fair to the United States.
Guess where the  conversation went from there?  It was more of Romney releasing tax returns and if he had paid the same taxes on foreign investments he would be proud to show it.
Then someone brought up that Romney gave so much to charity, but  someone else said that the news had reported that Romney's charity of choice was the Mormon church.
The main question was never settled, but most of the people in the discussion group  admitted that they  would not  be eligible for the additional tax breaks.
 
Barry Lurey
Madison
Via e-mail

Printed in the August 30, 2012 edition