Newspaper Page Text
October 29, 2008
On the outside looking in
C onsequences
and penalties
M ost of us have seen the char
acter “Sluggo” in the Nancy
comic strip and many times
Sluggo was concerned about
being caught by the truancy
officer. These days we don’t have truancy
officers but there are consequences and
penalties if a student doesn’t go to school.
According to the Monroe County School
Board Policy Manual, if a student accumu
lates five unexcused
absences, the school will
notify the
parent/guardian of the
consequences and
penalties of such
absences. The following
apply to
parents/guardians:
• Parents must attend
a School Attendance
Council meeting if
summoned for such
a meeting;
• Charges may be
filed against par
ents if their child
misses 10 or more
days of school due
to unexcused absences;
• Judges may invoke the following: mone
tary fines for each offense; imprisonment
for up to 30 days for each offense;
Community Service; any combination of
the above and here’s the clincher—if juve
nile charges are filed against the student,
then the parent may be placed under a
protective order must abide by the rules
set forth by the Juvenile Court Judge.
Those above are just for the parents and
there are a lot more consequences and
penalties for the students. If you are a par
ent or guardian of a student, here’s a
strong suggestion: obviously these rules
are not to be monkeyed with. Get a copy of
the Monroe County Board of Education’s
Absence and Excuses Policy.
Here’s the question: do the same conse
quences and penalties apply to those stu
dents who are home schooled and their
parents?
UNATTRIBUTED COMMENTS made at
the last Monroe County Board of
Commissioners meeting:
“I suggest getting a chain saw and cut
ting your half of the tree,”;
“They got sniper rifles that can shoot
around the world,”;
“We believe in working together with
everyone,”;
“Ain’t enough room in my bed for all of
you.”
LOOKS like an inmate in the Monroe
County Jail got pretty good health care
after the
Commissioners approved a $754 doctor’s
bill for ultra sound. In addition to that bill,
the Commissioners approved accounts
payable in the amount of $619,807.
GO BACK and read last week’s Our View
in the Reporter. Number three in the
“Who’ll take a stand?” really hit the nail on
the head. I quote: “Some so-called leaders
would rather blame law enforcement of
wrongdoing than address the drug trade
that is ruining lives.”
Having worked with law enforcement for
10-years, our public safety officers deal
daily with a type of human trash that is
often incomprehensible to everyday law
abiding citizens particularly with drug sell
ing, distributing and using ranking real
close to number one.
I really get amazed when a crime is com
mitted how the criminal, more often than
not, blames someone else for his dilemma
Sorta like not taking the responsibility of
making sure kids attend school and blam
ing the school system for a policy that is
too strict.
You know, if residents of a local neighbor
hood/area took more responsibility instead
of ignoring the problem, blaming the prob
lem on someone else and cooperating with
law enforcement the problems could be
Barney Fifed...’’nipped in the bud”.
I’M LOOKING for a winner. Who has the
most television in their home? Don’t know
what the prize will be but you can be
assured it will be a winner. (If you have a
television in your bathroom, you will
receive a bonus prize.) Let me know by e-
mail. Be honest. Don’t brag. Just the num
ber.
THE TURNOUT for next Tuesday’s elec
tion has the signs of being the biggest
turnout in election history and maybe so
right here in Monroe County with over
15,500 registered voters. I voted early and
from what I hear, there’s gonna be a lot of
splitting the ballot.
Donald Jackson Daniel is the founder and
former publisher of The Reporter. He can be
contacted at tullaybear@bellsouth.net.
c; Reporter ^21^
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Lord, have mercy on America
To the editor:
y husband and
I have enjoyed
living in beau
tiful, friendly
Monroe
County for nearly 20 years
now. Our children and grand
children live in Monroe and
Upson counties.
Prior to coming here, we
lived in Miami, Fla. for 1/2
century. We saw first hand
what "change" can mean
when more than a million
people took to boats, rafts,
and inner tubes to reach
Miami's beautiful shores.
A young charismatic leader
spoke eloquently and pas
sionately. He would help the
farmers and poor and bring
free medical care and educa
tion to all.
Everyone said, "Praise the
Lord."
Everyone said, "Viva Fidel."
When the American people
handed anti-war Democrats
control of Congress, they
revealed their unwillingness
to stand in the face of adver
sity.
We were attacked on 9-11,
lest we forget, with our own
planes. Praise God, with
President Bush's leadership,
we have not been attacked
since!
With quality leadership and
the obedient example of
Abraham, America and
Britain received spectacular
blessings.
Government in our nation
has been overturned and is
up-side-down; from the high
est levels of federal govern
ment all the way down to the
family unit. This nation is
defying God in the most
repugnant ways possible.
Ms. Pelosi called President
Bush "immoral". What stan
dard is she using? She is
judging with "San Francisco"
values, which God likens to
Sodom. Isaiah 1:10. The word
"liberal" implies goodness -
something nobles or gener
ous. The problem is much of
what we call "liberal" is actu
ally vile. Isaiah: 32:5
Dear Lord, we have no
right to pray for your bless
ing but we do pray. "Have
mercy on America"
Nan Rapillard
Forsyth
Parties are world’s apart on basic rights
To the editor:
have deep respect for the sanctity
of human life and reserving tradi
tional marriage. I encourage all
voters to read and evaluate the
platforms of both the Democrat
and Republican parties. The following is
from the Republican platform under the
section on "Values" "Maintaining The
Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life":
Faithful to the first guarantee of the
Declaration of Independence, we assert
the inherent dignity and sanctity of all
human life and affirm that the unborn
child has a fundamental individual
right to life which cannot be infringed.
We support a human life amendment to
the Constitution, and we endorse legisla
tion to make clear that the Fourteenth
Amendment’s protections apply to
unborn children. We oppose using public
revenues to promote or perform abortion
and will not fund organizations which
advocate it. We support the appointment
of judges who respect traditional family
values and the sanctity and dignity of
innocent human life.
We have made progress. The Supreme
Court has upheld prohibitions against
the barbaric practice of partial-birth
abortion. States are now permitted to
extend health-care coverage to children
before birth. And the Born Alive Infants
Protection Act has become law; this law
ensures that infants who are born alive
during an abortion receive all treatment
and care that is provided to all newborn
infants and are not neglected and left to
die. We must protect girls from exploita
tion and statutory rape through a
parental notification requirement. We all
have a moral obligation to assist, not to
penalize, women struggling with the
challenges of an unplanned pregnancy.
At its core, abortion is a fundamental
assault on the sanctity of innocent
human life. Women deserve better than
abortion. Every effort should be made to
work with women considering abortion
to enable and empower them to choose
life. We salute those who provide them
alternatives, including pregnancy care
centers, and we take pride in the tremen
dous increase in adoptions that has fol
lowed Republican legislative initiatives.
Now consider the following from the
Democrat platform under the topic of
"Choice".
"The Democratic Party strongly and
unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and
a woman's right to choose a safe and
legal abortion, regardless of ability to
pay and we oppose any and all efforts to
weaken or undermine that right."
Americans, I hope you understand the
clear difference in these two parties on
these issues. I'll be voting Republican.
Movene N. Futch
Forsyth
Which side is abusing campaign signs?
To the editor:
I would like to add my voice to
those Forsyth residents who
have had their campaign signs
stolen from their yards. In my
neighborhood last week, all of
the McCain signs were stolen from
the yards along with signs of other
Republican candidates. The signs
were replaced and several days later
they were all stolen again. Democrat
signs (including one of mine) were
untouched. The thieves are merely
aggravating while they think they
are doing damage to the candidates.
They are no more than ignorant pil
ferers who, unable construct a rea
sonable argument, resort to stealing.
I guess they think that without a
sign up, people will forget who to vote
for.
Cathy Dunn
Forsyth
This sign at
the corner
of Pecan
Circle and
Montpelier
Road ap
pears to be
the victim
of graffiti.
Better spend those dollars before election
To the editor:
y dad couldn’t
afford to buy a
new 1932
Pontiac for
$585. He
bought a clean, low mileage
‘29 Ford Sedan for $57.50. A
uniformed attendant put a
dollars worth of gasoline in
the car at 17.9 cents a gallon,
checked under the hood,
washed the windows and
checked the tire pressure.
Few people could afford to
eat a sirloin steak at 29 cents
per pound. Potatoes were 2
cents a pound, milk 10 cents
a quart and sugar was 5
cents a pound. Obesity was
not a problem in 1932.
These things are cheaper
now if we consider wages. A
textile worker was lucky to
have a job in ‘32 and might
earn $400 a year; Teacher
$1,200; Registered Nurse
$900; Doctor $3,300; US
Congressman $8,663.
If you have a dollar, better
spend it now. After the elec
tion, that dollar may not be
worth anything.
Joe Akin
Forsyth
Vote recalling the ‘least of these’..the unborn
To the editor:
A bortion of babies
is taken so lightly
by many people
today. It weighs
heavily on my
heart and mind. Our upcom
ing presidential election has
referred to this matter many
times. I believe God wants us
to stand for what is right.
That is why I am writing on
this subject.
What does abortion of a
baby mean? Abortion is the
inducing of premature deliv
ery in order to destroy off
spring. To abort is to end pre
maturely and fruitlessly. It is
taking the life of a person
and their descendants when
we abort them.
I am so thankful my mother
did not choose to abort me. If
she had, I would have never
known the love of my family,
never have gone to school to
get an education, or gone to
work and learned a trade.
The memories of my life will
stay with me and are such an
important part of my life.
Aborted babies will never
know the love of a family, get
an education or job and have
no memories because they
had no chance at life.
I was blessed to meet a
wonderful man, get married
and have four beautiful chil
dren. God chose to take one
home to be with him at seven
weeks of age. She was born
with a serious heart condi
tion, but I am so thankful we
had her. She touched many
people in her short time here
on this earth-family, friends,
doctors and nurses. Our last
child was born with a disabil
ity, but he has been such a
blessing to his family and
many friends. His father
passed away when he was
seventeen months old. I
became a single mom with
three children to raise and
was thankful for each one.
None of my children have
ever said they would rather
have been aborted. It was not
a choice as far as I was con
cerned. God blessed me with
them and they were my
responsibility as well as my
joy.
After 20 years of being a
widow, God blessed me with
another wonderful husband.
Look at all I would have
missed if I had been aborted!
When or if you vote for the
persons who believe in abor
tion, you are approving abor
tion also. You may say you
don’t, but if you do vote for
those who do, you become a
party to it. Let’s take a stand
to do what is right. Jesus
said when you do it unto the
least of these you have done
it unto me. Who in this world
is any more least than a baby
in their mothers womb,
depending upon her to supply
their needs? Ask yourself “
Do I want to put someone in
office that will say it is ok to
abort a baby?” Is it? Would
you want to be guilty of
cheating someone of their life
to live and to stand before
God one day and tell Him
why you did? Please give this
careful thought and prayer
about who is to run our coun
try.
Louise Wilds
Forsyth
Handicap parking abuse at Jiliette post office
To the editor:
f Monroe County is hurting for
cash, all they need to do is start
ticketing the people who park in
the handicapped parking at the
Juliette Post Office. At current
violation cost of $250 each, Monroe
County could build a stadium out of
gold for for the Bulldogs with all the
inconsiderate people who use this par
ticular post office. I would like to see
them try the same thing in Atlanta.
People, please be considerate to those
of us who really need to save a few
steps here and there.
Chris Brown
Juliette