Letters to the Editor for the week of 11/12/2009

Dear Editor:
As this was the first opportunity for me to attend the Veterans Day Parade, I decided to make my way into town. I was rather disappointed in the length and quality, not just the parade, but the overall celebration of Veterans Day in the community as it should be a solemn and respectful day of remembrance and reflection of those who have served and currently serving in our Armed Forces. I would like to see the following implemented to make next year’s Veterans Day to be a time to adequately pay homage to these individuals:
1. A moment of silence and reading of those who have died in service to their country at the courthouse, with either a school holiday or have kids from all schools not just Jasper Middle and Elementary participating in the parade route.
2. Civic leader representation (mayor, county commissioner, etc.)
3. Reroute the parade through Main Street and encourage businesses to close at least half a day or at least during the ceremony.
4. A living history presentation by either or both Tater Patch Players and Marble Valley Friends. That provides (how life was during war time).
5. Recognition of the wives and families of those currently serving in the military.
I’m not suggesting fireworks, or a 21-gun salute (though that would be nice), but rather an event that is more symbiotic to the importance of military service in our country, than providing certain folks a “day off”. I realize some folks may say that Memorial Day is the time for this. However, in our family we visit Marietta National Cemetery to honor the war dead. Veterans Day should be a day to remember those in the past and currently serving and to remember the day to day sacrifices that war brought in previous conflicts, a living history if you will.

Greg Moore


Dear Editor:
A recent letter to the editor challenged the accuracy of publications from the Heritage Foundation, a well known and respected public policy review organization in the Nation’s Capitol. The Heritage Foundation has been in existence for more than 30 years and its work is respected at all levels of government and public institutions. If its work were as defective as your writer claims, it would not enjoy the high level of respect it currently enjoys.
I personally was closely associated with the foundation during its formative years, serving as the chairman of the board from 1974 through 1980. I continue to have contacts with the organization on infrequent occasions. Let me assure everyone with an open mind that the organization is populated, from board members to staff, by persons dedicated to both truth and logic. They are persons of honor and the highest integrity.
The Heritage Foundation promotes smaller government and free market solutions to society’s myriad of problems. That has been the orientation of the foundation since its origin because of the deep conviction that the greatest good to the greatest number of people result from such policies. History affirms that conviction.
Honorable people can have honest disagreements on policy issues without casting personal insults against those with whom they disagree. This simple truth may be beyond the intellectual grasp of some of your more frequent and verbose letter writers.

Ben Blackburn

Dear Editor:
Currently there are 42 children in foster care in Pickens County, ranging in age from 3 months to 21 years. The annual report of the Pickens County Department of Family and Children Services shows the monthly average in 2008 for clients in foster care was 37. These foster children have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect by their families. Foster parents open their homes to provide temporary shelter for these children. The state does provide funds for the basic care of the children. The state does not provide any funds for providing Christmas.
Pickens County is fortunate enough to have a group of concerned citizens, foster and adoptive parents who meet monthly. The group provides training, resources and support to all foster and adoptive families in our county. This group is the Pickens Foster & Adoptive Parent Association. The Web site is www.pickensfosterandadopt.org
The association has placed Angel Trees within our community. The angels have names, ages of foster children and their Christmas wishes. These angels can be adopted by either groups or individuals who would like to provide Christmas for this foster child.
For more information on fostering or adopting children, please contact the director of the Pickens DFCS, Ms. Liz Watson, 706-692-4701. For information on the Angel Trees, contact Ms. Jennifer Davis, secretary of Pickens Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, 770-735-1135.

Jamie Cheshire

Dear Editor:
Sheriff Craig, how quickly you have forgotten the concerns of a businessman who must pay his own costs, including healthcare.
Though you now have your high health insurance costs paid for by the Pickens County taxpayers,

See this week's print edition for the rest of this and other Letters to the Editor.