What our Readers Are Saying

Letters to the Editor

There are 2 sides to this Marine’s story

My name is Mrs. Amber Lynn Blanton, Jeffery Blanton’s wife. I read your article and need to clarify some things.

1. First off, last time I checked, my legal and married name is Amber Lynn Blanton, not Boyd. There was no “fierce battle” between the family and myself, just his father, stepmother, and aunt Cheryl. Notice that their images and comments were all over the news lately.

2. There were two family plots, one on his mother’s side and one on his father’s side. I did make the decision to bury him in a national cemetery, so [as] not to slight either side. His mother agreed that that was the best choice because that is what Jeff would want, and that is to be buried with his men.

3. His mother and I made numerous attempts to negotiate with the paternal side and each time the conversation ended up with threats being made against Jeff’s mother and me.

4. The Blantons are not a clan and there was no mentioning of Arlington National Cemetery, and when the arrangements were made, Marietta said that they had a plot available. The others in Georgia were not available.

5. Besides all the other garbage that his stepmother said, having a lawyer annul my marriage or override my decisions are absurd. I am a paralegal specialist in the Army and have never seen anything like that ever happen because it’s not possible. If you have, let me know.

6. “Sticking him in a cemetery with a bunch of strangers” is not the correct verbiage. It’s more like having him laid to rest beside others that fought and died as honorably and courageously as he did. In the words of that side of the family, “He wanted to be with his men.” Well, Ms. Williams, that’s where he is, with his men.

7. Would you give out your number or tell someone where you are staying if they have told someone else that they were going to “(Expletive) up your whole world”, or Haunt that (expletive),” in reference to you? I don’t think you would, and that’s why I didn’t. Don’t believe me? It’s on tape.

8. Donna Blanton stated, “She said she didn’t want to have any conflict. She’s going to put him where she thinks he wants to be buried at. How can she say she knows where he wants to be buried when she’s lived with him for only two months.”

Lived with him for two months, married for 10. It doesn’t matter if I was married 30 seconds. What matters is that I love my husband and would move heaven and earth to get him back. Our time together was short, but the time we did have was sweet and the best 10 months of my married life.

9. “Donna Blanton and other family members indicated the family is still grieving over Jeffery’s loss and Boyd’s decision is compounding their grief. She said she doesn’t even know if Jeffery’s body has arrived or anything about the funeral arrangements. That responsibility has been stripped from their hands, Donna Blanton added.”

They can’t be stripped of a responsibility that was never theirs. Donna was told by me via a telephone conversation that I would keep them informed of any new developments. After that conversation, I called her to relay the updated info and was hung up on.

10. “A year from now she’ll be re-married. She’s from Pennsylvania and she’ll probably will never come down to visit him after the funeral,” Donna Blanton said. “I don’t know why she won’t let the family have him buried here. I don’t understand how she could be so cold-hearted.”

What my status is a year from now is none of her business. Has she ever been a 21-year-old widow, who was informed of her newly-wedded husband’s death while she was deployed to a combat zone? I don’t think she has, so she has no ground to speak on what my future plans are.

As for being from Pennsylvania, I am a Blanton, whether they like it or not, and will remain one. I now have a wonderful extended family who all live in Georgia and will be back down there sooner than they think to visit my deceased husband and remaining relatives.

Please, if you can, take these corrections into consideration for the next article that they want to write about my husband’s family and remember that there are always two sides to every story.

None of this was written out of disrespect, but while I was planning my husband’s funeral, I was unable and unwilling to focus my attention to the trash that was being printed about myself.

It wasn’t about me, but about making sure that my husband has the best possible burial. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that it paints a bigger picture for you.

Spc. Amber Lynn Blanton
U.S. Army

Conflict more newsy?

After sending [reporter Lee] Williams a small letter “from the other side,” I thought for sure that you would take the time out to pay homage to the soldier and not about the “bitter conflict.”

But then again, controversy is what good news reading is all about, isn’t it?

Come to think about, a story about a fallen hero is a bit boring, isn’t it?

Barry Lovett
Fayetteville, Ga

Marine with brothers, not strangers

This story illustrates just how war touches some and misses others.

At some point we all must deal with a loss of a family member. We all grieve in our own way. This story shows how one family is dealing with the unexpected loss of a loved one.

For one to say that they understand how both sides feel is disingenuous. Unless you have lived the pain of such a loss, you can’t begin to understand.

On Dec. 17, 2003, my only nephew and godson was killed while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq. He was 26 years young and left us far too soon.

My wife and I put him on a plane at Hartsfield, not knowing that we would be the last family members to see him alive.

Although of little comfort, he was doing what he wanted to do. Those who serve recognize the danger inherent with the oath we take. A year has passed, but the hurt is as strong as the day we were notified.

I would share this thought with the Blantons. To be interred in a national cemetery or in Arlington National Cemetery is not to be “stuck with a bunch of strangers.”

Military service is a brotherhood. When my nephew was interred in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 30, 2003, he was interred with, at the time, 43 other “brothers” who died in Iraq. There have been many more since.

This family and others like them are in our prayers. We are thankful for sons and daughters such as Jeffrey. I am confident that they will do what is right for Jeffrey!

Reggie Abbott, Jr.
U.S. Army (Ret.)
BUBBARABBOTT@aol.com

Services take good care of their own

I hope the marine’s family will reconsider and honor their son’s burial at Arlington.

My son is buried there along with all his fellow comrades. It is comforting to know my son’s burial site will always be taken care of, especially after we are long gone.

The military takes great care of their own. He will be among many heroes, as he himself is a hero.

Jim Holland
Father of Spc. Christopher James Holland
jwholland@bellsouth.net

[Editor’s note: Spc. Blanton was buried last week in the national cemetery at Marietta, Ga.]

Seniors should count up costs

Re: plans for super-sized senior center. It looks like Linda Wells is the only responsible commissioner who is really looking out for us seniors.

As a senior citizen, I do not want my taxes raised in order to build a super-sized, under-utilized building.

Our county may need an appropriate space for seniors to gather but a 22,000 square-foot building with a price tag of $3.1 million is not wise use of tax dollars.

I have questions about the effective use of this expensive building. How many hours a day will it be utilized? For $3.1 million, it seems one would be able to live there. Who pays the bills when the building is empty?

It sounds like political cronyism, whereby the four male commissioners want to appear senior-citizen-friendly [to] get the senior vote.

Mr. Dunn, you are not doing me any favors here. How does the county legally get involved in funding a non-profit? Did the county fund the building of the Friday home or the Johnson Home for children? Did the county step in and build the safe-house for battered women (and their children)?

I think the majority of the seniors in Fayette County will utilize the Recreation Department, church activities, and assisted living centers for their entertainment.

The seniors who need meals on wheels are getting their needs met at the present time. I believe that the meals are like the airline meals which are prepared by a food vendor and heated up in ovens before volunteers deliver them.

It does not take 22,000 square feet to do this. Senior citizens, put on your thinking cap.

Julia Strickland
Fayetteville, Ga.

Fed funds for senior center?

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Fayette County Commissioners finally taking some action in establishing a senior center.

It has been reported that Fayette County has the highest per capita income of any county in Georgia, yet they cannot afford a senior center.

Fulton County has many such centers all over the county. Clayton County has two senior centers.

Those of us that wish to participate in the various classes and other activities offered have to drive some 15 to 30 miles outside Fayette County to these centers. God knows, we need to keep these “old folks” off the streets and from behind the steering wheel of a car.

It was interesting to read the argument between commissioners Greg Dunn and Linda Wells concerning funding of a senior center.

It is my understanding that H.U.D. provided over $2 million for the senior center on Riverdale Road in Clayton County. I’m wondering if anyone has checked to see if any federal funds are available for a senior center in Fayetteville County.

Jim B. Richards
Fayetteville, Ga.

Kmarters help local families

The employees and staff of Kmart in Peachtree City became aware of certain families at this time of year who were in extreme and dire circumstances.

These families totaled 20 children in all and all which would not have had any Christmas celebration whatsoever.

Kmart staff was able to find information about each family as to their needs, such as sizes of clothes and certain toys and items that each family needed.

One of the three families with nine children wanted only shoes for the kids so that they would be able to go to school.

A “Giving Tree” was put up in the Kmart Peachtree City store with ornaments on it that gave sizes of clothes and shoe sizes and needed items for the household in general as well as children’s toys that they wanted when they wrote out their letters and sent them off to the North Pole to Santa.

The employees and staff of Kmart Peachtree City would like to publicly thank all of their Kmart shoppers who participated in providing the items on the “Giving Tree” and to let them know that every ornament on that tree was redeemed so that you were able to make all of these children’s (and parents’) Christmas complete in their joy and happiness.

Thanks to our Kmart shoppers three families with 20 children among them were blessed with the love and compassion of the Christmas spirit.

Joseph A. Cola, Jr.
Peachtree City, Ga.

Cloak your creche, keep carols clandestine:
Anti-Christmasers are coming

“They” are at it again. But then, “they” are at it every year about this time. Seems that at the end of each year, the last 45 days or so, are rife with news teasers, headlines, editorials, and “film-at-11” keeping us mindful that this may be the last Christmas ever with Christ in it.

Granted, this may be the last Christmas ever. And if we make it through Christmas, it may be our last January ever. And if I reach my next birthday it could be the last September ever.

Some kind of ultimate “end” is ONE thing all the agnostics, atheists, Christians, just about everybody, agrees on. At some point the proverbial fat lady will have sung and it’ll all be over.

Whatever your faith tradition (or lack-of-faith tradition) you believe something about “an end.”

Christ will return, or an H-bomb will explode, the sun might implode, global warming will defrost us to the point of no return, or maybe that errant asteroid will finally find us. Whatever.

This may be the last Christmas ever. But it won’t be the last Christmas with Christ. That’s been tried. And it has always failed. Why? Because HE IS, and always WILL BE.

A school forbids the display of a Christmas tree. A shopping mall decides to no longer allow choirs to carol on its premises.

Some looney middle-school chorus teacher out in California instructs students to sing “Joy to the world, the Hmmmm is come, Let earth receive her Hmmmmm.”

Every year the stories are there. Some new, some repeats, some pretty sad, some downright laughable, and some just don’t matter at all.

Consider the Target Store uproar. No Salvation Army kettles? Everybody BOYCOTT! But still, somewhere, at some store, this year it happened again.

Somebody managed to slip past our collective myopic lenses of doom and drop, completely unnoticed (as giving should be according to the biblical standard), a solid gold Krugerand into one of those little kettles.

Just as sure as the gloom-and-doom-no-more-Christmas crowd shows up on an annual basis, so just as surely do the quiet, unassuming, headline-shunning folks who drop Krugerands (or nickels, or dimes) into the kettles.

The Fayetteville policemen who offer to take little kids shopping through a “Shop-with-a-Cop” program. The brave United States Marine who accepts donations for Toys-for-Tots. The ordinary family who doesn’t have a lot, but manages anyway to adopt another family who has even less.

Isn’t it amazing what goes on and on and on even though this is, ostensibly, perhaps the last Christmas?

Attempts to “take Christ out of Christmas” are not new things. Some may be surprised to learn that the first one is actually a matter of Biblical record.

In the second chapter of Matthew we read that Herod (a terrorist if there ever was one) tried to take Christ out of Christmas by taking out the Christ. Literally. He had every male child aged 2 and under in the region killed.

God has given me the privilege of meeting and staying in the homes of some East German people who lived through the Soviet era and the attempts to destroy not just Christmas, but rather Christianity in general.

So keen and extreme were the government efforts that a KGB agent was personally assigned to each “former” congregation.

To be sure, it was all right for the congregation to meet; they were just forbidden to worship, pray, preach, take communion, or do anything else that might be “interpreted” as religious in nature.

But the Spirit of Christ lived on anyway. Christ Himself was there EVERY year at Christmastime whether the KGB liked it, or not, and He could not be removed.

There are places in the world where governments still actively pursue the removal of the Christ. And it’s far more deadly serious than making a few kids sing, “Joy to the world, the Hmmmm is come.”

Visit www.persecution.com for a glimpse into what it’s really like for Christians in places where martyrdom is, if not commonplace, a very real possibility.

The relative few among the population of the U.S.A. who can find nothing better to do than to show up on an annual basis with an anti-Christmas bias just don’t pose much of a threat at all. Why?

Because for those many among us who neither want nor need a government-sanctioned, -sponsored, -protected, -prevented, -prohibited, or -politically-correct all-inclusive holiday observance - well, it may sound cliche, but Christmas is in our hearts. Right where it should be.

The Christ of Christmas Himself hasn’t even told us to celebrate His birthday. The Gospel of John skips the event altogether. In fact the only commemorative sort of event the Christ of Christmas asks of His followers relates to the special meaning He assigned to the bread and wine the night before His death.

The Gospel of John may not record details of Christ’s birth but it does record the most important truth right at the outset: (John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was pre-Christmas, He was at Christmas, and He is post-Christmas. He is Christmas.

So this is just a reminder, a word of encouragement. Don’t let the headlines get to you. Celebrate His birth this year, next year, and always. He’s always gonna be here. Have a Merry Christmas!

Steve Hester
Fayetteville, Ga.

Santa is part of warm holiday tradition

One can only hope that Mr. Tim Wallace of Newnan was being facetious in his letter to the editor outlining why Santa Claus is bad for children. But alas, I fear he was serious (in the off-chance that you were joking, Mr. Wallace, you got me; I took the bait!).

Santa Claus is bad for children? I can think of, oh, about a million and one things in this world that are harmful to children, but allowing them the opportunity to relish in the myth of Santa Claus is not one of them.

Mr. Wallace purports we harm our children by perpetuating “the lie we are guilty of.” Please tell me again what is wrong with letting children “have this innocent and magical childhood”?

Mr. Wallace is correct that once we grow into adulthood, we have warm, wonderful “memories of that special feeling” of Christmas.

Mr. Wallace states we “create a false perception of reality” with the story of Santa Claus, and we should somehow better prepare our children to the realities of life.

Yes, I suppose the fantasy of Santa Claus does create a false reality. I know for me the time I stopped believing in Santa Claus was about the same time I started realizing it was a cold, hard world out there.

What I wouldn’t give sometimes to be able to go back to that warm, safe place that my parents created for me, part of which included the myth of Santa Claus.

Did I grow up hating my mother or father because they “lied” to me about Santa Claus? Did I no longer trust them or feel they were no longer credible? Of course not.

Did I understand that Mom and Dad created the “false reality” for me because they loved me and wanted me to enjoy having the same wonderful memories of Christmas that they had? Yes, certainly.

Did I look forward to the time when I could enjoy the same myth with my child? Absolutely; this is what traditions are built of. And my daughter doesn’t hate me because of it.

Mr. Wallace also purports that we are somehow being less than Christian by observing the tradition of Santa Claus, that he distracts from the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Let’s go back to the creating a false perception of reality thing for a moment. From my predilection (much to my wife’s chagrin) of watching the History Channel, I have learned that Jesus wasn’t actually born on Dec. 25, or even in December at all. Most likely, He was born in the spring.

Our early Christian leaders made a strategic decision to base the celebration of Jesus’ birth around the timing of a pre-existing pagan holiday (Saturnalia). They did this in order to co-opt more people into accepting new Christian traditions.

Kind of like creating a different perception of reality of history on the part of early church leaders in order to make the transition to Christianity a bit easier.

Did this ruin the credibility of our church leaders? Again, of course not.

So if our church leaders found it acceptable to create a false perception of history for the greater good of Christianity, is it not acceptable to perpetuate the myth of Santa Claus that gives such feeling of joy to young children and creates such warm, magnificent memories for us adults?

Santa bad for children? No, a myth associated with such intense feelings of wonder and delight can only be good, for children of all ages.

Martin Poffenberger
Peachtree City, Ga..

Lest we forget . . .

I agree with you that folks today have forgotten why we say, “In God we trust.” This nation was built on that foundation.

As our first President of the United States, George Washington, said, “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”

I agree with George and think it wise to ask God’s guidance.

God bless you and yours!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Steve Rapson, councilman
Peachtree City, Ga.

A gift to a volunteer

I volunteer to pick up roadside litter for Peachtree City. On Thursday, Dec. 16, while walking along the easement on Robinson Road near Redwine, I was flagged down by a young man by the name of Mike.

As I also pick up litter along Holly Grove Road from Rubicon to Ga. Highway 74, he and the Holly Grove neighbors thanked me for my efforts with a very special Merry Christmas gift.

I would like to thank Mike and the neighbors for their thoughtfulness, and sincerely feel that their kind gesture will be returned to them tenfold.

H.K. Perkins
Peachtree City, Ga.

Visitor: Say no to Walgreens

Residents of Peachtree City, I’m lucky to enjoy your beautifully planned community. My daily drive up Peachtree Parkway includes lovely greenspace, quiet places of worship and many shopping options.

One couldn’t ask for more, especially in the form of another drugstore replacing a lovely church. Please say no to Walgreens.

K. Jackson
Fayetteville, Ga.

In defense of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld

The Democrats could not defeat Bush in the head-to-head election match-up so they are seeking their revenge by going after Bush’s Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. They have come after him so hard that they have even convinced some Republicans to join their cause.

Their drumbeat has been so loud and so continuous that they are having an effect on the polls. Their latest criticism centers on the issue of whether or not Rumsfeld signed condolence letters with his own pen or by automatic pen.

The whole thing seems a bit “out there” for my taste. Their point seems to be that he is not “sensitive” enough and that he did not “plan” well enough.

I have met Donald Rumsfeld in a business setting many years ago and can attest to the fact that this is not a warm and fuzzy person. He is a direct, intense and no-nonsense kind of guy.

When he was selected to the post of Secretary of Defense I thought he was a perfect choice. He has tremendous experience and the perfect attitude and approach for this job. He has not disappointed me.

I, for one, do not want a warm and fuzzy milquetoast in this position. I want someone that, when necessary, will execute war by inflicting as much violence and damage to our enemies as possible while taking as few casualties as possible. By this measure Rumsfeld has been a resounding success.

Let’s step back for just a moment and take a look at what Rumsfeld inherited when he took this job and what has happened since.

In January 2001, Rumsfeld took over a military that had been suffering neglect for the past eight years. They were under-funded and certainly under-appreciated by the then-commander-in-chief and his party.

Our military was primarily designed and equipped to fight a war on the European continent against the Soviet Union; a far cry from fighting a war against terrorists.

On 9/11 the world changed. Within 18 months, Rumsfeld was expected to take this military and fight a foe far different than anything we had seen before. There were no books or plans that would have instructed us in this effort.

Even with all this, Rumsfeld led our military to two of the most stunning victories in military history in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is remarkable to think that our military accomplished in a matter of days what the Russian military could not achieve in 12 years.

In Iraq our military moved with such speed and daring that even our military planners where surprised.

How could anyone not stand in awe of such success unless their motives are purely political and self-serving?

The Democrats really think they are on to something when they spout their rhetoric about Rumsfeld not having a plan, as if a plan wins a war. This criticism is hopelessly naive.

In war, even the best plans become obsolete when the enemy is engaged. There is no way to predict the reaction of your enemy as evidenced by the predictions of the Democrats before the war.

They predicted massive amounts of deaths, the unleashing of chemical and biological weapons, increased terrorist attacks at home, none of which came true.

On the other hand, who could have ever predicted what has happened in Iraq? Who could have ever predicted the reaction of the Iraqi military and the subsequent terrorist war?

As best I can tell no Democrats are coming out saying they predicted this war would unfold as it has, so why are then so intent on burying Rumsfeld?

The best we can expect from our Secretary of Defense is to adapt as quickly as possible to changes in battlefield tactics.

Again when judged this way, Rumsfeld has done an exceptional job.

Have there been miscalculations? Certainly. But this is war which by its very nature defies our ability to calculate its outcome.

There has not been a war in the history of man that has not been full of miscalculations. The only way to judge success in war is by who won.

Right now, we are winning, but the final outcome will depend on our willingness to stay vigilant and united behind the efforts of our military.

I am certain that our enemies in Iraq are taking heart in the debate being waged by Democrats. Their greatest hope is that this debate will weaken our resolve and that we will eventually cut and run as we did in Somalia and Vietnam.

They know history and they watch the news. They know that we did not withdraw from these engagements because we lost militarily; they know that we withdrew because of our own internal politics and lack of will.

They are counting on the Democrats and their far-left allies to win for them what they cannot win militarily. The divisiveness we are showing as a nation is giving them the motivation to continue their resistance and kill more of our brave men and women in uniform.

If we were united in this effort I doubt the resistance would last long. So let’s end this destructive bickering, let’s get behind our President and Secretary of Defense and execute this war the way it should be executed.

That is the quickest way to bring our troops home. After all, the Democrats do want us to be victorious and bring our troops home, right?

Perry W. Donahoo
LoveAmericaFirst.com
Peachtree City, Ga.

Rumsfeld’s critics lack facts, perspective

When Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld replied to the ambush question engineered by the so-called “embedded” reporter from Chattanooga in order to embarrass him, I understood what he meant.

The reply was plain and simple that when a war starts you have certain equipment and manpower, and as time goes by, you have to adapt to the particular situation as you go.

You cannot turn an aircraft carrier on a dime and neither can you reshape our military after eight years of neglect. We must also remember that this war is not a conventional one.

When I read Sandra Wilkins’ letter, I wonder if she remembers the so-called “Peace Dividend” during the Clinton administration, the cut-back of 600,000 members of our military, and the base closings as well as the attrition of equipment.

I also wonder if she remembers the continued votes against the upgrading of our weapons which specifically included the armoring of our military vehicles.

The voting record of the Democrat candidates of 2004 shows how many times they voted against strengthening our military during the first term of the Bush administration.

Maybe we should revisit Somalia and ask why the Marines were denied tanks upon request from their commander, and would that have saved a few lives and the humiliation of dragging their burned bodies in the streets.

You cannot win a war by just lobbing missiles at the enemy; you have to put troops on the ground and soldiers will get killed even with the best equipment in the world.

We have the best military, equipment, and weapons in the world bar none and getting better all the time.

Now the word is that even at the time that the soldier was “asking” the “reporter’s” question, out of the 800-plus vehicles of that unit all but 20 had already been armored, and that the remaining were already in the process of being armored!

Now the liberal media has moved on to the signature issue. Folks, this is just an attempt to trash a man that frankly does not need the hassle and could be enjoying the rest of his life without the mongrels of the liberal media and politicians snapping at his heels.

Their purpose is to get Rumsfeld to resign or be fired, and embarrass the administration.

I regret that even some Republican legislators are jockeying for their slots in 2008 [and] are part of the mob.

I often wonder how politicians and reporters can sleep at the end of the day knowing what dirty deeds they have done, and how they prostitute their principles. I guess conscience does not exist for some people.

Gerard Jansen
Peachtree City, Ga.

Mayor ‘callous’ about closing of PTC plant

I really appreciate Mayor Steve Brown’s astute comments regarding the closure of Photocircuits in the Dec. 21 AJC. Mayor Brown said, “I always had it in the back of my head they (Photocircuits) weren’t going to be around forever,”.

Wow, Mayor Brown, that is exactly what the families who are going to be impacted by this plant closure want to hear from their local elected leaders! Gee, Mayor Brown, that comment makes my wife and my family feel so much better about the situation.

I am simply awestruck by this callous, asinine and unnecessary comment. What a pathetic display of leadership and judgment when a group of people just received some very bad news right before the holidays.

Well, Mayor Brown, I for one now have it in the back of my head that I will certainly not cast a vote for you in the next election, or in any election, for that matter. Sometimes you should just keep your mouth shut!

Eric J. Larsen
Peachtree City, Ga.

The scientific view, the watchmaker, intelligent design: Some thoughts

Thanks to everyone who writes to this paper. This is what makes the American press so great. Thanks, especially, to Pepper and Trey, who both wrote lengthy responses to my last published rant. Of course, I wish to push the dialogue further.

My response this time is to Pepper. Essentially, his argument is centered on three misconceptions.

First, there is the reference to the Watchmaker (in this case, “War and Peace”) Argument. This argument is not as strong as it first seems. I’m not versed enough to discuss every response to the argument, but I can briefly discuss two of them.

Assuming I agree that a bigger life (God) created life, what created that bigger life?

The glossary at the end of the catechism defines its god as being “infinite,” implying that it has no beginning or end. But, if DNA needs a creator merely because it is complex, why doesn’t the god of the Catholics, something infinitely more complex, need a creator?

The Christians say, “It just is.” The scientific view is that we are still ignorant to exactly how the first forms of life originated. However, according to our best research, we’re fairly certain it has to do with the principals of chemistry and, fundamentally, physics.

Second, the Watchmaker Argument is a false analogy. An intelligent creator is not a necessity for complexity.

Take the example of ice and water. Ice is more complex than water, because it has a structure that liquid water does not. The atoms in ice are no longer flying about, creating and breaking bonds constantly. Instead, they are bonded together in a solid state. Yet, all we need to see water become more complex is a change in temperature.

You could, I suppose, call temperature the creator of the ice. But, temperature is not intelligent. I realize this explanation is a bit lacking. For a better explanation, go to http://www.update.uu.se/~fbendz/nogod/watchmak.htm.

Enough about watches and water. The other two misconceptions in Pepper’s response are related. Pepper provides lots of big numbers, attempting to wow us about the low probability of life. The problem here (aside from the dubious nature of calculating the probability of the formation of DNA) is that low probability does not mean impossibility.

Sure, since life is difficult to create, we don’t expect to see it everywhere in the universe. Lo and behold, we don’t.

But, given a big enough sample (like the universe), and enough time (like all of it), even low probability events can happen.

Related to this is the belief that natural forces are entirely random. Anyone who has graduated high school should know better.

Not all chemicals react the same, or even similarly. Thus, only a certain number of combinations are possible.

Then, take into account the variance of conditions in the system, and on, and on, and on. The interactions in the world are so big and varied, that they sometimes seem random. But, essentially, they aren’t.

So, take an extremely large sample, over an extremely long time, and add in some natural forces that are NOT random.

We get one planet with life, created by an interaction between natural processes in an area of unique conditions. And the life on this planet has no known neighbors.

As for responding to Trey: I believe our banter has come to its end. Every response he writes is essentially the same, and I’m sure the readers of The Citizen are tired of us constantly picking at each other.

Jason Crain
Fayetteville, Ga.

CD, DVD companies on the road to extinction?

It’s the same old story all over again. Guy has idea. Guy forms company. Company makes a ton of money and the lawyers get involved to protect the money-maker.

The company becomes comfy in their economic niche, fails to adapt in the ever-changing, 21st century market, and decides to sue for copyright infringement because someone new is messing with their market share.

New, better technology comes along but can’t make it in the market-place because Adam Smith didn’t realize just how much power a major conglomeration can wield. It’s happened in the CD industry and now it’s happening with DVDs.

Alarmingly, the DVD Copy Control Association cartel formed to control the issuing of licenses to make and sell DVD players is making sure new players won’t have a record button.

In economic terms, a cartel is a group of producers who are so wealthy that they can set prices however high they want because they can prevent start-up companies from entering the market.

Normally they’re illegal. Sadly, the DVD-CCA companies hold so much power that they’ve been able to railroad legislation through to legitimize their power.

The 21st century is a veritable treasure trove of big companies protecting themselves through legislation rather than development. The recording industry is a prime example of regulations stagnating an industry.

With the advent of tape recorders, industrial leaders bemoaned copyright infringements, but finally adapted by creating the CD. Everyone wanted the latest development and the industry was saved. It’s the same story for VHS recorders.

However, I must give the CD companies some credit. Though it has taken over six years from the creation of Napster, the industry recently found a solution to shareware.

The “Velvet Revolver Contraband” CD (ironically) boasts a sticker proclaiming: “This CD is protected against unauthorized duplication. It is designed to play on standard playback devices and an appropriately configured computer.”

It won’t be long before every CD you buy is protected this way. Of course, the ultimate solution would be for Ipods or some other new technology to completely take the place of the CD, but at least the industry is moving in the right direction.

Technology was one of America’s last resources. We’re already been in a net export deficit for years and now we’re saying we won’t develop any new systems?

It’s like Kathy Cox succeeded in removing the entire concept of evolution from the curriculum 20 years ago. If people don’t like a product as much, INNOVATE!

We’re a world-wide economy. If America won’t produce it, someone else will, and then we’ll have to import it.

If we legislate protections for our dinosaur technologies we won’t be a world power much longer; we’ll be buying all our innovations from Japan. While Americans sit back with their DVD players the world will pass us by.

My message to the DVD-CCA is simple: See the writing on the wall! Stop paying those lawyers and hire some inventors! They’re the only ones who can save your company.

Alyssa Anderson
Senior, McIntosh High School
Peachtree City, Ga.