On Saturday, Jan. 27, we went to the dump to deposit weeks of garbage. We were there for about 15 minutes and I couldn’t help but notice a Hispanic woman and 4- or 5-year-old boy going through the garbage. She would send him to a SUV parked over where the employees park. He would come back and get another load. She made several trips with a rug, a leaf blower and some clothing.

Americans perpetuate apathy when we do not vote or when we are content to sit back and “let Joe do it.” Worse yet, we practice it when we do not get involved in our children’s lives. It is a lot easier in the short term if we just let the government, schools, or social organizations teach their value system.

Okay, can someone please explain to me the following:

One: if we withdraw our troops now from Iraq, what will happen to:

Re: Are 10 too many per single-family home? The answer to John Thompson’s question in the Jan. 17 Citizen is, Absolutely, YES!

Longtime residents of Peachtree City and Fayette County are continually experiencing that punched-in-the-gut feeling that accompanies the almost weekly bad news of one over-development scheme after another. Even the revelation of significant evidence pointing to disastrous consequences with traffic and public service levels has not deterred some of our decision-makers from proceeding with certain projects.

I just read the article in The Peachtree Citizen about the road extension to Coweta County and the fact that GRTA requires that the TDK Extension bridge be at least four lanes wide. I also read the letter to the editor to Gov. Perdue.

It’s more of a nightmare than a dream and it happens every year when the news focuses on the next election series. In it, every politician who has made a promise or proposed a pork-laden congressional bill is allowed to follow through on his proposal. The results are sometimes frightening.

The purpose of this letter is to provide follow-up and closure to recent postings in your newspaper concerning the shooting death of our dog, Fender.

Harp’s Crossing Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga., celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, but that is not the only milestone for the church in 2006. On Oct. 1, the church met in their new $5.5 million worship center. What makes this particularly unique is the building is completely paid for. The church was debt free prior to construction and remains debt-free today.

Many of us who attended the Planning Commission meeting on Jan. 8 did not like what we heard. On two proposals to add more “big box” stores in our city, phrases like “compromise with the developer” and “make the project work” were used by some commissioners.

To Governor Perdue, Mayor Logsdon, City Council of Peachtree City, GRTA and ARC: We respectfully request that the extensive road system demanded by GRTA and a developer to support McIntosh Village and other Coweta County building be put on indefinite hold; that alternatives like a limited-access ring road be seriously considered; that appropriate studies and forecasting be carried out as soon as possible; and that Peachtree City residents be polled before the present policy direction is taken further, to the unnecessary detriment of all of us.

President Bush’s latest attempt to salvage his woefully ineffective Iraq policy is predicated upon the assumption that a rather minor “surge” in the number of American troops, 17,500, into Baghdad will prove sufficient to turn the tide in a growing multifaceted insurgent environment (at last count there were 23 separate militia groups in Baghdad alone).

Democrats have responded to Bush’s call for a surge of 21,500 troops by saying it’s too few troops too late and that we should instead begin to withdraw our troops and let Iraq take care of itself.

In reading the letters in your paper each week, I notice that you often print one from a Timothy J. Parker. If this is the same Mr. Parker that lived in Martinez, Ga., before moving to Peachtree City, then I am well acquainted with his letters. If this is the same Mr. Parker, he has been a Bush basher for years and no Republican can ever do anything right.

I have been a long-time resident of Peachtree City for the past 25 years and I am beginning to wonder when we can start to slow some of the massive growth that is happening all around us.

The proposed development of West Village and its 1,239 homes, the probable annexation of unincorporated land into Peachtree City, the possible lifting of the moratorium on apartment building in PTC and the future development of over 2,000 acres on Ga. Highway 54 is spelling doom for Fayette County residents.

This is in response to Kim Learnard’s recent letter. Kim, I agree with quite a few of your listed awards, definitely numbers 10, 5, 4, 2 and 1 (some I don’t have an opinion on), but I think you forgot one — or should have added the Grand Prize Award to one that goes above and beyond even the #1 position:

I’d like to respond to the letter sent in by “Name Withheld” from Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006. He/she is looking at the future of our educational complex in North Fayette (Burch Elementary, Flat Rock Middle, Sandy Creek High), and seeing doom and destruction.

On Nov. 8, 2006, I was riding a motorcycle enroute to the Sheriff’s Department off Johnson Avenue. While traveling north on Jimmy Mayfield Boulevard, I planned to turn left onto Johnson Avenue.

Steve Yothment took exception to William Murchison’s column excoriating non-religious, purely secular, or atheistic people. I take exception with Mr. Yothment.

Volunteers from Whitewater High School in Fayetteville are currently hunting for costuming and accessories which will be used by the many choral students during the upcoming March performances of the annual “Whitewater Spectacular” musical production.

I found it interesting that my letter to the editor regarding your omission of competition cheerleading from the best of high school sports was printed the week following your weak explanation as to why you left it off the list.

The question was, “Pull out or surge?” in Iraq.

To pull out will provide Iran and other terrorist supporting countries with an expanded base of operations, together with WMD that remain in Iraq. It has been definitely shown that Iraq has had weapons of mass destruction and has used them on Iran and the Kurds in past years. To believe they are not there any longer is foolhardy. A weak new Iraqi government will be an easy target for terrorist and radical forces.

Asking for citizen input to help identify the best in high school sports in 2006 is an excellent idea, and I hope the newspaper receives many responses. The only problem with the poll, however, is the fact that you left competition cheerleading off the list.

Another year has come to a close, and, like most of us, I can’t help but take stock, say goodbye to those we lost, and look ahead to another year of second chances. And now for something completely different: my first annual “Sit Down and Shut Up” awards.

I must take exception to William Murchison’s opinion article in the Dec. 22 Peachtree Citizen. In the article, he offers the old chestnut about ACLU lawyers wanting to “muzzle Christian expression at Christmas” by fighting against public Nativity scenes.

What a shame Mr. Jansen is done with this subject, as I was just getting warmed up. I can’t be “done” with this subject because the error has not been corrected. I can’t be “done” because the same fool who started this whole mess is still the President, and barring his impeachment and removal, will remain so for another two years. And I’m not “done” because people like Mr. Jansen continue to publish their folderol which flies in the face of all the evidence.

I always look forward to receiving The Citizen on Wednesdays as I enjoy keeping up with local issues, reading the letters to the editor, Free Speech, and information about local businesses.

It is more apparent that the Sandy Creek/Flat Rock/Burch schools have gone through a societal sea change, and that sea change is minority driven.

We are long-time Atlanta area residents and we are disgusted at the way our long-time favorites have been systematically dismantled and thrown aside.