After reading Mr. Carter’s letter I wondered how our country decayed to this point. It is amazing how much hate of President Bush abounds among the Democrats. I am amazed how by quoting some organizations of so-called experts that bring us gloom and doom projections about our involvement in Iraq makes his point.

I suppose when Mr. Hoffman has spent a lifetime being wrong (well, it seems like one), why should we expect anything different? He admits one error, and when faced with the inexcusable truth, moves onto his next. The “self-righteous bellyaching” I hear is his.

In light of the recent tail whipping by the Democrats, I tried to understand why the American voters wanted “change” as their number one priority in voting. (Only 10 percent voted for the Democratic agenda, whatever that was.)

Citizens of Fayette County, when all is said and done, it will not matter who won or lost any election. What did matter was the 33,917 [votes] cast in our great county.

I received that notice in the mail that most of us dread: jury summons. I don’t actually think most people want to avoid it, but we have busy lives. For better or worse, in Fayette County, it’s your duty, and you don’t get to avoid it. I spent most of the week on jury duty and thought I’d share a few highlights of the experience.

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. More than 100,000 horses are slaughtered a year in America or are shipped alive only to be slaughtered abroad. The Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand was slaughtered in Japan.

Fayette County Board of Education, we need you to be the voice of reason. As you are well aware, our county is experiencing significant growth. To accommodate this, a new middle school will open in fall 2007 off Huiet Road in Fayetteville.

“Dear Mom, Dad and Fender: If Fender drives y’all too nuts, tell him his best friend will be home soon ... Can y’all bring Fender when you visit for family day next weekend? ... Give Fender my love. Love, Justin”

We have no clue at how silly we really are until we take a step back and start really looking at each other as we go through a typical day.

To veterans: Let me thank you for your service to your country. You are all heroes in my book whether you served in a combat unit during a time of hostility or had a tour of duty in time of peace. You volunteered or were called to serve, you answered the call and dutifully served wherever the military command sent your unit.

Though you, like me, most probably live in Fayette County, it is just a short hop across the pond from Hartsfield-Jackson to London Heathrow or Gatwick. It is there in the UK that scientists from Newcastle University and Kings College, London have requested permission to create embryos by fusing human DNA with cow eggs.

I did not intend to continue a dialogue with Mr. Hoffman concerning the war in Iraq until I noted in one of his later paragraphs in his letter to the editor of Nov. 8, that I was among those being referred to as “hypocritical” regarding the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

In his recent letter, Trey Hoffman claims that I did not address his central point which was that support for immediate withdrawal from Iraq gives aid and comfort to the enemy.

I am writing to address the proposed school redistricting from two perspectives – as a Keller Williams Realtor and a concerned mother of five children.

Senator John Kerry puts his foot into his mouth almost every time he opens it. His latest insult to our brave men and women serving in the armed forces, and in particular Iraq and Afghanistan, reveals his elitist and arrogant character.

Jeff Carter well demonstrated that I was wrong when I said the Bush administration didn’t use al Qaeda-Iraq links to justify the war. There were indeed many statements to that end made by the administration before the war. I apologize for that error. I admit that in the pursuit of partisan politics, I too can be guilty of selective memory. I am only human, after all.

I visited Fayetteville the weekend of the NASCAR race (Oct. 27-30) and I lost my wedding ring.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and visited gas stations, Kroger’s, Bugaboo Steak House, Krystal, Chick-fil-A, IHOP as well as a new pizza place not far from the Holiday Inn.

Who is representing the citizens of Peachtree City?

We’ve all seen movies in which local politicians and chambers of commerce are portrayed as the bad guys. In movies like “Jaws” we watched as the mayor and head of the chamber of commerce greedily put business interests first, above the welfare of the community. How exaggerated, we thought.

With little regards to the future of Peachtree City, the Peachtree City Council is going to allow the TDK Boulevard Extension to connect thousands of new homes in Coweta County and allow tens of thousands of additional cars to flow through our streets and change our lives forever. The City Council has been tight-lipped and has not offered any press releases, resolutions, and not even a huff or puff to stop this project. Look at what is happening, or not happening, now.

This year has been a period of political awakening. I have received many calls regarding school redistricting, TDK/traffic and the proposed annexation for western Peachtree City. The key, ladies and gentlemen, is to get out of the reactive mode, and to begin participating in government. Remember, you do not have to be an elected official to participate in government.

Though I spent my boyhood in Los Angeles, I am a fortunate resident of Fayette County, as are my parents. At one time I lived and worked in France. Los Angeles Times staff writer Jeffrey Fleishman recently reported that a French philosophy professor, Robert Redeker, has been forced into hiding after writing in Le Figaro that “Jesus is a master of love; Muhammad is a master of hatred. ... Islam is a religion that, in its very sacred text as much as in some of its everyday rights, exalts violence and hatred.”

In a week we will perform the sacred duties of a free people, go to the polls, and elect the individuals who will govern us and make our laws. About half of our population will abstain from this duty — a shame, and a slap at those who have died to defend their right to do so. Many of those who do go to the polls will know very little about the people for whom they’re voting — equally shameful.

I consider myself informed about the upcoming elections on the major issues. And I, like many Americans, would like to think I vote for the person, not the party line. I want what is best for my community, state, country and family.

It’s time for us to stop being Republicans and Democrats and start being Americans. There are faults in both parties. In 1994 the Democratic-lead Congress’ disapproval was 75 percent. Now, just 12 years later, the Republican-lead Congress’ disapproval is 75 percent.

Mr. Hoffman cites his “unassailable logic” implying that Democrats are in agreement with the terrorists if they want to leave Iraq. Apparently he would want to remain there forever to avoid falling into the same trap. However, I was enjoying the letter until I got to the part where he wrote, “Critics selectively remember what the Bush administration said and did not say leading up to the war (there was never a claim of Saddam and al Qaeda being connected during that period).”

The statement written that Democrats are bedfellows with the terrorists surely was written by a dimwit with an acid pen and twisted mind who was reared under the “mushroom theory.” In case one doesn’t know, the mushroom theory is where you are kept in the dark and fed horse manure.

I am saddened to see the Republicans in their current mess, but I have no illusions about the reason. They lack the ideological heft and conviction to resist the corrupting influence of power and have focused instead on maintaining the status quo and sending money back to their districts in order to get re-elected.

I’d like to salute the efforts of two people who will be leaving local office at the end of this year. Greg Dunn has devoted eight years to serving on the County Commission, six years as chairman (a record). Linda Wells has served for a total of 12 years. Their work has endowed the people of this county with better government and better services during the time they were in office and we can reap the benefits into our future.

Please don’t vote until you know where the candidates stand on issues important to you and your family.

Power, profits, people all vie for our elected officials’ attention and votes. When we walked the halls of our government buildings asking for help protecting our loved ones, too many of our Fayette County elected officials either didn’t care or actively opposed our efforts.

It warms my heart when I see police officers from different jurisdictions work together to apprehend criminals as reflected in The Citizen [Oct. 25, 2006].