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Community Forum: Obama's change can bring us together
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Change is good. I have never been so happier to be an American than last week.

To see whites, blacks, Hispanics, Latinos and Asians standing together to hear Obama's victory speech was so touching. This is the dream that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was talking about. Obama said it best when he said that the true genius is that America can change.

To comment on Michael J. Reimann's letter when he wrote, "uninformed electorate desires and really believes that a president can prevent all pain and resolve all discomforts." Obama settled this by saying that we may not agree with every policy that he makes and that the government cannot make everybody happy. Obama also pleaded to the ones who did not vote for him by saying that he needs their help and that he will listen and he will be their president.

Many people are saying that he got a lot of votes from African-Americans only because he was black, but many people didn't vote for him BECAUSE he was black. As he stated in his speech, we have a long way to go and that change is good because of "the divides have held back our progress."

I really think that this country is headed for a better change just because we as Americans are starting to realize that we are one. As Obama put it best: "Out of many, we are one."

I am so proud to be an American in the land where dreams comes true. We are working toward it, and I think Dr. King would be pleased. May God bless us all.

Jezzeree Lott
Gainesville

Will cool heads prevail in election aftermath?
As a nation, we have overcome great adversity by pulling together in times of crisis to make our nation stronger. The adversity that we now face -- including two wars, economic turmoil, lingering threats of terrorism and declining civility -- appears to be intensified by another monster that has been asleep for some time: open racial strife.

Although Barack Obama's election made a powerful statement around the world that reinforces our standing as the world's last best hope, an ugly underside is being revealed in our local community that does not bode well for our future. I was not surprised when both of my high school-aged children came home saying that many of their classmates were unhappy regarding Obama's election. However, I was shocked to hear that young people are spewing venom of ages past.

On at least eight separate occasions their classmates said that our president-elect should be assassinated, or expressed casual expectations that he would be assassinated within coming months. One young "lady" who comes from an apparently respectable family in our neighborhood said she would be willing to carry out the act herself!

Do we have to wonder what these young people are learning from mom and dad?

I have also heard unreasonable fears expressed by adults in our community following Obama's election, even from some who are pillars in our community. You have probably heard the same. Like hatred, such fear drives hysteria, strife and unrest. For all those who are worked up, relax! If our federal government is your primary source of security, you have been in trouble a long time anyway.

On the other hand, I have heard others in our community express a patriotic and godly desire to support and pray for our president-elect in spite of the fact that they do not agree with all of his policies. These are our true patriots and these will be the true winners regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.

I encourage all people of good will to refuse to stand by in passive agreement with those that would tear us apart. As we have heard repeatedly, all evil needs to prevail is to have good men stand by and do nothing.

Jonathan Rucker
Flowery Branch

Without more rain, our lake is in danger
The residents of the counties adjacent to Lake Lanier are fortunate in many respects. But there are some challenges to us: rain and claims to the Chattahoochee River water by other downstream interests.

Here are recent rainfall records that show a good picture of what we face in the near future with Lake Lanier (taken with a private gauge 100 yards from Lake Lanier in Oakwood).

  • 2003: Rainfall 61 inches, lake full pool.
  • 2004: Rainfall 53 inches, lake full pool.
  • 2005: Rainfall 53 inches, lake full pool.
  • 2006: Rainfall 43 inches, lake 17 feet low.
  • 2007: Rainfall 40 inches, lake 20 feet low.
  • 2008 through October: Rainfall 34 inches, lake 20 feet low and falling.

Major rains are needed at once; we'll have a disaster if they don't come soon. Also, should the Chattahoochee River basin have the record-breaking rains of the Midwest during the past two years, we face record breaking floods and potential disasters.

L.D. Collins
Oakwood

Pray for America and U.S. Senate race
How disappointing to hear that John McCain was campaigning for Saxby Chambliss. A man who ran a decent, honorable campaign (in spite of being out of touch), McCain, with the honesty that comes from loss, could have found redemption and been a true conservative leader for our nation.

Instead he chooses to be a continued loser by supporting a man who degraded himself and every American with his 2002 campaign that pictured Max Cleland, former secretary of Veterans Affairs and Vietnam veteran, in the guise of Osama bin Laden! This is how Chambliss honors military veterans.

On Armistice Day, Americans could have used good news to brighten conservatives' day. For the moment, Americans will have to pray and trust that the new president-elect will put conservatives such as Sam Nunn in his cabinet and that true conservative leaders will emerge soon to lead this crucially important movement in America.

Because of the squandering of our resources, Americans must now, in light of our nation's economic crisis, begin to pray for Americans to prosper.

America has always enjoyed a prosperity which we had begun to take for granted. But that time is past. God's blessings of prosperity can no longer be assumed, but must be actively prayed for.

In order for America to successfully recover from the global economic and political crises, we must come together in prayer for these things and pray that the best man will win in the upcoming Georgia runoff. God bless America.

Elizabeth Hinesley
Cornelia