June 05, 2008 10:29 pm
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• No winnable wars
On May 26 we celebrated the lives of American soldiers who lost theirs in a war that should never have been; a war that has divided our nation, and taken the lives of more than 4,500 U.S. servicemen, more than 200,000 Iraqis, and displaced more than 2,000,000.
We cannot know how many homes will be broken, how many families will be destroyed, how many young, gifted, and promising men and women will return to us with broken spirits and will seek peace in taking their own lives, an estimated 18 every week already are dying at their own hands.
Unfortunately, there are some things that we do know; (1) the rich are profiting from it; (2) the middle class are paying for it; (3) the poor are suffering because of it; and (4) the innocent are dying in it.
It is my fervent hope that at some point in my lifetime, I will live in an America whose leaders understand that there are no more winnable wars. Surrender is not in anybody’s vocabulary. Even the flea that cannot hurt an elephant, by crawling into his ear, can make the elephant hurt himself.
The only winnable war is the one that is never fought.
Minister Floyd Rose, President Valdosta-Lowndes County Chapter
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Jordan fought to battle cancer
Hamilton Jordan was the most dedicated cancer fighter I have ever known. He battled royally against his own cancer and on behalf of the whole nation.
He had a perfect blend of idealism and pragmatism — convinced that we could defeat the demon, but with the most logical and practical steps with realistic strategies and tactics. Jordan worked both at the policy level to improve cancer care for the nation, and at the individual level as he counseled hundreds of newly diagnosed patients, sharing his inspirational book “No Such Thing as a Bad Day” and encouraging people to take charge of their own care.
He had the wisdom and insight to be the founder of the Georgia Cancer Coalition. He moved Georgia from the bottom ranks of cancer care to the top echelon with a 10-year strategic plan.
Jordan fought to the bitter end on the national level and on his own personal cancer journey. He is a role model for us all. The Georgia Cancer Coalition is proud to be one of his many legacies.
William J. Todd
President and CEO
Georgia Cancer Coalition
• Thank you, Sen. Golden
On behalf of the State Bar of Georgia, I would like to publicly commend and thank state Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta) for his dedication and effort in the overwhelming approval of House Bill 119 in the final hours of the 2008 legislative session. This legislation would have increased the salaries of Georgia’s judges and district attorneys by 5 percent, effective July 1, 2009 — the first substantial judicial pay increase in our state in 10 years. Although we are very disappointed by Gov. Perdue’s veto of this legislation, the state bar is eager to recognize and show our appreciation to Sen. Golden for his extraordinary leadership on this issue. The Bar will continue to work on behalf of adequate judicial compensation in Georgia because it is vitally important to the future administration of justice in our state.
Thanks again to Sen. Golden for going the extra mile to help advance HB 119 during the 2008 session and for all of his service to the people of Georgia.
Gerald M. Edenfield, President
State Bar of Georgia
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