To the Editor:

The Gun Control Act of 1968 states that anyone involuntarily committed or adjudicated a “mental defective” is barred from buying or possessing firearms. However, many States do not share their mental health records.
In the United States V. Rehlander, the First Circuit Court suggests there is a serious limit on the ability to keep guns away from people who lack the capacity to handle them. The court strongly suggest that mentally ill individuals must be allowed to carry guns until they receive a fairly elaborate hearing declaring them unfit to use a gun. With a Federal law that was passed in 1968, States that do not share information on mental health records, and courts that make rulings that follow their beliefs rather than the law, it appears people that suffer from mental problems “fall through the crack.”
In the latest statistics I’ve found, there were 12,318 reported deaths that were attributed to DUI drivers in the recorded year. There were 37,485 people that had drug overdoses or brain damage linked to long-term drug abuse. Figures from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System indicates 1,321 children died as a result of abuse and/or neglect.
If Ms. Murray’s line of reasoning is followed, automobiles, unprescribed drugs, and parents should be banned, rather than putting the blame on the driver, user, and abuser where it belongs.
Guns do not perform these horrific acts, the person pulling the trigger does. The blame should be placed squarely on the person.

Ruth Poole
Rutledge
Via e-mail

Printed in the January 3, 2013 edition

To the Editor:

On behalf of Hand in Hand Ministries, Inc., I would like to thank everyone involved in making our fifth annual Festival of Trees fundraiser possible. First of all, thank you Morgan County Citizen for placing the F.O.T. flyer and article about Hand in Hand Ministries in the paper the week of the Tour of Homes. Thanks also go to Burns Warfield, Chick-fil-A of Madison, for his in-store Christmas tree silent auction and donation of calendars. I also thank Madison FUMC for allowing us to have our F.O.T in the beautiful Wesley Building foyer and to the Sunday School classes and youth groups, Methodist and Presbyterian, who donated trees and/or monetary gifts. I also appreciate the donations made by the MOMS Club of Madison, United Bank, Pagett & Whetzel Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Breco Realty and Madison Studios. I thank the patrons who attended our F.O.T., and, last, but not least, the Hand in Hand Ministries’ board members who donated their ideas, energy and time during this busy time of year.
For more information on Hand in Hand Ministries, Inc., or to make a donation, please visit our website at: www.handinhandministries.com.

Bonnie Mason,
Secretary-Treasurer
Hand in Hand Ministries, Inc.
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 13, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

A big thank you to all who worked so hard on our float. Because of all your hard work, we placed “Best in Show” for 2012 in the annual Christmas parade.
Our mission is about seeing the lost saved, recovering lost sheep, mending broken homes, bringing the homes back together, seeing the captive set free and seeing that the needs of our community are met. (Luke 4:18-19)
We are rapidly outgrowing our current location and are in prayer for some land to put our church building on so we can fulfill our mission. Anyone who knows of any land that we might be interested in, please contact: Madison House of Refuge,1341 Ponder Pines Road, Madison, GA 30650; 678-595-5450.
Thank you and God bless.

Pastor Garfield Chambers
Madison House of Refuge
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 13, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

Thank you, Madison, for allowing the Morgan County Historical Society to “show you off” to our visitors this weekend during our Holiday Tour of Homes! Our tour was a huge success thanks to the efforts of so many people – our homeowners, who so graciously opened up their homes to welcome over a thousand visitors, Jones, Ewing, Dobbs & Tamplin Insurance Agency and Jim Boyd and Associates Inc. for sponsoring our event, the restaurants and businesses who stayed open late to accommodate our guests, our local police force, and our 150-plus volunteers who answered questions, guided buses, and served as docents at our homes. You all made our Tour Weekend magical!

Sarah Burbach, Chair
2012 Heritage Holiday Tour of Homes
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 6, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

What a knockout weekend... beat last weekend all the way! The main attraction in this community is the Historic Homes... that is why they come to Madison and build our economy! If the access to the tours of historic homes is shut down by zoning or regulations...we will all suffer.  Having a tour of your historic home,whether it is sponsored by the Cultural Center, the Chamber of Commerce or a private tour, it is a gift for all of Madison! All of us at The Madison thank you for all your hard work for this weekend and we invite all homeowners, who participated in this weekend's tour, to come have lunch on us at The Madison Gift Mart and Cafe'.

Sheri Clark
Owner, The Madison Gift Mart and Cafe
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 6, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

We would like to thank all of our local performers who made the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center’s Community Holiday Concert such a wonderful success! From violins to bongo drums to the Ashburn Chorale – each act graced us with the spirit of Christmas.
We would also like to thank United Bank, our sponsor for this free-to-the-public event and to Jack’s Creek Tree Farm for donating a Christmas tree to a lucky audience member, as well as the numerous volunteers backstage who made the entire evening run effortlessly. We are so fortunate to live in a community which embraces the arts and supports local talent... and that talent was rich and plentiful at our Holiday Concert!
Thank you, all.
Sincerely,

Elsie Monk and Sarah Burbach
MMCC Community Holiday Concert Committee
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 6, 2012 edition