Congratulations to the staff of the Sweet Olive river tour boat and to the schools that have thus far recognized the benefits of the ventures on which The Vicksburg Post reported Monday and are funded by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Congratulations, too, to the many teachers who have braved all the extra work and personal time such ventures require. Good work, all.

Earlier this year the guides at the Vicksburg National Mililtary Park contacted the superintendent of education in Vicksburg and offered free, guided tours for Mississippi History classes. The superintendent said he would inform the principals at that week’s staff meeting and let them decide “if they were interested.”

Not one principal contacted the VNMP guides. What a shame for our cheated children. What a shame for the image of Mississippi nationally. If we don’t even teach our children about our wonderful state, how will we get off the bottom of every list?

Frankly, I think an official, guided tour of the national military park should be required by the local public schools and should be recorded in each student’s record. They have a right and a responsibility to know about their state, their county, their city and the many contributions made throughout the years. And our adults should insist upon it! Time’s a wastin’.

Mary Louise Nosser

Vicksburg

Time to solidify support

In August 1958, I graduated from Alcorn State University and was called to Vicksburg to interview for an assistant principal/teaching job. To my amazement, just having graduated from college, I was offered the job at Bowman High School. In those days, our schools were a separate but equal joint black and white school district, which was for the benefit of white and black children. In January 1959, Bowman High School moved to Rosa A. Temple High School. Carr Central High School moved to H.V. Cooper High School. Both schools wore the same colors, green and white.

Even though we were separate, there still existed a cooperative effort between the two schools. There was a very active parent and fan base backing the schools’ sporting activities. Rosa A. Temple’s supporters were called the Buccaneers. H.V. Cooper’s supporters were called the Greenies.

Later on, Temple High School became North Vicksburg High School and H.V. Cooper High School became South Vicksburg High School. Even though the names changed and integration was the norm, there was still a cooperative spirit and backing for the sporting activities.

In 1973, we became one high school known as the Vicksburg High School Gators. For a few years participation continued as before. However, over time the former Greenies did not support the Vicksburg High School Gators as they once did, nor did the Vicksburg High School Gators enjoy the support of the original Gators as they once did.

Today school support both from the Greenies and the original Gators has swung to other schools, namely St. Aloysius High School’s Flashes, Porters Chapel’s Eagles and Warren Central High School’s Vikings. We do have great support from former Vikings and a few former Greenies. My hat is off to former Buccaneers and original Gators who have remained loyal.

I even noticed that my dear friends at The Vicksburg Post have shown partiality, for example a picture of St. Aloysius’ homecoming court, Porters Chapel’s homecoming court as well as the Vicksburg High School homecoming court only appeared on the second page of the paper in black and white while Warren Central’s homecoming court was on page one in living color.

Our high school, Vicksburg High, is doing very well in academics, athletics and deportment. It is now time for all former Greenies and original Gators to come and support the current Gators. Vicksburg High School is an excellent academic and athletic school and it needs and demands the support of all Vicksburg Greenies, original Gators, Vicksburg Gators and their students and fan base.

Jim Stirgus Sr.

Vicksburg

Republicans simply must rally

I am an old lady who was born in the Depression and has lived through some hard times but managed to survive. I have seen our country go from being the most admired to being portrayed as the devil. Isn’t it strange that most of the professors teaching such hatred of our country and military are in our major universities and most of them are Democrats and socialists? No wonder our kids come out of college thinking the United States is such a terrible country.

We are turning out children who are no longer humble, civil, caring and who have no respect for parents, teachers or anyone in authority.

Part of the reason can be seen by looking at what we have in Congress — liars, cheaters on their wives, thieves and people more interested in corruption than what is best for their country.

What is so funny is just how sorry they are when they are caught. They cry, they moan, they tell their families how much they mean to them. Get real. Wonder why they never thought of this in the beginning.

The Republicans got sent home. The Democrats stay in office. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, didn’t pay taxes. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., got loans and deals from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to his advantage. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, knew what was going on when they bundled all these loans together. Now we bail them out.

Leaders in the Obama campaign committee were executives in Freddie and Fannie who left with millions for their retirement benefits. But isn’t it strange how no one has brought them before Congress for questions? And then there’s Rep. Willie Jefferson, D-La., who hid $90,000 in his freezer and won a new term. Why wasn’t he asked to leave Congress?

Some of our children know nothing of our history. How can they know what to expect from our new president when they can’t answer who our vice president is today? Nor do they know who is the majority party in the House and Senate.

Republicans have not had a national party chairman since Haley Barbour left. No one has been as good on TV as he was. It’s time for Republicans to understand we are now in the 21st Century. It’s time they learn how to use blogs to get money and make contacts for future elections and put more students on campus in clubs for future Republicans and leaders.

This is not your grandfather’s Republican Party anymore.

Barbara Ramsay

Vicksburg