I am responding to the letters to the editor in last Sunday’s paper concerning citizens and Vicksburg police.

I lived in Vicksburg for many years before moving to the Delta. Even now, I still take care of all my business in Vicksburg. It bothered me immensely what was being said. These men and women do their jobs very well. If you break the law by not wearing your seat belt, then be prepared to pay the ticket.

The fact that these officers are coming down hard on traffic violators is something I am very glad to see happening. Traffic violations can cause accidents.

I am not saying this because I haven’t been targeted. The last ticket I received for speeding was two years ago. Although I was not happy about getting a ticket, I took responsibility and acknowledged that I did break the law and they were doing their job as far as keeping everyone safe.

My biggest peeve is drivers who hit brakes to make a turn and never even put on a turn signal. I have noticed that at least 90 percent of the time, drivers are not using their turn signals or wait until right at the turn to decide to turn them on. Do you realize how many accidents have been caused due to this small negligence?

It amazes me how many times I have driven down U.S. 61 and have other drivers flash their lights to warn me about a highway patrolman up ahead, yet when it comes to being courteous enough to let another driver know your intentions when making a turn or passing you on the road, there is no common sense.

I lost a family member due to the fact that she was not wearing a seat belt. I am very grateful for the job that Vicksburg police and Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol do every day.

I am not the perfect driver. We all break the rules every now and then. But at least be mature enough to accept responsibility when you are caught. I have been helped by these officers when I needed them. They are doing the best that they can under the conditions they have to put up with.

Amada Gonzalez

Cary

Road in pathetic shape

Who is in charge of Yorktown Road? It is in bad shape and is only getting worse as time goes on.

I’m told it is a private road. When it rains, the water runs off into everyone’s yards because there are no ditches. That whole area needs some attention.

Jenny Douglas

Vicksburg

Headed for the poor house

I was reading my Vicksburg Post on April 1 and was reminded of Barack Obama promising during his campaign over and over that he was going to help the poor people.

So how does he justify his 62 cents per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes that went into effect that day? Does he not know that the majority of smokers are poor people?

What happened to the $400 per person he promised everybody to stimulate the economy? I guess that got lost in the shuffle.

I also read that same day that people who receive Social Security will not be getting a raise for the next three years. This will likely create more people living in tents and under bridges because they can’t keep up with all the high prices now. Is this going to help poor people?

If my wife and I had not paid for our home already, we would probably be under a bridge or in a tent by now. Everything we have to buy goes up, but no raise in Social Security will definitely put us in the poor house.

John L. Barrentine

Vicksburg

Avoid angst by buckling up

It is truly amazing to me how people give no regard to their personal safety, and then when someone steps in to protect them, they get mad, point fingers and place blame! What am I talking about? Wearing your seat belt and speeding.

It is a known fact that seat belts save lives. The Vicksburg Post had a picture of a wreck that occurred the weekend of March 16. The car was smashed beyond recognition, but that girl lived! And guess what? She was wearing her seat belt! You can pick up the paper each week and read about car wreck deaths. Most of them it states that a seat belt was not used.

I know some think that wearing a seat belt should be a personal choice, but you need to look at it from an officer’s perspective: He is going to be the one to have to carry the image of cleaning up the body that was ejected from the wrecked car. If he can encourage people to buckle up by pulling them over and ticketing them, that may be one life he has saved.

Not only that, if you are encouraged to wear your seat belt, maybe you will encourage your children and grandchildren to wear their seat belts.

In regard to the statement that officers should be out catching burglars, etc., criminals do those crimes in inconspicuous areas. They do not stand in the road waiting for an officer to come by and then hurl a brick through a window and break in. So an officer pulling someone over isn’t going to prevent a burglary going on down the street. And making traffic stops sometimes leads to arrests of people trafficking drugs, in possession of stolen items or burglary tools and having outstanding warrants.

It’s really bothersome to see police officers berated in the paper by people who have clearly broken the law. My suggestion is to buckle up, slow down and abide by the law; then the officers can do more important things instead of having to pull you over!

Kamace Priest

Vicksburg