Comments from our readers.

TO THE RANTER who wished Sherman had burned Augusta: Sherman lost 40,000 men from his 100,000-man army taking Atlanta. Sherman had no supply line or reinforcements, and Augusta was much larger than Atlanta at that time and much more heavily fortified because of the Confederate Powder Works. I, too, wish Sherman would have invaded Augusta, as I feel sure his army would have been destroyed, and he would have been hung as a war criminal. Sherman was a prototype Nazi, insane and evil, but unfortunately he was not stupid, so he chose not to invade Augusta.

PRAYERS FOR DR. BEDDEN. That said, he answered the first question in your article -- "What has been your biggest challenge?" -- by avoiding the question. To use a vague term like "attitude" is merely to sidestep the question. He "still doesn't think the system is broken." What else could it be?

COULD THE COUNTY , especially downtown, switch the traffic lights to blinkers, especially after hours? Gas and pollution could be saved.

A BIG RAVE FOR Donna Moore, her staff and the volunteers who run The Good Samaritan Respite Center in Augusta. You folks are doing a super job at helping the sick and less fortunate.

RAVES FOR THE BOARD of Education in Jeffersonville, Ga. Finally, a sensible board. They reinstated their corporal punishment policy that allows unruly students to be paddled, with parents informed and witnesses to the paddling. Double raves!

IT'S AMAZING THAT public school boards can keep raising taxes, but the results to student education keep going the other direction.

WHY NOT TEACH both the old and the new math methods? That way when the kids flunk out of school, at least they'll know math.

If you have an opinion you want to share, call The Augusta Chronicle's Rants & Raves line at (706) 823-3397, fax (706) 722-7403 or e-mail newsroom@augusta chronicle.com.