THANK YOU to the Richmond County police officer who stopped the dog from hurting any of the trick-or-treaters on Halloween. It was unfortunate he had to shoot the dog, but kids come first.

WHEN OUR FREEDOM is threatened, our leaders are supposed to act like soldiers and fight the threats. The founders gambled their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to defend our freedom. How many in today's government are doing that? They refuse to put their lives and fortunes on the line, and they have no sacred honor to donate.

THIS IS A RANT to President Obama, who recently approved a 2 percent cost of living adjustment for all federal employees, effective Jan. 1. This includes the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government. People on Social Security will not get one for the next two or three years, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. And the Medicare insurance premium, currently $96, will be increased to $120.20 by January 2011.

RANT FOR THE blacks who stated that if a white rather than a black got voted in on the commission it would set us back 20-30 years. Didn't everyone say when Obama was running for president that it was not about black and white? How soon we forget it's about Augusta, not race.

I WANT TO GIVE The Augusta Chronicle a rave, in answer to the ranter who wrote in to warn newcomers about the Rants & Raves section. I and others do appreciate that you provide this forum for expressing our views, no matter how simplistic or crazy or off-the-wall they might seem. I've lived in other places in the country, and no other newspaper ever offered up anything like this for the readers to express opinions, other than the letter-to-the-editor option. So thank you, Augusta Chronicle, for this opportunity.

MY RANT IS about drivers today. It seems that turn signals, speedometers and headlight dimmers are not used anymore by most people. Everyone is in such a hurry that courtesy is becoming a thing of the past. And the ones who are here to protect and serve us (police officers) are just as guilty as anyone.

HEADLINE: "STUDENT on state advisory council." Public schools long ago gave up on really educating kids. Now they just play political games, of which this is one more. Since those bureaucracies have failed to teach kids, now they claim they will improve things by bringing those same kids up to advise them. This is not a put-down to the kids, but to the politicians who "lead" schools.

WILL SOMEONE please explain to me why people can't put on their lights when driving in fog or rain? It doesn't take a genius ... or maybe it does.