“The 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass contained a preface, which was left out of subsequent editions, and in it the author wrote: ‘This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.’”

– American Poet Walt Whitman Jr. (1819-1892).

Gwinnett Forum publisher Elliott Brack suggests that Gwinnett County needs a long-range list of continuing objectives for improving the county. His list:

1. Move statewide non-partisan judge and school board elections to the General Election.
2. Adoption of the 2023 Transit Plan for Gwinnett.
3. More creative efforts to support the arts in Gwinnett.  
4. Advancement and expansion of city historical societies.
5. Require establishments that serve alcoholic beverages to halt sales of such products at 1     a.m., and close by 2 a.m.
6. Require the Georgia Legislature to meet only once every two years.
7. 21st  century salary for the Gwinnett County Commission members.
8. Remove chewing gum on sidewalks at entrances of post offices and other governmental buildings.
9. Eliminate single-use plastic packaging and straws in Gwinnett and require instead the use of paper products.
10. Condos instead of apartments for Gwinnett.

• The history of Gwinnett is also available as an e-book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble for $9.95.