Trump must get beyond his egotism
Let me clarify for the American people why the president-elect’s disparagement of our intelligence agencies goes beyond whether or not Russia intended to help Trump win the presidency. As the director of National Intelligence said while testifying at U.S. Sen. John McCain’s committee, “there is a difference between healthy skepticism and disparagement.” The nature of the presidency is that it gives the commander-in-chief the discretion to decide how to respond to intelligence he receives, but it is generally done in the Situation Room or the Oval Office, not on Twitter.
By being disparaging (on Twitter) of those in our intelligence agencies, they will now possibly be hesitant to offer their assessment of a terror threat if it is only 90 percent confirmed since the commander-in-chief will only accept 100 percent proof.
The man has to grow up.
PATRICK FAGAN, WOODSTOCK
No sex-trafficking ring in Buckhead
The staff of three-and-a-half at the Buckhead Coalition office works diligently to nurture the image of this community for the benefit of all Georgians. Particularly did this receive highest priority about a decade ago, when Buckhead’s nightlife got completely out of hand.
Too many will recall the terrible situation experienced with what was called the East Village around Peachtree and Pharr roads where nearly 100 nightclubs operated. Competition among many young, inexperienced owners resulted in drug sales, underage alcoholic consumption, prostitution and additional criminal activity.
There is no pleasure in reminding readers of this history, but I feel compelled to do so to correct what a writer wrote in the opening paragraphs of a one-half-page “Saturday Opinion” Atlanta Journal-Constitution guest column about Atlanta’s homeless. The author reported on a “Sleep Out” experience sponsored by the very community service-oriented Covenant House.
The article describes as fact a “ … street corner where johns go to engage prostitutes” and where most people “ … drive right by, either unaware or unseeing of the situation.” Our Atlanta Police Department (Zone 2) Commander for the past five years has no knowledge of such a condition, nor do any of the several civic watchdog organizations we checked.
We have to believe the writer meant no harm by this erroneous implication of a Buckhead sex-trafficking ring, and will probably be embarrassed to discover that what was reported as news probably came from a study done around the year 2005. The Buckhead brand is so beautiful today, we don’t expect anyone to feel uncomfortable about the first three of 18 paragraphs, anyway.
SAM MASSELL, PRESIDENT, THE BUCKHEAD COALITION INC.
Letter-writer’s faith a fragile one
Regarding the letter-writer’s view (“Christians should use Christmas as a weapon,” Readers Write, Jan. 15) urging Congress to pass a law mandating that businesses can only use the words “Merry Christmas” and not “Happy Holidays” in their advertising, what penalties would he propose for violators (assuming that he could get the same Congress to suspend the First Amendment between Thanksgiving and Christmas)? Lashings in the public square? A week in solitary? Coal in their stockings? Would it apply to Jewish, Muslim, atheist and Hindu merchants?
He declares that “Atheists have virtually destroyed Christianity in Europe” and that “Vicious haters of all things Christian (e.g., the late Christopher Hitchens)” have their sights set on America next. If he’s so afraid that his — or any other Christian’s — faith is so fragile that it could be destroyed by Hitchens’s words, or by someone wishing him “Happy Holidays,” I think it’s time for him to look inward, rather than to Congress, for his solution.
DAVID P. HORGAN, KENNESAW
Democrats will continue to lose big
I’ve never been a big fan of Donald Trump, but the irresponsible words and behaviors of Democrats like John Lewis motivate me to do all I can to support the new administration and Republican agenda. Democrats seem determined to make our country ungovernable. I believe most Americans are tired of the divisiveness. If the Democrats persist with their childish attitudes and lack of winning policy arguments, they will continue to lose elections at all levels of government.
GARY MAY, NEWNAN
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