I was saddened to read Sen. Saxby Chambliss proclaim that he "never set foot in the library" during his student days at UGA ("Peach Buzz: Chambliss portrait will grace library," Metro, May 15).

What kind of people do we elect to Congress? Doesn't this man realize he is expected to serve as a role model for Georgia's youth? We live in a complex world, and we need well-informed leaders to solve our economic problems. If Chambliss didn't bother to visit the library, I think he would hang his head instead of bragging. Even more amazing is the news that UGA plans to hang a painting of Chambliss in its Richard B. Russell Library, of all places.

LAURENCE W. FENNELLY

Macon

Stop government's education monopoly

Once again your editorial claims that allowing parents a choice in sending their children to a private, as opposed to public, school will somehow hurt public schools financially ("Uncap that veto pen," @issue, May 14).

Since the student is not being educated in the public school, the cost associated with this student is not incurred by the public school. It would be revenue-neutral. The best approach is to allow the money to follow the student. Let the public and private schools compete for students. Eliminate the government monopoly on educating our children.

JIM FOX

Lilburn

City exemplifies bad governance

A reader suggested the 25 counties that comprise what he called metro Atlanta secede from the rest of the state ("To progress, the city must secede," @issue, May 18). What possible reason would the non-city of Atlanta counties have for aligning themselves with Atlanta? Atlanta has consistently proved its unwillingness to govern itself efficiently and on a sound fiscal basis. As for the "religion and guns" comment, the country has already weighed in on the disingenuousness of such comments. Why do people who very likely support freedom of speech and the press, assembly, protection from unreasonable search and seizure, cruel and unusual punishment and self-incrimination, right of due process and trial by jury and other freedoms not understand that the Second Amendment is part of that same Bill of Rights? These are rights inalienable to citizens, not rights provided by the government.

JOHN WATSON

Marietta

Clinton's endured much sexism

Born, raised and college-educated in Detroit over 80 years ago, my election candidate choices have transcended race for some 50 years ("Obama's success suggests we can transcend race," Jay Bookman, @issue, May 15). Although I am white, the black man got my vote if I considered him better qualified. I say "man" because only in recent years has there been an occasional woman on our ballots for whom we could vote.

I am not bothered that the AJC endorses Sen. Barack Obama, while I consider Sen. Hillary Clinton the better qualified. However, the racism claims related to Obama have been minimal compared with the sexism taunts endured by Clinton (including some of Mike Luckovich's cartoons, such as on May 15, which I usually find hilarious but not nasty). I do not recall reading or hearing on TV or radio any negative words about a male candidate's dress or physical attributes. They applied only to Clinton.

JANET CUKOR

Chamblee