WIKILEAKS
Officers responsible for security breach
Recent news articles about Bradley Manning leave me with many questions.
While in the military during the 1940s, I worked in an Army airfield message center. We had a special room that was available only to personnel cleared to handle secret and classified materials — and everyone kept out, except for the staff sergeant in charge. Let’s be real: In my day, an Army private or a private first class was only allowed to empty trash baskets.
It looks like the officers in charge were derelict in their supervision in this case, in allowing thousands of pages of documents to be leaked.
DEAN LONG, LAWRENCEVILLE
TRANSPORTATION
New roads don’t help those who can’t drive
I read with interest your recent op-ed pieces about the lack of public transportation in Clayton County and its economic impact (“Less mobility hurts everyone in Clayton,” Opinion, Aug. 13, and “Restoring public transit a necessity,” Opinion, Aug. 13).
I thought it was rather appropriate that these pieces followed so closely an article concerning the lack of information about the new HOV lanes on 1-75/I-575 (“Public in dark on road project,” News, Aug. 12). One question that I see not being addressed is: Why is the Department of Transportation looking at placing more asphalt, while the price of gasoline keeps increasing? All the asphalt in the world is of no benefit to someone who can’t afford to drive on it.
ROBERT W. PEPPEL, TUCKER
HEALTH CARE
Deal should rethink his Medicaid refusal
Regarding the recent AJC article that mentioned Gov. Deal refusing to take the Medicaid expansion that would aid thousands of low-income Georgians, this is absolutely inhumane and ludicrous (“Top U.S. health official slams Ga. on Medicaid,” News, Aug. 14).
The federal government would pay 100 percent of the costs for the first three years, and no less than 90 percent after that — and Gov. Deal says we can’t afford it, and offers some lame alternative.
I’m aware that it would be the “kiss of death” for Deal to support anything that the Obama administration backs, but even (Arizona) Gov. Jan Brewer has accepted this program.
Gov. Deal should do the right thing for the Georgians he’s supposed to represent.
JIM HOPE, DORAVILLE
TRAYVON MARTIN
Lesson to be learned in teen’s tragic mistake
It will be a double tragedy if the life lesson from the death of Trayvon Martin is lost amid all the political rhetoric.
Young people will occasionally find themselves falsely under suspicion. In those cases, the proper response is to defuse the situation and respond in a non-confrontational manner.
George Zimmerman made a mistake that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Trayvon Martin made a mistake that cost him his.
JOHN COWAN, CARTERSVILLE
