Community must address entertainment culture
This column touched on a cancer that is the prime environmental cause of our increasing, confused African-American males’ failing effect. (“TV shows can shape cultural views,” This Life, Gracie Bonds Staples, Aug. 20). Mass entertainment/electronic media/sports indifference is raising all children away from ethically wholesome social, civic considerations and offer limited hope for positive change. Today’s children are following their normal impressionable nature — whatever is most appealing to their inexperienced young senses accented by peer pressure. Creative adult minds are being well paid to sell an unrealistically loud, pleasurably glamorous, excessively materialistic, self-centered, yet dependent, easy life image to everyone. Only a fresh, coordinated community model of volunteering can possibly counter this serious situation for the better.
TOM DORSEY, ATLANTA
Voter IDs akin to poll taxes
(“Requiring voter IDs isn’t racist,” Atlanta Forward, Aug. 19) conveniently forgets several things. For all of the author’s arguments about the need for photo ID’s in today’s modern world, the history of people going to a polling place and claiming to be someone else is almost zero. Taken as a whole, the photo ID’s are right up there with poll taxes as a way to control turnout. As far as the socially-conscious Republicans who voted for the Voting Rights Act, please remember that in 1965 almost none of them were from the South. Georgia had two Democrat senators and nine Democrat representatives. Only one Republican representative. Those were the days of very conservative Southern Democrats who are today’s very conservative Republicans. Those were also the days of Democrat dominance of Washington.
NOELL WILSON, CARROLLTON
Say no to voter fraud in Georgia
I am sick and tired of hearing individuals and groups like the Sierra Club whining and spreading misinformation about voting in Georgia. (“Voting rights vital to the environment,” Atlanta Forward, Aug. 19). No one is trying to silence anyone or keep anyone from voting. We just don’t want voter fraud in Georgia. If you have to present an ID to buy a beer, you absolutely should have to do so to vote. One person, one vote, show ID, period. Here’s a link to where anyone can easily get a Georgia ID. http://www.dmv.org/ga-georgia/id-cards.php#Georgia-ID-Card-Eligibility-Requirements. Access to the ballot box is easy and universal and has has been for decades. We certainly do not need a month and a half to cast our ballots. The old adage about telling a lie often enough and people eventually believing it doesn’t work on all of us. Stop spreading lies.
KELLEY MCMANAMAN, EMBRY HILLS
