Trump foes wrong about his pulling of security clearances
As Ronald Reagan said, here they go again. The media is going crazy after Trump revokes the security clearance of top intelligence officers, saying it’s unconstitutional, un-American, dictatorship-like. Let’s be clear: A security clearance is not a right; it is a privilege. The only reason these officials keep their security clearances is to help assist the current administration on high-level security issues. So far, they have not helped this administration at all; in fact, they have been using their privilege to hurt it any way they can. John Brennan has taken a paid job on a liberal news station spouting facts that only certain high-level officials would know. The other dozen or so people all have broken the laws, from leaking classified information to illegally unmasking innocent people to lying to FISA court judges. They are part of the “swamp people” trying to bring down this legally elected President.
JIM CORDER, ACWORTH
NFL players are responsible in protesting legitimate cause
A letter writer alleges, “NFL players’ irresponsibility contributes to the problem they protest” (Readers Write, Aug. 19). The NFL players are kneeling to protest the police killings of black people. The issue has been co-opted by the president and politicians to mean disrespect to the flag and our soldiers. The writer rattles on about four players with multiple children. She missed the parents of the adolescent white boys who have been perpetrating mass killings at schools. These parents kept guns where these killers could access them, did not know their sons had guns, or in one case gave the gun to the boy to placate him and his mental disorder. When the police arrive on the scene of these mass shootings by white males, they don’t shoot them. But if you’re black, a broken tail light gets you shot six times, or choked to death for selling loose cigarettes, just to name two incidents the players are protesting.
BIRDEL F. JACKSON III, ROSWELL
Amazon money incentives a losing game for Ga.
The extra revenue generated by an Amazon presence here would not satisfy the extra costs incurred with the influx of 50,000 more people. Infrastructure, schools, welfare, health care, police, homelessness and other expenses would dramatically increase. We should present the state from a position of strength, listing all the positives. Amazon would be pleased to set up their new headquarters without monetary incentives. Offering $1 or more – in this instance, $1 billion – is presenting Georgia from a position of weakness, which would imply a list of negatives. Monetary incentives would raise a red flag in the eyes of Mr. Jeff Bezos and staff; their question would be, what is the list of negatives Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia don’t want to reveal? The payment of $1 billion would be a loss of $1 billion; it would devastate the state financially, and it would never recover.
LOU PIZI, ATLANTA
U.S. should strive not to repeat Germany’s horrible history
In 1933, the Nazi Party became the strongest party in Germany, even though the Nazis had won only 33 percent of the votes in the 1932 parliamentary elections. Once in power, Adolf Hitler moved quickly to end German democracy, suspending freedoms of press, speech and assembly while arresting leaders of opposition political parties. Political opponents were arrested after being labeled “undesirables” and “enemies of the state.” Our nation must not overlook commonalities to today that should give all Americans reason for pause. We are witnessing a similar weakening of our democracy, scapegoating of opposing voices, jeopardizing the rights we supposedly hold so dear. Far too few, especially our elected leaders, are vocalizing the dangers to our democracy. We must heed the words of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”
ANDREW LEWIS, DECATUR
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