NEW CITIES
Under-representation applies to women, too
The article “New cities reignite debate about race” (News, Jan. 26) overlooked another problem — the troubling lack of women. In seven new cities where political structures recently were created, only 10 women hold office out of 46 elected city officials. That’s only 19.5 percent of the new cities’ elected officials. This mirrors the poor representation of women among elected officials across Georgia.
The article quoted Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul as saying, “You can’t elect people who aren’t on the ballot.” The mayor is right. To help address that problem, NewPowerPAC is a newly created nonpartisan organization that aims to increase the number of qualified women elected and appointed to local office in Georgia. We would be happy to help Mayor Paul or any of the other new cities identify qualified women to serve in local government.
LISA E. CHANG, ATLANTA
GUN CONTROL
High-powered rifles should be outlawed
I am a student at Lakeside High School. I am writing to share my concern about the lack of gun control laws in the nation. It seems like it is every couple of weeks, I hear about a new mass shooting, and every time, it involves a shooter with a high-powered, military-grade weapon. What reason is there for a normal civilian to own this kind of high-powered rifle?
I can understand owning handguns, hunting rifles or shotguns for self-defense or hunting. I do not think that civilians should own guns at all, but I know that will never happen in this country. All I am saying is that high-powered rifles and high-capacity magazines are meant only to kill people and should be taken off the market. Many of these shooters are also found to have mental conditions. Yet somehow they can still purchase guns without anybody finding out about their conditions. We need stricter background checks that cover past gun offenses and existing mental illness.
I’m begging someone to do something about this. Every day we do not do anything to help alleviate this problem is another day we risk another incident like Sandy Hook. So please, for the sake of children all across this nation, put politics aside and let’s do something about this crisis. The fate of this nation’s future depends on it.
GEORGE EKHOLM, DECATUR
DRIVING
Cement traffic guides hazardous to vehicles
I have noticed, with dismay, a dangerous trend in road “improvements” in Fulton County. Approaching the Chattahoochee River northbound on Johnson Ferry Road, such an improvement has been constructed at the intersection with Riverside Drive, just before drivers cross the bridge into Cobb County. Cement traffic guides approximately 5 to 6 inches high have been constructed, protruding into the right lane of Johnson Ferry Road.
Cars have hit these guides, causing considerable damage to tires and wheels. The same kind of construction exists in Roswell at the intersection of Mimosa Boulevard and Magnolia Street. This obstruction has an elevated traffic sign on it, but the traffic guide around its base is almost invisible at night. Painting these guides with reflective white paint and embedding red reflectors on them would be a great help to motorists in avoiding them.
HERBERT L. RENKIN, MARIETTA
