CIVIL RIGHTS
Courageous editor
fought racial injustice
Eugene Patterson’s career was founded on speaking up for those who had little or no public voice. His decision to take that path left a legacy reaching far beyond Atlanta and the South.
His writings were a critical component of the eventual surge of opinion that began the movement for racial equality. When he saw injustice, his voice rang out. This was a courageous position at a time when there were repercussions for those who would challenge the status quo.
Patterson’s work was part of the start of something that, unfortunately, remains unfinished. But without that start, and without his efforts, we would be a weaker, poorer and less advanced nation than we are today, in the broadest sense of those words.
DENNIS B. APPLETON, MADISON, WIS.
MARRIAGE EQUALITY
Evolving to do right
isn’t act of flip-flopper
Regarding “Despite record, Reed marriage shift major” (Metro, Jan. 9), let’s make one thing clear: Mayor Kasim Reed’s support for marriage equality is courageous leadership. When millions of Americans are looking to their elected officials to take a stand and do what’s right, PolitiFact and the AJC are dead wrong to call Mayor Reed a flip-flopper for being unafraid to evolve on this basic question of civil rights.
Marriage equality has majority support across this country today because the American people have been unafraid to make this same evolution. In just a decade, public opinion on this issue has turned from opposition to decisive support because Atlantans, Georgians and Americans have embraced gay and lesbian couples as neighbors, co-workers and friends. If Mayor Reed is a flip-flopper, millions of Americans are flip-floppers, too.
We’ve got enough politicians who think that leadership is about staking out a position and maintaining it, despite all evidence to the contrary. True leadership is looking at the facts and doing what’s right. Mayor Reed is a true leader. Others should be inspired to follow his example.
CHAD GRIFFIN, PRESIDENT, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
MILITARY SPENDING
In budget priorities,
defense comes first
The comments in “Military or welfare: Do we have choice?” (Opinion, Jan. 14) are correct. The Department of Defense should get the first dollars because if this department fails, the rest of the government’s departments will not matter. We will all suffer.
Europe can reduce military spending because they know we will help them militarily. We have many times in the past.
If the United States fails economically and is reduced to a second-class military power, the whole world will pay the price. There is no question that our superpower status is tied to our super economy. History has proved that the bad guys will always be waiting to exploit weakness and opportunity.
History is full of stories about bad guys that could have been stopped by minimal conflict, if action had been taken soon enough. History proves that the strategy of “little wars to stop big wars” works.
When the lights of freedom go out in America, they will surely go out over the whole world.
STUART MCCANLESS, OXFORD
