Let children learn at Fernbank forest
I read the article on the Fernbank forest closure (“Old-growth forest in middle of new fight,” Living, June 12) and attended the Good Growth DeKalb meeting to hear the two sides. We say put kids first, teach a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) curriculum, and make strong public/private partnerships. Yet we deny children an educational experience by closing the forest for the last two years and extending the closing further while “invasive species” are managed.
This task should not prohibit education. Where is the leadership to reach an equitable solution? Elected officials espouse ideals of academic enrichment, health and exercise; where are they? There should be a restoration of the partnership between Fernbank Science Center and Fernbank Museum. Expose children to nature’s beauty, and they will grow up to appreciate the environment and learn to love, care and preserve it.
ROSAMOND DEWART, DECATUR
Police need drug kits to save lives
Congratulations to the leadership of Holly Springs and to their police for preparing all their officers with drug overdose kits and the first to do so in the state of Georgia. As a result, they saved a life recently with one of these kits, recommended by one of their own who had lost her child to drug-induced asthma. What are the rest of our communities going to do? Sandy Springs, wake up.
RALPH MARION, SANDY SPRINGS
Stay out of other, backward nations
I remember when Donald Rumsfeld’s “Shock and Awe” was introduced to get rid of Saddam Hussein and bring about a democratic Iraq. I discussed with a friend that morning our belief that imposing our way on countries whose histories bear very little similarity to ours cannot be successful. I recall saying that within 10 years of the U.S. and other nations pulling troops out of Iraq, the country would be right back where it was before we decided to “fix” it. I said the same thing about Afghanistan.
After the Soviet Union went broke spending 10 years bombing them back into the Stone Age, they discovered Afghanistan had hardly left the Stone Age in many ways. Please let’s get out and stay out of countries that have shown the world they want to be the way they are. Let’s focus on fixing our country.
HARRIS GOTTLIEB, DUNWOODY
