GLOBAL HUNGER
We feed the world but refuse to help our own
I read with interest the pieces by Wayne Lord and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson on how Georgia is leading the way in fighting hunger and striving for a more healthy and safe world (“Toward a healthy, safe world,” Opinion, June 20, and “Georgia is key in fighting world hunger,” Opinion, June 20).
Lord claims Atlanta is helping position America as the global health leader. Both he and Isakson talk about the fact that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are located in Atlanta. But they don’t mention our state has one of the highest uninsured populations in the country and is refusing to avail itself of benefits provided by the Affordable Care Act to help address this sad situation. Talk about looking at things through “rose-colored glasses.”
There are some good things happening in Georgia in terms of helping fight world problems and injustices. That should certainly be celebrated. But we are seemingly unwilling to address some of the problems residents are experiencing here in our own backyards. Wouldn’t remedying some of those problems be more convincing proof of our leadership?
FRANK S. LOULAN, JONESBORO
RELIGION
Group admits failure in aim to ‘change gays’
Exodus International, the original “change gays” organization, is reportedly shutting down. They clearly have been a dismal failure. Exodus leaders issued an apology for the misery and pain they caused to so many gay people over many years. To make it worse, Exodus inflicted the pain under the guise of Christianity.
Shouldn’t Chick-fil-A now apologize for sending corporate money to support this organization? I suggest they redirect their dollars to local gay outreach ministries of the fully inclusive Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
BOB GIBELING, ATLANTA
AFGHANISTAN
Why do we tolerate nation’s opium trade?
Amid the debacle of talks between the U.S., Afghanistan and the Taliban, has no one thought about the massive growing fields of opium poppies that provide huge income to the underworld? The U.S. has allowed drug lords — and governmental officials on the take — to benefit from that awful trade for all of the years we’ve been there fighting to save their necks, at a great price of American blood.
That opiate trade has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban and corrupt officials — yet we have not destroyed those fields and converted the locals to another way of farming.
When we are gone, that illicit (and very profitable) trade will still haunt us.
BOB THOMAS, CUMMING
