Evil, not guns, is to blame for deaths
The tragedy in Charleston is beyond description in its horror. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of that church and the whole community. Much has been written and said blaming this slaughter on guns and Confederate flags and monuments. None of this blame has been placed where it belongs, on the evil in the heart of man.
To blame firearms, firearms manufacturers and gun dealers for mass shootings is like blaming the silverware on your dining table for obesity. A firearm is an inanimate machine that requires at least two actions to function — to be loaded and then fired. The man in Charleston knew a church was most probably a “gun free” zone where he was not subject to be shot doing his evil killing. This man’s dedication to a flag or monument could not be blamed for the evil in his heart. If this man were to follow a flag, it would probably have a swastika on it.
The antidote for this kind of action is to reinstate the value of a family that stays and prays together, and teaches children the difference between right and wrong.
WILLIAM P. MANGUM JR., DECATUR
Barnes legacy as governor lives on
Everybody is talking about how many years ago Georgia, wisely and forthrightly, removed the Dixie Bars from the state flag. People forget that 15 years ago, Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes had to use executive action against vocal opposition to do so.
Many believe that’s why Barnes received the 2003 Profile of Courage Award. Or was it because he signed an order that banned all lobbyist gifts to the 56,000 employees working in the state’s executive branch? Or was it because he established the Child Advocate Office within Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services after the death of a 5-year-old in the state’s supervision? Or was it because, over extreme opposition, he advocated eliminating tenure for newly hired teachers and the social passing of students?
Over 15 years ago, in just four years, Gov. Barnes made sweeping positive reforms.
BILL WILSON, MARIETTA
Condemn racism at every level
Good going, Mary Sanchez. I don’t think I’ve seen a more honest column (“We have a name for this problem, and it is racism,” Opinion, June 23) about whites pretending they don’t understand racism in America. You’re correct: racist politics, just as racism itself, is as Obama noted recently “part of the DNA” of this nation’s history. And you’re correct again: The consternation of these politicians is feigned, and if it’s not, they should leave politics for being dangerously clueless.
LEE R. HAVEN, STONE MOUNTAIN
