Fed officials have forgotten oaths
The shooting in Virginia on June 13 is tragic and our thoughts are with those involved, although one could easily argue this toxic environment was created by Donald Trump. However, during a crisis, the majority of Americans stand together even when it may only be for a brief moment.
Over the last several weeks, Sen. John McCain disrespectfully interrupted Sen. Kamala Harris on multiple occasions. What Sen. Harris was pointing out is there is no legal justification for the witnesses not answering the questions. The private communications with the president were not subject to “executive privilege” because President Trump hasn’t invoked it; and even if he did, it is not applicable during a criminal investigation.
And this is why top White House officials refused to answer under oath about the conversations they had with President Trump. Nonetheless, under a subpoena and if held in contempt; all of them would have to eventually answer the questions. Unfortunately, these top officials have forgotten their oath to serve the Constitution and its people.
JAMES L. NOBLES, ZEBULON
Removal of Cobb statue a terrible slight
The furies have descended on the Atlanta Braves. SunTrust Park has proven to be a tremendous hitters park which will make for exciting baseball, but will hurt the Braves whose historic success has been built on great pitching with the likes of Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux. Prized prospect Dansby Swanson has struggled. Finally, Freddie Freeman broke his wrist. What’s going on? Simply put, the baseball gods are punishing the Braves for the disrespect they have shown Ty Cobb. The Braves are suffering from the curse of Ty Cobb’s statue. Cobb was the greatest product of the state of Georgia to ever play Major League Baseball. Cobb was one of the greatest big leaguers ever. Cobb was easily in a class with Hank Aaron. The Braves thought enough of Cobb to erect a statue of Cobb at Turner Field. Then, inexplicably, the Cobb statue was sent away from Atlanta and not moved to SunTrust Park. This was a tremendous slight to the memory of Cobb.
WALTER KEITH, BROOKHAVEN
Media-aired rhetoric contributes to angry climate
An angry, cowardly socialist came out — guns blazing — to pick off Republican lawmakers participating in a softball practice. Wednesday night, after the horrendous attack, a 7 p.m. news anchor said,”Maybe it’s time to tamp down the angry rhetoric.” He, who has been ramping it up every night since the 2016 election campaign; that’s “chutzpah.”
Will the liberal-leaning media own any responsibility for this rancid rhetoric?
BARBARA KRASNOFF, ROSWELL
AMA committed to ending sexual harassment
The American Medical Association has a strong commitment to eliminating sexual harassment, discrimination and physician misconduct. As workplaces and technology evolve, so too must the specifics of our policies. Behavior that constitutes sexual harassment is unethical and unlawful.
Last year’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution series on physician misconduct highlighted troubling instances of sexual contact. For decades, the AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics – the foundational document for America’s physicians – has made clear that sexual contact or sexual relations between physicians and patients are unethical and detrimental to a patient’s well-being.
At our upcoming Annual Meeting, the AMA will consider new proposals to extend sexual harassment policies beyond the physician office and beyond the AMA’s own employees, to cover all attendees of AMA meetings – physicians and all others – wherever the AMA convenes to conduct business. This new policy bolsters our commitment to highest ethical conduct for physicians.
Rooting out instances of unethical or criminal behavior within the profession is a vital job of state-run systems of physician oversight and regulation. Guided by our Code of Medical Ethics, we will continue to work toward those ends.
Preserving patient trust and safety is of paramount importance to the AMA and the overwhelming number of physicians who behave ethically in their care of patients and interactions with their colleagues.
PATRICE HARRIS, M.D., OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
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