Liberal columnist stumbles on his own hypocrisy
Paul Krugman addressed a variety of issues in a recent column (Opinion, March 5). While I am not a big fan of his ultra-liberal views and opinions, I did found this column interesting while agreeing with many of his points. However, when I got to the last point that our electoral college system “is in effect rigged in favor of the Republicans,” I could not help but laugh. Mr. Krugman is the same person who makes fun of President Trump for saying various systems in the U.S. are “rigged,” and here he is using the same term. It sure makes him seem very hypocritical, at the least.
WAYNE WALKLEY, MARIETTA
Retired teacher says guns in schools are folly
As a retired teacher with 30 years of high school classroom experience, I am appalled by the idea of teachers “packin’” guns. I once had a ninth-grade student tell me he wanted to do his research paper on cases where teenagers killed their parents. A call to his father led to information about his being in psychiatric treatment for other issues, but not homicidal tendencies. I also told him his son never did his homework for my class. The next day at the start of class, I asked my kids to put their homework out. He didn’t, so I went directly to his desk and said, “Where is your homework?” He gave me an evil sort of smile and said, “I have it.” Then he reached into the long duffel bag he was using as a book bag and started shuffling the contents around. It immediately flashed in my mind that he was going to pull out a weapon. I imagined throwing myself on him and the bag. Gospel truth! My gun would have been nowhere handy.
MELISSA B. ANDERSON, MARIETTA
Bill would create less-secure ballot system
Unless the House votes against Senate Bill 403 (the paper ballots bill), Georgia is poised to waste tens of millions of dollars on a less secure, hackable voting system. This is not a system creating pre-printed paper ballots which voters mark for the candidates of their choice. SB 403 proposes potentially hackable machines printing out a paper receipt, not a paper ballot. The distinction is great. The receipt shows only your selections coded into unreadable bar codes; if you voted for five candidates, your receipt has five bar codes. Bar codes cannot be read by humans. Was your vote for candidate “A” coded instead for candidate “B”? Hand-countable paper ballots, with limited risk audits, in 2018 is a cheaper and, most importantly, more secure voting system. SB 403 will stick Georgians with a vulnerable, expensive voting system into the 2030s.
C.J. LIBBEY, JOHNS CREEK
Delta/Gold Dome flap shows Big Brother’s alive, well
Of all the happenings in this great nation the past few weeks, the one that most appalls me is the decision of the Georgia Legislature to punish Delta Air Lines for severing its ties with the NRA. It is a $50 million punishment. An independent company (Delta) decides simply not to offer perks to a particular nonprofit organization (NRA), and the government decides it is appropriate to punish it for that action. One has to ask, why is the government interfering? All that Republican talk of "smaller government" comes to this. Evidently if you're doing business in Georgia, you must extend perks to the NRA. Businesses of Georgia, take note: Big Brother is looking over your shoulder to make sure you are supporting the right nonprofit. Delta, you have my business.
CHRIS ALBERT, LEBANON JUNCTION, KY.
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