For-profit justice preys on weakest
The article, “Lives upended as judges push limits” (News, May 3), shows the underbelly of Georgia’s for-profit justice system where judges are shakedown artists backed up by private racketeers, all preying on the backs of those who are the weakest and defenseless members in our society. I mean, really: A Putnam County judge sentences a man burning leaves in his backyard (disabled, living in a shack, no income basically) $500 plus 12 months probation plus $44 a month for a for-profit probation company, all of which the man cannot pay. Now who in Georgia after reading this will be a Superman and stand up for truth, justice and the American way? I’ll find you a cape.
DAVID C. HOLMES, MARIETTA
Honor memory of GSU students
Many have been numbed by the dreadful consequences of a single driver’s actions in the aftermath of five Georgia Southern University nursing students’ deaths. While we are helpless to salvage the lives and prospective careers of these talented caregivers, we can give meaning to this awful wreck. Let us all vow to drive more carefully and drum that message home. We can utilize our emergency flashers when there is an unexpected stop, especially on a busy highway. Another great tool is the rear-view mirror. In unexpected stops, notice whether the driver in back of you is slowing. Additionally, we can refuse to tailgate and pull over when others do so. Law enforcement should immediately dispatch strobe-lit vehicles at points where cars are forced to slow or stop unexpectedly. If we can vow to insist on heightened vigilance, the GSU students will not have lost their lives in vain.
CARL T. CONE, SAVANNAH
Anti-Muslim group traffics in hatred
The American Freedom Defense Initiative claims it is dedicated to protecting American ideals, yet it paints a picture of hatred and opposition. When two men who opened fire outside a contest for Prophet Muhammad cartoons in Texas were shot dead by police Sunday night, AFDI took a stand once again. As a human rights organization, it promotes freedom of speech with the use of blasphemy. Initiating a hate event has a shocking outcome. By defending their ideals, AFDI fails to recognize the true ideals of Islam. Spreading violence creates violence. Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. As a Muslim, I condemn this attack, just as much as I condemn blasphemy laws. This hate event is a way to mock another religion, spread hatred and eventually result in violence.
MEHWISH PALL, LAWRENCEVILLE
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