Fredi Gonzalez was sacrificial lamb
A few thoughts about Fredi Gonzalez being fired. There is a school of thought that says that he was doomed to failure in managing the Braves.
Over many, many years of following sports, TV, radio, and newspapers, I have seen that the immediate successor of the living legends, like Bobby Cox — more often than not — stick their noses in the dirt. I have seen many hypothetical reasons for this, almost as many as the legends. Think about it. Bear Bryant, Wally Butts, Bobby Dodd, Shug Jordan, Vince Dooley, Bobby Bowden, Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Walter Alston, Connie Mack, John McGraw, Casey Stengel, and yes, Bobby Cox. The list is too long to show here. How many of their immediate successors went on to great success at their first attempt to follow the legend? Some had success later, at other places. Good luck Fredi. Maybe Snit can pull off a miracle.
The three Johns could not fire the 25-man roster for not playing, so they fired the manager. Fred, I didn’t see you make an error, or miss a tag, or throw a home run ball in your tenure as manager of the Braves. Somebody had to be the sacrificial lamb, and you were it.
BILL MANGUM, DECATUR
Illegal students not more deserving than citizens
I hate to rain on the picnic, however, I cannot celebrate the Peachtree Ridge High School student’s acceptance to Harvard University along with scholarship money (“Undocumented student reaches college dream,” News, May 14). First, please dispense with the PC term “undocumented.” She is here illegally; thus is an illegal immigrant. Second, I can envision a natural-born U.S. citizen student being denied entrance to Harvard because this illegal immigrant filled his/her spot. I can imagine a natural-born citizen taking honors classes and achieving a GPA above 4.0 as well as participating in sports, cheerleading, drama club, Key club, the Honor Society, etc. The illegal student is not more deserving and should not be allowed to cut in line ahead of U.S. citizens. If Harvard wants to let her in as an accomplished student of her native country, fine. But not as a replacement for a deserving U.S. citizen student.
P.D. GOSSAGE, JOHNS CREEK
Public transport can improve air quality
Code orange! Yes, we will suffer many of those days in the coming summer, according to Mark Arum, The Gridlock Guy. How can we diminish these difficult days? In addition to car pooling, bicycling, and walking, we can take public transportation. MARTA is much more dependable, fast, safe, and pleasant than some imagine. It is by far the quickest and most efficient way into the center city, and much less expensive than driving and parking. According to a study by Emory’s School of Public Health, there are many fewer children’s hospitalizations caused by asthma when morning and evening gridlock are reduced. We need to implement a carbon fee on fossil fuels with a dividend to all households. This would stimulate the economy while improving air quality. Our health and well-being are dependent on this. For the sake of our children and grandchildren we must address this problem now.
KATHERINE MITCHELL, ATLANTA
Clinton not a friend of the unborn
The 17 April issue of the AJC published a letter (“‘Personhood’ is a slippery slope”) from a writer claiming that use of the word “personhood” by “anti-abortion” people is a “slippery slope.’ Hillary Clinton, one of the most powerful and influential women in public life, has said — clearly and publicly in an apparent reference to “personhood” — that “unborn persons ” do not have “Constitutional rights.” The AJC, which often calls attention to its purpose of informing readers of what they need to know, surely realizes how important it is for the readers to know Mrs. Clinton’s stated beliefs.
MARGARET DUCKWORTH, TUCKER
