POLITICS
GOP should listen
to voters’ message
I offer some observations from a life-long (but very disillusioned) Republican, regarding lessons for the GOP establishment to learn from the whipping they received in the 2012 presidential election.
Soften the stance of partisan politics.
Find a candidate who does not represent the super-rich, who is charismatic, and has a Hollywood-type draw.
Be aware that Republicans and Democrats both have (potentially) much to fear from an anti-incumbent movement when it comes to future House and Senate elections.
DENNIS C. BROWN, VILLA RICA
Obama won support
making big promises
The result of the 2012 presidential election is no surprise, when you consider the number of people who receive a portion of their sustenance from the federal government.
Politicians have found they can be re-elected by promising more than they can deliver — and in this election, the person who promised the most with the most convincing rhetoric was President Obama.
Unless the president retreats from his extreme ideology, the next four years will be the same as the previous four — and high unemployment, crushing debt and continued dependence on foreign oil will be a way of life for a majority of the American people.
TOM GAMBESKI, JASPER
MIDDLE EAST PEACE
Abbas hasn’t changed
stance on Palestinians
Regarding “Abbas remarks rile Palestinians” (News, Nov. 5), Mahmoud Abbas has not changed his position. He still calls for a right of return. Nor is he an outspoken proponent of a negotiated settlement.
The tragedy of the Palestinian people is that three generations have been kept poor and stateless; fed a constant diet of anti-Jewish invective, and trained and armed to kill Israelis. In contrast, Jews expelled from their homes throughout North Africa and the Middle East were absorbed and uplifted by Israel.
The road to true peace begins with acceptance of the fact that Israel cannot be forced to grant citizenship to millions who are hostile to the existence of a Jewish state.
TOBY F. BLOCK, ATLANTA
HURRICANE SANDY
Latest storms, drought
are calls to take action
Now, it’s personal.
Hurricane Sandy drove my daughter, a graduate student at NYU, from her apartment in lower Manhattan. Fortunately, she found shelter with a friend in Brooklyn. She was one of the lucky ones.
How many of us in Georgia have relatives and friends whose lives have been disrupted, even devastated, by Hurricane Sandy? How many of us have connections to the millions affected by recent, severe drought?
It’s time for us to stop denying the effects of climate change, and to demand action. The simplest way to begin is to put a price on carbon fuels that reflects their true external costs. The free market cannot work effectively to guide responsible choices unless these costs are reflected in the price.
PETER SEDERBERG, ATLANTA
Georgia Power crews
aid NY storm victims
I wanted to thank the hard workers of Georgia Power for traveling to the northeastern United States and restoring power to the people there.
My Aunt Ann in New York was without power and heat for six days, and she is now warm again. The trucks and workers who came to assist her in her town were from Georgia Power.
THOMAS SMITH, ATLANTA
