Gender homicide review incomplete
The AJC PolitiFact article "Report correct on gender-based homicide" (News, Nov. 19) rating the truth of the claim that Georgia ranks ninth in the rate of women murdered by men is extremely misleading and so ultimately false. The examination of the Violence Policy Center's analysis is accurate. What's missing is the same analysis of men murdered by women. I've also seen the Violence Policy Center's numbers and looked at the FBI's supplemental homicide data. When you go to that website as the AJC has done, but instead look at single male victims of single women perpetrators, you find that Georgia ranks third in the nation for men killed by women. Further, Georgia has been climbing higher in the rankings of men killed by women — last year's analysis placed Georgia fifth. Georgia has been either declining of staying stable for women killed by men.
The assumptions behind an analysis of only women victims do not apply in 2014. The last CDC intimate partner violence survey found that 2.3 percent of women and 2.1 percent of men had experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner during the 12 months prior to the survey. Almost identical rates of men and women are experiencing severe physical violence. An AJC Truth-O-Meter pronouncing "true" a report on where Georgia ranks in rates of women killed by men — that ignores the rate of men being killed by women — is fundamentally "false."
MARK SHUMATE, ROSWELL
GOP: Do something with new powers
Now that Republicans will control both houses of Congress starting in January, they should reevaluate their approach to stymie Obama. They could listen to the American public and pass a popular immigration bill before Obama has to take executive action, and that way they would take the wind out of his sails. Come to think of it, they could do the same thing with the minimum wage, since most Americans are in favor of increasing it. Perhaps vote to reform tax law and ensure Social Security and Medicare are funded and protected. Maybe even work on civil rights to legalize gay marriage nationally. What a positive change that would all bring to the mood in the country, and they may even find it helps them have a shot at winning the White House in 2016.
TOM MCMANUS, ROSWELL
Christians sidelined over gay marriage
Irish statesman Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Christians do nothing, and same-sex marriage triumphs. American Christians ought to feel ashamed. The LGBT community has more faith in their cause than Christians have in the New Testament. The gospel of gay has outflanked the gospel of Christ. American Christians are being shock and awed into irrelevance. Apathy has replaced faith in Jesus. Greed has replaced hope. The collection plate has replaced the cross of Christ. Worldly lust has replaced spiritual love. Wolves have replaced the shepherds, and the sheep are still sheep.
KEVIN PALMER, MARTINEZ
