MIDDLE EAST
Recent attacks prove ‘truce’ means nothing
There is nothing surprising in the latest actions of Hamas (“World in brief,” News, Aug. 23).
Hamas uses the term “truce” to fool the world into pressuring Israel to not respond to attacks on Israeli citizens. The announcement of a truce by no means indicates that Hamas will end its terrorist activities. This week’s attacks show that the truce has been broken.
Toby F. Block, Atlanta
SOCIAL SECURITY
If you invested in system, you should get a return
Regarding “Despite classification, it’s our hard-earned money” (Readers write, Opinion, Aug. 24), the people who did pay into the Social Security system are entitled to a return of their money.
Unfortunately, the Social Security administration loaned out funds not needed for immediate payments.
If you take loans out of your 401(k) plan each year and do not pay them back, when you retire, you will have no funds.
We should have chosen better leadership in the past to correct this house of cards before its collapse.
Future generations have no obligation to support the previous generation’s foolish decisions and mistakes.
George Scott, Smyrna
Meet the criteria, you’ll get the benefit
I wish to disagree with recent writers who have asserted that Social Security and Medicare are not entitlement programs. They are.
Entitlement programs have two main characteristics. You are entitled to get a benefit if you meet the stated criteria at the time you apply.
Also, there is no budget cap on how much will be spent on benefits.
No matter how dire the economy or how strained the government’s budget may be, if you meet the eligibility requirements, you will receive the benefit due you.
The term, “entitlement program” has become very distasteful to many. Unfortunately, the term seems to have become understood as “useless, give-away foolishness to undeserving people.”
It also means that no eligible child, veteran, blind or disabled person or eligible senior citizen will be denied benefits just because someone put the economy in the toilet.
Jeff Coghill, Atlanta
POLITICS
Time for president to step up and lead
Why would a person put up with the trials and tribulations the way the U.S. president has?
It’s great to be a compromising person, but only if you are dealing with people who are willing to compromise (and are rational).
If they are not willing to compromise, it is necessary to go into your fighting mode.
For the sake of the country and all that is important to this great nation, the president must awake, and see that attempting to compromise almost got us into default.
It takes a strong person to compromise, but when it becomes necessary to lead by strong example, the president must step forward — and not give in to those who only want to see his demise.
David Clarke, Buford
