CUBA
Don’t block Hartsfield, citizens’ access to island
Atlanta is fortunate to be one of eight new cities added to the list of those with airports able to serve travelers to Cuba.
Under current rules, Cuban-Americans; religious delegations, academics; researchers, and business people seeking to sell agriculture products can travel to Cuba. They will now be able to use Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for their departures.
Atlanta’s status would be threatened, however, by a move by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to prevent new airports from serving the Cuban market. These senators oppose engagement between the U.S. and Cuba.
Such thinking has isolated our nation from Cuba for 50 years; failed to bring down the Castro government; prevented our citizens from engaging with the Cuban people, and restricted the rights of Americans to freely travel to Cuba.
All Americans should be allowed to travel to Cuba.
Sarah Stephens, executive director, Center for Democracy in the Americas
MIDDLE EAST
Time for America to step up against dictators
Elite dictatorships, whether bound by religion; royalty; military or tribal ties are becoming unbound. The youth — frustrated, disenfranchised and desperate — are taking to the streets in public protest against these self-serving, oppressive and negligent regimes. The youth are leading the fight, and pulling along their families. They step forward holding their nation’s flag, chanting their demands with weaponless hands.
More progress toward justice, respect and inclusion has been made in weeks than the martyred terror of the last several decades.
It now appears that these elite dictatorships recognize that they bring the wrath of international condemnation if they react with brutal force. They’ve begun to allot a “war” chest of billions of dollars to pay for silence and obedience. It’s laughable. This is President Obama’s moment. If the economic sucker punch of the recent recession was not his moment — this is.
What will America do? Will the desire and need for oil override our professed beliefs and international assertions — or will we rise to the occasion?
Douglas Lillifield, Norcross
EMPLOYMENT
Whither jobs, unions, and the middle class?
The big elephant in most American conversations and homes these days is, “where are the jobs, and when are they returning?” Ladies and gentlemen, I have news for you: most of the jobs we lost are not coming back, and those that do will be paying lower wages. Unions made the American middle class, but now the American middle class has almost vanished, as have unions. The American jobs are firmly entrenched in China and India now. Corporate America could not resist the cheap labor, absent pension and health care expenses, and lax environmental laws and enforcement.
The U.S. government did not stand up and go to bat for the American worker, but took corporate money and donations, and kept silent. Look at us now!
Raymond M. Brown, Marietta