Gun deaths story mangled statistics
Your article (“Georgia’s gun deaths,” News, May 10) is a major twist of statistics on the front page just to sell papers. A review of your article’s front page graph shows the major emphasis should have been the dramatic drop in motor vehicle deaths and not the focus on gun deaths. Gun deaths, your graph shows have hardly changed over 10 years while the population has grown over that same period. I am sorry, but this misleading emphasis suggests you are joining that editorial group that wants all guns removed from individuals’ hands!
RALPH MARION, SANDY SPRINGS
Simple test to define ‘thug’
Your headline read: (“‘Thug:’ factual description or racial code?,” News, May 11). The question can be answered with a simple test. Would you call a white person “thug” if they behaved the same way as the black person you’re referring to? Suppose, let’s say, that groups of young whites invented a vicious pastime called “The Knockout Game,” and went around randomly sucker-punching people of a different race just for the fun of it — hurting some of them so badly that they were hospitalized, damaged for life, or killed. Would you call those whites “thugs,” or would you refer to them euphemistically as “teens” and “youths” to disguise their race? The answer is clear, is it not? I suggest you use this simple, reliable test to judge all future references to race.
JOE WILLIAMS, DOUGLASVILLE
Gun, auto deaths about more than data
Alan Judd’s article (“Georgia gun deaths,” News, May 10) is interesting and shows how far automotive technology has come to protect us from ourselves. Many, if not most, car-related deaths come from foolish and careless people either driving while impaired or distracted. Similarly, many gun-related deaths come from the same sort of circumstances, as was the case in the tragic death of Mr Martinez.
Of course, the article is presented in a way to support the anti-gun agenda of the left by insinuating that gun deaths are increasing, which is not true. Using federal census population estimates for 2003, the gun death rate was .000134. In 2013, it was .000126 — a slight, but not significant, decrease! Keep in mind the areas with the highest rate of gun ownership have the lowest crime rate.
Maybe someday we can figure out a way to protect us from ourselves in relation to guns. Quality driver training would further decrease the auto death rate and quality firearm training would do the same for the gun death rate.
W.C. LANG JR., M.D., MARIETTA
Race conversation still needed
When United States came into being as a Democratic Republic and as a slaveholding country, it was no doubt a monumental mistake. However, even after a Civil War over 150 years ago, the question of race is still with us in 2015. Until this country can sit down and have a serious, honest discussion on race, the problem will never be resolved.
As our great President Abraham Lincoln quoted ” A House divided against itself, can not stand.” Which can still be translated today that as a nation we can no longer afford to be divided over race. This weakens us as a powerful country and emboldens such barbaric terrorist groups like ISIS to increase their inhumane violence against us.
GEORGE CAMBLE, ACWORTH
Current income tax is wrongly imposed
The income tax, as it is currently imposed, runs afoul of the equal protection clause contained in the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment was passed to enforce uniformity in the treatment of the citizens by their respective states. But the federal and state governments have violated that noble notion by imposing an unequal income tax. Supporting a Fair Tax and getting rid of the income tax will remove this legal inconsistency not unlike how our Civil War removed the inconsistency between freedom and slavery.
CHUCK NORTON JR., ALPHARETTA
About the Author
