NATURAL DISASTER
Aid to Philippines is
no political diversion
President Obama included in a recent speech a reference to our aid to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Critics may think the aid reference was a diversion to take away focus on the slow start of Obamacare. I think it was newsworthy, and needed to be said.
Typhoon Haiyan has destroyed cities and roads and killed and injured many people. The U.S. military can handle the most difficult logistics and get food, water and medicine to Filipinos in areas that are hard to reach. This large humanitarian mission will help those suffering people.
The U.S. has had a great relationship with the Philippines over many decades, and our assistance will help them get stabilized so they can start rebuilding those areas hardest hit by this storm. We are going to need a friend in that area of the world for many decades to come, and this aid mission shows we are serious about helping a country after one of the most devastating storms they have ever seen.
WILLIAM MCKEE JR., FLOWERY BRANCH
COBB STADIUM
Teams get new homes,
but not homeless folks
I am writing to express appreciation for Kyle Wingfield’s recent column, “Atlanta’s new symbol: a stadium rising from ashes” (Opinion, Nov. 14).
I appreciate his column, because I also wonder why it appears to be necessary to build a new home for the various Atlanta sports teams every 17 to 20 years. The question I have is, Why are we so willing to find the resources to build new homes for our sports teams, who are not homeless, but can never seem to find the resources to address the plight of the homeless throughout metro Atlanta? Maybe it’s because they can never bring us a championship.
It seems to me that if we were as determined to address the plight of the homeless as we are to address the needs of our sports teams, we might win a championship in human rights long before we win one in the sports arena.
MARVIN FRANK THOMAS SR., ATLANTA
Braves are moving to
better surroundings
Regarding the Braves’ move to Cobb County, there is just one point I haven’t seen mentioned. During TV broadcasts of games, stations like to pan around the stadium and show beautiful surroundings. One does not have to look far from Turner Field to see abandoned buildings or barred windows. The Cobb Galleria area will be pretty nice to see.
JIM PHILPOT, MARIETTA
ELITISM
Elected officials want
to privatize everything
We have private communities, private schools, private clubs, private planes and now, private express lanes on our highways. Democracy is evolving into plutocracy — and our elected officials are facilitating the transition.
JAMES C. COOMER, NORCROSS
