Victimhood not limited to the Left
Mona Charen may have a point in deriding those who see America’s females as a “victim class” (“Progressives decide who is a sympathetic victim,” Opinion, April 6). However, she is not accurate in seeing this tendency as unique to “the left.” People across the political spectrum are quite capable or writing and talking as if women are a victim class. For example, in addressing the problem of unplanned pregnancies among teenagers, a columnist wrote, “The pressure boys place on girls is terrible.” The columnist’s name? Mona Charen.
DENISE NOE, ATLANTA
Bergdahl demands justice, not leniency
John Crisp’s op-ed (“Why Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl deserves some compassion,” Opinion, April 4) is way off base. Crisp blames the army for Bergdahl’s behavior because it creates an environment of isolation and turmoil. He states cases where a sailor suffered a panic attack, where a sailor jumped from a third floor, where a shipmate deserted in a foreign port and where a sailor jumped into the South China Sea as evidence. Mr. Crisp believes Bergdahl’s five years in the custody of the Taliban is punishment enough. The incidences that Crisp denotes only affect that particular person. What Crisp doesn’t say is that Bergdahl’s action affected many people. While searching for him, at least one soldier was killed. So, not only did Bergdahl desert his unit in the battlefield, he caused the death of a fellow soldier and put other soldiers at risk while trying to “rescue” him. Because of his actions and the results, the military must prosecute Bergdahl. If he is found guilty, he does not deserve leniency, he deserves justice.
MIKE VENTRY, SUWANEE
Clarifying Racial Profiling
Bill Torpy’s column (“1 bust, 5 bullets, 1 question, Is it worth it?”, Metro, March 18) article outlined my recovery after being shot in the line of duty while conducting a traffic stop on Feb. 4, 2014. In the article, Mr. Torpy mentions the racial profiling of “white dirt bags.” I would like to clarify that I do not racially profile anyone, or make assumptions as to whether or not someone is a “dirtbag.” I treat every individual with the benefit of doubt, and seek to protect the public through informing, rather than citing, fining, or arresting every person I come in contact with. I have never, and will never, base my actions or decisions on the color of someone’s skin, the amount of tattoos they have, or their appearance in general. Aside from the misconception about racial profiling, I think Mr. Torpy did a great job on the rest of the column, and outlined some key points that will help other officers, and the general public, understand what it takes to recover from an incident like this.
OFFICER C.A. VILL, COBB COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Pitts, as usual, misses the point
With his usual blinders in place, Leonard Pitts sees nothing but his one-sided view of our country, which is a shame (“150 years after Civil War, stitched-up union rolls on,” Opinion, April 5). He argues, column after column, that our country has made no progress in our ability to respect others’ rights. Has he looked at the many strides women have made? Has he bothered to see that blacks and Latinos have gained more rights than ever before? Has he looked at the many states that have made same-sex marriages legal? Can he acknowledge that our Congress is full of all of the aforementioned? In fact, the numbers of minorities of all races, creeds, sexual orientation, and gender makes this our most-diverse governing body in our history. But Pitts never seems to see progress and continues to whine, causing division instead of encouraging unity. Furthermore, he doesn’t seem to understand that the fight (in his words) in Arkansas and Indiana was not about marriage equality, but about not trampling on other people’s rights — something he proclaims to be fighting for.
LYLE SCHROEDER, CUMMING
