EMPLOYMENT
Transgender firing is unAmerican
Re “Hired as a man; fired as a woman” (Metro, Nov. 9): I’m a 61-year-old white, male heterosexual. I know no transgender people. That said, I find the firing of Vandy Beth Glenn for any reason other than professional incompetence deplorable, and an affront to all who more than superficially value the basic tenets of American democracy. That she would be fired because she made her former boss “think about things [he didn’t] like to think about” is a travesty of workplace justice and plain ol’ common decency.
The problem was Sewell Brumby’s, not Glenn’s. When one person’s discomfort denies another’s valid and ethically defensible rights, the general core of national integrity and values shrinks. Is Glenn “different”? Who should care, and why should it matter? The tolerance of, regardless of agreement with, “difference” without illegality is an American cornerstone and is democratically honorable, desirable and necessary.
Sammy Parker, Alpharetta
ENVIRONMENT
Southern Co. CEO just defending blunders
Thank you for reporting on Southern Company CEO David Ratcliffe’s concerns on climate change legislation, and how it would affect the profitability of his company (“Southern CEO taking wait and see approach on climate change bill,” ajc.com, Nov. 9). He advocates for more time to comply with emissions standards. This is not a surprising stance, as the Southern Company is one of the biggest polluters in the United States. They have made major blunders by continuing to invest in coal-fired power plants when they knew that these are the single biggest source of carbon and mercury emissions.
Of course, a highly paid executive like Ratcliffe is going to defend his poor decisions to tie Southern Company profits to the dirtiest methods of generating electricity. What is surprising is that your article never mentioned the reality and immediacy of global climate disruption and mercury contamination.
Don McAdam, Atlanta
HEALTH CARE
Improve health costs, but resist socialism
Why don’t we just step back and look at what’s happening? This Obamacare is being rushed through at tremendous cost, and for what?
The vast majority of people are happy with their health care. (And those who don’t have insurance can go — by law — to any emergency room.) We could do a couple of things to improve the cost issue. Make insurance portable and available across state lines. This will improve competition and prices. Reform the tort system. Put some limits on payments and claims — but more importantly, make the system “loser pays.” These two things should improve the frivolous lawsuit problem. These won’t cure every problem, but they’ll make a big difference. Having done these, step back and review the situation again.
I believe that those who won’t take a deliberative, slower approach to almost 20 percent of the nation’s economy obviously want socialism, which will ruin the best country in the world. I don’t want that for my kids or my grandchildren. Wake up, America!
Michael Fowler, Dunwoody