POLITICS
GOP state officials still don’t ‘get’ citizens
Georgia Republicans seem to not understand (or just don’t care) about the level of frustration and dissatisfaction currently felt by voters who view themselves as moderate to conservative (“House GOP meets, sets speaker vote,” Metro, Dec. 12). House Majority Leader Jerry Keen’s comments of “like a family ... air some things out” and his being impressed by the “commitment ... to continue the policies we’ve done in the past” indicate loudly and clearly that they just “don’t get it.”
The former speaker’s disgraceful actions present the remaining Republican representatives a real opportunity to restore citizen confidence in the state’s legislative processes. This can be done only with full public disclosure.
Tom McBrayer, Peachtree City
POLITICS
Tucker doesn’t get U.S. devotion to freedom
In “Here’s why Obama won Nobel” (Opinion, Dec. 13), Cynthia Tucker states the opinion that President Obama is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. One of the qualifications she cites is his refusal to perpetuate the myth of American exceptionalism. There is not now, nor has there ever been, a nation so devoted to the freedom of all mankind. If that won’t qualify as exceptional for her, might I suggest that Delta is ready when Tucker is.
Richard Manross, Lilburn
ENVIRONMENT
Climate scientists see only what they want
Jay Bookman’s dismissal of “Climategate” e-mails uses the straw man argument that climate researchers aren’t acting like a secret society (“Global warming ‘plot’ from trashy novel,” Opinion, Dec. 11). Few skeptics say they are.
Instead, what the climate scientists have been doing is acting just like the Bush/Cheney team regarding Iraq’s purported “weapons of mass destruction.”
They, like Bush, are so convinced of the righteousness of their cause that they see only what they want to see. With climate change, we are being told we must adopt changes costing trillions.
And regardless of whatever happens, we can expect the climate alarmists to “adjust’’ the data to show the world is ending.
Tom Lyttle, Decatur
PUBLIC SAFETY
Perhaps older drivers need to prove selves
Re “Police cite ‘driver error’” (Metro, Dec. 11): Yes, this is a tragedy, and I am certain the driver feels remorse.
However, the larger question is at what age should a citizen not be allowed to operate a 3,000-pound potentially deadly weapon on public streets?
While I don’t believe there should be a specific age when, for the safety of all (including the elderly driver), driving privileges should be revoked, there must be more accountability to demonstrate a driver possesses enough skills to continue driving.
Perhaps, in the next session of our Legislature, the committee for public safety can revisit driving qualifications for those past a certain age — and establish a method to better demonstrate one’s ability to handle the privilege of driving.
Michael L. Shaw, Stone Mountain
