RELIGION
God bless the America that respects all faiths
We are all God’s children.
A few years ago, as a Methodist minister preaching in a Catholic church in Chicago, I helped celebrate the birthday of a Baptist preacher named Martin Luther King Jr. and led the congregation in prayer for a seriously ill Muslim imam.
A few weeks later, at a celebration marking the 1965 march to Montgomery, I watched as a Muslim congressman clapped and swayed with the crowd at an Alabama church, singing familiar songs like “Leaning on Everlasting Arms.” A U.S. senator was also in the congregation that day, less than a year before he went on to become president of the United States.
Earlier this month, that same Muslim congressman wept openly at a congressional hearing called to cast doubt on his patriotism and that of other members of the Muslim faith. The warm fellowship and tenor of the services in Chicago and Selma reflected the spirit of the America I love.
The congressional hearing in the nation’s Capitol did not.
THE Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, Atlanta
SECOND AMENDMENT
Why guns in more places is a loaded issue
Many of our state senators thought it would be a good idea to expand the number of places that citizens who have concealed-weapons permits would be allowed to carry their firearms. Many people seem to think that gun deaths will decrease if “law-abiding” citizens with guns are allowed in more places — to supposedly protect themselves and everyone else. Practically speaking, this seems logistically impossible.
In Georgia, no training is required to obtain these permits. If someone feels it necessary to whip out his or her gun to “protect” his or her family or others in a potentially violent situation, where will the bullets land? How will law enforcement arriving on the scene know who the criminal is? These are hugely important questions that have not been answered by those who believe such expanded firearms permissions are necessary. Dee-Jay Beard, Decatur
HEALTH CARE
Real pain is surging cost of medical insurance
Let’s be honest about what really needs to be reformed. It’s not health care. It’s health insurance. Health insurance premiums have gone up every year for the past five years. This cannot continue.
Health insurance companies provide an essential public service (just as the government provides police protection, firefighting and education). What do you think the reaction would be to a 10 percent tax increase every year for five years? I would argue health care is the most important public service for all citizens. You may not need a police officer, a firefighter or a teacher during the course of a year, but I would guess most people will need to see a doctor or a health care professional every year. That need is not always met if you can’t afford insurance. Everyone needs it, and everyone should pay into it.
If the current reform gets shot down, I believe a complete government takeover of health care will be the only direction this country can take. We simply cannot keep up with increasing premiums.
Sonya Roberts, Dacula
