EDUCATION
Response to “Hard Work 101 for today’s youth.” Opinion, May 22
Regarding “Hard Work 101 for today’s youth” (Opinion, May 22), today’s unemployment problems have fallen hardest on those without a college education, and most of the uninsured fall into this same category. Fast food, manual labor and retail jobs don’t include health benefits (nor do they support a family). A college degree still leads to higher-paying jobs and promotions, which in turn lead to greater lifetime incomes.
While Abe Lincoln may not have needed a college degree, I doubt that anyone could aspire to the White House without one today, and the chances of becoming the next Shakespeare are probably no better than the chances of becoming the next Hank Aaron.
I am a baby boomer, and I have a psychology degree that led to a master’s degree in counseling. Neither of my two college-educated children is living in the basement — nor are they afraid of hard work or long hours (although they do aspire to more than a low-paying, dead-end job).
Adrienne Mintz, Marietta
POLAND
Flourishing democracy welcomes U.S. interest
As Poland’s honorary consul to the state of Georgia, I was most interested to read “Consulates feel right at home” (Business, May 22). In addition to focusing on business and trade, Poland very much desires to promote undergraduate and graduate school faculty and student exchanges between Poland and Georgia, especially (though certainly not exclusively) in the metro Atlanta area. In this regard, UPS has already agreed to sponsor two Polish master’s degree candidates at Georgia Tech.
Poland is a flourishing democracy that welcomes American investment. The workforce is well-educated and possesses a strong work ethic. English is widely spoken. Poland is one of the most pro-American countries in the world. We welcome questions and interest about Poland, and about Polish-Georgian relations. R. Lawrence Ashe Jr., Atlanta
POLITICS
Chambliss deserves credit ... and criticism
Cynthia Tucker’s criticism of the tea party and fiscal conservatives for attacking Sen. Saxby Chambliss for negotiating with Democrats is half right and half wrong (“GOP fringe eat their own,” Opinion, May 22).
On the right hand, Chambliss and his gang have not produced any proposal and he should be applauded for working with the Democrats to try to come up with something that will solve the potentially disastrous problems. On the wrong hand, Chambliss’ statements that his group will not raise taxes (but instead raise revenues) is disingenuous. Anything that raises revenue for the government is a tax increase.
For the U.S. economy to remain strong and the U.S. military to continue to be the strongest military in the world, the laws of economics and finance demand that the vast majority of change necessary to fix our system come from spending cuts. Unfortunately, many people do not understand this fact. Allen Buckley, Smyrna
MIDDLE EAST
True peace requires more than borders
Regarding “Palestinians, Israelis divided on U.S. stance” (News, May 22), President Barack Obama’s speech, unfortunately, follows a common pattern: Israel is asked to take concrete steps in return for promises that will easily be left unfulfilled. But the Muslim world’s problem with Israel is not about borders. It is about the Muslim world’s refusal to tolerate a non-Muslim state in the Middle East.
There can’t be true peace until anti-Jewish incitement is ended; until the Palestinians descended from the Arabs who fled the 1948 war are told they will be rehabilitated in whatever Palestinian state is eventually established.
True peace should mean that Jews could be full citizens of Palestine, just as Muslims and Christians have full citizenship in Israel. True peace must mean that efforts to deligitimize and destroy Israel will cease. Toby F. Block, Atlanta
SOCIETY
We’re doomed to die, so give your life meaning
I enjoyed your humorous story on the end of the world prediction that failed (“It’s not the end of the world — really,” News, May 22).
From there, I went on to read the rest of the news — world, national, local and the obituaries. I realized that, for many thousands of people, the world actually did end on May 21. At some point in the not-too-distant future, the world will abruptly end for each and every one of us.
Time is fleeting. Life is startlingly short. Perhaps this failed prediction should make us reflect on that and ask ourselves if we are living our lives as we want to and should. And if the answer is “no,” we should earnestly try to correct that, before our own end of the world arrives — as it most surely will. James W. Harris, Rydal
CAMPAIGNING
Sparkling prose in a jewel of a column
Concerning Ruth Marcus’ column on Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (“Scrutiny comes with the territory,” Opinion, May 25): If the columnist is paid by the word, her columns are very good.
But if being succinct is a virtue, her tiny last paragraph, “It’s hard to say no to a spouse. It’s even harder when you say no — and he outs you in a press release,” is a gem. Franklyn E. Dailey Jr., Alpharetta
