MEDIA
Thank you, AJC staff, for splendid pursuit of truth
The AJC deserves Atlanta’s praise, and our profession owes the AJC staff a Pulitzer Prize for its splendid investigative reporting of the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal.
In more than 45 years as a journalist (and as a presidential press officer), I have not seen a more outstanding example of a newspaper doing a better job.
The AJC withstood withering attacks as it pursued the truth about this scandal. Atlanta owes a special tribute to AJC staffers Heather Vogell, John Perry, Alan Judd, Kristina Torres, Laura Diamond, Jaime Sarrio, and the courageous editors and publishers who supported them. It was journalism at its very finest.
Tom Johnson, former chairman, CNN
YERKES
Primate research center should continue its work
We live in a dangerous world where planes crash and animals escape from research laboratories. The recent escape of a monkey from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Lawrenceville is unfortunate — but it is the price we pay to search for the cures for disease.
I had the good fortune to recently tour Yerkes and was impressed. We humans (and the nonhuman primates at Yerkes) share more than 98 percent of our genetic material. This means that the nonhuman primates are a great resource for testing diseases such as AIDS (which Yerkes is doing).
I understand the concerns of Yerkes’ neighbors when a nonhuman primate escapes, but not the desire to shut Yerkes down or move it somewhere else.
Howard Stacy, Atlanta
FEDERAL BUDGET
Hunger and poverty aren’t partisan issues
Some of the budget proposals in Congress are aimed at reducing our deficit on the backs of people who can least afford it. Deficit-reduction packages in the last 20 years have preserved programs that meet the needs of hungry and poor people. They save money by improving health and keeping children from dropping out of school. Millions of Americans live in households that have difficulty feeding their families. Yet, nutrition programs are on the chopping block.
Hunger and poverty are not partisan issues. We can be grateful that Sen. Saxby Chambliss is working across party lines to reduce the deficit. Sen. Johnny Isakson is seeking to keep effective foreign assistance programs. I hope all our senators and representatives will protect programs for poor and hungry people. It is the right thing to do, and it makes for better policy.
Charles Raynal, Decatur
POLITICS
To save nation, all of us ought to sacrifice
Cutting spending and closing tax loopholes to save trillions is a good start. I don’t understand all the vitriol being thrown at the administration. I am sure we all want to solve this issue and not leave it for future generations. I say everybody should sacrifice some.
The patriotic thing to do is chip in together. I don’t understand the willingness of the right wing to disparage experienced financial professionals and side with those who seem determined to take down the country.
Patricia Evans, Mountain Park
