Anger
Societal distrust fans hostility
In my opinion, there are more reasons to explain today’s anger than the ones mentioned in “Why so mad?,” Living, Aug. 18.
Today there is a widespread loss of faith in the laws, lawmakers, peacekeepers, educational systems, as well as the Supreme Court. This is a recipe for discord and disaster when stirred into mudslinging and/or unethical politicians, disingenuous political correctness and crumbling traditional values. Then add worldwide cover ups and loss of personal privacy.
When people lose autonomy, malaise or hostility sets in. Many find no outlet for frustration and futility; thus producing angry citizens who drive too fast and shoot too soon.
BARBARA KRASNOFF, ROSWELL
Raising minimum wage is no biggie
The letter writer who thinks that the cost of a combo meal will rise from $8 to $11 if fast food workers receive a 22 percent minimum wage hike is wrong. “High minimum wage raises prices too,” Readers Write, Aug. 17.
I estimate it takes a staff of about 5 to serve about 60 meals per hour. If their wages rise less than $3 per hour (from $7.25 to $10.10), the store only has to charge at most $15 an hour more to cover the raise.
Over 60 meals, that’s 25 cents per meal, tops. You can quibble with my estimate, but obviously to get a $3 hike in the cost of a meal from a $3 hike in the minimum wage then it would have to be the case that one worker only serves one meal per hour! .
I found it sadly ironic that this letter was published in an issue also containing a front-page article about how badly we teach math!
BOB WOLFSON, MARIETTA
Film industry critics way off base
No wonder your readership is declining. You cannot stay off of your agenda, which has nothing to do with being newspaper reporters. Hollywood does not owe you, me or any minority anything, “The lopsided state of Hollywood diversity,” Living & Arts, Aug. 17. It’s their table, they built it and they’re free to invite anyone to it. If someone doesn’t like it, they’re free to build their own table (studio, production company, theaters, etc). That’s the problem with your attitude, you expect everyone else to make room at the tables they built and never ask the other side to try building their own table. So let’s start with AJC and fire the white, middle-aged male editor and replace him with a LGBT-Asian-Communist-Muslim-female and give away some of your ownership to your favorite groups. Then let’s replace most of the black professional basketball players with illegal Mexicans, sorry, undocumented Mexicans.
BRIAN WALKER, ACWORTH
Ferguson sad on many levels
The police shooting of Michael Brown was a tragedy, whether or not he was involved in a robbery at QT.
Citizens gathering to peacefully protest excessive police use of force is a constitutional right of American citizens. Protesting to bring about change for the better is a constitutional right of Americans.
Attacking shops and businesses, burning, and looting is the work of lawbreakers: thieves, vandals, and violent people who are not honoring the wasted life of a young man.
The demonstrations that have turned into rioting are contributing more to divisiveness than to correcting police excess. It is time for community leaders to band together to find meaningful solutions to an ongoing problem.
HARRIS GOTTLIEB, DUNWOODY
