Trump’s conflicts with court dates are his own doing
Donald Trump is complaining that court dates will interfere with his presidential campaign and wants the trial delayed.
He could have avoided this situation if he had committed fewer (alleged) crimes so that his personal court calendar was not so crowded, not asked our secretary of state to “find” votes or had gotten the trial over with already by exercising his right to request a speedy trial just like two of his minions did just before they decided to plead guilty.
He made his bed; now he can lie in it.
ROBERT ABRAHAM, MARIETTA
Getting to the truth more important than Trump’s campaign
Donald Trump’s Atlanta lawyer is appealing the proposed start of the Trump trial because it is scheduled during the time the candidate would be campaigning. Seems DT didn’t think of that when he was making incendiary speeches or exhorting people to lie for him.
He could have participated in the debates he eschewed, which would have shown as much or more than his campaign stops. Answering questions is more revealing than his time-worn campaign verbiage, where he blusters, calls his adversaries names, pats himself on the back and avows authority no president or presidential hopeful has.
So, get on with the trials. Let the verdicts fall where they may, and let us not forget that the truth is still more important than DT’s personal schedule.
BARBARA KRASNOFF, ROSWELL
Streetcar extension not a good fit for Beltline
The Beltline is Atlanta’s jewel. Adding a streetcar extension right next to it would irreparably tarnish its brilliance.
The Beltline provides a vital footpath for commuters, exercise seekers and those strolling through a park setting, avoiding our infamous street grid. Users come from all over.
Diversity? Here, it is on full display.
Alas, the problem is that it is too popular, bursting at the seams. We need more, not less, space to preserve this environmentally sustainable transportation solution.
Unfortunately, streetcar supporters are bent on removing hundreds of trees and flowering fields to put down a 40-foot wide, concrete and steel eyesore. Construction is slated to begin in 2025! With unsightly fences and restricted crossings, the Beltline’s experience would not survive – and access to its thriving businesses would be threatened.
Instead of uniting the city as its proponents claim, the extension would have the opposite effect.
Yes, we need a thoughtful, equitable plan for actual ridership needs in Atlanta. The streetcar extension, however, is not that.
JAY MILLER, ATLANTA
Schools must prepare students to meet life’s challenges
Over 55 years ago in Toledo, I was awarded a “D” in high school chemistry, the only “D” I ever received.
My siblings all had this teacher. The principal wrote my brother in a letter: “The ideal school prepares the students to meet life’s challenges. If every situation were pleasant, if every teacher had a pleasing personality ..., we would not have a realistic situation. There is a great deal of value in finishing what you begin regardless of personal feelings. President Lincoln said, ‘The worst situations bring out the best in men of character.’ "
My brother sent me the principal’s letter recently as he prepared to substitute teach chemistry. The sage, old-school wisdom still applies. Let’s hope today’s schools are preparing students for life’s challenges.
DANIEL F. KIRK, KENNESAW
