Readers write

CDC shooting could have been avoided

Last Friday evening, the trauma of gunfire hit close to home, as we live around the corner from Emory University and the CDC. After the fear and trauma we felt as we sheltered in place with our 4- and 2-year-old grandchildren while the alerts blared, those feelings gave way to anger and disgust. Unfortunately, this terror could have been avoided on several levels.

First of all, the shooter should have been put on a suicide watch list, and if we had a red-flag law in place, as many states have, law enforcement could have restricted his access to his gun, which led to the death of Officer David Rose and the shooter’s own death, not to mention the terror inflicted upon those he targeted.

Secondly, the need for common sense gun reform has long been overdue, including a ban on assault-type weapons of mass destruction. Assault weapons have no place in a home, especially in the hands of a mentally unbalanced person.

Third, the hysteria of conspiracy theories and lies about vaccines not only kills people by convincing them that vaccines are bad, but they are literally now killing people with guns.

Fourth, the Republicans in power have the ability but lack the guts to stop the terrorism of the CDC, the erosion of trust in science, the dismantling of research funding and the firing of scientists, researchers and workers who have faced layoffs, humiliation, distrust, threats and now death.

The CDC employees are the true victims and the real heroes.

DEEDEE MURPHY, DRUID HILLS

Alaska summit is reckless political stunt

The Alaska summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is neither a diplomatic breakthrough nor a genuine policy move — it is a reckless political stunt that rewards a war criminal and dishonors America’s commitment to justice.

As a retired airline captain and Navy veteran, I must speak out against this spectacle. President Trump’s meeting with Putin — an indicted war criminal barred from much of the world — is an unprecedented violation of U.S. policy. This “discussion” leaves out Ukraine, our friend and ally, and our European partners, who oppose any peace deal brokered without Kyiv’s consent.

Welcoming Putin to U.S. soil hands him a propaganda victory, sanitizing his crimes before the world. Without Ukraine’s presence, this summit cannot bring true peace and only risks legitimizing land theft and violence.

This summit is a slap in the face to all who value justice and decency. It also appears intended to distract from failures and scandals, from harmful tariffs to Epstein ties and silence on human rights abuses.

JEFF JOSLIN, ATLANTA

Where were troops during Capitol attack?

I wish Trump would have called out his 800 National Guard troops to liberate Washington, D.C., when his thugs attacked our U.S. Capitol.

I guess that was too much to ask.