Readers write
Who’s to blame when autonomous vehicles break the law?
The recent video showing a Waymo driverless car illegally passing a stopped school bus on Briarcliff Road should alarm every parent in Georgia. Under Addy’s Law, drivers who ignore a bus stop arm face serious penalties — but what happens when there is no driver?
Allowing autonomous vehicles to operate without clear accountability puts everyone, especially children, at risk.
Lawmakers are right to ask who is responsible when a driverless vehicle breaks the law. Until that question is answered and meaningful safeguards are in place, these vehicles should not be allowed on public streets. Technology must be proven safe before lives are put in danger.
AMY WITHERITE, ATLANTA
DeKalb School board members should resign
Whether the DeKalb County School Board’s action resulted from collective ignorance, stupidity, racial considerations, or some reason unavailable to the public, its members should resign in shame, except the single member who didn’t vote to hire Devon Horton. It is beyond reason or logic that he was hired in light of his public record. And then to let him resign with another month’s pay, as reported.
Surely some official investigation is underway into this unfathomable situation. The stock value of any business corporation and the company’s public image would become a crisis in such an event.
NICK GANAWAY, DUNWOODY
Atlanta police kept ‘No Kings’ marchers safe
We participated in the Atlanta ‘No Kings’ protest/march last weekend and were a bit concerned about the potential for violence from counterprotesters or agitators. However, everything went smoothly and peacefully.
We all appreciated the presence of the Atlanta Police Department to keep us safe and we even took the opportunity to acknowledge some of them personally.
Thank you, City of Atlanta, and the APD!
CATHY PHELAN, ATLANTA
New ballroom is another blow to nation’s landmarks
Gut punch after gut punch to our country’s integrity and landmarks.
After seeing the power of the people — 7 million strong and counting all across our 50 states peacefully protesting all the authoritarian actions of Donald Trump and his scowling minions — we see the White House, the People’s House, being bulldozed to make way for our pseudo-emperor’s new ballroom.
Sleepless in Atlanta, am I.
SYD JANNEY, ATLANTA
Let’s celebrate national parks for 250th birthday
Regarding “Trump wants triumphal arch built for nation’s 250th birthday,” AJC, Oct. 19, our country already has many established monuments that we could celebrate for our 250th Anniversary.
Think of the lyrics to “America, the Beautiful” that we learned to sing in school music classes. Our National Park Service highlights these parts of our country and their history, as well as other historic sites, monuments, recreation areas and seashores that represent the true beauty and greatness of our country.
The 250th Anniversary would be an appropriate time to highlight and celebrate these places and the National Park Service, keeping them environmentally and financially healthy and open for all of us to enjoy.
FAYE HARDIMAN, ST. SIMONS ISLAND
Bipartisanship cost is too high
Re: “Our politics is broken because of extremes on each side,” by Lee Raudonis, AJC, Oct. 22.
Lee Raudonis would seem to want bipartisanship at the cost of the Constitution and science. He puts these core values on the same plain as Christian Nationalism.
If these are really different “planets,” I prefer the one based on law (our Constitution) and objective truth (science).
M.C. ROUSE, TUCKER
