Readers write

Neither party is putting country first

As someone who is both sickened and perplexed by the outrage of both political parties, it was refreshing for me to read Carolyn Bordeaux’s Jan. 18 opinion piece, “Democrats can’t just be anti-Trump. They also must put their country over their party.”

Neither party offers practical solutions anymore for the good of the country. Yet those at both extremes who deliberately stoke alienation are handsomely benefiting from it. It’s outrageous!

MICHAEL COWAN, DUNWOODY

Atlantans say ‘No’ to ICE surge

House Rep. Buddy Carter’s request to surge ICE into Atlanta is so wrong. That plan has been a disaster in Minneapolis for both agents and law-abiding citizens due to indiscriminate captures and chases rather than clearly targeted arrests — just to keep the totals up and give a show to make people fearful.

The number of U.S. citizens grabbed is rising. We don’t want to live in a police state where people are thrown into a van if they don’t produce ID, and we don’t want to be afraid to go shop at Home Depot or Walmart because we could be “collateral damage.” This will become a huge hit to the economy when people are afraid to shop or go out.

Remember who offered up our city to chaos when it comes time to vote, whether you are Republican, Independent or Democrat.

VICTORIA JOHNSON, PEACHTREE CORNERS

Georgia legislators stick to party lines about ICE

“ICE shooting in Minneapolis echoes under the Gold Dome” (Jan. 15) brings to mind “everything that could be said has been said, but not everybody has said it.” But the article confirms Georgia’s Democrats and Republicans can learn their lines and play their parts.

A related thought experiment: If this were a protester shooting and killing an ICE agent who was hitting the protester with the agent’s car, who would be saying what?

As people try to identify the Minneapolis shooting’s cause and who’s to blame, the phrase “ready, fire, aim” aptly describes how quickly two diametrically opposed narratives became aimed at their targets.

Two comments from the article interested me. First, State Rep. Jesse Petrea, R-Savannah, “said his legislation is one reason these kinds of ICE interactions have not happened in the state. ‘We are handing people over to law enforcement out of jails and prisons.’”

Second, “Democratic candidate (for attorney general) Bob Trammell said ‘the ICE officer should be criminally investigated, charged and arrested.’”