Walk for Peace inspires kindness for new year
Here’s my New Year’s hope: that our leaders in Washington and Georgia, especially at the highest level, take a little inspiration from this. And that we all do, too. Call me idealistic, but maybe that’s how we find more common ground in the year ahead.
This week, that reminder passed close to home in Decatur. A group of Buddhist monks traveled through Georgia on the Walk for Peace, a 120-day, 2,300-mile walk from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., sharing a simple message of peace, kindness and compassion, one step at a time.
A few things we can all do: Listen to people you disagree with, don’t interrupt, hear them out and look for anything you can genuinely agree on, even if it’s music, sports or food. Be kind on our roadways; they’ve never felt more dangerous. Let someone merge. Take a breath when someone cuts you off. And smile and make small talk with strangers, at the grocery store, in line, at church, wherever. That might be the only kindness they experience all day.
BRIAN DINAPOLI, DECATUR
Newspapers played important role in classroom
Thank you to the entire staff of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the remarkable gift shared with readers in your final printed edition featuring historic front-page headlines from decades of publication.
As an eighth grade Georgia Studies teacher at Summerour Middle School in Norcross, newspapers have long played an important role in my classroom. Over the years, I have clipped front pages tied to our curriculum and created a hallway gallery showing students how present-day events are shaped by the past. That visual timeline has sparked meaningful conversations and moments of discovery for my young scholars.
This commemorative edition allows me to expand that gallery in a powerful way. Seeing Atlanta’s major headlines across generations will help students understand our city’s role in state and national history — and how earlier choices, struggles and triumphs continue to influence their lives today.
Thank you for honoring the legacy of print journalism so thoughtfully. This gift will educate and inspire my students for years to come.
EDITH H. RIEHM, NORCROSS
Learning to love the digital AJC
Spending this morning learning to love The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ePaper. Did the grieving part for the final edition Wednesday, so moving on.
I love being able to read an entire article in one place. Also love the article view. Love that I can print or share or otherwise send articles to others, whether they agree with me or not.
I didn’t have to make the run to the end of the driveway in the rain or cold. And my hands are clean! Practicing gratitude in 2026.
SUSAN K. LAIRD, DECATUR
