Readers write
Daylight saving time change would leave Georgians in the dark
The Georgia Senate sent HB 154 back to the House. The bill asks the federal government to move all of Georgia to the Atlantic Standard Time Zone, which is the same as being on Eastern Daylight Time all year.
Problems with the bill:
- During the months of September through March, this will make sunrise occur between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Students go to school nearly all year in the dark, and the morning commute is completely in the dark for many months.
- During November through early March, Georgia will be two hours different from the time in Alabama, one hour different from Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and the rest of the Eastern Time Zone in the U.S.
- During November through early March, Georgia will be the only state in the United States to be on Atlantic time, the same time zone as extreme eastern Canada.
If the goal is to eliminate clock changes, Georgia would be much better served by staying in Eastern Standard Time year-round, especially because its geography puts most of the state in the ideal Central Time Zone.
TOM WELLNITZ, DECATUR
Is this what greatness looks like?
We are killing Iranian schoolchildren (and lying about it) and otherwise raining death and destruction on the country, killing suspected drug smugglers on the seas without any due process, threatening our NATO (perhaps now former) allies, putting immigrants in camps and intentionally making the lives of millions of Cubans as miserable as possible.
Ain’t “America Great Again”?
R. HAL MEEKS JR., ATLANTA
Remembering Vietnam: Cost of war is enormous
National Vietnam War Veterans Day is March 29. The Recognition Act was signed by the president of the United States in 2017.
There were many marches with people’s voices helping to stop the war in 1973. Negotiations between North Vietnam and the U.S. lasted many years and culminated in the Paris Peace Accords (1973).
During the Vietnam War, 58,000-plus American military and allies died. Many more after the war died from injuries and mental health causes. The South Vietnamese military estimates there were 200,000 to 300,000 deaths. North Vietnam and southern sympathizer deaths were over 1 million, which included many from diseases and accidents.
Most importantly, an estimated 2 million civilians (women and children) were killed from 1955 to 1975 in the Vietnam War, with as many in Cambodia and Laos by bombing, crossfire, economics, displacements and sickness.
Wars have similarities. We read about the ongoing Iran war and how it is affecting many countries in the Middle East. There are regional concerns of economic instability, emotions, mental health, physical behaviors (terrorism), fear and safety.
The U.S. had a draft up to 1973 and now has a voluntary military. Israel and Iran require mandatory military service from age 18. As a Vietnam War veteran, I learned that peace is the only alternative. I asked, “Why war?” and with reading The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg), watching the Ken Burns documentary on the Vietnam War, and personal research, I have a better understanding.
My hope now is that the American government is being faithful to the values and principles of the U.S. Constitution and the American people. My motto: “Imagine peace, create peace through communication.” We must let the mediators continuously work toward solutions to achieve a resolution/agreement.
My prayers are for all associated (military and civilians) with the Vietnam War. We now have tourism and trade with Vietnam. A big change after all the harm.
LOUIS COHEN, DUNWOODY
