Atlanta’s nightlife workers need protection
The June 16 AJC article “City hosts safety training for nightlife workers” resonated with me because of my experienced industry worker and my proximity to many others, particularly in East Atlanta Village.
A recent shooting of a friend who does security at one bar sent shockwaves throughout the community. The importance of training and safety measures needs to be further highlighted. Many bartenders and patrons are harassed, including those at the neighborhood’s LGBTQ bar. A close friend who is a bartender at said club fears the same situation nightly and is genuinely scared when leaving her shift well after closing time. The prevalence of the unhoused in the neighborhood is something that community members address, but they do not get the needed support structures from the city of Atlanta.
Overall, the intersectional identities of the patrons and workers in EAV is a beautiful thing, but the safety and support structures that are in place need to be addressed before upcoming tragedies — not after.
MATTHEW GREEN, ATLANTA
Judge faces consequences of poor choices
A local probate judge has recently been arrested for battery and felony obstruction regarding an incident near a nightclub’s valet area. Charges include threats and violence against a police officer, with the report saying that the judge appeared to be “under the influence.”
Very much has been said recently that “no person is above the law,” and also notably that many people in elevated positions of authority have committed actions displaying a belief that they are “above the law.”
Alcoholic beverages and other drugs are mind-altering, sometimes proportional to the amount consumed. The first effect of alcohol on the brain is the suppression of inhibitions. A brain under the influence of alcohol becomes increasingly disabled from performing normal judgments of self-actions.
From childhood to adulthood, people must be taught to make good choices, including avoiding substances that interfere with adequate self-control. An altered brain cannot accomplish its best, normal function. Actions, including choices, have consequences — some even reaching tragedy.
TOM STREETS, ATLANTA
