Reader mourns loss of GOP he once knew
The mask is off! The party of Trump is “Republican” in name only.
How else can we explain the wave of voter suppression laws enacted in Georgia and other states by Republican-led legislatures and governors? Last November, the electorate turned out in force to reject a second Trump term after four years of dishonesty, obstruction of justice, disastrous failure to control the pandemic, and irresponsible rhetoric that ultimately led to an insurrection at the Capitol. Trump’s loss was the will of the people - democracy in action.
When Rep. Liz Cheney condemned Trump’s big lie that the election was stolen, the party ousted her from her leadership position. The Republican Party of Lincoln, Eisenhower, and McCain no longer exists. That party treasured democracy; defended our Constitution; and valued responsible leadership, integrity, and courage. All thoughtful citizens, both conservative and liberal, must join in mourning its loss.
ARNOLD C. MCQUAIDE JR., BERKELEY LAKE
Mayor Bottoms has served Atlanta well
I was surprised to read that Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms does not intend to remain in that position, even though she has served well even during the worst of times. I hope she will write an account of those years, not necessarily for publication.
History is just that: his story. Her story deserves being preserved too, and recording it may help her decide what she should do next. If she trusts her instincts, she will make a good decision. I wish her well.
MARGARET CURTIS, ATLANTA
Reimaging the police is a radical undertaking
Before you get your knickers in a wad, consider the fact that the average annual salary of a police officer is about $50K to $60K while we expect them to take on a myriad of challenging and often dangerous responsibilities including: traffic stops, serving warrants, delivering babies, de-escalating domestic conflicts, administering first aid/CPR, investigating crime scenes, addressing the problems of the homeless and/or mentally ill, directing traffic, responding to traffic accidents and a variety of 911 calls, patrolling neighborhoods, pursuing armed perpetrators, interviewing witnesses, and the list goes on and on. We can’t have our cake and eat it too. Re-imagining the police is a radical undertaking which will require not only more taxpayer dollars but a willingness to re-examine every current practice and cultural norm that exists in today’s law enforcement.
Not only must the job description be streamlined and supported by other social service agencies, but the training and behavioral norms need to be changed as well. The “I can’t let that punk get away” mentality needs to be tempered with training that allows an officer to feel good about themselves when choosing to just boot the perp’s wheel rather than shooting him in the back.
DR. GENE BARGER, ROSWELL
Why can’t pipelines have backup system?
I am 70 years old, so of course I don’t understand technology so I’m asking why pipelines and any other businesses are dependent on the internet to keep functioning?
Thirty years ago, most if not all businesses had no internet connection. Why would a pipeline not be prepared to function when a criminal hacks into it’s computers? Why not have a backup plan to run the system the same way it did in 1991?
I use online banking but I hope my bank would be able to function in event of a cyber attack or some other system failure. If I couldn’t bank online I hope I could still pay bills by mailing checks and be able to walk into the bank to deposit and withdraw cash.
JACK ARTHURTON, ROSWELL
