‘Dangerous Dwellings’ articles gave voice to residents’ complaints
Would that code enforcement personnel and the disconnected and unconcerned landlords had heard and responded to pleas and complaints of the residents of the apartments described in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution series “Dangerous Dwellings.” How fortunate for us that we have a local newspaper with investigative reporters who lit the fire under city officials and others who are finally getting to work on helping citizens who deserve safe places to live.
BEATRICE PERRY SOUBLET, EAST POINT
Supreme Court last line of defense for nation’s founding principles
Bill Torpy criticized the Constitution as written when physicians proscribed bleeding as a remedy and slavery as an accepted practice in most of the “civilized” world. He is right. Regardless of scientific and technological advances, however, human nature has not advanced since Aesop, the Bible, the Koran or Shakespeare. Evil is still evil. Slavery still exists in the drug cartels, human sex trafficking and parts of the Third World.
The Constitution was formulated over the years by people who were keenly aware of the overreaching and destructive power of a strong central government. They were also students of the human condition and recognized the proclivity of people in power to abuse that power. Sound familiar? They devised a system, though not perfect, to limit the abuse of the citizenry and provide for upgrades via the amendment process. So, if you think the Constitution needs changing, amend it.
The Supreme Court is the last line of defense of these principles. Whatever Mr. Torpy thinks of the conservative justices, particularly Mr. Thomas, they are voting for the basic principles of our founding. If you do not agree with these tenets, either amend them or relocate to a country that does not ascribe to them, say Venezuela or China.
JOHN MCNAMEE, ALPHARETTA
