As COVID numbers rise, Kemp spends unwisely
Georgia experiences huge jumps in COVID cases, and Gov. Brian Kemp announced he would not implement proven measures to decrease case hospitalizations and deaths. (With 86% of hospital beds filled, ICU doctors state nearly all COVID patients are unvaccinated).
Instead, Kemp’s pledged $100 million tax dollars (largely on remedial hospital staffing).
That’s rather like prohibiting New Year’s Eve DUI checks then spending more to treat innocents paralyzed by impaired drivers.
Georgia remains, sadly, part of a gubernatorial death cult of states that both receive more federal dollars than they contribute and take pride in the de facto “right to infect” our first responders.
KONRAD E. HAYASHI, M.D., MPH, DECATUR
Attack on U.S. Capitol enacted by white supremacist mob
It’s been a year since the sacking of the Capitol. Because Republican politicians now downplay this episode, it’s worth remembering what happened that day. A white supremacist mob, incited by then-President Trump, came close to violently overturning an election and overthrowing our democracy. It was the bloodiest white riot since die-hard segregationists stormed Ole Miss to prevent integration and the worst domestic terrorist act since the Oklahoma City bombing.
The “loving” Jan. 6 hatemongers came bearing nooses and Confederate flags. They screamed racist epithets at Black cops, desecrated a memorial to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, caused multiple deaths and injured more than 100 police officers. Had they encountered Vice President Pence, Speaker Pelosi, or any elected officials of color, they might have slaughtered them.
Politicians who encouraged, abetted, or excused this atrocity must never hold office again. If they prefer slavishly serving despots to upholding democracy, let them work for Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban, instead of importing dictatorship to the Land of the Free.
STEVE BABB, LAWRENCEVILLE
U.S. historically has needed to work with unsavory allies
A letter (AJC, Jan. 5) excoriated columnist Pat Buchanan for an “overarching revision of U.S. history … especially concerning WWII and the deaths of Chinese and Russian soldiers under ‘U.S. allies’ Chiang Kai-Shek and Stalin” and stated that Buchanan “fails to mention just what tortured lives both Russian and Chinese citizens have endured under their respective leaders since that time.”
In many team-necessitated situations, it is not workable to only ally oneself with people or nations entirely in agreement with our ideals and goals. In WWII, America desperately needed to defeat Axis powers Germany and Japan before we could survive to deal with other matters, later. Granted, Russia and China did not reflect the entirety of ideals then held by Western powers. We had to accept “allies” from among countries willing to help, right then. Had we lost to Germany and Japan, “we” could have had zero opportunity to later tackle other matters. Better options were luxuries not then available, unlike now.
TOM STREETS, ATLANTA
Republican anti-democracy ‘hysteria’ erodes freedom
“Manufactured hysteria.” Someone hit the nail on the head when they used that to describe the GOP.
Sure would be nice if just once what came out of their mouth was remotely true. No surprise Georgia is one of the worst states for funding education. If poor people got an education, they would see right through their racism, oppression and white supremacy edicts. Instead, they want to keep people from knowing the truth about their anti-democracy goals. Keep them dumb and down on the farm, and they can control you.
They will defend a violent resurrection as much as a white supremacist who does bodily harm to a minority. Still promoting the big lie, refusing to hold Trump accountable for all the damage he has done to America and never missing a chance to manufacture hysteria so as to continue their decades of eroding freedom and justice for all.
SUSAN MATEJA, DECATUR
