Let’s fix our failing schools, not cast blame
Blaming schools for our economic system’s failures is unfair and avoids dealing with the obvious (“Education freedom is justice for all,” AJC, April 16). Entire Georgia communities suffer indescribable poverty; poverty and lack of academic accomplishment go hand-in-hand.
So why aren’t we fixing our communities and schools instead of diverting those dollars from the system to benefit only a few? Why do we tolerate so-called “failing schools”?
It’s much easier to blame teachers, schools and parents than to fix what’s really wrong. Shame on our legislators for making a bad situation worse.
SUSAN MCWETHY, DECATUR
Georgia’s poverty should be concern to all
The front page of The Atlanta Journal Constitution has become a jarring juxtaposition of good economic news next to articles on growing poverty and injustice in Georgia. Though the state can afford to give out tax breaks like candy to developers, foreign companies and the film industry, we can’t seem to afford to help poor people in Georgia with basic services and protections.
On April 16, The AJC reported that 600,000 Georgians were dropped from Medicaid — a staggering number. (”Medicaid drops nearly 600K enrollees in Ga.”) For such a rich and growing state, we Georgians seem to be poor in spirit when it comes to struggling folks.
Georgia’s treatment of the poor disproportionally affects our children. Gov. Brian P. Kemp recently decided not to accept federal aid to feed children out of school this summer, even though approximately 90% of the costs were covered by the federal government.
Poverty shouldn’t be a partisan issue. All people of faith need to be richer in spirit and compassion to better serve our fellow citizens.
JAMIE WIMBERLY, ALPHARETTA
Hoping Israel will show restraint
Israel too hawkish? Let’s examine that view at a time when Israel is urged to do nothing in response to Iran’s nighttime blitz.
If Israel refrains from hitting back hard, it will support my view that the Israeli military generally acts with restraint. That’s right: I contend that Israel’s overall response since October has been measured — by U.S. standards.
Historically, the expected response to an attack on the United States is the attacker’s forced surrender. If children and other innocents suffer horribly, as they did in the 1940s, our history books justify it.
I’m not condoning civilian carnage. I am saying surrender by Hamas last fall would have spared untold suffering.
Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate was a justifiable reaction to attacks by Iran, whose proxies started all this. The weekend air raid was not merely tit-for-tat. It was an escalation, even though it turned out to be little more than an incompetent terror exercise.
Let’s hope Israel’s reaction is restrained. We need peace.
HENRY FARBER, ATLANTA
House leaders need to stop catering to Greene
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Rome) has accomplished nothing in Congress.
She has not sponsored any significant legislation, much less passed any. She holds no congressional leadership role. She has done virtually nothing for her constituents.
Despite a lack of any real success, she has an outsized role in the House Republican caucus and is now threatening the job of the speaker of the House. She has earned this power through outlandish conduct, hostility to anyone not supporting her and bizarre lies and conspiracy theories (Jewish space lasers, QAnon conspiracies, etc.). Her accomplishments are limited to demonstrating her ignorance, creating chaos and interfering with the functioning of Congress.
It is time for the Republican leadership to decide that governing in the nation’s best interest must take presence over kowtowing to Greene’s chaos. They need to stop catering to Greene and simply ignore her histrionics.
LARRY AUERBACH, ATLANTA
