Redistricting vote scrapped for GOP self-preservation
Georgia’s GOP leaders retreated from a discussion and vote about redrawing congressional and state legislative lines. GOP House Speaker Jon Burns stated that the vote was scrapped to give all “ample opportunity to gather facts, provide input and engage in meaningful discussion.” That sounds altruistic, but be not fooled.
The only reason the Georgia GOP is scrapping that vote now is that they realize to proceed would cause all of them to lose their seats come November. This was purely a decision of self-preservation, not for the preservation of voting rights for Black people and all citizens, rights that were secured only 61 years ago.
This is just a temporary pause, so citizens must not get lax, complacent or think the decision is final. It is not. Mark my words: As soon as the fall midterms are over, this matter will come before the Assembly.
I am a product and student of the Civil Rights Movement. I’ve medically treated our Civil Rights matriarchs and delivered their grandchildren. My former pastor, the Rev. Wyatt T. Walker, was the executive director of SCLC and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s chief of staff. We had many discussions about the movement, and I’ve spent hours reviewing many documents from their work organizing, strategizing, energizing and mobilizing the masses.
That same energy, focus and commitment of all civil-minded, nonracist humans is needed now, for such a time as this. Sign me up.
DR. MELODY T. MCCLOUD, ROSWELL
Iranians completely outplayed Trump
President Donald Trump’s ill conceived war with Iran was doomed from the start. Once Iran demonstrated they could control the Strait of Hormuz, there was nothing the U.S. could do to reopen it, short of a full-scale invasion by U.S. troops.
Thus, defeat was inevitable. The only matter left to settle was when the president would come to that conclusion. However, I am still surprised at how little the U.S. received in the just signed memorandum of understanding. Basically, we got a handful of promises from Iran, all of which are worth the paper they were written on. They promise not to pursue a nuclear bomb, promise to open shipping for 60 days with no guarantees after that time period, and the kicker, we will unfreeze their financials assets and remove sanctions from the Iranian regime.
For a man who built his entire career on supposedly unparalleled deal making skills, he got completely outplayed by the Iranians. Perhaps the next version of “The Art of the Deal” should be written in Farsi by the Iranian mullahs.
MATT WILLIS, LAWRENCEVILLE
History is being erased by Trump administration
In response to a June 11 letter “Preserve our past, both the good and bad”: I can understand the point of view as a white man.
I grew up in Georgia during the Jim Crow era. There were no Black kids in my public high school. Teachers during this period taught that the Civil War was about states’ rights and were absolutely silent on slavery, which was the real cause of the conflict. Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis were treated as true heroes when, in fact, they took up arms against our government.
I agree that we cannot erase history, but that is precisely what the current administration is trying to do at the Smithsonian, our national parks and with our textbooks.
JIM CONNER, CUMMING
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