Society’s divisions will deepen if we continue to isolate

I found the juxtaposition of two AJC columnists’ messages on Nov. 18 fascinating and frustrating.

In “Coalition of ‘no’ yields another failed transit vote,” Bill Torpy rightfully decried the “thumbs-down” on improving mass transit in Cobb and Gwinnett counties, attributable to a lot of NIMBY (not in my backyard) mentality.

In “Why identity politics keeps tearing us apart,” Carolyn Bourdeaux advocated against a “silo” mentality in our cultures, wherein communities continue to isolate themselves from “the other,” exacerbating hatred and bigotry against anyone “different from us.”

So very sad, as different cultures have so much to learn from each other.

If we are not willing to “visit” or engage with communities “different” from us by improving mass transit, the chasm of divisions in our society will continue to deepen.

SALPI ADROUNY, M.D., JOHNS CREEK

Voter remorse will come, but it could be too late

Democrats everywhere are hand-wringing and arguing over how they’ll win back the confidence of the American people. I doubt they really need to worry about that.

Soon after Donald Trump returns to the presidency, Americans will realize in horror how they blundered by voting him back into office. As the economy tanks because of nonsensical tariffs and the expulsion of millions of immigrants vital to the national workforce, as Trump’s stormtroopers begin rounding up his political rivals and anyone else critical of him, as medication abortion becomes impossible and even birth control is threatened, as the replacement of professional federal civil servants with incompetent political hacks cripples the government services we depend on, as anti-vaccination policies result in epidemics of heretofore nearly eradicated childhood diseases, Americans will be clamoring to return Democrats to power.

Of course, voter remorse might then be too late. Trump will likely follow Russian President Vladimir Putin’s example and allow only rigged sham elections. Democracies voted away are very hard to restore.

CHRIS MOSER, STONECREST

Keep Reading

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, plans to step down from Congress in January. (John Bazemore/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo