Silence from public officials is deafening
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are systematically dismantling the government, resulting in the layoff of thousands of qualified, nonpartisan public servants. Notably, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lost 1,300 dedicated employees who left lucrative private-sector careers to serve the American people.
The silence from our elected officials is deafening. Where are you? What are you waiting for? Does the next election seem too far away to justify speaking out?
MANOJ KUMAR, ATLANTA
Writer credits book mobile as career influence
I was thrilled to hear about the book mobile initiative in Gwinnett County. (“Putting books in kids hands: Lilburn Woman’s Club doing its part,” Feb. 23)
As a baby boomer, I vividly recall the book mobile visiting my Washington, D.C., neighborhood weekly during my childhood. Those visits sparked my love for reading and fueled my imagination, which has greatly influenced my career as a writer and former professor. The joy of browsing through the books and discovering new stories was an unforgettable experience.
I hope this program spreads to other counties, providing today’s youth with the same cherished memories and inspiration the book mobile gave me.
DR. LINDA M. LYONS, MARIETTA
Trump throws away what others fought to keep
I was born in 1945 and proudly claim to be a member of the “greatest generation” … not a boomer. I had four uncles who fought in World War II: three in B-17s and one in the Pacific. They fought hard for our freedom.
Our current administration, however, is throwing our democracy away, handing it over to our declared enemies. It starts in Ukraine, but tyranny unleashed grows like wildfire. I fear today’s America doesn’t have the spine needed to stop it.
LARRY CARVER, ATLANTA
Rep. McCormick indifferent to citizen concerns
I attended Rep. Richard McCormick’s town hall on Feb. 20 along with nearly 300 other people. The interaction between McCormick and his audience was testy. Why testy? Because from the start, McCormick was utterly indifferent to the concerns expressed. No matter the issue — be it federal workforce terminations including the CDC, DOGE, the Department of Justice or the deficit, to name a few — McCormick chose to respond with scolding, non-answers and obfuscation. When asked to just “do his job” and defend our republic, it was clear McCormick was not interested. Which only pumped up the volume of the crowd.
When the night was over, one thing was clear: neither McCormick nor his partners in Congress were coming to the aid of our republic. It will be “We the People” who lock arms to defend each other and our republic who will take back our country.
JEFFREY J. LUTHER, ROSWELL
Nation loses years of public health expertise
Carelessly firing CDC civil servants will greatly harm American public health.
This past week, the CDC Laboratory Leadership Service Fellows were among the many CDC employees fired with no warning for supposed “poor performance,” according to letters placed in their permanent records.
LLS fellows come to CDC with years of study and expertise in microbiology or other public health science, selected after a rigorous application process. Once accepted to the two-year program and matched with a laboratory, the fellows work with their supervisor on innovative laboratory quality and safety programs, research and emergency response investigations. Supervisors have emphasized the high quality of their LLS fellows’ work, which is critical to the excellent function of CDC laboratories.
While reduction in force can be a legitimate and necessary federal government action to streamline its function, the current actions are brutal, dishonest and thoughtless. They will ultimately harm the American people by stripping away critical government work.
RICHARD PATTERSON, DECATUR
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