Continue the course; and reap what we sow
Republicans sat by and watched as Democrats took God out of the classroom, stopped teaching civics and American history, and people wonder how we got into our current mess.
Crime is running rampant across the country and mostly young men are shooting school kids. How can we expect anyone who attended our public schools to have any sense of morals, understand our system of government and know what made this country great?
If we as a society continue on this course, we will continue to reap what we have sown.
Rusty Lacy
Rossville, Ga.
Would concrete block shelters be better?
I read about the homeless, being moved from their current shelters to a city site nearby, saying these shelters were unsafe.
Fifty years ago, my wife and I built a 30-by-70-foot, earth-bermed home by stacking 12-inch concrete blocks and covering them with Sakrete surfacing bonding cement. The blocks are stacked dry, and then the fibered cement is applied. The homeless could stack and apply the cement in a day for a small house.
This technique is used throughout Third World countries. We got the idea from the original Mother Earth news magazine. We contacted Sakrete and were mailed info on techniques and building plans. We used 12-inch block because they were buried eight feet in the ground and had to hold back a lot of earth and water pressure. I am not a structural engineer, but 8-inch blocks should work for this. This material is also sprayed on mine walls as a support.
I would think this would be a better alternative than tents on blacktop. This would be a possible less expensive form of construction that is better for the homeless. It may be possible to get Sakrete or Quikrete involved in a civic action project.
Jim Garrett
Trion, Ga.
Gun reforms in UK, Australia worked
In 1996, a gunman killed 16 students and a teacher at an elementary school in Dunblane, Scotland. Two weeks later, the UK government passed strict gun reforms. There has not been a mass shooting in the UK since.
Also, in 1996 a gunman killed 35 and injured 28 at a cafe in Tasmania. Two weeks later, the new Australian prime minister and government passed sweeping gun reforms, including a gun registry, background checks, requiring permits and banning assault weapons. There had been 11 mass shootings before the gun reforms. There has only been one mass shooting in Australia since.
The world looks at the U.S. incredulously that we, as a nation, continue to sit back and do nothing.
A woman's uterus is regulated more than guns. Books are banned because they could be "harmful" for children. Republicans fought tooth and nail to keep masks out of schools during COVID because they were "unhealthy," yet are OK with continuing to put schools, churches and shopping venues at risk for bloodshed. We're fighting useless culture wars while people are being killed.
The time for inaction has passed. The time has come to pressure Congress to take action to stop this slaughter.
Rebecca Rochat