I would like to thank the county commissioners and particularly my commissioner, Eli Henderson, for standing firm in their demands that the government provide our citizens something besides duct tape and plastic in the event of a chemical accident at the Anniston Army Depot.
I may never put on a mask or hood, but I do feel safer knowing there is one close just in case.
Gertrude Echols Anniston
Far to go
Recently, I read a letter in Speak Out that caused me to stop and think of how far we have come concerning racial equality. And, also, how much further we have to go.
The writer made the comment that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech was just for — as he put it — blacks. I prefer the term African-Americans. I would like to think that Dr. King's speech spoke to all of us, not just one race.
Dr. King was not asking for Utopia, just for a world where people were judged not by the color of their skin but by the "content of their character." Dr. King was hoping for a world where all people could live together as equals.
I am a white man but I can see that hate and bigotry is no way to live. Until we realize that the similarities far outweigh the differences, there will always be those who practice hate.
There should be a separation of church and state on all levels of government, especially in the state supreme court. We depend on our state judiciary to be fair. We can't depend on that if we allow religion to get in the way.
If we allow religious edicts to be displayed in government buildings, where does it end? Our government is based on fairness and diversity, even when it comes to respecting other people's religious beliefs.
Freddie L. Hinton Oxford
Promote the railroad
Why would the JPA consider abandoning the railroad at McClellan? It is a vital asset that prevents most large manufacturing companies from locating in an area that doesn't have one. The benefits of having the railroad could far outweigh the cost of maintaining it, especially since most firms maintain their own spurs anyway.
As for the possibility of harming the quality of residential life, what kind of life can you have with no jobs!
Dennis Twigg Southside
Editor's note: The JPA declined to respond to this letter.
About Speak Out
Letters should be 200 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length, libel and taste. All letters are verified with the author before publication.
