Reader letters, Wednesday: Disturbed by destruction of 'Black Lives Matter' yard sign

Compiled by Adam Van Brimmer
A letterwriter was disturbed by the destruction of this "Black Lives Matter" yard sign in her neighborhood.

Disturbed by destruction of yard sign

On a morning walk with my husband, we witnessed a "Black Lives Matter" sign ripped and strewn on the ground in front of a neighbor's house. This sign has been in front of this home for over a month undisturbed. 

It saddens me that we have a neighbor who feels they need to destroy other people's property because they disagree with a point of view. During the election, there were campaign signs all over my neighborhood, all of which remained untouched even though they represented different political points of view. 

This BLM sign says to me that we need to treat everyone, especially people of color, how we would want to be treated ourselves. It is an extension of the Golden Rule, which we learned from our parents and our church. The reason BLM has become an anthem for anyone who promotes equal rights is because historically, the African American population has not been treated equally. This is not my opinion, rather it is fact, and like Black lives, truth matters.

It is my hope the person who did this thinks long and hard about the consequence of their action. They have made a neighbor feel attacked by destroying their property in an attempt to intimidate and silence their voice. Treat people how you want to be treated. So I ask this person who vandalized my neighbor's sign, is that how you would want to be treated?

Julie McCoy, Savannah

Looking for answers to political strife

We all know about the ‘zero-sum game’ theories in economics, where gains by one are matched exactly by losses to another. However, ethics in governance and society as a whole should not be a zero-sum game — that is, not a process that requires whatever is gained by one side must be lost by another. The goal should not be to decide who is being ethical, with the argument that an alternative viewpoint is unethical, wrong-headed, or downright evil. And both sides should strive not to end up with a good that’s the enemy of the best. 

Making decisions that impact society as a whole should not be an additional source of strife and competition to the point that everyone loses. Our day-to-day life experiences can be difficult enough without adding selfishness and pride-induced conflicts and drama.

So what is going wrong? Why are we left unsatisfied by our political processes? Perhaps the problem comes from the entire process being based on an insufficient single principle — and thus spun out beyond any logical support. Without such common bond of reference, we are left floundering. Based on the numerous writings of our Founding Fathers, this country's founding principles embraced those of Christianity. God provided us with a guiding principle through His word.

We need to get back to basics before we burn that bridge behind us.

John Sullivan, Savannah

Rep. Carter impeachment email disappoints

I received an email from Congressman Buddy Carter attempting to gaslight me into believing that impeaching the former president of the United States for inciting a violent attack on another branch of the government is divisive. It reminded me of an abusive spouse accusing his victim of damaging their marriage by pressing criminal charges.  

Such a disingenuous portrayal of the impeachment as vindictive partisanship is appalling but not surprising. After all, Carter and many other Republican lawmakers who perpetuated a dangerous lie by voting to reject Arizona's and Pennsylvania's election results are complicit in President Donald Trump’s attempt to violently overturn the election.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler understood the danger of proceeding with the reckless political theater of objecting to the Electoral College votes when she wisely withdrew her objection and voted to certify the election. Carter, on the other hand, took the side of the mob by signaling to them that their baseless desire to overturn the election was justified.

There are credible reasons to believe that Trump’s actions put the lives of Carter’s colleagues in danger. Has Carter given any thought to what would have happened if the mob had succeeded in tracking down then-Vice President Mike Pence or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? I have. It is quite possible that the ensuing constitutional crisis would have resulted in a military takeover of the government.

When civilian governments collapse, military juntas often seize power to restore order. Ironically, if this were to happen, the Pentagon would crush Trump and his followers along with our democracy.

Karen Grainey, Savannah