More people should bike to work

As a guy who travels to work by bicycle, I was dumbfounded at (“Buckhead Bike Plan to Squeeze Traffic Flow,” News, Aug. 29). As the article notes, the center turn lane will increase traffic and reduce accidents. It worked on Ponce de Leon and it will work on Peachtree. But these passionate — or are they paranoid? — motorists won’t listen, and so DOT eliminated the new bike lane north of Peachtree Battle. I’d rather have a bike lane than a traffic lane, but if I’m going to Buckhead, I’ll ride where I can. The city’s work to increase bike lanes and trails should be supported. HENRY SLACK,

As our president said after the Charleston massacre: We do not have more mentally ill people than any other country, just more guns. Yes, mental health issues likely are one part of the problem of daily shooting after shooting. But as a fallback position each time there is a shooting that sickens us, saying this is proof we need to tackle mental illness, is disingenuous. No one, even experts, know what is going on in someone’s head at any given instant. There is no sign on their forehead — only a look back at signs missed. There is only one common denominator: guns! And their ease in obtaining them. I am not naive to think that strong gun legislation would suddenly make us all safer or that guns would disappear, but we have to start somewhere or else this will end up a country where everyone really has to have a gun. MAX EPLING, How to submit an Opinion column: Submissions should be 600 words or less. Email columns to Opinion Editor Tom Sabulis at tsabulis@ajc.com. Columns submitted to the AJC may be published, republished and made available in the AJC or other databases and electronic formats. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 150 words and must include a daytime phone number for verification. They may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in print or other formats. Email submissions are preferred. Email: letters@ajc.com.