Wednesday, May 8, 2002

Don't malign South Fulton

In the May 1 edition of The Citizen, Mr. John Nance of Fayetteville wrote a letter to the editor regarding the recent fatal traffic accident and subsequent arrest of two individuals who were involved.

In it, Mr. Nance maligned the citizens of Fulton County by saying that "our fair town (Fayetteville) would still be just as quiet as it usually is had these two bums stayed in Fulton County or wherever they were from."

Mr. Nance's anger toward the arrested suspects was palpable and understandable, but his bias toward Georgia's wealthiest and most populous county was not.

After working in Fayette County for nearly 10 years, I concur that it is a fine place, that the people there are terrific and it has outstanding police departments. But like any community, it isn't perfect. Ask the police or sheriff's departments and watch them smile at the very suggestion.

I've been in every one of Georgia's 159 counties and I can say without hesitation that I've met no finer people than the citizens of Fulton County, particularly South Fulton County.

Please, Mr. Nance, and anyone else who would blanket condemn an entire community or county or country, think before you speak. And think, especially, before you write and publish.

John Boothby

President and CEO

South Fulton Chamber of Commerce

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