Traffic cameras keep drivers honest, safe

I'd like to nominate Alvin Cummings for best overly dramatic reaction to the traffic cameras. According to his Nov. 17 letter, the traffic cameras “crush the human spirit” because our “heavy-handed government saps ... ” our “vital power.” Really, Mr. Cummings? Are our spirits that weak?

What about the security cameras many businesses use? Should we do away with those so criminals won't feel powerless against the big, bad government? Why would you think that a state is “dwarfing its men” by requiring them to respect everyone's safety? We wouldn't have a state without that shared belief.

You referenced the philosopher John Stuart Mill. He also supported the idea that the moral worth of actions should be judged by the consequences of those actions. Speeding isn't a worthwhile action because the consequences can be deadly. The truth is, everyone who complains about the cameras is just angry because they can't put their own interests ahead of the interests of the state.

Wendy Anderson

Ely