Letters to the Editor

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Readers learn about challenges

The Sunday paper is a challenge to read, to be sure.

My heart was touched to read of a few real challenges faced by families and individuals in our area:

Chattanooga Police Officer Sheila Jetton's daughter Elizabeth, who has needed help to breathe since birth 16 months ago, has undergone an apparent successful transplant.

Sgt. Joey Jones of Dawnville, Ga., having lost both his legs to a bomb blast in Afghanistan, is walking and amazing family who see their motivated Marine.

Tennessee basketball Coach Cuonzo Martin's incredible story of success credits his mother and former Purdue Coach Gene Keady who influenced his life - "she and God's plan."

The Free Press editorial page, "The Mission of Jesus Christ," who declared "I am the resurrection and the life," John 11:25.

I am so thankful for a paper that boldly declares our Savior as the one who paid the ultimate price for my sins and that "whosoever will" may come to Him and will live, though he die, forever with Christ.

BETTY RICHEY SMITH

Unify college curriculums

Transfer students know just how hard it can be to switch colleges and make sure all of their hard work counts for something. It can be frustrating when a class doesn't transfer between schools. College is expensive, and one can't afford to have to take a class twice, especially when it's a transferring issue. I propose that universities seek to standardize curriculum in order to ensure a student's transfer process is successful.

This problem isn't just found between schools, but within them as well. As a student, I can take, let's say chemistry from one teacher, and my friend can take it from another, and the material may essentially be the same, but the format of the class, and the level of difficulty are drastically different. I end up with someone who is challenging, whereas my friend does basically nothing and still gets an A.

Yes, there are other factors to consider such as each student's learning ability, but that only goes so far. I think that we should unify college curriculum within a college, and also with other colleges in order to provide equal education and easy transition between colleges.

TARA SIMMONS

Meigs in line for legal bill

My initial response to the April 16 article by Ben Benton concerning the decision of Meigs County to display the Ten Commandments in their county courthouse, was: "Here we go again."

Hamilton County tried this trick in 2001; it didn't work then and it won't work now.

Back then, as described in the article, "The American Civil Liberties Union and county residents filed suit to have them removed, and a federal judge agreed in May 2002 that the plaques violated the constitutional separation of church and state."

The result was that the judge "ordered the commandments removed and ordered the county to pay the ACLU's legal fees." Similar rulings have been upheld over the years in Texas, Indiana, Alabama and many other states.

By this point, the law is clearly on the side of keeping religion out of government buildings.

Meigs County surely has better ways to spend its money then by paying the ACLU for the privilege of taking them to court on a clear-cut open and shut case. The Meigs County courthouse should take down the plaque before its citizens get stuck with the bill.

NATE ANDERSON