'Actions renew faith in humanity' and more letters to the editor

Actions renew faith in humanity

The tragedy produced by Wednesday's horrific weather brought out the best in the people of Tennessee. We all became one family. Neighbors took care of each other. Churches, businesses and individuals quickly took it upon themselves to answer the call to aid. It was heart-warming to hear on radio broadcasts that there were too many volunteers and some had to be turned away.

We have all been through a torrent of emotions. We found a haunting connection with people in Missouri and Alabama through the debris strewn throughout our neighborhoods. Some of us have shared the sorrow of the loss of a loved one through our neighbors, extended work, church, school or social network families.

Throughout this devastation, a ray of hope has shone through. People summoned simply by the goodness of their hearts have renewed my faith in humanity. To the good people of Tennessee, I say thank you for reminding us that love will help us through the darkest moments of our lives.

FRANKIE DUNBAR

Cleveland, Tenn.


Take neighbors when evacuating

As everyone knows, the Tennessee Valley and North Georgia were hit by devastating tornadoes on April 27.

I have lived in the South for almost 12 years in a great mobile home park on Mack Smith Road. Most of my family also are in this area of Tennessee and Georgia.

All day long the news and weather stations were reporting that people should go to the lowest level of their houses or to an interior room away from windows. If you live in a mobile home, you should evacuate it and go to a safe place or lie in a ditch and cover your head. The ditch part was out because by then they were filled with water, and as for a safe place to go, there are probably a thousand people in this park and we have no safe place to go.

When the power goes off you are at God's mercy. A weather radio only tells you the same thing as the news.

It would be nice if we had some shelters and tornado sirens. We have many elderly in this area. So please, if you are going to evacuate take your neighbors with you.

ELAINE MALONEY

Rossville, Ga.


Editorial, column are puzzling

I picked up the last issues of your newspaper down here in Georgia and was generally impressed with its professional content, but then I got to the editorial pages and thought I'd somehow wandered into a Pot Party Rave.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I realized that Dick Morris was serious when he listed Koch-boy Scott Walker and super-fraudster Rick Scott amongst his heroes, but the April 27 editorial about "Big Labor Protection Racket" has me genuinely puzzled. Some elementary research would tell you that Big Labor ain't big no more after being demonized by decades of conservative attacks but yes, there is Big Business.

Don't believe me? Check out Mobile/Exxon/BP's amazing tax-free returns; let me introduce you to the Koch brothers; find out who's financing conservative "think tanks" (an oxymoron, fer shur). South Carolina's unemployed workers are desperate for jobs of any sort, after GOP-sponsored financial deregulation wiped out our economy, but if they'd had union representation their jobs would have been safe as a CEO's and provided thousands more jobs under the union's wage umbrella.

Now repeat this mantra: "We're a newspaper, not Republican shills." Repeat.

SCOTT MOCK

Blairsville, Ga.


Storm coverage splendid, touching

A pat on the back for your excellent coverage of the horrible storm damage suffered throughout the South. I appreciate your reporters' usual solid writing and investigative skills.

But what most impressed me is that your management team found a way to spread your staff out to cover the wide geographic area visited by the damage - while at the same time finding touching human stories in each neighborhood.

Good job. Thank you.

DAN F. HUTH

Jasper, Ga.


Many worked hard in storm recovery

This past week, Chattanooga experienced maybe the worst storm that this city has ever seen. I can't count the number of houses in this area that were without power. Thankfully, my house did not receive any serious damage, but we were without power for about three days. When we asked just how long it will be until our neighborhood received power, the city told us eight to 10 days. Thankfully this was not the case.

I would like to say thank you to everyone in this town who worked harder than ever to get this city back up and running.

CHRISTOPHER ANDREW ARMSTRONG


Thanks to God, others for blessings

Sincere thanks to the men and women of the Power Board who worked so tirelessly and effectively to get our power turned back on. And, more important, to God Himself, who permitted us such luxuries in the first place. We are blessed.

KATHLEEN M. OWEN


Evolution, biblical principles at odds

If humanity is the product of evolution, it is a logical assumption that we will evolve further. Jody Baker (April 23) quotes du Nouy, a French scientist/philosopher, who concludes that humanity will further evolve to be morally perfect beings. Du Nouy even refers to Christ as the epitome of love and spiritual perfection, an example of what evolution will help us attain.

Du Nouy's arguments may sound right, but they are far from biblically true. Jesus is not an example to which we may attain, but rather an example we are called to strive for, even knowing it is impossible to attain.

Biblical teachings lead me to believe:

• humans are not just another animal on this planet;

• only humanity has the capacity to know right from wrong;

• while society seeks to conform us to prefer right, it is our nature to prefer wrong;

• our human efforts are totally inadequate to achieve true goodness;

• only Jesus offers us a rescue from this hopeless state.

The theory of evolution scoffs at such ideas.

Wake up, Christians! Macro-evolutionary principles and biblical principles are completely incompatible with each other.

DENNIS URBANIAK

Signal Mountain

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