Honor John Chambliss by retaining name
As a resident of Chattanooga many years ago, I still have pleasant memories of the surrounding mountains, the Tennessee River, and especially the area known as Reflection Riding, the property of Mr. John Chambliss at the foot of Lookout Mountain.
From 1926 until his death, Mr. Chambliss' goal was to fill 300 acres of his land with all kinds of flowers, plants and trees and make a place of serenity and beauty which would be available for everyone to enjoy.
Mr. Chambliss and his wife Margaret called the area Reflection Riding, a name which has been recognized and used until recently.
Thirty-three years ago, 17 acres next to Reflection Riding were offered for the use of the Nature Center. Together the land was called Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center.
Last July l3, the boards of directors of Reflection Riding Arboretum and the Nature Center merged and changed the name to Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center.
In his will Mr. Chambliss left the area, which has been enjoyed by so many people, as an endowed gift in perpetuity. Is it too unreasonable to ask that Mr. Chambliss be appreciated and honored by keeping the name he had chosen?
MARY ANN HAMILTON
Marietta, Ga.
Claims about Fox can be disputed
Recently there have been several pros and cons letters about Fox News that does not pass a truth test. Anyone has a right to express their views but they can factually be proven wrong sometimes.
Some examples:
Claim that Fox is banned in Canada. Fox has been there since 2004.
Claim Fox reporters said people who refused to buy ObamaCare could be jailed. People who do not buy can be fined and if refused to pay could be jailed. Very misleading. Check ObamaCare bill.
I suppose those who make very negative claims about Fox do not watch the network, because if they did, they would know that Fox gives both sides equal chance to respond to any subject. They have at least six liberals on their payroll, including Bob Bechel, Juan Williams and Alan Colmes.
How many conservatives does MSNBC and CNN have on their payroll? This can be confirmed easily if you want to.
From 5-11 p.m. every hour, every night, Fox has more viewers than MSNBC, CNN and CNBC combined. Evidently Fox really is fair and balanced or it would be the reverse. Check Neilson ratings.
JAMES THRASH
Start reshaping today's kids now
Many Kids today come from a single-parent home. Nonetheless, the other problem with our community is the young generation has socially accepted the practice of cohabitation and sex outside of marriage.
I say it's partly the older generation's fault. Our moral fabric of society has broken down.
Today we think our parents want to be joy squashers, but back in the '60s, we knew right from wrong and feared our parents more than the wrath of God when it came to getting into trouble.
The basic problem is these kids say they have no fear, when in reality most of them are scared to death. They want to be accepted with a group that may offer protection.
What they really have is no self-esteem, respect for others or themselves.
I believe if they created a law to hold the kids under the age of 18 responsible for their actions, like the idea of dragging them in for kids skipping school, then parents would become more effective with the youth today.
We cannot expect it to work on the kids past the age of 18 now into gangs and legal trouble already, but it may help to shape the kids of tomorrow.
RAY BUCHER
East Ridge
Decline benefits, prove a point
OK, Republicans, I'm calling you out. Time to put up or shut up. We all know that you say you hate all these so-called "liberal, socialistic" government programs this country has and that they shouldn't even exist.
Here's your big chance once and for all to prove to the rest of us, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you actually do hate these programs as much as you say you do.
Simply decline current programs like VA benefits, Social Security and Medicare when you turn 65. Look at all the money you'll be saving the government, and proving to the rest of us you are truly people of your word by refusing to take something you hate so bad, and believe nobody should have in the first place (except you).
Somehow I have this gut feeling most of you are going to backpeddle on this when your time comes. Remember, action speaks louder than words, so let's see what you got.
MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER
Dalton, Ga.
All networks have commentators
Hannity, Beck, Palin and Huckabee are commentators, editorialists with an opinion, and are on Fox News.
They will tell you that and make no secret about it.
They do not report news, they editorialize it; a big difference for someone who wants to blanket a network with the broad stroke of "liar."
If editorializing is the standard for reporting the truth, then every network is a liar. Every news station has editorialists and pundits; MSNBC, NBC, CNN, etc.
If anyone actually watched those networks you would hear the same thing, "liar!"
BRAD MOORE
Berke serves all, not just party
This letter is in behalf of Andy Berke, who I believe is a statesman in a sea of politicians serving only their party.
He truly believes that to have an informed electorate, he needs to keep the public informed.
To accomplish this he has sponsored several conferences in recent years on crime, transportation and clean energy.
In addition, he has held job growth and education town hall meetings. Not only do these sessions provide information to the public as to what options exist, they also provide information to Mr. Berke himself so that he can decide what is the best approach to resolve current problems.
He also is known for working with both Democrats and Republicans to resolve problems at the state level. Most politicians believe in supporting the position of the party they belong to and not the public.
Right now, Mr. Berke is deciding if he can better serve the public by running for a new term or running for mayor of Chattanooga. Regardless of his decision, he will continue to serve the public and not the political system. We need more statesmen like him and less politicians in all levels of government.
JIM HYATT
Absurd lawsuits cost all of us
Time once was when all law students who had passed the bar exam hung out their shingles and clients came to them for assistance in legal matters when they needed help.
If the client was considering a lawsuit, the attorney would advise them as to the legal and ethical merits of their case. Many attorneys still abide by this practice. These attorneys serve our nation well. They deserve our sincere thanks and respect.
However, we are witnessing a growing number of advertisements by certain law firms with all sorts of bait encouraging individuals to bring suit for "damages" against businesses, corporations, individuals and local, state or federal government agencies.
Many of these suits are not justified. Doctors, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, government agencies and businesses of all sorts are having to pay huge insurance premiums to protect themselves against these absurd lawsuits.
Ultimately all these costs are passed on to each of us, and as a result we all have to pay far more for every product bought or every service rendered than we should.
It seems to me the American Bar Association has a lot of housecleaning to do.
KENNETH W. SIMONDS