Friday, January 1, 1904
This newspaper is complicit in the lie that voter fraud is widespread in this country. The truth is that voter fraud is miniscule, but to the extent it does exist, it is perpetuated by politicians. Case in point: The illegitimate presidency of George W. Bush. Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney inflicted much damage and shame not only on the country but the world.
This ruse as it pertains to voter fraud is just another attempt to defeat this country's first African-American president.
For three and one half years, much has been distorted (to put it kindly). Government takeover of health care is one example. You and I know that private insurance companies are sadly still in charge.
Almost daily you print some variation on how this president is taxing us to death. You and I know tax rates are the lowest in over 40 years. I urge all fair-minded people to speak out against the distortions and lies. Don't just call yourself Christian, act like one. Read the red in the Bible. Please do not support the hateful and hate-filled agenda of the GOP.
GARY KNOWLES, Ringgold, Ga.
There has been much fake outrage about a speech President Obama gave in which he said, "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."
The usual disinformation provided by Fox conveniently left out the part about "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges." Of course that would be the taxpayers who made that investment, not the business owner. This is just one way they mislead their uninformed viewers. Fox viewers are less informed than people who watch no news at all, according to a poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Well, duh!
Their constant harangue of "he's un-American" is absolutely disgraceful and shows the ignorance and hate pervasive in the GOP. Romney is so proud that they have something to distract from Bain and the tax returns, which he knows would be devastating.
ANN BENTON, Signal Mountain
I don't really understand all of the violence and some of the unbelievable happenings that exist in our world today, tomorrow and most likely in the future. The No. 1 trouble spot is, as we watch and listen, the unreal horrors in Syria. Everyone has a right to life, but that's not true in that part of the world.
I'm always receiving letters asking for donations to the Humane Society, and I give as often as possible. All living things have the right to life, and I get sick to my stomach wondering why human beings are being continually killed in Syria. The leader of that country, in my opinion, has completely lost his mind.
I also don't understand why the rest of the free world seems to not somehow reach out to the unfortunate men, women and children and stop the Syrian president from his 100 percent insanity. Things of this nature should not be allowed to go on and on. The world is full of violence, and it is time for a change to get rid of it and the culprits behind it.
Please pray for some sanity in our world.
RICHARD D. BLOOD, Ringgold, Ga.
The president said in Roanoke recently that government is the reason for all individual business success. This reveals the philosophy of this man, if you have paid attention to similar comments in his past. If you think like this, then government must have more of our money in order to make us successful. Besides the fact that it's untrue that government created successful businesses, just think of how this will affect all of us. Government will grow and thus take more of our money, and it will force us to comply in order to sustain it. We are already broke with the massive spending of this president, and yet he believes we must have more in order to be successful. Do you feel like more of this high food costs, housing, gas prices, and low employment opportunity? Is this success when we are going to lose our individual health care to the agency that will run like the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)? We cannot survive another four years of this president's type of philosophy.
BRUCE CALDWELL, Signal Mountain
The economy has been tough on everybody, including the rich. I do feel sorry for the ones who have to work three different jobs at awful corporations just to make it, and the people who are on food stamps, ones who lost their homes, the victims of this "freak weather," etc.
But our economy has destroyed the planet because of the gluttony of we the people. Our economy and government are consumed by greed. We are so spoiled in this abundant country.
I am sick to see such a lack of gratitude for God's blessings. Sadly in America, we lust for more. We will not die of starvation like Africa. There are gardens, churches, kitchens and government assistance that prevent that here. Our problem: we are spoiled, rotten brats and our economy is based on stuff we don't need.
Stop buying it, buy what you do need like food and be grateful you are not starving. The economy is restructuring and we are living in one of the most exciting times in history. We are more apt to seek truth and live it. Live simply. Buy local.
REAGAN SCHMISSRAUTER, Signal Mountain
Paradoxically, the two gentlemen who started the flap over prayer at Hamilton County Commission meetings are themselves engaged in the same tactics they speak against. They claim to be offended by Christian prayers that are foisted upon themselves and others who do not believe in Christ. Ironically, legal pressure is being used to force the majority to comply with their views.
By creating this issue, the aggrieved overlook other means of resolution that are more positive and less divisive. Respectfully waiting in the hall until the prayer is over preserves freedom of conscience for all concerned without using force to achieve compliance.
Our society is filled with events which our individual values reject. Instead of insisting that violent movies, rock concerts, or filthy pornography be changed to meet my convictions, I choose not to attend rather than muscle the promoters to abandon their plans.
EUGENE GASCAY, Ooltewah
I see that Erlanger hospital is under a new administration.
As a retired registered nurse, I have noted many areas in dire need of improvement.
I have seen dried blood and accumulated dirt and dust on gurneys in the emergency room from previous patients. There is a lack of general cleanliness both in housekeeping and in care of patients.
The Intermediate intensive care unit is poorly run and understaffed. Patients' call lights frequently go unanswered for 10 minutes or more. There is unnecessary catheterization, and patients go unwashed and unshaven allowing bacterial infections to occur.
Attending personnel do not pay attention to patient history from patients and family. I have seen medication administered wrongly, or not administered at all by hospital personnel.
On the positive side, the ICU units seem to be well run. The Gunbarrel Road maternity unit was well-run eight or nine years ago; as was the main maternity unit on Third Street 30 years ago, as well as the neonatal unit at that time.
All hospitals need more certified nursing assistants enabling the nursing staff to give better care for which they are trained.
SUSAN NIELSON, R.N. (Retired), Collegedale
We the people of the United States of America do know and understand that if we don't change this current administration, the America we know and love will be gone forever.
I don't know what Obama's platform for re-election consists of, as he can't run on his record for the past three and a half years. It's too late for any more "Bush bashing." So I guess he'll just keep on telling lies about Mitt Romney.
Obama's idea of creating jobs is expanding the federal government. Obamacare will be America's largest tax increase in history, and it still won't work. Food stamps and welfare are at an all-time high.
American voters have three choices: (1) If you like big government, high unemployment, high deficits, failed policies and a continued slide toward socialism, vote Obama. (2) If you'd rather have smaller government, higher employment, policies that will work, a return to capitalism and democracy, vote for Romney. (3) Don't vote and let those who care decide your future for you.
Pray for a change we can believe in. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15)
JOHN BOHANNON
Mr. Obama says there are no self-made men in this country. His quote - "If you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own" - might be validated by a man I knew my whole life - my father. He started out working for the government from 1942-1945. His position? Mud Marine participating in three beach invasions of the Marianna Islands in WWII. From this he saved enough money to pay cash for his first house. He then mortgaged it to start his business. He took a risk with no promise of success. But with diligence, hard work and no government interference he made it a success. The business is still open today, 64 years later. Did he have help? Yes. But that help was given with collateral to back it up. He was not helped by "redistributing the wealth" from hard-working Americans to people waiting for the government to give them their "due" as they see it.
Mr. Obama wants to socialize success. He wants everyone dependent on the government so he and his cronies can have total control of our lives. My father was a self-made man.
SCOTT HARRINGTON, Ooltewah
I think it's sad that democracy has become some sort of thing we only consider in America rather than live by. Take the recent fiasco concerning pro-gay rights people against Chick-FiL-A restaurants. There are mayors of entire cities like Boston who are refusing to even let Chick-Fil-A open any more restaurants within their city limits. How is that anything like democracy?
I think Chick-Fil-A's founder, Truett Cathy, has every right to oppose the homosexual lifestyle; just like people have the right to support it. It's still a free country, right? Right?! Once it was gay people who had to "come out of the closet"; but now it's instead the case for people who oppose the gay lifestyle.
In a "democracy" I don't think it's very democratic at all to force everyone to conform and accept everything society casually decides to accept - including when it was against the homosexual lifestyle as well as now that it's for it.
WILL LANCE
Debt ceiling. Debt ceiling. Debt ceiling. We hear those words so often they mean nothing to the average person. The U.S. Treasury Department has raised, extended or altered the definition of our debt limit 78 times since 1960.
Several outcomes of raising the debt ceiling are:
1. In January 2012, Congress raised the debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion. That's $220,000 for a family of four. That's gigantic and reprehensible.
2. Last year our national debt increased $1.4 trillion. That sum is almost $19,000 per family of four.
3. We are being led by a president who is the first ever to preside over a cut to the credit rating of the United States.
My nephew in Wisconsin got it right when he described another way to look at the debt ceiling: Let's say you come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood -- and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings. What do you think you should do? Raise the ceilings, or pump out the sewage?
If stupidity was against the law, we'd have a lot more politicians in jail. Your choice is coming November 2012.
E. LEE GERALDSON, Harrison
Thank the Lord for one organization that has the guts to stand up for what is right. The Boy Scouts' recent decision to continue to exclude the so-called "gays" from membership in their organization is an example that should be followed by other weak-kneed groups that succumb to political pressure. The Boy Scout oath contains the line, "keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight." If they had surrendered to the immoral "gay" movement, they would have to eliminate the words "morally straight" from the oath.
ED MARKERT
Re: a letter (July 24) in support of Keith Fults concerning the deputy tax commissioner position in Walker County. If memory serves, Melba Powell was deputy tax commissioner under Ralph Aiken in the 1970s. When he retired, Melba ran for and became tax commissioner. Glenda Noblitt was deputy tax commissioner in the 1980s. In the '90s until 2011, Gloria Clarkson was deputy tax commissioner. The letter suggests a familial relationship between Carolyn Walker and Karen Walker.
I assure you there's none. Karen is my niece and is married to a young man from the LaFayette area whose family has no relationship to Carolyn's husband, who was raised in Chickamauga.
The deputy tax commissioner's job in Walker County is to maintain the personnel time and leave and bookkeeping duties and to act on behalf of the tax commissioner in his/her absence. She is much like an assistant manager to the manager in an office. I'm unsure what the letter is insinuating with the comment about the "service and performance of the office" not changing, just the leader.
My niece has no political aspirations and has stated as much on many occasions. She's working to support her son in college and her son in elementary school.
CHARLOTT COKER, LaFayette, Ga.