Friday, January 1, 1904
My husband and I moved here over four years ago. We recently had friends stay with us for the weekend. After a visit to Rock City, we went to Big River downtown for an early dinner. We came back to our car in the parking garage to find that purses - in our trunk - had been stolen. The car and trunk were both locked.
I learned that there are no cameras in the garage, in fact no security at all. Police, who were 50 yards away, would not come to file our report.
According to the police representative whom I spoke with, a criminal element practically lives in these garages, watching every move you make, ready to take advantage of anything that they can. I am led to believe that this happens frequently -- and at all times of the day.
Why are we not hearing about this in the news? From the responses I got, it seems this is a very common occurrence. I think that residents and visitors need to be made aware of the dangers that are present in what we perceive to be a safe place.
KATHY WATTS, Tunnel Hill, Ga.
The president's proposals on tougher gun controls are only a smokescreen to advance his liberal agenda. If you carefully look at all 12 points of Mr. Obama's bill, none of them would have stopped the Sandy Hook massacre. Reducing magazines from 30 to 10 bullets might have slowed Adam Lanza slightly, but the other 11 points would have done nothing to deter the shooter.
All 12 points hamper only law-abiding gun owners; they do nothing to address the issues of Sandy Hook. Wayne LaPierre's NRA report, however, directly addresses what should be done to prevent another Sandy Hook.
Adam Lanza tried to buy a rifle but was denied due to the 14-day waiting period while the background check was done. The system worked. Adam then stole his mother's legal guns and killed her. Sandy Hook Elementary was locked, but Lanza shot his way in. The school instituted a lock-down, but Lanza was already in the front door. The authorities responded quickly, but Lanza had already killed 26 innocent children and adults with 154 bullets.
If a single armed school worker had been there in the office that day, there would have only been two killed: Adam Lanza and his mother. The president is only using this tragedy.
GERALD WHITELY, Ringgold, Ga.
Why does anyone wish to take away American rights, such as the Second Amendment right to own a gun? Should people not be entitled to protect themselves and their family during a home invasion? It doesn't make one mean or macho, just prepared. I am not a hunter, but I see the need for them in controlling the deer population, considering many deer would die of starvation if it was not controlled.
And about abortion: This act has turned out to be murder in the first degree. When abortions do not go as planned and innocent babies, fully formed, breathing, live human beings are aborted -- all for the sake of a woman's right to choose? What about the rights of that helpless child?
SCOTTIE LaRUE