Thursday, December 5, 2013
My brother, 57, emailed me to say that come Jan. 1, he will at last have health insurance again, thanks to the new Affordable Care Act.
Sixteen years ago, he was treated for bladder cancer; it returned a second time, and he could no longer get health insurance. The years since have been filled with worry about what would happen should it return again.
But starting on Oct. 1, he concentrated on enrolling. It took many attempts and a lot of patience, but it worked.
God bless the Affordable Care Act!
My sister and I can rest easy because the brother we love can now receive medical care if he needs it.
LEILA CONNELL
On Oct. 23 the Tennessee Preservation Trust named its Ten for Tennessee Most Endangered Properties List. Topping the list is the Cordell Hull Building, a beautiful, limestone, historic state office building which sits below the State capitol. Since early January we have heard a variety of messages that it is in danger of being demolished. Repeatedly the logic for destroying this building has been refuted by those who care about Tennessee history. A tour of this architectural treasure and monument to Hull will reveal hallways and restrooms lined with rare pink and black marble. While viewing this monument to a great Tennessean and international diplomat you will also see historic statues that honor other Tennesseans. You have a voice in protesting the demolition or sale of the building by signing an online petition at Cordell Hull MoveOn.org, asking Gov. Haslam to keep this building intact. Your signature will be added to the 866 current signatures to tell the Governor that this building is too valuable as part of Tennessee's and the nation's history to be destroyed or sold. Your voice is needed to save an important piece of Tennessee's history for future generations.
CORDELIA PEARSON, Brentwood, Tenn.
In response to the column "Are Common Core critics overprotecting our children?" by Frank Bruni (12-1). In 2001, I was one of four people at Hamilton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio who showed up to protest the signing of "No Child Left Behind" by President Bush. We were highly educated suburban white women who had seen Ohio's implementation of testing prior to No Child Left Behind cause a very significant degradation of the education in our children's classrooms. The premise for derision of suburban parents by Mr. Bruni is laughable. I have my master's degree in a science and most suburban moms are highly educated and live in suburbs to ensure their children get a good education. Suburban parents are the successful business owners, lawyers, doctors, professors, etc. in America. If anything, I have found suburban parents push their children too hard in school because they know what it takes to be successful people. Suburban parents are tuned in to everything the kids do and are present and involved in their children's schools and classrooms. If suburban parents say there is a big problem with some big government imposed curriculum and testing, it is because there is a big problem with the curriculum and testing!
JIMMY RYTEL
What's your federal government doing for you? The largest burden they've saddled us with is a debt of over $17 trillion. With zeroes that's $17,000,000,000,000 plus. A number that huge is impossible to group, so let's take the actual federal budget and break it down to a budget for a family of three. Family income -- $24,000. Spending -- $35,000. Debt this year -- $11,000. Total family debt -- $171,000. If your budget looks something like this, try going to your bank to borrow money to pay the interest you owe. That's what our government does. A few more facts: Both Democrats and Republicans love spending other people's money. Their nit-picking rules are destroying small business and making it almost impossible to start a new business. The federal government is monetizing (I call it counterfeiting) the debt by $83 million each month with no end in sight. When they do stop, interest rates will sky-rocket. We now have a government that blatantly lies to us. How many times have you heard -- "You can keep your insurance plan and keep your doctor. Period." Trust is the most important thing in relations between citizens and government. What's your trust level?
LEE GERALDSON
In the midst of death and destruction, fear and anxiety, Christians are ready to commemorate the coming of the Prince of Peace, Hope, and Salvation. Long before his birth, it was foretold: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall name him Immanuel which means God is with us." Christians affirm Jesus was born, suffered, died, arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Was he ascended to heaven because he was God and God lives in heaven? Is he active in our midst today or only in some other place called heaven? What about his name: "God is with us"? As we contemplate his coming, once again we shift our gaze from heaven to earth, from God in heaven to God with us, from the after life to the present life. The present life, I believe is the most important reality. With Christ Jesus in our midst, we become less and less interested in ourselves. We focus instead on living reality of Christ. To know God is with us, liberates us from care and anxiety and empowers us to face the future with courage, hope and trust in him whose name is God with us.
AMOS TAJ, Ooltewah
An article on Nov. 28 "Unprotected sex among gay men on the rise, say health officials" shows how deviant homosexual behavior is not civil rights, not sexual expression of affection, and not something you're born with. Just by the content of this one single article, you can tell easily that there is something really wrong here. I write this letter to help you understand what is happening to our society. Not from days of old, but a progression of a mindset by forces beyond our control. These people do not know what they are really dealing with. The infection is spreading like wildfire. And it's not HIV. Humanity if being immensely fooled here -- deceived.
ROBERT D. HENRY