'U.S. needs to seek solutions, not drama' and more letters to the editors

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

U.S. needs to seek solutions, not drama

Enough already! Where misdeeds have been done and situations have been mismanaged, do something to address them, seek solutions. But we can do without all the drama, moral outrage and self-righteous blather, which only serves to distract from their obstructionist behavior and their "do-nothing" Congress.

Where were all these people when Condoleezza Rice ignored the warnings about 9/11? Oh, that's right. They were fawning over George W. Bush and cheering him on to an ill-conceived war (then two). Don't even get me started about the price we will pay for that misjudgment for decades to come or all the Johnny-come-lately concern about our deficit and the consequences of their "sequestration."

KATE STULCE, Ooltewah


Benghazi scandal distracting Americans

Since my hip operation and time in recovery, I have tried to set aside things that are insignificant to me and to average Americans. Don't get me wrong here. What these people are doing (Benghazi) is despicable, be they left or right wing, and they have been doing it (both sides) for a long time. But the dirty deeds themselves carry little weight as to what they mean to you or me. What's happening now is this: the same people responsible for this behavior are using it to distract our attention to what's happening here in our homeland.

How much have you read about Congress trying to take away the American worker's right to be paid for mandatory overtime. Why have we turned our prisons over to corporations that use convicts as slave labor, replacing American jobs? Scandals such as Benghazi should neither go unnoticed nor unpunished, but neither should they be used as a distraction to what is being done to American citizens right here at home.

F. DOUG CRAIG


Bennett cartoon reaches new low

Bennett's cartoon in the May 18 paper reached a new low accusing Republicans of being drunkards, stupid, intolerant and ignorant.

This cartoon is an insult to most of your readers. It also tells me something about his boss to allow such an arrogant display of hypocrisy to be printed.

CAREY CROUCH


God's wants are over governments'

In a letter to the editor, a reverend wrote, "Chattanooga is blessed with the most intelligent brain trust in the world. Our mayor, and council members are well-educated and filled with knowledge."

As a result, he concludes, it is time for the voters and powers that be, to approve gay marriage. And he adds that "They want it, deserve it and have earned it."

I would suggest that the "reverend" is among the deceived. The book of James clearly points out that "not many of you should become teachers, for you know that you will be held to a higher standard." And since this area, as the reverend suggests, is blessed with so many well-read citizens, read those famous words from I Corinthians 6:9.

What can you say about people who would do anything to protect their own egos but nothing to protect their own souls? You see, reverend, it really does not matter what the City Council wants, nor what the mayor wants, nor what the voters want. It only matters what God wants.

THOMAS LILE


Alexander never sought probe of NAACP

A Times editorial from May 18 claims Sen. Lamar Alexander "sought" through "an email" an IRS investigation of the NAACP in 2003.

Sen. Alexander received letters at the time from constituents who expressed concern that the NAACP was being overtly political against the George W. Bush administration.

The senator forwarded those letters to the appropriate agency without comment, as he regularly does with hundreds of letters each year to dozens of federal agencies. He wrote no letter himself on the matter.

DAVID CLEARY, Legislative director, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander