Shutdown and a mirror and other letters to the editors

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Shutdown and a mirror

Now that the smoke has cleared and the dust settled on this totally un-American shutdown of our government, Republicans are pointing fingers at anybody but themselves. Go look in the mirror - there's the culprit.

Thanks to this clown car full of so-called representatives of the American people, we have lost about $24 billion. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. What we have lost in credibility and standing in the world cannot even be measured. We have had, for many years, a system in this country where the winning party gets to put their policies in place. This GOP circus was anarchy, pure and simple. The treasonous Republicans didn't get their way, so they decided to shut our government down, no matter how many innocent people's lives were ruined.

I hope everybody remembers this in the mid-terms.

ANN BENTON, Signal Mountain


Don't believe all you read

In responding to the commentary Oct. 10, 'Getting What You Pay For' by the director of the Center for Union Facts and operator of Worker Centers has misinformed your readers. It is a perfect example of don't believe everything you read. Black Lake Country Club, although owned by the UAW, is operated as a public golf course. It is rated as one of the top 100 golf clubs in the nation, and a mecca in the top 50 for women golfers.

That is extreme to say union dues paid from employees at VW would be a debt crisis savior of the club. The writer's liberal description of the golf club tells me he has played the course many times.

Tennessee is the second poorest state in the union. Unions built the middle class, created better educational institutions and let moms stay home and raise their children.

What's wrong with that style?

HELEN MALMQUIST Cleveland, Tenn.


Get parking rules right

I struggle with driving down different roads in our city and coming up to a Fedex or UPS truck just stopped in the middle of the road.

The thing that irritates me the most is that the other day I got a ticket for "obstructing traffic"; my car was apparently more than the allowed 12 inches from the curb. So my question is - instead of parking at a meter and paying it, should I instead just park in the middle of the road and say I'm making a "delivery"?

Come on, parking authority. Get this right, please.

MARK STEPHENS


Democrats push illogical positions

In letters on Oct .13, a lot of venom was spewed toward conservatives from some regular liberal writers.

Using the normal tactics of attack, blame, divide - and name-calling -very classy.

But you can't avoid facts, though.

Obamacare is anything but affordable, and if it is so attractive, why are there thousands of exemptions, including Congress?

Cities like Detroit, Stockton and San Bernadino are bankrupt and were run into the gound by liberal Democrats.

For every Koch brother, you have a Soros, Pritzker or Bloomberg, so the next billionaire blamed might very well be a Democrat.

Liberalism thinking that taxpayers' money somehow grows on trees is irrational and irresponsible. Would a liberal borrow 40 percent of every dollar spent?

I'm sorry, but with illogical positions like that, liberals simply have no argument.

WARREN DANIEL


Drug fight needs major overhaul

In response to the Oct. 9 front page story, "Drug Babies on Rise," I believe Tennessee and our nation have miserably lost the "War on Drugs." Our state leads the country in methamphetamine use. The number of our state's drug-addicted newborn babies is horrific - 643 babies so far this year.

From babies to senior citizens and every age in between, illegal drugs destroy lives. A few pages over from the baby story, there was another about an 89-year old Detroit man who was arrested for transporting cocaine.

Drug-related crime is increasing. Our prisons are overflowing. Our nation's 40-year, $1 trillion drug-reform effort has failed. We need to "Just Say No" to our current policy. We don't need small changes or adjustments; we need major overhauls and a completely new approach to this issue.

JOY KRAUSE


Both parties share the blame

We the taxpayers and citizens of the best country in the world would like the truth. We have too political parties that are blaming one another for our problems. I believe both are trying to fool ordinary people. They ought to learn we are not dumb.

I would like to ask one question. Why do we have to cut funds for current programs like our handicapped veterans, Social Security to our seniors and lay off federal employees while continuing salaries to senators and representatives, keeping their health centers with exercise rooms and swimming pools? Who makes this decision, Democrats or Republicans?

I am an independent voter who tries to elect good men who offer to do best for our country. Both should share the blame and put our country back on solid ground.

HARRY E. ARNOLD


Why defund Obamacare?

A friend of mine who is a liberal called and asked me how I could be a conservative after what the Republicans were doing to shut down the government and defund Obamacare.

My response was perhaps ObamaCare will bankrupt our country and we should choose another plan that everyone could understand. He said the bill passed and conservatives should accept it. My response was, then it should be good for everyone.

The Constitution states Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the senators and representatives and Congress shall make no law that applies to the senators and representatives of the United States that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.

The president has given waivers for his cronies and big business, and our lawmakers are exempt. So I said to him, is this equality for everyone, and maybe this is why us conservatives want to defund ObamaCare.

TOM FRICKE, Spring City, Tenn.


Primaries are fair play

"We will primary you."

That's the threat being made against Republicans who fail to follow tea party anti-government dogma. And we've just witnessed that dogma in action. Authorities say $24 billion was wasted on this pointless show of pique - money that could have repaired hundreds of bridges, built thousands of schools or fed millions of children. But what should we expect when voters send candidates to Congress who run on an anti-government platform?

They don't go there to govern but rather destroy the ability of government to govern. That's what they mean when they say things like, "Government needs to get out of the way." That was the campaign mantra of our own representative, who voted to shut government down on Sept. 30, and then voted to keep government closed and default on our national debt on Wednesday night.

The voters of the 3rd District won't soon forget that Chuck Fleischmann helped rob this country of $24 billion. And come next August, we will primary you!

PJ WRIGHT, Harrison


All children created by God

A letter from a social worker on Oct. 20 says the law goes too far in making a woman seeking an abortion look at the ultrasound of her unborn baby. She stated some women "feel bad enough about having an abortion, but they don't have any other options."

Having adopted two of our children, I know there are at least two other options - adoption and help through such groups as crisis pregnancy centers or churches. Our church has helped single moms and provided assistance for families wishing to adopt. Most of these adoptions cross racial and cultural lines.

There are two world views here which collide - humanism and God's. Humanism tells us it's all about a woman's right to choose. God's word tells us in Revelation 4:11 that God created all things and "because of Thy will they existed and were created." There are accidental parents, but there are no accidental children. Each child is created by God for his glory.

SANDY HARRIS, Lookout Mountain, Ga.