Another take on politics
Ambrose Bierce called politics "a strife of interest masquerading as a contest of principals." Of course the "interest" is always personal and grounded in avarice. The masks of liberalism and conservatism are ancient masks stemming from the French Revolution used by politicians who, like actors, try and elicit a response from the audience to serve their purposes. The purpose is always theft. No principal, no virtue and no good has anything to do with American politics. We are the patsies ripe for picking. The larceny may not always be money; nevertheless the economy of theft continues whether it be power, liberties or rights. What decent person would describe himself as a "liberal " or "conservative" since these words are the names of histories worst plunderers, hooligans and thieves? Isn't it time to ignore the deception of political jargon and consider the principals necessary to govern our country? The political season is beginning again, so remember as Bierce defined the word vote: noun. The instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.
CLAY WHITTAKER
Stop letters on homosexuality
Must the Times Free Press continue to publish letters to the editor from religious zealots about homosexuality? As a subscriber for more than 40 years, I am almost to the point of canceling over this issue. Hardly a week passes without a hateful letter appearing on one or both of the editorial pages. Do you receive other letters that could fill that space? Letters that are about more timely topics? The citing of isolated scriptures to repeatedly drive the same point has been exhausted. There is no exploration of new ideas in this exercise. When our out-of-town guests read these letters, they are befuddled. Enough, already. Chattanooga is striving to become a progressive city and is succeeding in making progress in many areas. These letters stagnate the development of our image as a world-class city. I compliment the newspaper on the better balanced and more comprehensive coverage of GLBTQ issues on the news side. My concern is the unbalanced presence of the repetitive and attacking letters.
THOMAS WAYNE HARTMAN, Ringgold, Ga.
Time change invites chaos
It's unclear to me which specific problems the permanent daylight saving time proposal is designed to solve. Rep. Todd insists it will be a boon for school children and farmers. How? Will children benefit from going to school in pitch-black darkness for half the year? Farmers work in accordance with the sun rather than the clock, and, regardless of any fiat by the Tennessee legislature, I'm pretty sure the number of hours the sun hangs in the sky each day will remain unchanged. More troubling is that this proposal will throw Chattanooga and its surrounding counties into time-oriented chaos. Chattanooga would spend March through October on "Chicago time," then November through March on "New York time." Meanwhile, Catoosa, Walker and Dade counties will spend all year fixed to New York time. Aside from the oddness of trying to figure out whether we need to think of ourselves as Central- or Eastern- time-oriented, how will the thousands living in these counties who drive into Hamilton County every day keep track of what time it is in Chattanooga? I understand some of the problems this proposal will create, but which ones will it solve?
JAY GREEN
Vote for White in primary
I am writing to encourage Hamilton County voters to elect Catherine Cate White in the Republican primary May 6. I've known Catherine for many years, as we both practice domestic law in Circuit Court. Ms. White's knowledge of domestic law will serve the citizens of Hamilton County well on the bench. She will know how to apply the facts to the law in these very sensitive and emotionally charged cases. I have also found Catherine to be fair and possess good common sense. I have appreciated her efforts as mediator where many times she successfully helped parties to bury the hatchet, particularly in cases involving children. She is always willing to help other attorneys if they need direction. I think Catherine would make an excellent judge in Circuit Court where so much is at stake: 70 percent of cases in Circuit Court are domestic. When it comes to parenting, establishment of child support, division of assets and debts, establishment of alimony and protection of victims in domestic violence cases through protective orders, Catherine knows how to get the job done and do it well.
LUCY C. WRIGHT
Make things simpler
Automobile filter manufacturers used to list all vehicles the filter would fit on the outside of the box. No more! Today suppliers display the myriads of available filters on innumerable shelves in a systematic order not too dissimilar to the Dewey Decimal System. To find your filter, you must input it in a computer or find it in a large reference manual. Then you must go down the many shelves looking for the number, manufacturer, quality, etc, of the filter you desire. (Or have someone do it for you.) Could our deadlocked D.C. lawmakers actually enact something that might help us? Why not require auto manufacturers to standardize such things as oil filters. Make only three sizes: small, medium and large, all threaded the same, in quality variants: "Good," "Better" and "Best," maybe. Now only nine shelves are needed. If they don't bind it with Bacon such a law could be drafted in an hour or two and be contained in no more than two pages. I realize that the mystique of money may never allow this - but we can dream, can't we?
W.R. BARGER Monteagle, Tenn.
Ringgold reader responds to Sohn
Pam's Points on March 12 is offensive to many of us in Ringgold. Her reference to the "bubbas" is in very poor taste and also an indication of how uninformed Pam is. Just for the record, Catoosa County has the highest per capita income of any county in the Chattanooga MSA (including Hamilton). Sorry, Pam, but we are not all bubbas here in Ringgold. Everyone in Ringgold city government has clearly stated publicly the purpose of the drone/camera operation, and it is not to spy on citizens or launch missiles at anyone. Just thought you would want to know.
ROGER BOWMAN, Ringgold, Ga.
Don't charge for library access
People living outside the city limits have to pay for the use of the public library. This is totally unfair to these citizens. We have two good mayors and two good finance departments who could easily address this and make a recommendation for a proportionate share of the library expense to be borne by the county, thus eliminating this burden of these voters. It is the responsibility of the county to respond to the needs of their electorate. Unlike many problems, this can be solved. Therefore, it should be.
PATRICIA PANTER, Soddy-Daisy
Obamacare and God's work
I would tend to agree with a reader's recent assertion that Obamacare is "God's work," were it not for the countless acts of deception, subterfuge, outright fraud, blatant lying ("If you like your plan") and gross incompetence that have marked its journey from inception to the abomination it is today. Yes, except for those minor points, Obamacare is just like God's work.
G. PATRICK BRYANT