As a community, let's give nonviolent dissenters respect, consideration
I wasn't there, and I didn't see it, but talk about it was all over town. On Oct. 22, four nonviolent civil dissenters sat down in the street at Market and Main and refused to move. They were charged with inciting to riot and blocking a highway. They were protesting police brutality and repression.
This incident offers Chattanooga officials and the police an opportunity to reflect on policies about nonviolent civil disobedience. Research shows that the way a city/police department handles civil disobedience has a direct relationship on community relations and continued demonstrations.
Will Chattanooga learn how to work with dissenters in our community in a respectful and considerate way? Working together we can create a better community.
Judith Pedersen-Benn
Rage-filled acts exact heavy toll
Reading the paper recently has been difficult: A day-care worker yanking on infant legs until they break, a boyfriend killing a 3-year-old, some college-bound boys violently copulating with a girl at a party, and a man torching a kitten. Yes, I realize that shocking news sells papers, and I also realize that there are MANY kind humans out there who are not making the news. But acts of rage seem to be increasing in our world. A student invites friends to eat lunch at his table then shoots them! A 90-year-old is raped! Preachers are discovered with child porn on their computers! We need to figure out why there is such rage among humans. People seem to be so dissatisfied, even when they have plenty to eat and a decent home. We appear to have lost our hearts and minds. This is taking a huge toll on all we interact with, as well as on the Earth itself. Does anyone else feel this constant discontent among humans?
Anne Grindle Sewanee, Tenn.
Catanzaro is a force for good
Jim Catanzaro has done great things at Chattanooga State. He has brought that institution from a lower status Chattanooga State Technical Community College, through the billboard era of "Chattanooga State, the College by the River," to its official designation, Chattanooga State Community College, which includes the Tennessee College of Applied Technology. This is an institution that all Chattanoogans can be proud of. The smiles on the faces of students is truly a pleasure to see. The camaraderie among students and an atmosphere of collegiality pervade the campus. The quality of teaching is of the highest. For those who want to examine Jim Catanzaro, may I suggest that you weigh the positive attributes of his administration against any minor missteps that may have occurred along the way as he brought greatness to the school. For those inclined to criticize him, may I suggest that you "walk a mile in his shoes" before you speak. Jody Baker
Schools need tax money to flourish In response to the excellent Chattanooga Times editorial on Oct. 28 about local public education: The real problem with school funding is that local politicians and people in positions of power and prominence refuse to demand or legislate the taxes that will properly support schools. Part of the problem is the way taxes are collected. Places like Minnesota, Illinois, Connecticut and Michigan have more effective school tax methods. Teachers are the heart of the system, and no school system should ever even have to consider dropping art education, physical education or science. Bravo to those parents who do support the foundations. But ideally, school system money would support academic field trips, guest speakers and new buildings.
Gary Furman, Rossville
'Amateur' athletes: fantasy
I have been listening to and reading the news about Todd Gurley at University of Georgia, who had been suspended from play because he accepted money for signatures. A few years ago, when taken to task by a sports reporter for maintaining she was an amateur while running for money in Europe during the off season, an elite, amateur female athlete of track and field said something to the effect: "There are no amateur athletes. There are only poorly paid professionals and well-paid professionals." We as a society need to disabuse ourselves of the fantasy that scholarship athletes in college are often no more than poorly paid professionals. If the myth of the scholar/athlete were true, a much higher percentage of them would graduate with marketable skills and degrees. We need to start paying them a living wage and restrict the hours they must practice and play so they have a chance to really be students and to garner from their college careers something other than a very slim chance at professional sports career and a lifelong case of chronic brain damage. Dr. Timothy Davis
Letter writer scolded Letter-to-the-editor writer John Spittler needs to understand that the reason the rich pay more than the poor is because the rich have all the money. It is called income inequality. You can't get something from somebody that they don't have. Research income inequality and the lack of minimum wage increases and how it is killing our economy. Conservatives are short on facts, long on deceptive criticism.
David Bean, Chatsworth, Ga.
A daylight saving time compromise
In his essay "Economics of daylight savings," Christopher A. Hopkins stated, "There are both winners and losers in permanently adopting either standard or daylight time." It seems to me that a compromise could resolve this important issue in a very simple fashion. Rather than setting our clocks ahead by 60 minutes next spring (daylight saving time) why not set it ahead by only 30 minutes? This adjusted time should then become permanent without returning to the standard time the next fall. In essence, it would now be the year-round "standard" or normal time. Can this change be made? Of course it can. Although the concept of daylight saving time is very old, it has not consistently been in effect in our country. It only became official when Congress acted to standardize the practice less than 50 years ago.
Bill Gaskill Ringgold, Ga.
Luther was good company in a.m.
Anyone who worked at Captain D's on 25th Street in Cleveland, Tenn., from the mid-'70s through the '80s heard Luther. We cut fish and did prep every morning while listening to Luther. "Thanks for the memories, Luther."
Joe Russell Cleveland, Tenn.
Local support appropriate
I find the editorial "School foundations widen funding gaps" to be disturbing. Why is it wrong for localities to try to improve schools? I think it is great that folks help fund their local schools. Rather than complain, I would suggest you start a similar charity to fund poorer schools. You have the pulpit. Get all those rich liberals to donate some money to close the funding gap. You might be surprised to find conservatives donating as well. I want all schools to improve, but there is something wrong with the concept that some communities should not improve their schools as long as there are others who can't or don't.
Tony Stamp Dunlap, Tenn.