Penn State students organized vigil

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Penn State students organized vigil

The person who ranted, Nov. 20, about Penn State students "not demonstrating and rioting for the victims" should know that those students organized a Nov. 11 candlelight vigil on their own.

Thousands held lighted candles on the lawn of Old Main, prayed for the victims, and started a campaign to raise $150,000 for them.

A related effort already has raised 90 percent of its intended goal of a half million dollars to aid the abuse victims. So, "let him who is without sin throw the first stone."

BERNARD COOMBES

Hixson

Gingrich an insider fighting insiders

Duplicity is the name of the game for Newt Gingrich, the most cynical of Republican politicians.

While deploring and attacking Freddie Mac, it was disclosed that he was paid $1.6 million ostensibly for his advice as a historian. Was a comparable amount paid him by pharmaceutical companies, hospital chains and mortgage companies, all contributed for the same innocent expectations? Newt says he does not receive any payment for lobbying.

Gingrich claims that Christian faith and practice are inhibited by public policy. Religious conservatives in particular are concerned with the ethics violations for which he was held accountable, his multiple marriages, and his mistreatment of his second wife while in the hospital recovering from cancer.

Then there is Newt, the beltway insider declaring war on Washington insiders!

JOHN BRATTON

Sewanee, Tenn.

Santorum needs history lesson

I just heard some shocking news: Rick Santorum, a Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential race, stated last Sunday that he disagreed with John F. Kennedy's stand on separation of church and state. While I can understand why the church also objected to this stand, it amazes me that Santorum has no sense of history. Separation of church and state did not begin with John Kennedy. It began in 1776. For over 30 years I taught my American government students that the most unique thing that we contributed to history was separation of church and state. Everything else we copied from the Greeks and Romans. Also, he apparently has no clue as to why the Middle East Muslims hate us so, and that is that they do not believe in separation of church and state. In fact it is punishable by death in some quarters.

DR. GEORGE A. MILLER

Ooltewah

'Doughnut hole' an onerous provision

On Wednesday, Nov. 9, I received a mailing from the so-called Retire Safe organization based in Washington, D.C. It urged me to thank Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker for protecting Medicare Part D.

The advertisement does not urge readers to express appreciation specifically for the "doughnut hole," which is a part of Medicare Part D.

"ObamaCare" eliminates this onerous provision and fosters pricing competition for medicines.

HARRY GELLER

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