Community will miss Ingvalson
With the death of Col. Roger Ingvalson, Hamilton County has lost a true patriot and an outstanding Christian gentleman.
His enthusiasm in pointing others to the Christian faith through prison ministry fulfilled the command of Jesus Christ to "Go ... and preach the gospel to all creation."
Our community will sorely miss his energetic spirit in so many different ways!
BILL KNOWLES
Hamilton County Clerk
Mostly negatives describe Obama
In response to letter (Dec. 22), "Study reasons for re-election," (President Obama), please.
He is well educated, that he is.
He cares about the United States and its people. Negative.
He is honest. Negative.
He has no negative background. Negative.
He is a good diplomat and is respected worldwide. Negative.
DAVID P. BELL
Cleveland, Tenn.
Obama's ranking not a big deal
Our president recently has said that he is fourth when it comes down to who is the greatest president. He compared himself to being just behind Lyndon B. Johnson. Now there was a man for great things.
Seems like yesterday he was signing the Civil Rights Bill. Probably the greatest mark of his presidency. The Democratic Party has taken credit for that ever since.
But checking my history, it turns out that in 1957, Eisenhower proposed a Civil Rights Bill. A Republican president! It was turned down, though, by the Senate.
John Kennedy wouldn't vote for it. Instead, he voted to send it to the conservative Senate Judiciary Committee, where he knew it would be buried.
It's amazing who the Senate leader was in '57. You guessed it. Lyndon Baines Johnson!
Just makes me want to give Barack a big thumbs up.
MICHAEL JOHNSON
Hixson
Note to veteran makes family's day
On Christmas Eve, my family was having dinner at the Longhorn Steakhouse on Highway 153. My husband has a Vietnam Veteran tag on his SUV. When we came out, a family left him the most beautiful note on the windshield thanking him for his service and wishing him and his family a wonderful Christmas.
We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your gesture. It was signed from "The Bradley's." If you know this family or you are this family, I just wanted to let you know that he is a veteran of nearly 40 years in the Army and three wars ending with Iraq.
It just made him have a wonderful evening that you acknowledged him and it did his family as well. We thank you so much, and it because of people like you that he served such a long career.
We hope your new year will be full of many blessings.
MIKE AND LINDA
WEATHERS
We are more special than we know
On the front page of the Perspective section (Dec 18), a writer expressed concern for children born without the social support system needed for a meaningful life.
The headlines ... have carried such stories, even as we prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Yes, there are tragedies in this world and from a human viewpoint, there will never be enough resources to address so great a need. Abortion might seem more humane, but would it not be a greater tragedy to superimpose our fears on an unborn before it ever had a chance at life?
I am grateful that a young girl gave life to her baby and had the courage to share that life with my husband and me. I can't imagine what our lives would be like without our adopted daughter. I can imagine how hopeless an unplanned pregnancy must seem. Yet, so often we reckon without God.
With Him all things are possible -- even overcoming birth in a stable to triumph over our sins by dying so we could be adopted into the family of God. Even at our worst, the message of Christmas is that we are far more special than we know.
MARCIA
SWEARINGEN
Hixson
Price too high for war in Iraq
The Free Press editorial "Rejoicing for our troops" (Dec. 17) was written very carefully to praise our troops whom we all applaud.
First he writes, withdrawing may be a mistake and not lead to a "peaceful and prosperous Iraq."
He writes, we "rejoice in the fact that our troops are" departing Iraq after "nine years of war." He is very careful to refuse to give any credit to the president of the United States.
Most people, Democrats and Republicans, agree there will never be peace and prosperity in Iraq. If that's true, Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid will be right when he says the war was lost and should never have been fought. 4,500 American troops paid the ultimate sacrifice, and thousands more seriously wounded.
To provide the Iraqis peace and freedom, the price was too high.
I'd like to remind the Free Press editor and his tea party Republicans of the words of ex-President George H.W. Bush when he said, "going to all out war with Iraq would be too expensive, both in money and American lives."
How can one President Bush be so smart and one so stupid and the editor of the Free Press support both of them.
DON MYERS
Hixson
Ingvalson's life cannot be hidden
I have just learned of the death of Roger Ingvalson. While I was not fortunate to ever meet Col. Ingvalson, I know from what I have read about him that he will be greatly missed. It is important that we remember him and his sacrifice for his country so that we can have role models for future generations.
His legacy will live on because one of the many things he accomplished in his life was to initiate a very important prison ministry. My assistant and her family participate in this program, and she has gotten others of our staff involved. His program continues to grow.
Col. Ingvalson's life reminds me of Matthew 5:14, which reads, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill that cannot be hid." Therefore, I know Col. Ingvalson will be remembered, as his life cannot be hid.
BILL TAYLOR
Obama derelict in his duty
It was almost comic: President Obama reading an email from a man who would have to forego pizza outings with his daughters if Congress didn't approve the reduction in the payroll tax.
I'm no more eager than the next guy to pay $40 more biweekly in Social Security tax, but the reality is that once again we're dumping on future generations to meet present needs. These girls will pay years down the road for tonight's pizza with dad; receipts not collected now will have to be covered somehow, because there's no planned reduction in benefits.
Even now the fund is paying out more each year in benefits than it's collecting in taxes, to say nothing of the fact that the fund consists of Treasury IOUs that will have to be reimbursed from revenues which already fall far short of covering expenses.
The oft-criticized tea party faction in the House is among the few in Washington honest about the impending financial crisis. A president who tries to score political points with down-home letters, and yet offers no leadership on entitlement reform, is not only dishonest but derelict in his duty.
GARY LINDLEY
Lookout Mountain, Ga.