Good Samaritans renew faith in humans
My car died on Aug. 14 about 4:30 p.m. I was on Chickamauga Avenue in Rossville at the light in front of the post office.
Motorists were whizzing around me on both sides in anger and annoyance. I had been sitting in this chaos about 10 minutes, thinking more about human behavior than my car's faulty behavior.
Then a young man and his son walked across all of the traffic and asked me if they could help push my car to the side of the road as it was not safe given the volume of traffic.
In addition to moving my car, they checked it out for anything obvious.
While I am more than grateful for their efforts, I want them to know that they also renewed my faith that there are some people who truly are Good Samaritans.
Regrettably, I did not ask their names, but they know who they are. I cannot thank you enough for your spirit of compassion. I thank God for the Good Samaritans who still choose to cross the road.
Libby Simons, Harrison
Citizens urged to protect neighborhoods
Bravo to the Times Free Press for leading the Aug. 11 paper with an article exposing a development's degradation of my neighborhood, The story focused on the near unearthing of a grave in the city's oldest black cemetery, located at the edge of the project that will cram some 50 cookie-cutter houses onto what was formerly one of the largest green tracts in North Chattanooga. But the story's accompanying image of clear-cut woods reduced to a red dirt desert and its link to a TFP story from last fall enumerating neighbors' objections to the development suggests the full extent of the assault that has felled a forest, buried wildlife under bulldozers and turned up the heat on the planet. And that's before the environment begins to suffer from all those new homes and our neighborhood begins to suffer from additional noise and traffic. I hope the TFP coverage and its repetition in social media will motivate other neighborhoods to devise strategies protecting their trees and wildlife before it's too late and they wind up like us - with a disaster unfolding daily at our doorsteps.
Carolyn Mitchell
Difficult realities kept crowd down
Ordinary citizens rightfully anticipated extraordinary difficulty to attend the Aug. 15 memorial service honoring fallen servicemen at McKenzie Arena: blocked roads and interstates, which made it difficult or impossible to get downtown; blocked UTC parking lots requiring distance parking and/or shuttles; long lines in August heat; and airport-style security for up to 8,500 people. No wonder many chose, as we did, to watch Channel 3's live coverage of this moving service from home. I don't think it shows lessening of concern or respect for the men's sacrifice, just the reality of life.
Teena Ray
Tennessee fishing licenses pricey
Recently I took my family to the Hiwassee River to fish. I fish quite often in Tennessee, so I have a nonresident license that cost $81 per year (Georgia charges nonresidents $45). My wife and one of my sons wanted to fish, so I wanted to buy them a one-day permit. However, a one-day permit is not available, but I could buy three-day permits at $45 each. Since it was for one afternoon, $45 seemed expensive. I asked the clerk why since an annual nonresident license was $81. But that had gone up, too, to $99, an almost 20 percent increase! In Georgia, a Tennessee resident can fish on a three-day permit (one-day is not available) for $20, and it's a hunting/fishing combo permit. The clerk said the increases weren't a big deal because they don't make much on license fees. It will be a big deal, though, because people won't be buying bait, tackle or candy bars in their store. I hope somebody in Tennessee tells lawmakers the welcome mat has been pulled from under nonresident fishermen. I, for one, won't be fishing there anytime soon.
Doug Hammontree, Dalton, Ga.
Republicans: All bad all the time
Many Republicans call Obama a "coward" and worse for negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program. They want another Middle East war. Republicans repeat NRA's lies because they receive millions in financial support from the NRA and gun manufacturers. They ignore evidence showing in 2014 guns killed over 8,000 and injured over 16,000. Republicans argue either there is no climate change/global warming or that it is natural. However, scientists not on coal, oil or other affected companies' payrolls agree both are true. Republicans fuss about Planned Parenthood, ignoring that the entire taped interviews made clear fetal tissue was not sold for profit and women gave permission for their tissue to be used for science. Even candidate Dr. Ben Carson used fetal tissue in his research. The Republicans have lied about workers' need for a living wage and called for retirement to be delayed. But politicians, not doing physical work many people must do, don't understand. Those in Congress earn more than 93.23 percent of the population. Not much is heard about the Affordable Care Act because it is having such success across America and is accepted by most Americans as a good thing.
Roger A. Meyer Ph.D.
Signal rezoning vote key to schools
The Signal Mountain Town Council had a very important meeting recently about the rezoning of lot sizes on Signal Mountain. Council members wisely stepped back from a vote and decided to do some badly needed research so that they can answer these questions: Who will benefit from the zoning changes, how many lots will be affected, how will the schools be impacted, how will the roads be impacted, and how will our barely adequate sewer system be impacted? One of the main reasons for families to move to Signal Mountain is the excellent school system. With greater density and schools at capacity this school system is bound to be challenged. The Town Council did not reveal when the meeting to vote on this re-zoning law would be on the calendar, but I urge the parents to find out and to attend this meeting as the future academic conditions of their children's schools will be affected by the rise in residential density.
Rachel Miller, Signal Mountain
Parallels in dealing with dissidents
Renewed official relations with Cuba have again brought forth the naysayers who oppose everything short of the overthrow of Cuba's revolution. Standing on their soap box of righteous indignation, their position leads with a short list of "human rights" violations. They make their assertions knowing that neither the media nor our government will name the atrocities perpetrated by Cuban dissidents. It's one of those "secrets" that keeps the discussion one-sided and out of context. So how does the U.S. deal with the dissidents, for example: "radical Muslims" out to destroy the "great Satan?" We track them down and put them in prison. We have concluded that they are dangerous and will not be tolerated. For 54 years Cuba has also faced dissidents dedicated to assassination and terrorism. Their endless terrorism has had full U.S. support. Cuba has concluded that their dissidents are part of our existential threat. So they keep an eye on them and sometimes put them in jail. A prudent step for both countries, wouldn't you agree?
Blake Moore