Letters to the EditorI just wanted everyone this newspaper reaches to know that Chattanooga has some of the world's finest people.
For instance, as I was checking out recently with my groceries at the Food City on Brainerd Road, a nice-looking lady in the line next to me leaned over and said, "May I pay for your groceries?" And as she waited for a reply from me, she said, "Please let me pay, as I so want to help an old World War II soldier for his service." When she said this, I began to weep, and so did she. She expressed her gratitude for my war service, to which I replied, "It was an honor to serve." So I gratefully allowed her to pay. I think we both had smiles on our faces and tears in our eyes when we left.
Chattanooga has some wonderful people, one of whom I found that day.
Ben Couillard
Roberts family thanks friends
We want to thank the people of Chattanooga, Hamilton County and many other parts of the world who have sent their condolences for the loss of our husband and father, Dalton Roberts. The outpouring of love and respect has been a great comfort to all his family. The number and quality of Dalton's friends are a testament to his spirit and to how he lived his life. He lived, as he would say, "with the gusto of a hound dog!" At his request, we will not have a formal memorial service. His legacy lives on in his music, his writing and in the city of Chattanooga. He loved Chattanooga and Hamilton County, and he believed his service as county executive was a spiritual calling. He poured his heart and mind into that service with an intellect and work ethic few people can match. We will miss him more than we can say. To those he held dear and close, we love you.
Gaye, Glenda and Jeff Roberts
America needs strong leadership
ISIS threats on America have brought fear to our nation. America needs a strong leader determined to defeat ISIS by applying the rule of law - despite race or nationality - to its maximum capacity. If we continue to put our trust and faith in President Obama, our efforts will be in vain. The role of the U.S. federal government is to protect its citizens and to create an environment where life, liberty and pursuit of happiness can take place. To win this battle and guarantee our freedom, we need to be able to label our enemies correctly. Unfortunately, President Obama refuses to label ISIS for what it is: a savage terrorist group seeking to establish a caliphate by terrorizing and killing innocent people. America needs to protect herself against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We need to stop ISIS, or we may find ourselves in the same situation as the people of France. America needs strong leadership. Now.
Dominique Odens
Safety should be our first priority
Should the United States accept refugees from Syria? This is an ongoing question in our country as we respond to ISIS's attacks. With different countries bombing Syria, arguments are being made that Syrians should be allowed in our country because of the risk of innocent Syrians being killed. I'm not against allowing these refugees to be in our country, but there is a major risk in doing so. Admitting refugees would require extensive and ongoing background and security checks. The experts and equipment required to provide these background checks would cost millions. Even if we find the funds to provide these checks, there is always the chance of letting a terrorist in. It's not worth the risk of an unpredictable terrorist attack in one of our cities. We need to consider the safety of our people in the U.S.
Anna Killian
South Pittsburg, Tenn.
Bike lanes will make city better
As we read in a September article by Tim Omarzu, Chattanooga's abundant new bike lanes are causing controversy. Some say they will hurt business and are dangerous; others say they will make the city better. With Chattanooga winning the Best Towns award from Outdoor magazine this year and hosting an Ironman competition in September and potentially another in 2017, we are known as an outdoorsy city. The bike lanes provide a safe place for cyclists to ride. They eliminate the frustrations of car drivers who get stuck behind cyclists riding in the main lane. Bike lanes are a way of promoting a healthy lifestyle and preserving the environment. They ultimately are going to make the city better, it will just take some time to get used to them.
Madison Herndon
DesJarlais bill won't help horses
Forty-five years after Congress outlawed soring, this flagrant cruelty continues. That is why I and the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners and almost 300 members of Congress continue to support the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 3268/S. 1121). It will provide meaningful deterrents for soring by strengthening penalties, banning the use of devices associated with this abuse and perhaps ending the industry self-policing that has allowed these crimes to continue. A new bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais is more about protecting offenders of the Big Lick rather than saving the industry by eliminating blatant abuse. A bill that does not prioritize the welfare of the horse cannot rightly be called the "Horse Protection Amendments Act." I urge Congressman DesJarlais and the cosponsors of H.R. 4105, including Congressman Fleischmann, to abandon their bill that will only perpetuate abuse and the current shame of Tennessee and its beloved horses.
Maryann Langbein Davis
Hixson
Can't control guns? Go after ammo
Since we can't get by the NRA in the registration of guns, maybe we should think about controlling ammunition. We should require stores that sell ammunition to report the sale of large amounts or frequent sales to local, state and federal authorities. These sales should be recorded, similar to those in pawnshops. The law should also forbid the accumulation of large amounts of ammunition. Some people will find ways to get around the rule, but this should not stop us from putting up roadblocks to control the offenders.
Rocky Renneisen
Signal Mountain
Constitution law, not Declaration
The author of the Dec. 14 letter, "Declaration doesn't support abortion," exposes her ignorance of our government and what defines its existence and authority. In her argument against abortion, she invokes "guarantees" and "rights stated" in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. While elegantly written and cherished as a founding document of the country, the Declaration has no force of law. Its writing and acceptance states the mindset of a small group of Founding Fathers in 1776 to break away from England. Post-revolution, after years of vigorous debate and compromise, our current Constitution and subsequent Bill of Rights were accepted by the states as the supreme law of the land. It is the Constitution that guarantees the rights of the people, not the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. The Supreme Court rules on the conformance of a law to the Constitution. The Court has ruled that a women's right to choose an abortion is an unenumerated right guaranteed to the people by the Ninth Amendment. The writer may not agree with the court's ruling, and her rights to disagree and argue to change the ruling are guaranteed by the Constitution. In the meantime, if one is opposed to abortion, it is their right to choose not to have one.
Bill Harris