Stetson resignation calls for assessment
My husband and I decided to move here in 2010, in part, based on the caliber of the Hunter Museum. Having lived in several major and minor cities, always supporting the arts, we have been very active and supportive of the Hunter throughout Dan Stetson's tenure. He has been an excellent executive director -- passionate, intelligent and competent -- growing the Hunter's programs, outreach and positive impact on an increasingly diverse community. As such, I have questions about the wisdom of losing an arts leader like Dan Stetson. I urge the Hunter board and other community leaders to look inward and critically assess Chattanooga's ability to develop, attract and retain high caliber people who are experts in their field, think broadly, generate new ideas and execute successful endeavors.
BRENDA BRICKHOUSE
Legislators should stick to business
I have a dream that our local legislative delegation will begin acting in the best interest of all its constituents, which includes Erlanger hospital and those it serves; that our local legislative delegation will get out of the business of treating Erlanger like a political football; that our local legislative delegation will cease to involve itself in hospital operations (and other matters on which it has no knowledge) and instead stick to whatever their respective expertise is; that our local legislative delegation will cease its veiled and not so veiled threats of retaliatory legislation when its constituents fail or refuse to act as the delegation desires; and finally (and perhaps most importantly), that our local legislative delegation will begin to "police its own" by ensuring that Bo Watson does not continue to violate state ethics rules by speaking on behalf of the delegation on issues involving Erlanger, given his actual conflict of interest as an employee -- and financial beneficiary -- of Erlanger's competitor.
DIANE ABERCROMBIE, Dunlap, Tenn.
Vet is seeing red over Bennett flag
Clay Bennett's depiction of the flag of the United States of America with a red field of stars and red stripes (Jan. 11) is despicable! I think it is a shame the management of the Times Free Press would waste the ink to print this affront to the veterans of this country. For years I have recognized red as socialistic and communistic, and it's a shame the media refers to states as red or blue, but to print the Stars and Stripes in all red deserves an apology, which I seriously doubt we will see.
Melvin Willett
Free speech, satire often collide
We are Charlie Hebdo. These are the powerful words spoken by the Parisian people in light of the horrendous terrorist attack on the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo. These attacks were carried out by radical Muslims, presumably because the magazine has made offensive comics about Prophet Muhammad. In its truest sense, comedy is meant to poke fun at society in order to better it. So what I would like to ask is were the satirical comments about the Prophet Muhammad supposed to better society or were they just meaningless humor? Still, as an Ahmadi Muslim, I fully support free speech and completely condemn the attack on the magazine, even though I am also offended by what the magazine printed about the Prophet Muhammad. The acts of these terrorists are against the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
Sultan Humayun, Tunnel Hill, Ga.