UTK embarking on 'thought control'
The gender-neutral speech article (Saturday, page B1) reveals a troubling policy in student indoctrination at University of Tennessee-Knoxville. The policy is an attempt by the director of UT Office for Diversity and Inclusion to impose thought control on students as a part of their academic career.
Encouraging students to treat each other with dignity and respect is not a bad thing. It should be the norm for the campus. But attempts at thought control in order to achieve even a commendable goal is nothing less than dictatorship.
Thought control has been the tool of choice for dictators throughout modern history; consider the successes of Nazism, Stalinism and Maoism.
This is just one small incremental step to an American dictatorship. Our tax dollars to UTK must not be used to enslave.
John Reese, Ooltewah
'Pro-life' label is inaccurate, misleading
Editor, "pro-life" is a misnomer. These people are only "pro-birth." After the child is born, they have no interest in funding service programs to care for these babies. Republican "pro-lifers" continue to cut funding for welfare programs to help these families. Wake up and be honest. If you are really "pro-life," you would insist on increasing funds to aid these kids.
Charles M. Renneisen, Signal Mountain
Christ's change is on the way
Yes, big change is on the way, but not what a lot of people are thinking of. The new name for the White House should be Satan's Palace.
No one will escape this final change; no president or government official will have any say.
Change will read as follows: Christ has a new government emerging. Yes, God has richly blessed America, but human hearts have grown cold. Men have no spines, no sense of moral standards and no self-respect.
Removing the Confederate flag shows how weak our nation is - just like when Bibles were taken from our schools. I'd like for everyone to think about it - a real change is on the way, and our so-called government can't do anything about it.
Jerry Taylor
Calling Trump names sounds desperate
I have often criticized journalists' narrow educational backgrounds, lack of experience and virtually universal political bias - a crippling impediment to their stated mission and often a destructive trifecta.
However, I can't help but find it amusing to see a third-rate journalist from a provincial newspaper dissing those at the top of her profession (Chattanooga Times, Aug. 25: "Why Trump Keeps Fooling the Media"). Name-calling and demonization of Donald Trump, a clearly brilliant man of remarkable accomplishments, are indefensible.
Your diatribe, devoid of supporting facts, cannot be explained away as naive political bias or acute liberal delusionary syndrome.
Although I admit I'm not an admirer of Mr. Trump's style nor do I agree with all of his positions, I don't see anything in his policies on immigration, foreign relations or domestic matters that can be accurately described as "nonsense."
By your own admission, Trump's supporters represent a cross-section of the American electorate, not some radical fringe.
Catty denigration of good people, understandably frustrated with the Washington establishment, coupled with back-stabbing your own comrades in the media come across as desperate and petulant.
Richard Dea, Blue Ridge, Ga.
No second chance for Michael Vick
In his Aug. 28 column on page A2, Jay Greeson says Michael Vick deserves a second chance, downplaying Mr. Vick's role in a dogfighting scandal. He argues that other athletes indicted for rape or other violence against people get second chances because these victims are not as cute as puppies.
Mr. Vick deserves no second chance because, over a six-year period, he tortured and killed helpless dogs. He not only participated, he bankrolled and masterminded the dogfighting ring. In his backyard, police found mass graves of pit bulls that had been ripped apart during fights or tortured and killed for fun. They found dogs that had been beaten, starved and chained.
Mr. Vick admitted holding dogs while nooses were put around their necks, then dropping the dogs to die. Dogs that did not perform to his expectation were electrocuted, drowned and shot. Nothing excuses other athletes' deplorable behavior, but neither does comparing them to Mr. Vick's six-year course of brutality. Mr. Vick's legacy will always be associated with torturing and killing dogs, man's best friend.
DeeDee Bailey
Haslam governor of state or rich?
Gov. Bill Haslam is exploring whether to privatize facilities management at state-managed prisons, colleges, state parks and National Guard sites. Crony capitalism is rampant in government! Haslam acknowledged in 2010 that he held investments in Jones Lang & LaSalle, now doing business as JLL. According to a recent report in The Tennessean, a 2013 audit questioned the state's expansion of a $1 million contract to $10.7 million without any rebidding process. I want to know the cost analysis of laying off state employees in order to line the pockets of the already rich friends of the governor.
Yes, our state must operate efficiently, but laying off employees or cutting salaries is only going to increase our monetary problems. We already have over 250,000 Tennesseans without insurance because Haslam couldn't convince a legislative committee to put the lives of Tennesseans first. One has to ask, is the governor a poor leader incapable of convincing the elected representatives in Nashville to follow his vision of Insure Tennessee, or is his vision insincere? Is Haslam's vision one to improve the lives of Tennesseans, or is it a vision to further enrich the already wealthy?
Carl Lansden, Cleveland, Tenn.
SAFE Act not being enforced
Clif Cleaveland hasn't been paying attention to what has been happening since various state laws have been passed post-Sandy Hook. All of them have been nullified by "I Will Not Comply" armed civil disobedience.
In Connecticut, they have an 85 percent defiance rate. In New York, it is even higher, with sheriffs threatening to arrest any state cops who enter their counties seeking to enforce the SAFE Act. In Colorado, there has been widespread smuggling and open flouting of their law. The politicians in each of these states have not sent one raid party to enforce their unconstitutional dictates. So who does Dr. Cleaveland think he's going to get to enforce his "benevolent" tyranny?
Until he has the courage of his convictions and sends armed men with state-sanctioned violence to our doors, he should kindly shut up.
Mike Vanderboegh, Pinson, Ala.
Muslims should condemn radicals
A local Muslim leader of the "moderate Muslim community" said he is disappointed with Sheriff Jim Hammond's concerns about radical Muslim terrorists, a phrase our president has banned. Do these "moderates" who live here actually love America?
One could give more credibility to the moderate Muslims and their objection to Hammond's stand if they ever took a stand against acts by radical "Allah Akbar"-shouting kooks, who think it's OK to kill innocent people to make their point. Or to behead Christians on a beach. Is Islam really a religion of peace, as we're told? Where is any consistent condemnation and outrage by these moderates? Let's hear it - loud, clear and often.
Speak out strongly about these terrorists who are defilers of any religion or accept some necessary scrutiny.
Tony Scott, Signal Mountain