Why was hazing policy so delayed?
I am a local college student, and I wholeheartedly agree with what has been written about the Ooltewah High School rape and assault case. Things like this should not happen, and if the school board had 14 years to act from the Lookout Valley case, why didn't it act sooner? Did the members just put this aside in favor of other things?
Caleb Begley
Collegedale
Working together should be primary
About the Jan. 12 article "State of the Union: Obama warns against giving into election year cynicism": I appreciated how the State of the Union address was approached from both a Democratic and Republican viewpoint. However, I found it interesting that politicians remain focused on inter-party disagreements than actual change.
Since it is Obama's final stretch as president, he spoke about the need to continue to act on the changes he has implemented and to reduce the strife between political parties. It seemed clear that the Republicans merely brushed this off and instead claimed Obama's speech was "the same old stuff" as his other State of the Union speeches. Instead of focusing on the ongoing arguments between Republicans and Democrats, it would be refreshing to hear about the impact of Obama's speech or the agreements, if any, that could be found between parties.
Apparently, who's right and who's wrong is more important than working together to actually make a change.
Eloise Ravell
Collegedale
Forget hazing; this was rape
I think everyone who has listened to the news has heard the story. I am tired of hearing the Gatlinburg assault referred to as "hazing." This is rape, and no way can it be whitewashed enough to be hazing. If they think that by calling it something nicer it will become nicer, then they are insulting our intelligence. If these students are any example of our future leaders, then we are indeed in trouble. Did their parents have any idea that they were capable of this? This incident only shows that not only the students show no morals, but neither do the coaches. Other students had reported this behavior and had been ignored. Is this what we are teaching our children? Rape is against the law.
Virginia Carr
Hixson
Insure Tennessee rally not in vain
So did the Jan. 12 demonstration for Insure Tennessee in Nashville change anything? No. If it had been designed to effect an immediate outcome, the hundreds who lined the 100-yard hallway that connects Legislative Plaza to the state house would have been given clubs. These would have been used to gently remind our legislators as they walked the gauntlet that affordable health care is a necessity. Will pangs of conscience consume these legislators, prompting them to take Insure Tennessee to the floor for a vote? Probably not.
Then why get up before daylight and stand outside in 20-degree wind chills for more than two hours? Maybe the sight of the lone, solitary, old man slowly descending the long steep Capitol Hill steps, with cane in one hand and the railing in the other, said it best. We chose to be there because we all do what we can to make Tennessee a better place to live, and we will be back!
David Clark
Tullahoma, Tenn.